I think some of it is sour grapes now. Deng still thinks he has it in him, but is he willing to bust his butt between now and training camp, report in as good of shape as the rest of the guys, and play well enough to justify minutes over Lebron, Kuzma, Beasley, McGee, and Zubac at the 4 and 5?
To date he is viewed as a way overpaid non-performer. He can either accept it or prove it wrong. Words from an $18 million a year player who scored two points last season, are cheap. For his money, he should be our second best player not an old, broken down freeloader.
If he can play at least better than Brewer did for us in limited minutes, he at least earns his man card back. But if he is just going to whine to the media I have nothing but contempt for him.
The Lakers made bad moves back then, all Deng can do is try to st least give a solid veteran minimum performance. Nothing wrong with some sweat earned dignity and self respect.
Show us 10 points, 5 boards and some floor burns, then I will say Deng is good enough to stay here for the season. Rudy Gay should be his goal.
Thanks Cachooka. Deng looks fat and slow, I don't understand what all the hoopla is about.
He's not NBA quality anymore _________________ “God knew they couldn’t be on this Earth without each other. He had to bring them home to have them together.” – Vanessa Bryant
He can still play. Maybe Lebron can light a fire under him.
He looks like me out there . . . and I'm 55, with a gut and bad feet. _________________ On Lakersground, a concern troll is someone who is a fan of another team, but pretends to be a Lakers fan with "concerns".
Thanks Cachooka. Deng looks fat and slow, I don't understand what all the hoopla is about.
He's not NBA quality anymore
Agree. He looks like he completely let himself go compared to what he looked like at the start of last season. I was kinda hoping we might be able to use him as a small ball 5, but I’m letting that go after seeing his highlights at the exhibition game.
For me that “steal” into the fast break showed everything we needed to see. Defender basically gave him the ball, and then his “fast break” dribble really sealed the deal. Looked more like a washed up pick-up guy on the break than a pro ready to earn minutes
I’m a pretty strong optimist, but I don’t see playing time in his future. We’ll likely trade him as an expiring next year without any play time this year. Him complaining to the media now gives a slight hope to some sort of a buyout... but ya - he’s cashin dem checks for now. _________________ #countonkobe
He looks waaaaaay better here than he does in his highlight reel of the exhibition game. Really looks like he’s let himself go, but I guess I can’t blame him that much.
Needed Deng down the stretch last year with BI injury and Brewer release. If you have a player and need him to play you should play him, it’s on the coach and office. Now if you try to sub him in like Hood and he doesn’t go then it’s on the player. Think we made a mistake not playing Deng. Those were legit NBA Players Deng competed against today.
Maybe we you are correct we made a mistake...
But using the criteria it's because Deng looked "good" vs a few NBA players in an exhibition with ASG level defense is silly.
The Lakers mistake was signing him in a desperate move to beat a self-imposed deadline. He did not play worthy of even a third of that... He was buried on the bench because he is untradable. Period. Nothing we saw in these highlights should offset how mediocre he looked in year one of his horrid deal.
Joined: 14 Apr 2001 Posts: 144474 Location: The Gold Coast
Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2018 9:34 am Post subject:
h2omike wrote:
I think some of it is sour grapes now. Deng still thinks he has it in him, but is he willing to bust his butt between now and training camp, report in as good of shape as the rest of the guys, and play well enough to justify minutes over Lebron, Kuzma, Beasley, McGee, and Zubac at the 4 and 5?
To date he is viewed as a way overpaid non-performer. He can either accept it or prove it wrong. Words from an $18 million a year player who scored two points last season, are cheap. For his money, he should be our second best player not an old, broken down freeloader.
If he can play at least better than Brewer did for us in limited minutes, he at least earns his man card back. But if he is just going to whine to the media I have nothing but contempt for him.
The Lakers made bad moves back then, all Deng can do is try to st least give a solid veteran minimum performance. Nothing wrong with some sweat earned dignity and self respect.
Show us 10 points, 5 boards and some floor burns, then I will say Deng is good enough to stay here for the season. Rudy Gay should be his goal.
He won’t get the opportunity. This classy organization that treats their players great won’t give him the opportunities to show he belongs. _________________ RIP mom. 11-21-1933 to 6-14-2023.
I think some of it is sour grapes now. Deng still thinks he has it in him, but is he willing to bust his butt between now and training camp, report in as good of shape as the rest of the guys, and play well enough to justify minutes over Lebron, Kuzma, Beasley, McGee, and Zubac at the 4 and 5?
To date he is viewed as a way overpaid non-performer. He can either accept it or prove it wrong. Words from an $18 million a year player who scored two points last season, are cheap. For his money, he should be our second best player not an old, broken down freeloader.
If he can play at least better than Brewer did for us in limited minutes, he at least earns his man card back. But if he is just going to whine to the media I have nothing but contempt for him.
The Lakers made bad moves back then, all Deng can do is try to st least give a solid veteran minimum performance. Nothing wrong with some sweat earned dignity and self respect.
Show us 10 points, 5 boards and some floor burns, then I will say Deng is good enough to stay here for the season. Rudy Gay should be his goal.
He won’t get the opportunity. This classy organization that treats their players great won’t give him the opportunities to show he belongs.
Classy organization with bad FO in ur boys Jim/Mitch will give garbage players 72/4m
Now u r here complaining how we are not giving mins to a guy who came out of shape after getting a big fat contract cause the guys who gave him contract are out
Joined: 02 May 2005 Posts: 90307 Location: Formerly Known As 24
Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2018 10:47 am Post subject:
Can you two just knock it off? _________________ “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ― Elie Wiesel
Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 11197 Location: The Other Perspective
Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2018 11:06 am Post subject:
He didn't look good imo. Slow and out of shape. I don't think he reached his goal of proving himself to the org or other teams: https://www.iol.co.za/sport/basketball/deng-wants-to-prove-himself-to-lakers-in-nba-africa-game-16374170 _________________ "Chick lived and breathed Lakers basketball…but he was also fair and objective and called every game the way it was played."
-from Chick: His Unpublished Memoirs and the Memories of Those Who Knew Him
Deng may have been handled poorly but can't blame new regime for sins of the previous one...
Plus Deng has 70 million reasons to stay in shape and not complain. He thinks he has something left? Negotiate a settlement and prove the Lakers wrong...
Joined: 17 Sep 2008 Posts: 21080 Location: In a white room, with black curtains near the station
Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2018 11:20 am Post subject:
My limited understanding of the situation last season is that the decision not to play Luol was mutual, between the FO and Deng's agent.
Luol entered last season in game shape, but by March he had already let himself slide. I'll be curious what shape he's in come training camp this fall.
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