LAKERS -at- THUNDER – 4-11-16 - Thoughts and :-(( Ratings
Goto page 1, 2  Next
 
Post new topic    LakersGround.net Forum Index -> Thoughts and Ratings Reply to topic
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
DancingBarry
Editor-in-Chief
Editor-in-Chief


Joined: 07 Sep 2001
Posts: 40188
Location: O.C.

PostPosted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 7:23 pm    Post subject: LAKERS -at- THUNDER – 4-11-16 - Thoughts and :-(( Ratings

One Last Ass Kicking For The Road… The Lakers hung in there in the first half.

They kept things close until a couple of threes got the Thunder a 10-point lead by the half. Still anyone’s ball game…before the Thunder squashed us like ants.

Russell Westbrook had a triple-double in that first half, which is ridiculous – a triple-double in 18 minutes. Who does that? Only one other person had one faster and that was 60 years ago according to FSW. It was his 18th triple-double of the season, the last person to do that since Magic.

So then the second half came along.

The Lakers offense sputtered into late shotclock iso mode, their trademark this season, and the Thunder went on a 19-0 run early in the third quarter to blow the game open.

“We start missing shots and all of a sudden we get lackadaisical on the defensive end,” Scott said, also getting lackadaisical with the timeouts and the teaching. The lead would balloon to 40+ points as the Lakers scored just 13 points in that third quarter and only 18 in the fourth.

In Kobe’s final road game, the Lakers fell 112-79.


Kobe -- -- The last road game of his career. The last game in the purple jersey. Another strong opening quarter for him offensively with 13 on 4-10 shooting, playing all 12 minutes again. His third quarter started out with turnovers, bad D and was eventually cut short. I hope we don’t have such a poor showing at home. The Jazz have dominated the Lakers all season. This was just an ugly road sendoff as the team played just about a half of basketball before they were swallowed whole. Kobe’s 13 points in the first quarter ended up leading the team. Ouch. “I’m looking forward to lacing them up one more time,” Kobe said. The Stats: He scored 13 points on 4-12 shooting (3-9 from three, 2-2 from the line) to gow tih 1 board, 1 steal, 2 turnovers and 2 fouls in 19 minutes. He was a -24. The Action: He airballed or was blocked on a three to start the game (same play we’ve run quite a bit of recently to start, Thunder were all over it). He swished a wing three in early offense. He missed a long wing three. He pumpfaked Durant into a foul on the jumper, he made both FTs. He drained a three trailing the break. He missed a sideline pull-up. He banked in a wing three. He missed a wing three. He posted up and swished the face up with a man right on him. He missed a forced wing three. Second Half: Loose D and he gave up a three to Durant. Bad lob pass that was easily intercepted. He telegraphed a bounce pass, points the other way. He gave up an And-1 layup getting nailed to the floor on a hesitation dribble. Not close on a fallaway after a spin. He missed a three.

Clarkson -- -- He and Russell had an awful night. They shot a combined 5-24 shooting. Scott said that affected their defensive work. Poor D tonight for sure from Clarkson, which is par for the course, but he seemed to stand around quite a bit and lacked some hustle in transition D. “They got a lot of weapons. It’s hard to guard those guys,” Clarkson said. I thought for sure he’d end up leading the team in scoring with how lackluster everyone was. He did have 4 of the Lakers 15 assists. The Stats: He scored 11 points on 2-14 shooting (1-9 from three, 6-6 from the line) to go with 2 boards, 4 assists, 3 turnovers and 2 fouls in 35 minutes. He was a -22. The Action: He hit Randle for the three on the two-man game. He missed a wing three. He hit Kobe trailing the break for the three. He missed a three on a kickout. He traveled to start the second quarter. He threw a pass away, unsure about hitting Sacre at the top of the paint. He was rejected trying to attack in transition. He swished a wing three on a kickout. He missed a three in transition. He drew FTs on a baseline drive, he made both. He couldn’t finish over Durant on the break, but Kelly cleaned it up. He missed a corner three after a botched offensive sequence. Russell found him for a layup shortly later. Second Half: He missed a fading wing jumper. He missed a wing three. He hit Russell cutting for the score. He missed a corner three on iso, trying to beat the clock. He was picked from behind. He sank a couple FTs. Not close trying to muscle his way into the paint. More FTs and he made both.

Russell -- -- Not much of a game from Russell. He scratched out some points but didn’t provide much spark or energy. Long season, second night of the back-to-back and getting your butts kicked. He and Clarkson combined for just 1-12 from three as Russell missed his three attempts. Clarkson fired away a ton. Another FT check…since Russell changed his freethrow stance back in that Golden State game, he’s shot 80% from the line. Those numbers have held steady. He’s also gotten to the line more. Before the All Star Break, he got to the line 1.8 times. Since then, he’s doubled that to 3.6 per game. Post All Star, he’s shot .408 from three and 15.5 ppg. He had the team-low -41 tonight. Some of these +/- numbers this season have been crazy. The Stats: He scored 11 points on 3-10 shooting (0-3 from three, 5-6 from the line) to go with 2 boards, 2 assists, 4 turnovers and 1 foul in 34 minutes. He was a -41. The Action: He missed a short one in the paint cutting off Kobe’s iso. He pushed out a rebound and was blocked from behind by Ibaka. Wide right on a wing three. He had a pass swiped by Durant’s length. He probed baseline, sealed the help defender and scored the layup. He hit Clarkson under the hoop for the layup. Great job using his length to finish and And-1 layup off a quick first step, he made the FT. Good challenge to force an airball. He drew a foul on Westbrook and chucked to draw three FTs, he made two. Second Half: He airballed a flat sideline three. He swished a floater off a dish from JC. He attacked off the three line and was shoved from behind on the floater, he made both FTs. He attacked and fed Hibbert for a jumper. He was blocked trying to probe in semi-transition. He threw a pass away trying to hit Hibbert in the paint. He was picked on the reach-around from behind. He missed a drive in the paint. He missed a wing three.

Randle -- -- He had some moments early on with his perimeter shot. His first one looked good, so he stepped a little further out and knocked down a three. The perimeter shooting will make or break his offensive game. He has a lot to work on in the offseason, but if there’s one thing, just work on that shot, over and over and over. Some nice screen setting to free up Kobe. That has gotten a little better as the season nears an end. I think he saw in that big assist game that he can free his teammates up with a nice dribble handoff and screen. He showed his need to work on his explosion under the hoop with a missed dunk in the first half. He needs to get those ups like Bass has in those situations. I remember it took Bynum quite a while before he was playing above the rim. I’m sure Randle will improve there, too. “We didn’t make shots and we didn’t move the ball,” Randle said. John Ireland, SMH. The locker room interviews kill me with the bad questions, and Randle looked like he was cringing from the inside on most of them in the postgame tonight. The Stats: He scored 9 points on 4-11 shooting (1-2 from three) to go with 13 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers and 1 foul in 27 minutes. He was a -28. The Action: Good looking 20-footer from the wing that dropped. He sank a wing three on the pick and pop next time down. He was called for a travel on iso. Nice challenge on Wesbtrook, the Westbrook threw him to the floor on the subsequent defensive board, Julius got up quick to get in his face (double tech). He missed a wing three on a swing pass. He airballed a wing jumper. He was blocked from behind on a drive. He couldn’t elevate enough to dunk under the hoop, choked it, got it back and was blocked. He attacked the paint, but no touch on the finish on a two-for-one opportunity. Second Half: Not close on a jumphook over a couple defenders. He finished a lob from Huertas in semi-transition. He beasted Collison for a layup on the baseline.

Hibbert -- -- A bit of a foul-prone third quarter. He picked up a flagrant against Adams, hacking him hard (old school foul) that I’m sure Adams had coming. The poor chemistry with Russell was replaced with some poor chemistry with Huertas as those two were on the floor for extended minutes together. Another yawn fest game from Hibbert. He did have a couple moments of high speed running in transition D, but trying to find the positives is a stretch. The Stats: He scored 2 points on 1-3 shooting to go with 4 boards, 1 block and 4 fouls in 20 minutes. He was a -21. The Action: No box out on a missed freethrow, then he followed that up by holding Adams on the next miss a few seconds later (that gave up a three). He smothered Ibaka’s drive to force a shotclock violation. He missed a face-up jumper. Second Half: Hard foul on Adams from behind, sending him to the ground, he picked up a tech. He sank a baseline jumper on the drive and kick. He missed a 20-footer.

Nance -- -- Not much action tonight. He played the first half and didn’t return. They want to keep his minutes low, and that’s why his night was cut short. Nance said they tested the knee in short minutes on the second night of the back-to-back and shut it down. He mentioned it felt great. Good to hear. The Stats: He didn’t score or shoot and had 2 boards, 1 assist and 2 fouls in 9 minutes. He was a +0. The Action: He kicked to Sacre for the open baseline jumper. Second Half: He did not play in the second half.

Black -- -- A bit of a foul-prone game that allowed Sacre to outplay him. The Stats: He scored 3 points on 1-2 shooting (1-2 from the line) to go with 3 boards, 1 assist and 3 fouls in 11 minutes. He was a -16. The Action: He drew FTs on the jumphook off a two-man sequence with Russell, he made one. Second Half: He battled for an offensive board on the Russell dribble penetration and scored. He missed a jumphook working the post.

Huertas -- -- He got to see things from D’Angelo’s perspective in the third quarter tonight when Scott left Hibbert and Randle out there all quarter. That meant Huertas had to run the two-man game with them. He tried running a screen-roll with Hibbert (rare we see these two trying to team up), and it resulted in Huertas’s pass going unnoticed by Roy as he rolled. Huertas was like “What the hell?” as he was running back on D. The flow we usually see with Huertas out there was pretty much gone. Interesting move by Scott, not sure if there was any logic to it but perhaps it had to do with Nance not playing in the second half. The Stats: He scored 4 points on 1-7 shooting (0-2 from three, 2-2 from the line) to go with 4 boards, 5 assists, 2 steals, 2 turnovers and 2 fouls in 28 minutes. He was a -13. The Action: He stripped Durant from behind in transition and then was fouled, he made both FTs. He was easily blocked in the paint trying to reverse. He hit a short one off a drive. He set up Sacre on the two-man game for the easy score in the middle of the paint. He deflected a pass in transition to force a turnover. He found Clarkson behind a screen for the three. He setup Sacre for FTs on the two-man game. Second Half: He lobbed to Randle for the score. He tried running the two-man game with Hibbert, turnover as Hibbert wasn’t even paying attention. He missed a 60-foot heave at the buzzer. He missed a wing three. Turnover trying to hit Russell cutting. He missed a baseline jumper. He missed a runner. He found Sacre on a high entry pass over the fronting D for the layup. He was blocked on a drive.

Kelly -- -- Some run at both the PF and SF tonight. Ineffective minutes, which could describe his entire season. He had a couple of garbage time steals and clanked shots. Can’t make shots, you aren’t going to last in the league. The Stats: He scored 3 points on 1-5 shooting (1-2 from the line) to go with 3 boards, 3 steals, 1 turnovers and no fouls in 18 minutes. He was a -10. The Action: He attacked baseline and was stripped for a turnover. He flagged down a pass, pushed out the break, fed Clarkson and cleaned up his miss with the putback. Second Half: Way short on a 20-footer. He missed a short pull-up on iso. He missed a fade. He knocked a pass away on a rotation. He swiped a cross-court pass. He missed a wing jumper on an inbounds. He pushed it out and drew FTs.

World Peace -- -- In addition to Kobe, this might also be the last road game for Ron Artest, Metta World Peace and Panda’s Friend. Metta nearly led the team in scoring. He knocked down a couple of threes and filled the lane on the break for another score. Good effort out there. The Stats: He scored 11 points on 3-10 shooting (2-6 from three, 4-4 from the line) to go with 6 boards and no fouls in 23 minutes. He was a -4. The Action: He missed a sideline three. He muscled his man in the post for FTs, he made both. He missed an open corner three. Second Half: He missed on a slow developing drive. He sank a wing three on a kickout. He missed a three in transition. He attacked to his left and fell down on a wild layup attempt. He sank a three. He missed a layup, battled for the board and got it back for FTs. He filled the lane and scored a layup on the break. He missed a corner three.

Sacre -- -- Black picked up some quick fouls so Sacre had his number called in the second quarter. He did a good job taking the shots that were given to him and scratching out some points that quarter. Quality game from Rob, nearly a double-double in limited minutes. Good effort and good job sticking to his strengths offensively. The Stats: He scored 11 points on 3-7 shooting (5-6 from the line) to go with 8 boards (4 offensive), 1 steal, 1 turnover and 3 fouls in 16 minutes. He was a +4. The Action: He hit the short one-hander on the two-man game with Huertas. He swished an open baseline jumper on the Nance kickout. He missed an open 17-footer. He drew FTs on the two-man game, good up fake. He missed a short jumphook. He drew FTs under the hoop, he made one. Second Half: Offensive foul trying to use his elbow in the post. He drew FTs on the glass. Layup when Huertas found him over the fronting D. He iso’d, was blocked, got it back and missed the jumper.

Scott -- -- The Lakers trailed 18-13 when the timeout came with over 4 minutes left in the quarter… Huertas in for Clarkson… Black in for Hibbert… Nance in for Randle, down 5… The Lakers trailed 27-21 after the first quarter… He started the Black, Nance, Metta, Clarkson, Huertas lineup… Black picked up his third foul and sat for Sacre after two minutes… Thunder just 7-14 from the line, Lakers down 5… Lakers down 3 when Russell, Randle and Kelly all entered… Back-to-back threes and the Thunder took a 10-point lead… The Lakers trailed 58-48 at the half… An 19-0 run by the Thunder were in control… They were down 28 when the timeout came midway through the quarter. Fall asleep there, Byron?... Huertas and Metta in for Kobe and Clarkson… They trailed 89-61 heading into the fourth… He started the Black, Kelly, Metta, Russell, Huertas unit… Clarkson in for Russell… Another run and no timeout by Scott, Lakers down 40+. He’s done with the season, as well, it seems… Sacre in for Black… The Lakers scored just 31 points in the second half. Even with extended garbage time…
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
anpherknee
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 14 Mar 2014
Posts: 16933

PostPosted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 7:26 pm    Post subject:

fuyst
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
yinoma2001
Retired Number
Retired Number


Joined: 19 Jun 2010
Posts: 119487

PostPosted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 7:32 pm    Post subject:

Last game in purple and gold. I'm just cutting some onions here.
_________________
From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
JamezAmp
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 25 Jun 2005
Posts: 1785
Location: Scottsdale, AZ

PostPosted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 7:33 pm    Post subject:

Last game in Purple. Damn.

Thanks DB
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
Lakers#1Team
Retired Number
Retired Number


Joined: 24 Jun 2005
Posts: 36360
Location: Nomad

PostPosted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 7:36 pm    Post subject:

Thanks DB!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
SweetP
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 23 Jun 2005
Posts: 6054
Location: My own little piece of reality

PostPosted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 7:59 pm    Post subject:

Thanks!
_________________
“There is always light if only we're brave enough to see it, if only we're brave enough to be it.” --Amanda Gorman
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
TDRock
Retired Number
Retired Number


Joined: 27 May 2010
Posts: 48595
Location: LA to the Bay

PostPosted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 8:04 pm    Post subject:

Hmmmm... When you put it like that for Kobe, now I might have to watch a rebroadcast....

Thanks DB! One mo'...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
richsmith
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 21 Mar 2008
Posts: 1177

PostPosted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 8:36 pm    Post subject:

Last game in purple and gold coming up for two Laker legends: Kobe Bryant and Byron Scott.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
H0B0
Starting Rotation
Starting Rotation


Joined: 11 Nov 2014
Posts: 168

PostPosted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 8:38 pm    Post subject:

THX DB. GO LAKERS
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
fiendishoc
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 23 Jun 2005
Posts: 8488
Location: The (real) short corner

PostPosted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 8:45 pm    Post subject:

Hibbert just killed the Lakers while he was on the floor tonight. Any other coach would have subbed him out early in each quarter.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
Shaber
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 12 Mar 2006
Posts: 3731
Location: The other side

PostPosted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 9:29 pm    Post subject:

fiendishoc wrote:
Hibbert just killed the Lakers while he was on the floor this season. Any other coach would have subbed him out early in each quarter.


Fixed it for you.



Thanks, DB!

One more writeup and then you'll get your well-deserved vacation.
_________________
.

Lakers depth chart

PG Johnson / Goodrich
SG Bryant / West / Scott
SF Baylor / Worthy / Cooper
PF Mikkelsen / Hairston / McAdoo / Gasol
C Chamberlain / Abdul-Jabbar / O'Neal / Mikan
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
OregonLakerGuy
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 23 Feb 2005
Posts: 13207
Location: Oregon

PostPosted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 9:43 pm    Post subject:

Thanks DB
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
A Mad Chinaman
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 07 Apr 2005
Posts: 6121

PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 1:28 am    Post subject:

DB's description of Huertsas' action with Hibbert is on point on why this combo has not worked

Hopefully the young players realize that they are not in school anymore but in real games with grown men

The "Not Ready for Primetime" players played to expectations

Next year will reveal if the young players understand what it takes to be elite NBA players and whether they should be on a Lakers roster.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
DShotMaker1824
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 16 Feb 2012
Posts: 8767

PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 2:36 am    Post subject:

Hoping we get a win to end the season and a commitment from JC to work on his defense. (contract incentive?).

Thanks again DB for yet another season of your work. Hope we're playing into atleast May next season.
_________________

"Through the legs to the left, through the legs to the right, we don't run them Laker plays, we just Kobe fadeaway..."
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
A Mad Chinaman
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 07 Apr 2005
Posts: 6121

PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 3:26 am    Post subject:

diando wrote:
Hoping we get a win to end the season and a commitment from JC to work on his defense. (contract incentive?).

Thanks again DB for yet another season of your work. Hope we're playing into atleast May next season.
JC's audition period has been the last few games

Is JC worth $12-$15M a year?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
yinoma2001
Retired Number
Retired Number


Joined: 19 Jun 2010
Posts: 119487

PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 5:30 am    Post subject:

A Mad Chinaman wrote:
diando wrote:
Hoping we get a win to end the season and a commitment from JC to work on his defense. (contract incentive?).

Thanks again DB for yet another season of your work. Hope we're playing into atleast May next season.
JC's audition period has been the last few games

Is JC worth $12-$15M a year?


Absolutely not.

I think he's around 8-9m, even in an inflated cap. What will really hurt his free agency this summer is the Arenas provision.
_________________
From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
Gimme_the_rock
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 13 Apr 2001
Posts: 11882
Location: Looking outta the window, watching the asphalt grow ...

PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 6:09 am    Post subject:

yinoma2001 wrote:
Last game in purple and gold. I'm just cutting some onions here.


I have a feeling my eyes may be just a little sweaty today.
_________________
We back.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
Fastbreak32
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 11 Oct 2011
Posts: 4746

PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 7:26 am    Post subject:

This season is almost done. Thank goodness.
_________________
LeBron, AD, & _________. Stay tuned.

"...there was a time when the Israelites were wandering in the desert and all of a sudden, bread came down from heaven,” Pelinka said. “That’s kind of what today feels like for us to have KCP join.”
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
Lakersneuron
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 21 Nov 2008
Posts: 4450

PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 7:29 am    Post subject:

Thanks DB.

Just for fun and because the season is over, lets imagine you are Jim Buss and you put on your old baseball cap. What changes do you make in the offseason? Specifically, who do you hire as coach (and style of play)? Which players do you keep? And assuming we keep our pick, who do you select (1-3)?

I am curious what your thoughts are given that you play closer attention to the games than 99.9% of the fans out there.

Feel free to say, 'bring Byron back'. No judgement on my end.
_________________
"I don’t give a [expletive] what you say. If I go out there and miss game winners, and people say, 'Kobe choked, or Kobe is seven for whatever in pressure situations.' Well, [expletive] you. Because I don’t play for your [expletive] approval."
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
TooMuchMajicBuss
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 17 Sep 2008
Posts: 21064
Location: In a white room, with black curtains near the station

PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 7:38 am    Post subject:

Thanks again DB! This was a very difficult game to watch. I really appreciate your recaps, and enduring the worst product this franchise has ever put on the floor. Just one more game! And the KFT becomes KFG tomorrow, which makes it memorable regardless of the outcome.

At least there's a silver lining with the young core we have, provided Scott is gone after tomorrow's game. I hope they get some good direction on what to work on this offseason, although I'm not sure where that direction is going to come from. I'm hoping for a new coaching hire as early on as possible.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
MR____
Rookie
Rookie


Joined: 11 Apr 2016
Posts: 7

PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 7:49 am    Post subject:

Roy Hibbert has a plus minus of -666 for the season. The guy is dammed.

Full +/- so far for the Lakers.
____Player_____________Team____+/-____per_Game___per_36Min
470 Roy_Hibbert_________LAL_____-666____-8.4________-13.1
469 Julius_Randle_______LAL_____-656____-8.3________-10.6
468 Jordan_Clarkson_____LAL_____-615____-8_________-8.9
467 Kobe_Bryant_________LAL_____-552____-8.6________-11
466 D'Angelo_Russell____LAL_____-506____-6.5________-8.3
461 Lou_Williams________LAL_____-399____-6_________-7.5
435 Nick_Young__________LAL_____-200____-3.7________-7
389 Larry_Nance_Jr._____LAL_____-106____-1.7________-3.1
337 Metta_World_Peace___LAL_____-62 ____-1.8________-3.9
295 Robert_Sacre________LAL_____-37_____-1.5________-4.4
289 Anthony_Brown_______LAL_____-35_____-1.2________-2.1
258 Brandon_Bass________LAL_____-22_____-0.3________-0.6
171 Ryan_Kelly__________LAL_____10______0.3_________0.8
149 Marcelo_Huertas_____LAL_____22______0.4_________1
121 Tarik_Black_________LAL_____44______1.2_________3.4
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
DancingBarry
Editor-in-Chief
Editor-in-Chief


Joined: 07 Sep 2001
Posts: 40188
Location: O.C.

PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 1:40 pm    Post subject:

Lakersneuron wrote:
Thanks DB.

Just for fun and because the season is over, lets imagine you are Jim Buss and you put on your old baseball cap. What changes do you make in the offseason? Specifically, who do you hire as coach (and style of play)? Which players do you keep? And assuming we keep our pick, who do you select (1-3)?

I am curious what your thoughts are given that you play closer attention to the games than 99.9% of the fans out there.

Feel free to say, 'bring Byron back'. No judgement on my end.



Good question and something I've been thinking about quite a bit. I'm still sorting out what I would do. But I feel like I've got an idea if I'm Jim Buss what I'd be doing. So what might he be thinking...

[Puts Jim Buss cap on head]

If I'm Jim Buss I have some additional complications...I'm dealing with this self-imposed deadline and am going to probably get voted off the island if I don't make an impact fast. Considering that, how do I reverse engineer what a successful offseason looks like?

First off, I need to be a little more self aware that we don't have the charisma in the front office like we did when we had West or Jerry Buss or Phil able to charm free agents. So if I'm Buss, I've got to think about a coach that can help recruit (whether by charisma or close ties with players...we need help). Fire Byron on Thursday. End of the KFT, new era...time for a new coach and all that. People get that.

Obviously, there is one key free agent that would save me, that would be landing KD. As things stand, I have little shot at him, but can I change that? My best bet would be hiring Scott Brooks as coach. His players loved him and were a bit ticked when he got fired. Hiring Brooks absolutely puts me in play for KD and Westbrook and gets me a meeting with them.

What I don't like so much is his X's and O's and he's a bit of a novice with the analytics (so as Buss, I'd really want an offensive guru on the bench with him...and would overpay, if needed). Brooks did start to experiment with motion offense elements at the end of his OKC career, and I imagine Westbrook probably distorts some of your X's and O's...so we could see something new from him. But still, that's a negative (and would no doubt drive me batty).

I do like that he developed a young core in OKC and got results amazingly fast. I do like that they continually improved defensively. So, if I strike out on KD this year, I'm still probably okay with developing the young core under him until I take a last-ditch swing at Westbrook next year before Jeanie gets me canned. So from Buss's standpoint, I could see him going that route trying to recover fast.

If the distance between you and KD is 10 miles, Brooks probably gets you 5 miles by himself.

Also, you obviously play up to KD/Westbrook that you aren't cash restricted like OKC was and that you will pay to keep talent or bring new talent on board. It's a non issue here. If we had OKC's team when they had Harden, we'd have a new young dynasty. Financially, OKC isn't us and will never be us, so he will continue to have these issues there the rest of his career (that's part of the pitch anyway).

Again, as Buss, I've got to sweeten the pot. If I get a top 3 pick, I look at what I can move that for. It may not be the best move, but in the short term if it's vital in getting the big name free agent, no problem. So I can see them aggressively shopping it to see what their options are. A good name could move them another mile closer.

Unfortunately, I still need to close the gap, so as part of my reverse engineering of success here, I'm also shopping some of my young core to see what other impact players that might get me. Again, another big name player moves me another mile or two closer.

Finally, you've got to see if you can line up a free agent package deal -- if you can leverage two big names to both come to L.A. in free agency, this moves you closer. You paint the picture of a powerhouse with him or them as the new face(s) of the franchise. (And, of course, their sponsors are all in on this as the L.A. market is still a big deal to them business-wise...)

I'm not sure you have to commit to any of this blueprint before free agency. You could possibly go through the draft, etc., and work this plan through back channels as much as possible. But if I am Jim Buss, wearing the cap and all, this is what I think might be their Plan A.

Plan B is probably keeping your young core, adding to it with this draft, getting some impact in free agency and hiring a coach that's both progressive and can grow with the youth...and probably getting run out of the building by your sister.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
Number 7
Starting Rotation
Starting Rotation


Joined: 27 Nov 2015
Posts: 953
Location: Greece

PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 6:28 pm    Post subject:

MR____ wrote:
Roy Hibbert has a plus minus of -666 for the season. The guy is dammed.

Full +/- so far for the Lakers.
____Player_____________Team____+/-____per_Game___per_36Min
470 Roy_Hibbert_________LAL_____-666____-8.4________-13.1
469 Julius_Randle_______LAL_____-656____-8.3________-10.6
468 Jordan_Clarkson_____LAL_____-615____-8_________-8.9
467 Kobe_Bryant_________LAL_____-552____-8.6________-11
466 D'Angelo_Russell____LAL_____-506____-6.5________-8.3
461 Lou_Williams________LAL_____-399____-6_________-7.5
435 Nick_Young__________LAL_____-200____-3.7________-7
389 Larry_Nance_Jr._____LAL_____-106____-1.7________-3.1
337 Metta_World_Peace___LAL_____-62 ____-1.8________-3.9
295 Robert_Sacre________LAL_____-37_____-1.5________-4.4
289 Anthony_Brown_______LAL_____-35_____-1.2________-2.1
258 Brandon_Bass________LAL_____-22_____-0.3________-0.6
171 Ryan_Kelly__________LAL_____10______0.3_________0.8
149 Marcelo_Huertas_____LAL_____22______0.4_________1
121Tarik_Black_________LAL_____44______1.2_________3.4


I don't know if that's because they're playing in garbage time mostly, but they're amongst the best contributors on the team and it's also very interesting that Hibbert, the starting C, has the lowest +/- , while his backup has the highest.
_________________
RIP Kobe
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
A Mad Chinaman
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 07 Apr 2005
Posts: 6121

PostPosted: Wed Apr 13, 2016 2:18 am    Post subject:

DancingBarry wrote:
Lakersneuron wrote:
Thanks DB.

Just for fun and because the season is over, lets imagine you are Jim Buss and you put on your old baseball cap. What changes do you make in the offseason? Specifically, who do you hire as coach (and style of play)? Which players do you keep? And assuming we keep our pick, who do you select (1-3)?

I am curious what your thoughts are given that you play closer attention to the games than 99.9% of the fans out there.

Feel free to say, 'bring Byron back'. No judgement on my end.
Good question and something I've been thinking about quite a bit. I'm still sorting out what I would do. But I feel like I've got an idea if I'm Jim Buss what I'd be doing. So what might he be thinking...

[Puts Jim Buss cap on head]

If I'm Jim Buss I have some additional complications...I'm dealing with this self-imposed deadline and am going to probably get voted off the island if I don't make an impact fast. Considering that, how do I reverse engineer what a successful offseason looks like?

First off, I need to be a little more self aware that we don't have the charisma in the front office like we did when we had West or Jerry Buss or Phil able to charm free agents. So if I'm Buss, I've got to think about a coach that can help recruit (whether by charisma or close ties with players...we need help). Fire Byron on Thursday. End of the KFT, new era...time for a new coach and all that. People get that.

Obviously, there is one key free agent that would save me, that would be landing KD. As things stand, I have little shot at him, but can I change that? My best bet would be hiring Scott Brooks as coach. His players loved him and were a bit ticked when he got fired. Hiring Brooks absolutely puts me in play for KD and Westbrook and gets me a meeting with them.

What I don't like so much is his X's and O's and he's a bit of a novice with the analytics (so as Buss, I'd really want an offensive guru on the bench with him...and would overpay, if needed). Brooks did start to experiment with motion offense elements at the end of his OKC career, and I imagine Westbrook probably distorts some of your X's and O's...so we could see something new from him. But still, that's a negative (and would no doubt drive me batty).

I do like that he developed a young core in OKC and got results amazingly fast. I do like that they continually improved defensively. So, if I strike out on KD this year, I'm still probably okay with developing the young core under him until I take a last-ditch swing at Westbrook next year before Jeanie gets me canned. So from Buss's standpoint, I could see him going that route trying to recover fast.

If the distance between you and KD is 10 miles, Brooks probably gets you 5 miles by himself.

Also, you obviously play up to KD/Westbrook that you aren't cash restricted like OKC was and that you will pay to keep talent or bring new talent on board. It's a non issue here. If we had OKC's team when they had Harden, we'd have a new young dynasty. Financially, OKC isn't us and will never be us, so he will continue to have these issues there the rest of his career (that's part of the pitch anyway).

Again, as Buss, I've got to sweeten the pot. If I get a top 3 pick, I look at what I can move that for. It may not be the best move, but in the short term if it's vital in getting the big name free agent, no problem. So I can see them aggressively shopping it to see what their options are. A good name could move them another mile closer.

Unfortunately, I still need to close the gap, so as part of my reverse engineering of success here, I'm also shopping some of my young core to see what other impact players that might get me. Again, another big name player moves me another mile or two closer.

Finally, you've got to see if you can line up a free agent package deal -- if you can leverage two big names to both come to L.A. in free agency, this moves you closer. You paint the picture of a powerhouse with him or them as the new face(s) of the franchise. (And, of course, their sponsors are all in on this as the L.A. market is still a big deal to them business-wise...)

I'm not sure you have to commit to any of this blueprint before free agency. You could possibly go through the draft, etc., and work this plan through back channels as much as possible. But if I am Jim Buss, wearing the cap and all, this is what I think might be their Plan A.

Plan B is probably keeping your young core, adding to it with this draft, getting some impact in free agency and hiring a coach that's both progressive and can grow with the youth...and probably getting run out of the building by your sister.
Interesting and thoughtful ideas

Is Jeanie as persuasive as her father, since the buck stops with her, it would be hard to not imagine that she would not be

Are we assuming that Mitch is not as respected as Jerry West, hmmm

One wonders why OKC didn't feel that Brooks cannot bring Durant/Westbrook a championship ring. Recognizing that the patience and scrutiny will be far greater in LaLa Land, would this retread bu the right choice. The complaint against Brooks is his boring ISO-focused offensive schemes (sound familiar)
http://www.sbnation.com/2015/4/22/8469587/scott-brooks-fired-okc-thunder-kevin-durant

An important issue is evaluating if JC is worth $12-$15M a year, noting his lack of making a definite impact in games that might be tied to acquiring DeRozan. Bradley Beal-type guard would be a good barometer of who they want at SG

Whiteside/Jefferson is an obvious choice but need a good PG to get him the ball, hence is DLO ready to be the starting PG of a legitimate playoff team next season. Maybe the Lakers' scout can get a sleeper who is a legitimate talent from the list at http://www.cbssports.com/nba/draft/prospect-rankings/centers

Simmons/Ingram (hopefully) would be good addition.

They need to jettison Swaggy/RKelly/Sacre to free up CAP space.

Is the FO content with yet another season of developing players, somebody like Brooks is acceptable. If the FO want to be a legitimate playoff team (with the addition of key FAs and a top draft choice), would not a coach that can lead a team deep into the playoffs in the very near future (1-2 years) be the focus.

It will be a fascinating off-season
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
DancingBarry
Editor-in-Chief
Editor-in-Chief


Joined: 07 Sep 2001
Posts: 40188
Location: O.C.

PostPosted: Wed Apr 13, 2016 10:26 am    Post subject:

I absolutely don't think Jeanie is as persuasive as her father when it comes to basketball matters. Voting Jim out? That's another story. Jerry was a closer. Even Kobe said it was hard to say no to him.

In regards to Mitch, he has had his success, but he doesn't have the same presence as Jerry West. He's a great guy, but this isn't his strength. It's not a problem when you have other personalities like Phil or Jerry Buss...but without those, I think we don't have the charisma in the front office that we once had. That may be a blind spot for Jim. So trying to get in his head in that regard could be a stretch...but barring LeBron or someone coming to us with a plan, we need a coach that will be a recruiter. The Lakers like to swing for the fences, so I imagine they will be doing that this offseason with the FA pitches. The coach will be key to that process.

If Jim hadn't been cornered into some promise, then maybe they sell a slower growth model with a young, progressive coach...but I think he's going to be in compete now mode as plan A this offseason.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic    LakersGround.net Forum Index -> Thoughts and Ratings All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Page 1 of 2
Jump to:  

 
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum






Graphics by uberzev
© 1995-2018 LakersGround.net. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Terms of Use.
LakersGround is an unofficial news source serving the fan community since 1995.
We are in no way associated with the Los Angeles Lakers or the National Basketball Association.


Powered by phpBB