Lakers in the News 10/26/15 - 11/01/15: Lakers Need To Clear Things Up
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 29, 2015 11:52 pm    Post subject:

Lakers impressed by way Julius Randle stood up to trash-talking Kevin Garnett
by Bill Oram - ocregister.com

Julius Randle snarled as Kevin Garnett dipped his head and barked in his ear. Randle spat out trash talk of his own, edging closer to Garnett as the 21-year veteran was hit with a technical foul.

To the delight of his Lakers teammates, the dustup in the middle of the second quarter of Wednesday’s season-opening loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves announced a certain kind of arrival for the second-year forward.

Until that moment, his brief NBA career had but one defining moment, the instant his right tibia snapped in his professional debut and Randle fell down.

One year later, under the same basket, the kid stood up to The Kid.

“I knew Julius wasn’t going to back down,” Jordan Clarkson said. “He’s got that dog in him.”

For a matchup of two non-playoff teams, the Lakers' game against Minnesota offered a number of juicy storylines, including D’Angelo Russell’s first game against Karl-Anthony Towns, Kobe Bryant’s millionth against Garnett.

Somehow overlooked was Randle’s first career start coming against a 15-time All-Star with a mean streak.

One person was prepared, however.

“I know K.G.,” Bryant said a day after beginning his 20th season, “and K.G. loves to test the young guys, just to see what they’re made of. And I knew they were going to get into it.”

Bryant was delighted with Randle’s response to Garnett’s bullying, saying Randle “responded like a grown … man.”

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/talking-689792-kevin-trash.html
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 29, 2015 11:58 pm    Post subject:

Video: Lakers React To Julius Randle, Kevin Garnett Trash-Talk
by lakersnation.com
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 30, 2015 7:06 am    Post subject:

D'Angelo Russell Will Find His Groove
by Chris Walton - hoopshabit.com

The opening of the NBA season is always sure to ignite the fires of hot takes and generate numerous questions surrounding players in the league. Some things are interesting to discuss, such as Kawhi Leonard becoming the league’s best two-way player. Other things are sure to raise eyebrows, like the resurgence of Kendrick Perkins as a frontline anchor for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Speaking of questions, the Los Angeles Lakers are looking to prove that their use of rookie D’Angelo Russell is sure to fulfill the 19-year old’s potential. Last night’s opener did little to cement that belief, but it was largely in part to a new adjustment.

While Russell excelled as Ohio State University’s lead guard in the NCAA, he found himself starting at shooting guard in his first NBA game. While he’s surely capable of providing the scoring of a 2-guard, Russell does his damage as a playmaker for teammates.

It’s never a good thing when any of your guards end the game with as many turnovers (three) as assists (two) and baskets made (two) like Russell did. The good news is that all is not lost, and barring any injury, Russell has 81 more chances and beyond to prove that he understands the speed and physicality of the NBA.

In order for him to make the anticipates leap, it will take preparation and confidence to match his skill set. Many pundits will continue to doubt Russell’s ability, but going forward, there’s a few things working in his favor that will aid his adjustment.

http://hoopshabit.com/2015/10/30/los-angeles-lakers-dangelo-russell-will-find-groove/
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 30, 2015 10:16 am    Post subject:

Why are the Lakers going to suprise a few people?
by ayoungstersopinion.sportsblog.com

So to start off, I'm a huge Lakers fan, but I think I'll be providing a lot of valid statements.

Let's begin, the Los Angeles Lakers had a horrific season last year. They won literally 21 games, and celebrated a worthless win by video-bombing and laughing and saying "The Lakers are back!" That's how pathetic the season was, but to be honest, Kobe missed more than half a season, as well as Julius Randle broke his foot in 10 minutes. Plus "Swaggy P" was anything but swaggy. But there was also Huge bright-spots, including the emergence of Jordan Clarkson, and Tarik Black ( Yes, him) played outstanding 7.2 ppg 6,3 rbp in 21.1 minutes! Even though his size is underwhelming , he brings a lot of effort. We learned too that Jabari Brown has some potential, he averaged 12 ppg in 19 games, shooting 37% from the arc! So we'll start off with the bad from last season as we already started, and as well as we'll look at the off season transactions they made, and maybe if they can fight for an 8th seed spot.

I stated earlier that the Lakers were pretty bad last season, but there was a lot of positives in my opinion. Jordan Clarkson's emergence, Tarik Black, Jabari Brown. Nevertheless I think everybody should be excited about Clarkson. This guy averaged 12 ppg, 3.5 apg ( teammates didn't get open anyway, plus he's a rookie, I consider that impressive) and 3.2 rpg in 25 minutes! Plus this guy got some hops! Did you see that 360 dunks against the Cavs, and the tip back dunks? (look it up) This guy improved so much during the season, what do ya think he's going to do this season? I do believe Clarkson is more fit for a shooting guard, but he still has decent-to-good passing skills, otherwise my rant about Clarkson is over.

Now, I think I'm the only person who's excited about Tarik Black's development. This guy has tremendous effort, he can rebound, he is really good 10 feet and in (Post moves and finishing) and his size is concerning, but I believe that won't be an issue. Jabari Brown won't be much important to this team, but if he shows what he did last year, he can be a scorer off the bench.

Lastly, I do like Ryan Kelly, yes, he's (very) slow, a very bad rim protector, but this guy can shoot and his size is awesome! Now, I think he needs a lot of improvement on his speed and defense...I mean a lot, but he could be a serviceable role player.

So the role players could plan an important role this year (probably will). Lastly, maybe Sacre could be the world's largest cheerleader than play for the Lakers.

http://ayoungstersopinion.sportsblog.com/posts/2990533/why-are-the-lakers-going-to-suprise-a-few-people-.html
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 30, 2015 10:17 am    Post subject:

Lakers' Unveils Christmas Day Jerseys (PHOTOS)
by Dan Duangdao - lakersnation.com

The 2015-16 NBA season is officially underway as all eyes are on Kobe Bryant and the team’s young core. While the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a tough season opener loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, they will travel to face DeMarcus Cousins and the Sacramento Kings tonight.

One of the most anticipated games this season will come on Christmas Day as the Lakers host the Clippers. While the game is nearly two months away, numerous teams unveiled their Christmas Day uniforms today via the official Twitter account:

http://www.lakersnation.com/lakers-news-l-a-unveils-christmas-day-jerseys-photos/2015/10/30/
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 30, 2015 10:24 am    Post subject:

Lakers will benefit from playing D'Angelo Russell as a true point guard
by Drew Garrison - silverscreenandroll.com

Byron Scott didn't make a final decision to play D'Angelo Russell in the Los Angeles Lakers starting lineup until opening day, and even then the plan was to play him off-ball in his first NBA minutes. Russell will shift back to his natural role as a ball-handling point guard, Scott told media during practice following their season-opening loss.

Transitioning to an offense controlled by a 19-year-old rookie isn't a simple task to control, but ultimately it's for the better that he's allowed that opportunity. Russell is the point guard that's supposed to be THE point guard for the Lakers, and right now this is more "let's start paddling in the kiddie pool" than "sink or swim" as they go through the developmental process.

Part of the building pressure from the outside might be the simple fact that D'Angelo hasn't had a "signature" game yet. It's been a great pass here and a pick-and-roll jumper there, more than a total package through a game. He played fairly limited minutes through preseason and barely had the ball in his hands on opening night. Russell ended his debut with four points and two assists, which was clearly nothing to feel incredibly overwhelmed by at first glance. He did some impressive things when he actually had a chance to make plays, though, like he does here in a high pick-and-roll with Brandon Bass:

http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2015/10/30/9639968/la-lakers-dangelo-russell-starting-point-guard-news
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 30, 2015 1:36 pm    Post subject:

Preview: Lakers at Sacramento Kings
by Eric Pincus - latimes.com

The Lakers (0-1) play their first road game of the season on Friday night, visiting the Sacramento Kings (0-1).

The Kings lost their home opener on Wednesday to the Clippers, 111-104. The Lakers lost their opener at Staples Center to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 112-111.

Kobe Bryant missed the Lakers' shoot-around Friday with a sore throat but is expected to play. Larry Nance Jr. is questionable with knee tendinitis.

The Kings are healthy and talented with a number of new players joining stars DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay, including Rajon Rondo, Kosta Koufos, Marco Belinelli, Caron Butler and rookie Willie Cauley-Stein.

Key matchup

In a Kentucky-heavy battle, Lakers second-year forward Julius Randle will likely draw Kings forward/center DeMarcus Cousins.

Cousins' position on the floor changes throughout the game, depending on personnel. If the Kings go with Koufos, Cousins is the forward.

Randle's first test on opening night was veteran Kevin Garnett. Dealing with Cousins, who made the All-Star team last year in the Western Conference, will be a task.

While Randle has grown tremendously from where he was before his season-ending broken leg on opening night last year, he's still developing as a player.

The Kings also have the defensive-minded Cauley-Stein, Randle's former teammate, to put on Randle if need be.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-preview-lakers-at-sacramento-kings-20151030-story.html
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 12:21 am    Post subject:

Lakers are manhandled by Kings in Sacramento to fall to 0-2
by Bill Oram - ocregister.com

The Lakers can’t return to this city without being reminded of their past misadventures.

At halftime of Friday’s game against the Kings, footage from the 2002 Western Conference Finals flickered on the big screen in a mini-documentary of one of the most cherished moments in Kings history.

It was Game 5 of the series, and Chris Webber set a screen that knocked Derek Fisher to the floor. Mike Bibby rose to hit the winning jump shot.

The Lakers won the series en route to their third straight NBA title, but the scene still brought the crowd to its feet

For the Lakers’ next visit to Sleep Train Arena, the Kings won’t need to reach nearly so deep into the archives to taunt Kobe Bryant & Co. Friday’s 132-114 drubbing offered plenty of scenes that will haunt the Lakers.

While both teams are far removed from the halcyon days of the early 2000s, the Kings managed to embarrass a Lakers team that you figured could not suffer any more indignities after the past two seasons.

The Lakers trailed by 21 points in the first quarter as the Kings scored 40 without making a 3-pointer.

"You’ve got to be ready when the game starts," Coach Byron Scott said, "and we weren’t ready."

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/kingssacramento-690038-lakers-ocregister.html
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 12:24 am    Post subject:

Nothing to say in Lakers' defense after 132-114 loss to Kings
by Mike Bresnahan - latimes.com

Byron Scott sat at the dais and made one thing clear.

"The first thing that Magic [Johnson] taught me when I got in this league is that we win championships by defending every single night," Scott said. "You're going to miss shots, you're going to make shots. But the one thing you control every single night is your effort on the defensive end."

On July 29, 2014, Scott was hired as the Lakers' 21st coach. Happier times were seemingly ahead.

The final score Friday reflected nothing Scott hoped to bring to the franchise that employed him for 11 years as a player: Sacramento Kings 132, Lakers 114.

This was ugly from the start, the Lakers already surrendering 50 points early in the second quarter. It's a wonder the Kings didn't get to 75 before halftime, but they almost did (74).

The Lakers gave up so many points in the paint, it was laughable (80). The Kings kept sneaking behind them for easy fastbreak points (33).

It was silly to count how many open three-point looks Sacramento had at Sleep Train Arena.

Scott told the Lakers at halftime to "man up," he said, still unhappy after the game because the Lakers were "soft" from the start of it, he added.

"We just sucked," he said. "I've never seen 80 points in the paint. I really haven't."

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/la-sp-1031-lakers-kings-20151031-story.html
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 12:26 am    Post subject:

Lakers offer little on offense and defense in 132-114 loss to Kings
by Mark Medina - dailynews.com

The day started with Kobe Bryant missing the Lakers’ morning shootaround, nursing a sore throat. The day ended with the Lakers absorbing something that made Bryant and the rest of the team feeling nauseated.

The Lakers lost to the Sacramento Kings, 132-114, on Friday night at Sleep Train Arena, dampening any optimism about a hopeful future with an ugly present. The Lakers’ loss marked the fourth time in the past five seasons they have lost their first two games.

“We didn’t come with a focus tonight for whatever reason,” Lakers coach Byron Scott said. “They played harder than we did. They wanted it a lot more than we did.”

That was painfully obvious, most notably on defense.

Kings center DeMarcus Cousins bullied his way to 21 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. Point guard Rajon Rondo showed off his playmaking with 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting, eight assists and a handful of up-and-under layups. Forward Rudy Gay showcased his versatility with 19 points, six rebounds, three assist and two steals.

Sacramento (1-1) bulldozed inside with 80 points in the paint. The Kings scored 33 fast-break points. The Lakers trailed as many as 31 points.

That prompted Scott to say that the Lakers’ defense “sucked.” He then called the Lakers’ effort “extremely disappointing” twice. After the Lakers trailed 74-50 at halftime, Scott offered a blistering speech.

“It doesn’t come down to X’s and O’s,” Scott said. “You have guys going at you. You have to man up.”

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20151030/lakers-offer-little-on-offense-and-defense-in-132-114-loss-to-kings
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 12:30 am    Post subject:

Defense Absent in Lopsided Loss
by Joey Ramirez - nba.com

Since he was named head coach of the Lakers in July 2014, Byron Scott has preached an endless sermon of defense. But an encouraging training camp and preseason has given way to back-to-back unsightly performances on that end.

Just two days after allowing Minnesota to score 112 in the season opener, the Lakers suffered a 132-114 loss in Sacramento — the most points the Kings have piled up in regulation over the last eight years.

Scott let the team know his disappointment during their 48-minute defensive lapse that allowed 80 points in the paint — the most by any team over the past 20 years, per Elias Sports Bureau.

“I told them at halftime, ‘Sooner or later, you’ve got to man up,’” Scott said after Friday’s loss. “Sometimes it doesn’t come down to Xs and Os. You’ve got guys going at you. You’ve got to man up.”

It was clear that L.A. was in trouble from the start, as the Kings scored 14 unanswered points early in the first quarter, which powered a 40-point opening period that ended with Sacramento already up by 16.

“They set the tone from the beginning of the game and that was pretty much it,” said Julius Randle, who shot just 1-of-4 and had five turnovers in 16 minutes. “It was over from the beginning.”

http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/151030_kingswrap
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 12:34 am    Post subject:

Lakers Shot Down In Sacramento
by Keith Rivas - lasportshub.com

The young dynamic duo was back at it in California’s capitol as the Lakers took on the Kings in their second game of the season.

D’Angelo Russell saw more opportunities to score and Jordan Clarkson took complete control and got into a zone all his own.

It’s exactly what the Lakers will need to carry them anywhere near the promised land.

The problems began often and early against Sacramento, though, as the Kings dropped 40 points in the first quarter and had 74 at just halftime.

Despite 22 points and four rebounds from Clarkson, the Lakers, quite frankly, could never catch up.

After the first quarter they never saw the lead and the game ended with a nearly 20-point differential.

Not a good look for an LA team that tried to make a statement on opening night and was almost able to topple the Timberwolves with the Staples Center faithful behind them.

But it seems as though they have yet to really hit the sweet spot, even with the more long-term pieces to the team already in place.

http://lasportshub.com/2015/10/30/la-lakers-shot-down-in-sacramento/
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 12:37 am    Post subject:

Kobe Reaches Fifth on All-Time Baskets List
by Joey Ramirez - nba.com

These days it seems like Kobe Bryant is notching a new milestone every game.

That’s what happens when you’re in year 20 of a career that has featured 17 all-star nods, five championships and an MVP award. In an otherwise frustrating loss to Sacramento on Friday, Bryant passed former teammate and fellow Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal on the NBA’s made-shots list.

In the second quarter, the 37-year-old cleaned up a miss from D’Angelo Russell and banked in a jumper from the edge of the paint, giving him 11,331 career baskets — one more than O’Neal, who ironically is now a part-owner of the Kings.

http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/151030_kobebaskets
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 6:12 am    Post subject:

After Lakers fall to Kings, Kobe Bryant says he needs to step back, let young players grow
by Bill Oram - ocregister.com

Another game was rapidly spiraling out of control, and the remedy for such a situation was so well established any basketball fan could have told you what was coming next.

Kobe Bryant would, of course, take on the role of Atlas, hoisting the world onto his shoulders.

But as the Kings ran away from the Lakers in a 132-114 blowout, the lead growing to as many as 31, Bryant did something he had done rarely in his career.

He resisted the urge to take over.

“It’s difficult,” Bryant said, “but it has to be done.”

The Lakers are a team in transition, and the biggest question regarding the direction of the franchise is how Bryant’s presence will impact the young players. He can be a mentor and a guide, sure. But he is also relentless and unyielding, a potential obstacle to the development of D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle.

For one night, at least, Bryant demonstrated a significant amount of awareness.

“I’m really wanting the young guys, especially D’Angelo, let him call the game, let him organize the game, let him read the flow, let him make those decisions,” Bryant said. “Which is part of me taking a step back, which needs to be done.

“You have to let the young guys make those reads and you have to be there and help them and support them with those reads.”

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/-690049--.html
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 6:14 am    Post subject:

We've heard it before
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 6:59 am    Post subject:

Byron Scott isn't comparing D'Angelo Russell to the other draftees
by Mike Bresnahan - latimes.com

Don't ask Byron Scott about Jahlil Okafor or anyone else the Lakers passed up when they drafted D'Angelo Russell.

Scott doesn't want to hear about the 26 points Okafor scored in his NBA debut.

The solid games put together so far by Kristaps Porzingis? Whatever.

To Scott, Emmanuel Mudiay is simply the other point guard drafted in the top 10 a few months ago.

The Lakers coach is concerned about only one highly touted player, the one taken second overall by the Lakers. He doesn't think about the others.

"Why should I?" Scott said Friday, adding he hoped they have great careers and everything, but, "Why should I care about what they do? I care about what our guy does and what our team does. I don't look at Philly, I don't look at Minnesota, I don't look at other teams. It's not my concern."

It's safe to say Russell has been slower than the above players to adapt to the NBA level. It's also safe to say he's played only two games, underscoring Scott's unstated point that Lakers fans need to be patient.

Just wondering, though, how long is Russell's learning curve? He had 13 points on five-for-10 shooting and two assists in the Lakers' 132-114 loss Friday to the Sacramento Kings.

"I think everybody's different," Scott said. "You've got some rookies, it takes them 10 games to really understand what's going on out there. Some of them, it takes a year, some of them it takes half a year, some of them take two years."

In other words, nobody knows. And Russell is only 19.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/la-sp-lakers-report-20151031-story.html
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 7:02 am    Post subject:

D'Angelo Russell might be at disadvantage in early comparisons to other top picks
by Bill Oram - ocregister.com

D’Angelo Russell considered the question, pursed his lips and acknowledged that, yes, he knew the start of his NBA career was being judged against those of the other top draft picks.

He’s among the people paying attention.

“When a lot of the other rookies play really well,” Russell said before the 132-114 loss to the Kings on Wednesday, “you even feel that way about yourself not playing so well.”

It’s a feeling Kobe Bryant can relate to.

Nineteen years ago, Bryant was marooned deep on Del Harris’ bench. Selected 13th by Charlotte in a loaded draft and traded the Lakers, Bryant champed at the bit an opportunity.

“Used to drive me crazy. Ray Allen was scoring 30 and (Allen Iverson) was scoring 40,” Bryant said, “and just like I know they’re not that much better than I am. Just don’t have the opportunity to show it. But those years were invaluable for me, because nothing was handed to me.”

Russell’s situation is different. For better or worse, he is the Lakers’ starting point guard and will have plenty of opportunity to establish himself quickly.

Still, he is behind the pace set by Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor. He has not missed the fact that the two players drafted before and after him had made forceful entries to the NBA and that he, by comparison, had not.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/russell-690041-nba-rondo.html
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 3:06 pm    Post subject:

Lakers drafted D’Angelo Russell partly because of free agency class
by Mark Medina - dailynews.com

As Lakers rookie point guard D’Angelo Russell stood on the basketball court, coach Byron Scott bet him $150 that Russell could not bank a corner 3-pointer. Russell then proved Scott wrong.

“You didn’t bet that,” Scott said before the Lakers’ 132-114 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Friday at Sleep Train Arena. “That was the first in seven tries. He missed the other six.”

The Lakers are making another bet — Russell will shed his summer league, training camp and early-season struggles. Russell posted 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting and two assists in 23 minutes Friday as the primary ball-handler. But Scott lamented that Sacramento guard Rajon Rondo “killed us” as he posted 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting, eight assists and countless up-and-under layups. Russell sat at his locker, amazed at how Rondo “controlled the game.”

“Rondo is an animal. It’s a tough matchup for anybody,” Lakers guard Kobe Bryant marveled. “But it’s good for him to match up with Rondo. It’s one thing to see him on TV. It’s another thing to go against him, see his speed and his tempo. It was a great opportunity for him to learn.”

But the Lakers selected Russell No. 2 overall because of his playmaking and confidence on tape and in pre-draft workouts, qualities they considered even more valuable than pursuing Rondo via free agency. Scott described the crop of free-agent point guards as only “OK,” including Rondo and Miami’s Goran Dragic. Scott also described the free-agent point guards as “a lot thinner at that position than at the big man position.”

“We saw in the free-agent market that there were a ton of big guys,” said Scott, before alluding to missing out on the Lakers’ top target, LaMarcus Aldridge. “If we didn’t get him, there were still a number of big guys we could go after. It made it that much easier to go out in the draft and get a point guard. D’Angelo was that guy.”

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20151030/lakers-drafted-dangelo-russell-partly-because-of-free-agency-class
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 5:29 pm    Post subject:

ugh...drafting a #2 pick, who could be with you for the next 10-20 years, based on one single free agent crop, is just not very smart. I really, really hope they just felt Russell was the best player available, and not just a guy who fills a need.
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 6:20 pm    Post subject:

Byron Scott has an idea to fix Lakers' seeming energy shortage
by Mike Bresnahan - latimes.com

Coach Byron Scott couldn't stop watching video of the Lakers' embarrassing loss Friday to the Sacramento Kings.

He endured almost two quarters of it on the plane ride home, watching the Kings score 74 points before halftime. Then he watched more of it Saturday morning.

He noticed the Lakers' lousy defense in a 132-114 loss. How could he not?

But he saw something else too. They seemed tired.

Known for his tough training camps and sometimes long practices, Scott asked players before Saturday's practice why they looked so fatigued the previous night.

"Got a lot of feedback," Scott said. "We're going to try and do a few different things the next couple of days and see how that works, see if we can have a little bit more energy for the game."

Scott will temporarily shorten practices and also game-day morning shoot-arounds, he said.

"Like I told them, a lot of that depends on them as well. If I do that, they've got to be extremely focused on what we have to do on that day and let's get it done," Scott said. "Hopefully we have enough energy to come out and play as hard as I know we're capable of playing."

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/la-sp-lakers-report-20151101-story.html
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 6:22 pm    Post subject:

Lakers may turn to Metta World Peace for defense, but Byron Scott says not yet
by Bill Oram - ocregister.com

As the first of what now seems likely to be many blowouts mounted on Friday, Byron Scott looked down the slumped shoulders of his bench and considered the options available to him.

His team would go on to allow 80 points in the paint, 33 in transition and 132 overall.

He needed a defensive stopper to help reverse the tide.

Unfortunately, the Lakers defender with the most sterling credentials was unavailable.

Thirty-five-year-old Metta World Peace, a former Defensive Player of the Year and a four-time All-Defensive selection, was inactive for the second straight game.

After a defensive performance that left Scott fuming, it was fair to wonder if the defensive-minded coach would consider turning to a certain veteran for help.

The burning question: Will Scott give World Peace a chance?

“Probably later on,” he said Saturday after a light practice at the Lakers’ facility. “I’m not going to panic after two games and all of the sudden change everything that we’ve been doing.”

He added: “Our philosophy is still the same, and we’re going to keep pounding it into our guys’ heads and sooner or later we’ll get it. And if not, then I will make changes.”

For now, Scott is focusing on more minor tweaks.

http://www.ocregister.com/lakers/turn-690085-metta-world.html
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lakersfreak
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 7:29 pm    Post subject:

Reasons the Lakers Should Avoid Tanking
by Justin Haines - lakeshowlife.com

The Los Angeles Lakers have started off the season 0-2 with a pair of embarrassing losses.

First they blew a big lead and lost to last season’s worst team, the Minnesota Timberwolves. They followed that up by getting blown out by the Sacramento Kings, in a loss that included giving up 74 points in the first half.

It’s easy to say the Lakers are not very good this year. This is a team that fans know will not make the playoffs. Because of that, a portion of the fanbase is calling on the Lakers to throw away the season and tank for a good draft pick already.

Tanking is a bad idea for one major reason: the Lakers could finish last in the league and still lose their first round pick. Most fans know by now that the Lakers first round pick is owned by the Philadelphia 76ers. The pick will only remain with the Lakers if it falls in the top three draft spots. With that thought in mind, certain fans still want to tank.

Yes, the Lakers awful, but no they should not tank. The problem is the draft lottery.

Even if the Lakers have the worst record in the entire NBA they would still have a 35 percent chance of falling out of the top three in the draft thanks to the draft lottery.

And that’s the odds if they are the single worst team. If they tank and only end up the third worst, the odds of losing the pick become even greater.

http://lakeshowlife.com/2015/10/31/lakers-reasons-los-angeles-avoid-tanking/
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fontana3d
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 9:47 pm    Post subject:

Ziggy wrote:
ugh...drafting a #2 pick, who could be with you for the next 10-20 years, based on one single free agent crop, is just not very smart. I really, really hope they just felt Russell was the best player available, and not just a guy who fills a need.


Actually he fills both because he fills a need at PG and the best PG available too.
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Ziggy
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 10:39 pm    Post subject:

fontana3d wrote:
Ziggy wrote:
ugh...drafting a #2 pick, who could be with you for the next 10-20 years, based on one single free agent crop, is just not very smart. I really, really hope they just felt Russell was the best player available, and not just a guy who fills a need.


Actually he fills both because he fills a need at PG and the best PG available too.


Yeah I realize that, but the point is they shouldn't be making such a big decision like that based on free agency. Always take the best player available regardless of position or need.

I just don't like their reasoning. Makes me think maybe they liked Okafor better, but passed on him because they felt they'd land a better center in free agency.
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fontana3d
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 11:09 pm    Post subject:

Ziggy wrote:
fontana3d wrote:
Ziggy wrote:
ugh...drafting a #2 pick, who could be with you for the next 10-20 years, based on one single free agent crop, is just not very smart. I really, really hope they just felt Russell was the best player available, and not just a guy who fills a need.


Actually he fills both because he fills a need at PG and the best PG available too.


Yeah I realize that, but the point is they shouldn't be making such a big decision like that based on free agency. Always take the best player available regardless of position or need.

I just don't like their reasoning. Makes me think maybe they liked Okafor better, but passed on him because they felt they'd land a better center in free agency.


Or by trade that can defend the paint and the PG market sucked.
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