This year's Lakers team just doesn't have "it"
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 2:37 pm    Post subject: Re: This year's Lakers team just doesn't have "it"

troy wrote:
Is it me, or does it seem like this season's Lakers team has no chemistry, no hunger, no enthusiasm, different agendas, and seem very disjointed.

* Dennis Schröder makes demands as a new guy (to start), then proceeds to turn down lucrative extensions, and then he has a public spat with our head coach, and it's not like he's been blowing it up out there.

* Marc Gasol started out the season bloated and out of shape. And then he publically criticized his role when Drummond came, which couldn't have made Drummond feel welcomed, adding to locker room tensions, perhaps?

* Montrez Harrell is acting like a mental case out there, ala Kyrie Irving. He seems depressed, out of it. Often barks at his own players mid game, and tends to disappear offensively and defensively too often. His body language sucks, and it doesn't seem like he gives a damn.

* Anthony Caruso, instead of improving his game, has actually regressed. Seems like he got too into himself after winning the ring last season and forgot that improvement is a consistent endeavor for an NBA pro.

* KCP, other than the occasional good game, has been abysmal. I can understand having a slump. But a season long slump is not acceptable at his pay rate.

* Wesley Matthews has been a pure disappointment. I don't know if much was expected from him, but even what little was likely expected (hit some 3's play some D), he has been inept at executing.

* Even Anthony Davis started the season like he didn't care. Often lazy with his effort, he underachieved the majority of games before his injury, blaming it on his being "tired", or "pacing" himself.

This year's Lakers doesn't have the drive, focus, dedication, enthusiasm, nor the energy that last season's team has. Not sure if things will come together in time for the post season. Blame it on a short off season, or some bad signings, or whatever. This year's Lakers team just doesn't seem to have that bond last year's team had. Just my 2 cents.


Yup, it's you.

I remember lots of criticisms of last year's team too.

The criticisms were just forgotten after the team won.
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 2:52 pm    Post subject: Re: This year's Lakers team just doesn't have "it"

vcdplaya3002 wrote:
LakerDYnasty72 wrote:
troy wrote:
Is it me, or does it seem like this season's Lakers team has no chemistry, no hunger, no enthusiasm, different agendas, and seem very disjointed.

* Dennis Schröder makes demands as a new guy (to start), then proceeds to turn down lucrative extensions, and then he has a public spat with our head coach, and it's not like he's been blowing it up out there.

* Marc Gasol started out the season bloated and out of shape. And then he publically criticized his role when Drummond came, which couldn't have made Drummond feel welcomed, adding to locker room tensions, perhaps?

* Montrez Harrell is acting like a mental case out there, ala Kyrie Irving. He seems depressed, out of it. Often barks at his own players mid game, and tends to disappear offensively and defensively too often. His body language sucks, and it doesn't seem like he gives a damn.

* Anthony Caruso, instead of improving his game, has actually regressed. Seems like he got too into himself after winning the ring last season and forgot that improvement is a consistent endeavor for an NBA pro.

* KCP, other than the occasional good game, has been abysmal. I can understand having a slump. But a season long slump is not acceptable at his pay rate.

* Wesley Matthews has been a pure disappointment. I don't know if much was expected from him, but even what little was likely expected (hit some 3's play some D), he has been inept at executing.

* Even Anthony Davis started the season like he didn't care. Often lazy with his effort, he underachieved the majority of games before his injury, blaming it on his being "tired", or "pacing" himself.

This year's Lakers doesn't have the drive, focus, dedication, enthusiasm, nor the energy that last season's team has. Not sure if things will come together in time for the post season. Blame it on a short off season, or some bad signings, or whatever. This year's Lakers team just doesn't seem to have that bond last year's team had. Just my 2 cents.


For the most part, it's you. Not completely, but for the most part. Before he went down I remember AD stating something to the effect of "wow, we've got a really good team". They had just came back and beat a team, and I think Trez really balled that game, which prompted AD's comment.

Well, when he returns, which is very near, and LeBron returns, which is a bit away, but still almost imminent, things will change....dramatically. One reason is because the team those two are coming back to will be different.

You mentioned "this year's team just doesn't seem to have that bond as last year's team, that might be true, yet Drummond chose us. He must have been impressed with more than just the recruitment efforts of James & Davis.

With Drummond in the fold, and the basketball gods willing, a healthy NBA dynamite duo returning, IT will change, if IT wasn't apparent before now.


Trez as the defensive anchor in pick n rolls is something that will not get better with AD and lebron coming back. I hope Vogel has the guts to bench him in favor of better matchups defensively when the games matter.


Trez, for the most part, is not a "defensive anchor". As a matter of fact, the only two on our roster who can be considered "anchors" are AD1 & AD2.

Gasol can anchor in selective situations, but Trez is the last in line to be considered an anchor.

He doesn't have the length of any of the 3.
He doesn't have the defensive iq of Davis
He doesn't have the rebounding prowess of Drummond.
He's a 6th man for a reason. He might be great should we meet his former team.
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 3:05 pm    Post subject:

This year nor last year's team has it. We were pretty fortunate to win last year and we will be lucky if we win this year. This doesn't mean we didn't have a good team... obviously we did but it had deficiencies as does this one.

This being said, we have as good a chance as any of the teams to win if LBJ and AD are at full health. Unless maybe if Brooklyn is also at full health.
Three superstars at perfect health will probably have an advantage over two.

With Murray and Mitchell getting hurt, you start thinking maybe this is our year again. I don't want to win like this, and would never wish harm on any player but when two of the biggest obstacles go down you start feeling like maybe it's a team of destiny again. Then again maybe LBJ or AD isn't quite right and then it will be someone else's turn.

Everything depends on those two being in perfect health. If they weren't that badly hurt and they've just been resting Kawhi style... stretching out their recovery I like our chances. If they really are still hurt... then there's no way.
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 3:07 pm    Post subject:

crackadon wrote:
Who the heck is Anthony Caruso?!



He's the guy who is never in the same room as Alex Caruso for some reason. I always feel bad for him cause he's always missing out on the Carushow.
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 3:20 pm    Post subject:

First off, it's never easy repeating. Even if you are healthy.

"It" will ultimately come down to the health of LBJ/AD. If you take away Kobe and Shaq, Magic and Kareem, Kobe and Pau -- any of those teams would struggle. Healthy, they all were able to repeat. Get us in the fight healthy and I like our chances.

We are an extremely versatile team. The teams that can put together the most amount of two-way impact minutes in the playoffs usually win. We've got a roster that can do that.

These are the dog days. I think these guys get their second wind when they're healthy and playing in front of packed crowds.
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 3:22 pm    Post subject:

Think about how weird this season is.

It's nearly May, and we still haven't raised our championship banner yet.
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 3:40 pm    Post subject:

Last season had more of a unity on the roster, this season it’s different for sure.. Harrell has been acting up, and other players haven’t lived to expectations.. this might be a 1 year run with this roster before overhaul changes come in the off season..
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 3:59 pm    Post subject:

DancingBarry wrote:
First off, it's never easy repeating. Even if you are healthy.

"It" will ultimately come down to the health of LBJ/AD. If you take away Kobe and Shaq, Magic and Kareem, Kobe and Pau -- any of those teams would struggle. Healthy, they all were able to repeat. Get us in the fight healthy and I like our chances.

We are an extremely versatile team. The teams that can put together the most amount of two-way impact minutes in the playoffs usually win. We've got a roster that can do that.

These are the dog days. I think these guys get their second wind when they're healthy and playing in front of packed crowds.


U done got the mod responding. No more of this we already lose attitude, we the champ with Bron and AD on the team, let’s go Lakers! ROAD TO #18!
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 4:01 pm    Post subject:

No to all of that. But a special shout-out no to Anthony Caruso, I’m still LOLing on that one.
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 4:20 pm    Post subject: Re: This year's Lakers team just doesn't have "it"

troy wrote:
Is it me, or does it seem like this season's Lakers team has no chemistry, no hunger, no enthusiasm, different agendas, and seem very disjointed.

* Dennis Schröder makes demands as a new guy (to start), then proceeds to turn down lucrative extensions, and then he has a public spat with our head coach, and it's not like he's been blowing it up out there.

* Marc Gasol started out the season bloated and out of shape. And then he publically criticized his role when Drummond came, which couldn't have made Drummond feel welcomed, adding to locker room tensions, perhaps?

* Montrez Harrell is acting like a mental case out there, ala Kyrie Irving. He seems depressed, out of it. Often barks at his own players mid game, and tends to disappear offensively and defensively too often. His body language sucks, and it doesn't seem like he gives a damn.

* Anthony Caruso, instead of improving his game, has actually regressed. Seems like he got too into himself after winning the ring last season and forgot that improvement is a consistent endeavor for an NBA pro.

* KCP, other than the occasional good game, has been abysmal. I can understand having a slump. But a season long slump is not acceptable at his pay rate.

* Wesley Matthews has been a pure disappointment. I don't know if much was expected from him, but even what little was likely expected (hit some 3's play some D), he has been inept at executing.

* Even Anthony Davis started the season like he didn't care. Often lazy with his effort, he underachieved the majority of games before his injury, blaming it on his being "tired", or "pacing" himself.

This year's Lakers doesn't have the drive, focus, dedication, enthusiasm, nor the energy that last season's team has. Not sure if things will come together in time for the post season. Blame it on a short off season, or some bad signings, or whatever. This year's Lakers team just doesn't seem to have that bond last year's team had. Just my 2 cents.


Point by point

1 Dennis

Dennis should demand to start. If you label yourself a bench player in this league you will get paid as a bench player. No one on the team was better at guard than him. He talked his talk because he was clear ahead of time that he didn’t want to be a Laker or Clipper the year before, so he sure as hell was not going to let you trade him somewhere and make him a bench guy. And you have nothing really to argue about his extensions. He shorts himself 2 years and tens of millions if he extends upon the trade. He shorts himself money all together if he signs the 4 year extension now. Don’t blame Dennis for not shorting himself, blame the way the league is setup. It’s not unique to him as Lavine is very similar to him in Chicago, if he extends now he shorts himself 40 damn million compared to playing his deal out and making more. They created the super max but they flawed the system for guys like Dennis, Lavine, and Klay. Guys who make the mle now make what Kobe was making in a 3 peat, yet guys more talented than them are stuck in limbo where they need to let a deal expire to even get paid the most by their team. The record with him speaks for itself as Lebrun struggled more than Dennis has without AD and him actually to get wins.

2. Marc

Marc started out this season like he’s started every season of his nba career. Know your history. He’s played his way into shape in Toronto and Memphis as well. To expect him to different means you don’t know basketball, as much as you know 2k. And why the hell would he glow about Drummond? Drummond hasn’t been better than him for their careers, Drummond isn’t the champion, drummonds defensive numbers don’t even top Marcs last year. He doesn’t have to cheer the guy coming in to take his spot and accept DNPs, especially not how Vogel did it with starting him day one and benching Marc to a 4th quarter and making him stand in front that press. If Drummond can’t handle being greeted with earn my spot, I’m not go happily give it to you, he’s a snowflake who you don’t want headed into the playoffs. Marc should feel some way, he’s human, but he didn’t act up and he also has to see that he can help the team better and feel frustrated he’s not been given a bench role even behind Drummond. Vogel handled it bad, he knows he did because he handled it bad with Markieff and Wes too at points and apologized. Marc also is not and will not ever be his brother Pau so he won’t turn the other cheek, he won’t let the press kill him and just be humble, he will respond, and he saw where being a good pro got Pau towards the end with the Lakers and how he was treated so he stepped on that from jump.

3) Montrez

Montrezl leads the team in points in the paint and second chance points. He has every right to bark and be pissed when Tucker and Caruso can’t make an entry pass and he has to give up post position to come get the ball and have to go to work. It’s bad guard play on their part that pisses him off. Every big and post player in the history of ball gets pissed when they do the work to post up, seal their guy, rim run and a guard can’t get them the ball. And he’s by far one of the best post conversion players in the league.

4) Caruso

Caruso 3 point shot has improved. That’s an actual fact. If you are harping on he’s not a point guard, well he wasn’t one last year either because he had Rondo. That’s on the team that they didn’t get another point or simply are trying to make THT into one. His defense is still there. But if you expected him to become a different position than he played last year with only a month and half off season, you’re being silly.

5) KCP

KCP has a better offensive plus minus than Tucker and Caruso. KCP is the best shooter on the team and shooting 40 plus percent a night from 3. He still defends your best player every night like last year. He gets less shots than he did last year too, a career low, so you make no sense if you don’t take that into account. KCP hasn’t taken a game off. He’s the guy who chased Harden, Dame, Lillard, and Herro and got ran into pick after pick and had no offseason yet hasn’t missed a game. Hell he had back spasms the past two games and is spending his bench time with a matchine on his back but he still dint miss a game for his team.

6) AD

AD should not have cared to start the year. He just came off a ring. He had the shortest offseason of any champ ever. He was still part of the leagues best defense. He came off a postseason with numbers only Shaw have put up as a lakers big. He’s always known to get hurt because he wasn’t a natural 7 foot guy, just had a very late birth spurt. He knows his body and he knows his team, it made no sense to kill him self. It makes no sense to rush back or go for these awards like dpoy or mvp when they mean jack. Kobe and Shaq have two mvps between them, yet Nash has 2 by himself, and we know that Nash isn’t even mentioned as top 20 player. Draymond and Gobert are dpoy but they aren’t looked at as all time greats like Rodman, and a guy like Ben Wallace can’t even go in the hall of fame. His career will be defined by rings so having the common sense to preserve himself for that shows awareness. And funny enough this is the guy who loves rondo and let rondo teach him, so he knows how Rondo paces himself for the playoffs and followed suit.

7 This Years Lakers

Where do I even start with that bs. This years Lakers don’t have a guy who quit on his team outright in Avery Bradley. This years lakers don’t have an end of the bench guy saying cut me so I can leave like Troy Daniels. This years Lakers don’t have a guy who chose to coast and not care all regular season last year and be a net negative in rondo, only for him to play well when he felt like it because certain games mattered to him. BTW Marc led a better D last year than Javale and Dwight, and even before Drummond his time on the court says his lakers team D was better than theirs last year and has been better than them on their new teams, that’s just statistical facts.

Did you even watch that game or this road trip? Wes Matthews has ruptured an Achilles before and is out there playing with Achilles soreness. Kyle Kuzma since Bron went out went from 25mins a night to 38 mins a night and is playing on a strained calf that is taped up and padded up. KCP hadn’t missed a game yet and is playing with back spasms. Marc literally fractured a finger, taped it up, and kept going. Trez comes to work every day, undersized, and is dealing with the anniversary of the death of the closest person to him who he said always believed in him growing up. Markkieff went from being benched and barely playing to producing double digits every night and played on a sprained ankle. Dennis has almost been traded, got body slammed on his hip, bruises his tailbone in the nets game, and is playing on an infected foot he openly says hurts to plant and cut. Caruso has concussed himself chasing loose balls. Drummond is playing without a toenail and has 200 plus pound guys stepping on his feet every night. And tucker is learning on the fly with no practices or shoot arounds.

He’ll Kyrie and Love did not win 3 damn games without Lebrin in Cleveland, yet these guys banged up are the number 1 defense in the league, still playing 500 ball, and everyone is hurt and playing different roles than they signed up for. Lebron has nothing to be ashamed of or not see and like with the fact those guys are all leaving it out there. He and AD have to bring it home, and if they don’t it’s not on the others not carrying weight.
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 4:58 pm    Post subject:

yinoma2001 wrote:
Dude, we were just fine with LBJ/AD (remember when we were #1 in the West) until the injury and COVID bug hit. I'm not worried at all.

I think when they come back, our bench and role players will be stronger having had to swim without LBJ/AD, and even Drummond for a long period of time. They have performed much better than anticipated, even going 4-3 on a long road trip.

The downside of all the injuries though is that it's obviously wearing down some of our players. Combined with the compressed season and the short offseason, we run the risk of having a seriously worn down team before the playoffs with no time left to recover - not to mention the nagging little injuries that are piling up
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 17, 2021 9:49 am    Post subject:

I understand the OP concerns.

I would only point to history of the Lakers trying to repeat championships. Remember the 2000 and 2009 championship the Lakers were first in the league record wise and were quite dominant. Than the next year it wasn’t the same. At times fans taught the next the year the team didn’t have “it” as the OP said.

The 2001 season Kobe and Shaq were having issues and the season go as well as expected. But the end is history.

2010 I remember something similar. The Lakers lost to the CAvs and Lebron on xmas day and arrest was injuried. The rest is history.

My point is the feeling the OP has and fans are typical of repeat champship years.
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 17, 2021 10:18 am    Post subject:

With all the injuries this year it is hard to judge the team.
Key players have yet to play together.
But with only a month left it is time to heal.

But at least two to three weeks is needed to develop chemistry.

I hold judgement until the end of the season.
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 17, 2021 11:59 am    Post subject:

If we can stay in the 5 or higher spot, we won't need to gel until the 2nd round. That is doable IF there are no further setbacks.

We'll see.
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 17, 2021 12:21 pm    Post subject: Re: This year's Lakers team just doesn't have "it"

Kblo247! wrote:
troy wrote:
Is it me, or does it seem like this season's Lakers team has no chemistry, no hunger, no enthusiasm, different agendas, and seem very disjointed.

* Dennis Schröder makes demands as a new guy (to start), then proceeds to turn down lucrative extensions, and then he has a public spat with our head coach, and it's not like he's been blowing it up out there.

* Marc Gasol started out the season bloated and out of shape. And then he publically criticized his role when Drummond came, which couldn't have made Drummond feel welcomed, adding to locker room tensions, perhaps?

* Montrez Harrell is acting like a mental case out there, ala Kyrie Irving. He seems depressed, out of it. Often barks at his own players mid game, and tends to disappear offensively and defensively too often. His body language sucks, and it doesn't seem like he gives a damn.

* Anthony Caruso, instead of improving his game, has actually regressed. Seems like he got too into himself after winning the ring last season and forgot that improvement is a consistent endeavor for an NBA pro.

* KCP, other than the occasional good game, has been abysmal. I can understand having a slump. But a season long slump is not acceptable at his pay rate.

* Wesley Matthews has been a pure disappointment. I don't know if much was expected from him, but even what little was likely expected (hit some 3's play some D), he has been inept at executing.

* Even Anthony Davis started the season like he didn't care. Often lazy with his effort, he underachieved the majority of games before his injury, blaming it on his being "tired", or "pacing" himself.

This year's Lakers doesn't have the drive, focus, dedication, enthusiasm, nor the energy that last season's team has. Not sure if things will come together in time for the post season. Blame it on a short off season, or some bad signings, or whatever. This year's Lakers team just doesn't seem to have that bond last year's team had. Just my 2 cents.


Point by point

1 Dennis

Dennis should demand to start. If you label yourself a bench player in this league you will get paid as a bench player. No one on the team was better at guard than him. He talked his talk because he was clear ahead of time that he didn’t want to be a Laker or Clipper the year before, so he sure as hell was not going to let you trade him somewhere and make him a bench guy. And you have nothing really to argue about his extensions. He shorts himself 2 years and tens of millions if he extends upon the trade. He shorts himself money all together if he signs the 4 year extension now. Don’t blame Dennis for not shorting himself, blame the way the league is setup. It’s not unique to him as Lavine is very similar to him in Chicago, if he extends now he shorts himself 40 damn million compared to playing his deal out and making more. They created the super max but they flawed the system for guys like Dennis, Lavine, and Klay. Guys who make the mle now make what Kobe was making in a 3 peat, yet guys more talented than them are stuck in limbo where they need to let a deal expire to even get paid the most by their team. The record with him speaks for itself as Lebrun struggled more than Dennis has without AD and him actually to get wins.

2. Marc

Marc started out this season like he’s started every season of his nba career. Know your history. He’s played his way into shape in Toronto and Memphis as well. To expect him to different means you don’t know basketball, as much as you know 2k. And why the hell would he glow about Drummond? Drummond hasn’t been better than him for their careers, Drummond isn’t the champion, drummonds defensive numbers don’t even top Marcs last year. He doesn’t have to cheer the guy coming in to take his spot and accept DNPs, especially not how Vogel did it with starting him day one and benching Marc to a 4th quarter and making him stand in front that press. If Drummond can’t handle being greeted with earn my spot, I’m not go happily give it to you, he’s a snowflake who you don’t want headed into the playoffs. Marc should feel some way, he’s human, but he didn’t act up and he also has to see that he can help the team better and feel frustrated he’s not been given a bench role even behind Drummond. Vogel handled it bad, he knows he did because he handled it bad with Markieff and Wes too at points and apologized. Marc also is not and will not ever be his brother Pau so he won’t turn the other cheek, he won’t let the press kill him and just be humble, he will respond, and he saw where being a good pro got Pau towards the end with the Lakers and how he was treated so he stepped on that from jump.

3) Montrez

Montrezl leads the team in points in the paint and second chance points. He has every right to bark and be pissed when Tucker and Caruso can’t make an entry pass and he has to give up post position to come get the ball and have to go to work. It’s bad guard play on their part that pisses him off. Every big and post player in the history of ball gets pissed when they do the work to post up, seal their guy, rim run and a guard can’t get them the ball. And he’s by far one of the best post conversion players in the league.

4) Caruso

Caruso 3 point shot has improved. That’s an actual fact. If you are harping on he’s not a point guard, well he wasn’t one last year either because he had Rondo. That’s on the team that they didn’t get another point or simply are trying to make THT into one. His defense is still there. But if you expected him to become a different position than he played last year with only a month and half off season, you’re being silly.

5) KCP

KCP has a better offensive plus minus than Tucker and Caruso. KCP is the best shooter on the team and shooting 40 plus percent a night from 3. He still defends your best player every night like last year. He gets less shots than he did last year too, a career low, so you make no sense if you don’t take that into account. KCP hasn’t taken a game off. He’s the guy who chased Harden, Dame, Lillard, and Herro and got ran into pick after pick and had no offseason yet hasn’t missed a game. Hell he had back spasms the past two games and is spending his bench time with a matchine on his back but he still dint miss a game for his team.

6) AD

AD should not have cared to start the year. He just came off a ring. He had the shortest offseason of any champ ever. He was still part of the leagues best defense. He came off a postseason with numbers only Shaw have put up as a lakers big. He’s always known to get hurt because he wasn’t a natural 7 foot guy, just had a very late birth spurt. He knows his body and he knows his team, it made no sense to kill him self. It makes no sense to rush back or go for these awards like dpoy or mvp when they mean jack. Kobe and Shaq have two mvps between them, yet Nash has 2 by himself, and we know that Nash isn’t even mentioned as top 20 player. Draymond and Gobert are dpoy but they aren’t looked at as all time greats like Rodman, and a guy like Ben Wallace can’t even go in the hall of fame. His career will be defined by rings so having the common sense to preserve himself for that shows awareness. And funny enough this is the guy who loves rondo and let rondo teach him, so he knows how Rondo paces himself for the playoffs and followed suit.

7 This Years Lakers

Where do I even start with that bs. This years Lakers don’t have a guy who quit on his team outright in Avery Bradley. This years lakers don’t have an end of the bench guy saying cut me so I can leave like Troy Daniels. This years Lakers don’t have a guy who chose to coast and not care all regular season last year and be a net negative in rondo, only for him to play well when he felt like it because certain games mattered to him. BTW Marc led a better D last year than Javale and Dwight, and even before Drummond his time on the court says his lakers team D was better than theirs last year and has been better than them on their new teams, that’s just statistical facts.

Did you even watch that game or this road trip? Wes Matthews has ruptured an Achilles before and is out there playing with Achilles soreness. Kyle Kuzma since Bron went out went from 25mins a night to 38 mins a night and is playing on a strained calf that is taped up and padded up. KCP hadn’t missed a game yet and is playing with back spasms. Marc literally fractured a finger, taped it up, and kept going. Trez comes to work every day, undersized, and is dealing with the anniversary of the death of the closest person to him who he said always believed in him growing up. Markkieff went from being benched and barely playing to producing double digits every night and played on a sprained ankle. Dennis has almost been traded, got body slammed on his hip, bruises his tailbone in the nets game, and is playing on an infected foot he openly says hurts to plant and cut. Caruso has concussed himself chasing loose balls. Drummond is playing without a toenail and has 200 plus pound guys stepping on his feet every night. And tucker is learning on the fly with no practices or shoot arounds.

He’ll Kyrie and Love did not win 3 damn games without Lebrin in Cleveland, yet these guys banged up are the number 1 defense in the league, still playing 500 ball, and everyone is hurt and playing different roles than they signed up for. Lebron has nothing to be ashamed of or not see and like with the fact those guys are all leaving it out there. He and AD have to bring it home, and if they don’t it’s not on the others not carrying weight.


Well thought out. Thanks. Trust me, I hope I'm wrong. I think most of the players I criticized will do much better with AD/Lebron on the floor. I also think Lebron and AD are spending extra time out, not so much due to their injuries, but just to be well rested for the playoffs. I am on record as saying that if this team is healthy and gelling, there's no one they need to fear. That said, I still believe last season's team had some undefinable bond that propelled them to win it all last season, and it's that bond that I don't recognize with this season's team.

And yes, I meant ALEX, not Anthony Caruso. So shoot me
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rst08tierney
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 17, 2021 12:30 pm    Post subject:

remember when we could only discuss if Bynum would be healthy for the playoffs......
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 17, 2021 3:40 pm    Post subject: Re: This year's Lakers team just doesn't have "it"

troy wrote:
And yes, I meant ALEX, not Anthony Caruso. So shoot me


Andre Caruso is a stud
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 17, 2021 3:52 pm    Post subject: Re: This year's Lakers team just doesn't have "it"

troy wrote:
Kblo247! wrote:
troy wrote:
Is it me, or does it seem like this season's Lakers team has no chemistry, no hunger, no enthusiasm, different agendas, and seem very disjointed.

* Dennis Schröder makes demands as a new guy (to start), then proceeds to turn down lucrative extensions, and then he has a public spat with our head coach, and it's not like he's been blowing it up out there.

* Marc Gasol started out the season bloated and out of shape. And then he publically criticized his role when Drummond came, which couldn't have made Drummond feel welcomed, adding to locker room tensions, perhaps?

* Montrez Harrell is acting like a mental case out there, ala Kyrie Irving. He seems depressed, out of it. Often barks at his own players mid game, and tends to disappear offensively and defensively too often. His body language sucks, and it doesn't seem like he gives a damn.

* Anthony Caruso, instead of improving his game, has actually regressed. Seems like he got too into himself after winning the ring last season and forgot that improvement is a consistent endeavor for an NBA pro.

* KCP, other than the occasional good game, has been abysmal. I can understand having a slump. But a season long slump is not acceptable at his pay rate.

* Wesley Matthews has been a pure disappointment. I don't know if much was expected from him, but even what little was likely expected (hit some 3's play some D), he has been inept at executing.

* Even Anthony Davis started the season like he didn't care. Often lazy with his effort, he underachieved the majority of games before his injury, blaming it on his being "tired", or "pacing" himself.

This year's Lakers doesn't have the drive, focus, dedication, enthusiasm, nor the energy that last season's team has. Not sure if things will come together in time for the post season. Blame it on a short off season, or some bad signings, or whatever. This year's Lakers team just doesn't seem to have that bond last year's team had. Just my 2 cents.


Point by point

1 Dennis

Dennis should demand to start. If you label yourself a bench player in this league you will get paid as a bench player. No one on the team was better at guard than him. He talked his talk because he was clear ahead of time that he didn’t want to be a Laker or Clipper the year before, so he sure as hell was not going to let you trade him somewhere and make him a bench guy. And you have nothing really to argue about his extensions. He shorts himself 2 years and tens of millions if he extends upon the trade. He shorts himself money all together if he signs the 4 year extension now. Don’t blame Dennis for not shorting himself, blame the way the league is setup. It’s not unique to him as Lavine is very similar to him in Chicago, if he extends now he shorts himself 40 damn million compared to playing his deal out and making more. They created the super max but they flawed the system for guys like Dennis, Lavine, and Klay. Guys who make the mle now make what Kobe was making in a 3 peat, yet guys more talented than them are stuck in limbo where they need to let a deal expire to even get paid the most by their team. The record with him speaks for itself as Lebrun struggled more than Dennis has without AD and him actually to get wins.

2. Marc

Marc started out this season like he’s started every season of his nba career. Know your history. He’s played his way into shape in Toronto and Memphis as well. To expect him to different means you don’t know basketball, as much as you know 2k. And why the hell would he glow about Drummond? Drummond hasn’t been better than him for their careers, Drummond isn’t the champion, drummonds defensive numbers don’t even top Marcs last year. He doesn’t have to cheer the guy coming in to take his spot and accept DNPs, especially not how Vogel did it with starting him day one and benching Marc to a 4th quarter and making him stand in front that press. If Drummond can’t handle being greeted with earn my spot, I’m not go happily give it to you, he’s a snowflake who you don’t want headed into the playoffs. Marc should feel some way, he’s human, but he didn’t act up and he also has to see that he can help the team better and feel frustrated he’s not been given a bench role even behind Drummond. Vogel handled it bad, he knows he did because he handled it bad with Markieff and Wes too at points and apologized. Marc also is not and will not ever be his brother Pau so he won’t turn the other cheek, he won’t let the press kill him and just be humble, he will respond, and he saw where being a good pro got Pau towards the end with the Lakers and how he was treated so he stepped on that from jump.

3) Montrez

Montrezl leads the team in points in the paint and second chance points. He has every right to bark and be pissed when Tucker and Caruso can’t make an entry pass and he has to give up post position to come get the ball and have to go to work. It’s bad guard play on their part that pisses him off. Every big and post player in the history of ball gets pissed when they do the work to post up, seal their guy, rim run and a guard can’t get them the ball. And he’s by far one of the best post conversion players in the league.

4) Caruso

Caruso 3 point shot has improved. That’s an actual fact. If you are harping on he’s not a point guard, well he wasn’t one last year either because he had Rondo. That’s on the team that they didn’t get another point or simply are trying to make THT into one. His defense is still there. But if you expected him to become a different position than he played last year with only a month and half off season, you’re being silly.

5) KCP

KCP has a better offensive plus minus than Tucker and Caruso. KCP is the best shooter on the team and shooting 40 plus percent a night from 3. He still defends your best player every night like last year. He gets less shots than he did last year too, a career low, so you make no sense if you don’t take that into account. KCP hasn’t taken a game off. He’s the guy who chased Harden, Dame, Lillard, and Herro and got ran into pick after pick and had no offseason yet hasn’t missed a game. Hell he had back spasms the past two games and is spending his bench time with a matchine on his back but he still dint miss a game for his team.

6) AD

AD should not have cared to start the year. He just came off a ring. He had the shortest offseason of any champ ever. He was still part of the leagues best defense. He came off a postseason with numbers only Shaw have put up as a lakers big. He’s always known to get hurt because he wasn’t a natural 7 foot guy, just had a very late birth spurt. He knows his body and he knows his team, it made no sense to kill him self. It makes no sense to rush back or go for these awards like dpoy or mvp when they mean jack. Kobe and Shaq have two mvps between them, yet Nash has 2 by himself, and we know that Nash isn’t even mentioned as top 20 player. Draymond and Gobert are dpoy but they aren’t looked at as all time greats like Rodman, and a guy like Ben Wallace can’t even go in the hall of fame. His career will be defined by rings so having the common sense to preserve himself for that shows awareness. And funny enough this is the guy who loves rondo and let rondo teach him, so he knows how Rondo paces himself for the playoffs and followed suit.

7 This Years Lakers

Where do I even start with that bs. This years Lakers don’t have a guy who quit on his team outright in Avery Bradley. This years lakers don’t have an end of the bench guy saying cut me so I can leave like Troy Daniels. This years Lakers don’t have a guy who chose to coast and not care all regular season last year and be a net negative in rondo, only for him to play well when he felt like it because certain games mattered to him. BTW Marc led a better D last year than Javale and Dwight, and even before Drummond his time on the court says his lakers team D was better than theirs last year and has been better than them on their new teams, that’s just statistical facts.

Did you even watch that game or this road trip? Wes Matthews has ruptured an Achilles before and is out there playing with Achilles soreness. Kyle Kuzma since Bron went out went from 25mins a night to 38 mins a night and is playing on a strained calf that is taped up and padded up. KCP hadn’t missed a game yet and is playing with back spasms. Marc literally fractured a finger, taped it up, and kept going. Trez comes to work every day, undersized, and is dealing with the anniversary of the death of the closest person to him who he said always believed in him growing up. Markkieff went from being benched and barely playing to producing double digits every night and played on a sprained ankle. Dennis has almost been traded, got body slammed on his hip, bruises his tailbone in the nets game, and is playing on an infected foot he openly says hurts to plant and cut. Caruso has concussed himself chasing loose balls. Drummond is playing without a toenail and has 200 plus pound guys stepping on his feet every night. And tucker is learning on the fly with no practices or shoot arounds.

He’ll Kyrie and Love did not win 3 damn games without Lebrin in Cleveland, yet these guys banged up are the number 1 defense in the league, still playing 500 ball, and everyone is hurt and playing different roles than they signed up for. Lebron has nothing to be ashamed of or not see and like with the fact those guys are all leaving it out there. He and AD have to bring it home, and if they don’t it’s not on the others not carrying weight.


Well thought out. Thanks. Trust me, I hope I'm wrong. I think most of the players I criticized will do much better with AD/Lebron on the floor. I also think Lebron and AD are spending extra time out, not so much due to their injuries, but just to be well rested for the playoffs. I am on record as saying that if this team is healthy and gelling, there's no one they need to fear. That said, I still believe last season's team had some undefinable bond that propelled them to win it all last season, and it's that bond that I don't recognize with this season's team.

And yes, I meant ALEX, not Anthony Caruso. So shoot me


Being away from family for an extended time, having absolutely no fans to cheer you on, which is a source of energy every team needs, and being told to keep your distance from practically everyone you come into contact with, will unite a team in that manner because of the unique circumstances.

Ask any married person, or vet of a war, and they will attest to the fact that anyone who has gone through a tough stretch will always bond deeper with the person(s) that they are in battle with.
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 8:44 am    Post subject:

I love how this forum still has sanity vs other popular forums such as reddit. What's the deal with reddit, just filled with Lebron transplant fans? Anyway, sorry for repeating any points:

1. I'm a huge AD fan, but I'm really disappointed how he showed up after winning the title. He was out of shape and just plain disinterested. You could tell in his effort and body language.

Who knows what he was dealing with injury wise, but you still had a few months to train and do rehab. Honestly, he was high most of the time, and yes, he deserves to celebrate his accomplishments, but when they break huddles with "Mamba on 3" you shouldn't just go through the motions.

2. Losing Dwight/Javale was the biggest blow. They really made the game easy for everyone on both offense and defense. These guys were high energy, super athletic and were a huge deterrent for wings and guards that wanted to penetrate.

On offense, they gave us so many easy baskets since they both have decent hands, crazy hops, and are experts catching lobs on the screen and roll. We probably got 4-5 easy baskets a game from them on very simple, easy plays where our offense didn't have to expend much energy.

Letting Dwight walk to Philly was huge. I wonder how much fresher AD would have been with Dwight beside him early on this season?

3. KCP as I always have said was overrated by the fan base. We tend to put too much weight on a few playoff performances. That's why casual Laker fans rate Derek Fisher so highly when he almost single handedly shortened Kobe's career by being mostly useless as a sidekick besides hitting clutch threes. Anyway, I digress. But KCP is not a good player. His confidence wanes often, he plays with low IQ, he's not a playmaker.

Does having him or not improve or reduce our chances at the title? No.

4. Trez - for me the biggest example of empty calories. He's not a difference maker. I love his heart, hustle, but he's just not a difference maker and IMO is the worst defensive player on the Lakers besides taking charges.

5. Marc - was washed already his last season in Toronto. As much as we love the Gasol family, getting Drummond his reps is more important than catering to our emotional side.

6. Drummond - we got exactly what we expected. Terrible offensive player who is very good defensively and on the boards. He's agile, quick, has good effort. He's going to be a beast next to LB and AD.

7. THT - I'm still very high on this kid. He has that confidence factor, super crafty and only 20 years old. His defensive is already solid for a 2nd year player.

For him to take the next leap he needs to become a +35% 3PT shooter, develop a strong left hand, and get in the weight room and train more to be more explosive. He still has a lot of baby fat and though he has a solid base, a 10% increase in athleticism is going to do wonders for his game on both ends of the court. For me, he has the potential to become an All-Star. I think he already shows more promise than other Laker picks such as Van Exel, Jones, Randle, Kuz, Ball. I think Ingram is the only one who at the same age showed more promise.

8. LBJ - nothing to fault him on. He's had a perfect season.

9. Vogel - has done an incredible job given all of our injuries. Our defense is still good, but I don't think it's as playoff proof as last year. We're great this year at closing out on shooters and our rotations have been solid. If we didn't sign Drummond, I think we would have been toast in the playoffs. Glad we got him.

10. Schroder - Schroder is great as a first year Laker. He plays with energy/passion on every single play, and he's the best point guard we've had talent wise since Nick the Quick. I hope he's a Laker for a long time to come.

And since LBJ/AD have been gone he's really stepped up his game.
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 9:27 am    Post subject:

I remember very freshly how it felt like all was lost last season several times. I'll never count out a team with a healthy LBJ or AD, much less both. I'd like more dominance in the RS, but being fully powered in post season is what it's ultimately all about.
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 9:47 am    Post subject: Re: This year's Lakers team just doesn't have "it"

drae wrote:
troy wrote:
And yes, I meant ALEX, not Anthony Caruso. So shoot me


Andre Caruso is a stud


You'd take him over Wesley Gasol?
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 12:15 pm    Post subject:

BlueNGold wrote:
The Clippers didn't care about the regular season last year either.

How'd it go for them?


This is such as ridiculous argument. The Lakers have been without Lebron for 30% of the season, and without AD for more than 60% of it. Drummond just got with the team and has missed multiple games. A condensed schedule after a ridiculously short off-season following a title run. The only guy on the roster who hasn't missed time this season is Trez. Yet they are still 12 games over .500.

I think you are expecting a bit much from a group of players who played the toughest stretch of their season without their best players.
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 9:11 pm    Post subject:

We're gonna look great once we have Drummond+AD+LBJ. People just need to be patient.
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 9:25 pm    Post subject:

By "it" you mean health right?
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 4:18 am    Post subject:

Actually Lakers is the only team i would call that they have "it". They were elite defensive team whoever plays. Defense wins rings and we have elite, great and good defenders.
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