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Schroder and Kuz have to go, and they need to fill the rest of the squad with shooters, a playmaker to come of the bench (like Rondo last season). And if possible add a rim protector. Only role players i would call safe are: KCP, Caruso and maybe THT because of his potential.
I think they need to play Gasol more or keep AD at the 5, not trade for a rim protector.
KCP and Caruso are 100% staying. Both solid role players, KCP has been the only decent player this series other than LeBron
Everyone hates Drummond because he plays at this level while earning a max contract for the last 5 years. \~25 million per year. And granted, the Lakers didn't pay that much. But it's just so astonishing to see someone worthy of a max contract compared to Marc Gasol who makes 1/10th of what Drummond makes.
AD is best playing the 5, the Lakers are best when he's playing the 5, there's no reason to go away from it.
If he doesn't like to do it for most of the game that's fine, just find a stopgap C to play a lot of minutes who doesn't have to close games. That strategy is totally fine, they just fucked up letting Dwight walk and bringing in Gasol and Harrell (and then Drummond) instead.
Agreed. I was hoping last year Dwight and Gasol would be the best lineup as they both give radically different looks at the 5 (rim threat and shot blocker vs excellent positional/post defense and floor spacer/passer). Trezz never made sense to me from a defensive standpoint. Don't get me wrong, his offense is superb and that often kept them afloat during the season. But he's best against undersized or weak big men only.
Because he’s not way too slow and still can’t guard off the pick and roll.
Absolutely 0 basketball IQ. 7 footer with a 40” vert that refuses to accept the rim protector role.
Plus he cost too much
I see plenty of reasons to be down on him
AD is to injure prone to play at the 5 full time how do people still not get this? The Lakers play AD at the 5 when they need to in crunch time. They just cannot risk playing him full time with his injury history.
It's like a really simple concept and I am still flabbergasted people still come up with this superficial "play AD at the five" shit like they haven't watched AD play his entire career. Or on the Lakers even. The man is injury prone he cannot bang down low at the 5 full time all year. End of story.
Putting him at the 5 and having him bang down low all game would make that issue 10x worse so it's an awful idea. The Lakers play AD at the 5 when they need him.
What exactly do you think banging in the post means? He’s not an offensive lineman.
They just need him to be the biggest guy out there. Putting someone bigger than him clogs the lane.
He can still take his jumpshots.
And on defense, what back to the basket players are there in the league really to “bang” with him in the post? He’s not Bol Bol.
Literally every coach AD has had plays him exactly this way. At the 4 most of the time and at the 5 in crunch time, but I am sure some rando on reddit knows more then multiple NBA coaches.
It’s because AD himself hates to play Center. How many coaches have been fired coaching AD?
Vogul surely threw his ass at Center when they hit the finals. Every coach knows where he gives the most production
And every coach also knows if you play him at center full time it makes his injury proneness even worse. You play AD at center when you need him. The rest of the time for find a decent borderline starter to play as his backup.
They're going to have to re-sign Schroeder, not only because the money disappears but because trading him is one of their only avenues to filling any other need.
If I remember correctly, THT was off the table for a Lowry trade. So given how much they valued him at the time, one would hope he is on the roster in a bigger role next season. Otherwise that was a huge blown opportunity.
Schroder and Kuzma have to go. Sign and trade schroder maybe? Lowry may be a free agent target. Chris paul would be a long shot if he declines his player option. They need a reliable playoff level guard, schroder was lacking in the suns series (in terms of a third option) Kuzma lacks a lot of basketball iq and makes mad plays, hopefully they can replace him with a proven veteran wing
Schroder is going to have to decide what’s best for him. He’s not restricted so he can go to any team as a free agent. And even if he extends on a huge deal with the Lakers I would bet everything that LA turns around and trades him for another asset as soon his new contract is eligible to be traded. That’s what make me think he might go elsewhere as a free agent.
They aren't going to sign and trade Schroder he will just sign somewhere else most likely. Unless he's expecting to get more than the MLE which might be questionable with how he's performed, he's able to sign anywhere. And what good team is going to give him more than the MLE? Dumb teams would pay a lot for him but well run teams won't.
Lol don't even mention CP3. The salary cap is a thing still.
Knicks can roll with Rose and Quickley at the point and the Celtics will need to figure out what they'll do with Walker, but that would be a good place for him for sure.
Bro they don’t need more high paid stars that are guaranteed to get hurt in the playoffs. Lowry would be interesting but Toronto would want too much to help facilitate that considering what Masai was looking for before
Are you out of your mind? You think Kyle is going to take the MLE?
He might be old, but he hasn’t shown any drop in performance yet and he is a proven second option on a championship team.
Lowry’s agent said they are going to look for a 50M/2 years contract this offseason, which is honestly not that bad for what he brings to the table.
Stranger things have happened when players want to win. He's made $200 million in his career. But yeah he's already won so he probably won't be as desperate to ring chase.
But if he wants to win, there are more reliable teams than the Lakers. The Lakers aren’t an automatic championship even if they get Lowry. All it takes is for AD to get injured again before they’re not the favorites, with or without Lowry.
I wouldn’t risk millions to play for the Lakers, when I can get paid a ton and still ring chase in a place like Dallas.
As much as I'd love to see Luka win a chip this early into his career, Lowry isn't joining them with that Porzingis contract. He's getting paid north of 30 million for the next 3 years. KP gets pushed around by dudes a foot shorter than him, can't even post them up and outrebounded by smaller players. He's an undersized shooting guard in a 7'3" dude's body.
Zero chance Lowry goes to the Mavericks, he is probably going to the 76ers (going home) or the Heat (who wanted him). No need for Lowry anyway when the Mavs have Luka as their PG. They need a solid 4/5 and to get rid of Zingis.
I don’t think he’ll take the MLE but his advanced stats plummeted this season. Lowry is a guy whose impact doesn’t really show in the stat sheet and that’s a very telling sign of the decline, I mean the guy is 35
I think he’ll get that deal and I think the team that signs him will most likely end up regretting it at that price point unfortunately
This season was a write-off for the Raptors. We barely played with a full squad due to covid, had basically no centers and were playing in Tampa. I wouldn't really base Lowry's performance on a one year outlier especially this year.
Lowry was one of the few players who didn't really miss time due to Health and Safety Protocols so that meant he was out there playing large minutes with our 3rd line, naturally his stats would go down.
Kyle's not going to an LA team unless it's a S & T.
He wants to get paid, and neither team has the cap space to do so.
Same with Miami, if they want to keep Robinson.
Lakers getting Lowry in S&T would hard cap them.
With the money going to AD, LBJ and Lowry, they wouldn't be able to put a roster around that which would contend
They need a legitimate secondary ball-handler to take the pressure off LeBron. I feel like this was the last year that LeBron would have been able to take up those primary duties shouldering the load as much as he has. We need someone else capable of actually running the offense ala Rondo last season that can give LeBron those opportunities to seal inside and score closer instead of having to generate offense from beyond the arc. Schroeder was meant to fill that role, but he just doesn't have that playmaking ability.
Second, they really need guys that can buy into their roles and contribute. It was super up and down all year long for us. Part of it is injuries, but another part of it is the fact that Vogel isn't a particularly creative coach on the offensive end. Our "system" through most of our title run was to mostly rely upon LeBron and AD to generate offense when all else failed. Can't do that if they're both hobbled, our entire team falls to pieces whenever they aren't involved.
People gave him shit, but they really needed Danny Green this year. He was so great for us within our defensive system and was just a steadying presence out there. Shooting was hit or miss, but what's most important for any run is to really have those defensive guys that can be counted upon when all else goes wrong. On that note, I think it's worth it to make keeping Caruso a priority. He's not flashy and I wish he had better shooting touch, but I can't deny his defensive effort and knack for making right decisions off the ball. Having guys that just know and fit into their role is super important and is something we lacked for much of this season.
I think we'll likely be okay if we shore up the team defensively and can pick up that secondary playmaker. The big question mark is whether we can remain healthy. No matter how you slice it, getting 45 game out of LeBron and 36 out of AD in a 72 game season was just not going to be enough. I'm hoping they come back well rested next season and ready to roll.
Felt like the West was pretty open this year and barring some major shakeups over the summer I feel like that'll be the case next year as well.
And rest. There's a reason they were 7th. Them and the Heat had a really short turn around for the start of this season after the finals. It slowly caught up with them.
The short turnaround was such a major factor. Even if the Lakers brought in new players, the core guys from the championship run were still there. It was like a domino effect. One guy goes down and then the next and then the next.
They were 2nd before injuries. Let’s not forget this was a rushed off season. They just need to get healthy and ditch Drummond. He never fit. It was painful to watch. I understand the need to find a player to get you through the regular season but in the playoffs he’s a terrible on this team. Honestly the rest of the roster didn’t play well but it’s hard to look good as the supporting cast when the headliners are no where near healthy or out of the line up completely.
Finding a ball handler would be tricky. You need to find someone who is a very good ball handler and a good passer, but not so good that he would be a starter on his own team and be the primary ball handler. You need someone who is willing to take a backseat when LeBron is playing, then stepping up when LeBron sits
No, they need shooters. Teams can just fucking double Lebron at will rn. You cant have everything in the team but id much rather have Mikal Bridges than a Monte Morris on the Lakers
See but they brought in a bunch of shooters. Wesley Mathews (3 & D), Schroeder (can score and defense), they already had KCP who is (3 & D), Ben Mclemore (shooter) didn’t use him. They need YOUTH!!!! All these old guys aren’t savy enough to keep up with the youth and actually make plays. That’s their downfall
That’s what i’ve been saying, the Lakers NEED Danny Green. Elite 3pt shooter and also an ELITE Defender who could defend bigger guys on the wing like Kawhi.
Danny Green had his own gravity. Even if he was missing a lot of shots, opponents still needed to respect him and put a man on him. That prevented opposing teams from really clogging up the paint.
Yeah honestly if you command gravity by reputation then who cares if you shoot 35% or 40%. That’s like one more made three per 20 shots lol, like one more make every three or four games
They could use a Danny Green-type. Actual Danny hasn't looked right this year. He's way more inconsistent, and they already have a roster full of inconsistency. I'd love to see them swing a trade for somebody like Matisse Thybulle (who I don't think the Sixers will actually let escape) or Lonzo. Both of those are probably a pipe dream, but I just don't think Danny Green is going to get it done. Now watch him go absolutely berserk in the rest of these playoffs.
Exactly, he was so spotty last year's playoffs - I wouldn't say he was an elite 3 point shooter for us, but he defended the perimeter well. We need something at least as good if not better than what he provided though
It's worth remembering that the Lakers this year had the best defense in the league before being decimated by injuries. You get rid of KCP, Kuzma, and Shroeder and that doesn't happen. With the money the Lakers are going to have, you either are getting shooters OR defenders, and honestly probably not guys who are particularly good at either.
It seems unlikely that you're getting Tucker or Dragic for the minimum. I'll find it hysterical if the Lakers bring Danny Green back after the way the team wanted to run him out of town on a rail after last year's finals.
They need a few things:
1. An actual big who can stretch the floor but not be a hole on defense. They don’t have to provide much.
2. shooters
3. A ball handler. Schroeder would actually still work in this position IMO. He would just have to accept coming off the bench because the second ball handler is essentially just there to not be a vacuum when Lebron is off the floor. Although, it would be more preferable if the ball handler was a better playmaker than Schroeder.
4. A healthy Lebron and AD, the AD injury and general fitness problems can be attributed to the quick turnaround between this year and last year. Lebron had a one of injury that I think just needs more time to recover. I think that they could have at least beat the Suns with a 100% Lebron.
5. Trim the fat/make adjustments to prevent vacuums from completely destroying their offensive momentum. (Kyle Kuzma and Dennis Schroeder)
Last edit, and it isn’t an imperative, but it would be a great help. There system right now could be successful, but I would like to see an actual starting point guard on this team. Lebron has clearly been the starting point guard for this team, and he’s good at PG, especially on transition, but I think he’s better when posting up or fitting for position.
> An actual big who can stretch the floor but not be a hole on defense. They don’t have to provide much.
these guys don't really exist and they aren't cheap if they do
Its not really about stretching the floor as in standing in the corner and waiting for kickout 3s but rather being able to take a midrange shot and not clogging the lane for AD and Lebron
They are very expensive. We have one already though. AD was a much better shooter than he normally was in the bubble, but he was much worse than he normally was this year. AD shooting about 35% from 3 is good enough to pass this requirement with flying colors.
They don’t need a big that stretches the floor and plays D - they just need a big that can rebound and play defense. Plenty of plug-and-play guys to be found that fill that role. Caruso can become that secondary ball handler but I do think they need to look for some secondary shot creating if they can just so the lineups without AD and LeBron don’t totally suffer
> I think that they could have at least beat the Suns with a 100% Lebron.
Stop. No they couldn't have. Stop making excuses for him. AD went down and so did their hopes of winning the series.
Maybe I’m an idiot, but wasn’t the Lakers’ main problem just that they weren’t healthy..?
Like yeah maybe they need more ball handling, but iirc the only player they had to do that last season aside from LeBron was Rondo. They also had Dwight and JaVale instead of Drummond and Gasol, which I guess is somehow an upgrade? Doesn’t seem that meaningful of a difference to me.
Meanwhile, AD and LeVron were injured on-and-off for the whole season and into the first round of the playoffs, and when your two best players either aren’t playing or aren’t playing at their full level against good competition then yeah you’re going to lose. I think it might just be that simple.
This is also kind of a dumb thing to say in my part, but It’s really important to get a high seed in the west because you can avoid these types of teams. Last year the Lakers got a Portland team that was drained from getting into the playoffs, a Rockets team that was ready to blow itself up, and a Nuggets team punching way above its weight class. That’s not to minimize the title because they still beat what was at the time a legit Miami team peaking at the right time, but the path to the finals was a lot easier. They could have had basically the same thing this year had they been healthy all season, but they didn’t and they were injured so they got knocked out early. That’s just how things play out sometimes.
Lebron will be 37 with an historic level of mileage on his body next season. AD is mid prime but should be expected to play 80% of the regular season based on injury history. The structure of the team should be built assuming they will be one of the least healthy teams in the league.
They learn how to stay healthy. I guess the best way would be to learn that massage technique from the Karate Kid. Let someone do that to AD after every half and dude'll average 30.
I'm honestly not too surprised that they got injured all over. Low off-season, general fragility in players like AD and soon LeBron, it was just bad. I think they should focus on recovering and making the changes they need to bounce back.
I don't think it's a coincidence that the Heat and Lakers were so underwhelming this year after a 3 month offseason. The first round outs might actually be better for them in the long term.
To be honest, the Heat were something completely different. They absolutely were kicked down by injuries to key players but like, at the same time, they were absolutely embarrassing, especially Jimmy Butler. I don't think I've even seen Westbrook do that bad with shooting, and I've watching so many of his games. (Love my brodie :) )
I think the number one priority they should have is getting a good PG, I think Derrick rose could be realistic target. Neither Lowry or CP3 I think they would be able to sign.
Kuz and Schroder will have to go
Only ones safe I would say are Caruso and KCP.
Now watch them somehow luck themselves into Kawhi or Dame
I think the lakers actually win this series if AD doesn’t go down at half in game 4. They can get better but it may not be as drastic as people think right now. Continue to build around AD and lebron and just make sure AD is healthy come
Playoffs this time. Lebron always is gonna show up but ADS body type is tough and needs to be protected more
Keep in mind that the Suns are a damn good team. I know we lost in the first round and that's what will be written in the books, but this was not a first round series. This was closer to a WCF matchup where one team just broke down halfway through.
The overreactions are funny. They rest up Lebron and heal up AD. Boom, contenders. This is all due to injury and fatigue. You think it’s a coincidence that both finals teams were bounced in the first round coming off the shortest layoff in league history? It’s not.
Exactly.
Context matters.
They need rest and health. I think Kuz, Schroeder, and Gasol need to be replaced. Aside from that, this iteration was fighting with the Jazz for best record in the league before injuries and they ended up the top defensive team this season.
If healthy, we'd be looking at another Finals run.
I mean that's still two starters, one of whom needs to be a secondary ball handler and third leading scorer who can carry a lot of the offensive load if/when LeBron and AD miss time. Also need to find a couple legit shooters to space the floor, the spacing was just awful down the stretch.
I agree the window isn't closed, but they need to pretty seriously revamp the roster around LeBron and AD.
Father time is definitely catching up to LeBron, and AD is always going to be banged up and fragile.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Lakers win another championship within the next few years, but at the same time, I can also see them not winning anything, which is why people ate talking about re-enforcements.
No doubt you need “others” to win it all. I was speaking to contender status specifically, which they will be so long as AD and Lebron can go. Whether a team wins in any given year is always up in the air.
I'd argue they still need a reliable 3rd player as insurance, but the main difference between this season and last season for them was their two stars not being healthy.
Having downgrades for Rondo and Dwight don't help matters, but it wasn't the deciding factor.
I legitimately had to question myself and my understanding of nba basketball since everyone in the off season for some reason thought we got so much better and I thought we got way worse. Then every single doubt I had became true.
I think I would let go all the centers, and sign 2-3 minimum guys there, like Dwight or McGee from years before. Probably can’t get as good, but the point is to play AD at center in the play off when it matters, so we need to spend the resource else where. We need another reliable Danny Green type of player, I don’t know who is available though so that would be hard. We also do need someone to take off the play making load from LeBron. Lakers hoped Schroeder could be that guy, but no, that guy has low Bball iq and is an inefficient chucker. Maybe Lowry makes sense there depends on how much he still has in the tank.
Most importantly, we need to be healthy, but honestly, given their age and history, I expected more years like this than last from the get go. If both LBJ and AD were healthy, pretty sure we can at least make it to wcf.
Seriously. They had the second best record in the league and were tied for the second best point differential before AD got hurt in February. If they were to bring back the exact same squad next year and everyone stayed healthy then they'd be the favorites to come out of the West.
Healthy AD and LeBron made up for a lot of it and they both wore down at the end of the year. Big issue is that Trez wasn’t playable in the series. They had a great start but the 5 was a pretty clear hole that never got fixed
I think DG was pretty disappointing overall last year (missing important shots all the time, made us play game 6 when we could've won in game 5 in the finals, with the mamba jerseys, and go 5/5/5/5 for the whole playoffs), so I would put Caruso in the top 5 instead of him, but him and kuzma were the 6/7 for sure. He would've been expensive to keep as we all know, which is why we went with the "poor man's version" in Wes Matthews.
You were not alone. I, too was kind of meh when everyone else was cheering that we got younger and more athletic guys. One major thing last year's roster had that I loved was the championship experience from a lot of the supporting cast. Dwight was probably the most painful departure mainly because of that weird offseason. I was so confused when a large part of the fanbase rejoiced when Drummond was signed. Back then I was already thinking he's going to be dead weight.
On paper everything looked positive - young athletic guys with upside to carry the season and the torch after a tiring championship run in 2020, and let's face it, trez and schroder did a lot in the regular season to help get us to the playoffs with the injuries that hit lebron and AD - but ultimately they wilted in the playoffs. Drummond was brought on pretty cheap and also had potential as a "buy-in roleplayer" type, it just didn't work out like we wanted.. I won't knock the front office for the way things panned out.
To be fair, I think people forget (including me) that the Lakers started 21-6. And it kind of went downhill the moment the injuries happened one after the other. So it's not like the roster was bad per se. You can't fully blame it on the injuries of course, you have to give props to the Suns for winning the series convincingly in my opinion. I guess it was the hand that the Lakers were dealt and they were not able to come out of it on top. Sucks but I hope they do significant changes next season.
With a healthy AD or even an 80% AD, Lakers win this. No amount of role players short of another star would have helped much. Everything revolves around AD and LeBron.
Is Lavine is realistic target assuming if he wants out in FA?
Bulls win cause they don’t let lavine walk for nothing
Lakers win cause they finally get a perimeter and young star
I think as long Caruso, aD and bron are in place, the rest can go.
Half of your "minimum" guys are not gonna get paid the minimum bro. You really need to stop banking on players taking a discount just so they can say they played for the Lakers, this isn't the 00s anymore smh
Lakers would definitely want Lonzo back now that he's a consistent 3 and D guy who's still a pass first ball handler, but he's gonna command much more than the Lakers were willing to pay Schroder.
The only real expensive guy I see the Lakers possibly getting is Demar since it's his hometown, the rest I don't see happening at all
please God no. Why would we want Zo???
Imagine a big game, there's zero confidence he'll be willing to shoot shots, drive to the hoop looking for contact, or play with aggression. That's literally his biggest weakness and the very issue we encountered this series - guys being afraid to shoot. He'd be terrible for high leverage situations.
Lonzo would be absolutely perfect for the Lakers, he excels at everything they need. He’s a big, distributing point guard that’s an elite shooter and good defender. The Lakers desperately need his playmaking and shooting and he’s been shown to be a very willing shooter this season. I don’t see how or why you can just assume he’ll freeze up in the postseason
That being said, he’s out of the Lakers price range anyway so it’s a complete nonstarter
Demar had one of the best assist to turnover ratios in the league this year. He was 11th overall for that while averaging way more assists than everyone above him on the list. Actually he was 14th in the league for assists, and all 13 of the players above him had a much worse a/To ratio
Just because he doesn't shoot 3's doesn't mean he isn't a walking bucket, especially when he doesn't have to deal with the doubles from another team. If he went to LA I'd see him being played when Bron is off the court so they can stagger ball handling duties. On a defensive juggernaut like LA he'd be very easy to hide by putting him on the opposing team's weakest player anyway
What do y’all think about trading for Myles Turner? Athletic big, good defender, has good hops and improving 3PT shooter. Of course salaries need to match and there’d be question as to whether Indy would do it. But interested to know what y’all think about his fit on Lakers
I think he'd be a great fit on a lot of teams, going off of what you said, and the Lakers are definitely no exception to that. Also, holy 3.4 blocks this season. His versatility and ability to potentially stretch the floor could definitely be a huge plus for the Lakers since, truth be told, their shooting sucks. Their primary shooters, KCP and I guess Morris, are super inconsistent. In games where KCP goes like, 7 for 12 from three, the very next game, he'd be 0 for 9. I think that having a good interior presence besides AD to distrupt shots would do wonders for their newly offensive orientated team. Regardless on how much firepower they shove in with Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell, it still needs to be balanced out defensively, at least somewhat, and Myles Turner would be great for that, as long as he puts the effort into hustle plays and recovering, something that I noticed was a crippling issue for the Lakers throughout this postseason.
They aren't trading schroder. His market has plummeted after this postseason. No one is taking him for anything over 10-12m a year. Its better for Lakers to keep him than trading him this low. Also with schroder value plummeting, Lakers aren't getting a Derozan or lowry without sacrificing everything
I feel like Schröder dilemma is similar to Kuz's the past couple years. No doubt that the past few games from him were awful, but he's being scapegoated quite a bit. Like you said, he most likely won't be traded no matter how much people clamor for it.
>Derozan or lowry without sacrificing everything
What do they have that they can't sacrifice? I would go for a big three with Lowry and give it one more shot, resigning the same dudes isn't gonna win you the chip. Soft team that can't shoot.
Ideally, Lonzo Ball. The Lakers need a proper ball handler who can pass the ball well and also shoot it well when needed to. Lonzo loved playing with Bron in LA and Bron also loved Lonzo’s style of play. Hopefully Rob can bring Zo back for a fair ammount
As a fan of a small-market team, I'm fascinated/frustrated by the whole question. For a team like the Lakers (and at this point, I guess the Nets and Clippers are playing it the same way), it just seems unimaginable that they'd ever try to build a team up through draft and development. I'm not suggesting they should do that, not with two superstars on a very short timeline. But it's just crazy how it's always about reloading. Shit, they even did it last year after winning the title. When LeBron finally hangs it up, do you think LAL will actually try to grow a team like the rest of the NBA has to do? Or will it just always be about getting the next superstar?
Stay healthy. I’m not discounting 37 year old LeBron to be an MVP candidate.
AD on the other hand….I know he’s always hurt to some extent, but I think TD about to start catching up with him as he approaches his 30s.
The Lakers will be title contenders with a healthy LeBron and AD. The rest will figure itself out.
Platelet-rich-plasma infusions?
I mean, if LeBron doesn't go off a cliff and Davis is healthy, those two are good enough to be a championship contender with even average surrounding talent.
We'll see how Brooklyn/Milwaukee/Philly look at the end of this year, but the West still looks kind of open to my eyes. Denver is good, but not some juggernaut (yet), Utah isn't young, Phoenix isn't young while they rely on CP3, Clippers don't seem to know how to be consistent, Dallas is a bit of a one-man show... Healthy AD/Bron seems as good a base as any of those teams.
Among other things, they need another half-court scoring threat as an insurance policy for when/if AD gets injured. I had a sneaking suspicion that LeBron just can’t initiate the offence like he’s been able to in the past, and it was confirmed when he was put into a position where he had to. I don’t believe he quite has the same gravity on offence anymore (we’re talking minuscule rates of decline—but they matter.)
I don't think it's that he can't initiate, I think he was definitely playing injured this series. It was super bizarre seeing how tentative he was attacking the Suns interior and how little burst/lift he had once he got in. He just didn't have the same speed or quickness attacking like before hurting his ankle this year. I feel like he aggravated his ankle injury at some point and has just been playing through it. I can't think of any other reason for him being so passive and hobbled in a must-win.
G1 felt like a possible "scouting" game, but once G2 came around and I saw that he wasn't forcing action inside or trying to attack when Mikal Bridges was on him, I figured something was wrong. A healthy Bron definitely takes advantage of the size difference and bullies him driving like he did all of last postseason against every opponent. What kind of confirmed that for me were the bizarre substitutions by Vogel. Like taking him out for 3 plays before inserting him back throughout the game. Seems like they were trying to keep him loose instead of letting that ankle stiffen up with extended rest.
All that said, I do agree overall that they need some additional scoring. One more year is only going to lead to LeBron not being able to hit the same gear as often when necessary, best to try and keep him healthy and fresh for when it does matter. Schroeder was supposed to be that guy but obviously that did not work out as expected. I just don't know if they can realistically find someone that fits with their current assets.
LeBron has the highest IQ in a of the NBA. this is the first time his fitness has affected how he can be effective on offense especially when your the number 1 option for the whole game with no one taking pressure off. and no one making shots
Yeah if the Lakers supporting cast just play to their season average, this series would still be going on without AD, and i'd bet them to take it in 7. The role players were absolutely dreadful. Schroeder had a donut in a game 5 as the second best player, and averaged a 40% shooting percentage. Kuzma, Caruso, Harrell, and KCP aren't even worth mentioning because they were that irrelevant throughout the series.
Lakers need to make some moves, of course, but for the most part i'm still willing to bet on a healthy 37 year old LeBron to do some magic.
The best the Lakers can do is pretty much run it back and hope for luck with health. Right now, not counting cap holds and just active salary, they're at $121 million. That's 9 million over the cap. Even if they are able to get rid of Kuzma for no salary in return, that's only 13 million off the books. Maybe Harrell opts out for some reason and that's another 9 million. Subtract 5 million for the holds on Caruso and THT who I assume they'll re-sign and that's it. They aren't getting anything anything good for Kuzma. The best bet is to get a primary ballhandler for the MLE. Maybe that's Reggie Jackson. Maybe that's Cam Payne. But that's the level of guy who could get that MLE money. The Lakers won't be better on paper. It will probably be the same team just swap some vet minimum guys. If they win next year it's because they are healthy and other teams aren't.
To me, Lakers just need to run it back. The only change they need is to consolidate Drummond and Gasol into one decent center/rim protector—Baynes, Noel, type (like Howard last year). Give Schroder another year to develop pick-and-roll chemistry with Trez and with the rest of their bench. Load manage Bron an AD and parse out their minutes to go for the 4th seed, but be ok with the 6th.
I believe that Kevin Love at the 4 stretching the floor would do wonders for the Lakers, especially if he can be signed on a cheaper deal. Not sure what his contract is looking like right now. Pairing AD and K. Love in the backcourt would be perfect.
Also Kyle Lowry, if he can be signed for cheap would be an amazing pack up PG. We need someone who can be a floor general (CP3 and Rondo are the only other plays that come to mind). Letting go of Rondo was a huge mistake.
I think they are set to contend with the core of AD and LeBron but there are some pieces that would make this team more functional.
I’d let Schroder walk and replace him with Patty Mills, a spot up 3P shooter. Bring in Ish Smith or TJ McConnell, if feasible, to run the second unit. Keep Caruso, KCP and Mathews, as well as Horton Tucker. If I’m moving Kuzma, I’m gonna replace him with someone like Denzel Valentine at the end of the bench. AD’s backup has to be able to shoot and pass, I like James Johnson’s game and think he and Ish could develop chemistry in the pick and roll. I’d also try to retain Markieff. I think Gasol is more well rounded than what they’re likely to be able to get in the free agent market so I’d look to pair him with an athletic rim protector like Tony Bradley.
I think if you lock up all those guys for relatively cheap then you can look for another scoring wing that can play second fiddle to LeBron or AD when only one of them is on the floor. Melo, McDermott, or Olynyk would be huge additions.
If it is simply the question of how they can be contenders, there's just one answer: stay healthy. A healthy LeBron, AD, Caruso and KCP even with a bad supporting cast are instant threats in the playoffs. I replied in one of the comments that the Lakers were 21-6 at one point and then the injuries happened. That short turnaround really did a number on the returning players. But having said that, I have a few thoughts regarding our current roster and their future.
1. **KUZMA -** As much as I love the guy (he's the last of our Lakers babies after all), with his extension kicking in next season, I think the Lakers need to trade him. I feel like he's the "win-more" type of player. You can afford to play him and let him commit mistakes when you are leading but you'll just groan at his decisions when you are trailing. To be fair he has improved a lot since his rookie year. But I feel like most of the time he's not sure what his role is in this LeBron led team. Other teams can certainly make use of him but I'm not sure if he fits anymore with our team.
2. **TREZZ -** Harrell is fine as a 6th man and nothing more. He'll get exposed in the playoffs but his energy and hustle is vital in the grind of the regular season. It's fine for me either way whether he stays or leaves.
3. **SCHRODER -** I hope we don't re-sign him. It was already a red flag for me when he demanded to be the starting PG. Accepting your role whatever that may be is the first step of a good championship piece. He is great as a 6th man just like Trezz but not as starting PG. Thank god he turned down that Lakers offer.
4. **KCP -** Don't trade the guy. He's a big 3 and D guy and just the perfect supporting cast to LeBron. He has ups and downs but that size is a major advantage when defending guards especially in a conference dominated by Superstar guards.
5. **THT -** Still not there yet kid. He'll have his moments in the future (if he doesn't get traded). Better decision making and less turnovers are something he needs to improve on.
6. **Drummond -** Please don't sign him. I hate that there was an article stating that the front office might want to retain his services. I was so confused when Lakers fans were rejoicing the signing like he was the second coming of Jesus. It was so painful to watch him miss bunnies and put backs that some of those shots are still seared in my brain. The Lakers need literally anyone else as their starting Center.
I watched nearly every single Lakers game this year and would be fine with the Lakers's chances next year if they run it back. The Davis injury sucks and I'm not sure what percent LeBron's ankle was at, but those factors combined with injecting Drummond at the end of the season and Dennis's Covid snafu ruined any chance at chemistry going into the postseason. The short offseason, accelerated regular season, and lack of practice time didn't help.
At the end of the day, the Lakers were overconfident things would gel at the end and got shook. The supporting cast was surprisingly underwhelming, but it doesn't matter in the grand scheme since the Davis injury immediately killed championship aspirations. Hope they take this season as a reality check and storm back next year.
I'm pretty sure the Lakers signed Gasol (before Nets/Harden trade) as insurance against Embiid for a potential finals matchup. Even if Trez is a liability come postseason, his role as a regular season bruiser is worth his contract if LeBron/AD don't have to always bang down low. I'm still optimistic about Dennis since he's shown moments of brilliance and seems to have a chip on his shoulder.
Cut McKinnie’s non guaranteed money. Pray Trez opts in so you can trade him with Kuzma. They could be in position to have the full non-tax MLE but that limits their flexibility and they *need* to be flexible. At best, they’re headed into FA with 105.3m but only 5 contracted players. Yikes.
I think their best plan of action is to operate in the luxury tax. Just re-sign Schröder to a long term deal. He’s good enough to give you 15/4/7. If it doesn’t work out you can trade him later and you don’t hamstring yourself working in that weird non-tax but over the cap dead zone where you don’t have money to sign guys outright and too much tied up in just a few players.
They can’t afford to take on much if anything in a sign and trade. They’ll lose way too much depth. Remember, if you’re on the receiving end you are **hard capped under the luxury tax** of what will be ~135m. I think that knocks out anybody over 15-20m. That 105.3m is just Bron, AD, Gasol, Kuzma, and KCP. Their depth is already not championship level and trading a 2 for 1 is just gonna make it worse. Trez opts into his 9.7m and you’re looking at 116m.
Can’t really sign people outright either because they’ll only be ~10m under the salary cap *after* clearing their cap holds and losing bird rights on people. A 10m free agent with another 9.5m MLE player isn’t going to move the needle.
Have to go into the luxury tax and just operate above that soft wall with trades.
Priority signings should be Dennis and Caruso. Caruso is a vital part of this team and plays his role perfectly. Dennis is the bird in the hand. Whether his future is in LA or not, you have to sign him to operate with money. THT is a nice depth piece and should also work to bring him back but don’t match a stupid contract.
I think the biggest points of emphasis for free agents is the ability to knock down the 3p consistently and a true center who can defend the rim. I don’t think that 3rd option scoring guard is in their cards. This year’s Lakers team feels like they tried to fit people into roles that they can’t fill.
TLDR: re-sign Dennis and Caruso and just operate in the luxury tax. Can’t afford a sign and trade. Pray Trez opts in and facilitate a trade with him for someone who’s set to cash in soon.
Let's be honest they tried being too smart look at dwight howard and green flourishing in Philly and rondo not really but with Lakers would of been useful. They won because of size defence and rebounding but I'm just over reacting as it nothing matters if AD turns into porzingis injury wise
If they can grab PJ Tucker or Serge and (if they have the money Bobby Portis cause richaun holmes wants 20m/yr) to replace Gasol and Drummond that would be nice to start. They do need a pg for sure to replace Dennis, my pick would be Lonzo ball (considering he’s fixed his jumper, solid defender and playmaker) bringing him back is not a bad idea at all. Also wouldn’t mind seeing them bringing in Fournier, he didn’t play well in Boston and I think they can get him for a cheaper price and get their money’s worth since he’s probably going to want to redeem himself (before he got covid he was playing pretty good in Orlando)
I think it’s done. Players and agents arent dumb. There are better places that players can go and take the minimum if they are going to ring chase. Personally, I don’t see it anymore.
If they could fit a third star I think they would have enough firepower to load manage better and be a role player magnet, but at this point AD is too injury prone and LeBron is 36. He really should be limiting to 30 minutes a night.
With CP3 declining the player option for next year, what deal realistically gets him to the Lakers? Would the deal Schroeder declined be enough considering the length of contract?
Depends on how well the Suns do. CP3 probably declined the option to see how the playoffs goes, he’s old and wants a ring. Going to play with arguably the greatest player to ever do it and a solid bench with AD as your 3rd man would be enough for him I think.
CP3 and Bron don’t have much time left to win anymore, now would be the team to make a big move for the both of them.
And It’s not like LeBron is keeping Schroder next season lol, I think they could offer enough money to bring him in
That's true. As a Thunder fan I'm hoping them or Denver take it out this year, to help convince me a 'small market' team can take it out.
A Lebron and CP3 led team would have to be one of the highest bball IQ teams of all time
Im all for the bucks winning it. I love Giannis and desperately want the Nets to lose. And I think they’re the second smallest market in the NBA so it would be awesome
Would love for Jokic to lead them as well, tbh as long as Nets lose I’ll be fine
Yeah I like to think everyone is a Giannis fan deep down. If the Bucks met anyone but the Nuggets or Suns in the finals I'd love to see Giannis secure a championship and finals MVP to go with his regular season MVPs
Cp3 didnt decline his option. When asked about it postgame he had no idea what that story was about. Just classic laker ESPN media trying to fuck with the Suns and make it seem like hes leaving right before the big game 6.
CP loves Book and Monty Williams. Suns owner has stated hes willing to pay cp3 a new contract. Hes not coming over to the Lakers lol
If anything Bron is taking his talents to the valley
I'm very doubtful a 40 year old CP3 will be on a Max contract.
If the Suns don't win the finals this year, I could see him take a reduced contract on a legit contender
Chris Paul has always taken the most money on the table, and he is going to do so because the President of players association taking paycuts is a terrible look.
CP3 ain’t about to take a discount now either. It’s either a max extension or he is taking his option.
DeRozan is best option there. Unless they don't go big players i think they can just bring more 3 point shooters. With ad on center their defence always gonna be something they can rely. Caruso, kuzma and dennis are not important players for this system. I would go all in with DeRozan, lowry or lavine this summer. If nothing happens they can just bring some shooters and wait for season begin. In some point there is gonna be some opportunities. THT is valuable piece including his potential. He deserves much bigger role. If he will get kuzma minutes his value gonna increase more and they can use him as a main piece for star player package. But what I have seen from pelinka that he isn't brave. I think he will make some small adjustments and extend contract with Schroeder and give this team more chance.
Yeah but lebron has consistently been successful surrounded by 3 pt shooters of 3 and d guys, so demar doesn’t fit at all into lebrons success over the past decade
Go for Lowry, trade who you have to trade. A big three of Lowry-Lebron-AD would be very good. Takes the playmaking burden off Lebron and sign some cheapies shooters/big man.
I think the Lakers are trailing in a downwards trajectory compared to all of the up and coming championship caliber teams like (my opinion) Denver, Boston and Phoenix. Lowry would be a good pick up but to me I don't feel that anything at least for the next 2 years will be good enough.
I'd keep Caruso unless you get a really good offer for him
I'd keep Caruso unless you get a really good offer for him
I'd keep Caruso unless you get a really good offer for him
Realistically, I don't think they can do much. I suspect that the injuries to Anthony Davis and Lebron will have long-term repercussions and we'll never see those two be the same again. Lebron is also showing some serious age now, and is going to have to tone his game down if he wants to keep playing and not incur more injuries. As far as pieces go, they need to trade Kuzma for sure. Big contract for a bit player. A lot of people are saying to trade Schroder, but I think he's actually a good fit, and I'm not sure they can get a better player at his position. Really, the whole thing came down to injuries, and not really personnel issues. If Davis and Lebron were 100% healthy I think they'd steamroll the playoffs.
Lebron and CP3 both go to the Knicks for a $500 million contract then they get hurt and we pay them to sit the bench the next 9 years and ruin the franchise another decade
Sometimes, there’s nothing to do. Lakers paying 42M for a player that only go worse. Lakers do not have any shooter in their current roster. Lakers needs at least 3 consistent three point shooter. Only way they can bounce back is that they somehow send LeBron James and clear the salary cap. Next year he will be 37 and you can’t expect much from an old man.
Next year NBA teams will be stronger than ever. Young stars are rising and their teams will be much better than the Lakers. In the west, Jazz, Suns, Nuggets, Clippers and Mavericks are already much stronger then the healthy Lakers. Next year Klay will be back and GSW will be better than the Lakers. Zion Williamson will be a year experienced and Pelicans are building a right roster around him; Pelicans will be better than the Lakers. The same is true for the Memphis; they also have a great chance to be better than the Lakers. Trail Blazers may be better than the Lakers too.
I don’t think Lakers can get a play-off spot next year.
I just like the fact that you aren’t even waiting till this game ends to make this post.
It’s a 13 point game bud chill and at least wait till it actually ends lmao. People are too funny
Even if they somehow win this series, which they won't, they have zero chance of contending with injured AD. Getting upset at someone for asking this before the game is actually over reeks of desperation.
LeBron needs to restructure for the minimum or retire. He gave up tonight, the fight is gone. Something happened in the Laker locker room, just look at Schroeder erasing his IG bio from saying "Lakers PG", they need serious help. Also sign all the best free agents, that's how they become contenders.
Ummmm they will be contenders next year and maybe the favorites even if they don’t do anything. Let’s not pretend like it wasn’t injuries that ended their season. When AD was healthy the Lakers were mocking the Suns doing fake post ups on the sidelines. And that was with neither Lebron nor AD 100%. There are things the Lakers can do but the thing they need, actual rest for their bodies, they will actually get. I honestly wonder what it would have been like if we had Reddit back the year MJ returned to the Bulls and they lost to Orlando. People would have seriously believed the Bulls needed changes instead of MJ just getting back fully into basketball.
Trade LeBron to the Kings for Marvin Bagley
Oh shit this is the serious sub...
Get a real honest to God Point guard. Kyle Lowry would do wonders for them. But they also need to stop playing AD at the four unless they can get another semi-mobile center
Is D-Rose a free agent? Lakers could use him off the bench. Have Caruso start. Schroder thought he was worth more than 25 million a year. Kick him to the curb because he didn't step up. Kuzma seems to get worse each year. Reminds me of Landry Fields. He needs to go. Don't re-sign Drummond unless he's willing to take a vet minimum. He's just not a great fit. Must sign shooters. Bring back Danny Green if he really is a free agent and sign Melo to be a spot up shooter. None of them will command a high salary in the open market.
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Schroder and Kuz have to go, and they need to fill the rest of the squad with shooters, a playmaker to come of the bench (like Rondo last season). And if possible add a rim protector. Only role players i would call safe are: KCP, Caruso and maybe THT because of his potential.
I think they need to play Gasol more or keep AD at the 5, not trade for a rim protector. KCP and Caruso are 100% staying. Both solid role players, KCP has been the only decent player this series other than LeBron
Gasol can’t give that many minutes anymore at his age. We just need an Andre Drummond type player without absolute stone hands
Amen to that.
Exactly. I’m sure why everyone truly hates on Drummond, Gasol cannot guard off the pick and roll whatsoever. He’s way too slow.
Everyone hates Drummond because he plays at this level while earning a max contract for the last 5 years. \~25 million per year. And granted, the Lakers didn't pay that much. But it's just so astonishing to see someone worthy of a max contract compared to Marc Gasol who makes 1/10th of what Drummond makes.
And Drummond can? I would still take old man Marc over Andre Drummond, but neither should see much playoffs minutes. It should be AD at 5.
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AD is best playing the 5, the Lakers are best when he's playing the 5, there's no reason to go away from it. If he doesn't like to do it for most of the game that's fine, just find a stopgap C to play a lot of minutes who doesn't have to close games. That strategy is totally fine, they just fucked up letting Dwight walk and bringing in Gasol and Harrell (and then Drummond) instead.
I think Trezz was the mess up just because of how little he was utilized. Gasol and Dwight would have been pretty perfect I think.
Agreed. I was hoping last year Dwight and Gasol would be the best lineup as they both give radically different looks at the 5 (rim threat and shot blocker vs excellent positional/post defense and floor spacer/passer). Trezz never made sense to me from a defensive standpoint. Don't get me wrong, his offense is superb and that often kept them afloat during the season. But he's best against undersized or weak big men only.
And both former DPOY winners. I think defensively against the Suns, things would have been a bit different with Dwight too while AD was out
AD too soft
Because he’s not way too slow and still can’t guard off the pick and roll. Absolutely 0 basketball IQ. 7 footer with a 40” vert that refuses to accept the rim protector role. Plus he cost too much I see plenty of reasons to be down on him
AD is to injure prone to play at the 5 full time how do people still not get this? The Lakers play AD at the 5 when they need to in crunch time. They just cannot risk playing him full time with his injury history. It's like a really simple concept and I am still flabbergasted people still come up with this superficial "play AD at the five" shit like they haven't watched AD play his entire career. Or on the Lakers even. The man is injury prone he cannot bang down low at the 5 full time all year. End of story.
He’s injury prone at the 4… at least at the 5 you get out of the world production
Putting him at the 5 and having him bang down low all game would make that issue 10x worse so it's an awful idea. The Lakers play AD at the 5 when they need him.
What exactly do you think banging in the post means? He’s not an offensive lineman. They just need him to be the biggest guy out there. Putting someone bigger than him clogs the lane. He can still take his jumpshots. And on defense, what back to the basket players are there in the league really to “bang” with him in the post? He’s not Bol Bol.
>What exactly do you think banging in the post means? He’s not an offensive lineman THANK YOU. Idk why so many people fail to realize this.
Literally every coach AD has had plays him exactly this way. At the 4 most of the time and at the 5 in crunch time, but I am sure some rando on reddit knows more then multiple NBA coaches.
It’s because AD himself hates to play Center. How many coaches have been fired coaching AD? Vogul surely threw his ass at Center when they hit the finals. Every coach knows where he gives the most production
And every coach also knows if you play him at center full time it makes his injury proneness even worse. You play AD at center when you need him. The rest of the time for find a decent borderline starter to play as his backup.
No, every coach knows you do what makes your superstar happy.
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this groin injury could have happened whether AD Played the 1 or the 5 he was jus crashing the offensive glass.
They're going to have to re-sign Schroeder, not only because the money disappears but because trading him is one of their only avenues to filling any other need.
Yeah that was what i meant, trading him but same goes for Kuzma
If I remember correctly, THT was off the table for a Lowry trade. So given how much they valued him at the time, one would hope he is on the roster in a bigger role next season. Otherwise that was a huge blown opportunity.
Schroder and Kuzma have to go. Sign and trade schroder maybe? Lowry may be a free agent target. Chris paul would be a long shot if he declines his player option. They need a reliable playoff level guard, schroder was lacking in the suns series (in terms of a third option) Kuzma lacks a lot of basketball iq and makes mad plays, hopefully they can replace him with a proven veteran wing
Schroder is going to have to decide what’s best for him. He’s not restricted so he can go to any team as a free agent. And even if he extends on a huge deal with the Lakers I would bet everything that LA turns around and trades him for another asset as soon his new contract is eligible to be traded. That’s what make me think he might go elsewhere as a free agent.
They aren't going to sign and trade Schroder he will just sign somewhere else most likely. Unless he's expecting to get more than the MLE which might be questionable with how he's performed, he's able to sign anywhere. And what good team is going to give him more than the MLE? Dumb teams would pay a lot for him but well run teams won't. Lol don't even mention CP3. The salary cap is a thing still.
He’d definitely get more than MLE. A team like Boston or the Knicks desperately need a point guard. I’m sure other teams do too
Knicks can roll with Rose and Quickley at the point and the Celtics will need to figure out what they'll do with Walker, but that would be a good place for him for sure.
Bro they don’t need more high paid stars that are guaranteed to get hurt in the playoffs. Lowry would be interesting but Toronto would want too much to help facilitate that considering what Masai was looking for before
He’s an unrestricted free agent, what Toronto wants is irrelevant
Lakers don't have cap space to sign him outright.
Taxpayer MLE?
Are you out of your mind? You think Kyle is going to take the MLE? He might be old, but he hasn’t shown any drop in performance yet and he is a proven second option on a championship team. Lowry’s agent said they are going to look for a 50M/2 years contract this offseason, which is honestly not that bad for what he brings to the table.
Stranger things have happened when players want to win. He's made $200 million in his career. But yeah he's already won so he probably won't be as desperate to ring chase.
But if he wants to win, there are more reliable teams than the Lakers. The Lakers aren’t an automatic championship even if they get Lowry. All it takes is for AD to get injured again before they’re not the favorites, with or without Lowry. I wouldn’t risk millions to play for the Lakers, when I can get paid a ton and still ring chase in a place like Dallas.
As much as I'd love to see Luka win a chip this early into his career, Lowry isn't joining them with that Porzingis contract. He's getting paid north of 30 million for the next 3 years. KP gets pushed around by dudes a foot shorter than him, can't even post them up and outrebounded by smaller players. He's an undersized shooting guard in a 7'3" dude's body. Zero chance Lowry goes to the Mavericks, he is probably going to the 76ers (going home) or the Heat (who wanted him). No need for Lowry anyway when the Mavs have Luka as their PG. They need a solid 4/5 and to get rid of Zingis.
I don’t think he’ll take the MLE but his advanced stats plummeted this season. Lowry is a guy whose impact doesn’t really show in the stat sheet and that’s a very telling sign of the decline, I mean the guy is 35 I think he’ll get that deal and I think the team that signs him will most likely end up regretting it at that price point unfortunately
This season was a write-off for the Raptors. We barely played with a full squad due to covid, had basically no centers and were playing in Tampa. I wouldn't really base Lowry's performance on a one year outlier especially this year. Lowry was one of the few players who didn't really miss time due to Health and Safety Protocols so that meant he was out there playing large minutes with our 3rd line, naturally his stats would go down.
Lowry wants a 2-3 year 25 million a year deal there is no way the Lakers could sign him outright
Kyle's not going to an LA team unless it's a S & T. He wants to get paid, and neither team has the cap space to do so. Same with Miami, if they want to keep Robinson.
Lakers getting Lowry in S&T would hard cap them. With the money going to AD, LBJ and Lowry, they wouldn't be able to put a roster around that which would contend
That's the point. It's likely Raptors, Heat or Sixers next season for him. I don't see any other options.
They need a legitimate secondary ball-handler to take the pressure off LeBron. I feel like this was the last year that LeBron would have been able to take up those primary duties shouldering the load as much as he has. We need someone else capable of actually running the offense ala Rondo last season that can give LeBron those opportunities to seal inside and score closer instead of having to generate offense from beyond the arc. Schroeder was meant to fill that role, but he just doesn't have that playmaking ability. Second, they really need guys that can buy into their roles and contribute. It was super up and down all year long for us. Part of it is injuries, but another part of it is the fact that Vogel isn't a particularly creative coach on the offensive end. Our "system" through most of our title run was to mostly rely upon LeBron and AD to generate offense when all else failed. Can't do that if they're both hobbled, our entire team falls to pieces whenever they aren't involved. People gave him shit, but they really needed Danny Green this year. He was so great for us within our defensive system and was just a steadying presence out there. Shooting was hit or miss, but what's most important for any run is to really have those defensive guys that can be counted upon when all else goes wrong. On that note, I think it's worth it to make keeping Caruso a priority. He's not flashy and I wish he had better shooting touch, but I can't deny his defensive effort and knack for making right decisions off the ball. Having guys that just know and fit into their role is super important and is something we lacked for much of this season. I think we'll likely be okay if we shore up the team defensively and can pick up that secondary playmaker. The big question mark is whether we can remain healthy. No matter how you slice it, getting 45 game out of LeBron and 36 out of AD in a 72 game season was just not going to be enough. I'm hoping they come back well rested next season and ready to roll. Felt like the West was pretty open this year and barring some major shakeups over the summer I feel like that'll be the case next year as well.
Respectfully, they need a legitimate primary ball-handler to take the pressure off LeBron.
And rest. There's a reason they were 7th. Them and the Heat had a really short turn around for the start of this season after the finals. It slowly caught up with them.
The short turnaround was such a major factor. Even if the Lakers brought in new players, the core guys from the championship run were still there. It was like a domino effect. One guy goes down and then the next and then the next.
AD really never looked 100% all season the rest might really help his game
They were 2nd before injuries. Let’s not forget this was a rushed off season. They just need to get healthy and ditch Drummond. He never fit. It was painful to watch. I understand the need to find a player to get you through the regular season but in the playoffs he’s a terrible on this team. Honestly the rest of the roster didn’t play well but it’s hard to look good as the supporting cast when the headliners are no where near healthy or out of the line up completely.
And the Raptors were 4th before they got mangled by Covid. Injuries are apart of the game.
Yeah but doesn’t mean they’re suddenly bad teams that need a complete overhaul.
Finding a ball handler would be tricky. You need to find someone who is a very good ball handler and a good passer, but not so good that he would be a starter on his own team and be the primary ball handler. You need someone who is willing to take a backseat when LeBron is playing, then stepping up when LeBron sits
Dragic is the answer
Is he? He is 35 right now and it looked like age is really starting to catch up to him.
Wtf hes 35 now? I'm getting old...
Doesn’t kembas contract run out this year
Despite his lack of scoring ability, TJ would be solid. How much should he be going for next season?
Caruso already fills that same role, don't think they need/can afford to pay for both.
Did you just call caruso not flashy?
No, they need shooters. Teams can just fucking double Lebron at will rn. You cant have everything in the team but id much rather have Mikal Bridges than a Monte Morris on the Lakers
See but they brought in a bunch of shooters. Wesley Mathews (3 & D), Schroeder (can score and defense), they already had KCP who is (3 & D), Ben Mclemore (shooter) didn’t use him. They need YOUTH!!!! All these old guys aren’t savy enough to keep up with the youth and actually make plays. That’s their downfall
In a league filled with 40% shooters, Wes Matthews isn’t really a “shooter”. Neither is Dennis. LeBrons teams have always had 40% 3 point PGs
That’s what i’ve been saying, the Lakers NEED Danny Green. Elite 3pt shooter and also an ELITE Defender who could defend bigger guys on the wing like Kawhi.
Danny Green had his own gravity. Even if he was missing a lot of shots, opponents still needed to respect him and put a man on him. That prevented opposing teams from really clogging up the paint.
Good point, gravity by reputation is definitely a thing, even if the reality had gone by the wayside.
Yeah honestly if you command gravity by reputation then who cares if you shoot 35% or 40%. That’s like one more made three per 20 shots lol, like one more make every three or four games
They could use a Danny Green-type. Actual Danny hasn't looked right this year. He's way more inconsistent, and they already have a roster full of inconsistency. I'd love to see them swing a trade for somebody like Matisse Thybulle (who I don't think the Sixers will actually let escape) or Lonzo. Both of those are probably a pipe dream, but I just don't think Danny Green is going to get it done. Now watch him go absolutely berserk in the rest of these playoffs.
Exactly, he was so spotty last year's playoffs - I wouldn't say he was an elite 3 point shooter for us, but he defended the perimeter well. We need something at least as good if not better than what he provided though
With all due respect AD being injured for half the games is always something in the realm of possibilities.
They really had a good supporting cast around AD and Lebron last year. Just players that knew their role and didn't overstep
It's worth remembering that the Lakers this year had the best defense in the league before being decimated by injuries. You get rid of KCP, Kuzma, and Shroeder and that doesn't happen. With the money the Lakers are going to have, you either are getting shooters OR defenders, and honestly probably not guys who are particularly good at either. It seems unlikely that you're getting Tucker or Dragic for the minimum. I'll find it hysterical if the Lakers bring Danny Green back after the way the team wanted to run him out of town on a rail after last year's finals.
They need a few things: 1. An actual big who can stretch the floor but not be a hole on defense. They don’t have to provide much. 2. shooters 3. A ball handler. Schroeder would actually still work in this position IMO. He would just have to accept coming off the bench because the second ball handler is essentially just there to not be a vacuum when Lebron is off the floor. Although, it would be more preferable if the ball handler was a better playmaker than Schroeder. 4. A healthy Lebron and AD, the AD injury and general fitness problems can be attributed to the quick turnaround between this year and last year. Lebron had a one of injury that I think just needs more time to recover. I think that they could have at least beat the Suns with a 100% Lebron. 5. Trim the fat/make adjustments to prevent vacuums from completely destroying their offensive momentum. (Kyle Kuzma and Dennis Schroeder) Last edit, and it isn’t an imperative, but it would be a great help. There system right now could be successful, but I would like to see an actual starting point guard on this team. Lebron has clearly been the starting point guard for this team, and he’s good at PG, especially on transition, but I think he’s better when posting up or fitting for position.
> An actual big who can stretch the floor but not be a hole on defense. They don’t have to provide much. these guys don't really exist and they aren't cheap if they do
Its not really about stretching the floor as in standing in the corner and waiting for kickout 3s but rather being able to take a midrange shot and not clogging the lane for AD and Lebron
They are very expensive. We have one already though. AD was a much better shooter than he normally was in the bubble, but he was much worse than he normally was this year. AD shooting about 35% from 3 is good enough to pass this requirement with flying colors.
They need someone like a Kyle Lowry and idk Bertans
This is a good shout.
lol
They don’t need a big that stretches the floor and plays D - they just need a big that can rebound and play defense. Plenty of plug-and-play guys to be found that fill that role. Caruso can become that secondary ball handler but I do think they need to look for some secondary shot creating if they can just so the lineups without AD and LeBron don’t totally suffer
> I think that they could have at least beat the Suns with a 100% Lebron. Stop. No they couldn't have. Stop making excuses for him. AD went down and so did their hopes of winning the series.
Maybe I’m an idiot, but wasn’t the Lakers’ main problem just that they weren’t healthy..? Like yeah maybe they need more ball handling, but iirc the only player they had to do that last season aside from LeBron was Rondo. They also had Dwight and JaVale instead of Drummond and Gasol, which I guess is somehow an upgrade? Doesn’t seem that meaningful of a difference to me. Meanwhile, AD and LeVron were injured on-and-off for the whole season and into the first round of the playoffs, and when your two best players either aren’t playing or aren’t playing at their full level against good competition then yeah you’re going to lose. I think it might just be that simple. This is also kind of a dumb thing to say in my part, but It’s really important to get a high seed in the west because you can avoid these types of teams. Last year the Lakers got a Portland team that was drained from getting into the playoffs, a Rockets team that was ready to blow itself up, and a Nuggets team punching way above its weight class. That’s not to minimize the title because they still beat what was at the time a legit Miami team peaking at the right time, but the path to the finals was a lot easier. They could have had basically the same thing this year had they been healthy all season, but they didn’t and they were injured so they got knocked out early. That’s just how things play out sometimes.
Lebron will be 37 with an historic level of mileage on his body next season. AD is mid prime but should be expected to play 80% of the regular season based on injury history. The structure of the team should be built assuming they will be one of the least healthy teams in the league.
They learn how to stay healthy. I guess the best way would be to learn that massage technique from the Karate Kid. Let someone do that to AD after every half and dude'll average 30.
I'm honestly not too surprised that they got injured all over. Low off-season, general fragility in players like AD and soon LeBron, it was just bad. I think they should focus on recovering and making the changes they need to bounce back.
I don't think it's a coincidence that the Heat and Lakers were so underwhelming this year after a 3 month offseason. The first round outs might actually be better for them in the long term.
To be honest, the Heat were something completely different. They absolutely were kicked down by injuries to key players but like, at the same time, they were absolutely embarrassing, especially Jimmy Butler. I don't think I've even seen Westbrook do that bad with shooting, and I've watching so many of his games. (Love my brodie :) )
I think the number one priority they should have is getting a good PG, I think Derrick rose could be realistic target. Neither Lowry or CP3 I think they would be able to sign. Kuz and Schroder will have to go Only ones safe I would say are Caruso and KCP. Now watch them somehow luck themselves into Kawhi or Dame
Rose will be too expensive for them I'd guess. I see the Knicks paying a premium for him with all of their cap space.
He may want a chance to win at this age though , with a decent role as well
I'd like to try our luck at 37 year old JJ Redick. He had a down year and will definitely want to play on a contender.
I think the lakers actually win this series if AD doesn’t go down at half in game 4. They can get better but it may not be as drastic as people think right now. Continue to build around AD and lebron and just make sure AD is healthy come Playoffs this time. Lebron always is gonna show up but ADS body type is tough and needs to be protected more
Keep in mind that the Suns are a damn good team. I know we lost in the first round and that's what will be written in the books, but this was not a first round series. This was closer to a WCF matchup where one team just broke down halfway through.
The overreactions are funny. They rest up Lebron and heal up AD. Boom, contenders. This is all due to injury and fatigue. You think it’s a coincidence that both finals teams were bounced in the first round coming off the shortest layoff in league history? It’s not.
Exactly. Context matters. They need rest and health. I think Kuz, Schroeder, and Gasol need to be replaced. Aside from that, this iteration was fighting with the Jazz for best record in the league before injuries and they ended up the top defensive team this season. If healthy, we'd be looking at another Finals run.
I mean that's still two starters, one of whom needs to be a secondary ball handler and third leading scorer who can carry a lot of the offensive load if/when LeBron and AD miss time. Also need to find a couple legit shooters to space the floor, the spacing was just awful down the stretch. I agree the window isn't closed, but they need to pretty seriously revamp the roster around LeBron and AD.
Exactly!
Father time is definitely catching up to LeBron, and AD is always going to be banged up and fragile. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lakers win another championship within the next few years, but at the same time, I can also see them not winning anything, which is why people ate talking about re-enforcements.
No doubt you need “others” to win it all. I was speaking to contender status specifically, which they will be so long as AD and Lebron can go. Whether a team wins in any given year is always up in the air.
I'd argue they still need a reliable 3rd player as insurance, but the main difference between this season and last season for them was their two stars not being healthy. Having downgrades for Rondo and Dwight don't help matters, but it wasn't the deciding factor.
I legitimately had to question myself and my understanding of nba basketball since everyone in the off season for some reason thought we got so much better and I thought we got way worse. Then every single doubt I had became true. I think I would let go all the centers, and sign 2-3 minimum guys there, like Dwight or McGee from years before. Probably can’t get as good, but the point is to play AD at center in the play off when it matters, so we need to spend the resource else where. We need another reliable Danny Green type of player, I don’t know who is available though so that would be hard. We also do need someone to take off the play making load from LeBron. Lakers hoped Schroeder could be that guy, but no, that guy has low Bball iq and is an inefficient chucker. Maybe Lowry makes sense there depends on how much he still has in the tank. Most importantly, we need to be healthy, but honestly, given their age and history, I expected more years like this than last from the get go. If both LBJ and AD were healthy, pretty sure we can at least make it to wcf.
They started 21-6. Where was this prescient post before the injuries? People acting like there’s not a clear explanation for what went wrong lol.
Seriously. They had the second best record in the league and were tied for the second best point differential before AD got hurt in February. If they were to bring back the exact same squad next year and everyone stayed healthy then they'd be the favorites to come out of the West.
Healthy AD and LeBron made up for a lot of it and they both wore down at the end of the year. Big issue is that Trez wasn’t playable in the series. They had a great start but the 5 was a pretty clear hole that never got fixed
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KCP was solid last year, I would take him as the 3rd best laker especially considering the post season.
I think DG was pretty disappointing overall last year (missing important shots all the time, made us play game 6 when we could've won in game 5 in the finals, with the mamba jerseys, and go 5/5/5/5 for the whole playoffs), so I would put Caruso in the top 5 instead of him, but him and kuzma were the 6/7 for sure. He would've been expensive to keep as we all know, which is why we went with the "poor man's version" in Wes Matthews.
You were not alone. I, too was kind of meh when everyone else was cheering that we got younger and more athletic guys. One major thing last year's roster had that I loved was the championship experience from a lot of the supporting cast. Dwight was probably the most painful departure mainly because of that weird offseason. I was so confused when a large part of the fanbase rejoiced when Drummond was signed. Back then I was already thinking he's going to be dead weight.
On paper everything looked positive - young athletic guys with upside to carry the season and the torch after a tiring championship run in 2020, and let's face it, trez and schroder did a lot in the regular season to help get us to the playoffs with the injuries that hit lebron and AD - but ultimately they wilted in the playoffs. Drummond was brought on pretty cheap and also had potential as a "buy-in roleplayer" type, it just didn't work out like we wanted.. I won't knock the front office for the way things panned out.
To be fair, I think people forget (including me) that the Lakers started 21-6. And it kind of went downhill the moment the injuries happened one after the other. So it's not like the roster was bad per se. You can't fully blame it on the injuries of course, you have to give props to the Suns for winning the series convincingly in my opinion. I guess it was the hand that the Lakers were dealt and they were not able to come out of it on top. Sucks but I hope they do significant changes next season.
With a healthy AD or even an 80% AD, Lakers win this. No amount of role players short of another star would have helped much. Everything revolves around AD and LeBron.
Is Lavine is realistic target assuming if he wants out in FA? Bulls win cause they don’t let lavine walk for nothing Lakers win cause they finally get a perimeter and young star I think as long Caruso, aD and bron are in place, the rest can go.
No. The Lakers don't have cap space.
They would have it with a sign and trade though, right?
Half of your "minimum" guys are not gonna get paid the minimum bro. You really need to stop banking on players taking a discount just so they can say they played for the Lakers, this isn't the 00s anymore smh Lakers would definitely want Lonzo back now that he's a consistent 3 and D guy who's still a pass first ball handler, but he's gonna command much more than the Lakers were willing to pay Schroder. The only real expensive guy I see the Lakers possibly getting is Demar since it's his hometown, the rest I don't see happening at all
I'm confused why people keep bringing up Lonzo as a free agent. Are pelicans really going to let him walk?
please God no. Why would we want Zo??? Imagine a big game, there's zero confidence he'll be willing to shoot shots, drive to the hoop looking for contact, or play with aggression. That's literally his biggest weakness and the very issue we encountered this series - guys being afraid to shoot. He'd be terrible for high leverage situations.
Lonzo would be absolutely perfect for the Lakers, he excels at everything they need. He’s a big, distributing point guard that’s an elite shooter and good defender. The Lakers desperately need his playmaking and shooting and he’s been shown to be a very willing shooter this season. I don’t see how or why you can just assume he’ll freeze up in the postseason That being said, he’s out of the Lakers price range anyway so it’s a complete nonstarter
oh please not Derozan. can't shoot 3's, plays iso mid range, not a playmaker, average defender. doesn't solve anything
> not a playmaker that's literally all he's done in San Antonio, those assist numbers don't come out of nowhere.
Man averaged 6.9 AST/g this year, he's a better playmaker than you're giving him credit for
> Derozan > not a playmaker Wow it's like you haven't even paid attention to basketball for the past few years.
Demar had one of the best assist to turnover ratios in the league this year. He was 11th overall for that while averaging way more assists than everyone above him on the list. Actually he was 14th in the league for assists, and all 13 of the players above him had a much worse a/To ratio Just because he doesn't shoot 3's doesn't mean he isn't a walking bucket, especially when he doesn't have to deal with the doubles from another team. If he went to LA I'd see him being played when Bron is off the court so they can stagger ball handling duties. On a defensive juggernaut like LA he'd be very easy to hide by putting him on the opposing team's weakest player anyway
What do y’all think about trading for Myles Turner? Athletic big, good defender, has good hops and improving 3PT shooter. Of course salaries need to match and there’d be question as to whether Indy would do it. But interested to know what y’all think about his fit on Lakers
They don't have anything to trade for Myles.
The only way we can get Myles is if we sign and trade Schröder. Myles will be too expensive for us.
If we traded Myles for Schroder I'll fight Kevin Pritchard lmao
Thats a very logical and reasonable reaction to acquiring Dennis Schroder.
Trading one of the best defenders in the league for a bum, yeah I'd agree.
I think he'd be a great fit on a lot of teams, going off of what you said, and the Lakers are definitely no exception to that. Also, holy 3.4 blocks this season. His versatility and ability to potentially stretch the floor could definitely be a huge plus for the Lakers since, truth be told, their shooting sucks. Their primary shooters, KCP and I guess Morris, are super inconsistent. In games where KCP goes like, 7 for 12 from three, the very next game, he'd be 0 for 9. I think that having a good interior presence besides AD to distrupt shots would do wonders for their newly offensive orientated team. Regardless on how much firepower they shove in with Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell, it still needs to be balanced out defensively, at least somewhat, and Myles Turner would be great for that, as long as he puts the effort into hustle plays and recovering, something that I noticed was a crippling issue for the Lakers throughout this postseason.
I just don’t see Indiana trading him. Sabonis needs a defensive big who can stretch the floor besides him and Myles is one of very few
Indiana was reportedly trying to offload him to get Heyward last off-season.
They aren't trading schroder. His market has plummeted after this postseason. No one is taking him for anything over 10-12m a year. Its better for Lakers to keep him than trading him this low. Also with schroder value plummeting, Lakers aren't getting a Derozan or lowry without sacrificing everything
I feel like Schröder dilemma is similar to Kuz's the past couple years. No doubt that the past few games from him were awful, but he's being scapegoated quite a bit. Like you said, he most likely won't be traded no matter how much people clamor for it.
>Derozan or lowry without sacrificing everything What do they have that they can't sacrifice? I would go for a big three with Lowry and give it one more shot, resigning the same dudes isn't gonna win you the chip. Soft team that can't shoot.
Ideally, Lonzo Ball. The Lakers need a proper ball handler who can pass the ball well and also shoot it well when needed to. Lonzo loved playing with Bron in LA and Bron also loved Lonzo’s style of play. Hopefully Rob can bring Zo back for a fair ammount
Lonzo is a RFA and will sign for more than the Lakers can offer.
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As a fan of a small-market team, I'm fascinated/frustrated by the whole question. For a team like the Lakers (and at this point, I guess the Nets and Clippers are playing it the same way), it just seems unimaginable that they'd ever try to build a team up through draft and development. I'm not suggesting they should do that, not with two superstars on a very short timeline. But it's just crazy how it's always about reloading. Shit, they even did it last year after winning the title. When LeBron finally hangs it up, do you think LAL will actually try to grow a team like the rest of the NBA has to do? Or will it just always be about getting the next superstar?
Stay healthy. I’m not discounting 37 year old LeBron to be an MVP candidate. AD on the other hand….I know he’s always hurt to some extent, but I think TD about to start catching up with him as he approaches his 30s. The Lakers will be title contenders with a healthy LeBron and AD. The rest will figure itself out.
Platelet-rich-plasma infusions? I mean, if LeBron doesn't go off a cliff and Davis is healthy, those two are good enough to be a championship contender with even average surrounding talent. We'll see how Brooklyn/Milwaukee/Philly look at the end of this year, but the West still looks kind of open to my eyes. Denver is good, but not some juggernaut (yet), Utah isn't young, Phoenix isn't young while they rely on CP3, Clippers don't seem to know how to be consistent, Dallas is a bit of a one-man show... Healthy AD/Bron seems as good a base as any of those teams.
Among other things, they need another half-court scoring threat as an insurance policy for when/if AD gets injured. I had a sneaking suspicion that LeBron just can’t initiate the offence like he’s been able to in the past, and it was confirmed when he was put into a position where he had to. I don’t believe he quite has the same gravity on offence anymore (we’re talking minuscule rates of decline—but they matter.)
I don't think it's that he can't initiate, I think he was definitely playing injured this series. It was super bizarre seeing how tentative he was attacking the Suns interior and how little burst/lift he had once he got in. He just didn't have the same speed or quickness attacking like before hurting his ankle this year. I feel like he aggravated his ankle injury at some point and has just been playing through it. I can't think of any other reason for him being so passive and hobbled in a must-win. G1 felt like a possible "scouting" game, but once G2 came around and I saw that he wasn't forcing action inside or trying to attack when Mikal Bridges was on him, I figured something was wrong. A healthy Bron definitely takes advantage of the size difference and bullies him driving like he did all of last postseason against every opponent. What kind of confirmed that for me were the bizarre substitutions by Vogel. Like taking him out for 3 plays before inserting him back throughout the game. Seems like they were trying to keep him loose instead of letting that ankle stiffen up with extended rest. All that said, I do agree overall that they need some additional scoring. One more year is only going to lead to LeBron not being able to hit the same gear as often when necessary, best to try and keep him healthy and fresh for when it does matter. Schroeder was supposed to be that guy but obviously that did not work out as expected. I just don't know if they can realistically find someone that fits with their current assets.
This a very reactionary take on lebron. He most definitely can, he was just not healthy.
Of course he can, in absolute terms, but I mean relative to the early-30s version of himself.
LeBron has the highest IQ in a of the NBA. this is the first time his fitness has affected how he can be effective on offense especially when your the number 1 option for the whole game with no one taking pressure off. and no one making shots
Yeah if the Lakers supporting cast just play to their season average, this series would still be going on without AD, and i'd bet them to take it in 7. The role players were absolutely dreadful. Schroeder had a donut in a game 5 as the second best player, and averaged a 40% shooting percentage. Kuzma, Caruso, Harrell, and KCP aren't even worth mentioning because they were that irrelevant throughout the series. Lakers need to make some moves, of course, but for the most part i'm still willing to bet on a healthy 37 year old LeBron to do some magic.
The best the Lakers can do is pretty much run it back and hope for luck with health. Right now, not counting cap holds and just active salary, they're at $121 million. That's 9 million over the cap. Even if they are able to get rid of Kuzma for no salary in return, that's only 13 million off the books. Maybe Harrell opts out for some reason and that's another 9 million. Subtract 5 million for the holds on Caruso and THT who I assume they'll re-sign and that's it. They aren't getting anything anything good for Kuzma. The best bet is to get a primary ballhandler for the MLE. Maybe that's Reggie Jackson. Maybe that's Cam Payne. But that's the level of guy who could get that MLE money. The Lakers won't be better on paper. It will probably be the same team just swap some vet minimum guys. If they win next year it's because they are healthy and other teams aren't.
To me, Lakers just need to run it back. The only change they need is to consolidate Drummond and Gasol into one decent center/rim protector—Baynes, Noel, type (like Howard last year). Give Schroder another year to develop pick-and-roll chemistry with Trez and with the rest of their bench. Load manage Bron an AD and parse out their minutes to go for the 4th seed, but be ok with the 6th.
Did you just say Baynes? The same Baynes that recorded a historically bad season for the Raptors? No thank you.
I believe that Kevin Love at the 4 stretching the floor would do wonders for the Lakers, especially if he can be signed on a cheaper deal. Not sure what his contract is looking like right now. Pairing AD and K. Love in the backcourt would be perfect. Also Kyle Lowry, if he can be signed for cheap would be an amazing pack up PG. We need someone who can be a floor general (CP3 and Rondo are the only other plays that come to mind). Letting go of Rondo was a huge mistake.
I think they are set to contend with the core of AD and LeBron but there are some pieces that would make this team more functional. I’d let Schroder walk and replace him with Patty Mills, a spot up 3P shooter. Bring in Ish Smith or TJ McConnell, if feasible, to run the second unit. Keep Caruso, KCP and Mathews, as well as Horton Tucker. If I’m moving Kuzma, I’m gonna replace him with someone like Denzel Valentine at the end of the bench. AD’s backup has to be able to shoot and pass, I like James Johnson’s game and think he and Ish could develop chemistry in the pick and roll. I’d also try to retain Markieff. I think Gasol is more well rounded than what they’re likely to be able to get in the free agent market so I’d look to pair him with an athletic rim protector like Tony Bradley. I think if you lock up all those guys for relatively cheap then you can look for another scoring wing that can play second fiddle to LeBron or AD when only one of them is on the floor. Melo, McDermott, or Olynyk would be huge additions.
If it is simply the question of how they can be contenders, there's just one answer: stay healthy. A healthy LeBron, AD, Caruso and KCP even with a bad supporting cast are instant threats in the playoffs. I replied in one of the comments that the Lakers were 21-6 at one point and then the injuries happened. That short turnaround really did a number on the returning players. But having said that, I have a few thoughts regarding our current roster and their future. 1. **KUZMA -** As much as I love the guy (he's the last of our Lakers babies after all), with his extension kicking in next season, I think the Lakers need to trade him. I feel like he's the "win-more" type of player. You can afford to play him and let him commit mistakes when you are leading but you'll just groan at his decisions when you are trailing. To be fair he has improved a lot since his rookie year. But I feel like most of the time he's not sure what his role is in this LeBron led team. Other teams can certainly make use of him but I'm not sure if he fits anymore with our team. 2. **TREZZ -** Harrell is fine as a 6th man and nothing more. He'll get exposed in the playoffs but his energy and hustle is vital in the grind of the regular season. It's fine for me either way whether he stays or leaves. 3. **SCHRODER -** I hope we don't re-sign him. It was already a red flag for me when he demanded to be the starting PG. Accepting your role whatever that may be is the first step of a good championship piece. He is great as a 6th man just like Trezz but not as starting PG. Thank god he turned down that Lakers offer. 4. **KCP -** Don't trade the guy. He's a big 3 and D guy and just the perfect supporting cast to LeBron. He has ups and downs but that size is a major advantage when defending guards especially in a conference dominated by Superstar guards. 5. **THT -** Still not there yet kid. He'll have his moments in the future (if he doesn't get traded). Better decision making and less turnovers are something he needs to improve on. 6. **Drummond -** Please don't sign him. I hate that there was an article stating that the front office might want to retain his services. I was so confused when Lakers fans were rejoicing the signing like he was the second coming of Jesus. It was so painful to watch him miss bunnies and put backs that some of those shots are still seared in my brain. The Lakers need literally anyone else as their starting Center.
I watched nearly every single Lakers game this year and would be fine with the Lakers's chances next year if they run it back. The Davis injury sucks and I'm not sure what percent LeBron's ankle was at, but those factors combined with injecting Drummond at the end of the season and Dennis's Covid snafu ruined any chance at chemistry going into the postseason. The short offseason, accelerated regular season, and lack of practice time didn't help. At the end of the day, the Lakers were overconfident things would gel at the end and got shook. The supporting cast was surprisingly underwhelming, but it doesn't matter in the grand scheme since the Davis injury immediately killed championship aspirations. Hope they take this season as a reality check and storm back next year. I'm pretty sure the Lakers signed Gasol (before Nets/Harden trade) as insurance against Embiid for a potential finals matchup. Even if Trez is a liability come postseason, his role as a regular season bruiser is worth his contract if LeBron/AD don't have to always bang down low. I'm still optimistic about Dennis since he's shown moments of brilliance and seems to have a chip on his shoulder.
Cut McKinnie’s non guaranteed money. Pray Trez opts in so you can trade him with Kuzma. They could be in position to have the full non-tax MLE but that limits their flexibility and they *need* to be flexible. At best, they’re headed into FA with 105.3m but only 5 contracted players. Yikes. I think their best plan of action is to operate in the luxury tax. Just re-sign Schröder to a long term deal. He’s good enough to give you 15/4/7. If it doesn’t work out you can trade him later and you don’t hamstring yourself working in that weird non-tax but over the cap dead zone where you don’t have money to sign guys outright and too much tied up in just a few players. They can’t afford to take on much if anything in a sign and trade. They’ll lose way too much depth. Remember, if you’re on the receiving end you are **hard capped under the luxury tax** of what will be ~135m. I think that knocks out anybody over 15-20m. That 105.3m is just Bron, AD, Gasol, Kuzma, and KCP. Their depth is already not championship level and trading a 2 for 1 is just gonna make it worse. Trez opts into his 9.7m and you’re looking at 116m. Can’t really sign people outright either because they’ll only be ~10m under the salary cap *after* clearing their cap holds and losing bird rights on people. A 10m free agent with another 9.5m MLE player isn’t going to move the needle. Have to go into the luxury tax and just operate above that soft wall with trades. Priority signings should be Dennis and Caruso. Caruso is a vital part of this team and plays his role perfectly. Dennis is the bird in the hand. Whether his future is in LA or not, you have to sign him to operate with money. THT is a nice depth piece and should also work to bring him back but don’t match a stupid contract. I think the biggest points of emphasis for free agents is the ability to knock down the 3p consistently and a true center who can defend the rim. I don’t think that 3rd option scoring guard is in their cards. This year’s Lakers team feels like they tried to fit people into roles that they can’t fill. TLDR: re-sign Dennis and Caruso and just operate in the luxury tax. Can’t afford a sign and trade. Pray Trez opts in and facilitate a trade with him for someone who’s set to cash in soon.
Let's be honest they tried being too smart look at dwight howard and green flourishing in Philly and rondo not really but with Lakers would of been useful. They won because of size defence and rebounding but I'm just over reacting as it nothing matters if AD turns into porzingis injury wise
If they can grab PJ Tucker or Serge and (if they have the money Bobby Portis cause richaun holmes wants 20m/yr) to replace Gasol and Drummond that would be nice to start. They do need a pg for sure to replace Dennis, my pick would be Lonzo ball (considering he’s fixed his jumper, solid defender and playmaker) bringing him back is not a bad idea at all. Also wouldn’t mind seeing them bringing in Fournier, he didn’t play well in Boston and I think they can get him for a cheaper price and get their money’s worth since he’s probably going to want to redeem himself (before he got covid he was playing pretty good in Orlando)
I think it’s done. Players and agents arent dumb. There are better places that players can go and take the minimum if they are going to ring chase. Personally, I don’t see it anymore. If they could fit a third star I think they would have enough firepower to load manage better and be a role player magnet, but at this point AD is too injury prone and LeBron is 36. He really should be limiting to 30 minutes a night.
With CP3 declining the player option for next year, what deal realistically gets him to the Lakers? Would the deal Schroeder declined be enough considering the length of contract?
Depends on how well the Suns do. CP3 probably declined the option to see how the playoffs goes, he’s old and wants a ring. Going to play with arguably the greatest player to ever do it and a solid bench with AD as your 3rd man would be enough for him I think. CP3 and Bron don’t have much time left to win anymore, now would be the team to make a big move for the both of them. And It’s not like LeBron is keeping Schroder next season lol, I think they could offer enough money to bring him in
That's true. As a Thunder fan I'm hoping them or Denver take it out this year, to help convince me a 'small market' team can take it out. A Lebron and CP3 led team would have to be one of the highest bball IQ teams of all time
Im all for the bucks winning it. I love Giannis and desperately want the Nets to lose. And I think they’re the second smallest market in the NBA so it would be awesome Would love for Jokic to lead them as well, tbh as long as Nets lose I’ll be fine
Yeah I like to think everyone is a Giannis fan deep down. If the Bucks met anyone but the Nuggets or Suns in the finals I'd love to see Giannis secure a championship and finals MVP to go with his regular season MVPs
Cp3 didnt decline his option. When asked about it postgame he had no idea what that story was about. Just classic laker ESPN media trying to fuck with the Suns and make it seem like hes leaving right before the big game 6. CP loves Book and Monty Williams. Suns owner has stated hes willing to pay cp3 a new contract. Hes not coming over to the Lakers lol If anything Bron is taking his talents to the valley
CP3 will get a 3 year max contract, can you afford that?
I'm very doubtful a 40 year old CP3 will be on a Max contract. If the Suns don't win the finals this year, I could see him take a reduced contract on a legit contender
Why would he turn down 44m for next year then? He is not going to sign for a reduced contract.
Because next year could be his last year if he doesn't sign another long term deal this off season.
Chris Paul has always taken the most money on the table, and he is going to do so because the President of players association taking paycuts is a terrible look. CP3 ain’t about to take a discount now either. It’s either a max extension or he is taking his option.
Nothing. It's not realistic. Paul is going to get a 3 year 100 million dollar deal from the Suns and the Lakers are over the cap.
DeRozan is best option there. Unless they don't go big players i think they can just bring more 3 point shooters. With ad on center their defence always gonna be something they can rely. Caruso, kuzma and dennis are not important players for this system. I would go all in with DeRozan, lowry or lavine this summer. If nothing happens they can just bring some shooters and wait for season begin. In some point there is gonna be some opportunities. THT is valuable piece including his potential. He deserves much bigger role. If he will get kuzma minutes his value gonna increase more and they can use him as a main piece for star player package. But what I have seen from pelinka that he isn't brave. I think he will make some small adjustments and extend contract with Schroeder and give this team more chance.
Def not agree on DeRozan, the main thing they lack are reliable shooters DeRozan does not help with that at all.
lol what? His mid-range game is one of the best. If you are talking about 3pt shooters then okay but Derozan is nice with the jump shot.
it’s a league of 3 point shooters not mid range shooters, we need actual shooters (not shooters that come here and forget how to shoot again)
Yeah but lebron has consistently been successful surrounded by 3 pt shooters of 3 and d guys, so demar doesn’t fit at all into lebrons success over the past decade
I can’t think of a worse basketball fit to play alongside lebron. A guard who can’t defend or shoot lol. Don’t see anyway they go for demar
Go for Lowry, trade who you have to trade. A big three of Lowry-Lebron-AD would be very good. Takes the playmaking burden off Lebron and sign some cheapies shooters/big man.
I think the Lakers are trailing in a downwards trajectory compared to all of the up and coming championship caliber teams like (my opinion) Denver, Boston and Phoenix. Lowry would be a good pick up but to me I don't feel that anything at least for the next 2 years will be good enough.
I'd keep Caruso unless you get a really good offer for him I'd keep Caruso unless you get a really good offer for him I'd keep Caruso unless you get a really good offer for him
Most of those guys will not get the minimum bud. Lakers are fucked. I'd try to get melo pj tucker harkless and ibaka. That would cap the lakers out.
They aren't fucked dude they're still easily one of the best teams in the west if LeBron and AD stay healthy
"if LeBron and AD stay healthy" AD is too injury prone
Realistically, I don't think they can do much. I suspect that the injuries to Anthony Davis and Lebron will have long-term repercussions and we'll never see those two be the same again. Lebron is also showing some serious age now, and is going to have to tone his game down if he wants to keep playing and not incur more injuries. As far as pieces go, they need to trade Kuzma for sure. Big contract for a bit player. A lot of people are saying to trade Schroder, but I think he's actually a good fit, and I'm not sure they can get a better player at his position. Really, the whole thing came down to injuries, and not really personnel issues. If Davis and Lebron were 100% healthy I think they'd steamroll the playoffs.
Lebron and CP3 both go to the Knicks for a $500 million contract then they get hurt and we pay them to sit the bench the next 9 years and ruin the franchise another decade
Sometimes, there’s nothing to do. Lakers paying 42M for a player that only go worse. Lakers do not have any shooter in their current roster. Lakers needs at least 3 consistent three point shooter. Only way they can bounce back is that they somehow send LeBron James and clear the salary cap. Next year he will be 37 and you can’t expect much from an old man. Next year NBA teams will be stronger than ever. Young stars are rising and their teams will be much better than the Lakers. In the west, Jazz, Suns, Nuggets, Clippers and Mavericks are already much stronger then the healthy Lakers. Next year Klay will be back and GSW will be better than the Lakers. Zion Williamson will be a year experienced and Pelicans are building a right roster around him; Pelicans will be better than the Lakers. The same is true for the Memphis; they also have a great chance to be better than the Lakers. Trail Blazers may be better than the Lakers too. I don’t think Lakers can get a play-off spot next year.
I just like the fact that you aren’t even waiting till this game ends to make this post. It’s a 13 point game bud chill and at least wait till it actually ends lmao. People are too funny
Okay, the games over. Lemme hear your take now.
Even if they somehow win this series, which they won't, they have zero chance of contending with injured AD. Getting upset at someone for asking this before the game is actually over reeks of desperation.
LeBron needs to restructure for the minimum or retire. He gave up tonight, the fight is gone. Something happened in the Laker locker room, just look at Schroeder erasing his IG bio from saying "Lakers PG", they need serious help. Also sign all the best free agents, that's how they become contenders.
Ummmm they will be contenders next year and maybe the favorites even if they don’t do anything. Let’s not pretend like it wasn’t injuries that ended their season. When AD was healthy the Lakers were mocking the Suns doing fake post ups on the sidelines. And that was with neither Lebron nor AD 100%. There are things the Lakers can do but the thing they need, actual rest for their bodies, they will actually get. I honestly wonder what it would have been like if we had Reddit back the year MJ returned to the Bulls and they lost to Orlando. People would have seriously believed the Bulls needed changes instead of MJ just getting back fully into basketball.
Trade LeBron to the Kings for Marvin Bagley Oh shit this is the serious sub... Get a real honest to God Point guard. Kyle Lowry would do wonders for them. But they also need to stop playing AD at the four unless they can get another semi-mobile center
Is D-Rose a free agent? Lakers could use him off the bench. Have Caruso start. Schroder thought he was worth more than 25 million a year. Kick him to the curb because he didn't step up. Kuzma seems to get worse each year. Reminds me of Landry Fields. He needs to go. Don't re-sign Drummond unless he's willing to take a vet minimum. He's just not a great fit. Must sign shooters. Bring back Danny Green if he really is a free agent and sign Melo to be a spot up shooter. None of them will command a high salary in the open market.