Where Do The Lakers Rank In The Best Young Team In The NBA?

Okay awesome.

Fantastic.

So we agree that both are injury prone then and therefore not worthy of including in the discussion? Or are both worthy of being included in the discussion? Either way, let's forge ahead:

Without Randle the Lakers have:
Russell, Ingram, Nance Jr., Clarkson, Black, and Zubac.

Without Middleton the Bucks have:
Giannis, Parker, Brogdon, Vaughn, Henson, and Maker.

Obviously the Bucks are ahead of the Lakers in terms of talent for now. I am doubtful Parker ever stays healthy at this point. Vaughn has shown precisely nothing to impress me. Henson can't stay on the floor. Maker has shown me almost nothing to think the Bucks didn't make a mistake picking him so high. Which brings me to the point I made before my individual sentences were being pulled out of my posts: the Bucks are better than us today because Giannis is better than any player we have. Other than that? I'm unimpressed. Middleton is fine, but not going to take them to the next level. Maker and Vaughn are rawer prospects than any of ours and no other player has impressed me enough to think they're going to be pieces even potentially capable of being built around. Given 1-3 years and proper development, I believe the kids the Lakers have could be better than the Bucks.

But wait! Let's play this out with Middleton and Randle involved:
Russell, Randle, Ingram, Nance Jr., Clarkson, Black, and Zubac

Giannis, Parker, Middleton, Brogdon, Vaughn, Henson, and Maker

The same paragraph I wrote up there ^ applies here. Middleton is fine, but you know where his greatest value will lie? In attaching him to someone like Parker to bring Giannis more help. Middleton himself is not enough to push the Bucks past Toronto let alone past Cleveland. That brings us all the way back around to the point you initially pulled a quote out of: the Bucks are better for now because of guys like Parker and Middleton who I don't see being difference makers for various reasons. I do however see Russell, Randle, and Ingram as potential difference makers when the time comes. So are the Bucks better for now? Yes, but I don't think it's set in stone they'll be better for very long just because of Giannis.

In conclusion: I still think Middleton is going to have a hard time getting back for two reasons: 1) Hamstrings are notorious for sticking around. Sometimes it can take years before a player recovers from a torn hamstring because they're easy to aggravate, and 2) the Bucks have not exactly been strong in rehab for their players. Look at Henson who hasn't been able to get healthy ever since he got that big contract. Look now at Parker who re-injured his ACL in his same leg. You think the prospects of Middleton shrugging everything off and returning to the same form are great? I don't. At least not this season and at least not for a while. He's got a very sticky path right now to staying healthy which includes a limited amount of playing time and diligent study of his body's reactions to playing. It's extraordinarily easy to think you've made it out of the woods on a hamstring right before you re-tear it.

I hope that clears some things up.

 

That's what I've been saying from the beginning!

 

On paper, our talent looks good. We'll know more in comparison as they are turned loose the last part of this season as being reportedly planned. Antetokounmpo reminds me somewhat of Shawn Kemp.

 

Batum early on drew comparisons to Pippen...not wildly athletic and explosive. Similar wiry frame, potentially good defensive wing, above average contributor on offense.