Good to see that lakersball keyboard scouts' eyeball tests seem pretty in-line with those metrics: Green, Carroll, Middleton, and Harris have all been on our radars and are all frequently high on those lists.
In some cases I agree with this logic, but Carroll is 1 of the few where I disagree. This season he was 1 of the top 3 & D wings in the league & even stepped up to become more than that & lead his team when their back was against the wall in a tough playoff series. So I definitely see why some fans hope we sign him. There are a few red flags that I just can't get past. - He turns 29 next month, so he'll be on the wrong side of 30 by the time he starts the 3rd year of a 4 year contract. Some players are good defenders into their 30's, but I'm not willing to bet 14M per year on it. - He's a system player. He's bounced from team to team unable to find his way. He's strung together 2 good seasons, but this season was by far his best & it just so happens to be under Budenholzer. Coach Bud learned how to get the most out of system players & the importance of adapting quickly to changes in style of play in his 19 years under Popovich. B. Scott is like the polar opposite of Budenholzer. I have 0 faith in Byron running a system that gets the most out of Carroll(or anyone else) in today's NBA. - I don't want to knock the guy for his illness, but liver disease is unpredictable & can worsen with little warning.
The more I think about it the more I think starting Clarkson would probably be the way too go; he's in the gym right now working with Nash and the other developmental coaches, he's just had a fantastic rookie campaign, and he has translated to the NBA very well. Heck, Scott was ready to throw him in with Kobe last year before Kobe got hurt. Get a guy like Bass who could start in a pinch or come off the bench when Randle takes his job... Clarkson/Lin/Brown Kobe/Ellington/Brown Green or Carroll/Young/Randle Bass/Randle/Kelly Davis/Towns/Black This team wouldn't fit under the salary cap. Nevertheless, I hope Davis takes a discount in this situation. Also, I don't think Randle starts right off the top. I still think he needs to acclimate himself by the first 15 or so games coming off the bench and go from there. or Clarkson/Lin/Brown Kobe/Ellington/Brown Afflalo or Dunleavy/Young/Randle Brandon Bass/Randle/Kelly Chandler/Towns/Black I think Chandler is getting paid this off-season. I love him, though. Would I pony more money for Chandler and then look for a value option at the wing? It's possible. Or would I go with the value option at Center and pay the wing more money? I think both teams could make a run at the PO's.
There's no reason to think Clarkson can't start. He improved so much over a few months last season, he's been working hard, & PG's that come into the league at his age usually reach their peak relatively quick. Not a fan of bringing most of the other guys back(especially Lin) or signing Bass, but we could certainly do worse.
wes Matthews would be an interesting signing. I wonder how much it would take to make Portland blink. I figured his injury would force both parties into a one-year deal at decent money (6-7 per), preserving his bird rights for the cap explosion next year, but I could see a multi-year deal at a slightly higher price point making Portland worry a bit about the health issues.
Again, I'm not getting hung up on the money. If we spend every last dime this summer, we'll end up with enough money to offer two max contract next summer along with all of our picks. The money isn't an issue. Now if you're nervous about Carroll's production, that's more fair. I'm not worried about it personally though. For me you're paying what is essentially 10 million for a good starter. That's a fair price. If all he gives us is good floor spacing and good defense, I'm not so sure that's a system. I think that's just a player. Besides, unless you're getting a max player pretty much every player is a system player. Danny Green would really be no different. The liver disease thing I'm not overly concerned with. Yes I know it's a serious condition, but as long as we've got a good training/medical staff we should keep it under control.
The "system" has always been my biggest fear with both him and Green. And lakersn4 brings up the very valid point that Scott is the polar opposite of a system coach. I really don't think it matters. We won't have the cap space to sign him after we sign Love.
This is why I keep advocating getting an upgraded staff. Jim Eyen, Paul Pressey, Mark Madsen are not going to get it done. All he needs is 1 coach who's a great assistant, and that's it. We implement a halfway decent system on both ends with upgraded talent and we'll be well on our way to progress...
As much as I like Matthews (and I've wanted him on the Lakers for years now), he's not big enough to play PF. He's smaller than Kobe, so would we be signing him as a backup SG for a year then he steps into the starting spot? Unless we deal Young, that seems a bit redundant, and he's going to command money that could be used for fleshing out our roster with more needed positions like backup PG that we need in the present.
So @Savory Griddles is convinced we're getting Kevin Love this summer. So in that case here's my "realistic" plan: 1. Minny knows they need Towns, they get Towns. We draft Okafor because c'mon he's a stud we can't pass on that. 2. We trade off our #27 to another team for a future 1st that's Top 20 protected. 3. We draft Dakari Johnson at #34. 4. We sign Kevin Love to a max deal: 4/86.87 million. So pause right there. Here's the salary breakdown- Kobe-25 Love- 20.31 Young- 5.1 Okafor- 5 Randle- 3.2 Kelly- 1.7 Clarkson- .845 Brown- .845 Black- .845 2nd Round pick- .543 Cap Holds- 1.63 Total Available Cash: 2.382 million under the Cap -- Waive Robert Sacre to create space-- 5. Sign Rondo for the remaining cash. 6. Sign Ellington to 2/3.8 million (BAE). 7. Sign Price to a minimum deal. Rondo/Clarkson/Price Bryant/Ellington/Brown Randle/Young Love/Kelly Okafor/Black/Johnson Option B- Assuming someone else offers Rondo more cash (Sacramento comes to mind) 5. Sign CJ Watson at 2/4.872 million. 6. Sign Wayne Ellington at 2/3.7 million (BAE). 7. Sign Ryan Hollins and Ronnie Price at the minimum. Clarkson/Watson/Price Bryant/Ellington/Brown Randle/Young Love/Kelly Okafor/Hollins/Johnson
I still like Wes. Tough call on whether we should sign him or not at this point. I can't see us signing multiple guys with injuries (Love, Matthews, etc).
