I actually prefer Jordan over all other free agents. Rebounding machine, elite rim protector, we have enough scoring on the perimeter. Plus I really want to steal him from the tenants.
@lakerjones I'm not trying to over think this at all. Get the best FA we can, no question. I want talent on the squad first and foremost, then afterwards in camp we can figure out the rotations that'll make everyone happy. All I'm saying is that he's not a very good fit if he's unwilling to play a little Center. If he's totally fine with starting games at Center so the young cats can get their feet wet, then I'm 10000000% on board. Sign him asap. He's the most talented player outside of Gasol that we could sign outright and he'd be an incredible help to this team. I'd love to be the team that weakens the Clippers, but if we get Aldridge I think we're in a great position to move past them anyway. I think the long term fit is still Jordan though. We've got scorers galore on our squad and almost no defenders. I'd love it if we could find someone to play some defense and rebound for us. He and Chandler are that guy. Davis also fits the description, but he's just a little too small to play full time Center. Jordan is enormous, healthy, athletic, and only 26 years old. We'd be getting his best years while we'd be getting Aldridge's tail end. Still as long as Aldridge is willing to take one for the team for at least the first few minutes of the game, sign him without hesitation and let's move forward. Find a way to dump Nick's contract on someone and then sign Davis or Biyombo to a deal worth around 7-8 million. Rotation: Russell (25)/Clarkson (23) Clarkson (10)/Ellington (20)/Bryant (18) Bryant (12)/ Nance or Brown (25)/ Randle (11) Randle (15)/ Aldridge (20)/ Black (13) Aldridge (12)/ Davis (25)/ Black (11) That's a great rotation right there. The only real weakness is that backup SF spot because I have no idea if those rookies can handle that many minutes. Maybe you go small and have Jabari Brown play those minutes instead. Maybe you go pickup a kid like KJ McDaniels instead? There's more competent wings than competent big men available.
^^^.. That's pretty much exactly what I'd like to see too Real. I think Kobe & Randle would take most of the minutes at the 3, so we're good. & guess which Big time SF is available in 2016..? : )
Great post real. Yeah, I don't think you're over thinking it, my post was aimed more at the general talk which was starting to dismiss Aldridge just because of fit. Bottom line to me is go after the guy who is the best talent and says he wants to be here. Straighten the fit stuff out later if you actually get him. Reports are that we have moved up Aldridge's list to number two destination behind the Spurs. That's phenomenal. I didn't think he wanted to come here at all given all the Dallas talk and the fact that his current team was in the playoffs and we aren't. So that news is extremely exciting to me. Before when I thought we were going for Okafor I was more hesitant. But we need a Big right now and LMA is the best available. For all reports Gasol isn't interested in coming here which we all figured would be the case. And I have NEVER heard Jordan say that he wanted to come to the Lakers. Every report is Dallas if he wants a change, and the Clippers long term just behind as they can pay him the most and he's already there. So the only guy who actually wants to come here is LMA. I just say let's not worry about the small stuff now, just go all out to get him! Can't believe some people are on the fence about it. It's kind of a no-brainer. I do agree with you all the way though that he should be willing to play at least some center. But that is a secondary concern of mine at this point. The bigger concern is . . . GET HIM! The other bigs are weak sauce in comparison to him, Gasol and Jordan. Love, Monroe, Lopez? No thank you. Chandler at his age, at 13 million a year? No thank you. I'd rather have a SF and a decent center, not a name.
Totally agree... If we can't get LMA, DJ or Gasol, we should not throw Max money at any of these other guys. Go after a top SF & get a serviceable Center..
I have a feeling we're going to end up with Love. So I was thinking of a palatable team with him as our starting pf. We have to get rid of Swaggy to make room for Biyombo or Rolo. Russell/Clarkson Kobe/Clarkson/ Brown Randle/A. Brown/Nance Love/Randle/ Kelly Biyombo/ Black/Upshaw I actually really like that trash (trying to Swype type team and that came up, so I left it cause maybe my phone is smarter than I am.)
^ That's basically the same team with Love instead of Aldridge and I think I'd rotate it the same way I did: start off small and then move to a bigger more traditional lineup probably 4-6 minutes into the game. If you go Love instead of Aldridge you're REALLY hurting defensively, but offensively you're explosive. One of Love's trademarks is quick outlet passes. Russell (25)/Clarkson (23) Clarkson (10)/Ellington (20)/Bryant (18) Bryant (12)/ Nance or Brown (25)/ Randle (11) Randle (15)/ Love (20)/ Black (13) Love (12)/ Davis (25)/ Black (11) Yes it's a small team, but half way through the first quarter you take out Clarkson or Russell and Randle, then you slide Kobe up and Davis in at Center. Still small, but much more traditional. Then the second quarter start with whichever guard sat, Randle, and Black and blow them out of the water with speed and athleticism. BOOM!
I'm not as down on Jordan as you are because of the HUGE aspect that if we got him, we could weaken the Clippers by a LOT. If Jordan up and left them, the Clippers would have only 5-6 million to replace him. Good luck finding a suitable replacement for that amount while also filling out your roster which still isn't enough to get out of the 2nd Round! Still, my list (without Gasol) starts with Aldridge because of that first lineup. I think a lineup that starts with him at Center can be an awesome, versatile lineup that gets teams on their heels with a quick defense that helps and rotates around the perimeter and gets out on the break. Then fairly quickly into the quarter you can slow the ball down a bit and get into the post with Aldridge and Kobe while moving Clarkson/Randle to the bench. Then the second quarter you speed it all up again and keep teams off balance. Dictating the flow of the game will be big for that team... After Aldridge right now it's Jordan, Chandler, Love, Monroe, the rest.
He's 6'8" with his shoes off, but Draymond Green played Center and he's even smaller. I'm not a huge fan of small ball, but we drafted Russell and that kind of puts us in that camp instead of the more classic PF/C camp, doesn't it?
Love's interior Defense is worse than LMA's.. & he's miles away from being the versatile defender that Draymond Green is.. I like Love, but he's not playing center.. He's the definition of a stretch 4.
I understand he's not a Center, but what would you prefer? Benching Randle or Clarkson or Russell? I wouldn't. I'd rather play small momentarily with a versatile lineup much like Golden State but more talented. Love might not be Draymond Green, but he'd be guarding Centers in spot minutes. I wouldn't be too concerned about it. I'm not comparing their games remotely, Love is 10 times the player that Green is.
Just got an ESPN alert on my phone... Broussard said we're in the hunt for him, but behind SA and Dallas.
Behind Dallas again? I thought we leapfrogged them. Well, we'll see what happens. I see Jordan as a better fit there than LMA who plays the same position as Dirk.
I have no problem bringing in Clarkson as our Bobby Jackson scoring combo guard of the bench in order to keep love at pf with a defensive center next to him. Remember, there will be plenty of minutes for a Clarkson Russell backcourt with Kobe not playing many back to backs.
I agree actually, but egos tie into this thing... Is Clarkson going to be happy being supplanted by a rookie after such a strong season? Do the Lakers want to go that route? I think Clarkson makes the perfect 6th man guard, but I'm not sold it happens that way. Also I'm trying to think of creative alternatives since there's a lot of "big men" available, but most of them are power forwards.
