Summer League Team : Russell smooth 21 (1-4)

I'm desperate to see some flash of spectacular play or brilliance, I just have not seen it. I hope I'm not the only one discouraged so far. Yes Kobe made a lot of mistakes too but it was because he was trying to be flashy he showed moments of spectacular play, I just don't see that from Russell so far.

And I can't believe we're running the Princeton again with Byron. Haven't we learned anything from Mike Brown experiment?

 

Would you all relax already with all DAR talk?

What were you expecting exactly? That a 19 y.o. PG will automagically learn "system" and then what?
For a system, even as lousy as what Mark has their, everyone should buy in. Not just a PG, unless you don't want
to run Chris Paul offense (which we clearly didn't let DAR to do).

Everyone on the team is responsible for buying in.

If you are a C - it is very easy, if you are talented, to standout. Get pass from someone. Make a move you've done 1000s of times.
Score. Block out. Rebound. Make outlet pass.

PG has to do so much much more... and then, even if you do everything perfectly you still rely on your teammates to catch the pass or make a cut...

This reminds me of the age old Kobe discussion. How he is a ballhog and doesn't pass enough in some games, with the amount of assists being
cited as evidence. Then you re-watch the game and find out and Chris Mihm was asleep. Kwame coudn't catch his own d... Lamar was passing to himself from out bound (this on is not related, but still funny).

Same thing here - Russel is trying, when allowed, to buy into the "system". This costs him stats. He doesn't seem to bothered by it, even comes to watch
others play to learn.

I couldn't wish for a better prospect:

1. isn't concerned with his own stats
2. tries to get others involved
3. tries to follow coach directives
4. is a student of the game

 

He is playing against other kids, the system in those games is bullcrap, its alot of isolations.
so if he can't impress with the most "fun" games he will have this season, when will it happen? and I believe his job in this game was to bring Randle to the party - that went pretty well...

 

Completely agree. There are some legit things for Russell to work on, but guys really do need to relax.

 

Triple stinker, moving on...

 

You are proving my point for me.

These are games where iso and other hero ball elements are prevalent, simply because these teams are filled with guys trying to make it to the NBA, to showcase
their talents - in most cases 1-on-1 or post ups. There is no way for the PG to impress in these games, as this is the absolute worse setting for PG to be in. Add in JC testing the limits of his abilities (very successfully I might add) and Julius testing his (opposite of JC) and you have one ineffective PG.

Give him Clarkson, Kobe, Bass/Randle, Hibbert trying to actually win games and not test stuff and give him 5 - 10 games to learn - then we'll be able to gauge it properly.

 

I've never seen a professional basketball team play as cluelessly as the Lakers summer league team has thus far. I have a theory (maybe an excuse).

Have you ever been in a fight, or maybe just a backyard boxing match with friends? Before, you have this plan and feel you know good punching technique? Then when the fight starts, you get overly excited, or confused, or frustrated and revert to instincts of what has worked in the past and end up looking something like this:

I think these youngsters are:
1. Confused with learning this complicated offensive system and not having any team chemistry yet.
2. Overly excited because they know they are very talented and expect they should be great.
3. Overly eager to play after long layoffs, looking to prove themselves.
4. Frustrated they aren't playing well.

Put those things together, and you have a group of guys reverting to instincts and playing in a way that has worked in the past. (Randle head down bull into lane, Russell forcing passes, etc.) Reverting to instincts puts fundamentals aside. These guys are playing with a lack of fundamentals, not because they don't have them, but because they're being supplanted by instincts. "When we stress, we regress." Once these young guys calm down and gain confidence with the team and system, those fundamentals will come back.

 

I think part of the issue that people are having is that Okafor, Towns, and especially Mudiay have looked at least good...Mudiay has even looked fantastic. The passes he was making against SAC were ones that I was expecting to see out of Russell, and he got to the rim with ease. So it's frustrating for fans to see the number 2 pick, who absolutely has to be a superstar, struggle against summer league competition. The same can be said for Randle...Lakers have no margin for error so both of them simply have to pan out.

That said, even Nash struggled running the Princeton from the point guard spot, it just isn't a great offense to showcase the skills of that kind of guard. Byron went away from it as the season went on last year, I'm hoping he's just using it now to put in a foundation and then will branch out from there. As for Randle, his leg was snapped in half 8 months ago and he's going to need time to get back up to speed. He will figure it out, but as it has always been for him, getting the 15-foot jumper to drop will be critical.

It's way, way, way too early to judge. Clarkson didn't take off until more than halfway through last season; let's give the rooks some time to figure things out. With the roster the Lakers have Byron has to give Russell major minutes and he has already said Randle will be fighting Bass for the starting PF spot. Towards the end of the first season then we can start to get a feel for where these guys are as players.

 

It's not the the missed shots or turnovers that bother me. This is due to happen due to all the young guys playing together for the 1st time. What bother me the MOST is the stagnant in the offense. These guys have absolutely no clue what they are running out there. This is pretty much what I see from the 3 games of summer league:

Play 1: Pick n Roll
Play 2: Isolation
Play 3: PANIC mode

As a Lakers fan, I'm extremely worry by the lack of movement in the offense and not Russell or Randle. These 2 studs will be just fine.

 

I was very disappointed in this game.Careless, forced passes by Russell, Careless, forced drives to the hoop without setting them up with a mid range game by Randle. Nance while still playing well on D showed a terrible touch on his shot, Upshaw? disappeared.A. Brown looks like a deer in headlights.Everything was one one one forced drives/ shots. Blame the Princeton all you want, but that's not the Princeton! A day off in Vegas..hmmmm.. but really, everyone needs a day to chill, I doubt that had such an effect to cause this performance.I think Madsen brought that up to tell these young guys perform well, show growth and you get a cookie, do what they did last night and back to boot camp.I'm not as worried as some here, They have a lot of pressure on them, all eyes are watching, the Arena is full, and full of Laker fans.When Hibbert and Kobe are in the starting lineup they will have a steadying influence ....

 

Yikes! Got my summer league issue squared away with nba.con and last night was the first game I got to watch. Boy, do I wish I didn't see that train wreck. We were expecting a summer league title and domination from our guys, instead this is one of the worst outings from a group I've seen play organized basketball.

Not going to put much stock in it because it's one game, a summer league game at that but damn!

Black (on both ends) and to a lesser extent Brown were the only two who came to play.

Russell might as well just cross half court and then hand the ball to Grant, the TOs need to be curtailed. He needs to calm down and not try to do too much. He seemed clueless out there on both ends, having to repeatedly be pointed or shoved in the right direction.

Randle, what the f*** man? He's like a bull who chugged 3 cans of red Bull and then was let loose in a china shop. Out of control, just trying to bully his way to the basket with no plan or basketball move when he gets there. If you can't get any lift, you have to create separation, it's pretty simple.

Nance and his J...disgusting.

Meanwhile the Knicks were flying all over the place. Grant looks like a stud. Russell could've taken notes on how to control a game and not turn it over (I know he's a 5 year Sr so it's a bit different). Porz seems to know what he's doing out there, was consistently in the right spot, just desperately needs muscle and bulk. They were able to play above the rim all night. And finally, I forget his name, the big white backup center they threw in there...we made him look like Sabonis. If that's what he's doing night in, night out he'll make their roster.

 

Nash and that entire team looked awful trying to learn the Princeton. I'm going to keep repeating that to myself until I see this same garbage in October. Then, I'll freak out.

 

Blaming the coaching staff is typically what bad teams do when the play sucks. There are other reasons the play sucks.

Execution. Movement is the issue and a couple of our guys have no feel for it. Even when they do run the off ball sets they do it mechanically and late.

Young guys who've relied on their physical gifts to this point. High school to College is 1 to 5700 (starter). College to Pro's is 1 to 500 (after 4 years). Physical gifts that were apparent in college disappear at the Pro level and differentiators at this level are innate and fundamental. The league is littered with physically gifted players that never made the transition.

I'm not predicting doom or failure for our two struggling youngsters however I'm also not predicting significant impact at this level on a consistent basis for a year or two either. Russell is closer than Randle but he also plays a much more difficult position. It's going to take time and patience.

 

This is the game that @unpossibl1 is referring to btw. Mudiay sure does look fantastic.

 

I agree with you, but I don't mean to blame the coaching staff. I'm thinking these young, inexperienced kids are frustrated, confused, and overwhelmed due to learning the Princeton, resulting in completely abandoning the fundamentals ( moving without the ball, reading the defense, etc). However, this is only half the problem. the other half is the inevitable adjusting to the speed and strength of the nba.

 

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - Byron Scott is temporarily tabling his Princeton offense for "organized chaos."

Scott said Tuesday he plans to run less-complex offensive sets in hopes of avoiding the adjustment period his team experienced last season. An abbreviated training camp also is working against him.

The Cavaliers are running an offense that allow for more freedom and creativity or, as Scott termed it, "organized chaos." Several players say rookie Kyrie Irving is now thriving in the modified approach.

A week ago, the coach said he would begin installing his intricate Princeton offense early this week. For now, he plans only to use its concepts on plays coming out of timeouts when Scott can properly align his team. The coach said the players were struggling with the Princeton offense during Sunday night's scrimmage.

"Guys were calling one play, but running a whole different play," Scott said. "I figured if it works we might put it in. Since it wasn't we wanted to make sure they knew exactly what was going on."

Scott had to scale back the offense last season, as well. What the Cavaliers are now running, however, seems to be to the liking of Irving. Multiple teammates have remarked how fluid the 19-year-old looks with the ball in his hands.

"Some of the things he has been doing in practice are unbelievable," forward Samardo Samuels said.

"The Q is going to have a lot of oohs and ahhs when he is playing."

Irving said the offense is similar to what the Blue Devils ran last season at Duke. Scott said that was not by design.

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2011/12/cleveland_cavaliers_taking_bab.html

Byron Scott scrapping the Princeton Offense yet again a bad sign?

Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott came to town last season with his much-ballyhooed "Princeton Offense." It was met, however, with a collective "Huh?" and Scott was forced to scrap much of it.

A few days into training camp this season, Scott is scrapping it again, giving rookie Kyrie Irving more freedom, instead opting for an offense he describes as "organized chaos."

This topic has sparked a debate on cleveland.com: "The doom and gloom comes from having heard all this before. Last year it was how incredible this Princeton Offense was going to be in moving the ball around and getting everyone involved. That quickly devolved into a focus on defense, before fizzling out with an effort to get the players just to act like they cared at all. Lord Byron has this team firmly entrenched in a position to garner another top pick, which I guess given the circumstances is all we can hope for."

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2011/12/cavaliers_comment_of_the_day_s_17.html