Optimism Discussion: The Laker's Sky Is Not Falling

It's only the Summer League and the Pre-Season but the glimpses have been positive. They are still trying to learn to play together and the coaching staff is yet to maximize their collective talents. We're probably not be seeing a rag-tag, disjointed and confused product on the floor. Their slow starts though bother me...

 

The slow starts seem to end when the lineup starts to change. Not to keep harping on Randle, but he is in the way on offense a lot. He can't shoot, stands on the perimeter, bumps into guys with his weak screens, where Nance and Black move without the ball and one sticks inside while the other stays out, they don't get in eachother's way. I don't know that sticking Nance into the starting lineup fixes our slow starts, but it seems to me that Russ/JC/Randle/Moz is not a formula for quick starts. Nick has been good for scoring, but Deng was pretty bad starting at the 3. Solution might be to start Deng at the 4, and Randle, well I have no clue.

 

Given Deng's age and decline, he was better at the 4 the last few years than at the 3 spot. Young has been a revelation with his good play. I would still think we'd trot out a starting five of Russell, Clarkson, Deng, Randle and Mozgov. Deng would be the one on a short leash when we give more minutes to Ingram to accelerate his development. The slow starts have been more with Russell trying to find a balance between his facilitating and scoring. That lineup works well on the boards. Defensively, on paper they should hold their own.

The conundrum the coaching staff faces is how to dole out the minutes between the resurgent Young and Williams? Calderon, Ingram, Nance and Black should round out the bench rotation. It looks to be a potent and active group.

Later in the season, it could be Russell, Clarkson, Ingram, Randle and Nance/Zubac handling a sizable bulk of the minutes. It is possible that Mozgov will not hold up starting all the way through...

 

Hmm, I think a lineup of Dlo/Clarkson/Ingram/Deng/Mozgov would be pretty interesting. You'd have a quick lineup with floor spacers, shooters, and shot creators at the 1-4, with mozgov anchoring. Could do some real damage.

 

LA Sparks just won the championship in a thriller game 5 on the road. Yeah, I watch the WNBA, what of it?

I'll take any LA basketball championship any way I can get it, the Sparks were awesome all year. Love me some Toliver, Parker, and Ogwumike.

 

I was following them too. Happy for Johnson being an owner and for Candace Parker who toiled for years. They now have three more championships. THAT is three more than the Clippers!

 

I forgot the Clippers existed when I said that. I don't think of them as a real LA team, they'll be gone soon anyway.