Anthony Davis Discussion: That's Why They Pay Me The Big Bucks

@LTLakerFan You do realize AD can’t control what the opposing team decides to guard him with. If it’s a burly center, AD uses his guard handles to eat. If it’s a smaller finesse type, BBQ chicken alert.

It’s on defense that AD is saying he’s a no go at center. If he’s the anchor to our D, our guards and wings (by design) drive everything to him. In the mean time AD has to body up their center. So if it becomes a post-up situation, it’s strictly on AD to hold it down while a weak side defender helps if AD gets overpowered.

AD on defense as weak side help is nite nite for the opposition. He can only doing that playing as the 4 and not being our anchor.

It’s why I think Noah would be perfect here. Spot minutes at the 4 to give AD time on the bench. But on defense can still lineup with AD having 2 former DPoYs there and on offense can play the 4 role more while AD plays 5 from the post. It’s exactly what Dwight is doing right now too. Waive Dudz for Noah...it’s a match made in heaven.

But of course y’all think a free agent to be should just suck it up and play the 5 and continue to ride that small ball wave when in actuality he already does play the 5 with Dwight/McGee in the court...it’s just on offense.

 

@vasashi17 You do realize Frank Vogel is the coach and the Lakers are going on over 60 years as an organization and not a single person here can affect anything as to what happens out there. We also have memories and KNOW exactly how YOU feel about all YOUR pet issues.

What exactly do you expect us to do that you won't stop with the repetition? Honestly .... what? Stop already with it please and let's watch the season unfold. Vogel is the coach. Not us. And not EVERYONE agrees with you. Get over it!!!!!

 

Not have him shoulder the load kinda makes sense to me. Dwight/McGee avg 35mpg...so not a full time center between them.

The game against Charlotte they played 39 minutes...leaving 9mins of potential time at center to be played by AD....and that much more potential time for him to be on the floor leading to...

Dwight/McGee last night shouldered the entire 48mins worth of potential time at center. Uh, maybe that’s something the coaching should look into from now on.

I mean Vogs had Hibbert/West in Indy and Vuc/Gordon in Orlando...you’d think he had exposure with handling frontline minutes.

 

I agree with your passion about these issues however and feel you should let the Lakers organization know about them and how huge of a fan you are and how knowledgeable. They always appreciate feedback and who knows .... maybe input for game strategy as well.

 

i mean, early in the game, mem ran actions to get AD switched onto valanciunas, just to beat him up a little bit.

AD can't just escape making contact with large men. having noah at the 4 would be an absolute disaster, btw. he can't hit a shot outside the paint, so he's no different offensively than dwight or mcgee, except that he can pass. defensively, he's no better than dwight or mcgee in switching and guarding on the perimeter. if we lost dwight or mcgee, adding noah makes a lot of sense. but not before.

IF we were desperate to cut dudley and add someone, i'd want it to be a wing defender or a competent ballhandling guard, but those aren't just out there hanging out right now.

 

To be honest I'm a little disappointed in AD's thickness and muscle mass. A little more strength he should be able to handle without affecting his skills?

 

Alright...alright...I’m not a coach you got me. Neither is Zayas tho...but dude does make some great points. Maybe you’ll agree with his opinion instead.



As for not cutting Dudz for Noah...I’d like to quote someone. “Wow.”

 

Anyone still think we gave up too much for this guy..?

 

Do people really think we got Dudz because he's a great basketball player? We got Dudz because he's a locker room dude who does his best to help others regardless of his role. You need players like those on your bench to boost morale. Out of an entire NBA team, how many players actually get decent enough minutes in a real game? 8 or 9 out of 15 players? How many players who sit on the bench for the entire game are as supportive as Dudley? Dudley would be lucky to get 10 minutes on any team but at least I know the guy will always be ready, won't complain, and will find a way to help the young guys on the team.

 

no but Hart inclusion wasn't necessary IMO but I understand the logic because of cap clearing for the snake but imagine this Pelican Hart in place of KCP right now....

 

Don’t want to derail the AD thread with Dudz...but a team with vets has plenty locker room experience and know how. You got Bron as the defacto ambassador of the player’s union and Rondo as a player coach in that locker room.

Kuz is probably our only rotation kid on the squad and dude is 24. So we got Dudz for THT and some 2way players? We have a team of vets and maybe they don’t need to completely rely on Dudz as “the” vet our kids need to go to.

f*** a locker room guy..we got 3 coaches, 4, if you count Rondo to hold that s*** together. I rather we get proper depth for our forwards instead.

@Weezy there are plenty times I’ve been told AD has to play the 5 for us to be successful and he’s being a big baby if he doesn’t. So I don’t want to be harping on AD’s health and rather enjoy his play...but the point remains if folks thought our roster had depth/talent at the 5, there’s no real need to even discuss AD there till the playoffs when rotations start to shrink.

Yet I’ve been told otherwise. But when they do it, it’s not harping...but when I retort, it is. Weird, but noted.

 

A roster has 15 players. Not every player on a roster will be playing. That's just a fact. We have no use for Noah and it seems the league doesn't either or else he would probably be on a roster right now. 6-7 players on a roster will end up just playing garbage minutes. Dudley can provide that while also being a locker room dude. LeBron was the one who approved of him so I'm quite sure LeBron has more of an insight into how a team should be than someone who is on Lakersball... don't ya think?

 

So it’s alright for others to project a situation that we haven’t seen (ie Bron AD Kuz small ball team), but not cool when it comes to when I do it (health).

I posted plenty positive topics in the wake of our victory. But if it’s a positive look at Kcp, it’s not acceptable here.

Was AD complaining about his shoulder? So can’t I simultaneously express joy in his feat, while questioning why Dwight/McGee ain’t getting more burn than the 35mpg they was getting before exposing AD to shoulder more of the load.

It’s just weird to me why certain members keep harping on how I move around here.

If you disagree with my take then discuss it with me. But during discussion, why is it that I’m the one that keeps harping on a topic when it’s been others that quote me, tag me in and directly make references to me and what I said. And when I respond to them, it’s me harping again haha.

Let’s say AD/the Lakers have a fantastic game playing significant minutes of small ball and a few members make reference as to how this is how AD should play and embrace the 5...is that harping? Cause imo, it’s not. They brought up a topic worth discussing and in these parts, isn’t that kind of the point?

 

It’s been 4 games...how many articles have been written on it? How many times has AD been asked about it...how many times have the coaches referenced it? Was it brought up during his intro presser?

Yet I’m the one harping on him wanting to play the 4? And now you coming at me like I’m playing the victim card?

s***, I’ll embrace it then. Hey AD, stop hogging the harp bruh. They don’t care about which position to move you to and they care too much about the way I move around here.

 

Hell of an accomplishment for a big

 

People keep calling you out for it because you sound stubborn as hell. Everyone else gets along without this back-and-forth in what seems like an argument with you rather than a discussion.

We don't need another center if that center isn't capable of spacing the floor. Brook Lopez would've been perfect but clearly not an option. The way it was originally designed was for Cousins to fill the role of being our floor spacer/center defender which would have allowed AD to not have to defend the center position while also giving us the floor spacing that AD needs to dominate the inside. That didn't work out once Cousins got injured so we got the next best center available, Dwight Howard.

Howard and McGee can both give us 24 minutes each if they needed to but it's also the realization that neither of them can space the floor and when we pair them up with AD, we have to turn AD into more of a shooter instead of pounding the paint - something he destroyed other teams at for his entire career. If AD has to play 10-15 minutes at the center to give us a distinct advantage, so be it.

We're doing fine with our current system. Once Kuzma comes back, we'll have another scoring threat that allows AD to be more open. But you are just being incredibly stubborn creating something out of nothing.