D'Angelo Russell Discussion: Adopting A Professional Attitude

I don't think that's a sticking point if they commit to him long term. If they don't exceed the $18m as base but give him 4 years with annual raise and no team options the minute FA opens up, he would feel wanted and probably jumps.

I'm just going off the math Pincus used in his piece but subbing out Monk with DLO. I think they have Monk higher but a less chance of getting him.

If they give Klay 27, DLO 18, then they'd have around 10 instead of 8 to shore up the PF spot.

 

I bet DLo does take a multi year offer from the Magic, because he always said he has never felt that any Franchise has really invested in him.
I won’t blame him at all if he does because I would do the exact same thing.

 

If he opts in they should try to get Cole Anthony for him

 

Fool me twice, shame on me…but you know what…let’s go for the three-peat. I kinda hope DLo resigns. Maybe JJ can get something out of him. He is no doubt incapable of overcoming mental hurdles. He’s proven that to us. But I think a coach who has confidence in him and plays to his strengths (as the primary ball handler, with Lebron more off ball) can unlock him. Defensive side of the ball will always be an issue, but a healthy Vando does a lot there too.

 

Yuck! Does it wash off? Being that close to Booker?

 

Sign and trade please. Would suck to lose him for nothing but the DLO experiment has to end.

 

i'm ok if he moves, but i'm definitely not in the "must get rid of him" camp.

anyway, he's book's boy. dlo for nurkic. phx goes all offense, we go extra big.

 

Such a fun player just not built for the playoffs, unfortunately.

 

Given our illustrious history of shooters coming here to completely lose their shooting powers .... the bright Laker lights, expectations, we pick weak minded individuals, whatever .... and clearly Redick wanting guys that can shoot .... it doesn't seem like anything but common sense to me that he is going to take one hard look at bringing back THESE guys, expecting that HIS schemes and maximization of individual talents being beyond what Ham came up with to maximize them. Shooters: LeBron, excellent from 3 last year. Russell, 41.5%. Prince, virtually 40%. Reaves, who JJ probably sees a lot of ways based on his own career and the drills he personally did, to take him to the next level from deep with more consistency. Hachimura, has at multiple times and has the mechanics to shoot well from 3. That's 5 guys likely around 40% right there, especially given that he will scheme better for them. Without giving up anything or rolling the dice on the next good shooter(s) being brought in hoping they TOO don't lose all their mojo in that regard, and at what cost.

Now obviously we still have some defenders in Vando, who schemed better for has shown signs of hopefully becoming decent enough from whatever sweet spots, and Reddish who when healthy opened some eyes on defense, though eratic as hell on offense, Reaves who is not a bad defender when matched properly, same as Prince and Rui who has shown some promise at getting better plus Vincent for point of attack and wasn't a terrible shooter for Miami.

Christie I see as expendable in a trade, plus money plus our 17th pick to move up far enough to draft a good enough player to contribute rotation minutes in whatever position they most want(??) Same with JHS and Max Lewis. Hopefully they all look improved in Summer League. Carter? Edey? Some other young center that can contribute off the bench?

https://www.nba.com/news/2024-consensus-mock-draft

Then if there are deals to be done smartly without chucking useful players for marginal upgrades with no guarantees on the shooting .... then make them. Get a decent BIG man at least 7 feet with more in his back pocket than Wood and Hayes. Can Castleton step up under a new staff to give minutes per game?

 

This current roster, simply isn't Championship caliber. The Homer in me, refuses to accept that during the season, in any season. (Top 3 in the West, as currently constructed!)

That's being a fan, after the campaign ends tho, it's easier to take a more critical look at the situation. I don't think schemes have anything to do with it. In the 9 games we played against Denver, our guys had plenty of good looks, quality looks in their preferred spots. They just didn't knock them down, especially in crunch time. If a guy is wide open, he's wide open, it doesn't matter what scheme or play is being ran. You gotta knock them shots down period. Denver did, we just didn't.

We need to upgrade our roster IMO, I have my favorites on this team, Austin, Rui and Jarred, but anyone can by had, for the right price. The first one to go, should be Chokeolo without a doubt. He's already infected Austin and Rui IMO. Get him the f*** outta here ASAP Rob!!

 

Who said anything about not upgrading? I listed several possibilities with hopefully the least amount of talent chucked too early, prior to seeing what guaran-damn-teed JJ and LeBron come up with scheme wise that will better maximize players’ abilities than sorry a** Ham did. You sound like you’re all hot for a complete makeover in that post but I don’t think you are …. just your usual wanting DLO gone. The more guys we give up that we know at least have shot reasonably well to good, in order to take the chance on new guys doing the same …. the bigger the chances of same old same old with that curse too. We never basically had Vando last year and the talent we did have that was available when not injured was piss poorly managed. By all reports including tales from the front office reported about what pissed THEM off so he was fired. We’ll see soon enough the difference …. book it. Including confidence instilled into shooters and schemes to help them … picks, movement, whatever from a coach who’s whole successful career was based on successful shooting.

 

We are just going to have to disagree, on the coaching angle bro. Players have to make plays. Ham put those guys in a position to win, in just about all 9 games against Denver. We didn't execute, that's just what happened.

Now..bookmark me on this take, if we struggle some this season, but JJ is getting the guys in a position, to make the plays, it won't be on him either.

As far as potential moves, it depends on what's on the table, most of the rumored deals surrounding us, involve young players coming back. I don't have a problem with upgrading, with a guy in a similar age range, but of course you have to give up something of value, in order to make that happen.

I love Jarred, but honestly Denver neutralized him in the Conference Finals. I doubt he would have been the difference maker this last season. It goes beyond Denver tho, I'm not sure we could win a 7 game series against Minnesota or Dallas with what we had either. Most likely not TBH.

Anyway..I'm still optimistic, we still have AD and Lebron, all of our young guys, won't be traded. So it's not going to be a total makeover, I'm just not declaring anyone as untouchable, it depends on the offer on the table.
We won a chip a couple of years ago, and Lebron and AD, are the only ones still here from that team. None of these guys here now, were even on this team in the following season. So..anyone can be had IMO..but some will still be here.

Chokeolo MUST GO though.

 

Do you honestly, seriously NOT expect Redick and James minds together to be better than Darvin Ham? James alone as a player coach if it were allowed, my money it would be NO contest. The collaboration with JJ only multiplies how much better, whether guys make shots or not. If Vogel sucked …. Ham sucked harder. Frank could at least coach defense until the year they dumped the old farts on him because of Russ’s contract and the role players that went out who were integral to his rotations on D.

 

If we had better schemes and rotations, I actually think he’d be solid. Just not amazing.

 

No I don't, because I've never been a believer in the "coaching" to a chip idea. If our action was going stuffed, or our best players weren't getting looks, in their preferred spots, yeah, that's on the coach.
Numerous NBA folks said that Ham ran good sets, but we always seemed to go away from them late in games. Why? Because Lebron felt otherwise and did whatever he wanted to do. That's not going to change with Redick.

Take any great coach that you could name, he's not going to turn a bad team, into a good one. Flip that around, and hell yeah, better players bring better results.

Frank lost his locker room, and the entire team quit on him. That's why we lost 31 out of 41 games, to finish that season. He deserved to be fired.

I'm not making any excuses for Darvin Ham or Frank Vogel, losing has consequences. However I place the blame, more on the players myself, the same way I give them most of the credit.

To be honest, I don't really think Redick was Lebron's choice. Of course everyone is going to say that Anyway. Lebron James wants some new players, he's been saying it for two seasons in a row now. He's fully aware of who'd have to get moved, in order to bring in the guys he wants. So don't give me the, it's all bout the coaching stuff, with Lebron.

 

One last thing..reportedly, Lebron's issues with Ham this season, stemmed from Ham trying to implement what he said when he got hired. Cut back on Lebron's minutes, in order to preserve him for the playoffs. And have Lebron play more off the ball. Supposedly Lebron "bristled" at that idea.

Well.. ironically...that's the exact same thing, Redick is talking about doing. Let's see how that works out, you might find out, that Lebron and JJ, aren't actually as " tight" as you may have believed.

 

LOL …. right LeBron wanted to be point guard full time at 39 …. sure Slick.

 

No..he wants total control of the ball late in games, or really, anytime he feels like it. It's been the same since he signed here,and it won't change until he retires. He wants a PG,that can be a high level 2, when he wants to take over. It's tough being a facilitator first and playing next to James. Rondo stood up to him, some, but he gave it up whenever Lebron wanted the rock too.