D'Angelo Russell Discussion: Adopting A Professional Attitude

I doubt it.unless the Lakers have 4 two way around him and he becomes the floor spacer who can be hidden in D. He would be a really good as the floor spacer type in the playoffs.

The problem for him though when he has the ball in his hands which a lot of his other skills can be used like the playmaking in the playoffs he gets neutralized too easily. His lack of athleticism really sticks out and he just not able to get to the foul line. When your shot ain't falling, your team needs a bucket, etc good playoff guys can get to the line. And he just can't

 

Which gets magnified in the playoffs with this team, because Lebron isn't superhuman anymore. When James takes over the rock, whoever is around him on the perimeter, is going to have to consistently knock down shots.

That's why James wants some different players.

 

Spo took a Heat team where Bam is the 2nd star to multiple finals. Pop extended Spurs being competitive for more years than it was expected with Manu and Tim ageing.

Also, LeBron has been sharing the rock in crunch time. See Reaves against Memphis. That wouldn't happen if LeBron was not sharing the burden late in games as you said

 

Meh.. Jimmy Butler was all NBA, he's not a slouch in any regards. Neither were Wade and Bosh.Some folks consider Bam, to be a superior defender to AD. Still..Spo didn't beat Lebron in a 7 game series, after he left, and still hasn't. Pop had plenty of talent, the heyena wasn't some kind of a scrub either.
I don't believe either one of those guys, would have coached Tinkerbell out of choking, or compensated for that happening.

Now..Lebron hasn't exactly shared the ball that much IMO, Yes..he will pass you the ball, or direct where the ball is going, but he's still controlling the action. That in itself, isn't a problem, if guys are knocking down their shots. We are still running whatever action Lebron wants.

It's a players league, the guys wearing the jerseys, are always the most important part of the equation.

 

Spo made the Finals with g-leaguers, washed guys and non drafted that don't work in other places

 

It's so strange that shooters once on the Lakers can't hit the shots

I agree that if a player is wide open they need to make the shot a good % of the time

Will having a better coach and more confidence in the system help with this?

 

one thing that could help is if jj is serious about getting lebron off the ball so much. i think guys get cold watching dudes handle, and it takes a special kind to still be able to deliver consistently in that kind of scheme.

that said, the way some guys have spoken about playing here, it may really just be a mental thing. this is why i've said many times that i'm ok bringing in guys not known for shooting, as i think they often have an opposite experience--they get better shot quality and have low expectations, and thus better results. lonnie walker's a good example there, imo.

 

And he had the light version, of Lebron and AD, in a weaker Conference.

 

We had 3 guys shooting over 40%, from deep with volume, during the regular season. Prince shot .396 from 3, call it 4.

The problem is, everyone fell off in the playoffs, but Lebron. The shots were there, we just didn't knock them down. The same looks, that they had been getting, during the regular season.

 

this is why i'm not sure that "just getting more shooters" is going to work. we had them!

 

This is what happens to them when they come to the Lakers

 

I expect with his career having been an elite shooter JJ will help the ones we keep, both from teaching the mental aspects and from instilling the necessary work ethic with the drills and repetition on their own time often and off season. Kobe the obvious workaholic well beyond normal team practices.

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What we risk with losing semi successful to successful shooters already as Lakers for new ones with exactly that phenomena.

 

Why has there been absolutely no news on DLO being attached to...any team?

I guess that's good for us leverage wise, but I hope we hear that we're at least interested in bringing him back...

 

Here’s some common sense? I’d think seeing the pure shooter DLO is plus “can” scoring explode whenever he’s hot …. plus play point or off guard, that JJ would love the opportunity and challenge of taking his game and mental approach to a higher and more valuable level, if it is possible. AR and DLO are really close and AR is clearly excited about playing for JJ. He’s got to be at least trying to put Russell in mindset of this “could” potentially be great for both of them.

 

here's an absolutely bonkers idea: how about we go into next season with the lineup we hoped to have this season and a better coach? you know, the AD/lebron/vando/reaves/dlo lineup that sort of murdered everyone? it was kinda good, right? then you have rui, gabe, christie, prince, and wood off the bench?

again, we basically never saw last year's team. reminds me of the title defense year, where we overcorrected because injuries made it look like a giant failure.

 

The dude has been traded 4 times, for a reason LT.

 

Sort of murdered everyone when?

 

almost every minute they've played together?

 

Again..exactly when did this happen? Last season? The one before?