2022-23 Team Developments: News / Trades / Free Agents / Rumors

There have been a lot worse 7-1 guys in the history of the league. The kid could rim run, stretch the floor, and block shots. Yeah, he is a little slow, but he is 7-1. I dont think he is slow by 7-1 standards. I say give him a shot.

 

Not sure if he really offers much, but I would love to see Cousins actually get some playing time on the floor for us, even if it is only a short time.

 

Lol, I would say so. He's faster than Shawn Bradley, John Konkac, players of that ilk. Jokic aint exactly a gazelle either, am I wrong?

 

Ham: can you still shoot?

[Pause]

Ham: want a 10 day?

 

Ah, we know he can shoot, what we need to know is can he move faster than a triceratops with hemoroids

 

We have a lot of redundancy on this roster. Lonnie makes Nunn redundant. Reaves makes Beverley Redundant. Brown and JTA are interchangeable. Gabriel makes Jones redundant. Schroeder makes Russ redundant (apart from play making).

It would be nice to consolidate some of those redundancies into a starting calibre SF that can shoot and defend.

Schroeder / Russ
Walker / Reaves / Christie
SF / Brown / JTA
Lebron / Gabriel
AD / Bryant

It’s a nice roster. Probably lacks a bit of shooting, although we’ve improved a bit there. Dennis (38%), Lonnie (38%), Reaves (36%), Christie (42%), Brown (36%), Gabriel (40%), Bryant (47%).

A knock down 3&D I think would really gel this team.

 

Siakam, OG and Barnes are a redundancy. If we can somehow steal one

 

i honestly don't even think our two picks gets any of them. toronto will want a talent-for-talent deal, imo.

i wonder what atlanta would want for deandre hunter. i think griffin is poised to take some minutes there.

just trying to think of teams that have more than one useful sf.

 

They were so enamored with THT, we missed that window

 

It is unfortunate for sure on how we simply can't catch a break and be healthy.....at all.

Losing Reaves and Walker for 2 weeks is just pouring salt into the wounds- and the depressing thing about it is we are on a 4-game win streak, playing perhaps our best ball of the season and are starting to show signs of life. We also managed to get to a game back of the #10 seed and the play-in and only 2 games back of even avoiding the play-in completely with the #6 seed.

We put 130 on the Hawks for the second time this season and won with another depleted roster, surprisingly getting steady play again from the trio who have really stepped up for us with all these injuries in Thomas Bryant, Dennis Schroder and yes, Russell Westbrook again.

Bryant has been an absolute godsend for us. In his last 12 games he has averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds per game with a .661/.550/.714 line. Over the same period Schroder has the same 16 points per game average, including two 30-point+ outbursts and has a line of .474/.454/.844 while making over 2 per game from distance. And then you have Westbrook, who didn't play in two of those dozen and barely played in another (11 minutes), but in the other 9 has averaged the same 16 points while pitching in 8 rebounds and 9 assists. He is shooting .482 over that time, even if his 3 point shooting (30%) and at the charity stripe (61%) leaves a lot to be desired- but what is most impressive is his plus/minus on the floor; a solid (+43) in those nine contests. Pretty remarkable considering his worse +/- of the season (-30 in Dallas on Christmas Day) is included in that total.

Hell, we may even need to slow our roll a little bit on Kendrick Nunn as well, who had his best game as a Laker last night with a season-best 23 points. As a matter of fact, it was only the sixth time this season where the disgruntled guard has logged 20 minutes per game (one was 19:56 that I am counting). And in those 6 contests, none of which he played more than he did last night (26:53) he has put up the following:

16.5 ppg
37-69 from the field (.536)
15-34 from three (.441)
8-8 from the free throw line (1.000)

Of course the biggest question is will this last, as the Lakers schedule- almost assuredly without 3 of their best players in Davis, Reaves and Walker- over the next two weeks is no walk in the park. They go to Sacramento today, where we are all waiting for the news that LeBron will sit out the back-to-back; and then a trip to Denver on Monday. Back home after that on a 5-game endeavor with the Mavericks and Sixers and the Grizzlies and those same Kings sandwiching the lone easy contest against the Rockets.

Can they even go 3-4 in those 7 games??? It will take the same unexpected play from the same guys to have any chance.

On January 22nd we will travel to Portland and we will be about 2 and a half weeks from the Feb 9th trade deadline (we play at Boston, Brooklyn, New York, Indiana and New Orleans with home tilts against the Clippers, Spurs and Thunder before then) and it will be interesting to see if we are still just a game back in the play-in and 2 games back from the 6th seed like we are now.

LeBron James can't keep us afloat on his own. In his last dozen games (he has sat out 2 of the last 14) he has averaged 33.7 ppg with almost identical rebound and assist numbers (88 rebounds and 87 assists, over 7 per game) while shooting .578 from the field and .800 form the free-throw line. He is still struggling from distance (26% over the period and now under 30 for the season, the first time since his rookie year that he has shot as poorly from 3) but who can complain when he is doing so much else at a high level on the court.

Of course he is also averaging 36 minutes a game, and that is worrisome....

Bottom line is the Lakers and their fans are going to have to wait a little longer to see if this team is going to get healthy and make some noise this season; not only at the deadline but if we can get healthy enough to be a contender in a wide-open West where a Baker's dozen (13) teams which includes the Oklahoma City Thunder are separated by only nine games.......and the current 5th seed (Kings) are a meager 4 games ahead of said team from Oklahoma...

 

Latest from Stein...


Bogdanovic is going to be an expensive bidding war

Gordon has a high price right now, too (I'm guessing with fewer suitors)

On Turner and Clarkson's contract extension talks

Oubre's suitors pre-injury

On the Bridges situation in Charlotte

 

None of those players are worth an unprotected 1st round pick, not even the expiring contract of Myles Turner.....

Lakers have to wait until they get more info on AD anyway and it is good that they do if that is the price right now anyway...

 

Miles Bridges will serve his probation in LA. Pelinka should pounce

 

lol, houston asking a lot for eric gordon is hilarious. they'll get a (late) 2nd rounder at the deadline from someone, or he'll walk in FA next year, angrily. that dude is pissed he's still there, and their management needs to just get him out to maintain positive relations with his agency, imo.

 

I somewhat agree but I believe we are somewhat deep if you wanna call it that we have dealt with lots of injuries and we've kept. The boat above water floating ..... With shroeders intensity and level of play as of late if he can maintain or finally. Take that step forward he and LBJ w ad when he comes back would be very dangerous......... Jta/Nunn I'm ready to let them go

 

What or where can we find a otto porter type player ....... Not otto though hes out with 2 toe dislocations:RW Barfbag:

 

Or ex peeeeeer ience!!