D'Angelo Russell Discussion: Adopting A Professional Attitude

Best thing about DAR is, we don't have to overpay point guards. No arguments this summer about Dragic and Rondo and their bloated contracts.

 

Article from CBS Sports about D'Angelo Russell being 'available' to trade straight up to Kings. Code: Lamarcus Aldridge - you want to play PF alongside a starting Center? We are willing to make that deal happen for you. This only raises the question (inferred by the author) - if LA says yes to LA - does that mean Lakers lose leverage in any renewed 'boogie' talks? (hence the author's use of the hypothetical story of trading Russell and Randle for boogie and filler to make salaries match).

I suspect its more nonsense as that is far too high a price but made me wonder (uggh) would that move leave lakers room to sign Rondo? Rondo, Kobe, LA, Cousins, for MLE with bench of Clarkson, Sacre, Nance Jr. et al.? Hope not. I like Russell, Randle as young core better than a Dallas Mavs type rebuild.

 

Agreed. I think the point here is Lakers are telling Aldridge and his people that he can pick his teammates if he signs with us.

 

Sorry if it was answered before but ... are we able to fit both a Cousins and Max LMA with our salary cap? Doesn't look like that to me.

 

Considering what would have to be given up to make it work plus the young guys of ours they demand.....F*** NO!! For all the same reasons as before with his issues. But to do it, gutting our young nucleus, to appease L.A......are you freaking crazy Lakers F.O.??? You had "that" GUY and didn't draft him, knowing Aldridge hates playing center and it was going to be an issue with him wanting to finally play with a really good BIG.

 

'That' guy they wanted was Towns. Towns/LMA would have been considered a homerun for the front office. Although, I think they are really excited about Russell...

 

Why are you people even believing these reports? We are not the Cavs.

 

Aldridge and Okafor then maybe just a walk off bases loaded triple if they want Adridge that badly. My god we could have made do with the guards we had and found more in F.A. or drafted another. Then again I tend to agree with Kareem above that this is all B.S. noise.

 

Aldridge and Okafor wouldn't have fit offensively, IMO. Actually, I don't think Aldridge/Cousins is ideally offensively; both guys take and 'sometimes' rely on their mid-range shot a little too much. Aldridge has the better mid-range jumper, but there are times when it's going not going to be going down on particular nights. Think Gasol; he had to hit his mid-range shot for him or Howard to work; Cousins/Aldridge Okafor/Aldridge presents a little too much redundancy, IMO.

Towns ability to spread the court with his outside shooting would have helped tremendously. It gives you more options and spreads the floor giving Cousins, Aldridge, Randle, the block without any congestion to go to work. Of course opinions vary; I think if we lock in on Aldridge it negates the chances of going after Cousins. Cousins can play the 5; although, he's not a rim-protecting big, can tend to clog up the paint, and as I mentioned settle on too many mid-range jumpers. Look no further than Alcinodor's chart he posted with the analytics...

 

Sorry have been gone awhile....back to priorities. ROFY?? Down low banging old school is who Jahlil WAS for us. How much did we see and read. He's eminently skilled and LOVES playing there. It excited him, you could see the chest pounding and screaming. Aldridge doesn't want all of that. Problem solved.

Towns spacing the floor for Aldridge for what.... to be down low where he doesn't want to be??? Seems to me slam dunk for Okafor being the better fit for what Aldridge wants to be these next 4 years. Not to mention with Upshaw also in their sights.

 

Truth be told our guard situation with health I was really looking forward to this year, with certainly some considerable improvement coming. Without Russell. I'm with Lakerjones on this. Dumb to not take Okafor if you're in mad love with the idea of signing Aldridge. We were not sucking at guard with a number of decent guys fighting for the bench mob positions.

 

No on Cousins, period.