Randle has officially played 18 months of NBA basketball. So has DAR. So has Nance Jr. Zubac and Ingram have played 3+ months. I don't see how you can evaluate everyone in that short of a time. Just not realistic.
You can't. That's just the risk of trading young, relatively unproven talent for a veteran that is a known quantity. It could bite you in that the young talent you gave up goes on to be amazing and you rue the day you traded them. It could benefit you in that ultimately the veteran you got pays immediate and substantial dividends and the young talent you gave up never hit their potential for whatever reason. There are countless examples of high upside young talent not panning out in the end. Granted this happens a lot more in the MLB but it's a regular occurrence in the NBA as well, especially as the kids are more and more raw entering the league. It all falls on the front office to make these tough calls and decide what price is worth parting with their young talent for. All I know is that with Magic Johnson getting involved, we should brace ourselves for the high probability that the Lakers go shopping for a star and will willingly part with some of the young core in order to obtain one. Maybe even overpaying if the Lakers show desperation - which based on last offseason, is not out of the realm of possible.
Could you point out specifically in what areas Russell made those massive strides? Because I honestly don't see them. He has regressed as a shooter and that concerns me. His value is huge as a scorer but if he can't be aggressive and shoot effectively, I'd rather have Huertas in there. It seems Luke does too.
It's things like the bold portion that make me wonder whether it's even worth having this conversation. That sentiment is so far from being supported by rational thought that I just can't believe you're serious about this. But perhaps I'm missing something. Despite playing fewer MPG, he's averaging more points, more assists, and more rebounds per game than he was last season. His assist rate is up from 4.2 per 36 to 6.5 per 36. His AST/TO ratio is improved from 1.36 to 1.81. His PER is up from 13.2 to 15.5. His ORtg is up from 96 to 101. His WS/48 are up from .001 to .037(!). His OBPM is up from -0.2 to 1.1. His DRP is up from -1.7 to 1.2. His BPM is up from -1.8 to -0.1. His VORP (in half as many minutes so far) is up from 0.1 to 0.5(!). He has established career high in assists a few times this season, and even as some complain about his play the last two games, his numbers since returning from injury are: 28 MPG, 13 PPG, 7.6 APG (vs. 2.8 TO), 4.6 RPG, 1.0 STL. He has slumped shooting the ball. I don't dispute that, but if you want a floor general, he's doing the job. BTW, his +/- in these last five games is +3, while the team is overall at -15, giving him a net +18 on the court.
Well, he was pulled out of the game for Huertas the other night, so it seems Luke is serious. As for his stats, the same could be said for Randle. His FG%, PPG, AST, PER, WS/48, VORP, ORtg, OBPM, etc etc etc... they're all up across the board. So I go back to my original question. Why are you singling him out?
I like his game. And I like his personality too. But I could see why people would dislike his erratic playing style.
For the record, I like Russell's game too. I think Randle has a much higher ceiling though, mostly due to his physique, athleticism and skillset.
I guess I respect that, but I think you're about the only human on the planet who thinks that. I could understand if someone were saying that Randle has a similar ceiling or maybe slightly higher, but if one of them has a much higher ceiling, it's gotta be the guy who was drafted higher, is younger, etc. I don't like much about Julius's game. The only thing I like about him is his off court behavior, which I think is pretty much impeccable from all I know.
I honestly think Ingram and Randle have higher ceilings than Russell. As I wrote above, the thing that seperates them IMO is their physique and athleticism. If Russell's jumpshot isn't falling, he's got no other means of scoring because he doesn't have the speed to get by his defender without the help of a screen. Randle, on the other hand, could blow by his defender, crash the offensive boards, or bang down low for a layup. Ingram has the quick first step plus the length to shoot over smaller players. All three have similar playmaking instincts so I think the passing of Russell is a wash.
I don't think Ingram has very good athleticism, but he and Russell are both crafty. That lasts longer than athleticism. Randle's fast and strong, but he's very unskilled. I know athleticism matters in the NBA - obviously, but I think that craftiness has made more elite players than athleticism has.
Athleticism matters more. Last year Kobe pretty much proved that point. He was one of the craftiest player ever, but without the athletic advantage he wasn't even half the player he was in 2014. Julius has that athletic and physical advantage at his position. And he is very skilled at handling the ball. (not sure why you think he's unskilled) People often compare Russell to Harden, Ginobili, and B.Roy for his craftiness, but all of them are/were more athletic and physically (height) more gifted. Same with Ingram. He is very athletic considering how tall and long he is. Russell's lack of athleticism is one of his glaring weaknesses. He always needs a screen to get where he wants to go.
At this point , expecting his defensive awareness to significantly improve is not very realistic and at his position , it is vital in today's NBA ... I'd look at trade opportunities before it's too late
Julius has been around a NBA team for one more season than the others ... It should help his overall awareness on the court but it clearly doesn't
You MUST have one star to kick start everything. That one big talent is huge in the NBA. Sacramento for example absolutely SUCKS except they have Cousins and that makes them a better team than the Lakers. OKC is pretty much uesless except they have Russell or the Rockets who are nothing special except for Harden. Indy, Philly, etc. so many teams depening on ONE player and that ONE player at least gives you a chance to sniff at the post-season. If we are trading young talent, I would rank my list of preference of tradable young assets as follows: 1. Black 2. Clarkson 3. Randle 4. Nance 5. Russell 6. Zubac 7. Ingram If the Lakers could trade Russell and Randle for George or Cousins, they would do it in a heartbeat. You are getting a proven commodity for an immature "maybe" star and a very good role player with limited ceiling. I would instantly trade any combination of the first 4 guys for one of those stars even though I know Cousins is insane. Adding Russell hurts but if that is necessary, you have to do it IMO.
