Love would be a good fit in the Tri offense. He can hit the perimeter shot, adequate ball IQ and is a capable passer. He'd be like what Longley used to do...of course being a much better player by comparison.
it's not terrible, and next summer it's a team with a star in place, two high picks, boatloads of cash, and the most desirable location in the nba.
It sounds to me basically that if they don't win a title with him in this awkward, cast-away position then he'll move on.
If Love wants LA, what do we do with Randle? I want to keep him, but what would management do? Groom him to be a huge bull of a SF, give him Ginobili type starters minutes but as a backup, or trade him for one of this year's draft picks?
I'm guessing you bring him off the bench or try to play him at SF. He's immediately too large for any SF to guard and spacing wouldn't be too terrible with Love occasionally stepping outside. The problem would be him trying to keep up with speedier 6'6" type SFs around the league... I think it could work, but it'd be difficult. Better probably to bring him off the bench or run small ball with Love at Center.
I think Love is overrated; I'd prefer to stay away from him, but I don't think that will happen. I think he comes hear this off-season, but my prediction is he comes when Cleveland isn't willing to throw a max-offer at him because of what they've seen this season and their willingness to let him walk and go in another direction. We'll pay him; he'll relocate out here, be with his significant other, and he'll be thrilled. He will be our big catch of the summer; along with our top 5 pick. .
Say we draft Russell or Mudiay and sign Love; and Randle is just a train-wreck at SF and Love is beasting it MVP style at PF, and sucking at center. Would you consider trading Randle for one of this year's young rookies Like Stanley or WCS?
With Bledsoe and Knight in Phoenix, and it's proximity to LA, I wonder if the Suns will go after him. I think Knight's cap hold would allow them to sign Love first to a max deal, then sign Knight to whatever they want. That would be insanely small. I think Randle could play sf easier than Love at center. I mean, Randle has the athleticism to play the 3 against all but the very elite. And with so many sfs just D and 3 specialists these days, Randle will be able to hold his own better than Love at center. Love would be eaten alive in there. but if we go this route, we need a guy like Middleton, or another elite defensive wing.
You couldn't afford one. If you get Love (or Dragic or Jordan or obviously Gasol/Aldridge) at the max, you aren't getting another high profile FA. Especially not one who is an RFA. If you want to slide Randle up to SF (Barkley played both forward spots, I don't see why Randle couldn't), then you're looking at a lineup like this: Clarkson Kobe Randle Love Okafor/Towns or Mudiay/Russell Kobe Randle Love Davis
Heard on the Lakers pre-game another development: 1. Love was asked "who is the MVP for the season"? Love answered with "LeBron has been good, but I'd go with Westbrook". 2. LeBron says "that's alright he can say whoever he wants. Westbrook has been great". Take that for what you will.
I don't mind the first lineup at all. I think that leaves us with like two max slots in 2016, even though there are probably only two players worth the max in Durant and Conely, where we'd have Clarkson and Randle clogging up the rotation. I think if we land one of the bigs (Towns or Okafor) we won't look at Love. We'll go for one of the 3 and D RFAs like the Greens or Middleton. And that will be all we do.
I don't get why (aside from the obvious "because everything involving leBron is a news story to ESPN) the whole LeBron/Love thing is news. So they aren't best friends. So Love doesn't join in on stupid group high school clique photos. So Love has his own brain and thinks Westbrook is MVP. Guys don't need to be best friends to win, Shaq and Kobe won 3 titles and were not friends. It's a job, you go out and do your job, be professional on the court, have chemistry on the court, nothing else matters.
They're creating drama for the sake of creating drama. If\When Cleveland "somehow" makes the Finals, BSPN will be there with "Lebron Loves Love".
No actually I think it matters because of who LeBron is. He's all about his clique and his family. If you don't fit his vision, you're out. He's the alpha and omega over there. If he's not into Love, they'll let him go and pay Tristan Thompson. Meanwhile Love can leave to a more suitable environment.
But as I've said before I don't think that matters much. I think Love is the least important piece of the big 3 and easily replaced. Bosh was much better at what Love is being asked to do. If he walks I think they have money to replace his role possibly for cheaper. If you have LeBron and Irving and you're in the East, you have a shot every season. I don't think they care much if Love leaves in the way that we kinda didn't care if Dwight left because neither matched the hype. I think the only reason they'd care is that it looks kinda bad trading Wiggins if Love doesn't stay.
Oh I agree that at this point they don't care if he leaves, but there's some important stuff in there still: - Like you said they traded Wiggins who is proving me wrong. The kid looks great. They traded Wiggins and (admittedly less exciting) Anthony Bennett for Love. That's TWO #1 overall picks for a guy and he might leave? That's a huge blow even if you just take opportunity into account. How much better (if any) would be they be right now with Wiggins instead of Love? - They can't quite make up for Love if he walks. They don't have the available cash to bring in a comparable player. What they'll end up doing is paying Tristan Thompson a huge contract because he's in house AND he's got the same agent as LeBron. They'll have to use whatever other cash they can to go find a back-up PF or C. - LeBron makes the rules man. It's crazy! It's a new world where teams are bending over backwards to appease guys... Dwight got his friend Josh Smith even though Smith is a poor fit next to him. Miami drafted a kid specifically for LeBron even though he still left. And now LeBron and his clique are going to make their own team regardless of what's best or the talent involved. Just because Love doesn't want to be part of his dumb inner circle, they're going to push him out. That's a pretty dangerous precedent they're starting over there.
This works. I'd re-sign Lin. The following year go after Conley and move Clarkson to the 2; after Durant leaves, go after Russell. Our team would look like this Conley/Lin Russell/Clarkson Dekker/Young Love/Randle Towns/Black
I'll be honest. I really don't get the idea of signing Love at all. It just seems like Randles best spot is the 4. If we get a pg or center in the draft (probably going to be one or the other) our main hole will be either sf or center. Our off-season should be simple. We draft Mudiay or Russell, we go after Monroe. If we draft Okafor, Towns, or WCS, we try for one of the RFA sfs. I just don't see Love leading us to anything.
