I like Maker's potential, definitely worth investing in as a project. But he's definitely a project. Year one, I wouldn't even play him. Lock him in the weight room, get him a strict diet that's coordinated with the nutritionist, and then let him learn the physicality of the game in practice.And if he makes strides then let him play in the D-League after the all star break. This time a year ago, he was earmarked as a top pick in this draft. The upside is definitely there...it's just far away. I wouldn't give up value (Lou) for him. I'd snatch him up in the second if he's there, but I think he'll go in the 20s. I think an opportunity might exist to trade into the 20s with a team not wanting that guaranteed contract on the books and/or with a team that has multiple picks in the round -- C Bags and Philly.
This might as well be the draft discussion right? Well I was curious about our draft odds and looked back at the past 10 drafts to where the 2nd worst record usually ended up. The 2nd spot has not been a good place. Only 3 times in the last 10 lotteries has it fallen in the top 3 ('06, '12, '14) and only once in the top 2 ('06), not once did it get #1. Contrarily, 5 times did it fall to #4 and twice it fell to #5. Last time the #2 went up to #1 was the year Kobe was drafted. Come on basketball gods, make the story come full circle!
Umm did you copy the Reddit post and add my comment to it?? Cause I'm pretty sure that's where you saw this... https://www.reddit.com/r/lakers/comments/4gwa5i/2nd_best_lottery_odds_the_last_10_years/ I'm AandA248 on Reddit btw lol
LOL I copied the original post, forgot to add link. Didn't read the comments before posting here but that Kobe part was all me. Smart minds think a like?
thinking about the lottery really gets me excited and nervous now. now, that we have a coach that might attract FAs and can use young talent... if we get the first or second pick, i will start dreaming... we could keep either keep it, get simmons/ingram and be a unbelievably fun, ultra-young team, growing before our eyes and bringing excitement right away, although, likely, not too many wins next season. or we trade for an all-star, might get another one in free agency, get back to the playoffs next season and serious contention soon. both options sound rediculously awesome! if we lose the pick i will be way more nervous about free agency, though still excited about next season. not nearly the same, however. it feels like a LOT is hinging on the pingpong balls this time around... the night before may 17 i will sleep about as much as before a game 7.
Exactly! I know the plan should be to use the pick/our $ and young guys to get a superstar(s) like KD/Boogie/Russ/Butler et al. and jumpstart the rebuild by a few years... But I'll be damned if watching Luke play Warrior-ball with a squad of D'Angelo-Clarkson-Ingram-Randle-? isn't a really fun and exciting prospect on its own
Draft lottery had to be in the middle of my vacation. They have sports bars on cruises right? Anyway, if we do lose the pick, having Luke coach these youngsters will take the sting out of that somewhat. It'll be like a fresh start, basically year one again with these guys learning to play the right way.
I already know I'm not watching it live. The suspense will stress me out. I'm recording it and if we keep our pick I'll watch it and enjoy it to the fullest with some popcorn and whiskey
yeah, if you believe that Walton is a game-changer of a coach, you want that pick more than ever, because next year you're hoping to be picking much later in the lotto.
Meh I would like the pick, but I won't be devastated if we lose it. We still fired Byron finally, made a good hire for once, still have an excellent young core, along with 70 million in cap space. So it's not the end of the world.
70 million with no one worthwhile on which to spend it is the stuff nightmares are made of. losing the pick isn't the end of the world, but it's another in a long line of setbacks. keeping it this year and losing it next year is a MUCH better proposition, for many reasons. chief among them is I won't be half-pulling for a tank in the first year of the new regime.
I'd be devastated if we lost the pick. A top 3 pick can be a transcendent player, as good as any FA signing. Talent wins in the NBA, we need to stockpile as much as possible.
I don't believe that it's the end of the world if we lose the pick actually....all it does is it enables us to open up a THIRD max slot (we'll have to stretch swaggy's contract too to make this a possibility)...so we could potentially get THREE max guys this summer....KD, Derozan and Whiteside? Yes please. Now if we KEEP the pick....we can probably trade for a guy like Butler or Cousins, and now we go into free agency with a top 10-15 player on the squad already, plus a new coach in Luke...and we'll be pitching the WARRIORS system to free agents. I definitely prefer to keep the pick, but I love the prospect of having 3 max slots as well...as no team in the NBA will have that kind of cap space...and the last time a team had that kind of cap space....they got LeBron, Bosh and Wade to team up. Don't count out the Lakers in that regard. We've had cap space last two summers...but it was only ONE max slot essentially. We're guaranteed to have 2 max slots..possibly 3...depending on the pick.
There are no transcendent players in this draft. There is no Kobe, LeBron, Michael Jordan, Shaq, or Magic in the draft. Neither Ingram or Simmons will ever likely come close to being as good as someone like Kevin Durant. They may never ever be as good as someone like DeMar DeRozan.
