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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreIt was Playoff LeBron, Playoff AD, Playoff Rondo, and Playoff Dwight. The Lakers’ Four Playoff Superstars could have been the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse far as the helpless and hapless Denver Nuggets were concerned.
Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals was a masterpiece of playoff basketball orchestrated by a quartet of Lakers’ superstars, including two of the greatest playmaker-big man tandems from the NBA present and past. Representing the present were the 2020 First Team All-NBA playmaker and center duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Representing the past were future HOF point guard and center Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard.
Together, the Lakers’ Four Horsemen gave the upstart Nuggets a dose of reality, breaking the game open early in the second quarter with a 17–1 run and then finishing them off with an 11–2 burst early in the third quarter. Those two runs were triggered by the Lakers’ elite defense, which totally shut down Nuggets’ superstars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray and held Denver to just 21 points in the second and 20 points in the third quarters.
The LeBron James and Anthony Davis starting superduo combined for 52 points, 16 rebounds, and 16 assists while the Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard backup superduo contributed 24 points, 4 boards, and 9 dimes. With first half foul trouble and the game decided early, the Nuggets’ superstar duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray only played 25 and 29 minutes and were held to a combined 42 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists
The Lakers as a team recorded 33 assists compared to 23 for the Nuggets. The Playoff LeBron and Playoff Rondo playmaker tandem contributed 21 of those assists, having a hand in 74 of the 126 total points the Lakers scored. Meanwhile, the Playoff AD and Playoff Dwight center duo posted 50 points and 13 rebounds, clearly outplaying the Denver center tandem of Nikola Jokic and Mason Plumlee, who had just 30 points and 10 rebounds.
The total domination by the Lakers’ Four Horsemen is reflected in their individual plus/minus ratings. LeBron James and Anthony Davis both posted +15 ratings while Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard recorded +13 and +14. Since they led by as many as 27 points late in the third quarter, the Lakers were able to rest their stars in the fourth quarter. James only played 31 minutes, Davis only 33 , Rondo only 22 , and Howard only 16 minutes.
Game winning play like the Lakers showcased in the second and third quarters to put Game 1 away demand contributions from more than the superstars and the Lakers got great performances from their role players. Caldwell-Pope chipped in 18 points on 6–10 shooting and 3–5 threes, Kuzma added 11 points on 5–8 shooting and 1–2 threes, Morris 9 points on 3–4 from deep and elite defense, and Green 8 points and stellar defense.
While it’s just one game and the never-say-die Nuggets have proven their resilience by coming back twice in these playoffs from 1–3 deficits, these Lakers are clearly not the overachieving Thunder or choke prone Clippers. The Lakers are not only hitting on all cylinders and peaking at the right time, they’re also led by four sure-fire future HOF players who are on a quest seeking a championship and redemption in the eyes of their critics.
LeBron James is ‘pissed’ he only received 16 of 101 votes for the 2020 MVP award given yesterday to Giannis Antetokounmpo. Anthony Davis is out to prove that he and not Antetokounmpo deserved the 2020 DPOY Award. Rajon Rondo has a chip on his shoulder and wants to prove Playoff Rondo still lives. And Dwight Howard wants to erase three DNP’s and the bad taste of being a dysfunctional teammate and win his first NBA championship.
The Lakers have their sight clearly focused on winning the franchise’s 17th NBA championship and are now just 7 games away from reaching that goal and proving to the haters and doubters they’re the best team in world. They’re not going to take their foot off the gas or the throats of the Denver Nuggets. With the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Clippers no longer in the way, the Lakers can see the finish line and sense the championship.
Head coach Frank Vogel and his coaching staff have done a masterful job managing their roster, rotations, and game plans. Now the Lakers’ Four Horsemen can smell the barn and clearly see the championship finish line.
9 Games down and 7 to go to win their 17th championship and redemption.
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LOL. I’m in favor of winning, Jamie.
As I said in my comment to your ‘5 Things,’ I’ve never been a fan of the Lakers going big for several reasons.
First, I believe today’s game, rules, and matchups make going small the smart thing to do, especially when you have the best two-way small ball center in the league.
Second, it’s very difficult for most bigs to defend a player beyond the arc. JaVale certainly can’t do that. AD can and depending on the opposing center, Dwight can, especially against Jokic because he is quicker and faster.
Third, going big plays into the hands of most better teams’ defensive strategies against LeBron James, which is to pack the lane to keep him out of the paint. Yes, you can sometimes counter that with dunks but it depends on the matchup and who’s throwing and catching the dnks.
Fourth, I believe for the most part in the stats, especially when they match my own eye test and both of those say JaVale McGee has not played well since the middle of the season. His numbers have been atrocious and his contributions in question. Dwight’s been better and based on how I see him playing right now, I have no problem if he were to start the rest of the playoffs. He’s a great matchup against Jokic and could be good against Bam too. He’s much quicker and faster than JaVale and more physical and aggressive.
So yeh, I can support the Lakers playing big ball with Dwight because it works whereas it was not working with McGee. The numbers showed it and anybody who wasn’t blind could not help seeing it with the eye test. By the way, the numbers from last night showed Dwight second on the team with a net rating of 42.4 (121.2 offrtg – 78.8 defrtg). JaVale, by the way, was -50.0 (95.5 offrtg – 145.5 defrtg). When stats and eye test match, believe it!
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Just giving you a little rubbing LT. JVMG was pretty bad, agreed. Might see DH starting for this series and the great thing about JaVale is he’s the consummate teammate. No pouting, shows up for practice, cheers on his squad. I love it.
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LOL. After the effing program erased my response, I was ready for bear. Your above response I can agree with.
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You have to expect a little retorting when you’ve posted article after article calling for Morris to start, or at least play the majority of minutes at the 5. I remember thinking after Frank put Dwight in and he got a key deflection, block and foul on Jokic in the first few possessions he was on the floor for “LT is going to be hopping on the Dwight train pretty quickly, lol”
For my part I don’t much care how the W appears. I prefer the style, power and grace of the big man basketball game to the modern everyone does pretty much the same thing on offense we see nowadays. I have a few notions on how to even the playing field and re-incorporate the big man into the modern game.
Some of that is on bigs that can do more than just defend, as well. Dwight might be the last, best of the old school post player. If you can’t at least be a pick and pop threat in the modern game chances are you have a niche role on defense and you’re going to top out there.
What Frank has shown me in the playoffs is the ability to do what D’Antoni has never shown me: the willingness to modulate his vision with what works. D’Antoni and Morey traded away their ability to play a center and match up. They believed, foolishly, that forcing a team to play their game gave them an overwhelming advantage. Had they not run into the Lakers it may have actually worked (although I think the Nuggets and/or the Clippers would have also taken them out).
Frank likes the traditional center anchoring the post, AD likes have a traditional center to bang against other bigger, bulkier dudes for the majority of the game. Both are able to change it up and rise to the occasion…when needed. But not as a first resort, and not until it’s been proven to be ineffective. I can appreciate that.
The great thing about being a Lakers fan right now is having the luxury of having this debate as opposed to “why do we keep $%@ #ing losing game 1?!?!?!?!” Good problems to have.
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Lastly, in regards to Playoff Rondo making big ball work. I disagree there. The defense is what makes our bigger line up work. Dwight being able to stay in front of Nikola while also not biting on head fakes is one key. AD and LeBron taking on the challenge of playing their best defense is another. And the perimeter and bench players sticking to the game plan and not gambling for steals might be the biggest factor of all. The gambling on plays is where playoff Rondo shines in that he gambles waaaaaay less on risky steals that force our defense to compensate and leads to easy buckets for the other team.
The other thing he does is relieve a ton of pressure on James. When Rondo’s on the floor LeBron can be regular old superstar LeBron. he doesn’t have to be do everything to make this work LeBron. Because, if we’re being honest, Frank really doesn’t have much of an offense. There a re a couple pet plays they run but a lot of it based on simply getting the ball into the paint to one of our many talented interior scorers. He makes smart reads, solid passes (although he has a tendency to over-throw his fastball and have the pass sail off-target when he’s being chased out of position).
I’m a big Rondo fan, have been for many years now and I had advocated having him come to the Lakers before he was a Laker even though he lacks the skill set of the small ball game. I’m not certain how many other Laker fans can say the same thing. While I don’t necessarily endorse the legend of Playoff Rondo I do think that, like many of the great playoff performers, he locks in more, gambles less and makes the simple (better?) play more often when there’s more to play for than in the regular season. If that bequeaths a “Playoff _______” moniker then we need to add a bevvy of players to the list. Playoff Kyle comes to mind as he’s stepped up pretty large so far, Caruso, too.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreThe Western Conference Finals between the Nuggets and Lakers that starts tomorrow is rightly billed as an epic battle between the best offensive center in the league in Nikola Jokic and best defensive center in Anthony Davis.
However, Lakers’ head coach Frank Vogel has made comments hinting he may opt to go big and have traditional centers JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard guard Jokic rather than All-NBA first team center Anthony Davis. While we won’t know until play starts whether Vogel just wants to keep his centers engaged and bolster team chemistry or whether he really intends to revert to big lineups, playing McGee or Howard on Jokic could be a mistake.
Let’s start by looking at the stats to see how McGee, Howard, and Davis fared playing center against Nikola Jokic in the four regular season games between the two teams this season, three of which were won by the Lakers. In the 150 minutes Davis was on the floor, the Lakers outscored the Nuggets by 34 points in his 56 minutes at center, broke even in Howard’s 42 minutes at center, and were outscored by 18 points in McGee’s 52 minutes at center.
Digging deeper, the individual defensive ratings of the Lakers’ three centers against the Nuggets in those four regular season games tell the same story. Davis posted a defensive rating of 110.5, Mcgee 121.1, and Howard 126.5. The stats confirm the obvious conclusion of most NBA pundits. First team All-NBA and All-Defensive center Anthony Davis is without question the Los Angeles Lakers’ best option to defend Denver Nuggets’ center Nikola Jokic.
So what’s behind Vogel’s comments about playing McGee and Howard? Neither is a good matchup against Nikola Jokic, especially behind the 3-point line, and backup Mason Plumlee only plays 10 minutes per game. While Davis will guard Jokic most of the time, the Lakers may be going big so they can throw multiple defenders at Jokic to bully and wear him down physically since he’s already played over 500 minutes in the playoffs.
The Lakers’ formula of starting games big and finishing them small has been integral to their success and was able to hold Nikola Jokic to just 16 points per game in the four regular season games with Denver this season. The fact their only loss to the Nuggets came in the one game LeBron James didn’t play also gives them confidence they can win playing their normal rotations or go small with Anthony Davis at the five if that doesn’t work.
That they can win playing big or small has been a major source of pride for the Lakers all season long so Vogel’s not taking a huge risk by gambling they can beat the Nuggets by going big since he has small ball in his back pocket. The Lakers are so talented with two first team All-NBA superstars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis that at worst Vogel’s likely only risking losing Game 1, which they’ve already shown they’re capable of easily overcoming.
Nevertheless, there are good reasons why the Lakers’ most potent lineup both defensively and offensively is their version of small ball with AD at the five, Morris the four, LeBron the three, Green the two, and KCP the one. That lineup has defensive speed, quickness, and athleticism to double the ball and rotate to contest shots from deep and at the rim while offensively spreading the floor and unpacking the paint to unleash LeBron and AD.
The Lakers were able to roll through the first two rounds of the playoffs by doubling and shutting down Blazers’ Damian Lillard and Rockets’ James Harden, who were the primary offensive engines of their respective teams. The Lakers’ challenge playing the Nuggets is Denver has two offensive engines in Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray whose high pick-and-rolls makes it nearly impossible for teams to double Murray because of Jokic’s passing.
The Nuggets destroyed the Clippers with those pick-and-rolls with Murray getting the ball to Jokic on a short roll and Jokic using the 4 on 3 advantage to hit cutters for easy layups and dunks or shooters for wide open threes. Deciding not to double or trap Murray could be part of the reason Frank Vogel wants to go big with both Davis and McGee or Howard protecting the rim and Lakers’ defenders staying at home with Nuggets 3-point shooters.
It will be interesting to see what other adjustments coach Vogel makes to shut down Murray and Jokic and the Nuggets’ offense. While the Bucks and the Clippers have stumbled, the Lakers are peaking at just the right time. The Lakers know Denver doesn’t have anybody who’s going to be able to stop LeBron James and Anthony Davis offensively so they’re confident slowing down Murray and Jokic defensively is the smart way to win.
The Nuggets deserve credit for what’s been a sensational playoffs but the well rested Lakers are not the overachieving Thunder or the choke prone Clippers so the Cinderella story is going to end. The Lakers in five games!
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreMVP superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has a career defining decision to make after the Milwaukee Bucks’ disappointing five-game second-round loss to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Semifinals six days ago.
As much as the Bucks would love to control the situation, Giannis has the power to control his destiny like Anthony Davis did last offseason when he forced the New Orleans Pelicans to trade him to the Los Angeles Lakers. Does Giannis stay in Milwaukee and trust the Bucks to acquire another superstar to make the team a legitimate championship contender or exert the power of his looming free agency like AD and chose his future home?
Here’s a quick look at the four options Giannis Antetokounmpo has:
1. Giannis Signs Supermax Contract with the Bucks.
There are good reasons why Giannis might actually prefer this as his best option. To start with, we’re in the middle of a pandemic that’s devastated the economy and transformed the future of the NBA from rosy to uncertain. There’s a case to be made the smart move would be for Giannis to take advantage of the mega dollars on the table and lock in generational wealth and security for his family. After all, who knows what the future holds?
Then there’s Giannis’ team first personality and professed love for the city of Milwaukee. It’s easy to imagine him deciding to sign the supermax contract offered by the Bucks and trusting them to do what they need to improve.
2. Giannis Declines to Sign Supermax with the Bucks.
This is probably the easiest and most likely option for Giannis to choose, basically remaining committed to the Milwaukee Bucks but smartly kicking any signing of the supermax contract down the road until next offseason. This option keeps Antetokounmpo’s options open while putting intense pressure on the Bucks to make substantive changes to upgrade the roster for next season, which could be a challenge considering their situation.
While the most reasonable path for Giannis right now, this option would ratchet up the pressure on the Bucks to make major moves to upgrade the team and transform them into a legitimate championship contender.
3. The Bucks Trade Giannis to Team of Their Choice.
One thing the Bucks cannot afford to do is lose Giannis Antetokounmpo to free agency with nothing in return so if he declines to sign a supermax contract, Milwaukee might be wise to quietly investigate the trade market. The offers the Bucks could receive for Giannis now with a year left on his contract would certainly be better than any possible sign-and-trade deal he’d have to approve a year from now or the risk of losing him for nothing.
While the Bucks don’t want to part ways with Antetokounmpo, they may have no choice because their current roster and financial constraints may make it impossible for them to upgrade the team. May be time to cash in.
4. Giannis Demands Trade to Team(s) of His Choice
What the Bucks don’t want to happen is for Giannis to decide to follow the route Anthony Davis took and demand to be traded to a specific team or list of teams because that could diminish what Milwaukee receives in return. Just the threat of Antetokounmpo doing this could be enough to make the Bucks seek to trade him this offseason, especially if getting him to sign the supermax deal seems like long shot and options to upgrade the roster dim.
This is the option the Los Angeles Lakers are hoping will become the path for Giannis joining LeBron and AD to form a new superteam dynasty whose championship window would extend well beyond James’ retirement.
Milwaukee and Antetokounmpo have started the process by meeting to discuss the future and how to improve the team. The showdown will come when the Bucks formally present Giannis with the actual supermax offer. Should Giannis lose faith in Milwaukee’s ability to upgrade the team and decline to sign, the Bucks probably can’t afford to take the risk of waiting until the following offseason and would be smart to look to trade him now.
The problem with the Lakers planned pursuit of Giannis is the only way they could acquire him would be through free agency a year from now as they don’t have the trading chips to even make a viable sign-and-trade deal. Joining the Lakers could only happen if Giannis committed to signing with the Lakers as a free agent next year and declared he wouldn’t re-sign with any team to whom he was traded, which is an unlikely long shot at best.
Frankly, Giannis signing the supermax deal with the Bucks would be good news for the Lakers in my opinion. I prefer seeing him stay in Milwaukee than creating a superteam somewhere else to compete with the Lakers. Further, I also dislike the idea of the Lakers wasting the coming offseason saving cap space to sign Giannis in free agency a year from now. Smacks too much of the lost opportunities of waiting for Kawhi Leonard last offseason.
I also don’t see Giannis as the kind of player who would want to follow the Kevin Durant’s lead and join a team like the Miami Heat who just beat him. He strikes me as the kind of loyal player who wants to stay in Milwaukee.
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I’m rooting for Giannis to sign the supermax and stay with the Bucks. Better than having him leave and create a superteam to compete with the Lakers. Too big of a longshot for Laker to get him.
If he doesn’t sign supermax, waiting for him to sign in free agency is fool’s gold the only way that would happen is if he pulled an Anthony Davis this summer. Even then, teams would take a chance on convincing him to stay. In meantime, Lakers would miss out on opportunities like they did waiting for Kawhi.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreFresh off their Cinderella semifinals 1–3 comeback against the Clippers, it’s Jamal and the Joker and the Denver Nuggets versus the King and the Brow and the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals in the Bubble.
Can the underdog Nuggets continue their playoff heroics against a heavily favored powerhouse Lakers team with the second-ranked offensive rating, third-ranked defensive rating, and top-ranked net rating in the playoffs? What are the chances 23-year old Jamal Murray and 25-year old Nikola Jokic can lead the Nuggets to a third straight playoff series upset over 33-year old LeBron James and 27-year old Anthony Davis and the Lakers?
The answer is slim and none. The Lakers will end Denver’s fairy tale story and burst the Cinderella Nuggets’ bubble like the Blazers and Rockets in five games with the odds of the series going six about the same as a sweep. Great as the Nuggets have played, the rested Lakers have the superior stars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the defensive weapons to stop Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, and the team chemistry the Clippers lacked.
No disrespect but the Lakers are not the overachieving Thunder or choke prone Clippers. Defensively, the Lakers have the speed and quickness to chase 3-point shooters off the line and the shot blockers to protect the rim. Offensively, they have two superstars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, whom the Nuggets have no answer to defend, and a deep and talented veteran roster that’s not going to crumble and fold like the Clippers.
While Los Angeles and Denver both elevated their games in the playoffs, the Lakers won three of the four regular season games the teams played, only losing to the Nuggets in the one game where LeBron James did not play. Because their one win over the Lakers was a 128–104 blowout, the Nuggets ended up with the +3.2 net rating and a +2.0 plus/minus against the Lakers for the regular season despite losing three out of four games played.
The teams’ performances in the bubble in the playoffs are more telling. The Lakers have an 8–2 record with a second-ranked 114.4 offensive rating, a third-ranked 105.4 defensive rating, and a top-ranked 9.0 net rating. Because of their two seven-game comeback series, the Nuggets have an unremarkable 8–6 record with a fifth-ranked 112.5 offensive rating, an eleventh-ranked 114.0 defensive rating, and a ninth-ranked -1.5 net rating.
Therein lies the Nuggets’ challenge. While their fifth-ranked offense might be able to score on the Lakers third-ranked defense, their eleventh-ranked defense will struggle mightily to stop the Lakers second-ranked offense? The odds the Lakers will somehow choke like the overachieving Thunder or overrated Clippers is not likely with LeBron James smelling the roses and GOAT and sensing an opportunity to win his fourth NBA championship.
With six days rest and three days to prepare, Frank Vogel and the Los Angeles Lakers should be locked and loaded for the Denver Nuggets and determined to avoid a Game 1 loss in the Western Conference Finals.
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You can see the apologists and doubters like Colin Cowherd, Chris Broussard, and Max Kellerman starting to craft their excuses for dissing the Lakers and choosing the Chokers and Bucks as the favorites to win the NBA championship and the heart of their argument is to blame the bubble.
What are they going to say when the veteran Lakers team crushes the upstart and lovable Nuggets like the Chokers were supposed to do? How are they going to explain why one veteran team was able to survive playing without home court and fans? It’s all a part of the losers’ plot to put an asterisk next to the Lakers’ 17th championship.
The Lakers could very well sweep the Nuggets. I’m calling the series in five games out of respect for Denver exposing the Chokers and sending them fishing for their hearts and souls but they have no answer or defense for LeBron and AD unless they suddenly turn into Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Frank Vogel has figured out the key to each team’s offensive engine and even though the Nuggets may have two keys, the Lakers have the defensive versatility to shut down both Jamal and Nikola. It will be interesting to see how the Lakers defend them compared to how the Chokers failed to defend them. I’ll be addressing that in tomorrow’s article, for now, it’s Lakers in 5.
Mamba, 1, 2, 3!
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreThe Lakers will have multiple options to upgrade their roster this offseason but one out-of-box move would be to resurrect the trade that never was and make a deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder for point guard Chris Paul.
Rather than writing off the idea as crazy because CP3 is over the hill, his contract an albatross, and his style of play a poor fit with LeBron and AD, the Lakers should view the situation as an opportunity to steal a superstar. If Danny Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Avery Bradley, and JaVale McGee decline their player options, the Lakers would have the assets in the form of expiring contracts to pull off a trade with OKC for Chris Paul.
If the Lakers can’t pull off a trade for a young stud guard like Victor Oladipo, Bradley Beal, Fred VanVleet, or Zach LaVine or sign a free agent like Goran Dragic with their MLE, then trading for CP3 could be an attractive option. While he’s 35-years old and owed $85 million over the next 2 years, Chris has shown in these playoffs, like LeBron, that he still has the court savvy and playing style to continue to perform at an elite level into his late 30’s.
Here are three reasons why the Lakers would be smart to trade for CP3:
1. He’s Exactly What They Need.
Chris Paul is exactly what the Los Angeles Lakers need right now to make life easier and complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He fills their immediate need for a dependable third scorer and elite second playmaker. Like LeBron at 35, CP3’s performing at a HOF level averaging 17.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.7 assists in 31.5 minutes per game, comparable to his career 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 9.5 assists in 34.9 minutes per game.
Paul also plays a style that relies more on skill and craftiness than speed, quickness, and athleticism, which means there’s an excellent chance he will continue to play at a high level for the remaining two years on his contract. Watching how Playoff Rondo has impacted the Lakers in their series against the Rockets serves as a perfect example of what Chris Paul could bring to LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Lakers if they traded for him.
Like Rondo, Chris Paul has the full trust and unreserved respect of LeBron James, is exactly what the Lakers need to balance their roster, and could be the key to optimizing the last two years of the King’s championship window.
2. He Could Actually Be Available.
With the coronavirus pandemic looming and Billy Donovan leaving, it’s time for the Oklahoma City Thunder to start rebuilding and take advantage of the treasure chest of draft picks Sam Presti has smartly accumulated. They have a pair of talented young guards in Gilgeous-Alexander and Dort and several high salaried veterans ready to leave via free agency. All they need is to find a way to jettison Chris Paul’s 2-year $85 million contract.
Which is where the Los Angeles Lakers come into the picture, buoyed by their megadollar local TV contract, insatiable thirst for championships, and willingness to take on the last two years of Chris Paul’s massive contract. While the Bucks and Knicks have been rumored to be interested in CP3, they aren’t logical trade partners. Trading for Paul wouldn’t make New York a playoff contender and Milwaukee lacks expendable expiring contracts.
That leaves the Lakers as the only team with the motivation and possible resources to realistically trade for Chris Paul. While CP3 may not be their top option, it’s possible he could end up being their best available option.
3. He’s Perfect Fit for LeBron James.
Besides being good friends, LeBron James and Chris Paul have dreamed of playing with each other and rued the opportunity they missed when David Stern voided the New Orleans Pelicans’ CP3 trade to the Lakers 8 years ago. Now grizzled 35-year old veterans, there’s a chance they could finally be teammates if the stars align and the Lakers have the assets and will to take on Chris’ $85 million contract and bring him aboard as their third superstar.
Any lingering questions of how Chris Paul would fit playing with LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been answered by Rajon Rondo’s recent sensational play and electrifying performance in the playoffs for the Lakers. He would give the Lakers the third superstar they’ve been searching for and an elite scorer and playmaker who can play who can run the offense and get the ball to Anthony Davis with or without LeBron James on the court.
Chris is basically a full-time full-year version of Playoff Rondo who’s a better shooter, playmaker, and defender who’d elevate the Lakers to superteam status and make them odds-on favorites to win two more championships.
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There’s been a lot of talk about the Milwaukee Bucks going after Chris Paul in hopes of getting Giannis to sign a supermax contract but the numbers just don’t work. The problem is the Bucks would have to give up at least $32 million in salary in the trade, which would have to include at least two of three key players (Bledsoe, Lopez, and Hill) and only Hill’s contract would be expiring and Bledsoe and Lopez are key components to the Bucks’ success. Lakers meanwhile should have $32 million in expiring to offer OKC.
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Same logic applies to the 76ers. They also lack the expiring contracts and would have to include key players just to put together $32 million in contracts. OKC might as well keep CP3 unless they can get out of the $45M the second year.
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Actually, an amnesty clause in the next CBA would be a smart move as it would lead to several vets who can still play migrating to and improving the top competitive teams. Would help the TV ratings
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True but there’s going to be an amnesty for sure considering the pandemic. Anticipating an amnesty clause might change what teams do this offseason, especially for teams with contracts like CP3.
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Sometimes, it seems like the Lakers never get the respect they deserve. LeBron has a valid gripe about only getting 16 out of 101 votes for MVP. As does AD for not winning DPOY. Too many East Coast media types who don’t stay up to watch West Coast games. It’s insulting that Rajon Rondo’s and Dwight Howard’s contributions to the Lakers winning get less attention than the numerous memes dissing their HOF careers. Ef those saying Playoff Rondo is a myth or comparing PG to Dwight. Going to love seeing the haters and doubters eating their crow when the Lakers’ Four Horseman win the franchise’s 17th championship.
And a roaring shout out to Frank Vogel and the Lakers’ coaching staff for the fabulous job they’ve done these playoffs not only in putting together great game plans for our opponents but also getting the players ready to play and making the smart savvy adjustments like starting Dwight instead of JaVale in the second half. And Kudos for McGee still leading the cheering from the bench. The team first culture Vogel and his staff and LeBron and AD have instilled in this team is why they’re in the conference finals and the Bucks and Clippers have been sent fishing.