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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreAfter the Houston Rockets’ Game 1 Round 2 upset of the Los Angeles Lakers, there are renewed calls for Frank Vogel to change his starting lineup but what he actually needs to do is change the style his team is playing.
Heading into the playoffs, the concern was the Lakers’ ability to contain the Rockets’ small ball offense. While the Lakers still need to adjust defensively, their real problem in Game 1 was beating the Rockets’ small ball defense. The smaller, tougher Rocket’s defenders were essentially able to bully and outplay the taller Lakers’ players in the paint at both ends of the court, winning points-in-the-paint and tying them in the battle of the boards.
Benching traditional back-to-basket centers is only part of the solution to matching up with the Rockets’ crafty small ball lineup. Starting and playing Anthony Davis or Markieff Morris at center will help the Lakers defensively. But pounding the ball inside to Anthony Davis against PJ Tucker is exactly what the Rockets want. You don’t beat them just by going small on offense. You actually need to play small, which means without a traditional center.
While the Rockets offense is revolutionary, their strategy on defense uses simple time-tested traditional tactics of packing the paint, keeping their opponents from getting to the rim, and forcing them to shoot long jumpers. Starting Anthony Davis at center and isolating him in the post against the smaller PJ Tucker is fools’ gold. It only clogs the lane, prevents LeBron from getting to the rim, and ultimately helps the Rocket’s defensive strategy.
What the Lakers need to do to beat Houston’s switch-everything defense is abandon trying to take advantage of their height in the post and instead spread the defense to open the floor for LeBron and AD to attack the rim. The way to beat Houston’s defense is to unpack the paint and eliminate any rim protection by playing 5-out sets positioning five players who can effectively shoot the three and attack the basket behind the 3-point line.
Players who could be good fits for 5-out sets include starters LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Danny Green plus reserves Kyle Kuzma, Alex Caruso, Markieff Morris, and Dion Waiters. Frank Vogel would be smart to consider playing an eight-player rotation of those players against the Houston Rockets. They could match up on defense and enable the Lakers to spread the floor and attack the paint on offense.
You’ll notice that I did not include Rajon Rondo in that eight-player rotation because he lacks the 3-point gravity necessary to keep his defender from sagging off him to clog up the middle and is a liability on the defensive end. Besides a respectful loyalty to JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard for their contributions to winning the West, Vogel needs to understand this is not the right series for Rondo or McGee or Howard to play. Not against the Rockets.
While the Lakers also lost Game 1 to the Blazers, what’s scary about losing the first game against the Rockets is how they beat LA at their own game. They didn’t dominate by raining threes. They played smarter basketball. Like Mike Budenholzer, whose refusal to make changes has the Bubble Bucks on the verge of being swept by the Heat, Frank Vogel’s reluctance to adjust his lineups or style of play may end up costing the Bubble Lakers.
Right now, the Lakers aren’t in great danger but if Vogel continues to rely on his usual lineups and rotations and the Lakers lose Game 2 to the Rockets and go down 0–2, the odds of them winning the series plummet to just 7%. While that’s not the 0% odds facing the Bucks, it’s not where the Lakers want to be 2 games into the series, which means Vogel needs to get serious and make major adjustments before Sunday’s Game 2 against Houston.
The changes Frank needs to make are simple. On offense, he needs to bench McGee and Howard, give their roles and minutes to Kuzma, Caruso, Morris, and Waiters, and spread the floor with 5-out sets to free LeBron and AD. Defensively, he should consider playing a triangle and two zone to double Harden at the half-court line, commit defenders to prevent easy corner threes, and keep Anthony Davis in the middle for rim protection.
The bottom line is LeBron James and Anthony Davis are being outplayed by James Harden and Russell Westbrook but a big part of the blame is due to Frank Vogel stubbornly refusing to change his lineups and strategies.
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Good read LT, have to admire your commitment to what is really a D’Antoni-esque style of coaching. There are definitely things I agree with in this article (play the players who produce, going 0-2 is bad, Vogel is unlikely to make the adjustments brought up in your article, and definitely that the Rockets will go nova from three at some point) I can’t imagine a world where Frank Vogel re-works the Laker offense between Friday night and tomorrow evening. Nor are we going to outright relegate players to the pine because they’re tall.
Where I think you’ll see changes are in the minutes played and with whom. It was foolhardy to trot out a never-played together-before-ever in the playoffs. Vogel has to realize that preseason ended almost a year ago and I think there’s a lot of that frustration embroiled in your write up and likely in a large number of Lakers fans, in general. However, this was always going to be an issue for the Lakers based on how late they acquired new players, the timing of COVID-19 and Avery Bradley opting not to play.
If we’re going to break down the minutes lets not preplan foul trouble. In an ideal Laker world Alex Caruso isn’t play 16 minutes. It’s closer to 25 and that adds a lot of defense and toughness that felt lacking in Game 1. That’s a bonus. I think you might also see less Kuzma and maybe even a little less Dwight (hard to imagine him playing much fewer than the 11 minutes he played on Friday night, tho).
Where I think you can save yourself some personal aggravation is in hoping Vogel changes the starting 5. I don’t get the feeling that he’ll change that at any point. It’s a respect thing, it’s what got us here (minus Avery bradley, of course) and to that point I truly thinl the only change woud be switching KCP out of the starting guard spot he currently inhabits. McGee is starting, it’s real hard for me to see that changing for Frank. KCP has flitted in and out of the starting line up (Rondo started 3 games this season) and I could see Rajon getting the nod for a couple reasons: to start the game off giving LeBron less duties as the primary distributor and getting a vet in after warming up.
I feel liek we alo need to do battle better at a mental level. Harden is annoyingly good player who adds a fair amount of drama because of his propensity to get whistles in his favor. That doesn’t mesh well with Dwight, KCP or Kuzma who get too into the refs for guys of their station. LeBron? Definitely, AD, defnitely, Rondo, OK sure. After that, let it go. They’re calling those fouls for James Harden and when they don’t he’ll go apoplectic. It’ll happen in at least one game. Dwight has a little more leash on this one than Kuz but all our hot head dudes need to figure out how to get over it and move on.
The main way we can improve our chances to win, I feel given what we know about our team and Frank Vogel, is to not so mcu double-down on playing big but focus on playing big better. Playing big better will negate a lot of the advantages we ceded to Housont in Game 1 and will put the emotional drama on Houston. P.J. Tucker has never agreed with a foul called on him in his life, same goes for a lot fo Houston. You have to attack that collapsing defense a lot smarter than we were able to on Friday and that doesn’t just mean chucking threes.
Having said that, we need to be better from three. The whole 5-out, triangle, whole new offense in a couple days thing is unrealistic. It ain’t happening. But guys like Danny Green, KCP and Kuzma need to be at least 35% as a group. If they’re all hitting it’ll really open up LeBron and AD’s game but at least one of them has to be hot in a quarter. That’s it. I think that, if AD and LeBron play more to type and we don’t get too into the refs and out of our identity it’ll be enough against most teams on most nights. In a way that’s exactly what the Bubble is: teams on a night. No fans, boring atmosphere, no smell of nachos. Weird.
All that’s cool but let’s all say it again: we’re going as far as Anthony Davis and LeBron James take us. They got outplayed, by Harden early and Westbrook late. That’s the Houston pattern. Everyone seems mystified that Harden takes a backseat late in games a lot. I’m not, the dude is tired and Russell Westbrook has the power of star inside of him. Not a TMZ star, a ball of hyper-hot gas exploding on an atomic level every second of it’s life. They’ll switch that pattern up, or try to, and that’s where we have to be quicker to adapt. We have to be like the freaking Borg in this series.
But, like you said, I’m not sure Frank has it in him or even that guys like AD or LBJ agree that those kind of changes to any of it need be made. For all we know this is exactly what those two guys have been asking for behind closed doors. We’ll likely never know. My hope is guys like Green and KCP produce, Caruso starys out of foul trouble and LeBron and AD show up for a full 48. I think it’s going to happen and we’ll see a sharpe, more in tune Laker squad tomorrow night.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreDespite a dismal showing in the bubble and first playoff game and calls from pundits and fans to change the Lakers’ starting lineup, Frank Vogel elected to stay with the players who got him to the dance and it paid off.
In their four straight playoff wins over the Blazers, the Lakers’ starting lineup of James, Davis, McGee, Green, and Caldwell-Pope had a 5-player offensive rating of 147.1, defensive rating of 97.1, and net rating of 50.0. They outscored the Blazers by 50 points when on the court while shooting 60.4% from the field and 55.0% from deep while holding Portland to 44.6% from the field and 25.0% from deep, best for any Lakers’ lineups.
The individual stats for the Lakers’ starters during the four-game win steak also confirmed Vogel’s trust and confidence as all five, along with Kuzma and Caruso, posted positive net ratings and positive plus/minus ratings. Vogel’s likely to continue to rely on and give major minutes to this 7-player rotation featuring starters James, Davis, McGee, Green, and Caldwell-Pope and reserves Kuzma and Caruso as the Lakers advance in the playoffs.
While they haven’t played as well as those in the core rotation, three other players who will get minutes depending on the opponent and matchups are Dwight Howard, Markieff Morris, and Rajon Rondo, now back from injury. The biggest lineup challenges Vogel will face is what to do with McGee and Howard if the Lakers have to play teams like the Rockets, Nuggets, Bucks, Raptors, or Heat, who all have centers who are capable 3-point shooters.
While the Lakers have thrived all season playing big when opposing teams go small, the playoffs present a different challenge and game-to-game adjustments become more important the deeper teams go into the playoffs. It will be interesting to see what Vogel does with McGee and Howard should the Lakers face the Rockets in the second round. Javale has played well while Dwight has struggled but neither is good as a perimeter defender.
The Lakers best lineups are when they go small ball with Davis or Morris at the five and McGee and Howard on the bench, which they did just 26% of the time in the regular season and only 33% of the time in the playoffs. Going forward, the Lakers are likely to play small close to half of the time, like they did back in March when they swept the Bucks and Clippers in back-to-back game with Davis or Morris playing center 48% of the time.
Overall, Vogel’s done an exemplary job managing the Lakers’ rotations when you consider the varying playing time he’s given McGee and Howard and the challenge of integrating late additions Morris, Waiters, and Smith. While he’s been hesitant to change his starting lineups, he’s embraced playing small with Davis or Morris at the five when matchups demanded it and done a good job doling out minutes to allow everybody to contribute.
Lakers’ head coach Frank Vogel should be congratulated for staying with the players who got him to the dance and not listening to the critics who demanded changes. Hopefully, he’ll continue to make the right calls.
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This could be considered to be my apology article to Frank Vogel, which became inevitable after I reviewed the 5-player lineup stats for the starters over the 4-game win streak over Portland as well as the offensive, defensive, and plus/minus stats for all Lakers.
As Frank predicted and had faith, the shots fell and the team played great defense except for the last game, which was understandable and written off to human nature. I still have some concern about whether he’ll try to play McGee and Howard too much when we face stretch five centers but I have to trust the stats from back in March when we went small half the time against the Bucks and Clippers.
Of course, I don’t have a problem being wrong as I would much rather the Lakers win than I end up being right. Just don’t want to be right and have the Lakers lose. Good job, Frank. Glad you were right and I was wrong.
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lol, for all the early Bubble hand-wringing and scrapping the team identity when we were losing meaningless games it was never a surprise Vogel stuck with what got us here. Greatness never comes from questioning one’s self simply because you’re on a slight down swing. If anything the seeding games provided us with one thing we didn’t already know: Dion Waiters fits OK on this team. Hasn’t’ meant he gets a meaningful role in the playoffs.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreThe Los Angeles Lakers shut down the Portland Blazers’ Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum but they’ll face an infinitely more daunting challenge slowing down Houston Rockets’ superstars James Harden and Russell Westbrook.
Not only did the Rockets beat the Lakers two of the three times they met during the regular season but their small ball approach could be a challenge for a Los Angeles team that starts a traditional back-to-the-basket center. The outcome of the series could depend whether Lakers’ head coach Frank Vogel to is willing to adjust his starters and rotations to the Rockets’ style of play or whether he wants to stay the course and stick with his usual lineups.
While Vogel has been reluctant all year to change his starting lineups, he’s acknowledged Houston’s small ball style could necessitate some changes. Here are four adjustments the Lakers need to make to beat the Rockets:
1. Start Anthony Davis at Center.
The Lakers need to go small to match up with the Rockets, who are going to start five players under 6′ 7″ and run a five-out offense with all five players behind the 3-point line to spread the defense and eliminate rim protection. That makes McGee and Howard, who averaged 33.6 minutes in the three games against the Rockets, liabilities. The Lakers need to counter Houston’s small ball lineup by starting Davis at the five and Kuzma at the four.
The Lakers need to resist the temptation to try to defeat the Rockets with their usual starting lineup and rotations. Houston can’t be forced play a different style because they’ve set their roster to only be able to play small. McGee or Howard defending 3-point shooters on the perimeter can’t work defensively and makes it hard for the Lakers’ to match threes offensively. The only solution is to play Anthony Davis and Markieff Morris at the five.
Thinking you can counter the Rockets’ 3-point shooting by pounding the ball inside on offense plays right into their hands. 3 points are greater than 2. The Lakers need to adjust their lineups and go small to beat the Rockets.
2. Double Team James Harden.
The Lakers would be wise to deploy the double team tactics that worked against Damian Lillard against James Harden to limit his shots and force him to give up the ball. Containing Harden is a key to beating the Rockets. The Lakers double teamed Harden in the team’s three previous meetings and held him to just 29.0 points per game vs. 34.3 for season and 32.0% from deep vs. 35.5% for season while forcing 6.3 turnovers per game.
The big question is how the Lakers defend the other four Rockets’ players. Rather than having everybody scramble to rotate after doubling Harden, the Lakers should consider playing a 2-1-2 zone to keep AD in the middle. Once you double Harden, you’re already playing 4 against 3 so it makes sense to try and eliminate high percentage layups and corner threes and force more lower percentage mid-range twos and above-the-break threes.
Turning the Harden double team into a zone is the kind of out-of-the-box move a coach like Nick Nurse would embrace. It would make life easier for the players not doubling and could be sprinkled in to surprise the Rockets.
3. Make and Take More Threes.
The Rockets’ goal is to transform the game into a 3-point shooting contest and create a mathematical mismatch by hoisting 50 to 60 threes, making 20 to 25 of them, and outscoring their opponents from deep by 20 to 30 points. So far in the playoffs, the Rockets have made 19.2 of 52.8 threes taken per game while the Thunder have only made 11.2 of 37.2 threes taken per game. That’s a differential of 8 more threes and 24 more points per game.
Meanwhile, the Lakers so far have made only 12.0 of the 35.0 threes taken per game in the playoffs, which means there’s no way they’re going to win the series against the Rockets unless they they take a lot more 3-point shots. The Rockets won two of the three regular season games the teams played by averaging 10 more threes for 30 more points per game. The Lakers must cut that differential at least in half to defeat the Rockets and win this series.
That means, if the Rockets are going to take 50 to 60 threes per game, then the Lakers need to take at least 40 to 50 threes per game to keep pace and keep the 3-point differential to no more than 5 made threes and 15 points.
4. Unleash LeBron and AD from Deep.
For the Lakers to beat the Rockets, LeBron and AD need take and make their 3-point shots, which they didn’t do versus the Rockets in the regular season where James was just 3 for 15 on threes and Davis didn’t attempt a three. Without LeBron and AD taking and making their share of threes, there is no way the Lakers can keep pace with the Rockets who are going to launch 50 to 60 threes and drain 20 to 25 of them for a 20 to 30 point differential.
The good news is James and Davis have dramatically improved their 3-point shooting in the playoffs. LeBron is second on the team with 13 makes on 28 takes for 46.4% while Davis is fourth with 7 makes on 18 takes for 38.9%. The Lakers are going to need LeBron and AD to be even more aggressive and efficient from deep if they want to beat the Rockets. They can’t afford to be outscored by 20 points from deep if they want to win the series.
The Lakers need to run plays to get LeBron and AD more wide open threes. They should take advantage of pick-and-pops for Davis at the top of the key and have LeBron take the open threes when defenders go under screens.
In many ways, this series will be a repeat of the Lakers’ first round matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers. The media will portray the Rockets as a deadly landmine waiting to blow up the Lakers and predict a 7-game series. But the Rockets have no answer for LeBron James and Anthony Davis whereas the Lakers’ defense has the tools to slow down James Harden and Russell Westbrook. The Lakers just need to make and take enough threes.
The Rockets will be a tougher challenge because of their style of play but the Lakers will win the series in 5 games. Houston doesn’t have the offense to beat the Lakers’ defense or the defense to stop the Lakers’ offense.
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One of the risks of writing articles about the Lakers next playoff opponent before a series is over is you could be wrong and then you’ve done all this work for naught. One solution to avoid that outcome is to publish the article early. So, since the Lakers get some more time off and are taking the day off, here is my analysis of the Lakers and Rockets second round playoff series, should it happen.
I actually think the odds favor the Rockets winning the Game 7 in the series tomorrow. While I think the Lakers would have an easier time with the Thunder, I just don’t see them pulling off the upset although it would be sweet to see Chris Paul get revenge on Morey for trading him for Westbrook. No doubt CP3 clearly outplayed Russ yesterday. Paul went for the kill while Russs looked out of shape and not ready for prime time.
I won’t be disappointed if the Rockets win because I think they would finally force Frank Vogel to make changes. It’s interesting to see the coaches like Vogel who refuse to make changes do versus those like Nurse or Spoelstra who are willing and eager to adjust their lineups and rotations. Eric’s decision to start Dragic in the playoffs looks like a great move.
Looking across the league, it’s the teams in the East who have stretch five centers who are competing to get to the Finals: Milwaukee, Miami, Boston, and Toronto. Meanwhile, the best two teams in the West – Lakers and Clippers – are playing with traditional back-to-the-basket centers. Lakers might be better off having to face the Rockets to get ready for whomever is coming out of the East.
Anyway, love to hear what you think of my game plan for the Lakers versus the Rockets, whether that ends up to be the matchup or not. 3 > 2. Lakers need AD at the five.
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Don’t count those eggs. Not only do i think we’d have a hard time containing Chris Paul should the Thunder advance but that either opponent is likely to push the series to a solid 6 games.
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LOL. I was more worried the Thunder would win and the time I spent writing the article would be wasted. I wanted to make sure to get the story published before it was too late. We’ll take either in 5 games.
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Now that the Rockets lucked out and managed to eke out the win over the Thunder, it looks like all my work on how the Lakers can beat the Rockets crazy small ball attack was not for naught .
In many ways, the Rockets are probably going to be mentally and physically exhausted just to get to the second round, not unlike how the Blazers were relieved just to make the playoffs after their arduous quest. They’ll surely have an uphill battle against the rested Lakers, who should take the series in 5 games.
I won’t deny I was rooting for the underdog Thunder to win and CP3 to get his revenge. Have to give kudos for Chris and the OKC coaches and players for a great series. Lakers should consider trading for CP3 to optimize LeBron’s last few years. He still is a bonafide NBA superstar.
Please give my article a read now that it’s become relevant. It outlines a solid blueprint for how the Lakers should play on offense and defense against the Rockets and what the traps are they should be careful to avoid. Let me know your comments below. Thanks.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreWhile the Lakers have what may be the best defense in the NBA playoffs, their offense is prone to struggling, especially when their shooters are not hitting from deep and teams are packing the paint to limit their superstars.
The Lakers’ offense needs a third superstar who’s a guard, a center who can stretch the floor, and a coaching staff who can create an offensive scheme to better empower superstar forwards LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Making savvy moves to accomplish these three goals during the coming offseason should be the Lakers’ top priority. Here are three exciting moves they should make to upgrade their offense to match their elite defense:
1. Re-sign DeMarcus Cousins
Despite evidence the Lakers’ best lineup is with Anthony Davis at the five, the Lakers don’t appear interested in making that their starting or primary lineup at this time since Davis continues to prefer to play power forward.
The dilemma the Lakers face is the two centers they currently rely upon are both traditional back-to-the-basket defensive centers JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard, who tend to clog up the paint and hurt offensive spacing. Because Vogel’s a strong believer great defense starts inside-out with rim protection, any Lakers’ stretch five center will need to be able defensively to hold his ground in the post as well as be a legit threat as a 3-point shooter.
Re-signing DeMarcus Cousins is the logical answer to finding a center who can space the floor as well as defend in the low post. Cousins experience playing alongside Anthony Davis in New Orleans make the ideal choice. Before his Achilles injury two years ago, Boogie was on pace to become the first center in NBA history to take over 500 and make close to 200 threes, which was why the Lakers originally signed him at the start of last season.
NBA observers expect Dwight Howard to leave the Lakers in free agency this offseason and DeMarcus Cousins to be re-signed as his replacement. Re-signing Boogie would be the first step to upgrading the Lakers’ offense.
2. Trade for Victor Oladipo
The Pacers’ poor performance in the NBA playoffs has resulted in the firing of head coach Nate McMillan and rumors the team should trade 28-year old All-Star guard Victor Oladipo before he becomes a free agent next season.
The arguments to trade Oladipo include concerns about the small market Pacers’ financial ability to retain him in free agency and worries regarding his health and fit with a team that played better without him than with him. Right now, the Pacers are not able to offer Victor an extension for more than 20% more than the $21 million he is going to be paid next season, which means they would have to wait until next season if they want to keep him.
Waiting to try and sign Oladipo to a max contract two offseasons from now raises the risk of losing him for nothing, which the Pacers cannot afford to do. That’s why everybody expects them to look to trade him this offseason. Oladipo will also have the same leverage Anthony Davis used to force his way to the Lakers by threatening not to re-sign if the Pacers don’t trade him to a team he prefers, which could open the door for the Lakers to get him.
LeBron should follow Kawhi’s example with PG and meet with Victor and convince him to demand a trade to the Lakers for Kuzma, Green, and a pick. It would be an opportunity for Victor to win a ring with LeBron and AD.
3. Hire Alvin Gentry
There’s no question Frank Vogel’s a great defensive coach and has done a fantastic job coaching LeBron James and Anthony Davis and positioned the Lakers to have a great chance at winning their 17th NBA championship.
But the Lakers’ offense has not been as dominating as their defense despite having two top-five superstars. The offense relies too heavily on isolation plays for their superstars and lacks the elite spacing of a modern offense. The front office and the difficulty of building a championship roster with limited cap space and trade assets are partially responsible but the coaching staff also deserves blame for the team’s static and dated offensive schemes.
The New Orleans Pelicans’ firing of head coach Alvin Gentry could give the Lakers the perfect opportunity to upgrade their coaching staff with one of the brightest and most respected offensive minds in today’s NBA game. Before his stint as Pelicans’ head coach, Gentry was the lead assistant under Steve Kerr at Golden State and the architect responsible for transforming the Warriors’ offense into a legendary championship juggernaut.
Vogel likes having former head coaches on his staff and we’re likely to have a vacancy. Frank needs an offensive coordinator to innovate that side of the game and Alvin Gentry would be the perfect candidate for the position.
There will surely be changes to the Lakers’ roster next season whether or not they win the championship. Anthony Davis, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Avery Bradley, JaVale McGee, and Rajon Rondo all have player options. Dwight Howard, Markieff Morris, Dion Waiters, Jared Dudley, and two-way players Devontae Cacok and Kostas Antetokounmpo will all be free agents. There’s rumors the Lakers could lose Bradley and Howard to free agency.
While the Lakers won’t have cap space, they will have a $9 million MLE, which they could use to sign a veteran point guard like Goran Dragic, who would be the perfect replacement if Avery Bradley opted out of his contract. An upgraded Lakers’ starting lineup next season of Goran Dragic, Victor Oladipo, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and DeMarcus Cousins backed by Rondo, Caruso, KCP, Morris, and McGee would be championship caliber.
With the pandemic forcing teams to cut expenses, a rich local television contract, and an ownership committed to winning, the Lakers should have opportunities next season to upgrade their offense to match their defense.
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As we have a few days off before we head into the second round of the playoffs, I wanted to take a quick glimpse into the future considering the recent news that (1) the Lakers would likely be playing the small ball Houston Rockets in the second round, (2) the Pelicans fired head coach Alvin Gentry, and (3) the Pacers are likely to trade Victor Oladipo this offseason to prevent losing him for nothing as a free agent the following offseason. It’s my opinion that each of these three events could portend a possible blueprint for the Lakers to upgrade their roster this offseason.
First, it’s no secret I believe the Lakers need to modernize their offense by having a stretch five center who can pull opposing centers away from the rim to open up lanes for LeBron James and Anthony Davis to attack the paint. It also appears that AD is not willing to play the five full time or Frank Vogel is not willing to play him at the five full time. In that case, the only solution is for the Lakers to replace one of their traditional centers with a stretch five and Boogie would be the logical choice although there are other candidates like Marc Gasol or Aron Baynes.
Second, the Lakers need a third superstar and he should be a guard since all of the great sperstar duos or trios included a backcourt player. Kobe and Shaq, MJ and Pippen, Magic and Kareem. I believe the Lakers logical target should be Victor Oladipo, who could deplay the same strategy that AD used to force a trade from New Orleans to Los Angeles. I think it would take Victor saying he would not re-sign if traded to any other team but the Lakers to get him for Kuzma, Green, and a first. There are other candidates but none with the leverage that Victor will have this offseason.
Finally, Vogel needs help on the offensive side. He’s a great coach and a defensive genius but still is behind the times on the offensive side of the game. Alvin Gentry, who was the architect of the Warrior’s offensive resurgence would be the perfect addition as he’s already familiar with Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins from his Pelicans days. Frank’s always liked having savvy former coaches on his staff and we’re likely to lose Jason Kidd to one of the current NBA coaching vacancies.
Three exciting moves the Lakers could make this offseason to transform their offense into the best in the league to match their #1 ranked defense. Let me know what you think. Thanks.
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Tom, please stop with this infatuation with Victor Oladipo. You’re beginning to concern me…
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Gerald,
See my response to you above. What is your concern? There are numerous teams including Miami who are high on trading for Victor. There is no better potentially guard than Victor whom the Lakers can pursue.
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This response if for DJ and Gerald,
There are several reasons why pursuing Victor Oladipo rather than Bradley Beal, Damian Lillard, or CJ McCollum makes more sense for the Lakers.
First issue is availability. None of the four players being discussed are free agents this offseason. Beal, Lillard, and McCollum are all on contracts with multiple years to go and none of their teams has any intention of trading any of them.
Oladipo, however, is in the exact same situation that Anthony Davis was with one year to go on his contract and his team worried about losing him for nothing in free agency the following offseason. That’s the #1 reason why the Lakers should pursue him. He is available. The others aren’t.
Second issue is whether the Lakers have enough tradable assets to acquire the player. What the Lakers have in the form of trading chips is Kyle Kuzma, Danny Green ($15M expiring contract), and their #28 first round pick. That’s probably not enough to get any of the players we’re discussing, including Oladipo. But Victor has the same leverage AD had and can force the Pacers to trade him to the Lakers if he wants to. That’s the #2 reason you pursue him.
Third issue is fit. As Kuzma has learned, there’s not a lot of shots left after LeBron and AD so a heavy usage player like Beal, Dame, or CJ, who are not going to be satisfied with being the #3 player on a team. Coming off an injury and tired of losing, playing with LeBron and AD could appeal to Victor. At 6′ 4″ he’s a player who at his peak two years ago was an elite scorer and led the league in steals. Lakers need a superstar guard and Oladipo is available, affordable (with his help), and a perfect fit.
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Defense is another reason why Oladipo would be a perfect fit on the Lakers:
“Oladipo is a disruptive defender (15th-most steals since 2013-14, 10th-most defensive win shares among guards over that stretch), a shot-creator (for himself and his teammates) and a capable shooter (career 35.0 percent from three). He can thrive alongside Young and prevent the pitfalls this offense suffered when he took a seat.”
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2906488-surprising-offseason-trades-for-nba-lottery-teams
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreIt was quintessential LeBron James taking control of the chaotic boycott created by the Milwaukee Bucks’ players and threatening to take his ball and go home to pressure the NBA to do more to support racial justice.
To begin with, I find it impossible to believe LeBron James really wanted to cancel the playoffs despite how angry and disappointed he may have been with the lack of progress and support for the Black Live Matter movement. Remember LeBron’s first comment after the Milwaukee players announced their decision to boycott their game with Orlando was an Instagram post reminding everyone the playoffs were “BOYCOTTED NOT POSTPONED.”
No disrespect to his commitment to Black Lives Matter as we all know how hard LeBron has fought for justice, education, and opportunity for the black community but he’s also on a mission to win his fourth NBA championship. As Kevin Ding reported, LeBron’s mission has always been two-fold: “Play the game at a high level. Bring a championship back to L.A., hopefully. And continue to push the envelope on creating change for my people.”
These are not mutually exclusive goals. In fact, they’re synchronized goals that are best accomplished synergistically. The more successful LeBron is as a pro basketball player, the more power he has to lobby for social change. LeBron’s also smart enough to understand the source of his social power is his standing as one of the greatest players in league history and the NBA playoffs are his best platform and opportunity to wield that power.
The behind-the-scenes reporting is LeBron and players from other NBA teams were blindsided and infuriated by the decision of the Bucks’ players because they acted alone, without notice to, or in concert with other teams. LeBron’s informal vote to cancel the playoffs and decision to walk out of the meeting was to send a message to players who didn’t understand the stakes and pressure the NBA for more support in the fight against racial injustice.
The media reports about how the ensuing meetings and discussions were able to convince LeBron to change his stance and support continuing the playoffs are laughable and naïve and insult his social savvy and intelligence. More than any superstar in sports, LeBron understands how to use his platform as the face of the NBA to lobby for and force social change. LeBron was playing chess while the rest of the players were playing checkers.
The morning after LeBron walked out, the players had a meeting and came to a unanimous decision to move forward with the playoffs. That evening they discussed their decision on a group team call with the league owners. Per Taylor Rooks: “Lebron was the last player to speak on the call and delivered a strong, thoughtful message to the owners that the work has to continue, and the owners have to truly dedicate to advancing this cause.”
Why LeBron grabbed the mike at the end of that meeting was to remind the NBA the viability of the playoffs depends on his and the Lakers participation and the league needs to step up to the plate and do more for racial justice. From Taylor Rooks this morning: “The NBA and NBPA took major steps toward tangible change and social justice. That is the most important part of these two days. Progression and the advancement of equality.”
This morning, the NBA and NBPA announced three new measures designed to support social justice and racial equality: (1) A social justice coalition to promote access to voting, civic engagement, and meaningful police and criminal justice reform. (2) A commitment to work to convert NBA arenas and facilities into safe in-person voting locations. (3) An program with NBA partners to provide advertising spots during each game to promote voting.
It’s not a coincidence the new measures announced by the NBA align with goals of the Voting Rights Group LeBron James and other black athletes and entertainers created to protect and promote African-American voting rights. LeBron James, Chris Paul, and players pushing for social change know legitimate progress on racial justice, education, and opportunity issues is totally dependent on black Americans voting in the November election.
LeBron is now taking flack from Stephen A. Smith and some of the younger players for acting like he was a king and taking over the boycott to push his agenda but that’s what great leaders do when chaos offers opportunity.
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One thing that’s worrisome is the NBPA does not seem to be in total agreement as to how to proceed and the comments by Stephen A. Smith about the younger players being upset at LeBron taking over the mike and talking for 15 minutes at the end of the owners’ call are concerning.
Obviously, I have a different take in that I think LeBron took advantage of the chaotic situation to choreograph additional concessions from the NBA to help his ‘More Than a Vote’ non-profit organization he created last month to educate and register African-Americans to become involved and vote.
Please read the article and give my your take. I think this was a masterfl masterful move by LeBron and a sign he recognizes how important it is for black Americans to start participating in our democracy. They have the power and just need to be shown how to wield it by learning and voting.
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Lakerholics, please give a hearty welcome to a new member, Curt Brown AKA Kortezcb. Met Curt on Twitter where we’ve had some great conversations and it’s great to have him join Lakerholics. Welcome to community, Curt.
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Listen to the video with Skip and Shannon as they confirm everything I said in the above article. Shannon’s opening comments were spot on.
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I don’t know about all this ‘masterful moves’ and chess vs. checkers’ projecting people are doing with this. For my part I don’t need to project what I feel or want onto what the NBA is doing. It’s two very different things. On the one hand you have a multi-billion, corporate institution that is working with one of the most powerful unions on planet Earth whose members are mainly African American and millionaire athletes. That’s a pretty unique combination.
What the NBPA chooses to do push their agenda and what the owners choose to do to support, or not support, is one thing. How those 2 entities choose to co-exist and move the sport forward is a completely different discussion. Let’s be honest about a couple of things:
-This wouldn’t be happening were it not for COVID-19. The time the players spent in their communities during the height of the pandemic wouldn’t existnnot have been had it not been for the league choosing safety over profit as quickly and instantly as it did. The Bubble wouldn exist, this large number of alpha-male players wouldn’t be in a pressure cooker together. And so on. So much about this is unprecedented.
-The NBA or any other sporting league won’t “fix” this issue. Politicians, either. You can’t legislate morality or good behavior. If that were the case making it illegal to drink and drive would have been the one step needed to reduce alchol-related car fatalities, for example. What we’re talking about is providing platforms and messaging so, in that regard, it’s almost cartoonish in my opinion to bestow gloaing praise on anyone for making bold strides forward. We’re improving our ability to create a constructive dialogue would be a better way to frame all of this. Is it a dialogue long over-due and on the right side of morality and justice? Hell yes, hell yes it is. But this won’t produce a tangible fix.
-Lastly LeBron is one man and I can say that, were I to be a player that wasn’t LeBron I wouldn’t necessarilly want him to commandeer the mic and take the stage in a way few are allowed to do in terms of social acceptance. This is not necessarilly LeBron’s fault. It’s not his fault that FOX news told him to ‘shut up and dribble’ or that the President of the United States singles him out on Twitter and all of that. But he’s also no Muhammad Ali or Lew Alcindor, at best he’s better than Jordan and Kobe ever were on social issues. He, like all of us, has much to improve on in terms of allowing the lowliest of us to have a chance to shine. Is he a succsful athlete? yup, one of the best and most succesful in the sport of basketball. Has he done well for himself? Absolutely, he and his busines partners have made a lot of the right moves in making the LeBron brna d a global and respected one. None of that means he’s right or that he can’t just walk out of a meeting angrily and wake up with a cooler head. In fact if you read Mark Medina’s post below it sounsd like that’s exactly what happened according to Danny Green (no insult intended to Skip or Shannon’s “journalistic” skills sets…). People are not in their right kind when they are as hot as it sounds like the players got, when there’s nowhere to go but your boring hotel room away from all your creature comforts, family and friends. That’s just a human being a human. I, for one, don’t feel the need to project a more impressive version or less-human aspect to that. Better to let it be real.
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What happened is the Bucks jumped the gun and created a chaotic sitation and LeBron used his power to control and direct it towards the goals he and CP3 had been working on.
The reality is LeBron does have the power no other player has and he used it. Had he decided he was going to go home, these playoffs would now be over. Any other interpretation ignores the elephant in the room. No LeBron and Lakers? No playoffs. Period.
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There always are, of course, multiple ways a coach can adjust his offense and defense to counter a bad performance. My concern is Vogel having too much confidence in the lineups and style of play that got the Lakers top seed in the West to make any changes. That was an admirable trait during the regular season but could be a real liability in the playoffs.
But if the shots don’t fall and LeBron and AD still cannot find space to attack the rim, McGee and Howard still don’t contribute much at either end, the danger is the Lakers could go down 0-2 and only 27 out of 394 (6.4%) teams have been able to come back and win the series. That’s a hole the Lakers do not want to fall into and we all know the Rockets are likely to go crazy and rain made threes down on the Lakers in one of the games in this series so Vogel cannot dither and wait.
Eight-player rotation with four starters – LeBron, AD, Green, and KCP – and four reserves – Kuzma, Caruso, Morris, and Waiters (No Rondo) – playing 5-out sets on offense and a triangle and two zone on defense with the guards doubling Harden, the forward sticking with the corner shooters, and AD protecting the rim in the middle. That’s what Vogel should do to make sure the Bubble Lakers don’t become the Bubble Bucks.