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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreIn the wake of Anthony Davis’ injury, the Los Angeles Lakers might have discovered how to transform their season with the emergence of a ‘Bench Big Three’ of Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, and Talen Horton-Tucker.
In the first three games of the second half of the NBA season, Trezz, Kuz, and THT have combined to score 45.7 points, 15.0 rebounds, and 13.3 assists in 17.7 minutes per game as the Lakers swept their first 3 games. During this win streak, the Lakers posted the league’s 5th best offensive and defensive ratings and 2nd best net rating while missing their starting power forward and center in Davis and Gasol and best defender in Caruso.
Harrell led the way, leading the Lakers in scoring followed by James and then Kuzma and Horton-Tucker. The bench’s 64.3 points per game was league best while the decimated starters 59 points was worst in the league. Trezz averaged 23.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.3 blocks in 28.8 minutes; Kuz 19.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists in 28.1 minutes; and THT 13.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists in 23.8 minutes per game.
While the breakout performances from Harrell, Kuzma, and Horton-Tucker were not against elite competition, they reflected major strategic changes in the Lakers’ half-court offense that could transform the Lakers’ season. Basically, the Lakers replaced their iso-heavy half court offense with a pick-and-roll dominated, share-the-ball approach that unleashed Harrell as a roller, opened lanes for Horton-Tucker, and created open threes for Kuzma.
The heart of the change in the Lakers’ half-court offense was the renewed focus on Montrezl Harrell in pick-and-rolls, which is why he averaged 20 points per game and won 6MOY honors with the Clippers last season. Needing a boost in scoring from the bench with Davis, Gasol, and Caruso out, Frank Vogel turned to Harrell and Trezz delivered. It was a move the Lakers should have taken greater advantage of the first half of the season.
The 3-game result was better ball and player movement, a jump in team field goal percentage from a league 8th best 48.1% to a league best 55.2% and assists from a league 17th best 24.5 to a league 3rd best 31.0 per game. Just as importantly, the Lakers increased their league 25nd 35.1% 3-point shooting to a league 4th best 41.3% and their league 8th best 22.8 free throw attempts per game to a league best 30.7 free throws per game.
Leading the charge to get the Lakers’ ‘Next Man Up’ mentality working was team captain LeBron James, who averaged 21.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 11.0 assists in just 32 minutes per game over the 3-game winning streak. Compensating for Anthony Davis’ injury and taking advantage of Joel Embiid’s injury to regain leadership in the regular season MVP race, LeBron posted back-to-back triple-doubles leading the Lakers to the last two wins.
Damian Jones capably filled in for starting center Marc Gasol averaging 7.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks in 17.8 minutes while Markieff Morris added 9.0 points and 6.3 rebounds replacing the inured Anthony Davis. Jones is slowly showing the decision to give him a second 10-day contract was prescient as his 108.5 offensive rating, 98.3 defensive rating, and 10.2 net rating were among the best on the Lakers for the 3 games.
The big question, of course, is were these three games just an anomaly? After all, Kuz, Trezz, and THT only averaged 13.8, 11.5, and 7.2 points per game before the last 3 games when they averaged 23.0, 19.0, and 13.3. While it’s doubtful the Lakers’ ‘Bench Big Three’ is going to perform at this level going forward, there is definitely optimism that the Lakers may have discovered how to get their bench going, even without LeBron and AD.
The Lakers have 3 more games before the March 24th trade deadline, including an important rematch Sunday with the rising Phoenix Suns, who beat the Lakers in their first game this season and are second in the West. That will be the big test for the Lakers’ ‘Bench Big Three’ and is likely to be the last game before the trade deadline. If Trezz, Kuz, and THT are able to continue their torrid play, it’s likely they’ll still be wearing purple and gold.
In any event, the last three games have shown the Lakers a potential path towards not only surviving but also winning while Anthony Davis is out. That’s something that could transform the Lakers’ championship hopes.
3 Comments-
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100% agree on this idea. Also Caruso’s concussion re-opened the door that had seemingly closed in the backup PG role for THT this season. Curious to see how his addition adds or detracts fro
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M the growth we’ve seen. Only three games and not too rated defenses but still encouraging.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreIn retrospect, the Lakers need to rethink what they need from the center position because signing JaVale McGee, Dwight Howard, Marc Gasol, and Montrezl Harrell as the team’s centers the past two years was a mistake.
The Lakers should look at Anthony Davis, their prototype modern center who can shoot threes or attack the rim on offense and protect the rim or guard the perimeter on defense, to see what they need from their centers. What the defense-first Lakers don’t need are old school low post defensive or offensive centers who can’t stretch the floor with 3-point shooting or play the trapping, doubling, and rotating championship defense the team plays.
JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard proved to be unplayable against most opponents in the playoffs last year as they lacked the mobility, speed, and quickness the Lakers needed to trap, switch and defend on the perimeter. Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell face a similar fate in the playoffs this year as their inability to block shots and protect the rim leaves them vulnerable to being played off the court defensively despite their value on offense.
The problem is the Lakers don’t appear to have learned from their mistakes picking centers the last two seasons as they are now supposedly pursuing centers who’ll solve rim protection issues but be unplayable in the playoffs. The Lakers need to trade for a starting center like Myles Turner or Nerlens Noel rather than settling for another team’s discards like Andre Drummond or Hassan Whiteside who can solve one problem but then create another.
Drummond and Whiteside might be able to help hold down the fort for the three to five weeks until Anthony Davis returns but both have the same perimeter defensive liabilities that ultimately doomed McGee and Howard. Signing one of them is like applying a band aid to a badly broken bone. After Anthony Davis’s recent injury scare, there’s no way the Lakers want to see him again playing 50% of his time at center come this year’s playoffs.
Myles Turner and Nerlens Noel are two trade candidates who are talented and young enough to be permanent rather than temporary solutions to the Lakers’ need to find a center to complement and protect Anthony Davis. Both are top-five rim protectors who are younger than Anthony Davis and have the physicality, athleticism, and toughness to protect him from having to defend bigger bruising centers like Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid.
Besides being top-five shot blockers, Turner and Noel have diverse offensive or defensive skill sets that set them apart from limited one dimensional centers like McGee, Howard, Gasol, Harrell, Drummond, and Whiteside. Turner is the prototype modern offensive center who can shoot the three and throw down lobs while Noel is the prototype modern defensive center who can both protect the rim and switch onto and defend smaller players.
In short, they simply can’t be played off the court defensively in the playoffs like the old school centers the Lakers signed over the last two years or are looking at from the buyout market, which is why they’re worth trading for. While it’s always difficult to break up a top-ranked defensive team, the Lakers know they will need a better rim protector in the playoffs than Gasol or Harrell or adding Drummond of Whiteside will be able to provide.
Defending their championship against the Los Angeles Clippers, Utah Jazz, or Brooklyn Nets will be a tougher challenge than the Lakers had to face in the bubble against the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, and Miami Heat. The Lakers need a solution to their center conundrum that works in the regular season and the playoffs. Andre Drummond, Hassan Whiteside, or some other candidate from the buyout market is not the right answer.
The Lakers would be smart to trade for Myles Turner or Nerlens Noel to permanently solve their rim protection issues, add a young starting center to protect AD, and double down on their championship caliber defense.
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In short, no.
I think that even in a guy like Damien Jones, we’ve seen value in simple areas of basketball: running screen and roll at the top of the key and lobbing the ball to a super athletic big man. Same play we ran a ton of with both Howard and McGee last season. In the playoffs I’d be astounded if both Davis and a Noel/Howard/McGee style center played big minutes together. But let’s say that they would, for arguments sake. Are the player’s you’re looking for even available?
Nerlens Noel: Doesn’t sound like it unless you want to vastly overpay in terms of picks and/or young players which, let’s be honest, you tend to do. Been reading Knicks blogs today to gauge the barometer of how they’re vibing on Noel. To put it simply the vibe is strong and positive. While that’s not to say that’s where the Knickerbocker front office is at looking at it through the lens of their team it doesn’t make a ton of sense to trade him. Mitchell Robinson is still recovering from surgery on his hand and has only today been cleared to practice with contact. That means he’s probably a week or two from seeing the floor. Hard to see New York blinking on a Noel trade at this point with the deadline a week out and Robinson not yet back from his surgery. Even if they deemed Nerlens expendable, he’s making $5 mil, no biggie to let him walk along with a slew of their other role-players, re-up with the ones they like, at a raise, and come back better with an even more improved Randle. I think they Noel both for insurance and because he’s a solid back up who is familiar with what they’re doing. In all honesty I don’t really even see Nerlens Noel as much of an upgrade over Damien Jones. Sign the kid for the rest of the season and you don’t have to give away any talent in the doing.
Myles Turner: Indy could be in a sellers market. They’re clinging to the final play-in spot and I expect that they’ll be passed by Toronto who is currently decimated by injuries. Indy is pretty much healthy now and Caris LaVert coming back adds another body to their starting five. The biggest issue I see with a trade is that they really don’t need to make one. Pacers will not be over the cap this summer, Turner is under contract for 2 more seasons after this one, the only core players w/expiring deals are McConnell and McDermott. So…why make a trade for an expiring Trezz and KCP unless they are super-dooper high on KCP? Holding onto Trezz will be hard for any team. He has no rights and will be a UFA this summer no matter where he goes. THT added in…maybe? But where does he slot in for them and is that enough to move one of the top defenders in the league? I would say no if I was Indy’s GM. Now…would I like to see Myles in a Laker uni? Sure, makes a lot of sense for us (cost-controlled, should pair nicely with Davis and James, etc.) but the issue is more with why would Indy make this trade now than fit on our team.
A couple other things I don’t think get enough consideration when it comes to trades this season.
-Little to no practices means starting over with whomever you bring in. New York was lucky that they brought in 2 vets that know what Thibbs likes to facilitate on-court learning curves and impact play on the court. Trading a player this season for a miniscule talent upgrade is akin to throwing away time. If you’re in contention this isn’t really the season to embrace roster upheaval, if anything it goes against the idea of winning now philosophies to a large degree.
-The cap next summer. It will be lower. Maybe it’ll be partially inflated via artificial means or something but the truth is the BRI and thus the salary cap is going to take a hit. With that in mind I would imagine teams with expiring deals for low-key players aren’t going to want to bring in hard to hold onto players (like Trezz and THT and eve to a lesser degree Caruso) or jeopardize the cap space they’ve carved out. This will be especially true for small market teams.
-There are potentially a ton of big names that can be free agents this summer. I don’t see Leonard staying on the Clippers if they don’t at least get to the NBA Finals. He’s not there to break a Clipper curse but to add to his legacy and getting to the western conference finals (no guarantee) won’t be enough. CP3 might stay in Phoenix…or not. John Collins, DeMar DeRozan and future Laker in waiting Victor Oapdipo will all be on the market, or likely to be should they decline their options in order to leave the situations they are in. With all of the above in mind I tend to side with the NBA rumors and reports that has this being a slow trade season, that the uncertainty of the summer cap situation, the potential to upgrade in free agency with the player of one’s choosing and the fact that there will be, what…two, maybe three practices by teams before the playoffs means that the buyout market will be hot and the trade market not.Could I be wrong about all that? Sure, wouldn’t be the first time. But the practice issue is a legit one as is the cap this summer. It’s easy to proclaim that the Lakers want to win now and will do whatever it takes and Jeannie said she’d be willing to pay a luxury tax (which was already a sure bet) but those are just that: proclamations and notions. My two bits.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreStruggling with Anthony Davis’ subpar play and injury, players out due to Covid protocol, cratering 3-point shooting, and faltering rim protection, the Lakers desperately need a big trade to keep their championship hopes alive.
They need a third superstar to match the Nets’ Superstar Big Three, some volume 3-point shooters to match the Clippers, Nets, and Jazz who shoot 10 more threes per game, and an elite rim protector to anchor their defense. Finding players to fill those needs is going to require the Lakers to give up valuable components of the roster than won the NBA championship last season. The reality is the bar to win the NBA championship has been raised.
Other than LeBron and AD, Kuzma is the only other Laker close to being untouchable as he’s become exactly what the Lakers are trying to trade for, a high volume, high percentage 3-point shooter who could be a third star. Keeping Dennis Schroder should also be a high priority but the rest of the Lakers’ roster have to be considered fair game in a major trade, even fan favorites like Alex Caruso, Montrezl Harrell, and Talen Horton-Tucker.
While the Lakers will be monitoring the buyout market, they’re not likely to find a third star or superstar, volume 3-point shooter, or elite rim protector there. The one exception may be former Houston center DeMarcus Cousins. What separates Cousins from the other center buyout candidates is his willingness and ability to shoot the three. Boogie shot 33.6% on 4.6 threes per game this season and 35.4% on 6.1 threes per game at his peak in 2018.
The challenging part of proposing trades is figuring out who’s available that fits your needs, what competing teams are likely to offer, and what’s the right package to offer to entice the other team to actually agree to the trade. Fortunately, there’s TRADENBA.COM’s virtual trade machine that not only allows anybody to play NBA general manager but also projects which team wins the trade and number of wins the trade should statistically produce.
Here are ten proposed trades that could give the Lakers a coveted third superstar, volume 3-point shooters to keep up with the Nets, Clippers, and Jazz, and/or a rim protector to anchor the Lakers’ top ranked defense.
1. TRADE FOR VICTOR OLADIPO & PJ TUCKER
Lakers get third superstar, add volume 3-point shooting and perimeter defense but give up valuable depth, scoring, and budding young star.
Third Superstar? Yes, Victor Oladipo
Volume 3-Point Shooting? Yes, 10.2 vs. 6.6 Threes Per Game
Better Defense? Yes, Oladipo > THT, Tucker > KCP
Trade Machine Verdict? Even Trade.Starters: Schroder, OLADIP0, James, Davis, Gasol
Bench: Caruso, TUCKER, Kuzma, Morris, COUSINS
2. TRADE FOR KYLE LOWRY
Lakers get third superstar, add volume 3-point shooting and perimeter defense but give up valuable depth, scoring, and budding young star.
Third Superstar? Yes, Kyle Lowry
Volume 3-Point Shooting? Yes,7.1 vs. 5.2 Threes Per Game
Better Defense? Yes, Lowry > KCP
Trade Machine Verdict? Raptors+3 WinsStarters: LOWRY, Schroder, James, Davis, Gasol
Bench: Caruso, Kuzma, McKinnie, Morris, COUSINS
3. TRADE FOR KRISTAPS PORZINGIS
Lakers get potential third superstar and modern two-way center but give up valuable depth, scoring, perimeter defense, and budding young star.
Third Superstar? Yes, Kristaps Porzingis
Volume 3-Point Shooting? No, 6.2 vs 8.2 Threes Per Game
Better Defense? Yes, Porzingis Averages 1.5 Blocks Per Game
Trade Machine Verdict? Even TradeStarters: Schroder, Kuzma, James, Davis, PORZINGIS
Bench: Caruso, Matthews, McKinney, Morris, Gasol
4. TRADE FOR MYLES TURNER
Lakers get perfect modern center who can protect the rim and stretch defenses but give up volume threes, depth, and budding young star.
Third Superstar? Yes, Myles Turner is a superstar for his position
Volume 3-Point Shooting? No, 4.6 vs. 7.1 Threes Per Game
Better Defense? Yes, Turner Leads NBA With 3.3 Blocks Per Game
Trade Machine Verdict? Pacers+3 WinsStarters: Schroder, Caldwell-Pope, James, Davis, TURNER
Bench: Caruso, Matthews, McKinney, Morris, Gasol
5. TRADE FOR DEVONTE GRAHAM, MALIK MONK, BISMACK BIYOMBO
Lakers get two volume 3-point shooters and capable rim protector but give up depth, perimeter defense, budding young star, and first round pick.
Third Superstar? No
Volume 3-Point Shooting? Yes, 15.4 vs. 4.9 Threes Per Game
Add Better Defense? No, Graham > Caruso
Trade Machine Verdict? Even TradeStarters: Schroder, GRAHAM, James, Davis, Gasol
Bench: Caldwell-Pope, MONK, Kuzma, Morris, BIYOMBO
6. TRADE FOR LONZO BALL & JJ REDICK
Lakers get second playmaker and elite perimeter defender, two volume 3-point shooters but give up depth, scoring, and budding young star
Third Superstar? No
Volume 3-Point Shooting? Yes, 16.2 vs. 5.9 Threes Per Game
Better Defense? Yes, Ball > KCP
Trade Machine Verdict? Even Trade.Starters: BALL, Schroder, James, Davis, Gasol
Bench: Caruso, REDICK, Kuzma, Morris, COUSINS
7. TRADE FOR NERLENS NOEL & REGGIE BULLOCK
Lakers get elite rim protector and volume 3-point shooter but give up scoring, depth, budding young star, and second round pick.
Third Superstar? No, but Nerlens Noel is elite rim protector
Volume 3-Point Shooting? Yes, 4.7 vs. 2.1 Threes Per Game
Better Defense? Yes, Noel Averages 2.0 Blocks & 0.9 Steals Per Game
Trade Machine Verdict? Knicks+3 WinsStarters: Schroder, Caldwell-Pope, James, Davis, NOEL
Bench: Caruso, BULLOCK, Kuzma, Morris, Gasol
8. TRADE FOR BUDDY HIELD & HASSAN WHITESIDE
Lakers get high volume 3-point shooter and elite shot blocker but give up scoring, depth, perimeter defense, and second round pick.
Third Superstar? No
Volume 3-Point Shooting? Yes, 10.4 vs. 6.3 Threes Per Game
Add Better Defense? Yes, Whiteside 1.3 Blocks Per Game
Trade Machine Verdict? Even TradeStarters: Schroder, HIELD, James, Davis, Gasol
Bench: Horton-Tucker,Caldwell-Pope, Kuzma, Morris, WHITESIDE
9. TRADE FOR EVAN FOURNIER & MO BAMBA
Lakers get volume 3-point shooter and playmaker and young shot blocker but give up scoring, depth, and budding young star.
Third Superstar? No
Volume 3-Point Shooting? Yes, 6.7 vs. 5.9 Threes Per Game
Better Defense? Yes, Bamba 0.9 Blocks Per Game
Trade Machine Verdict? Even TradeStarters: Schroder, FOURNIER, James, Davis, Gasol
Bench: Caruso, ROSS, Kuzma, Morris, BAMBA
10. TRADE FOR WAYNE ELLINGTON & DELON WRIGHT
Lakers get two volume 3-point shooters but give up depth, budding young star, and second round draft pick.
Third Superstar? No
Volume 3-Point Shooting? Yes, 8.9 3PA vs. 2.1 Threes Per Game
Better Defense? No Difference
Trade Machine Verdict? Pistons +3 WinsStarters: WRIGHT, Schroder, James, Davis, Gasol
Bench: Caruso, ELLINGTON, Kuzma, Morris, COUSINS liked this
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Here’s my MAGNUM OPUS Trade article for this season.
PLEASE READ ARTICLE BUT PUT COMMENTS ON INDIVIDUAL TWEET POSTS FOR EACH TRADE. THANKS.
Goals:
1. Third Superstar
2. Volume 3-Point Shooters
3. Rim ProtectorUntouchables:
1. LeBron James
2. Anthony Davis
3. Dennis Schroder
4. Kyle Kuzma (only 1 tradeRules:
1. No more than 4 Laker players in any trade.
2. Trade must not give either team more than 3 wins.Trades:
1. Trade for Victor Oladipo and PJ Tucker
2. Trade for Kyle Lowry
3. Trade for Kristaps Porzingis
4. Trade for Myles Turner
5. Trade for Devonte Graham, Malik Monk, Bismack Biyombo
6. Trade for Lonzo Ball and JJ Redick
7. Trade for Nerlens Noel and Reggie Bullock
8. Trade for Buddy Hield and Hassan Whiteside
9. Trade for Even Fournier and Mo Bamba
10. Trade for Wayne Ellington and Delon WrightThank you for reading.
PLEASE PUT COMMENTS ON INDIVIDUAL TWEET POSTS FOR EACH TRADE. THANKS.
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I understand there are a lot of Lakerholics who want to run it back, arguing we won the championship last year with a team that wasn’t as good in many ways as the team we have today. And there’s a chance they might be right, providing LeBron doesn’t break down and Anthony somehow miraculously recovers and plays at the same level in the playoffs, including playing center almost 50% of the time. If you like that bet, feel free to risk losing your house to the online gambling sites.
The reality is doing nothing is a bigger gamble than hoping Oladipo will recover and be the superstar he was two years ago, or Lowry still has championship gas left in his 34 year old tank, or Porzingis will regain his elite defensive abilities he had as a Knick, etc. And if you think Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss don’t see what’s happening in Brooklyn and don’t know the Lakers chances to repeat are in serious danger, well, you haven’t been a Lakers fan for long. Lakers never hesitate to think big. Maybe not as big as Dave AKA DJ wants with Steph or Dame but big enough so were not the underdog heading into the playoffs.
These ten trades provide an excellent blueprint on whom the Lakers should target, whom they should be willing to give up as trading chips, and how much they should offer in each trade. Jamie, Sean, Gerald, and I put a lot of effort into creating original content for Lakerholics and we consider it your job to provide the comments and responses that make this site unique in the Lakers universe. I’ve often said the responses are the heart and soul of Lakerholics. It doesn’t matter if you agree with them but please, take the time to look at each trade and let me know which ones you like or hate. Cause that’s your job as Lakerholics.
PLEASE READ ARTICLE BUT PUT COMMENTS ON INDIVIDUAL TWEET POSTS FOR EACH TRADE. THANKS.
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Some interesting stats from the 10 trades:
Number of trades player was included:
1. Montrezl Harrell – 10
2. Talen Horton-Tucker – 9
3. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – 6
4. West Matthews – 2
5. Alex Caruso – 3
6. Alfonzo McKinnie – 1
7. Kyle Kuzma – 1Best Trades for volume 3-point shooting:
1. Graham, Monk, and Biyombo – +10.5 threes
2. Ball and Redick – +10.3Trades bringing back a rim protector:
1. Myles Turner
2. Nerlens Noel
3, Kristaps Porzingis
4. Hassan Whiteside
5. Mo Bamba
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreAs great as LeBron James is and no matter what happens at the trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers need the ‘real’ Anthony Davis to return if they hope to dominate the second half and repeat as NBA champions.
The single biggest major difference for the Los Angeles Lakers between the halfway point of this season versus last season hasn’t been rim protection or 3-point shooting but the play at both ends of the court by Anthony Davis. The issue for Davis this season has been injuries, which have not only had him miss 14 games, during which the Lakers went 7–7, but also led to fewer points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks than halfway through last year.
After 37 games this season, Anthony is averaging 22.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.8 blocks in 32.8 minutes per game with the Lakers winning 17 while losing 6 of the 23 games he was healthy to play. After 37 games last season, Davis averaged 27.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.6 blocks in 35.2 minutes per game with the Lakers winning 29 games while losing 6 of the 35 games he was able to play.
Not only did Davis’ numbers for the first half of this season fail to match his productivity for the first half of last season, his points per game were 3rd lowest, his rebounds 2nd lowest, and his blocks lowest in his 9-year career. But the heart of Anthony’s problems this season have been the decline in his free throw, midrange, and 3-point shooting percentages from their playoff highs of 57.1% from the field, 83.2% from the line, and 38.3% from deep.
Struggling with injuries and short time off after the playoffs, Davis has seen his proficient playoff shooting falter. So far this season, he’s only shooting 53.3%from the field, 71.5% from the line, and 29.5% from 3-point range. Besides not shooting well, Anthony is not getting to the line. This season, he has averaged only 5.7 free throws per games versus 8.5 last season, despite reducing his attempts from deep from 15% to just 10% of his shots.
Anybody who’s watched the Lakers this season can see that Anthony Davis is not playing or shooting at the level he did in last year’s playoffs, which is why it’s important the Lakers don’t bring him back until he’s 100% healthy. The Lakers don’t need to be the top seed in the West to repeat as champs. They need the ‘real’ Anthony Davis playing like he did in last year’s playoffs. He may not yet be the best player on the team but he’s the key to winning.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, this season’s championship quest is going to be even tougher than last season’s battle in the bubble. The Clippers, Jazz, and Nets will present a more challenging gauntlet for the Lakers to repeat. The Lakers as a team are going to have shoot the three ball a lot better and would be wise to to add anther rim protecting center and one or two high percentage, high volume 3-point shooters to stay ahead of the competition.
The Lakers have made changes to accommodate Anthony Davis’ desire to play power forward instead of center. He’s played the five less the 5% this season versus more than 25% last season and close to 50% in the playoffs. Unless the Lakers make a surprise big move at the trade deadline, this may be the year when Anthony Davis is forced to play the five if the purple and gold are going to have a realistic chance to repeat at NBA champions.
The Lakers are going to need the ‘real’ Anthony Davis to show up and take his rightful place alongside great Lakers centers like Kareem, Wilt, and Shaq if this team is going to win their league best 18th NBA championship.
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The big question is when will AD return. If you study his stats for the regular season and playoffs, there’s some reason for concern about his decline in shooting percentages from the line, midrange, and deep since his breakout in the playoffs when he shot 57%/83%/38%. Was that a breakout or just an outlier. We all thought it was a breakout and I guess we’ll find out the second half of the season.
I still believe it was a breakout and that it was injuries that have caused the decline so far this season because it’s not just his shot. His average points, rebounds, asssists, steals, and blocks have all declined from Playoff AD. And the eyetest is telling me that the shots he’s missing are not heavily contested. They’re the same wide open shots he drained over and over in the playoffs. Count me as one who believes AD belongs in that legends picture at the top of the article besides Kareem, Wilt, and Shaq. He just might have to play a lot of center this season to get there.
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Nope. And the hope is his shooting performance in the playoffs was for real and not a fluke. Otherwise, we’re in trouble.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreIf folks wanna recognize The Covid Cup as a legitimate title then they can’t turn around and call for Vogel’s head after an injury-plagued season. I feel like the bubble situation served us well but the quick turnaround, condensed follow-up season wasn’t good for us. Stuff always seems to balance out. I think we definitely need to make adjustments but I don’t see us blowing everything up in what could be Lebron’s final season here. It’s just not what the organization has done in the past.
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There’s no question in my mind that the Lakers need to find a third superstar if they want to beat the Nets in the NBA Finals. The problem the Lakers face is a math problem: 3 > 2 and 2 > 1. With just LeBron and AD, the Lakers are going to always have one less superstar on the court all 48 minutes of each game.
That means either Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, or James Harden is going to be defended by someone other than LeBron James or Anthony Davis. How comfortable do you feel about that? Do you think Caruso can stop Harden 1-on-1 or Schroder can stop Kyrie 1-0n-1? How do you think our trapping and rotating defense is going to do when 3 of the 5 players the Nets have on the court are superstars? That’s going to make trapping and doubling hard.
What we need is a third superstar to level the playing field. We also need that third superstar to be a guard because two of the Nets’ three superstars are guards and neither of the two superstars we have now are guards. Yes, LeBron and AD can defend guards like Kyrie and Harden but then who defends Durant? Gasol? Trezz? Kuzma? We need a former All-Defensive player like Victor Oladipo.
Finally, the reason Oladipo is the right move is he can deliver 20+ points per game and take 7 to 8 threes per game. Right now, Kyrie and James average 29 points more than KCP and Dennis average. That’s a point differential that will kill the Lakers unless they make moves to replace KCP and Victor is the best and most affordable two-way option out there.
Put him on the court with LeBron and AD and he will become the player he was when he won MIP, All- NBA, and All-Defensive two years ago. He will thrive as a third option and be the perfect backcourt mate to play with Schroder. It’s a move the Lakers can make. It will cost KCP, Kuzma, and THT but give the Lakers the edge in wininng #18.
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Aloha Tom, I don’t consider Oladipo a superstar. He is a one time all star that hasn’t been that good since 2017-18 season. He isn’t a great 3 point shooter. He had one good year at .371. He is like I believe .346 for his career. KCP’s career average is better then Victors best year. He’s been dismal shooting across the board since going to the Rockets. Instead of giving up 3 rotation players for him, why don’t we try getting Kuz more looks. He has been shooting the ball soooo much better than Victor, he is becoming our best rebounder and is becoming a very good defender that can guard 2 through 4. I also don’t believe as the 3rd option on this team, that he will bring more than the 3 guys we are giving up for him. I actually believe it would weaken us. And we would be rail thin at the forward spots.
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We’ll have to agree to disagree, Michael. Oladipo’s was MIP, 3rd team All-NBA, and 3rd team All-Defensive in 2018, He’s a career 17.5 ppg scorer, 4.6 rpg rebounder, 3.9 apg playmaker, 0.5 bpg shot blocker, and 1.5 spg defender.
All of those awards and stats say he is capable of being the closest thing to a superstar the Lakers are going to be able to acquire. KCP, Kuzma, and THT at this point have never sniffed those kind of stats.
And Victor’s averaging 20.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 4.2 apg, 0.5 bpg, and 1.5 spg in 32.7 minutes. He also shoots 7.8 threes per game, more than anybody on the Lakers at a career 34,8%. All while being the primary scorer on his team. Put him as third option on the Lakers and he should improve his shooting percentages.
What frustrates me is everybody responds to articles I write with their preordained opinioins without reading the article, considering the stats and arguments, and responding to the logic and conclusions of the article.
For example, sticking with KCP means the Lakers will face a negative 30 ppg differential when going up against Irving and Harden. Replace KCP with Oladipo and that is cut in half. The Lakers are not going to be able to beat a team wiht 3 superstars with just LeBron, AD, and a handful of limited role players.
It’s frustrating that everybody has such blind faith in the Lakers that they aren’t even willing to open their minds or actually read an article, or argue logic and reason. There’s a great argument for the Lakers to pursue Oladipo and that adding an elite guard like him could be the key to repeating. But hey, we’re in the Twitter age where anything more than 140 characters is a waste of time.
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Hey, Bob, hope all is well with you and yours. Thanks for reading and responding.
While I love THT and still believe he’s going to be a star, I can’t see us going into the Finals with a Schroder and KCP starting backcourt which averaged 29 fewer points per game than Irving and Harden. That’s just too much for LeBron and AD to make up against KD.
The only first round pick we can trade is 2027 and nobody is going to want one that far out so THT is essentially our lottery pick to offer in a trade. His 3-point shooting is still shaky at best and he now gives teams another reason to pack the paint against us. That’s why I’m willing to trade him. Can’t waste this chance to win #18 with LeBron. We need to go all-in now.
We need a third star and he has to be a guard. A backcourt of Schroder and Oladipo could be the answer if Victor is healthy and can return to his 2018 level. I would need the docs and our scouts to confirm that for the deal to be made.
I’ve been watching him Victor and looking at a lot of video and he’s still fast and quick and a bird dog on defense, much like Dennis, but also shoots 7 to 8 threes per game, which is something we desperately need. We’d still lose the backcourt points differential but only by 17 points.
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VICTOR OLADIPO COMEBACK?
These videos show Oladipo’s almost back from the injury that limited him to 45 games in 2019 and 2020.
Except for some rust on his shooting percentages, he is producing same as his peak in 2018 and has the same speed, quickness, and smooth stroke.
…
VICTOR OLADIPO AT PEAK IN 2018!
SEASON: 23.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.3 APG, 0.8 BPG, 2.1 SPG
MIP, 3RD TEAM ALL-NBA, 3RD TEAM ALL-DEF…
VICTOR OLADIPO THIS SEASON VS. NETS!
GAME: 33 PTS, 7 REBS, 5 ASTS, 2 BLKS, 2 STLS
SEASON: 20.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.5 APG, 0.5 BPG, 1.5 SPG-
If you watch these two videos, it seems pretty obvious that Victor Oladipo is almost all the way back from the quad injury he suffered in 2019 that limited him to just 45 games in 2019 and 2020.
Watch the two videos yourself if you don’t believe me. Victor is just as quick and fast and his shot has the same smooth release as when he was at his prime. The big difference is he was in a happy competitive situation in 2018 whereas the situation with the Pacers cratered with him being in trade talks after the injury and then going to a stripped down Rockets team in the trade.
Put him on the Lakers as the third option and he will still get you 20 points, 5 boards, 5 assists, 1 block, and 2 steals per game and so many wide open shots that his shooting percentages will be career best. That’s also not counting all of the blocks and steals he will get.
What jumped out most watching Victor is how he and Dennis could be the fastest and quickest two-way backcourt in the league. Victor is like a taller, bigger, better outside shooting version of Dennis. They would be a great backcourt to play against Irving and Harden. They could defend Kyrie and James better than Kyrie and James could defend them. That’s what the Lakers need to take down the Nets.
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Been mulling this one over a bunch. I can see you’re running hot on this topic because you will post the same info multiple times in the same sentence. The fit is undeniable: Victor Oladipo, when healthy and playing at a high level is an All-NBA caliber guard on both ends of the court. The question marks I see are usgae and health. Is he healthy enough to contribute to the same level as Kuz, KCP and THT? That’s a viable question and one that ought not to be dismissed out of hand. Third option is essentially the same as the open guy on this team, in reality, when he shares the floor with James, AD and Schroeder, he’ll be the 4th option as Dennis or James will have the ball. So we’re giving up a lot for a 3rd or 4th option.
The defensive end is where I would normally make this trade without too much quibbling. But the numbers reveal that Victor is currently enjoying one of his worst defensive seasons to date:
https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/victor-oladipo-defensive-rating-by-season
https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203506/
Depending on the specific metrics used it looks like it’s closer to 106+, about the same as KCP and THT. Kuzma is at 103.
Here are my issues with making this trade:
-Losing Kyle Kuzma who does a lot of everything every game and does it consistently. Kyle is looking better and better every season he plays alongside professionals. He has range, defends well, and is rebounding better than ever as a team rebounder.
-1 guy playing for 3. All three of the Lakers going out are major and fairly integral parts of the rotation. While I understand that we need to ship out that many players for the salaries to match you’re betting a lot on both AD’s health, LeBron’s continued dominance and that Oladipo has some room to improve. Both Kuzma and THT have the higher ceiling, at this point. KCP is a no-brainer to include in any trade, in my opinion.
-Victor’s health. I can see he’s putting up numbers on a garbage team. We’ve had that scenario unfold before us with guys still on the team (Kyle Kuzma, Julius Randle, even BI up until his final season where he looked like he had discovered how to do this at the pro level). Wes Matthews doesn’t show obvious signs of his Achilles injury, at this point, and still can’t get his jumper right. While Victor is suffering from the quad, the same could be said for Kawhi Leonard: looks fine, misses many games and often looks earthbound on the court.The real obstacle I see though is that we lack what other teams can include (picks). Another would be if Vic is bound and determined to test free agency in the offseason. We’d be giving up all but one cost-controlled player (whom we have Bird rights to) for what could amount to a half season rental. All just because of, what I consider to be, an overly certain outlook that the Nets are the de facto eastern conference champs. I think Philly is a far more dangerous team, especially in the playoffs. If Embiid and Simmons are healthy they have the defense and the offense to stymie the Nets and, for all his warts, Doc RIvers has a lot more tools in the box as a coach than lil Stevie Nash.
I will say there are far worse trades out there that I’ve seen. While there are certainly hurdles to retaining his services in the offseason they are not insurmountable. He could help in several areas of deficiency. The big question I have is this: can KCP regain his playoff form and mojo? If so this trade kind of becomes unnecessary, that’s what a healthy KCP brings at a fraction of the cost. If we can get Caldwell-Pope back on the right side of his mind we get the player we’ve been scouring the NBA rumor mills for, in-house and under contract. Gravy is keeping Kyle and Talen.
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Thanks for reading, analyzing, and responding, Jamie. While we don’t agree, I appreciate the thinking, respect, and intelligence in your reply. It’s the kind of responses that makes the effort to write something worthwhile and show why Lakerholics is such a great place to have a conversation about the Lakers.
In the end, this trade does come down to whether Victor can once again be the player he was back before the injury. Victor was the MIP, 3rd team All-NBA and All-Defensive in 2018. The next season, after struggling with knee issues, he tore a quad in January 2019 and was out the rest of that season after only 36 games.
Then a year later in late January 2020, Victor finally returns and plays his first game back, playing restricted minutes at first and slowly improving but only playing in 19 games. Add 24 more games in 2021 and Victor has now played in just 43 games since returning, hardly enough to work out the rust, especially considering the pandemic and situations he was in in Indiana and Houston.
You made some excellent points. Here are my comments regarding those.1. Defense. Yes, Victor’s 106.6 DEFRTG for this season had not been great. It was just 111.2 for 9 games with Pacers but improved to 103.8 for 15 games with Rockets. You know player DEFRTG are heavily influenced by team DEFRTG. Lakers’ 106.1 team DEFRTG is #1 while the Pacers’ 110.9 is #13 and the Rockets’ 110.4 is #11. Victor’s 103.8 on the Rockets is very impressive and even better than his 104.0 in 2018 when he was 3rd team All-Defensive and better than Kuzma’s 103.5, KCP’s 106.7, or THT’s 106.8 on the #1 ranked Lakers. Defense is a big part of why the Lakers should make this trade if available.
2. As to the future value of Kuzma and THT or KCP should he return to playoff form, I don’t really disagree. All three are key starter/rotation players on a championship team. IF, and YES, it’s a big IF, the 28-year-old Victor can be the player he was before the injury, then he is worth more than those three players. It’s hard to trade three key players for one player. But the winner of most trades is the team that got the best player. In this trade, Oladipo is that player.
3. The garbage team argument is a valid argument in some situations but not when we’re talking about a player who proved his worth on a competitive Indiana team. Victor may not put up 20 ppg as third option on the Lakers but the key is he’s a guy who can put up those close to those points, boards, assists, blocks, and steals. The only area he is not all the way back is his shooting percentages, which is understandable when being the #1 option on losing teams. That will change on the Lakers as teams will have to focus on LeBron and AD leaving Victor to go against other team’s 3rd best defenders. He’ll get looks and lanes he never got in Indiana and Houston and has the talent and skill to take advantage of them at both ends of the court.4. Yes, we don’t have picks but we do have THT, who’s the equivalent of a first-round lottery pick. And the Rockets are going to get lots of picks from their sale of Tucker, Gordon, et al. A big part of this trade for the Lakers is it’s a chance to get a superstar player because of concerns of injury and free agency. I don’t see many teams making a better offer than KCP, Kuzma, and THT. Most will be afraid of losing him to free agency. Lakers might even be willing to give him an extension but I think all they have to do is win a championship with him and then use Bird rights to extend him.
5. Which brings us to the financial considerations. Say the Lakers repeat and then extend Oladipo for $32M. That replaces Kuzma’s 13M, KCP’s $13M, and THT’s $10M or total of $36M. This is how the Lakers get a third max player to fit in the salary cap without going as deep in the luxury tax as the Warriors have.
Anyway, you’re right. I do love this deal. I hope you take the time to watch the two videos of Victor at his peak in 2018 and this year versus the Nets. He’s going to be traded and I would love to see the Lakers take a shot at him. Adding a third legitimate two-way superstar to LeBron and AD would catapult the Lakers back into the catbird’s seat as the favorite to win the championship.
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Saw the videos but don’t take much away from single-game accomplishments/stats/what have you. He looks like a player, in both, who doesn’t let the pace of the game dictate his flow. Of the three players in your trade only THT still has that problem (Kuzma here and there but far less frequently than in seasons past).
Your point about the attention James and AD will get being unique to his career is pretty much the only reason I’d pull the trigger on this one. There are a bunch of concerns both regarding his health and our ability to keep him here (we don’t, for example, know if he wants to be head honcho on a team or is content being the 3rd fiddle, or worse).
And yes, I agree that bad teams have players with bad defensive ratings. I would shoot this trade down but the way KCP has been so unreliable has forced me to make trading him a priority. My thinking is both the coaches and the team are going to take a ‘law of averages’ approach to that situation, though.
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Somehow missed this response but thanks for replying and can’t disagree with your points. It’s a calculated gamble to trade for Victor but a trade like this with risks is probably the only way to land a third superstar for the Lakers.
I don’t like this trade as much as I like the Turner trade but it was listed as #1 because it’s a legitimate opportunity to land a third star as the Rockets are going to trade Victor to somebody. I just hope if it happens, it would be to the Lakers rather than some team like the Clippers or Jazz or even Nets. Problem is always that it’s not who has the best trading chips but who’s willing to put them on the line.
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While I don’t think Trezz, Kuz, and THT can continue to put up 23.0, 19.0, and 13.3 ppg like they did the last three games, I do think they are capable of putting up more than the 13.8, 11.5, and 7.2 ppg they did the first half of the season, a 77% increase.
While their increased productivity is partly due to their own performance, a big part of it is how the adjustments in the offense has optimized each of their abilities to score. So what could be a reasonable expectation? Maybe 21.0. 17.0 and 11.0, which would still be over a 50% increase.
The Lakers have adjusted the system to fit their talents of the Bench Big Three rather than just asking them to fix into a system designed speciflically to optimize LeBron and AD. In a way, we’re playing more of a Jazz type egalitarian offensive scheme instead of a traditional superstar driven offensive approach.
The other question is what will the return of AD affect things. Right now, Morris seems to be playing well at the four and Jones doing a fine job at the five. AD’s return would certainly solve the starters woe’s of being the lowest scoring starting lineup in the league. And Gasol is likely to be replaced by somebody.
At any rate, the Bench Big Three is something the Lakers need to hang their hat on. In addition to 3-point and PIP differentials, superior bench play can be another way for the Lakers to beat teams, especially those like Brooklyn who lack quality depth.