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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreOne of the unanswered questions from the offseason is why the Lakers dumped traditional centers Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee, whose elite rim protection had anchored the team’s third ranked NBA defense.
There have been extensive conversations about every move Rob Pelinka and the Lakers made this offseason but not a single word about why the Lakers decided to change course and dump Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee. While the team formally expressed its appreciation to both players for their contributions to winning the championship, the Lakers had clearly made a decision not to bring back either of the two centers this offseason.
While ‘dump’ might seem too pejorative to describe what happened to Howard and McGee this offseason, ‘dump’ is exactly what the Lakers did to the two traditional centers who had anchored their defense all season long. They declined to offer a contract to Howard even after he embarrassingly accepted an offer they hadn’t made and then gave the Cavaliers one of their few remaining second round picks to get them to trade for McGee.
What’s surprising about the Lakers’ decision is McGee and Howard had started 70 of the team’s 71 regular season games and 18 of their 21 playoff games, leading to a 52–19 regular season record and 16–5 playoff record. Even more puzzling is the Lakers appear to short handed at center as they get ready to open the 2021 season with only 36-year old Marc Gasol and 26-year old Montrezl Harrell listed on their depth chart as centers.
So what’s the story? Why did the Lakers dump Howard and McGee? Why did Frank Vogel suddenly sour on a center tandem who had done a good job all season long protecting the rim and anchoring the Lakers’ defense?
Analyzing the center position for the Los Angeles Lakers always has to begin with Anthony Davis, who said from the start of his career with the Lakers he preferred to play power forward rather than center most of the time.
While he’s not going to start and often not even play half his time there, Davis is still going to play center to close games for the Lakers, which is why they only carried two centers last season and only need two this season. There was speculation after signing Clippers’ backup center Montrezl Harrell that he’d play the four because of his subpar defense and inability to protect the rim but it’s obvious now the Lakers view him primarily as a five.
With Anthony Davis, Markieff Morris, and Jared Dudley at the four, there’s no question Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell will play the five and replace Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee as the Lakers two-man center tandem. While Harrell’s signing was controversial, the opportunity to sign him along with seeds of doubt planted in the playoffs regarding the value of Howard and McGee could have been what triggered the Lakers’ changes at center.
Trezz is a unicorn talent and his speed, quickness, and motor will be a nightmare matchup for most centers and playing him alongside Anthony Davis at power forward would enable the Lakers to protect him defensively. Pairing an attack dog offensive center like Harrell with an elite playmaking and stretch five center like Gasol dramatically transforms the Lakers’ center tandem offensively so they can afford to sacrifice a little defensively.
Meanwhile, Howard and McGee became increasingly unplayable during the playoffs. Their lack of scoring threat on offense allowed teams to pack the paint and their inability to defend in space became a liability on defense. The emergence of Markieff Morris in the playoffs convinced Frank Vogel that the ability to space the floor on offense and speed and quickness on defense were more important than pure size alone to protect the rim.
The Lakers clearly wanted to retain most of their championship team as 9 of the 14 players on this season’s roster are returnees from last season but the players they added are going to dramatically change how the team plays. Center is the position that will see the greatest change in style of play at both ends of the court for the Lakers as Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell replace traditional low post centers Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee.
Overall, the Lakers will be sacrifice size and rim protection on defense by losing Howard and McGee but should be able to more than make up for that with the elite offensive firepower Gasol and Harrell will be able to deliver. The additions of a playmaking modern stretch five like Marc Gasol and a high-energy aggressive low post scorer like Montrezl Harrell are going to transform the Lakers’ half court offense into an high-scoring juggernaut.
In the end, that’s why the Lakers dumped Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee. They saw an opportunity to significantly upgrade offensively with Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell that they just could not resist.
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Dump is indeed a poor word choice. It completely neglects the fact that we traded McGee for two players, instantly waived one of those players (Jordan Bell) we brought back, and that Alfonzo is a decent backup at the 3. The McGee trade was made so they could upgrade two players (McGee and Howard) into one (Gasol) Dump would be a waive and stretch. Furthermore, it ignores the fact that we picked up Marc Gasol to replace him. Howard also was not dumped but rather chose to sign elsewhere when the opportunity presented itself.
Marc Gasol is as much a dinosaur shot blocker as he is anything else. He’s not as fast as either McGee or Howard (never was, frankly). The man hangs his hat on defense. Can he make the three pointer? Sure. Is that the weapon we will rely on? Nope. It doesn’t even mean he won’t sit some games in a 7 game series based on match ups. The playoffs are all about match ups, you yourself astutely pointed this out during the playoffs a couple months back.
Why you feel the need to denigrate and piss on the contributions of Howard and McGee is beyond me, man. I just don’t get it. They are both fine players who contributed both on and off the court to a banner on the wall. They deserve better than these words. Not, in my opinion, one of your better articles. Just this sites version of click-bait…
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Jamie, we’ll have to A2D. Not looking to piss on JaVale or Dwight but it’s obvious the Lakers did not want them back.
I can understand why you might be offended by my use of the word ‘dump’ to describe what the Lakers did to Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee but I think it’s an accurate description of what ultimately happened with the two players. The Lakers basically did not want either player back this season.
You can spin the facts however you want to try and change reality but the truth is Dwight and JaVale were ‘dumped.’ The Lakers deliberately did not make an offer for Dwight to return and they had to pay the Cavs to get them to trade for JaVale. Any other explanation does not make sense.
The reason you dislike this article is probably because you’ve always been a proponent of old school defensive centers whose main contribution was limited to rim protection, rebounding, and attacking the rim with dunks. That was what Frank Vogel wanted from his centers last year and I think Dwight and JaVale did an admirable job providing that.
I respect them for helping us win the championship and even more for being great teammates when they became unplayable in the playoffs. They both were big parts of the championship chemistry that the Lakers developed. I think the Lakers treated them with respect and gratitude but that doesn’t change the reality that the team did not want them back.
I lobbied all season for the Lakers to replace Dwight and JaVale with modern centers who can stretch the floor, which is what they did with Marc Gasol. I’ve always believed the Lakers were handicapping themselves by limiting the center position to dinosaur centers who clogged the paint and couldn’t defend on the perimeter. But we’ve had this argument before and neither of us is going to change their minds now.
The big surprise to me is Montrezl Harrell, whom I did not have on my radar at all. In fact, he’s the last person I would have wanted the Lakers to sign. In retrospect, I think I was wrong because Trezz can wreak havoc with traditional low post centers with his speed, quickness, length, and motor. He’s totally an offense over defense move but a potential great one. He’s kind of like a mini version of Shaq in the post.
Anyway, I don’t mean to disrespect JaVale and Dwight and wish them well in their new homes but I am glad they’re gone even though there will surely be times we will miss them. I’m just thrilled we have moved on to a true modern center in Marc and a totally new type of center in Trezz. The change in the center position is going to transform the Lakers offensively.
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I also think you are underestimating Marc Gasol’s skill set. We’re talking about a former DPOY, a 39% 3-point shooter, and an elite passer with a high BBIQ. He may not be the shot blocker that Dwight or JaVale were, but he’s going to have a greater impact on winning than either of them did. He’s a significant upgrade.
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Aloha Tom, I think Harrell will get some minutes at the 4 as well as the 5. McGee and Howard played around 35 mins a game combined. I can see Marc playing 22 to 25 minutes a game and AD playing about the same minutes at the 5 as last year. As for Howard I think they might have brought him back if he had waited a little longer. Both guys played their roll brilliantly last year.
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Aloha, Michael. I’ve always believed the issue with the Lakers’ centers was more related to the role the team chose for the position than the execution by Howard and McGee, although JaVale’s performance the second half of the season and the playoffs declined noticeably.
I also think the Lakers’ decision not to bring either of them back was more about what the team needed to support LeBron and AD. By the time we won the championship, it had become obvious that both Howard and McGee had become unplayable. They were hurting the spacing on offense and too slow to rotate or defend multiple positions on defense.
No disrespect to Howard and McGee, the Lakers dumped them because Pelinka and Vogel understood they needed a different kind of center who could stretch the floor and defend the perimeter. Did they solve that need? Not entirely although having AD, who is the perfect modern center, solves the problem to close games. Gasol will help offensively, as will Harrell although in an entirely different and unicornish way.
I still believe we need to a center like Myles Turner, who can shoot the three. protect the rim, and switch and defend on the perimeter. If we don’t pursue Giannis, I would to see us use some of the trading chips we’ve acquired to go after him at the trade deadline. He would be my top priority. Only 24-years old, he would be the perfect center to pair with AD.
As for signing Howard, Dwight knew that boat had sailed after he tried to accept the offer the Lakers never made. The media had already reported there were no suitors for him and the Lakers let him know they were not going to re-sign him so he took the only offer available. I wish him luck as I do JaVale. Both were great teammates and helped win the championship. It’s just a case of the evolution of the modern center position finally reaching the Los Angeles Lakers.
I think the changes in the centers is going to revolutionize the Lakers offense and transform the team into a juggernaut. It’s no secret I’ve been lobbying for the Lakers to embrace analytics and join the modern NBA for years so I’m thrilled with the changes and believe this could be the start of another Lakers’ dynasty. That Pelinka and Vogel made the switch gives me great confidence in their judgment, especially Frank who had always had rim protection as his gold standard. Watching Frank evolve has been especially gratifying.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreWhether it’s the game to win on the hardwood or behind the scenes to land talent, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Rob Pelinka and Klutch Sport’s Rich Paul are veritable chessmasters while the rest of the league are still playing checkers.
In a series of visionary moves, Pelinka and Paul engineered a truly dramatic rebuilding of the Lakers’ championship team and transformed a makeshift and flawed roster into a dynamic juggernaut poised to dominate the future. They not only secured the future of the franchise by signing Klutch clients LeBron James and Anthony Davis to long term deals but also upgraded the supporting cast into a deeper and more talented and versatile roster.
There’s no question Rob Pelinka of the Los Angeles Lakers and Rich Paul of Klutch Sports were working in concert this offseason to solve the team’s personnel needs and negotiate perfect landing spots for the agency’s clients. The Lakers/Klutch partnership that brought LeBron and AD to the Lakers continued to reap benefits as the team re-signed Klutch client KCP to a team friendly deal and stole Klutch client Montrezl Harrell from the Clippers.
While the rest of the NBA was trying to copy and catch up with the Lakers, Pelinka and Paul shocked everybody with one masterful move after another as they zigged through an offseason while their competition was zagging. The moves they made not only established the purple and gold as odds on favorites to repeat as champions but also set the stage for the eventual transition of the Lakers from LeBron James’ team to Anthony Davis’ team.
The biggest grandmaster moves Pelinka and Paul made this offseason were the new two-year $85 million contract extension for 35-year old LeBron James and five-year $190 million contract for 27-year old Anthony Davis. While everybody debated whether AD would sign a 1+1 or 2+1 contract, the Lakers and Klutch Sports surprised the league by locking up superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis for three and four years respectively.
In a league where superstars wield the power and control teams with short term deals and player options, Pelinka and Paul opted to go in the other direction with James and Davis committing long term to being Lakers. Knowing the league’s two best players will be wearing purple and gold for the foreseeable future gives the Lakers’ franchise a major advantage over every other team in terms of stability and appeal as a player destination.
While the Clippers’ and Bucks’ futures are being held captive by superstars with free agency options, the Lakers with the help of Klutch Sports have been able to secure the future of the franchise by extending LeBron and AD.
The next grandmaster move by Pelinka and Paul was stealing Klutch client Montrezl Harrell from the crosstown rival Los Angeles Clippers for the $10.3 million non-taxpayer MLE for two years with a player option on second year. The only thing better than signing a talented young player at a significant discount is stealing that player from one of your major competitors. The move not only made the Lakers better but also weakened the Clippers.
The Lakers essentially did the same thing to the Milwaukee Bucks, stealing elite 3&D starting wing defender Wesley Matthews with their $3.6 million Bi-Annual Exception for two years to replace Danny Green who was traded. What’s interesting about the Matthews signing is Wes is represented by Jeff Austin, who is also the agent for Dennis Schroder, the point guard for whom the Lakers traded Danny Green and their 2020 first round draft pick.
Once again, we see Rob Pelinka and the Lakers use their close relationship with prominent player agents to steal two valuable players from their two main competitors, savvy moves that transformed the Lakers’ back court.
LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and Talen Horton-Tucker give the Lakers 5 Klutch clients. Dennis Schroder, Wesley Matthews, and Kostas Antetokounmpo give them 3 Octagon clients. Building a close relationship with Jeff Austin and Alex Saratsis of Octagon could give Rob Pelinka the opportunity to recruit Giannis Antetokounmpo much like his signing of KCP gave him the chance to recruit LeBron and AD.
Giannis Antetokounmpo grew up idolizing LeBron James and recently said that winning is his primary goal, he would be happy playing with LeBron and AD, and being the number 2 or 3 option on the team would not bother him. While the Lakers may have abandoned their plans to chase Giannis in free agency, they still seem to be pursuing a plan to build a Superstar Big Three with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Unlike Kawhi, Giannis seems open to the possibility of joining LeBron and AD on the Lakers and Pelinka appears to be following the same agency game plan to acquire Antetokounmpo he deployed to land James and Davis.
The partnership Rob Pelinka built with Rich Paul has benefited both the Lakers and Klutch Sports so it’s only natural Rob would be open to creating a similar symbiotic relationship with Jeff Austin and Alex Saratsis of Octagon. There’s also no doubt Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers are targeting Giannis. The difference is the Lakers may have a secret weapon via their budding partnership with Octagon to help them land Antetokounmpo.
It may take Giannis demanding to be traded to the Lakers like Anthony Davis did and vowing not to re-sign if traded to any other team but there’s no question Pelinka is working to set the stage for Giannis to join the Lakers. From signing Kostas to a two-way contract, trading for Schroder, and then signing Matthews, Rob Pelinka has been following the same successful game plan that brought LeBron James and Anthony Davis to the Lakers.
While the Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, and Golden State Warriors are also strategizing how to land Giannis, they’re still playing checkers when compared to grandmaster Rob Pelinka, who’s playing world class chess.
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Thanks, Buba. This was one of my favorite articles.
The partnership between the Lakers and Klutch empowered the team and the agency and, most of all, LeBron James. You have to give credit to Rob for understanding how important KCP was to developing the relationship with Rich Paul, which enabled Rob to convince Rich that the Lakers were the right team for LeBron and AD. From there, we’ve seen the partnership grow and flourish to the point where LeBron and AD signed long term deals to be Lakers.
For the first time since the Giannis to Lakers rumors started to emerge, I’m thinking there may be more than just smoke here because of how Pelinka is now working with Octagon much like he worked with Klutch in the early days of his relationship with Rich. If Rob can convince Jeff and Alex that Giannis to the Lakers is how to win championships and optimize Antetokounmpo’s NBA career, then the Lakers might have a legitimate shot at a LeBron, AD, and Giannis superstar big three. It’s not out of the question.
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Pelinka -> KCP -> Klutch ->LeBron -> AD -> Championship -> Harrell
Pelinka -> Kostas -> Octagon -> Schroder -> Matthews -> Giannis
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreNow that Kyle Kuzma has survived another offseason filled with trade rumors and will become a restricted free agent next season, it’s time for the Lakers to reopen discussions about extending his rookie contract.
It’s obvious the Lakers still think highly of Kuzma and were only willing to give him up in a mega trade for a proven All-Star player like Jrue Holiday so the smart move now would be to invest in his future by extending him. Signing Kyle to an extension before the season starts would accomplish three important objectives: bolster his confidence as a player, increase his value as a trading chip, and reinforce the team’s chemistry and culture.
1. Bolster His Confidence as a Player.
While Kyle Kuzma always seems to play with confidence, it can’t be easy trying to find a role on a team where two of the league’s top five players play your same positions and you’re the constant subject of trade rumors. Watching former Laker teammates who were traded like Brandon Ingram enjoy breakout seasons and receive contract extensions from their new teams has to try Kyle’s patience and start to undermine his self-assurance.
Signing Kuzma to a 3-year extension for $12 to $15 million per year could bolster his confidence and enable Kyle to turn himself into the third star LeBron James said the Lakers needed to win the championship last season. Knowing the Lakers believed in him could be the key to giving Kuzma the confidence to improve his subpar 3-point shooting percentage to the level he needs to enjoy the breakout season everyone’s been eagerly awaiting.
Kuzma has steadily improved his overall game as a Laker, especially his defense against elite wing scorers like Harden. Signing him to an extension would bolster his confidence and be a smart investment by the Lakers.
2. Increase His Value as a Trading Chip
Signing Kuzma to a 3-year extension would immediately increase his value as a trading chip and enable the Lakers to receive fair value in a straight trade for a comparable player or in an aggregate trade for a third superstar. Receiving fair value for a talented player on a rookie contract a year from free agency is a challenge. Signing Kuzma to an extension would eliminate those concerns and give the Lakers another valuable mid-priced contract.
The extension alone would not only confirm the Lakers’ belief in Kuzma but also establish a solid floor to his value and remove the stigma the team did not truly value him and was trying to trade him instead of re-signing him. Perception is reality when it comes to valuing players in trade talks and the act of extending Kuzma by itself would increase his value as a trading chip and give the Lakers a valuable future contract for matching salaries.
For a young player with Kuzma’s potential to have trade value, the Lakers need to show confidence in him by extending him. Investing in him is the best way to increase his value as player and creating future flexibility.
3. Reinforce Team Chemistry and Culture.
One of the strengths of the Lakers as a team and big reason they won the 2020 NBA championship was the strong chemistry and culture Rob Pelinka and the front office and Frank Vogel and coaching staff were able to build. Frankly, that’s an amazing accomplishment that defies reality considering LeBron James and Anthony Davis are the only players on the team assured of a long term future while almost every other player is on a short term deal.
The key to the Lakers’ great chemistry and culture is how they treat and respect their players. That’s why even players who are traded have nothing but positive things to say about the Lakers’ management and organization. The Los Angeles Lakers do the right thing when it comes to their players and always consider them to be part of the family. They understand that’s how smart teams build true championship caliber chemistry and culture
Kyle Kuzma has listened to his coaches and subjugated his personal game for the team and deserves to be rewarded for it. Investing in him by signing him to a fair extension would reinforce the Lakers’ chemistry and culture.
The financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic has halted the rapid annual salary cap increases many teams, like the Lakers, had embraced as their core strategy to pursue superstars like Giannis Antetokounmpo. Suddenly, trades and sign-and-trades have emerged as the better strategies for building championship rosters and chasing superstars as the league struggles to find a way to succeed in an era where arenas are still empty.
Collecting multiple talented young and veteran players on tradable contracts has suddenly become the smart team building strategy. The Lakers should sign Kyle Kuzma to a $12 to $15 million extension before the season starts.
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Many thanks to Michael H. for raising this important subject in the comments. I thought it important enough to want to write this article. I think there are three solid reasons why he Laker should extend Kuz: bolster his confidence, increase his trade value, and reinforce the Lakers chemistry and culture>
The key to this and any moves the Lakers make is of course the cost. While you don’t want to overpay a player, the simple act of extending them can impact their perceived value around the league. I’ve suggested a $12 to $15 million 3-year extension for Kyle, which I think would be perceived a fair value for both him and the Lakers. He might prefer to wait until free agency where he might get more. Would I go as high as $18 million? Probably not. $15 million seems like a fair ceiling for Kuzma at this time.
Chime in with your takes and opinions. Should the Lakers extend Kuz? If so, for how much? Thanks for reading and commenting.
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Aloha Tom, thanks for the shout out. I would add one thing. At 25 he is still developing and will continue to get better. It will not take a lot of improvement to become a 20 mil quality player. At 12 to 15 mil he could be a real bargain moving forward.
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You’re welcome, Michael. And thanks again for bringing up the subject. One of the unique things about Lakerholics is the quality of original content that comes via the comments. While I’m proud of the original articles and podcasts we create specifically for the site, I’ve often said the comments on the blog are the real attraction that makes this a second home for Lakers fans.
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Thanks for commenting, Sean
The issue is really not whether Kyle deserves an extension or not. It’s about what’s best for the team. Last season the Lakers lacked trading chips to be a player. This year, they will have three great trading chips: Schroder $15M, Trezz $10m, KCP $12M. They could be a big player if Giannis or another star wants out, especially players with expiring contracts.
Extending Kuzma will give the Lakers another big trading chip come this summer. A player is worth what a team is willing to pay for him. Extend him to a reasonable contract and there’s a good chance he’ll outperform it. And if he doesn’t, it’s just because he’s not ready or the situation is not right. Lakers need to talk it into existence. How Kyle performs will determine whether the Lakers overpaid or not.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreKyle Kuzma is the Los Angeles Lakers’ version of the American TV series Survivor, the one player everybody thought for sure would end up being traded this offseason but somehow is miraculously still on the roster.
Since we know he had been included in trade offers for Jrue Holiday and Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kuzma’s ultimate survival was not due to his having been declared touchable by the Lakers’ front office but simple serendipity. For some reason, the basketball gods seem to be determined to give Kyle one last opportunity to live up to the promising glimpses of potential that have tantalized the Lakers during his three years in purple and gold.
After Kuzma’s mediocre 2019-20 season and playoffs and Rob Pelinka’s spectacular upgrade of the Lakers’ roster this offseason, Twitter has now declared Kyle Kuzma to be just the 10th best player on the team’s roster. Unless you have forgotten, this is the same Kyle Kuzma whom LeBron James pronounced just three short months ago needed to be the third best player on the team if the Lakers were going to win their 17th championship.
So why is third year player Kyle Kuzma so disrespected and written off at this point by so many Lakers fans and basketball analysts? His coaches will tell you he’s matured as a player, is a better defender, and shares the ball. Kyle’s teammates like and respect him and he’s no longer the unrepentant gunner he once was when he was younger. As a matter of fact, he does everything the Lakers want him to do except shoot efficiently from three.
But what if Kyle Kuzma could fix his broken shot? While it was a small sample size, Kuz shot a team best 44.4% in the 8 regular season games the Lakers played in the bubble after having 4 months off to work on his shot. Unfortunately, Kyle struggled in the playoffs and reverted to shooting just 31.3% as his minutes dropped from 28.0 to 23.0 per game and his improved shot selection from in the bubble disappeared as he kept hoisting shots.
Imagine how differently the basketball world would view Kzma if he could suddenly start shooting 38% from deep? Pundits might have been talking about him as the next great young 3&D player to emerge as a big name star. Had Kuzma shot 38% from three and played 30 rather than 25 minutes per game this season, he would have averaged 16.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game, better stats for the season than Bogdan Bogdanovic.
Considering the form and mechanics of his shot, Kuzma clearly should be a better 3-point shooter and it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see a major improvement in his long range shot selection and percentage this season. Given another chance to live up to the hype created his rookie year when he was considered to be the steal of the draft as the 27th pick, Kyle may finally put it all together and become the budding star the Lakers envisioned.
Achieving that goal might not only dramatically transform Kuz’s career but also open the door for the Lakers to give him the rookie extension and opportunity to be a starter he’s been fighting to get the last two seasons. Since James and Davis are going to start at the three and four, Kuzma is going to have to show he can play the two to earn a future starting role on the Lakers, which is going to be a challenge considering the competition.
In the NBA, the positions you can defend are the positions you can play and Kyle Kuzma’s shown promise as a long wing defender who can guard elite wing scorers like Harden and Leonard who are too big for KCP and Caruso. While it’s a long shot, the opportunity is there for Kuzma if he can continue to grow as a wing defender, improve his shot selection and overall game, and somehow fix his broken 3-point shot and start shooting 38% from deep.
Even if a breakout season doesn’t win Kuzma a starting role and extension on the Lakers, it will open doors for a major role on another team and a chance to emerge from the cocoon he’s been trapped in for the last 2 years.
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So how realistic is it to believe Kyle Kuzma can improve his 3-point shooting? To me, improving shooting percentage from deep is partly physical and partly mental. You can immediately tell that some players are just never going to be good 3-point shooters because they don’t have the ability to shoot. Yet, a few of them can develop the ability to shoot the 3 despite never being good jump shooters. Often, they do it with set shots. Magic Johnson and Jason Kidd are two excellent examples. So there’s always hope.
With Kuzma, I think the problem is mental. He has a nice stroke but needs a lot more repetition to get the muscle memory so the shot mechanics stay true all the time. And he needs to figure out where his shots should come from. He started doing that this year in the bubble, increasing his corner threes and reducing his above the break threes. Then he abandoned that in the playoffs when his minutes went down and reverted to shooting lower percentage shots. He needs to work with somebody like Lethal Shooter. There was a reference on Twitter by Chris that he might be joining the Laker. He’s the kind of shooting coach Kuz needs.
To get to 38%, Kyle would have needed to make just 17 more 3-point shots last season. Making 103 rather than just 86 of the 272 3-pointers he attempted. In the playoffs, Kuz would have only needed to make 5 more threes to hit 38%. Making 31 rather than just 26 of the 83 3-pointers he attempted. That’s not an impossible dream with hard work with a shooting coach. It just takes continuous hard work and relentless discipline. I’ll be rooting for Kyle to put in the work and determination to do that. It will transform his career and make him a great player.
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Aloha Tom,
i agree with pretty much everything you said. i think Kuz can actually become much more than a 3 and D guy. he was one of the few guys on the team last year that could create his own shot. and 6′ 9″ he gets to the rim very well. he became a good plamaker last year because of that. His defense has really improved and at only 25 it will get better. Defense usually is the last thing to come for young players.
The thing i really like about him is he runs the floor and moves well without the ball. Which is key playing with Lebron. he gets a lot of hustle points. If he can straigten out his 3 point shot and takes a few steps in the rest of his game, he could be a 20 mil a year player. One thing all shooters need are shots. He only got 11 a game last year. Considering a lot of his points were hustle points he needs a few more shots a game.
December 21sr is the deadline for extensions. It kind of comes down to the old argument. which is better cap space space or tradable contracts. They might be able to sign him to a deal between 12 and 15 mil a year.That could be a bargin if he does fix that shot and breaks out. His salary could help facilitate a blockbuster trade or if both him and Dennis play really well, we may not need another star for a couple of years.
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Aloha, Michael,
Thanks reading and commenting. I like everything you said, including the comments about a tradeable contract often being better than cap space. It’s a shame the Lakers are hard capped and won’t be able to offer Kuz an extension until after the end of the season. I think they value him but there were other needs that had a greater priority than extending him.
Hopefully, the team and Kuzma will get off to a great start and we won’t trade him at the deadline and he’ll get a chance to stay in purple and gold long term. While I’ve traded him more times than I can count, it’s been because he’s been our best trading chip, not that I don’t like him as a player.
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Aloha Tom. They can offer Kuz an extention. The extension doesnt count against the cap because the pay increase will count for next year, not this year.
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You’re absolutely correct, Michael. Don’t know what I was thinking. Love to see that happen if Kuz starts well.
I also agree with you that it would help make Kuzma a more valuable trade asset instead of somebody you have to aggregate to get fair value. Best way for Lakers to protect their investment in Kuz.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreOne of the benefits of the Lakers having a deeper and more versatile roster than last season is it gives head coach Frank Vogel and the Lakers’ coaching staff even more options to create nightmare matchups against opponents.
While training camp will finalize the Lakers’ starting and closing lineups and rotations to begin the season, we don’t have to be rocket scientists to figure out how Vogel and his staff are likely going to use their personnel.
STARTING LINEUP
PG Caldwell-Pope, SG Matthews, SF LeBron, PF Davis, CE Gasol The only question regarding the Lakers’ starting lineup is whether coach Frank Vogel will replicate last season’s starting lineup by substituting Wesley Matthews for traded Danny Green or start point guard Dennis Schroder.
While there was rumbling Schroder was not happy coming off the bench for the Thunder, starting Matthews gives Vogel and the Lakers a bigger, better, and more versatile defensive lineup and deeper and more potent bench. Alternating Matthews and Schroder as starters to optimize the matchups depending on whom the Lakers were playing might be a smart option but having clearly defined roles for everybody probably overrules that.
FIRST SUBSTITUTIONS
PG Schroder, SG Caldwell-Pope, SF Kuzma, PF Harrell, CE Gasol The reason for not starting Dennis Schroder is to be able to use his elite playmaking and scoring at the catalyst to unleash the awesome offensive firepower of Lakers second unit while resting LeBron and AD.
The Lakers not only want to fix the problem they had last year when LeBron or AD were not in the lineup. They want to win those minutes, which is a big reason for making the big trade for Schroder and big signing of Harrell. Schoder and Harrell averaged 18 points per game off the bench last year with Harrell winning 6MOY and Schroder runner-up. With Gasol anchoring the defense, the Lakers should dominate when LeBron and AD rest.
SECOND SUBSTITUTIONS
PG Schroder, SG Caruso, SF Kuzma, PF Morris, CE Harrell After starting the game with their best defensive lineup and following that with an elite offensive lineup, the Lakers should have the game in control and be able to continue to rest both LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
While the Lakers tried to always have James or Davis in the game, with the quick turnaround from last season and compressed schedule, the Lakers should deploy some load management to limit LeBron’s and AD’ minutes. This is the lineup where the Lakers really need a second modern center to protect the rim, stretch the floor, and allow Harrell to play four instead of five. That’s why the Lakers need to sign someone like Dewayne Dedmon.
CLOSING LINEUP
PG Caruso, SG Matthews, SF James, PF Morris, CE Davis Like the starting lineup, the Lakers likely closing lineup is likely to resemble the lineup the Lakers ended games with during their championship run but with Wes Matthews replacing the traded Danny Green at shooting guard.
The beauty of this lineup is its balance at both ends of the court with five players who can stretch the floor shooting threes on offense and switch and rotate on defense. It’s the Lakers’ version of ‘small ball’ with a big lineup. Vogel can also add more offense or defense to this lineup depending on the situation and matchups as we saw during the playoffs. There are few teams in the league who have as deep and versatile roster as the Lakers.
The above ten man rotation is designed to spread playing time evenly among players to rely on the additions to the team to carry a bigger load and reduce minutes played by the players who just played in the Finals.
The duration or content of the four lineups can be adjusted depending on how the game is going and the players are playing. As a beginning template, the four lineups give each of the ten players two 6-minute runs each half. While that works out to 12 minutes per half or 24 minutes per game, the starting and closing lineups with LeBron and AD would likely run 7 minutes per quarter, which means 14 minutes per half or 28 minutes per game.
Again, this is just a template and actual minutes played would obviously vary depending on the score, matchups, foul problems, and who was playing well. But it’s a great blueprint for how the Lakers can optimize their roster. What it clearly shows is how the depth and versatility of the Lakers’ roster can be utilized to dramatically limit the total minutes that superstars like LeBron James and Anthony Davis and older veteran players have to play.
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Putting together a rotation for this Lakers team was a lot of fun. There are just so many different pieces that can be put together in so many ways that’s it’s going to a joy watching how Frank and his staff decide who plays when and with whom.
As you can see, I’ve changed my direction from always having either LeBron or AD on the court all the time to focusing on them starting and closing halves together for maximum impact and relying on the firepower provided by Dennis and Trezz to carry the load in the latter part of the first quarter and early minutes of the second quarter without either LeBron or AD. If the Lakers want to rest LeBron and AD, then something has to give and to me it’s having them play together to start and finish rather than having one of them on the floor all the time.
Of course, that may change come the stretch run or playoffs. Right now, I think we can put a dominant lineup on the floor without James and Davis. It will be interesting to see what Frank thinks. He may decide to have one of LeBron or AD on the court all the time. I doubt but who knows. There are so many great combinations we may not see, like will we see LeBron, AD, Dennis, and Trezz on the floor together. I mean how do you defend a lineup like that? It’s scary to imagine.
Anyway, be interested in what you guys think of the four lineups in the rotations and what we’ll end up seeing once the season starts, which, by my calculation, will be in just 26 days. Go, Lakers!
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Aloha Tom
While I could see your rotations working, i’m not so sure they will work out that way. during the regular season, Bradley got the starting nod over KCP because he was a better match up againsts most PG’s then KCP. I can see Dennis starting because of that and KCP slinding into Danny’s role with Matthews coming off the bench. On offense Dennis proved that he could play off the ball with CP3. We could see Lebron go out earlier in the quarter because of Dennis.
I also believe we will see center rotations that look a lot like last year. Rarely does teams rest both of their star players at the same time and i could see AD playing center with Harrel at the 4 at the end of quarters. I could see Harrel shifting to the 5 when Lebron comes back in. I do think this team will provide more rest for both Lebron and AD next year, but i just don’t see both Lebron and AD sitting out together for very long stretches.
Finally I also would like to see us sign Dedman, but i would see that primarily as an insurance policy and after investing in Harrel, I don’t know how much court time he would see. Lakers will be able to put a lot of size around Harrel when he plays the 5 and better perimeter defense than the Clippers could offer, so I don’t think any back up big we may sign will see a lot of court time. By the way I also think we need an insurance PG as well. since we can only dress 12 guys, it probably won’t be any of the name guys left. I did read something about THT possibly filling that role, but I didn’t watch many G league games this year so I don’t know how that would work out.
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Aloha, Michael,
I could easily see Schroder starting at point guards instead of Matthews and there are good arguments for doing that, including keeping Dennis happy so he will want to re-sign with the Lakers, getting his offensive pnch in the starting lineup, as well as matching what we did at point last season. In the end, I went with Wes being the better defensive player. Frankly, I don’t have any issues with who Frank starts this season.
Certainly the most provative aspect of my rotations was not having either LeBron or AD playing in the middle two of the four lineups, which I think are likely to represent maybe 5 minutes each or a stretch of 10 minutes. Notice that these are the two lineups where I have Schroder and Harrell playing along with Gasol in the first set and Morris in the second set to provide extra spacing. That may change if we are able to add a quality modern center like Dedmon but until we do that, there’s simply no way to replicate the center rotation from last season.
Yeah, we do need a backup point guard but unlike a second center, whomever we sign for that position is likely to be one those ‘break glass in case of emergency’ players added as injury or foul trouble replacements. Add a center and we then have an 11 man rotation, which immediately has serious minutes issues.
The Lakers’ goal this offseason has been to limit LeBron’s and AD’s minutes to adding offensive players so we could win the minutes when our superstars rested. Considering the load LeBron and AD carried during the playoffs and the fact that we really only have one center right now tells me we’re going to rely on our new additions, specifically Schroder and Harrell, to give LeBron and AD a chance to rest. It will be fun to see how thing turn out when we get to camp. Still need to add Dedmon.
As for adding a point guard, I think that’s unlikely to happen. We just don’t have the minutes for an 11th man and may be limited to just 14 players. Unlike a second center, another point guard would be an ‘in case of emergency, break glass’ player who wouldn’t play. Adding a center will get us to a 11-man rotation, which starts to make it tough for players to play enough to get into rhythm. I’d rather have Dudley on the bench.
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Good stuff LT. Here are my rotations
Starting 5: Scrodee, KCP, James/Matthews, AD/Harrel, Gasol
whike KCP did admirably in the playoffs the difference I see is that the matchups change nightly (that cpuld change this season though) and so does the game plan. Schrodee should start and James will cede the reins of the O to DS until the playoffs. I expect Matthews to start for LeBron when he needs a day or two off, same with Harrel for AD. Gasol can act as a primary playmaker when called upon to do so, as well. I honestly wouldnt be surprised if they started Harrel when Marc needs a day off, as well.
I also dont see a lot of permutations happening in the regular season. One if the things that struck me during the regular season was how, barring injuries, Vogel stuck with the same starting five. I dont see why that would change now and so I expect that the deciding factor will be what works in canp.
The othee consistent from last season was the general lack of a closing lineup. Itll be AD, James and whomever else is defending/playing well. That seemed to be the ethos from last season, maybe sonething more into it than met the eye.
Lastly, because of the great hob Rob did in bringing in talent and holding onto guys like Caruso and Kuzma there will beba redrfinjng of riles. Bit everyone is going to play every night and thats just how it’ll be. The compressed season makes it more likely we’ll see DNP coaches decisions fir guys (rather than list them as injured or load managed). Thats the reality on a championship team. There may be nore for the individuals to sacrifice for the team.
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Thanks for the comments, Jamie. I don’t disagree with Schroder starting. As Michael pointed out, that could be how Frank goes because it replicates Bradley last season. I opted for Matthews because it replicated Green from last season. Personally, I would probably alternate starting them based on the opposing matchup.
I do like your LeBron and AD day off selections and think we may see a lot of these early, especially against non-playoff teams. While I think you’re right about Frank sticking with his rotations last season, I think we’ll see a lot of early experimenting because of the short preseason and the deep roster. That’s why I went with a 10 man rotation, which didn’t include THT, whom Pincus says is going to be in the rotation, or a second center, which we need.
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Rob Pelinka and Frank Vogel finally spoke out about the Lakers’ new center additions although they avoiding any commentary about why they dumped Dwight and JaVale.
The focus on Marc seemed to be on his ability to stretch the floor and pass whereas the focus on Trezz was about his motor and aggressiveness in attacking the rim.
The obvious conclusion is the Lakers became disenchanted with Dwight and JaVale and saw a great opportunity to upgrade and help their offense when Trezz became available and that pretty much triggered the decision to dump Howard and McGee.
Having filled one of the two center spots with Harrell, the Lakers then looked towards a stretch five in Ibaka and Gasol. Ibaka would have been a better rim protector while Gasol was the better playmaker.
One way or another, Lakers have moved on from the typical defensive oriented dinosaur shot blockers in favor of more offensive minded centers who can either spread the floor and make plays like Gasol or are big time low post scorers like Harrell.