LAKERHOLICS PODCASTS

Gerald rocking his Alex Caruso look! Good stuff. What a game by THT!!!

Some thoughts on the podcast. LakerTom has replaced Kuzma with Caruso as “The Laker He Can’t Wait to Trade” and, like the multitude of Kuzma trades, those won’t happen either. While Alex and the Lakers will face an interesting next summer when he becomes an unrestricted free agent there is little doubt that there is a pretty short list of players that he would be included in a trade for. I’ll leave it right there.

One thing i 100% agree with is that Vogel chose a group of guys for the game and went with them.I think we’ll see this kind of approach for the first 2 or 3 months of the season. This was not random, this was by design. I’d bet that he’s prepping for something more akin to a pitching rotation in baseball where you match up guys based on fit. So if someone is injured, tired, or whatever, they’ll sit for a game or two. This will be his version of load management while also showcasing the younger, cheaper talent.

In some ways I was glad I missed this one, I didn’t have to listen live to a half hour of Caruso bashing… THT had one good game and LT is already proclaiming him nigh untouchable. Caruso started in the NBA Finals, has the best +/- of any on-court partner LeBron James has ever played and, perhaps most importantly, he understands his role. THT excelled in a role he does not actually have on this team. Caruso thrives in the role he has and he thrives in it consistently. So, while THT had a nice game I still value Caruso more in regards to being able to impact the game at a high level in the role he truly has earned. THT ain’t there yet. He’s Kuzma year 1, in my opinion. Can show some flash and skill in a preseason game or on a team with low to zero expectations but what can he do in 15-20 mpg waiting for LeBron or AD to make a move? Can he do it consistently? Can he improve on defense to the point that he lives up to the hype of his physical stats? Those are questions I expect we’ll have answers to over the course of the season because Talen has assuredly earned a back up role on the squad.

To all the realists out there, I see you. lol

Sorry i couldn’t make it gents, had a long day and didn’t get around to catching the game until after 9. I thought that the young Lakers did well, we played solid defense throughout (at times it looked like an NBA game that mattered) and the kids did well in crunch time. Preseason, nothing will change in terms of role or rotation because of it and my personal best takeaway was how THT has been able to play the game at a pace that is beneficial to him./. Just needs to finish a little better or seek out more contact and get to the line.

Another battle between the GHF (Glass Half Full) and GHE factions of Lakerholics over whether the Lakers extended their lead over the rest of the NBA during the offseason and whether THT is legit. You can guess who was on which side.