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The one positive is the Laker have taken and made more threes on this road trip than any other stretch of this season.
Over the last 7 games, the Lakers have averaged 35.0 threes taken (13th), 14.4 threes made (7th), and 41.2% from deep (3rd).
While that may not be sustainable, it’s a big reason why we finished this road trip 4-3. Going to need to keep this up over the next 5 games to stay afloat.
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There was a heated discussion on the podcast about the Play-In Tournament.
I love the way it is setup now, which is the #7 and #8 teams play with 7 getting home court advantage. Winner becomes the #7 seed. Then the #9 and #10 teams play with #9 getting home court advantage. The winner of #9 and 10 plays the loser of #7 and #8 for the #8 seed. Three win-or-go-home games with home court to top seed.
Gerald thinks it should be like March Madness. #7 plays #10 for the 7th seed and #8 plays #9 for the 8th seed. Just 2 games. I think that is too much like MLB where #7 team could lose 1 game and be out. In the current setup, #7 and #8 teams are guaranteed two shots at making the playoffs. The winner is the #7 seed but the loser can still win the #8 seed by beating the winner of the #9 vs. #10 seed.
So which scenario is best. The current scenario and Gerald’s idea?
Let us know what you think. Thanks.
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Always a great podcast when the Lakers pull off a big upset. Like Gerald said, the best win of the season so far. Great game by Dennis with zero turnovers. Bad call by ref to eject him for waving bye to Kyrie. The buyout brothers Dre and Ben were superb. Outplayed their Nets counterparts LaMarcus and Griff. Keef, KCP, Alex, Alfonzo – all played great.
Fun podcast with Gerald and I mostly in agreement. Loved how the team came out and got off to great start, lost the lead in the second quarter but came back to lead at half, and then built up a 10-12 point shaky lead in third until Ben went off and hit those 5 straight buckets from 1:00 left in 3rd to 3 minutes gone in 4th to build lead to 21. Downhill from then.
Great podcast, Please listen and give us a 5 star review. Thanks.
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LOL. Good podcast, Gerald, but I’ve already traded that pick five times this week. Anyway, good to hear who Stone Hansen thinks the Lakers might be looking at in the draft, assuming they don’t trade the pick. Good discussion about point guards and centers for Lakers to possibly draft, including Mann, Josh Giddey, Davion Mitchell, etc. Good lisen if you think the Lakers are going to keep the pick and not trade it to help LeBron win now.
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…sigh…pick can’t be traded but OK. You can trade the player 30 days after thy sign their rookie deal. The pick cannot be traded and I can’t find when free agency starts this summer. Them’s the rules, one way or the other. Also, they’re drafting Timme!!!! JK, I have no idea and don’t much care. Whomever it is will fall in behind our 2 big dogs and then some besides I’m more interested in the free agent carousel we’re certain to be on.
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LOL. Them’s NOT the rules. You and Gerald, SMH!
The pick will be traded on draft day July 29 just like last season’s pick was traded, or have you forgotten how we acquired Dennis Schroder? The rule is teams cannont trade future first round picks two years in a row but there’s no rule preventing the Lakers from tradeing actual picks on draft day every year.
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I don’t believe that is correct. Here’s what was said specifically about the Schroder trade. Now was there a wink and a handshake deal made prior to the draft? I’m sure the league office would love to know.
Here:
The Los Angeles Lakers have officially completed their trade for Dennis Schröder, the team announced after the 2020 NBA Draft on Wednesday. The Lakers could not consummate their trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder until after the 2020 NBA Draft because the deal included their first-round pick, which they also traded last year (NBA teams cannot trade future picks in consecutive drafts).Along with Jaden McDaniels — who was taken with that pick — the Lakers will send Danny Green to the Thunder as part of the deal. And while Green was hardly a Lakers fan favorite — to put it mildly — his wing defense was still a valuable part of the long-limbed and active identity that won them the title. He will be missed, even if you likely won’t miss watching him shoot.
If you want to take a trip down memory lane and see what everyone was saying Dennis would bring to the Lakers it’s all in the same article: https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2020/11/18/21573823/lakers-trade-dennis-schroder-danny-green-2020-nba-draft-analysis
Point being the PICK cannot be traded. Them’s are indeed the rules. If all this time you have actually meant “the player will be traded X days after the draft” than that’s what one should imply. We couldn’t trade the pick now, can’t trade it on Draft Day, either. All the same rule.
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Frustrating to lose a winnable game but some positive signs in KCP looking for his shot aggressively, some good signs from Dre, and good play by Morris (before getting ejected) and Caruso. Just needed Dennis to take care of the ball and make some shots.
LRob goes off rightfully on the refs. Some great back and forth regarding whether KCP’s big game was due to his old teammate Dre playing with him or because Lakers signed Ben McLemore as insurance against him. I mean, same with Gasol as soon as Dre was signed.
One thing we didn’t discuss in detail was all of the old guys on the Heat. I mean Ariza, Oladipo, Iggy? Like the All-League ‘washed up roster. Great podcast. Give us a listen. Thanks.
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I do, just that there need be limits.
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Good podcast as our fearless leader Gerald drives us right off the rails from the get go. Lots of excellent discussion and controversy. Give it a listen. Lots of fun stuff. And it’s always good to see the Lakers win and hoist up 40 threes for a change. Can’t make them if you don’t take them.
@Magicman: I too am a big believer in redemption but I don’t consider weak CYA apologies as a meaningful step in that direction. Action and future behavior privately and in public are the only things that move the needle for me.
I thought Kobe was a perfect example of a man who made some serious mistakes as a young man but proved through his actions and behavior that he understood what he did and said and changed for the better. As for KD, he’s have to show me that he’s honestly interested in becoming a better person rather than just redeeming his public image. That’s not something that happens overnight.
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No, please do not speak about my driving skills. People will start with the Tiger Woods comparison very quickly. All kidding aside I hope the listeners found the conversation worth while.
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As for cancel culture, that’s just another phrase invented by the racists and misogynists to push back on institutions and corporations exhibiting social conscience over prejudice and injustice. They clapped when the NFL forbid players from kneeling but can’t handle it when MLB ojbects to Jim Crow voting restrictions in Georgia. Instead, turn to their go-to strategyu and try to invoke a culuture war where Freedom of speech allows Freedom of Hate and terms like ‘woke’ become 4-letter words.
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When your team gets blown out like the Lakers today, showing up scared and beaten from the get go, there’s nothing you can do other than ridicule the lack of effort and belief you can win.
I’m seriously thinking of starting a series of sites like the Locked On network only calling it the Dumped On network. Dumped On Lakers. Dumped on Celtics, Dumped on Bucks, It could be a big money maker and the only way to enjoy talking about this Lakers team without LeBron and AD. Dumped On Chokers.
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Great podcast, guys. And a breath of fresh air after the whipping by the Bucks and disappointing debut by Drummond on Wednesday. As Gerald pointed out, always good to see another NBA team fall into Admiral Ackbar’s ‘trap game’ black hole.
Lots to love about this game including Kyle Kuzma stepping up and showing he could be the Lakers ‘Next Man Up.’ What was impressive about Kyle’s performance is he was great at both ends, pouring 30 points in on offense and shutting down Buddy Hield on defense. I’ve long lobbied for Kuz to be our starter at shooting guard and this just adds fuel to that fire.
But speaking of shooting guards, it was great to see KCP break out and have a great first half although he seemed to lose it again in the second half. Nice to hear him talk about it being on him to be aggressive. We need Playoff KCP if we’re going to stay in the top 6 and avoid the Play-In Tournament.
Caruso had a good bounce back game and an impressive one handed dunk but still is getting beaten way too many times on defense. But can’t complain about Lakers raining threes. 17 of 35 is the kind of performance from deep that can keep the Lakers afloat until LeBron and AD return.
I put out my theory that other than LeBron and AD the Lakers don’t have any players who would start for more than half the teams in the NBA. Still think that’s true. I also think missing LeBron and AD undermines their confidence. Just like a pick up game at the gym on Saturday, everybody plays with more zeal and confidence when you know you have the best player on the court on your side.
When we played the Bucks, our guys felt like the other team had the best player and played like it. Last night, against a team w/o a superstar, the Lakers came out confident they could compete and they did. I think we can win games w/o LBJ and AD against teams like the Kings, Raptor, Hornets, and Knicks but will struggle against teams with real superstars like the Clippers, Heat, and Nets. Chance to go 4-3 on this roadie.
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Thanks, Buba. Always a big plus to have the best player on the court on your team. Bron makes everybody better.
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In contrast I thought Wesley and Caruso played to their roles. They’re bench players and aren’t loafing on either end. They missed shots, yes, but to me that’s less of a crime than KCP’s loafing and Schroder’s lack of leadership. I don’t think I’d be so ornery about Dennis’ recent play save for all the extension drama. Wish he had just said he was focusing on the season and leaving summer stuff until the summer. C’est la vie.
I don’t see Drummond’s fit on this team. I applaud those who have high hopes but he and Gasol are mirrors, Drummond being the younger and theoretically better mirror but physically they’re a little too similar. 2 Earth-bound centers, one more of a defender/rebounder and the other more a playmaker and theoretical floor spacer. Don’t see big playoff roles for them.
Love how LT is finally coming around to the notion AD and the Lakers don’t want him to play center much. Been saying that since before he got here. At any rate I think everyone here knows I’m a huge Boogie fan and have wanted him on the team since the preseason. At least he can score the rock and isn’t any les Earthbound than Gasol. Slower afoot and not as solid defensively as Dre.
Great podcast and well worth the listen. Lakers are in a tight spot.
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Frankly, both Gerald and I were pretty bummed out by the loss and were unusually in concert when it came to analyzing the game. I prefer the Lakers winning and Gerald and I disagreeing on why but unfortunately, that’s not where this Lakers team is at this point.
The Lakers are a team that lacks secondary stars, has major weaknesses at the point guard and center positions, and desperately needed better and more 3-point shooting but elected not to fix any of these problems at the trade deadline.
Schroder and THT are not going to fill the void left by Rondo. The combination of Gasol, Harrell, and Drummond is not going to be able to solve the center rim protection issues. And there may be too little time left for LeBron and AD to get healthy and the Lakers to repeat. We’re looking at the Lakers being a Play-In team.
As for Andre, I won’t write him off yet because he was obviously not in game shape and then got injured. We did see some positives in a blocked shot, a rebound, a couple of assists, and a player who wanted to play team ball. Unfortunately, we also saw a player who’s not a great dunker off lobs or drives, can’t shoot free throws, and is unlikely to carry the team offensively until Bron and AD return. In the end, there’s a reason he was bought out at 27.
Count me in on signing Boogie and having him take ten threes per game to spread the floor and stretch the defense. Now he’s going to do that to us on the Clippers while Dre blows lobs and turns the ball over going 1-on-1. What does it take for the Lakers coaching staff and front office to understand you win with LeBron by surrounding him with great 3-point shooting? Sometimes, you wonder what these guys are thinking. It’s like the ghost of Byron Scott is still haunting the team.
And Gerald is right, I do think the evidence is favoring the idea that the Lakers simply don’t want to rely on AD at the five, partly because he doesn’t want to play there and partly because of the injury and longevity concerns. The Brow is not a banger. He’s not Shaquille O’Neal. He’s more of a Pau Gasol type center.Unfortunately for the Lakers, this is not last year and we’re going to face a lot tougher competition than the Blazers, Rockets, Nuggets, and Heat this season. While the Lakers got Drummond, the Nets got Blake and LaMarcus, the Clippers Rondo and Boogie, the Heat Oladipo and Ariza, and the Nuggets Gordon. If you think the Lakers are still favored to win the championship, maybe you need a reminder that this is April Fools’ Day.
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Man, Gerald just cannot handle success by the Bruins and failure by the Trojans. Talk about poor losers. UCLA will have to show Gerald how to beat a juggernaut like the Zags. Bruins are a team of destiny. Only team left in March Madness to win a championship. In fact, 11 championships with #12 coming up.
Good discussion about how all the Lakers free agents are going to play considering they’re playing to win a championship and to get paid. Jamie pushing Gasol as the backup center who will get time in the playoffs instead of Trezz. LOL. I may have to stay up late to prevent all of this misinformation from being distributed.
The guys then talked about the MVP and gave their personal opinions on which leftover candidate should win it this year instead of LeBron. Then they talked about whom the Lakers were going to draft, with Jamie thinking we were going to keep the pick when it’s obvious it will get traded like this year. Lakers going to need a starting center this offseason, which means KCP, Kuzma, and the 2021 and 2027 picks will be their main assets to pursue Myles Turner or Karl Anthony Towns.
Back to the draft, Gerald, of course, is pimping all the guys from USC. Then, Gerald and Jamie spend a bunch of time talking about former Lakers’ draft picks they would like to get back (Svi, etc.) none of whom we want. And Jamie thinking Marc Gasol is going to still be on the roster next year.
Finally, correcting the talk about the trade exception talk, the discussion I had was with Sam Quinn and the rule is a team is hard capped only they acquire a player in a sign-and-trade. So if Lakers got a second round pick for Schroder, they would not be hard capped.
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lol, misinformation my eye.
Congrats to the Bruins, like you I don’t watch college hoops for personal reasons (which we get into a bit on the show) and so really don’t have a strong opinion.
Reasons Why LakerTom May Be Jumping the Shark:
-Lakers have to keep this pick until after the draft. Can’t trade ’em in back-to-back seasons. Can’t agree to a wink and a handshake deal (at least publicly) until free agency hits. So LT will have to stick with imaginary draft day deals and not real ones. The reason we have to make the selection is because next season it defers to NOLA no matter the draft position. We also have a 2nd rounder from the…wait for it…Svi trade.
-The free agent hoe down is a legit thing to keep an eye on. Schroder, Harrell, Drummond, THT, Caruso and even ‘Kieff are all up for free agency after this season and of those players we Bird/Early Bird rights on Schroder, Kieff, THT and Caruso. Harrell is almost certainly going to make more than the 10-11 mil we can offer him so unless we trade Schroder and get a Boston-esque sized trade exception with which we would have a lot more financial flexibility to work with it’s highly unlikely he’ll pick up his player option while also commanding more salary than we can pay.
-For the same reasons Harden doesn’t have a shot (hard to be an MVP when you demand a trade, loaf through the first 1/4 of the season) LBJ and Embiid have uphill roads to the award. The hill? Missed games: Dame and Jokic have played in almost every game and played excellently. The winner will have the better record in the western conference.
-Svi hitting 40% from three and will be an UFA. But I suppose that when one has a philosophy of take a ton of threes without the corresponding caveat of make a bunch of threes I guess the 3ptFGM % doesn’t matter as much? Let’s put it another way: the Lakers have a far higher likelihood of re-acquiring Svi than Lonzo Ball.
-Marc Gasol may not be the starting center next season but he’s cheap, under contract and nobody else wants him. He’ll be on the roster come November.
-That’s what I though so that makes a Schroder deal even more likely. I don’t think that we can do that with Harrell because of the manner in which we signed him. Gets real wonky there…But yeah, Laker Late Night for the night owls is a thing. Probably try to do one a week I s’pose. Any and all are welcome.
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Good rejoinder, Gerald. Thank you.
First, very common for teams to make trades but not execute them until draft day. Lakers need a center since they’re going to need to include their first round pick and maybe even their 2027 first rounder along with Kuzma and KCP to get a player of Turner’s quality.
Second, any trade exception we get for trading Schroder, Caruso, or THT will not help us keep Harrell. The most we can offer him is a 20% raise. The trade exception also cannot be used to acquire another free agent player because that would invoke a hard cap, making it impossible to go way over the cap to keep THT, Caruso, or Schroder.
Gasol will either retire, be traded, or bought out. Count on it. He’s just not a good fit for what the Lakers need. Now, after having Covid, he’s even slower. Give him the ball under the basket and he can’t even dunk the ball. Talk about Blake not being able to dunk. I’m not sure Marc can do it during the layup drill.
LOL. Anyway, I guess I’ll have to stay up late and join you in the future to keep you two from going off the rails
“Svi hitting 40% from three?” That was last year after shooting 32.6% the year before. This year, he’s shooting 33.5% from deep. When your only valuable skill is your 3-point shooting, that’s career ending. Even when he shot 40% from three last year, he only shot 40% from the field. This year he is shooting 38.7% from the field. And more turnovers than asssists for every year and team he’s been on since in the league.
LOL. Anyway, I guess I’ll have to stay up late and join you guys to keep you from going off the rails.
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Don’t count out Svi just yet Tom.
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Why would Gasol retire? lol…dude has guaranteed money sitting on the table, you think he’s walking away from that? Nope. Now a buyout this summer? Sure, maybe, but that money still counts against the cap so might as well just keep him and hope to include him in a trade.
The draft pick this summer will not fall within the 1-8 range and so we’re keeping it meaning next year’s 1st rounder is 100% without a doubt going to NOLA per the AD trade stipulations. Since you cannot trade 1st rounders in back-to-back seasons that means it’s ours to keep and select a player. Now I do believe we could make a draft day deal but at that point but my feeling is that’s a long shot. Mainly because the guys whom we want to trade will be about hit free agency. I don’t think we’re in a position to trade Kuzma and and KCP deal with need a sweetner because he’s so terrible this season.
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LOL. Aha! A Michigan State supporter! I would have thought you would have supported the Big 10. Must have some strong feelings about your arch rivals, Lee. I always have that problem with the Red Sox or USC being a Yankees and Bruins fan.
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Always more fun when the Lakers win and some spirited discussions about what Drummond can do, especially from Detroit native LRob who’s seen more of Andre on the court that any of us or most of the pundits expressing their opinions.
Good discussions about who else the Laker may be targeting on the buyout market, who’s going to be Playoff Rondo this year, the Lakers 3-point woes, and how the rest of the year is going to go.
Give a listen. Lakers on a 2-game win streak and thankfully (JK) no Admiral Ackbar to bring you down.
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Geeeeeez…fall asleep with your kid and this is what ya get I guess…lol
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One of the bright spots in last night’s game was Marc Gasol scoring 18 points on 7-10 shooting including 4 -6 from deep. Unfortunately, the Lakers defense could not stop Jaylen Brown so Gasol’s offensive night went for naught.