If you are a casual purveyor of NBA news then you realize what polarizing topic of debate Mr. Russell Westbrook can be. He’s the guy who was the last man standing of what was once the youthful trio of the future in Oklahoma City after first Harden and then Kevin Durant left town. He’s the guy who didn’t just break Oscar Robertson’s triple-double average for a season record he obliterated it by doing it 4 out of the last 5 seasons to the point it’s now an after-thought. He’s the NBA version of a wrecking ball and what a wrecking ball doesn’t destroy on the first hit it takes care of on the second. He’s unapologetic, plays with an edge and has a healthy disdain for NBA punditry. He is all of that and so very much more. In my opinion, he was the coup of the off-season and the Lakers stole him away from the Wizards for a trio of role-players and solitary first round draft pick. Of all the descriptors that have been used to quantify Westbrook’s game the one I think applies the best is fearless.

1. The edge. Russell Westbrook plays the game the right way: hard from the jump to the final horn. If you want to nitpick some of his defensive metrics and insist that he doesn’t try on defense I invite you to check out the team around him in some of those seasons, all recent. It was either Russell Westbrook and the Thunderneers featuring whomever GM Sam Presti could wrangle onto the squad after Harden and Durant departed town (Hint: it’s not top tier NBA talent), the Houston “aaaaaahhhhhh, who needs a center?!” Rockets which featured zero rim-protection and put the onus on stopping the ball on the perimeter and finally the Washington Wizards also known as the team that gives up halfway through the season cause half the squad is hurt. Russell Westbrook can bring at least the same level of skill and intensity Dennis Schroder brought. His intensity can rub people wrong because it’s born of hard work and dedication. I, for one, have no problem with curt post-gamers or short answers to mediocre questions. The man doesn’t have a lot of time to waste. So, for those that take umbrage to the edge that Russell displays in media sessions or his utter exuberance at dunking on people I am not only fond of it but feel like that kind of fire and edge was lacking on last season’s team.
2. The shooting. A lot was made on the day the trade was announced about how Westbrook’s shooting was an albatross to the Laker offense. While Russ may not be the second coming of Ray Allen in terms of a silky smooth jumper he has other areas he is elite at and some of those, incredibly, involve scoring the basketball. While there is some concern for Russell’s overall shooting efficiency (I like to use StatMuse for these kinds of discussions: https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/russell-westbrook-career-shot-chart) there are some specifically good things about how Russell Westbrook can be used on offense. His free throw line to the top of the key jump shot is at or above the league average. He scores at the rim slightly below the league average but the volume is what stands out to me. Russ is relentless, putting pressure on defense at all times and he has never had teammates as skilled and polished in their careers as Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Durant was not the Warriors version we saw after leaving OKC, not yet. James Harden wasn’t the elite shooter and facilitator he became in Houston. When he joined Harden in Houston a couple season’s back they couldn’t figure out how to make it work and I put a lot of that on the constraints Mike D’Antoni put on the offense with his disdain for the center position which left huge defensive holes to fill and got rid of the screen and roll which Russell uses at an elite level.
3. The playmaking. This is the reason why the Lakers pulled the trigger on this trade. Russ may not be the most efficient player (hey, neither was Kobe Bryant but he got the job done through sheer force of will as much as by skill and talent). Russ will make the Lakers better via his elite playmaking. I don’t know that LeBron has ever played with a guy who makes plays at the level and skill Westbrook can. Other great scorers? Sure, D-Wade of course, Chris Bosh and Kyrie Irving are all great scorers who are willing passers but they’re not really elite play-makers. The screen and roll with either Russ and LBJ or AD could be one of next season’s more devastating weapons because it will force the defense to collapse and either one of AD or a new Laker jump shooter will be open on the perimeter. Just need to let those shots fly. I think Wayne Ellington’s off-ball movement alone will open up lanes for Westbrook to exploit. Add in slashers like Bazemore, Ariza and, yes, LeBron James and it’s easy to imagine Russ sneaking passes through the defense for easy buckets. We’ll still have Davis and his array of jumpers, back-down moves and floaters to make the half court offense workable but I think LeBron and the Laker front office understand that if LeBron is continue his career at an elite level something has to give. With Westbrook onboard that will likely be a decent portion of the half court offense. I think that’s wise. LeBron can save himself in the first half, even the first three quarters and then grab the reigns as the game demands down the stretch. Like how the scoring, passing and defense of Pau Gasol helped extend Kobe’s championship window adding an elite passing PG next to LeBron should do the same for him.
4. The transition offense. This is where the Lakers have instantly become a juggernaut. Sure, it’s all on paper now but Russell Westbrook leaking out on the break with any number of able passers outletting to him is a nightmare for the opposition (this is one area where I see having Gasol on the floor is a big bonus, actually). In theory Westbrook will be defending on the perimeter and can start his down court run as soon as we secure a rebound. If that player is either LeBron James or Marc Gasol get ready for an explosive dunk highlight. Same goes for when Westbrook secures a rebound, seeing as he’s an elite rebounder, as well. The downcourt weapon for the Lakers will be a featured weapon once again, one that seemingly fell to the wayside last season and saw our transition points drop. We went from the 2nd best team on the break in 2019-202 at 17.6 ppg to 11th at 13.2. Those 4.6 points were essentially lost to us last season. They weren’t recovered in any statistical way as we averaged 3.9 fewer ppg as a team. While a decent amount of that can be attributed to injuries to LeBron and AD we were still middle of the pack on the break and Russ should go a long way in bumping that number higher.
5. The defense. Again, a lot of the negative “reporting” one reads in regards to Russ these days are questions about his defense. It’s nigh impossible to maintain the stamina and effort needed to be an All-Defense caliber player in the NBA while shouldering the entire offensive load for your team or when you don’t even have a player over 6′ 8″ in the paint to funnel your man into. That is the reality Westbrook has played with for the last 5 seasons: No other All Star level talent on his team until he got to Houston…where they proceeded to abandon the center position and essentially make a defense an after-thought. Followed by he and Bradley Beal having to outscore teams in Washington. Incredibly both teams not only made the playoffs but thanks to an elite offense in Houston advanced to the second round. Russ came into the league with a defensive reputation and certainly has the athleticism and skill to be a plus defender. I think we’ll see a different Westbrook on defense in the Frank Vogel schemes. Coach Vogel likes to throw different looks at the opposition and he likes to deploy them at odd times. Under Vogel we also seem to work on defense throughout the year evolving coverages and schemes to adapt to the guys on the team better. With Dwight and Marc we have two different types of centers we can deploy and I expect both to get some decent minutes during the regular season. Marc can open up the floor with his passing and shooting, Dwight can set wipe out screens to free Russ for rim runs that result in scores or kick outs. The Laker defense might take a hit when the bench comes in but should still be good enough for a top ten placement in the NBA next season. If it’s better than expected and we’re in the top five tier…watch out, this could get scary for 29 other teams pretty quickly; that includes Brooklyn, Blake, thanks for playing.

In short I don’t see many issues with fit when it comes to the Lakers and Russell Westbrook. We got plenty of shooting that can be deployed, we can go with a rugged lineup with a traditional center and we can go small with James at the 5, 3 shooters and Russ when AD sits. I’ve always been a big Westbrook fan and can’t wait to see him in purple and gold, hopefully at STAPLES center at some point this upcoming season.

The feeding frenzy has subsided, the game of musical chairs nearly concluded and, incredibly, With two roster spots remaining, the Bird rights to Dennis Schroder and not many impact players left on the market I wanted to take a minute to look at the potential ways we could fill it out or why it might be best to keep some flexibility and leave a spot or two open.

1. The big fish left swimming in the pond. It certainly isn’t Dennis “Soon to have a new agent” Schroder. It’s Kawhi “You don’t want to pay me to rehab and bail?!” Leonard. The league has adjusted to the stunt he pulled in San Antonio where he pretty much quit on the team because he didn’t want to play there. There doesn’t appear to be a flood of teams willing to play the “I want to rehab for $40 million dollars AND have a players option for the 2nd year so I can bolt” game this season. That’s good because while Leonard (when healthy) is certainly a game-changing talent it would seem that the organization and team he is attached to must go through more hoops than a Jack Russell terrier at the circus in order to keep him happy. While the organization and his issues with that aspect of the NBA is nothing knew I feel like where Leonard is a bigger issue is with the team he’s on and how it affects the players. Is he going to play? He’s like the Scottish prince in Braveheart, always promising to show up with his army but then he always lets Mel and his hair extensions down. Freedom indeed, Kawhi. Might he end up in Philly in a S&T for Ben Simmons? Dallas has some cap space and could trade Porzingis and while that would arguably weaken them this season Luka and Kawhi (should he deign to stay) would be a scary matchup for any head coach to deal with.
2. Dennis Schroder and his ever-dwindling payday. This is a cautionary tale for all the young ballers out there: make your money when you can however you can. That’s why I don’t begrudge Alex Caruso for choosing a couple mil over the cheap Lakers offer. Mansculpt may not be there every time he needs a little windfall and he’s 27, get that bank account up while you can. Injuries are a part of the game, poor choices are avoidable and Dennis made a doozy. After rejecting a reported $21 million 4 year deal from the Lakers because he wanted, one would assume, a couple million more Dennis has seen that the market does not bear his demands. Now he’s the odd PG out as just about every other name PG has signed except Reggis Jackson. Whoops, nope, Reggie just signed a 2-year $22 million dollar deal to stay a Clipper.https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945238-reggie-jackson-to-re-sign-with-clippers-on-2-year-22m-contract
   At any rate, Dennis may have to face the music and take less money, a lesser role, or both if he wants to stay in the NBA. Other than that his best option could be to go overseas and play his azz off.
3. Having said that, neither of those guys are going to be on the Lakers next season. We have 2 more spots up and needs to fill in the form of a decent wing-defender and some size in the front court. The Lakers are rangy but not big with only Gasol, Dwight and some minutes for Anthony Davis at center to close out halves (my prediction). For my part I wouldn’t mins seeing Paul Millsap come here. He has range from deep and can play at the 4 or the five. It would allow AD to play power forward in name if not reality and he’s a rugged defender. James Ennis would be a nice fit, as well at 6’6″ and with decent range. I have long been a huge fan of Boogie Cousins and he showed that he can have flashes of decent impact in Houston but I don’t see him coming here and we need to get faster not slower. His shooting is legit, though. If one wanted to go for upside there are some younger players on the market yet to find homes, Isaiah Hartenstein, Josh Hart (restricted so would have to be a S&T which we can’t do unless it’s a 3 team deal and we use the TE to bring Hart onboard, feels late in the game for that kind of move) and Lauri Markkanen (same situation as JH) are all on the open market.
4. The reasons I don’t think we’ll fill the roster out to the max of 15 players. You may notice I have yet to fill the honorary NBA EZ-Chair roster spot named after our own Jared Dudley. That’s because I think that the Lakers are considering going with 14 players and the 2 ways. the enw 2 way rule allowing those deals to go up and down as desired with no restrictions on NBA level playing time helps a team like the Lakers a lot. We’re capped out and well into the luxury tax. When one takes into account that we tried to play Caruso on the cheap I don’t think the Lakers want to incur any additional tax penalties so for every player we bring in it’s important to remember the cap hit is magnified signifcantly (LakerTom has the low down on the cap hit calculator but I found this one with a cute cat in a suit, not sure if it’s the same one: https://www.dangerc.art/nba-calculator). Anyhow, it also makes sense to keep at least one spot open for a buyout. I suppose we could talk Duds into a non-guaranteed deal but that still has a cap hit and the Lakers like to pinch pennies when they can. I have a sneaking suspicion (formed even before Reggie Jackson was signed) that Rondo will ask for a buyout and come to to the Lakers at some point. Call it a hunch, if you will.
5. Current off-season grade for Rob and the front office would be: B+. I think we’re going to have some issues on defense. We’re going to need Anthony Davis healthy and playing DPOY levels to crack the top ten and even that I see as being unlikely. Bazemore and Nunn need to find a higher level of intensity and stay on the court (both have had injury-plagued seasons of late and Nunn is young for that kind of thing), LeBron won’t be able to just guard the guy in the corner as often and we’ll need Gasol and Howard to be solid when AD sits or they share the floor. Feels like one of the themes of the season, alongside the always and eternal “we need to stay healthy”, is that Frank is going to have to earn that extension with a defesnive coaching job for the ages. That along with “Anthony Davis needs to be a major player in the MVP/Defensive Player of the Year convo” will define the Lakers’ regular season. Should we come through the regular season intact and playing well together I like our chances in any 7 game series.

So that’s where I’m at these days in terms of the Lakers. I absolutely loved the Westbrook trade, I think we got the requisite shooters to compliment Russ, AD and LeBron, wish we had retained Alex Caruso for fit and defense, and I think our defense took a really big hit overall with the players we traded out or did not retain. How this all works out on the court remains to be seen. I could throw pasta line ups at the wall to see what sticks but I’ll wait to here from Frank and Rob during the upcoming press conferences to get an idea of what the thinking is ion terms of rotations as one would assume that question will be posed to them at that time and into camp whenever possible. I like this iteration of the Lakers and I hope my concerns about the defensive end are either mitigated by an elite offense or a better than expected showing. Go Lakers.

Ahhhh the lead up to the draft. Where every trade is possible, where every news report is considered legit and every article devoured by the relevant fan base. While it is a kind of fun in and of itself I generally don’t go in for a lot of these things. I believe it was our own mongoslade who once said, wisely I might add, that you never hear about the actual deals that are being made. So very much of what we’re seeing now is smoke and mirrors, agents positioning their clients for big pay days, teams hoping to lower the value of another’s player(s). But let’s look at the five rumors I think have a shred of merit.

1. Anthony Davis to the five. This was the one that set the powder keg-a-burning. Laker Nation, and the sport world in general, has endorsed more Anthony Davis at the five. To his credit, I applaud AD for sticking to his guns and wanting to play the 4. As we’ve seen with far too many athletes what the world thinks should matter very little. if at all. The world isn’t doing reps, putting up shots, getting up at dawn and sacrificing what goes as a normal life these days for a sport. They sit at home and critique things they have little practical knowledge of. I’m one of them and I have no problem admitting that. Now, if AD himself is ready and excited about dropping down to the center position and redefining it for future generations to come then awesome! I welcome his choice. But like the hole the chewed food comes out of my opinion is worth about as much as the brown stuff. That will only work one way: if Anthony Davis actually wants to do that. If AD is forced into a position he’s not mentally into aren’t we all doing the same thing that has been done to Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, Jim Brown and other athletes who decided that the court of public opinion wasn’t worth putting on a uniform and playing a game for? I want Anthony Davis to be as great as I believe his natural born talent and hard work will allow him to be. I want him to be a great Laker for a very long time. I also want him to be a happy human, as happy as any of us ever are.
2. The Lakers trading Kyle Kuzma Karousel. I like Kyle Kuzma, I don’t mind that he doesn’t take as many floaters as he used to or that he signed a (kind of) trade-friendly $13 million dollar deal last summer. Because of his not yet(?) reached ceiling that contract means that teams are sorta, kinda, mostly interested in acquiring him but without overpaying. What that means is anyone’s guess. I feel like Kuzma is easily a 15 ppg, 8 rpg decent defensive rating player. There might be more he can show in the right situation. As we’ve said numerous times playing behind AD and LBJ means sacrificing your game. It’s that sacrifice for the team that is preventing the team from trading him for it believes is equal value, ironically. The odds on Kyle staying a Laker appear low since it would appear they’ve shopped him around more than the AVON lady does cosmetics. Should he happen to remain on the Lakers I hope he has his best season ever and makes every team that walked away from him this time pay. Again.
3. The Disappearing, reappearing KCP. I guess KCP’s magic act of vanishing for stretches isn’t confined to basketball after all. I jest, but hearing his name next to Kyle’s at the NBA swap meet isn’t likely to do much for the streak shooter. Like Kyle I won’t be surprised if he’s on another team come camp. In fact, considering how it sounds like the Lakers are trying to get in front of the Washington Wizards for draft day I wouldn’t be surprised if Russ is in play to LA for KCP, Dennis Schroeder being signed and traded and the pick that could be Duarte out of Oregon. If that’s the case than Kentavious has his best trick yet to give us: transmogrifying himself into Russell Westbrook which I believe is quite possible.
4. Prime, star players coming here the full MLE. It’s not that I wouldn’t love a DeMar DeRozan caliber player coming here for $9.75 million dollars it’s that I don’t think there’s a snowball’s chance in Hell of it happening. DeMar is 31, squarely in his prime and coming off one of his best all-around seasons ever. The dude isn’t going to take an $18 million dollar pay cut to come play 3rd (or 4th) option to LeBron, AD and whomever else we bring in. The dude has worked too hard and has far too much pride to do that. The “Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan are SUPER great friends and TOTALLY want to take pay cuts to come play in LA!!!” click bait fantasy lasted as long as it took for Lowry’s agent to say his guy was looking for a $25-30 million/season deal. Frankly, i would worry about him a little if he did. The “players will do anything for a ring!” narrative has as much impact to me as “that guy is from the greater LA area…he wants to play for the Lakers!!!!” philosophy. Which is to say none. Honestly, I’m surprised that notion didn’t die when Kawhi Leonard and Paul George did all but blow the Lakers raspberries when they signed with the Chokers, er, Clippers. I suppose if that didn’t kill it nothing will…
5. OK Mr. Grumpus, what do YOU think will happen on draft day and beyond? Great question and I have a simple answer: I don’t have a &$%#ing clue, man. I think the Lakers are trying to pair LeBron with a player he will trust to share the offensive creation load. That is not a long list: Chris Paul, DeMar DeRozan (who was on his Barbershop show early on) and Russell Westbrook. Maybe Derrick Rose (whom I’m sure LeBron thinks stole one of his MVPs so maybe notsomuch?). Not Kemba Walker, not Kyle Lowry, nobody little or unathletic. Frankly the only reason CP3 is on the list is because of his banana boat connection and that he’s shown he can do it with lesser talent. If the Lakers can’t trade down in the draft using Kuzma they’ll likely try to trade the pick for some 2nd rounders. As we’ve seen for a long time now the Lakers are elite at drafting in the later rounds. You’d also get 2 cost-controlled players for the price of one. I also think that KCP will stay a Laker unless it’s for a really impactful player. He won’t be traded for a lateral move because he fits in well for us on both ends. Also his Klutch connection. I don’t see Indy taking Kuzma or KCP for Myles Turner (which I would be really down for, just don’t see them pulling that trigger this year or next even), I could see the Kings going for a Kuzma and Trezz trade for Buddy which is a win for both teams and I don’t see us getting any free agents in a Schroeder sign and trade that goes a penny over $20 million. I see us keeping THT and Caruso, Alex fits alongside LeBron and AD really well and we kept THT over trading for Lowry and even though he wasn’t a huge playoff factor that, along with his own Klutch connection, makes me think that the Lakers will try their best to hold onto him or use him a separate sign and trade should he accept an offer sheet elsewhere.

As always, take all of that for what it is: an opinion, one of many. We all got ’em and keep ’em coming. Even if we disagree it’s all in fun. Besides, we’ll see who can bust a Nostradamus and who really didn’t have a clue soon enough. Go Lakers.

It’s LakerTom heaven, through and through. Of course, it being basically the NBA dog days, especially on non-game days, this is as reliable as the weather man.

Here’s the important part (most of the article is about Ben Simmons): Yet it’s worth noting that inevitable rumbles of Lakers interest would not merely emanate from Simmons’ status as a Paul client like LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Word is that the Lakers, on top of their well-chronicled need for more shooting, covet one more difference-making playmaker who would allow James and Davis to spend more time at power forward and center.

Expect to eventually hear of them searching for potential pathways, however obstacle-strewn they would be, to reacquiring restricted free agent-to-be Lonzo Ball for that reason.

Here’s the link: https://marcstein.substack.com/p/finals-tomorrow-trade-talk-today

It happens every off season. A few players who have been elite in one or more areas hit the age where the big deals do not exist for them. They have entered the dreaded, but essential for all parties involved, Vet Minimum era of their careers. Kobe avoided it by the grace of Mitch and Jim (and would have retired before he ever hit it, IMO, he didn’t need to go chasing rings. Happened to Mitch Richmond, got his ring as a minor part of the 2001-02 Lakers. Happened Dwight Howard. It happens. For teams like the Lakers that are looking at a high probability at having to hard cap themselves in order to improve the team, veteran minimum deals can be a lifeline to decent role-players. Let’s take a look at the 5 best we might be able to land.

1. J.J. Reddick. Reddick has been linked to the Lakers and/or LeBron James for years and with good reason. He hits threes and he gets himself open to do so. Reddick is one of the old school shooters who can catch and shoot off of weak-side picks, standing still and has a mid-range game that translates to the playoffs. He may not be an elite defender but it’s not a career long weakness of his, he’s got some grit and grind to his game. Reddick will not have a shortage of offers this summer, literally every team needs some shooting off the bench, so if he’s on the Lakers’ radar they need to strike hot and fast. if someone offers him more than the vet minimum then good on them, Reddick and his agent.
2. Carmelo Anthony. The only problem I see here is that we had ample time to secure Melo’s services when he was out of the Association. Carmelo may have cooled on becoming a Laker out of personal pride and respect. having said that, there’s still a spot on his trophy wall for a championship ring and the likelihood he wins one in Portland feels more and more distant. What better place to make it happen than alongside friend and fellow banana boater LeBron James? Melo would (likely) come off the bench so if there’s a team that offers him a starting role he may take that. A New York reunion isn’t out of the question and they could certainly (although unlikely) offer him more than the vet min. Melo brings shot making and gravitas to a team that needs both off the bench, he’s not a plus defender but he’s still one of the strongest players in the league and can hold his own.
3. Tony Snell. If the Hawks don’t hold onto to Tony Snell the Lakers should try and snag him off the free agent market ASAP. Snell canned a ridiculous 56.9% of his three point shots last season. In case you’re wondering if that’s a one-season mirage, it’s not. The man is a shade under 40% for his career and isn’t a hole on defense which fits in with both the Lakers’ needs and identity. While it would be amazing if one of the teams with cap space that needs outside shooting a decent defender didn’t offer him something tastier than the vet minimum there are always a few players that either want to secure money and their next team early before the money dries up. Tony Snell and his agent should at least get a early morning call from the Rob Pelinka when free agency starts to gauge the interest with a vet minimum deal that expires in a couple days should they not jump at it.
4. Paul Millsap. Is this the season Paul Millsap enters the realm of the veteran minimum deal? Could be. At 36 Paul still had a solid role on the Denver Nuggets and has been a huge part of their culture. Injuries, a reduced role and a desire to get younger/quicker could spell the end of his Nuggets tenure. If he does look for greener pastures the Lakers should come-a-calling. Millsap would be the perfect upgrade over Montrezl Harrell. Don’t get me wrong, I have a tremendous amount of appreciation for Trezz and the heart and energy he plays with but Millsap brings that plus better defense and an outside shot. While he is getting on in NBA years (15 years in the Association) and has had his share of injury-plagued seasons the Lakers would be the perfect spot for Paul to start the twilight of his career.
5. Kent Bazemore. Reunited and it feeeeels so gooooood. This is a longshot, at only 32 Kent has some miles left in him but he’s right at that age where, if you haven’t been a part of a winner yet you might be looking at bad deals on bad teams. Kent could, maybe, in theory, hopefully, be looking to put some shine on his career and what better place than in Los Angeles where his rise began? A better defender than a lot of the three point specialists out there Kent has a solid all-around game that would fit in perfectly with the Lakers. He has solid defensive skills, a solid three point shot and can still get to the rim and score or make simple plays. It’s debatable whether this is Kent’s first year as a vet minimum player but if it is the Lakers could be the ideal fit.

Obviously there are plenty more potential vet minimum players out there, these are just my personal top five. What are yours?

In this edition of 5 Things we take a look at what happens if things break incredibly wrong for the Lakers in the off season. With well-documented cap issues, few draft picks left to trade and holes throughout the line up the Lakers need a lot of things to break right for them this summer in order to best assure themselves a chance to win another banner.

1. None of our free agents agree to a sign and trade? The sign and trade has become very en vogue in the modern NBA. Small market teams looking to keep their costs deflated, big market teams wanting an artificial ceiling to bump up against so as not to spend themselves into oblivion and teams trading an under-contract player to the team of his choice in return for at least something. The thing is these kind of deals require a lot of permission. Permission from the other team involved in the negotiation who may want to simply sign said player instead of providing the Lakers with anything of value. Permission from the player(s) signing the new deal, unless one of the players under contract as a no-trade clause. That pretty much closes the door on Montrezl “I finally got some run in LA” Harrell. The only way I see Trezz acquiescing to a S&T is if the money and role are so good he can’t pass it up. Hard to see where that could be. Trezz is also unlikely to pick up his PO for next season although if his agent gauges the market for his client, which was surprisingly low given his run with the Clippers and winning the 6motY award prior to coming here, he may actually be back. That leaves either guys like Wes Matthews Jr. or the mercurial Dennis Schroder. Schroder made $17.4 million last season and is looking for a $20 for 5 or $25 for 4 year deal. If one is honest, that’s absurd. That puts him in the same earning category as Fred VanVleet/Malcom Brogdon. For reference they both scored more points per game, took and made more three pointers per game, had better assist to turnover ratios, and rebounded the ball better. Fred VanVleet was a key cog on a championship team, Malcom Brogdon upped his game this season despite losing to the Bucks with Indy. Schroder shrunk, his numbers dipped across the board and he missed crucial games this season…twice…because he had to enter the NBA health and safety protocols In short there is no metric that makes me believe Schroder is worth more than the money he earned this season, at best. The fact that he could have signed a 4 year deal for $20 mil from the Lakers is something I expect Dennis may end up regretting as I don’t see him getting that money on the open market on a team as high profile as ours along with the title expectations. If that’s not important to him, swell, thanks for all you did and good luck to you.
2. The Lakers can’t stay healthy? This is the conundrum every season. Every season health of the team ranks near the top of my priority list. When you have an aging superstar, like we do, it’s even more important. There are of course no guarantees just ask Giannis and the Bucks or Kawhi Leonard. Leonard is the load management pioneer and still suffered a seriously sprained knee, Giannis just landed awkwardly and could be done until next season. Accidents happen. What can be done is to minimize the risk with an elite training staff and good practices. Practices that don’t involve going into the NBA H&SP…twice…in a three month span. In short this is the most unguaranteeable point as it involves a modicum of good luck. Where the Lakers can do more to join elite company is to assemble the best training staff money can buy. There is no salary cap for coaches and staff.
3. Speaking of coaches, what are the Lakers going to do about re-vamping the offense? This point was originally about specifically replacing Jason Kidd but since we just hired Fizdale it’s safe to say that we’ll be maximizing our flow and space as much as possible. Whether that heralds the end of the, as LakerTom likes to call them, low-post dinosaurs in center form remains to be seen. Frankly, I find that school of thought to be highly one-dimensional.. Zubac, Cousins, Lopez, and of course Ayton are all bigs with varying degrees of stretch to their games. Rather I think we need a better shooting coach than perhaps Mike Penberthy can be. We need a shooting whisperer like…Mike D’antoni…who will encourage his shooters by never telling them it’s a bad shot, especially when they are wide open. We cannot rely on the law of averages. Therein lies the true fool’s gold. While I feel we’ve done more to address the three point shooting than some have I am also of the opinion that we have lacked schemes and sets designed to get specific guys specific shots.
4. We start off terribly next season? It’s safe to say that there is at least one reason why coach Vogel has yet to be extended. One is potentially, but not likely, the money. We can’t cap ourselves with coaches so if they’re quibbling over a few million bucks that would be surprising. Rather I think the front office wants to see what we can really do outside the Bubble. Much was made of the no fans aspect of the Bubble but I always thought the biggest advantage the Lakers had in the Bubble was the lack of travel. It meant LeBron could instantly start treatment, that the coaches could instantly start watching film, that all of your time was maximized and focused on one thing because there were no distractions. At least not many. If we start off rough I expect that Vogel won’t last too long, Fizadale can easily come in and replace Frank and that may just the reason he took our job over some other teams out there.
5. What does all this mean for the offseason and free agency? It means the following: we’re picking at #22 and we can’t trade that player until free agency starts. While some are hasty to include that pick in trade scenarios, and I wouldn’t be adverse to it for the right kind of player(s), there is also something to be said for simply making the pick. That pick comes with a scaling salary that starts at $2, 042, 600. By year 3 it’s only $2,246,900. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what’s known as cost-controlled talent. As we saw with THT who played for the bargain basement price of $1,517,981 and Alex Caruso ($2,750,000) you can get a lot of on court impact from rookie deals. While you certainly want to surround AD and LeBron with the best available talent there is also something to be said for the Lakers ability to scour the various gyms of planet Earth and find impact players. From Jordan Clarkson to even Devontae Cacock the Lakers have always done a great job at finding NBA-level talent that other teams pass on. We really need to maximize that skill with LeBron and AD on the team. Otherwise we’ll have to ship out pretty much every decent role-player and fill the roster out with vet minimum deals. As it is we’ll have our fair share of vet minimum deals this season anyhow.

Take heart, Laker faithful, we have 2 of the best players on planet Earth. We just need them to be healthy and for the team around them to be semi-in sync when the playoffs roll around. My wish for next season is for both LeBron and Ad to do a little more load managing and for Frank to try and manage their regular season minutes a little better. Realistically we’re only a piece or two away from being a dominant team. Everyone thought Schroder was the missing piece and who knows, maybe he can be if he gets his big deal and feels secure about his future. I don’t see Andre’ Drummond as one of the main pieces we need but there’s also no denying his effectiveness rebounding the ball and his quick hands on defense. Maybe all we have to do is…(insert LakerTom nightmare dream footage here)…run it back.