Aloha,

What fun, exciting and at times frustrating game. On a night when 4 rotations players were not available our much ballyhooed depth was on full display.

Cam was thrust into the starting 5 and delivered. While he had trouble scoring his defense was impressive. Hopefully he can straighten out his shot moving forward.

Max was kind of the same. After playing one minute this year he became part of the rotation. His shot wasn’t falling either but he played some solid defense.

A lot is being made of the minutes LeBron had to play. But last night those minutes were born from necessity. With 3 forwards down against a very good team, he had to play big minutes and he came through with a vintage LeBron game.

AD continues to dominate. He has had one bad half in 5 games. His over all game may have him in the MVP conversation if he manages to stay healthy. DPOY is his for the taking.

I was upset by the rotation in the 1st quarter but Coach Ham made a brilliant move in the 3rd quarter. With Kawahi resting he went with all 3 centers and it exposed what could be a Clipper weakness going forward. Lack of depth and size. PJ Tucker is a gutsy player but offensively he was an easy cover for Wood and at 6’ 5” he was just too small. Hayes handled the centers. And of course having your AD being able to guard PG is a luxury. We went on a run while LeBron rested. We probably won’t see that line up much but under the right circumstances it’s powerful.

Welcome back Austin. He made his season debut At exactly the right time in the 2nd half.

Could DLO become our long coveted 3rd star? His defense has improved and if he can come even close offensively to what he has done the last 2 games he could be. He showed off his high IQ all night, especially against the Clippers zone where he found soft spots for 3 easy hoops.

Can we not fall down by double digits in the first quarter? Asking for a friend. Oh we may want to spend more time practicing free throws. A lot of misses and 3 for 6 down the stretch gifted that overtime session to the Clippers.

All in all it was a great short handed win against a quality team. But the true test of our depth will come when either LeBron or AD are unable to play. Hopefully that will not happen often this year.

Aloha,

We saw something last night that was all too familiar. We fell behind early by 14 and had to fight our way back. That happened a lot last year and I’m hoping that it was the energy of the Nuggets ring night that caused it, not something we are going to see a lot.

This game was reminiscent of the last preseason game. We came out and couldn’t make shots. Austin missed some easy shots as did Dlo and Rui. The Nuggets are a good defensive team but not a great one and they had little to do with some of those misses. We have to get better.

Last year AD seemed to score well every other game. Last night he did it by halves. 1st half unstoppable. 2nd half disappeared. If LeBron is going to play only 30 minutes a game AD has to be better.

Prince was great last night. He is not as good as Vando on defense but he does compete. That kind of shooting could keep him in the starting unit. Still a bit concerned about his rebounding.

Speaking of rebounding we did win the rebound battle which had been a problem. We only turned the ball over 12 times but it lead to 20 points, highlighting our ongoing transition defense problems.

LeBron was LeBron. He missed his 3’s but was super efficient in everything else. He probably would’ve closed the game if it were close. By the way, can the man get a foul call? He was fouled on every drive, even got a bloody nose and didn’t draw a foul until the end of the game. And yes, the ref’s were homers last night.

Our 2nd unit is much better than Denver’s. I think it’s the reason why we should contend. But they have to be much better. We only won the 2nd unit battle by 4 points. It needed to be double digits. The 2nd unit guy who impressed me last night was Cam on the defensive side. He was very good.

It’s only one game against the champs on their ring night and we will get better. I still think by the end of the year we can beat the Nuggets in a 7 game series.

Aloha,

It’s finally time for Lakers basketball again. And I’m excited about our team for the first time in 3 years, even though the first few preseason games are more like controlled scrimmages.

For me the story will be the young guys. I’m actually glad that we didn’t have the trade capital to land an aging star because we could already have a couple on the roster.

This was the summer of Austin Reeves, other than a couple of guys caught up in trade rumors, no other NBA player generated as much press as Austin. And rightfully so, he proved in the FIBA tournament that the end of last season wasn’t a fluke. He naturally will targeted more this year but he is a high IQ player and I’m confident he will adjust. It won’t take much of a leap for him to go from high end role player to star.

The other player that could make a leap is Rui. He might actually be the most intriguing player for me. When Rui became available i immediately was interested. While he had not lived up to high expectations, he had flashed that often enough for me to believe we had no chance of landing him. Of all of Rob’s mid season acquisitions I thought Rui was the best from a price point. The day Rui was acquired Phil Handy called Darvin and said give me Rui. Phil said he saw a little Kawhi in Rui. Big, strong, mobile with a sweet midrange game. All indications are that he has been one of the hardest workers on the team. A little better 3 point shooting will open up that midrange even more. While he is not a Kawhi on defense yet he proved to be pretty good in the playoffs guarding 2 through 5. With a full camp and knowledge of the system I expect he will become even better. Confidence is king in sports. He went from a miserable organization to the Lakers where LeBron is mentoring him. If you listen to him, he is really confident and I’m excited to watch him grow.

The next guy of interest for me is Vando. While his offensive game has to come a long way before him entering the future star conversation, he is quite unique in the NBA. If the reports are true and he really is now 6’ 11”, he might be the only guy that size in the NBA that can hang with guys like Ja and Steph. That alone makes him extremely valuable. If he can consistently shoot say 35% from 3 that would be huge.

The last guy, I will file under future star. Max Christie. While Cam Reddish has more experience and I would love him to finally unlock his potential, it’s Max that has been turning heads in training camp. He has gained 18 pounds of muscle since entering the league. He was pretty good as a rookie but if you watched summer league, you could see the tremendous growth in his game. The Lakers lost the summer league when they decided they had seen enough and pulled him. He was dominant. When Max came out of high school, he was a five star recruit and one of the top players in his class. He had a mediocre Freshman year in college and probably should have stayed another year. But we are fortunate that he didn’t because we probably wouldn’t have landed him. He could end up being as big a find as Austin in a couple of years.

As usual there is a lot of chatter on who the Lakers could target mid season for a trade. But this team is so deep that we may not need a trade to win another ring. I will be paying close attention to the kid’s development this year.

Aloha,

Well it looks like Tom got his wish and it appears that Christian Wood is signing with the Lakers.

Adrian Wojnarowski
@wojespn
·
33m
Free agent F/C Christian Wood has agreed on a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell ESPN. Deal includes a player option.

The first year is for the minimum 2.7 mil and his option year is for 3 mil. At that price it’s a great signing and we did not have to give up an asset for him.

Now the ball is in Woods court.
1. He will have to at least give an effort on the defensive side of the ball or he will not play.
2. He will need to play within the offensive scheme and not freelance like he has been known to do.
3. He can’t project a negative attitude like in the past.

His future paydays hinge on these 3 things. He can either buy in or face a future of minimum contracts.

Aloha,

Congratulations to Wenyen for helping to lead S. Sudan to a 3-2 FIBA record and an automatic birth in the Olympics. Their first.

Wenyen had 15 points 10 boards and 6 blocks in their win over Angola. His energy will be missed on the Lakers. If some of other options fall through, I would have no problem with bringing him back.

Aloha,

Watching Austin perform at such a high level really makes me wonder if he is poised to become the Lakers coveted 3rd star. Certainly Coaches Ham and Kerr believe he can.

Austin kind of reminds me of Manu Ginobili. He was the Spurs 3rd star. They both are big guards, high I.Q 2 way players. Austin is scoring at the same clip as Manu did. While Manu only made 2 all star games, he rode his overall game all the way to the hall of fame. Austin is showing the same game as Manu. The only question is, can he sustain it as teams focus on him. He is such a smart player, that I have little doubt that he will continue to excel.

I see all of these trade proposals for star players. They are almost all primarily scorers. The question is as a 3rd scorer on the Lakers, how much will they be able to score? I doubt they would score at the same clip they have as a 1st option. Is a pure scorer more valuable than a versatile 2 way player? I don’t believe it is.

A good example is Zach LaVine, a popular trade target with the media and bloggers. He averaged a little over 24 points a game last year. Would he duplicate that playing with the Lakers? A popular trade is DLO and Rui for LaVine plus’s picks and young players. Is Zach worth it when we have Austin? Dlo averaged 17 a game. Rui didn’t score as well in the regular season as he had with the Wizards. But he averaged 13 a game for his career and I’m confident that he will at least get that this season. He also a versatile defender and rebounds.

Now one of the big reasons folks want to trade DLO is because of his defense. Yet Zach has a career defensive rating of 113.9 while DLO’s is 113.6. So in essence by trading of LaVine, you get 6 points less a game and poorer defense for his 40 mil salary. Why would you do that when you have Austin and Rui?

When you examine most of these trade scenarios it usually the same. They generally are scorers. When you weigh what you give up against what you gain, we generally lose in the end with these trades.

I believe we already have a 3rd star. His name is Austin Reeves.

Aloha,

The Mavs are waiving Javale. I wonder if the Lakers will take a look at him. He would be a bad signing as a 10 to 15 minute guy off the bench.

Aloha,

I read an interesting stat. 68% of the nba players salaries for next year are going to 19 players. And with the new restrictions it’s going to get worse. Why the rank and file continue to vote for these deals is beyond me.

Aloha,

Anyone that has been watching summer league action knows that Max Christie has looked very good. Yes it is summer league but it is easy to see that Max has grown quite a bit. not just in his game but he put on 15 pounds of muscle. And he is only 20. He is younger than some of the 1st round picks he has out played. He is actually younger than Brandon Miller, the overall number 2 pick. While he has a long ways to go, he looks ready to really contribute this year. Here is what he has done.

In Las Vegas, he pumped in a team-leading 19 points with a wildly efficient 45.7/50/100 shooting slash. He also tallied 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 blocks in his 32.2 minutes, most of which were spent defending opponents’ top perimeter scorers.

One of the big take sways is how calm and under control he is. Actually that was something I noticed last year when he would get in a game. SG depth was our biggest weakness on paper after free agency. I’m hoping he fills that back up slot.

Aloha,

As the summer league progresses it’s becoming clear that the Lakers scouting department is right up there with the Heat and the Spurs as best in the NBA. After a shaky start it’s becoming clear that the scouting group have hit a few more homers this summer.

The Lakers had JHS as a lottery pick and it’s becoming clear why they were so excited when he fell to them. After a poor first half agains the Heat he has improved every quarter since. He is only 19 but plays older. He has demonstrated a great handle with the ability to get into the paint, almost at will. At 6’ 6” he has been effective defensively and has proven to be very switchable. And he finally got his long ball going. I’m not sure how much time he will get at first but he looks every bit a lottery pick so far.

Colin Castleton has been another player improving by the day. It’s funny he has the same agent as Austin. And like Austin his agent hid him. Didn’t work him out much. I wonder if he had a promise from the a lakers. Regardless he is just so fundamentally sound. Plays within himself. He brings the ball up and is a tremendous passer. I was a little worried about his rebounding in the 1st couple of games but he had 14 today. And it hasn’t all been his fault. This is a small team and he needs some help blocking out. He will have it with the big club. While he isn’t a 3 point shooter he is crafty inside the paint with great footwork to free himself for floaters and little jumpers. He had an efficient 21. But everything he does is efficient. One wonders if the Lakers are waiting on that 2nd center to see how he plays. Remember Austin started as a two way. Honestly for a team that wants to win now, I would take him over Bol Bol. Colin is just fundamentally sound and ready to go.

If you showed someone who had no idea where players were drafted a tape of this game and asked them who was the number 2 pick and who was 40 between the Hornets Miller and the Lakers Lewis, I’m sure they would all pick Lewis. After playing a little passive the first couple of games he is asserting himself in Vegas. He hits the 3. defends very well and can jump out of the gym. He had a couple of amazing dunk attempts that he was fouled on or he would have made Sports a center. The Lakers had him in the early 20’s in the draft. As he fell that when they traded up to grab him. He may spend time in the G league but boy is he a find.

It’s not just these 3 guys, Abut Max is in his 2nd year and at 20 already looks rotation ready. And many of the other guys are showing a lot of potential as well. I know Jesse Buss was frustrated by the way the Lakers used to give away draft picks. Even sold 1st rounders. Now that he has power in the organization he is demonstrating why he was right to believe in development and how it can impact the team long term.

Aloha,

While I thought Jaxson was a good signing for the minimum, I think it will be a process. I can’t see him stepping into the starting line up. Especially when you have Rui who is so much better . I can see them experimenting with AD but I would be surprised if he started any time soon. Any here is excerpts from a bleacher report article that outlines my own concerns.

What should Lakers fans expect to see from Jaxson Hayes? What are his strengths and weaknesses at this stage of his career?

Kosel: Jaxson Hayes’ tenure was a mixed bag throughout his four years in New Orleans. His length and athleticism are first-class, as evidenced by a mountain of highlight dunks, defensive plays and soaring rebounds. His fundamentals, understanding of the game and motor though — while all improved since his rookie season — still lack that desired consistency.

This largely encapsulates why on more than one occasion he would enter the rotation, make a major splash that drew vast praise, but then find himself back on the bench just weeks later.

His best position ultimately proved to be at the 4, as his lack of knowledge and sometimes willingness to check all the boxes of responsibilities at the 5 made it difficult to rely on him as a defensive anchor. His failure to pose as a legitimate shooting threat from the perimeter often compromised the spacing on the floor though. His decision-making was also prone to wild oscillations. He would show the ability to make the correct secondary read with the dribble or pass, and then on the very next possession, produce the poorest of turnovers.

Until he makes a greater commitment to the game by spending hours in the gym — he never nailed down at least one go-to post move during his time in New Orleans — and in the video room to learn opponent tendencies, strategies and the like, he’ll remain a tantalizing but unreliable contributor. So it’s best to keep expectations low. Enjoy the incredible finishes in transition and on rolls to the rim. Hope that Darvin Ham and LeBron James can unlock something more. But realize that he’s not likely to ever approach a high ceiling because that passion for basketball seems to be missing.

Aloha,

Now that the dust has settled on the free agent extravaganza I’m feeling good about this team and what Rob did. He resisted the temptation to go after a big name that would have assured another disappointing season. Instead he assembled a roster that will be very competitive.

At this point I see a very good squad but not one that will win a ring, at least without a couple of things happening. As usual health will be the primary issue this year. Can we finally get 65+ games out of both LeBron and AD? And more importantly will they be available for the playoffs? Nothing else matters if the answer is no.

Beyond health I think the development of the young guys will be key. From the time Austin entered the starting rotation he played like a budding star. He checked every box you want from your 3rd best player. If he can maintain that level of play we are in very good shape. If he can take another step forward he could be an all star.

Rui’s playoff run was fantastic. He played like the lottery pick that the Wizards had envisioned. One can make a case that Phil Handy maybe the most valuable non player in the Lakers organization because he consistently unlocks the potential in these young guys. Rui played like a high end role player in the playoffs and if he continues to shine like that we are in very good shape.

Vando proved to be an elite defender for us last year. The big task ahead for him is on offense. He shot 33% from 3 for the Jazz and 30% for us. That has to improve. If he can get into the 35% range he can stay on the floor longer. Also they gave him so much air space last year, I would like to see him take it to the rim more. If his offense picks up, now along with Austin and Rui, being a contender is not unreasonable.

Here is where my biggest concern comes in. Our guard depth. I really like what I saw from Max last year. He played under control, defended well and shot 41% from 3. I watched a lot of G league last year and he was consistently the best player on the floor. At 20 years old is he ready for a major role in the rotation? I also liked our draft picks. Both were projected To go higher in the draft. Still they are rookies. These 3 guys are our shooting guard depth. At least one of them is going to have to step up or it’s a very thin guard rotation.

As for DLO. well, he was a big reason we even made the playoffs and is was big in 7 of our 8 playoff wins. unfortuently he was part of the reason in the losses. I’m confident he will have a good regular season. it’s the playoffs that will be the concern. if Vincent plays well, it is not as big of a concern.

I like our free agent pick ups. I was bummed when we didn’t get Brown. Apparently he was all set to sign with us when the Pacers swooped in with a last second offer that we couldn’t match even if we wanted to. This should put to rest the notion that the Pacers are merely a rebuilding team. They want to win. But I digress. Rob pivoted well and snagged Vincent. If he plays as well as he did for a Miami during their stretch run and playoffs he will be at the very least an upgrade over Dennis who I really liked and possibly a starter. Grabbing Prince was a coup. At 4.5 mil he might be one of the steals of the draft. He is the classic long 3 and d wing. He is
someone I always liked. And I believe is a better player then a lot of wings making much more.

Hayes and Reddish are both low risk, high reward players that the Lakers have had great success with. The Lakers have been after a Cam for two years and finally landed him at a discount. He has everything you want in a 3 and d wing except consistency. Do your thing Phil. As for Hayes I actually saw him play quite a bit. I am a big BI fan and I watched a lot of Pelicans. With him you get a player with a high motor, floor runner with crazy athleticism, especially for a big. You also get a walking foul and a little OC. I believe he is a worthwhile gamble IF we can bring in a solid vet. And that vet should be a banger. Hayes and for that matter Mo are not bangers. Hayes is fine for 75% of the typical NBA centers he will face. But we need another guy that can bang for 10 minutes against the Joker, Embid and a few other wide bodies in the league. We have 8 mil left to spend. I would offer half and try and land Plumlee if possible. As is both Rui and LeBron are our only bangers, we need another.

If the answer to most of the above is yes, then I will consider this team a contender. And unlike prior years, none of the above seems like a stretch.

Aloha,

Austin has agreed to a 4 year 56 mil deal. No more details yet. I’m sure there is probably a player option in the 3rd or 4th year.