Aloha,

When a magic traded DLO for a salary dump I thought it was a bad idea. Yes he was immature but you could see the kid had talent. Then Magic compounded that error by drafting Lonzo over Tatum, the staffs choice. Magic has admitted it was a mistake but now we have DLO without the growing pains, entering his prime. I have feeling that DLO isn’t going anywhere this summer. We may have found the perfect 3rd star without the salary or baggage that Kyrie would bring. DLO was our closer with 18 in the 2nd half and put the game away with some huge threes. He is the kind of player that can keep us a float when one of our often injured superstars are out.

Still, he doesn’t get my game ball. That goes to the 2nd unit. The reason the Raptors are struggling to make the playoffs was on full display last night. In a word their 2nd unit sucks. Their starters play more minutes then any other starting unit in the league. However I can’t recall anything as lopsided as the 61 to 12 advantage we had last night. Just look at this
Dennis +32
Austin +26
Rui + 21
Gabriel + 19

That’s outrageous. Even more so when you consider all of starters had a minus with the exception of DLO. And when LeBron comes back Troy will be moving to the bench, giving us even more depth. Lonnie didn’t even get in and he’s a pretty good player.

That 3 guard line up of Austin, DLO and Dennis that closed the game, worked like a charm. And when AD came back in, it was over for the Raptors. Their entire defensive scheme revolved around sending 2 or 3 guys at AD, leaving holes all over the place and we took full advantage of that in the last 5 minutes. And having AD and Vandy on the back line made up for some of the height advantage that the Raptors had.

Even though we are only a game out of the 6th seed, it’s not going to be a cake walk getting there without LeBron. But if we are healthy and whole going into the playoffs, this team may surprise the world thanks to the roster Additions and what could be the deepest bench in the NBA.

Aloha,

1. KD injured in warm ups. Could be out until the playoffs.
2. Luka has a thigh strain. Could miss a couple of weeks.
3. BI left with an ankle sprain.

I can not remember a season where this many high profile players missed so much time to injury. Injury is really the reason the west is so bunched together. The Nuggets and Kings sit at the top of the west and neither have had any major injuries this season.

Aloha

26 turnovers for 46 points and 14 offensive boards. Nothing left to say.

Aloha,

LeBron is listed as out against the Griz. I’m no surprised. He was noticeably hobbled. With a back to back coming up, this was the best move. The Griz at home would be hard to beat, even with LeBron. OKC is the team we really need to beat on this trip and we would have a better chance of beating them, even if LeBron doesn’t play.

This team is snake bit. Every time we begin to play well the injury bug returns. First DLO’s weird ankle sprain, just stepping back to inbound the ball and now LeBron. Other guys are going to have to step up and fortunately we have more guys now that can do that. We can’t make the playoffs without LeBron but hopefully we can hold down the fort for a few games.

Aloha,

The year began with a whole slew of desperate calls to trade Russ, to save our season. There were so many different trade proposals floated around out there that it was impossible to keep track of all of them. As it turns out, the trades Rob made were much better than anyone could have imagined and much better than any of the trades that had been discussed. The only question is, were they made in time. It’s a shame that they couldn’t have been made earlier so the team had time to jell. Unfortunately Rob had to wait for the clearance sales to begin, since the asking price for players were high until the last minute.

I guess the thing that impressed me the most was how seamless the team looked in the first game with everyone available. I think it helped that DLO, Beasley and Vandy had played a few years together, leaving the 2nd unit with guys that had played together with the exception of Bamba. I don’t expect it to look that good every game, there will be adjustments that will need to be made and we will be playing some very good teams coming up, but at least we have some hope moving forward.

If we do make the playoffs I think this group is capable of making some noise. But beyond this season I believe we are set up for success at least through the end of Lebrons tenure. We finally landed the perfect PG to play with LeBron. DLO can play on and off the ball. He can run the team or play the 2 and most importantly, he can shoot. He is the perfect 3rd option for this team and should be had for a reasonable contract. And I believe he really wants to be here.

Actually we are in a position to keep everyone except for Dennis, Troy and Lonnie. We do not have bird rights on them and none of them will be playing for the minimum. I would love to keep Dennis but I dont know if he will play for the mini MLE. Everyone else we can keep. For me the must keep players are:
Dlo
Vandy
Rui
Austin
Pippin Jr ( he is in the rising stars and a candidate for rookie of the year and G league MVP. Worth keeping for a 3rd PG on the cheap)
I like Beasley and would not mind him as well but it will really come down to how well he shoots the rest of the way.

We also are in a unique position to add a quality free agent in a sign and trade. Two of the best free agents this summer Gary Trent Jr and Jamari Grant also happen to be Klutch clients. In Beasley, Bamba and Reed we have nearly 30 mil in non guaranteed contracts we could send out with picks at the draft. We could swing sign and trades if the their teams didn’t want to lose them for nothing. Or we could use those contracts for other moves. But I have no problem with keeping all of them.

So many options with moves that have been made and for the first time in two years we can actually return a core group that can compete for a championship. The only thing that could ruin it is trading for an overpriced star. Robb wouldn’t do that? Right?

Aloha,

I was very depressed when I found out LeBron wasn’t playing. Even though Steph was out, the Warriors have a lot of other weapons and are the best home team in the NBA. With LeBron out and all these new players to work in, I thought this was another lost opportunity when we have to win almost every game. Boy was I delightfully surprised. Our new additions played like they had been here for weeks.

First was our energy unit, spearheaded by Austin, Vanderbilt, Gabriel, Beasley and Lonnie. Their defense was intense as they built that 3rd quarter lead.

I was ecstatic but confused when Danny threw Vanderbilt into the trade. And reading the reaction from around the league, I wasn’t the only one who was confused. Danny gifted the Lakers a taller version of Dennis Rodman. All energy all the time on both sides of the ball. 12 points 8 boards 4 assists and a steal in 17 minutes. That’s getting it done. And the good news is we have him under contract for another year at just under 5 mil. I believe he will be a Laker a long time.

Many forget that Austin was a point guard in college but he displayed the ability to calmly run the offense while the other point guards rested. This guy might be the toughest guy on the teams as he routinely gets clobbered every game. His ability on both ends of the court is really solid. And we should be able to to hold onto him as well. Because of the Arinas rule the most any team can pay him is 11 mil, which he is more than worth. If Rob lets him walk the fans will burn down Crypto. I would light the match.

And then there is Gabriel. He is all hustle all the time. Playing with Vandy was amazing with those two flying all over the place. 6 points 3 boards and a steal in 12 minutes along with solid defense will also get it done. And with early bird right we can offer him a modest raise. He is definitely a guy I want on my bench.

While Beasley and Lonnie didn’t have a lot of impact on the offense they both defended their butts off. Lonnie is probably gone but we have a 16 mil team option on Beasley. A lot will depend on how he performs the rest of the way. We could let him walk or use him in a trade if we don’t keep him.

I liked the back court pairing of DLO and Dennis. DLO displayed a much more mature game. He is crafty with a good handle and seems to get inside at will where he gets his own or find another player. I think he will work very well with LeBron. He is one of the best pick and roll point guards in the league and he plays off the ball well. He should also see a lot of open looks from 3. While he is not a 31 mil guy, he is definitely a 20 to 25 mil guy and another guy we can keep.

I want to find a way to keep Dennis. Yes his offense is inconsistent but his defense never is. As coach Ham said, he is fearless on both ends of the ball. His scoring carried us but he was also impressive on the defensive end. DLO competed on defense but he’s not great. And while Austin is a very good defender, he does struggle some with very quick guards. I like Dennis defending guys like JA , Dame and Kyrie. While Pinnin Jr will probably be our 3rd PG next year, considering he is tearing up the G League and in the running for MVP, will will need a 2nd and I hope it can be Dennis.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Rui’s solid all around game. This was another example of why the Lakers were so excited to land him. He had a solid all around game on both sides of the ball, especially in the 4th quarter when he mad several big shots. He is another that we can keep on a reasonable contract.

While this is just one game I came away very optimistic. I don’t know if we make the playoffs. Overall health will of course be the most important factor. But we have a much better chance now then we did. And it’s a pleasure no longer being under sized. Moving forward we could have the pieces for a young very good squad next year. I have never been a fan of 3 stars without a proper supporting cast and my hope is that Robb doesn’t do that this summer. We have bird right on everyone so this team could come back together next year. We could even send out Beasley and Bamba and picks for a very good player. That’s 26 mil. Jamari Grant anyone? He just joined Klutch and while the Blazers would not want to lose him they won’t let him walk for nothing. Just a thought.

Aloha,

Rob pulled off something I never thought he could. He upgraded the roster checking many boxes of need along the way. And he did it all with one protected first and 4 2nds, including the 3 we sent out for Rui. Believe it or not we now have a deep and and balanced roster. Now he still has the summer to muck it up, but for now I feel like we are a pretty good team. And we got younger. Can we make the playoffs? It’s hard to say, including Rui we have 6 new players. Can they jell quickly enough? That’s the question. One positive is that DLO, Vanderbilt and Beasley played together with the T-Wolves for a few years before this year, so they are familiar with each other.

I have been against adding a third star because I felt we needed a supporting cast or else it wouldn’t matter. Now we have one.

DLO is a good PG, not worth the 31 mil he is making but he is definitely a 20 to 25 mil guy. He can shoot the 3 and he is a very good pick and roll guard. Now instead of Russ shooting those 3’s we will have DLO taking those shots. Teams wouldn’t even guard Russ, daring him to shoot. Now they will have to guard DLO and it will open space for LeBron and AD.

Beasley is another shooter that will help space the floor. He is 3rd in the NBA in made 3’s over the last few years. And while not a great defender, he’s competent and very sturdy. He can switch 2 through 4.

I was surprised that we landed Vanderbilt. There was a lot of interest in him. Actually a lot of people around the league have questioned his inclusion. He is 6’ 8”, with a high motor, that can guard 2 through 5. He is also a great rebounder with 8 a game in just 24 minutes. We could have used him against the Bucks.

Bamba will need to prove himself. While 1 block a game and nearly 40% from 3 in 17 minutes is a great result, one wonders why he only got 17 minutes and why it only took a 2nd round pick to land him. He was even behind Mo Wagner in the rotation. And Wanger only blocks .2 shots and shoots 32% from 3 in 21 minutes. Hopefully the coaches can help unlock the potential he is supposed to have.

Another aspect of this trade is not one of the players have guaranteed money for next year. We hold team options on Beasley. Vanderbilt and Bamba’s contracts are not guaranteed. while DLo is a free agent. If a player doesn’t cut it we can package them in a trade or even let them walk. And we have full bird rights on all of them.

I hope these guys can grow together. DLO, Beasley, Vanderbilt, Rui, Austin, Max and Bamba have the potential to be a young quality supporting cast for AD and LeBron. Now hopefully we can put it together quickly and salvage this season.

Aloha,

The Jazz play the T-Wolves tonight. It will be interesting to see if any of the rumored players play tonight.

Aloha

It is just 3 days until the trade deadline but all that is out there is articles on the Kyrie trade. No reports on actual talks. Either teams are holding their cards tightly or not much is happening. I guess there could be an explosion of activity late but so far it’s seems pretty quiet for this close to the deadline.

Aloha

One can find article after article on how not landing Kyrie was a missed opportunity. What opportunity? When the Nets team owner tell his front office that they can not trade Kyrie to the Lakers, what were the Lakers to do? Where is the lost opportunity?

Aloha,

Anyone who watched this game will understand why I have been more interested in trading for players that can defend, than more offense. We have no trouble scoring. We need to improve our defense. You win in the playoffs with defense not offense.