Aloha,

Just saw a little tweet from Mark Stein that the Hornets might have interest in Russ. That’s surprising considering their need for a center. Looking at their Roster The often injured Hayward seems like the player they maybe interested in moving. He will have played less than 50 games each of the years with the Hornets. He has 2 years left at 39 mil after this year. They might look to move Scary Terry for the center they need, which Russ would fill his spot. Hayward is a good player when he can play. It will be interesting to see what they want to do. By the way Tom before you post a trade proposal, I doubt that Ball or Bridges will be part of the package. 🙂

Aloha,

After watching last nights game, I’m not sure what we can do to turn the organization around for another run at a ring. Yes AD just got back and LeBron was playing hurt. Still looking at the big picture, I really don’t see any trades that can elevate us to contender status this summer, even with good health. Our assets are just to limited.

Is it time to move on from LeBron. Probably but I don’t see it happening. The biggest problem with LeBron is if we extend him he will be earning close to 50 mil moving forward. With AD the 2 will be earning around 95 mil. So even when Russ falls off the books it doesn’t leave a lot of room to build a solid supporting group. And LeBron has become a liability on the defensive end. It was telling when the Lakers were guarding BI with Russ. And when Russ sat AD guarded him. For those calling for a trade for another center, I ask you, who will guard the 3? LeBrons value on defense now is being able to sit back and play free safety. Frank had LeBron guarding the Least dangerous offensive player. But even Hayes back doored him for 2 layups.

Even the most optimistic trade scenarios will not make us better then the Suns, Griz, Warriors, Nuggets and the Clippers. Heck if they can stay healthy the Clippers might win it all next year.

So first I think we should not use a draft pick just to dump Russ. I would rather bring him back then waste an asset that will do nothing to improve our chance. As far as I’m concerned we should not trade any of our 1st round picks unless it can return a foundational player for the next several years.

I would also see what we could get for AD, that won’t happen either but he could replenish some assets that could help us rebuild in the future.

I think Russ probably would like to leave as much as we want him to. I would give him permission to hunt for a new deal. Even if it’s say 10 mil a year for 2 years. Perhaps he would agree to a buyout of 30 mil, that would be easier to stretch.

I guess I’m pessimistic but when looking at all the names you see that might be available. It wouldn’t be enough. John Wall is Westbrook without as much athleticism left. Gordon will be 34. He is hurt again but at least played 56 games. He managed a total of 56 over the previous 2 years. Wood, a decent PF but not a game changer. Brogdon and Buddy. Nice upgrade but not going to get us past some of the other teams.

My fear is we will make more dumb moves that will set us back even further. If we are lucky enough to keep Malik, we could continue to develop the young guys and then pick up a couple of non washed free agents, with health we could at least be competitive. Then we can see what we can do in free agency the following year. I would rather be decent with a future, than waste more of the future on a team that will not seriously contend.

Aloha

Turnovers and missed free throws.

Aloha,

I’ve given up trying to figure this team out. From management, to the coaches to the players, nothing rarely makes sense. Just a few observations.

When the offense is humming the defense is generally better. LeBron had a great first half, but it was all within the flow of the offense. That flow stopped in the 2nd half, and the team reverted to LeBron ball. The ball stopped moving and the assists with it. One example Monk had 12 points in the first half but just one shot in the 3rd quarter. DJ hit a couple of 3’s in the first half, got one shot in the 2nd. And to make matters has sprained his ankle and hobbled through the rest of the game. Of course as usual, when the shots stopped falling so did the defense. We have seen it over and over again all season, still it surprises me. That’s my character flaw I guess. Just too optimistic.

Again the coaching seemed like they had money on the Pels. In what world do you take Dwight out and put LeBron on a true 7 footer with muscle and weight? If that wasn’t enough they put guards on inspector gadget AKA BI and let him into the paint to shoot over the undersized guards. He scored 7 points in less than 3 minutes which was the ball game. Our switch everything defense has been burned so many times it’s going to need skin graphs.

While Malik was off from 3 going 2 for 8 he is unlike some 3 point specialists like Buddy, he has plenty of other ways to get buckets. Why he’s not featured more , especially with AD down, I will never understand. With LeBron unlikely to play for a while they better come up with a game plan that will prominently feature him.

While I love the things that Austin brings to the game, I think if we are starting both Dwight and Gabriel, he should come off the bench. His inconsistent offense hurts more than his defense helps when we have a couple of other non scorers starting. I think Malik is the better choice. We only seem to win when we score a lot. LeBron and Russ are already defensive liabilities, yes I know LeBron makes some spectacular plays on D but he spectates more then he makes plays. We need another scorer.

Are we cooked? Probably. Even if AD makes a return soon, without LeBron against the teams we have left, it’s going to be nearly impossible to make the play in when you consider the cake walk that is the Spurs schedule. And Pop isn’t going to tank, especially if he can stick it to the Lakers.

Aloha

Im beginning to think that our tough closing schedule could be just exactly what this team needs. It seems lately like we get up for the good teams and let our guard down against the poor ones. Todays game was the opposite of the Wizards game. This 4th quarter the ball moved and everyone was involved and on the defensive end we locked in and shut them down. We out scored them 35-23. And the Cavs are a good young team that only gives up 104 a game.

There isn’t much left to say about LeBron. Too think he is in the running to win a scoring title at 37 is almost surreal. And he was more locked in on defense then I’ve seen him for a while. But it helps that Cleveland plays super big so he didn’t have to do a lot of chasing today. As for an overall game I actually thought this was a better in this pgame then his 50 pointers.

Frank made an ADJUSTMENT!!! After Garland has burned Austin and every other guard that drew him, Frank put Stanley on him and he shut Garland down he only scored 2 points on Stanley and I don’t believe he got an assist in the 4th. Plus they didn’t switch much and Stanley did a good job fighting through picks to stay in front of him. Stanley because he’s so strong often is slotted at the 4 or even the 5 but I sure would like to see him defending the perimeter more. He is our best perimeter defender. Stanley also scored all 12 of his points in the 4th.

Kids kids kids
One of the biggest reasons the team is playing better, is the young group are getting better. Austin, Malik, Gabriel and Stanley all played with energy, defended and chipped in on offense. Gabriel had another great game.

I’ve always liked DJ. I have wanted the Lakers to sign him for a long time. He is just the a steady old fashion floor general with a really nice 3 point shot. He was huge tonight and he demonstrated that he can play off the ball when he’s out there with LeBron or Russ. Along with Melo, he is the other OG I want to bring back next year.

Has Russ finally figured it out? I sure hope so because we don’t stand a chance if he doesn’t. He has been really good offensively over the last several games. While he isn’t a a very good defender I’ve seen him at least hustling on the defensive end.

While Dwight didn’t get a lot of run I think it’s important to get him a few minutes just to keep him engaged.

For long stretches tonight we saw LeBron and the kids, and the kids delivered. The Cavs are a young group and have played well this year. But our kids went toe to toe with all of those high lottery draft picks. We are going to need that every night going forward.

Aloha,

So much for turning it around. Will this team ever learn that it’s a 48 minute game?

Aloha,

I became really steamed watching this game. Not because we played badly but because we competed with the kind of energy you need to win. They demonstrated that we can play hard. We would have many more wins if we had played with this kind of energy. We may not win but we should have been playing this way all year.

The last 3 games we had come out playing LeBron iso ball and if it wasn’t LeBron it was iso with Russ. When both LeBron and Russ got off to slow starts we got blown out in the 1st. Today bodies were moving and the ball was moving. We had 33 assists.

It’s no surprise that we shot the ball much better today. When the ball is moving and everyone is involved guys get into a rhythm of the game and the shots are in rhythm.

We started big today. I think the micro line ups we have been starting are okay as a change of pace but we have been getting killed inside. Dwight and Gabriel gave us the size to complete with the long Raptors. I think that Dwight should get more run for the rest of the year.

As for Gabriel, he was terrific. we need sign this kid this summer. I have been impressed with him since we signed him. He is long and plays with energy. He would give us another young player off the bench that we can develop.

Russ had one of his best games as a Laker. It would be great if he can gain some confidence for the rest of the year. I have thought all along that Russ didn’t need to be great, just good.

For me the best part of this game was that every single guy that played contributed. Let’s see if we can string a few of these kind of games together.

Aloha,

There isn’t much to say about last night. The game was over after the first quarter. While LeBron recovered he and Russ were as much to blame for that ugly blow out 1st as anyone else on the team. And of course Frank was slow to react as usual by not bringing in Dwight when we were being destroyed inside.

All season it has been injuries as an excuse. And of course it’s true, still watching the Suns with key players out dismantle us made it clear that even if we would have hadn’t had the injuries we never were going to be a true contender this season. Sure we would have a better record, we more then likely would have been a top 6 seed, but we just would not stack up with the elite teams in the league.

This franchise has been mismanaged since Kobe’s last years. We gathered a lot of assets during our losing stretch. And while we landed AD, we pissed the rest away and it still haunts us. Then of course we totally dismantled a championship team in two years. While you always want to look to improve a championship team, you don’t completely tear it down. AD said we would have beat the Suns last year if he wasn’t hurt and I agree. But we had a much better team last year. This years version has a collection of aging minimum contract vets, that rarely get in the game. When you are playing a two way guy like Gabriel and a G leaguers signing like Stanley over Trevor or Bazemore it’s telling. Austin was undrafted but plays while Wayne sits. This team never was constructed to win. Even if Russ had played constantly well this year, we didn’t have enough.

So this summer will be huge for the franchise. If management gets it wrong we could be losing for a very long time. When you look at the west it’s going to be a daunting task for this team to complete next year. The Suns and the Warriors have pieces in place to win big next year. The Griz are ahead of schedule but have the cap space to add quality veteran role players and the pieces for a big trade if they choose to do so. Denver’s injury bug rivaled ours and they will be very good when healthy. And speaking of health the Clippers could be as good as anyone. Of course they are dealing with the Clippers curse. The basketball gods were not happy with them coming to LA and rain injuries down on them every time they field a contender.

Even if we pull off one of Tom’s wildest trades, I can’t see it making us a champion. Any moves we make will need to be for players we can build with. I really don’t want us bringing in anymore aging vets for a last desperate stab at a championship. Want to trade our 2 first rounders? Fine go get Grant. Don’t use them to dump Russ. I know it’s always written that you can’t waste Lebrons remaining years but if a trade isn’t going to help win a ring, add a piece or two and see what you can add the following year. We could easily be a bad team in 2017 and 2019. I would hate to spend those picks on guys like Wall and Gordon who isn’t going to move the needle enough to help us win. Guys like Brogdon and Buddy would give us a better foundation to add to but probably not a ring. Management completely forgot what what it takes to build a winner and blew it up for Russ. We can’t afford to make that kind of mistake again.

Aloha

Thinking about moves this summer, I’m wondering how much we can do with Russ and his expiring contract if he continues to struggle. Oh we can probably move him, using our 2 first rounders but I’m not so sure we can get enough value back to matter. The pipe dream of course is Brogdon and Buddy. While I will never say never after the trade the Trailblazers made with the Clippers, I will say it is highly unlikely. If Brogdon goes on the market, he will draw a lot of interest from other teams, especially the Knicks who can give the Pacers young players and picks. Just dumping Russ with picks would be a disaster.

So what is my ideal summer outcome, considering our limited assets? Well, the Pistons were asking for 2 first rounders for Grant. As soon as the season ends, I would contact the Pistons to see if they would consider the 2 picks and THT for Grant. THT has been up and down this year but has been trending more up than down lately and last night he looked like he has recovered from that nagging ankle sprain he’s been dealing with. If he continues to raise his level of play, the Pistons just might be interested.

At that point I would waive and stretch Russ. It would give of enough room to sign Malik. So in a way those two picks lands us both Grant and Malik. This would leave us with a starting line up of Reeves, Malik, LeBron, AD and Grant. As long as LeBron plays for the Lakers we don’t need a traditional ball dominate PG. That hasn’t worked yet, and won’t work in the future. Malik has shown enough playmaking ability to take the load off LeBron.
And remember we won a ring without a starting PG. Just 2 defensive minded shooting guards.

We could have a bench of Nunn, who will probably opt in, Stanley, hopefully Melo, and perhaps Gabriel. With the tight money this year, there will be some talent that will float down to us. For instance, Damien Jones will be a free agent. He would be a nice get as a back up big. We just need a couple of guys that can contribute off the bench.

Is this a championship roster if we are healthy? Probably not. Still I think it is best the best we can do with the assets we have. Sure one can come up with trades on the trade machine but those don’t happen. I try to stay realistic. And with a couple of decent free agents and health, you never know. I actually like this better than a Brogdon/Buddy deal with the way Malik has been coming on. I think he has a lot of ceiling left. He also shoots the 3 like Buddy but makes plays and defends. Something Buddy doesn’t do. And Grant gives us a young defender with size, something we need much more than a PG in a LeBron centric offense. If we use our picks with the Pacers, Malik is likely gone. Malik and Grant are a better duo than Brogdon and Buddy.

Aloha,

Last night was another example of how poorly this roster was assembled. It is a cautionary tale that illustrates how foolish it is to think you can get by with a lot 30 something minimum contracts vets with their best days way behind them. While most of the old guys sat and watched, the young guys scrapped and played with the energy it takes to win.

When Frank pulled Russ at the 8:30 mark in the 4th. We were up 4. Then we went on a run. DJ, who by the way I think was a good signing left a couple of minutes later and it was 4 young guys and LeBron closing out the game. Fortunately Russ never got back in.

Stanley, was signed from the G league Austin was undrafted, nobody but the Lakers offered Monk a contract, THT was a 2nd round pick and Gabriel who gave us some good minutes is a two way. By the way, I like Gabriel. They should consider giving him a contract this summer. He gives us size and switch ability we have been lacking.

This speaks to how great Jessie Buss and our scouting department is, and how poor of a job Rob has done filling out the roster.

Going forward we should win or lose with the Kids. They all make mistakes but they play the way you are supposed to play, hard. And I am seeing them developing synergy with LeBron. It gives me hope that perhaps we can have rotational young pieces in place for next year, so we don’t have to sign as many minimum probably old vets next year.

Aloha,

I almost didn’t watch tonight. It’s whale season here in the islands and they have been putting on a much better show than the Lakers in the early evening and I was tempted to go down to the ocean to watch. I am glad I didn’t.

What can you say about LeBron, obviously his best offensive game in a long time. But he’s going get all the well deserved headlines and stories so, I’m going to give a few shout outs to some of the other guys.

First Russ had one of his better games for a long time. Yes he had a couple of cringe worthy turnovers but he only had one missed lay up That I can recall. 20 points and he shot over 50%. He really picked his spots and used a lot of head fakes to get points in the paint. He needs to play this way every game. Not only for us to win but to recover some of his value.

Our +|- champs both had excellent games. Monk was a +19 and Austin was a +18. Malik shot the 3 well but he also had a team high 5 assists. He improves on defense by the game. He had a block and 3 steals. That steal he had on that on the out of bounds play was spectacular. He just skied. His athleticism has been the biggest surprise for me this year.

Austin is the hardest working guy on the floor. He just doesn’t back down from anyone, regardless of who it is. 2 blocks, 3 steals, 10 points 3 for 5 from 3. He just gives 100% all the time.

Stanley also is another guy that plays hard every minute. 6 boards, 4 assists, a block and 2 steals and the ability to stay in front of 1 through 5.

Those 3 guys bring the energy every night and I just hope they continue to get the minutes. There was one play down the stretch. Missed shot, Malik mange’s to tap the ball and Austin flys in to grab the board, finds LeBron who drives and kicks to Melo for the dagger 3. Melo gets credit for dagger but it was Malik and Austin’s hustle that made it possible. It’s the kids that will really decides how the season will end if they are given the chance.

Finally Melo is just steady. But he is in there to score but I’ve been surprised by his defense. He’s had some good defensive moments and
He rebounds as well. 8 tonight.

So believe it or not, I’m worried about the next 2 against the Rockets and Spurs. It’s almost better if we were playing good teams. Hopefully they will play with the same desperations that they did tonight.