Brooklyn Nets vs Los Angeles LakersFri Feb 20, 10:30 PM EST – YES, TWSN Line: BKN -3.0, O/U: 194.5 Staples Center – Los Angeles, CA Recent Matchups |
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The trade deadline came and went with the Lakers making nary a move. This, though not what some fans would have wanted, was pretty much expected. As I wrote last month, the Lakers’ most likely trade assets (Jordan Hill, Ed Davis, and Jeremy Lin) all had contract issues that may have affected their trade value and, as it always is, other teams must actually want what the Lakers have to offer while also meeting what the Lakers are willing to accept in a deal. As it has been at most trade deadlines, those two things likely did not line up and the Lakers stood pat.
On Friday afternoon, Mitch Kupchak explained that while the Lakers looked into some things, there was nothing really close to happening. I, for one, am okay with that. The Lakers could have tried to go all in on one of the available point guards on the market or tried to dump one of their current players for future draft considerations, but as I noted in the linked to post above that was likely to be complicated by many factors. So, the Lakers will go into the summer with what they have now and will wind down the season with the same roster that has, to this point, been bad (or, depending on your perspective, good) enough to keep them in the hunt of keeping their own draft pick.
So, with 29 games left on the schedule the Lakers will play out the string as is. Tonight, they host the Nets, another team that looked to make some moves but only ended up trading stalwart big man Kevin Garnett back to Minnesota in exchange for Thaddeus Young. The move was a bit of a surprise (KG had to waive his no trade clause for the deal to happen and Thad Young is the better player at this stage of both player’s careers), but so were many of the other moves that saw 37 players shifted across the league before the noon deadline on Thursday.
I’d dive deeper into tonight’s match up, but to be honest I have little to say about this game in general and have a sick child resting on my couch as I type this. In other words, we all have our priorities and this game is just one of several for me (and a bit lower on the totem pole, to boot). I will say, however, that coming off a long break I expect some sloppiness. Byron Scott worked his players hard in their first practices back from the break, but it will take actual game action for the players to find their rhythm and for the flow of the game to start to be natural again. So, expect some sloppier than normal ball at least through the first half and maybe even longer. The Lakers, of course, have an advantage playing at home, but the Nets — even this version — have the edge in talent and in something worthwhile to play for (they are still chasing a playoff spot in the East).
Which of these angles wins out remains to be seen, and I’ll be watching to find out.
Where you can watch: 7:30pm start time on TWC Sportsnet. Also listen on ESPN Radio 710AM.
Craig W. says
Gee, wouldn’t it be nice to see Kelly play just a few minutes at the 4? I know how he matches up with most 3s in the league.
Here’s to a competitive game.
J C says
Darius,
Hope your young one feels better quickly.
He or she is probably sick of losing!
🙂
Chearn says
Wow, pneumonia is scary in one so young. Hope the meds help!
LKK says
Darius,
Hope your little one recovers soon.
Ko says
Nick Young since Jan 1 has become the worst players on The team by far. Need to buy him out and dump him and his shoe collection. Guy is worthless.
J C says
Ko
I disagree!
Keep the shoe collection.
karen says
fell asleep, didn’t see game. Reading this forum. Why didn’t boozer play. May be there best player
Lakafan says
Boozer dnp-cd. Was he hurt? Waive the guy and price too. Can’t believe price got more minutes than clarkson. Wes in doghouse now!!
Reggie Hammond says
Maybe Scott’s tanking formula is to never let these guys play their position & change line ups & minute allotments so no chemistry can be formed….I don’t think hes doing this without purpose…at least im hoping that’s the case
Chris J says
It’s sad. I used to plan my evenings around the Lakers. Now they play games and I don’t even bother to check the scores some nights. Let’s get the season over and move on with the rebuild, hopefully with a very high draft pick.
bleedpurplegold says
My 2 cents on some guys from the nets game:
clarkson: great all-around game on display…12-4-5 on 5/8….but more important to me was that he didnt commit any turnovers in this one….if you are tanking and your rookie guard has a nice game like this, why dont you play him more than 24…i’d let him play 35 on nights like that just to see if he can keep it up given starters minutes
Boozer: glad he didnt play, we could have won that game with him….we need zo lose as many games as possible
Ed: great game, if he keeps it up he is gone by the end of the year…some contender is gonna throw max mid level money at him…dont think we should match that offer during our rebuild….would be a different story if we would already have a team in place….and i have to admit that i was wrong….never trusted him, he proves me wrong every night
Young: great comment by JC, pretty much sums it up…..he is too full of himself ever since we gave him that big deal, cut him now and pay that man so we can move on
Black: worthless player in my eyes….we dont need him…a vets min guy is gonna give us the same numbers plus a presence in the locker
Lin: i think he should keep playing like he has today, made several baskets around the rim and most important was fearless….ok it was still against a weak nets team, but i liked what i saw
Hill: cut him, too….we dont need a guy shooting from 15 feet out who just cant do it on a consistent basis….other story with a pau gasol the last few years cause he has shown he can….but to see a guy with decent footwork just jacking it up from the outside, i really dont get it….10mill is way to much for a guy like that…
Basically there are maybe 2-3 keepers on our squad, but they are all gonna demand too much this summer…so i would start from scratch with our pick, randle,clarkson and maybe a healthy kobe next year….most important to me tight now: try to get young and hill off the books!!!! Way too many dollars for that kind of production!!!
BigCitySid says
– D, hoping your little one has a speedy recovery.
– Loved the Lakers “official” announcement by Mitch on the direction the franchise will be taking.
– Good news: T ‘Wolves won
– Bad news: Knicks & 76ers kept pace w/ Lakers last night.
minorthreatt says
In some good news, I played the simulated lottery at tankathon.com. In 10 tries, the Lakers only finished outside the top five once. And twice they even wound up with the first pick overall!
Unscientific, but what passes for fun in the February of this long, bleak season.
Baylor Fan says
Philadelphia continues to make a mockery of the current lottery system and the idea that all NBA teams are trying to win. They unloaded anyone with point guard experience including last year’s rookie of the year. Carter-Williams projects to be an upper tier point guard and could become elite if he improves his shooting. But, he started leading Philadelphia to wins and apparently that is a bad thing this year. The loss of a promising point guard is no big deal since there are ones to be had at the top of this year’s draft. But Philadelphia needs to lose to get one.
Chearn says
Junior, J.P. Tokoto has responded to Roy Williams urge for him to get more assertive offensively. He’s a 6’6” wing with a 6’9” wingspan who’s been a member of the ACC All-Defensive team for two years. Tokoto rebounds and takes the ball from end to end to score, or makes the smart pass to his team for buckets. His jumper needs work, but that’s true of most prospects. DraftExpress has him slotted for the 24th pick. His grandfather was a professional soccer player for Cameroon. The Lakers have been looking for a player of his ilk since the Michael Cooper trade.
Craig W. says
I guess you have to be a superstar rookie to stick with the 76ers, otherwise they trade you for a pick and try for a superstar again. They have been tanking for the last 2-3 years and you have to say, “We have enough picks” at some time in the process. If I were Hinkie in Philly, I would start to hire bodyguards.
Aaron says
Craig,
Exactly. The sixers have the best FO in the NBA and it isn’t really close. Well… As far as philosophy. The sizer fans actually love what they are doing. I don’t like their scouting. They drafted Noel who was coming off an ACL tear. Stupid.
Baylor,
The Sixers are doing no such thing. The lottery system is just a joke. The Sixers are exposing it.
Williams is not a good player and will never be a good player. As I wrote in response to rr in the lat comment of the last thread… Tank it till you bank it.
bryan S. says
bleed p&g: Clarkson played a very efficient game as the stats you list bear out. I would add that he did it in 24 minutes and outplayed Deron Williams when they went head to head, as Darius noted on twitter. Maybe your question as to why he didn’t play more minutes has to do with BS’ splitting the minutes equally between Lin, Price and Clarkson in order to keep all the campers happy. Tank theorists might argue that Clarkson might be good enough if given more minutes to snag a win or two. I’ll go with the former speculation. As to Black, I’m inclined to agree with you as I see more of him. Good instincts and activity, but not a lot of skill and undersized at the 5. If he could shoot a bit, he could be a decent back-up 4.
Aaron: Agree with your assesment of Philly. Sound strategy to work a joke of a system. Their scouting, like the Celtics’, isn’t top notch.
Big City: It was a great night for the tank. Not only did Minnesota win, so did Orlando! Caught the end of the wolves/suns game and saw Wiggins make a difficult shot at the rim to get the win, while Bledsoe whiffed on a lay-up that could have won the game for the suns. Lakers will definitely sink below the wolves. Just need to keep losing to get that third spot. . . .
Craig W. says
…and K.J. McDaniels was ‘ground round’ also?
They didn’t get any better slot to draft than what he was drafted at. While I realize you need superstars, you also need some talent with your other starters and rotation players.
Stuart says
Mitch’s comment has made me feel so much better about the future. I was worried all this losing was going to be wasted if we just put together a bandaid of 30+ year old veterans who would eat up cap space. We’d find ourselves in the same mess 3 years from now.
I can deal with losing as long as we’re making progress with youngsters. That’s why so many of us have been on edge with the FO. Losing with nothing to show for it sucks.
Baylor Fan says
Philadelphia does not have unified fan base. They have fans who are trying to be patient and others who are pretty angry. Carter-Williams is a pass first pg who is already a plus defender. Philadelphia has not had any shooters to put on the floor with him and it forced him to take more shots. He may thrive in Milwaukee. He was a solid pick and is a relative bargain for the duration of his rookie contract. This move was all about tanking and making sure that Philadelphia gets a top 3 pick this year. They are desperately trying to be OKC 2.0.
Calvin Chang says
Aaron – You mentioned that Williams MCW isn’t a good player and never will be. Just curious- what makes you say that? Personally, I haven’t seen much of MCW or Sixers games so I don’t know how he plays. But what’s your criteria? For MCW- does he have bad footwork? Poor shooting form? Bad vision? He seems to be long and athletic and plays with a good motor. What’s your criteria in evaluating players?
Calvin Chang says
Honestly, the past 15 or so games have really become uninteresting. Knowing that the coach and FO are not aiming to win has made the games similar to D league level. Yes, it is better for the team to lose at this point. But the quality of the games is just so poor, there’s no entertainment value anymore.
Anonymous says
Last night Jordan Clarkson played yet another solid game: 12 pts. (5-8 shooting), 4 rbds., 5 assists, zero turnovers in 23:49. He is now averaging 7.8 points, 2.1 rbds, 1.8 assists, .9 TOs, and .8 steals per game.
More significantly, over the last 10 games, Clarkson has averaged 30 minutes, 13.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.8 TOs, 1.3 steals, and .2 blocks per game. Obviously, he’s responded to the challenge. This brings up the question, instead of being chosen #46 in the draft (#16 in the 2nd round), if the 2014 draft were held today, where do you think Clarkson would be chosen? To help jog your memory, below is the list of draft picks (1-32) from the last NBA draft (I’ve listed the original team that drafted the players; several were then traded to other teams):
1. Andrew Wiggins — Cleveland
2. Jabari Parker — Milwaukee
3. Joel Embiid — Philadelphia
4. Aaron Gordon — Orlando
5. Dante Exum — Utah
6. Marcus Smart — Boston
7. Julius Randle — Lakers
8. Nik Stauskas — Sacramento
9. Noah Vonleh — Charlotte
10. Elfrid Payton — Orlando
11. Doug McDermott — Chicago
12. Dario Saric — Philadelphia
13. Zach LaVine — Minnesota
14. T.J. Warren — Phoenix
15. Adreian Payne — Atlanta
16. Jusuf Nurkic — Denver
17. James Young — Boston
18. Tyler Ennis — Phoenix
19. Gary Harris — Denver
20. Bruno Cabolco — Toronto
21. Mitch McGary — OKC
22. Jordan Adams — Memphis
23. Rodney Hood — Utah
24. Shabazz Napier — Miami
25. Clint Capela — Houston
26. P.J. Hairston — Charlotte
27. Bogdan Bogdanovic — Phoenix
28. C.J. Wilcox — Clippers
29. Josh Hestis — OKC
30. Kyle Anderson — San Antonio
31. Damien Inglis — Milwaukee
32. K.J. McDaniels — Philadelphia
I think that a good case can be made for Clarkson being among the top 3 guards in this class (the other 2 being Marcus Smart and Elfrid Payton), even a better choice than Zach LaVine who, despite his dunking exploits, is wildly inconsistent. Clarkson has certainly far surpassed Dante Exum and Nik Stauskas in performance this year, two highly coveted lottery picks who were cosen #5 and #8.
So…if the draft were held today, Clarkson might be, I think, among the top 10 or 12 players chosen. At least that’s the way I see it. This is a very good thing. And it shows that Mitch Kupchak made an excellent move. Your thoughts?
T Rogers says
Let’s see how MCW looks on a team with more talent. We talk about talent a lot. But development is just as important. I think MCW showed his rookie season he has talent. I think his regression this season was more about Philly’s inability to develop their young players.
They are so set on getting draft picks they have forgotten that players still need to be groomed. I think playing for Jason Kidd is the best thing that could have happened to MCW.
Aaron says
Re MCW:
Most silly people point to his poor shooting. But that’s the one thing players improve upon in their careers. on the other end of the spectrum the thing people ignore when judging players is coordination. People see speed and strength and quickness and leaping ability… But they don’t value or properly judge body control/coordination (why Nash was such a great athlete). MCW lacks the coordination needed to be athletic enough to succeed in the NBA. James Harden is who he is strictly based on coordination and the ability to flop. He doesn’t have speed, quickness, or leaping ability. Coordination is the most important trait in basketball.
J C says
Agree with Chris J above.
Planning my evening around the Lakers?
Not so much.
Unfortunately I also agree with Calvin – games far less interesting right now.
Watching the Lakers is a totally different thing.
Hopefully this is a one-year exception.
I actually want the team to lose, every time out. It’s bizarro basketball.
I never ever thought I would think this way.
The times, they are a-changin!
The good news, we’re great at it. Losing, I mean.
A top 3 pick is definitely realistic now.
Maybe even better than that.
Agree that Mitch Kupchak’s comment sheds a positive light on all this.
It’s all about the lottery now.
J C says
Also, re Byron,
it’s clear that he gets a full pass this year.
It’s kind of nice for him, I imagine.
With injuries to Kobe, Randle, and Nash, he isn’t even expected to win.
Next year will be a different story.
With Randle, Kobe, our top 5 draft pick and the Houston pick,
AND at least one solid FA signing, we should compete!
Probably still not a title contender, but the FO and fans will expect definitely progress to be made.
That’s when the heat will turn up a little on Byron.
The following year, the third of Byron’s contract, if we aren’t winning more than we’re losing, that will be Byron’s furnace.
Win or perish!
Hope Byron does well. Not impressed with his Xs and Os but ya gotta love his Laker pride.
At least he brings that every night.
Anon says
I absolutely love Ko’s comments. Not because I agree w them (I honestly do not about 99% of the time), but because you can feel his passion and love for this team every time he writes. Win, lose or draw this guy bleeds purple and gold. Kudos to you Ko!
bleedpurplegold says
Anonymous: agree on your point about the draft, if held today, i would pick him top 10 with wiggins, parker, joel, maybe randle and gordon ahead of him…..we got the steal of the draft
Jc:
Agree on your point about scott….he has that lakers mentality…..i personally hope he can make it, as he has proven he can with his stint at NO
Sixers:
I dont like their approach….have seen enough of MCW to say he can be a solid starting PG with good to great defensive ability and a nice drive….if he develops an putside shot, he will be elite! To trade a prospect like him is unforgivable to me…as a sixers fan, i would boycott their games….i just dont get it….they cant trade their best player during a rebuild, who is on a rookie contract…oklahoma city 2.0? They wouldnt be so dumb to trade their top assets and a roy for a pick, cause that pick isnt guaranteed to become a better player…..realistically it will be a far worse one….
devean george forever says
one game, but this is why you don’t trade for dragic and make priority #1 keeping next year’s draft pick, 4-11, 12 points, 1 assist, -18 plus/minus in Miami’s loss to NOLA
Calvin Chang says
Aaron – so by coordination, you mean the ability to properly execute basketball fundamental moves with precision and timing? There are players who don’t possess that level of coordination, but become all-stars or champions. I wouldn’t say MCW can’t succeed in the NBA. He’ll be an adequate or above-average player, but he probably can’t lead a team deep in the playoffs as the number 1 option. James Harden is actually deceptively athletic and quick, but yes- he does possess elite coordination.
Calvin Chang says
It’s still too early to label Jordan Clarkson as the steal of the draft. (or other players a bust) You’ll need to give it 3 or 4 more years. Clarkson is improving, but there’s a big difference in putting up numbers on a team that is actively trying to lose vs a team that’s trying to win. Many guards can put up numbers if they’re given the green light to play as the main option with no pressure to win. I recall Donald Sloan scoring 30 points for the Pacers earlier in the season, but he’s still their 3rd-string PG. I imagine that Stauskas or McDermott can also put up big numbers if they’re given minutes and the green light to score as the main option. Heck, if Jimmer was a Laker, given 30 minutes to play BYU style ball with no regard of winning or losing, he’d light up the scoreboard.
J C says
Does anyone else groan every time they see James Harden play?
IMO he:
*often travels on his way to the basket abusing the appearance of a Euro-step
*drives right into the defender and then flails his arms looking for a foul call
*often gets the foul call even when undeserved
I do admit he’s very talented but still– annoyingly so.
anyone?
bryan S. says
Anonymous@ 2:41:
Nice post. Clarkson *might* even be ahead of Smart and Payton right now, but the sample size is too small. We have to keep in my mind that evaluating picks is a 2-3 year process to allow for physical maturation etc. Clarkson is 2+ years older than Exum, for example. LaVine is also young and isn’t physically mature. Smart really isn’t doing too much on the court right now from what I’ve seen; dutifully bringing the ball up court and passing it inside, then going out to the three point line and waiting to take an open shot. I’m sure he’s doing what he been told to do, and that probably says a lot about where Stevens thinks he’s at right now (Stevens is a really solid young coach). But yeah, right now Clarkson is pretty impressive and seemingly improving by the game.
Tonight will be a good time watch Clarkson vs. Smart. It will be interesting to see if Smart can slow/bother Clarkson defensively.
Aaron/Calvin: Really like the discussion about coordination. Really isn’t discussed in scouting reports as it may be too vague to measure. But think for a moment about Stephen Curry: certainly quick, not really explosive or terribly fast. But ultra-coordinated: timing, touch balance, quick hands. D’Angelo Russell is a prospect whose skills are defined by coordination, rather than athleticism. (Need to see more of him to really know.) Aaron’s example of Nash being a great athlete because of coordination is a great example.
LKK says
J C… Totally agree about Harden running into people. He has mastered the offensive flop.
Calvin Chang says
I’ll groan playing against James Harden. He is a truly elite scoring machine with a style of his own. True, he does flop at times. But contrary to cliche perceptions of his game, he does not often travel, nor does he drive aimlessly into a defender and flail his arms. He patiently breaks you down with his dribble-footwork, gets into your space and extends his arms to invite you to slap the ball while sealing you off on his way to the rim. What I dislike is the ref giving him a calls when he initiates contact against a back-pedaling defender. Those should be a no-call.
Calvin Chang says
Alarming news for the Buss kids – Jack Nicholson said on TMZ “I’ll Sell You My Lakers Tix
… I’m Sorta Over It” Jack has been a fixture on Laker games for the past few decades. But when the product is so bad and the games are so uninteresting, there’s just no entertainment value anymore. You get nothing out of going to the game. This will result in decreased ticket sales, sponsorships, ratings, ad revenue, and cost millions in the bottom line. This is what will hurt the owners.
Calvin Chang says
That’s why I wish the FO would have made it an entertaining tank by mixing in some gimmicks while losing and developing youngsters. Maybe they should have traded for Jimmer at the deadline and let him launch some pull-up 30-footers while playing BYU ball. That would be pretty entertaining.
Lil Pau says
Calvin, I’ve been advocating for letting season ticket holders play for a few minutes a game. How awesome would it be to see some yokel drill a lucky 3 in some allstar’s grill?
Mid-Wilshire says
The comment above suggesting that Clarkson would be taken much higher (maybe #10 or 12) if the 2014 draft were held today was mine. So…if you think that notion is a bit crazy, you’ll know who to blame.
Mid-Wilshire
Calvin Chang says
Lil Pau – If you’re a Sixer season ticket holder (does that still exist?), you can lobby Sam Hinkie to let you get a few minutes and launch some 3’s, and he’ll probably let you play just because they need players.
Aaron says
James harden doesn’t just flail his arms after driving straight into a defender… But he also jerks his neck back like he was just rear ended by an SUV. Fortunately the NBA told the refs to crack down on it and stopped giving him those calls this year. He has been trained well because of this and basically stopped doing it.
Calvin Change,
I haven’t seen anyone without good coordination (body control) be an all star in this league.
Calvin Chang says
Aaron – If you’re a specialist, you can be an all-star even without good coordination. Reggie Miller made many all-star games and even the USA team by being a one-dimensional 3pt sharpshooter. But he has trouble creating plays off the dribble. His drives look very awkward, and he just flops to get to the line. His 3pt shooting is clutch though, and he’s one of the few who can catch and shoot on the move. I don’t think Thunder Dan Majerle has great coordination either, but he also made the all-star game.
Aaron says
Calvin,
hmmmmmm. I disagree with you there. He had very good body control. He wasn’t just a spot up shooter. He came around screens and shot off the dribble. He wasn’t fast, quick, or strong. And he couldn’t jump. But he had good coordination/body control. And lookig akward doesn’t mean you don’t have great body control. Andrew Bynum and Tim Duncan are great examples of guys who lokked lanky and sown times akward but has elite coordination. Thunder Dan was a very good athlete. He was strong with gold body control and an amazing fake tan.
We could find fake all stars that don’t have good coordination. Jimmy Buttler is average in that category. But he was in the east and probably won’t make another all star team.
Aaron says
Calvin,
But yes spot up shooters just have elite hand/eye coordination. They don’t need overall coordination to be effective in that specific area.
Calvin Chang says
Agreed with Jimmy Butler about being average. He’s a hard-worker and plays with effort, but I doubt he’d be an all-star if he was playing in the west. Someone mentioned that he’s the modern-day Michael Finley. That’s pretty accurate. Reggie Miller had questionable handles, but he did have excellent body control in the sense that he could go full-speed off a screen, catch and square up on the rise to shoot while drifting. If that counts as coordination, then Reggie had that down.
Calvin Chang says
Aaron – what’s your take on Jordan Clarkson? Does he have the goods to be a reliable starter? He has very good speed and athleticism, and he did show better coordination in his last game against the Nets. I like the fact that he has a good one-hand tear drop shot if he gets in the lane under control with a live dribble. Not sure if he’s too frail though.
Calvin Chang says
Bryan S: I disagree with Steph not being super fast or explosive. Steph has elite coordination and timing, coupled with crazy speed. Like CP3, Steph is requickulous. He seems to be able to get to any spot on the floor anytime he wants to. Excellent stop and go, change of direction moves.
Chearn says
Steph Curry’s handle is on the level of Curly Neal (well, maybe not quite). But his dribble is par excellence.
Aaron says
Currys a great example of someone not fast or explosive but he has elite coordination and hand eye coordination. As for Clarkson I think he will be a good back up PG off the bench or a bad starter.