I thought that Game 1’s crowd couldn’t be beat. Boy, was I wrong. They opened up the upper deck AGAIN for the game between the Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers (who had the jilted, could-have-been Laker Jahlil Okafor).
Today's crowd for Lakers/Sixers SL game. Hi, Upper Deck. pic.twitter.com/Qu7iOq0qD9
— Rey-Rey (@TheNoLookPass) July 12, 2015
Summer League produces a lot of bad NBA-caliber basketball so when I say this one is hard on the eyes, it’s really, REALLY ugly. But the highlight of this game was definitely late first-rounder Larry Nance, Jr. He finished with eight points, five rebounds, three steals, and two blocked shots. He also finished with the highest +/- stat at +20 and won the Thomas & Mack crowd with his relentless play. He got “LARRY” chants from the people more than once (which is also hilariously ironic coming from Laker fans… and if you don’t get it, I’m not even sure if you know basketball). The game was won by the Lakers, 68-60.
After the game, Nance mentioned that “he knew his role.” He knows he’s “the athletic, energy guy” on the team and “he’ll lock you up on defense.” He was asked when he accepted that role as an energy guy and he answered that he knew that while he was playing in college (Wyoming). Nance said that he wants to get his hands on a loose ball whenever possible. He said that “energy” is a skill nowadays in the NBA and teams are looking for that. I like the fact that Nance seems like the type of guy that would do whatever is asked from him by the team. If that means being the energy guy or scoring 20 points a game, he’ll do it. He buys into the team and that is excellent. Nance also noted that he talked to his dad (Larry Nance, who is the 1984 Slam Dunk champion) and the advice that he got was to “rebound more.” He definitely enjoyed the Larry chants.
Jordan Clarkson looked great yet again, finishing with 19 points off 8 of 16 shooting. He mentioned that he was working on a “little bit of everything” but he did note about his pull-up jumpers. He said he was getting more comfortable shooting jumpers after going off a pick. It’s nice to see his confidence continue to grow. He said he’s not looking for any individual goals and “just wants to play his best.” Clarkson said that hearing the chants for Nance was “dope and real cool” and that he talks to D’Angelo Russell “all the time” and said that he’s gonna be a “great player.” Laker fans are hoping for that, I’m sure.
D’Angelo Russell (14 points, 4/15 shooting, eight rebounds, seven turnovers) said that the difference in this game from the previous one was slowing it down and focusing on stops on defense. Russell didn’t seem to have as much legs in this game but he was a little better defensively in terms of making rotations and not ball-watching. When I asked him about his defense, he gave himself a C or a C+. He mentioned both individual and team defense and that he/they had to be better on following up on rotations. Russell was then asked about Clarkson and he said that he was a “great leader” and that he was “growing and getting better every day.”
Summer League coach Mark Madsen was definitely a bit more pepped up with the win. He talked about the defensive intensity and communication being much better than the previous game. Mad Dog said that Laker coach Byron Scott’s little pep talk contributed to the team getting in rhythm earlier. Madsen also was glowing about Jordan Clarkson’s “knowledge of the game”; he especially pointed out Clarkson’s adjusting from the point to the shooting guard and helping his teammates get to the right spots. Madsen complimented Larry Nance and called him a “special player.” I’m gonna pump the brakes a little bit on that but I do think Nance can help a team. As for getting the assists up (ONLY FIVE), Madsen answered that they just needed to make more shots and move the ball a little bit more.
All in all, pretty encouraging stuff. Julius Randle was given the game off for precautionary reasons but he’s expected to play in the next game. Again, I expect most of these guys in this Summer League team to be the core of the next few years so I would pay a little bit more attention to them.
Warren Wee Lim says
Nice recap Rey. The atmosphere must’ve been electric.
Despite the overall ugliness of the game, a win is still refreshing. It teaches the youngins the thrill and excitement of winning games, something that Kobe still has even after 20 seasons.
Russell had a much better game scoring the ball, getting himself more comfortable by the day.
Randle didn’t play, and he hated it.
Clarkson impressed even more. Those pull-up jumpers are getting more reliable as he sees them fall in.
Steve Nash’s influence is evident on these young PGs. Atleast from that end we can thank his stint with us.
Oldtimer says
Warren, I wish they hire Nash back to teach Russell more on facilitating and working through the crowd. His eyes are cat-liked sharp but his foot pedal is slow, that could be a problem when he faced the big boys during regular season. There is a room for improvement for our future PG. Meanwhile, we are getting a glimpse of the new Laker Wall from Upshaw, Black and recently added Larry Nance, Jr. He is the new glamour boy of this tournament because of tenacious defense.
minorthreatt says
Of all the things I liked last night, I was happiest watching Anthony Brown. Hit a couple of threes and in one sequence in particular, locked down a PG on the perimeter, using his wingspan to stifle the guy. Exactly the kind of 3 & D they’ll need from him.
Vasheed says
One thing I have liked is Russell seems to be spot on in his after game interviews with what he needs to address. Asked about looking at his stat line after the game he said the only thing he really would focus on is his turn overs. I think he knows how to adjust.
George says
Anyone concerned about our offense? I think we’ll struggle to score 100 points a game. Hibbert’s not a scorer. Williams plays the backcourt where our two better players need minutes. And i don’t think we ca count on Kobe.
This will be a better year because of the kids but the rebuild will take awhile – lots of growing pains.
rubenowski says
Looks like Maddog wanted Russell to shoot more this game. He wasn’t bringing the ball up much, deferring to Clarkson a lot. I don’t know how well this will work. I wonder if this will take some opportunity away from Russell to be a leader, but then again it’s just summer league and he’s still a rookie and Clarkson has more experience and has earned it, so perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself here.
Russell has been in a slump. This shows not just in his shooting but in his free throws. He’s a better FT shooter than he’s shown. I actually think he’s nervous. The crowds have been huge for the Lakers games and he feels a lot of pressure to perform well in front of such a big Lakers crowd. I’m sure he’ll settle in time.
Larry Nance is awesome. I fear, though, that his style of play leads to more injuries. I hope this doesn’t happen. Good thing he’s athletic.
I really really really like Okafor. I can see how people were saying he’s more NBA ready than Towns and Russell, and with Philly’s team I can definitely see him getting rookie of the year. What a great rookie class this is.
TheNumberOfFlopsIsTooDamnHigh says
I’ve watched literally every Laker game on time warner during the last two seasons
(as well as before that, plus lots of other teams).
And though it was painful to watch us loose like its going out of style, I still root for our team, and try to keep a positive outlook.
Believe me when I say I am trying to get excited about following our young talent grow into a competitive team again. But at the same time don’t want to be a delusional Laker fan, I have to call it like I see it:
I think we made a big mistake with our #2 pick. Many people might say it is too early to tell after just 2 games, but the eye test is very revealing. The difference in awareness, speed, athleticism, effort and overall talent is glaringly obvious live and up-close.
Supposedly Russel has elite basketball I.Q, handle, passing ability and shooting potential, and I hate to say that after the Friday and Saturday games and a comparative eye test with all the other rookies, I haven’t seen much of that -if any- and I am beginning to get extremely worried.
I hear people say it was only the first two games, but it also was the first two games for all other teams, who most of don’t even have any of their regular rotation players -let alone starters- on their summer league roster. We had supposedly 3 of our 5 starters on Friday’s squad.
And it looked like an uncoached rec league pick up team, collectively as well as individually.
Also Randle looked like a no impact 2nd rounder, on both ends of the floor.
So if anyone seriously thinks that starting Russel at the point, Clarkson at the two, Kobe at small forward, and Randle at the 4 is going to be a competitive line-up, you are in for a very very rude awakening friends. I don’t care who you put at the center with that, it is not going to be pretty, let alone win any more games than last season.
On the positive side, you have Clarkson getting better with each game, he shows leadership, court awareness, great change of speed, and he just reads well what the defense is giving us. And unlike Russel, he is not afraid to take it to his man or drive hard to close out. He also played great hustle D, and his handle is much better than Russels. I think we absolutely have to start him as our point guard.
Randle looked more clueless and indecisive than last year in the summer league, and he has not even began to trust on a jumper. Maybe its too early into his rehab, but he has no business in a starting rotation right now.
Tarik looked very good on D, and definitely has the footwork and strength to bang inside with small ball centers. Also Upshaw played well, it may look a bit awkward but he somehow gets it done getting to the block. He has the size and timing to go up against any center, I guess he has to work on his motor and endurance.
Larry is our new fan favorite, he took the crowd by storm, I think he should be in front of Randle at the 4 in our rotation, much more effort, good timing and did I mention, this guy got HOPS!
So having said that, I think to get any wins out of our roster, you have to stagger Clarkson and Russel, and contrary to what we all wanted to see, limit Russels and Randles minutes and play Kobe at the 2.
PG: Clarkson/Russel
SG: Kobe/Williams
SF: ???/Anthony Brown
PF: Bass/Nance Jr./Randle
C: Hibbert/Black/Upshaw
So we have had and continue to have a big need for a quick and defensive minded 3.
What’s the word on Young, can we afford to/will we keep him? I think defensively he wasn’t worse than Wesley last year (as long as he puts his mind to it) and much better offensively, so due to a lack of alternatives, could he be a starting 3 on a competitive team?
P. Ami says
I’m going to have fun watching these kids in spite of some decisions by the coaching staff that I don’t quite understand. Is there something about the Princeton offense that is instructive to young players at the pro level? Why are they bothering with the zone?
I think it was very smart to include Clarkson in the SL. Creating a relationship and establishing a chemistry between the young guys will be important. Black, Upshaw, Nance, Brown, Clarkson, Randle, and Russell are guys who can contribute to this rebuild. Whether they are all a part of the organization when it regains contender status is neither here nor there. The relationships are building along with the talent and that will be exciting to watch evolve.
In what may be as significant as anything that happens on the court is how the FO interprets the support the Lakers are getting in the stands. The Lakers will probably need to attract a couple of top-tier free agents to become contenders. That attraction will be a result of having a strong team for those players to join. The Lakers didn’t always get their free agents. We got our free agents when our team showed promise. Shaq came to a team that was already performing under the Lakeshow talent base. Rick Fox took less money to come to LA because we had Shaq and guys around him already (BTW, I’m seeing the possibility of Nance Jr. playing a similar role to Fox, but that is another subject). Point is, the Lakers weren’t spurned because the brand has fallen off or LA is unattractive. They were spurned because we didn’t have a contending talent base. These young guys are that base to be built upon. If these guys come out of the upcoming season of growing pains showing high potential, the Lakers will be appealing to big free agents.
I think the fans that showed up at Las Vegas represent the core of Lakers fans that will respond to a young, exciting, talented team. These fans are the ones who will help to nurture the new talent base and will light the way out of the Kobe era. I hope the FO sees these crowds and lets our enthusiasm inform their decisions to support this base until the next super star comes. I have plenty of criticism of Lakers fans but the Vegas crowd is my answer to anyone who thinks Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Denzel Washington represent us. We are fans of the Los Angeles Lakers, not the Hollywood Lakers. The brand is thriving and can be seen as the brightest light, hundreds of miles outside our city limits. Next time anyone tries to tell you that Lakers fans are fair weather, that we are bandwagon front runners, remind them of what is happening in Vegas. Sure we love stars in LA, but we love OUR stars most of all and we make stars of guys like Rick Fox, Kurt Rambis and perhaps Larry Nance Jr.
T.A. says
I’ve lurked for a long time since Kurt was running the site, and really appreciate the commentary by a lot of the posters here. honestly, even aaron’s schtick was entertaining from time to time.. I try to keep myself from overreacting to every move of the FO, in-game adjustments or lack thereof by almost every coach (including Phil) but I really am concerned about russell as a long term prospect.
Yes, I know it’s only summer league, and he’s probably nervous and tired from not being in nba shape, but there are some pretty glaring problems regarding his ability to create separation. He is essentially as advertised, ehh on defense, very good vision, good passer, but very non athletic. I think people including the FO got swayed by reports of his 39 inch vertical, but in game, he has no explosion. He seems incapable of breaking free of the horrible defense played in summer league against talent that likely will be backups or not play during the regular season.
His splits in college were dramatically worse against teams with above .500 record, and with longer more athletic defenders. His numbers against arizona, for instance give a stat line very much in line with what you’re seeing in summer league. 9 pts on 2-12 shooting, 7 reb 6 ast in 27 minutes.. compare that with his lines these first two games. yes, small sample size, but when the defenders are faster, more athletic.. his stat lines particularly shooting drop dramatically.
yes it’s early, and he could work on transforming his body, I certainly hope so, but the eye test so far shows me a player that is not able to penetrate without the use of a pick. even on fast breaks, he shows no ability to shield the ball and finish, or elevate enough to get a layup attempt. If we continue to run the princeton sets, russell will likely not develop into the player we’d like him to be. A heavy diet of high pick and rolls will probably necessary to allow russell to play to his strengths, while minimizing his inability to break people off the dribble.
also, his shot seems very slow to load up, and his form isn’t that great…people call it smooth, but he seems to be stuck between a straight up jump shooter and a set shot. it reminds me of sam perkins with ever so slightly more lift. difficult to get that off in traffic without being contested heavily.
i do like his vision, but i’m very worried that unless he tightens his handle (develop a right hand) and really works on getting more explosive (we know he’s never gonna be a westbrook, but he needs to be able to get enough separation to put people on his hip a la nash) that russell will end up being more like a kendall marshall type than magic 2.0
hope i’m wrong! I’m at least excited to see how the youngins work out this year, but a little sad that it’s going to be in byron’s beyond awful offense.
Oldtimer says
#of Flopsis,
I believe in the other direction of tempered optimism, I tell you why?
Last Season Starter vs Probable this Season Starters (in my book)
1. Lin 1. Clarkson
2. Kobe 2. Lou Williams
3. Johnson 3. Kobe
4. Boozer 4. Bass
5. Hill 5. Hibbert
You can research the analytics of this line up but based on longtime basketball eye, this season starter is way better than last season. My starters are mostly Vets because we have to win more games first before experimenting with rookies. On PG, I like the decision-making of of Clarkson and has a better shooting % than Lin. Scotty experimented at mid year of going to Price and perhaps we can compare that move to our brand new PG Russell. IMO, given enough games played Russell will be more prepared with his ball distribution and of course those are acquired during practices. Our replacement PG last season, Price was spotty and inconsistent PG, great in defense but variable with his shooting. Kobe is a wash being SG last year and may be SF this season. Hopefully his health will be OK. A healthy Kobe will be a wild Mamba on the loose because this is his last hurrah. He has now the teammates to lean on and would no longer play the PG role. Our SG this year might be Louis Williams, this guy can carry the team on his shoulder, did that with Sixers and put the Raftors in the playoffs last season. He would not win the 6th man award if he was just an ordinary guard. Our last year’s SF Wesley is athletic but poor in defense, same with Boozer whose feet is glued on the floor while uses his hands in pushing a jump shooting opponent. This season, Brandon Bass is younger, defensive minded and more polished with his mid range shooting. On 5, our Center Roy may appear slow but has an octopus hands and the 7’2″ frame that would alter an ambitious slasher.
Lastly, we go on role players, Davis was our best role players last year, then followed by Clarkson who can be promoted to starter this season. There were several injuries throughout the year so it was difficult to judge the effective the others like Ellington, Henry, Young, Randle and Kelly. This season we retained Kelly, Sacre and J. Brown but they are 3rd option players. Our 2nd team composed of young, energetic and better shooters – A. Brown, Nance, Randle, Upshaw and Black. There will be a competition on playing time between the 2nd and 3rd team, yet the 2nd team are qualified to be promoted to starters in due time.
Competition wise, I think we have a chance to dislodge the following former playoff teams in the West from the Magic 8 namely: Blazers, Mavs. Pelicans. It all boils down on chemistry how Scotty would be able to mix and jell the given skills Vets-Youth in short period of time. They also need luck in avoiding injuries compared to what happened in the last two years.
Our common frustrations, Lakers should have rebuilt in this manner after Phil left the coaching staff than going to adventurism with cheapy route Kapono, Mcroberts, Murphy 2012 Ebanks, Gaudelock, big gamble on 2013 Howard and Nash (without inside scouting on their capabilities); then went to cavalcade of coaches who have no passion for the Lakers.
chibi says
The support the Lakers get here in Vegas shouldn’t be surprising. All games are broadcast here on cable/radio. We even get Clipper, Angel, and Dodger games.
Ed says
I think the reason Clarkson has outshined Russell has to due with experience and preparation. One year of experience is big. Clarkson has been working hard on the court and in the weightroom since the end of the season. Russell has been auditioning. We should get a better line on both in fall camp. Randle has just completed his rehab,so I`m also willing to give him time til fall camp to make a judgement.
Mid-Wilshire says
Flops,
I certainly respect your views. But I was a little bit startled to read your note. I guess you can count me among those who insist that it’s entirely too early too draw any definitive conclusions re: any of our players after only 2 Summer League games, especially when those players are only 19 years old.
I’ve seen some Summer League games in which certain players go off for 42 pts. and, in the process, look like the 2nd coming of Oscar Robertson. Then they return to their teams in the regular season and sink into oblivion. Summer League is notorious for giving false reads on players. So I think it’s entirely too early to deliver any final judgments on D’Angelo Russell (or Julius Randle).
My biggest concern right now re: D’Angelo Russell is his TOs. (His shooting is a bit off but that, I believe, will come.) I think that he’s going through a massive adjustment phase right now. Okafor, by contrast, doesn’t have to worry about moving the ball around or handling it on every play. Russell does. And he’s doing it against a much higher level of defensive pressure than before. And, once again, he’s only 19.
I’ve noticed 2 things from Russell’s interviews: 1) his self-awareness and 2) his youth. He’s 19 y.o. and he looks it. I mean…this is a very young fellow. I think we’re simply going to have to give him time to mature. Having said that, I think he’s already mature beyond his years.
I predict that his shot will return and, with coaching, that he’ll start to figure out how to stop turning the ball over. Once he does that he’ll be fine. Let’s just bear in mind that he’s still very young. He has his entire career ahead of him.
tankyou says
Let’s be clear Summer league is worse than D-League in terms of player conditioning/prepardeness and actual NBA skill. So we are seeing guys match up mostly against a bunch of non-NBA players. So even if they were playing well, it would mean fairly little.
Just imagine some decent NBA starters going up against these guys, instead of other untested pre-rooks. So until they actually start doing something against legit NBA players, I can’t really be excited at all. The facts that some of these guys aren’t looking good, like Randle, certainly isn’t a good sign in terms of where he is now. But let’s see how they look come October.
@Oldtimer, But realistically speaking, NO WAY this lineup is going to be better out the gate. They may very well be better than last years starting squad by mid-year, I expect that to happen. First off Clarkson, barely shot better than lin, but shot significantly worse from 3pt-land than Lin, its not as if Clarkson is any better than him. Honestly, I think Clarkson is a more athletic slasher than Lin, but only time will tell if he ends up being any better than him. He’s a worse passer at this point, but hopefully he will improve, and he needs to become a mid 30’s%–3 point shooter as well. But I do agree with some here that Clarkson likely will need to start with Russel spelling him, unless Russel makes huge strides in a few months.
Also, I watched plenty of Hibbert, I’m glad we got him, only b/c our defense was set to be epically bad. But I’m not a fan of Hibbert, he’s played like trash the last two seasons, he’s a sloth stuck to the ground, but he is a big body that deters shots around the rim. But Jordan Hill is a better rebounder/shooter/PnR guy, basically everything except defense around the rim. So Hibbert is not some huge upgrade over J. Hill—Hibbert is one of the lousiest 7’2″ guys I’ve ever seen at snagging rebounds. If Randle doesn’t up his game as a rebounder, we will have to start Tarik Black to have any chance of competing, we will get destroyed on the boards.
I’m still thinking 30 wins, but there is a difference between hope for and irrational hope. I want to see Okafor match up vs. Mogzov, it’s not going to be pretty for the Rookie for awhile. How does Randle cover Blake Griffin? How does Clarkson cover pretty much 20 of the starting PG’s in the league? Kobe isn’t covering anybody anymore sorry. If our offense ends up being blah, we will not even win 30 games, because we aren’t going to be good at stopping other teams–so we best be scoring well this season.
Patrick Lanigan says
I’m with Oldtimer, though maybe not so confident that this is a playoff team. Suggestions that this group will not win more games than last year (based on two summer league games, no less) is pessimism at its worst. Literally every position has improved last over last year’s version. This includes the depth on the bench. Williams, Swaggy, Bass, Nance, and Anderson (and probably both backup centers) are all upgrades, as are all of the starters.
As for critiquing Randle, this guy has played one game in one year. Let’s maybe give him some time to establish a rythym before declaring him a 2nd round talent.
I will say this about Russell: he looks heavy to me. He needn’t be cut up like Westbrook, but right now he looks very soft. I’d imagine this will change as he gets acclimated to an NBA pace–but there is a reason rookies don’t usually take the league by storm. This year is all about learning the game. Just look at the difference in Clarkson from one year ago….
Archaen says
I think it bears noting that young players like Randle and Russell have never played with, against or even been in the same room with anyone better at their position than them. This, I believe, is the main reason for the often radical difference in performance between a rookie and a 2nd year player.
People like to point at Stephen Curry and say he started out great, but he has had a father that was a pro for 16 years and a former sixth man of the year. Russell and Randle do not. There is a lot they will be able to improve just from practicing and playing against legitimate talent for the first time in their lives.
Give these youngsters a little while before you pass judgement.
Archaen
Lesha says
hello to everyone – long time reader here (I rarely post), thank you for the great comments on this site
just wanted to say one thing that I think many people ignore concerning Russell: yes, being athletic is very important but there are plenty of players who’ve been incredible at his position without being word class athletes (Nash, Kidd, C. Paul, Stockton, A. Miller). He has the size, he has good vision and if he works hard, his speed or hops won’t be a problem – he just needs to understand he game and know where to go and when. This will take time but I’m sure our FO saw something very special in him, so let’s give him some time to show what he’s got
rr says
from other thread
rr July 12, 2015 at 2:29 am
Keno,
After the Lakers drafted Russell, Byron Scott said that Okafor is going to be a good center, but “D’Angelo can be a star.” That, essentially, is why I think the FO made the call: they think that Russell can be a star, and a charismatic, exciting one that people want to see play to boot.
That said, I think it is very likely that Okafor’s first 25-30 NBA games, and maybe his whole first year, will be better than Russell’s. Okafor already has some low post moves, and you know the old saying: you can’t teach size. Russell is going to have a longer learning curve than Okafor is.
So, the fanbase is going to need patience. Looking at posts here and elsewhere, and looking at the reactions to getting Hibbert, Williams and BB, some people seem to think that the Lakers are in the middle of a rebuild, since the team has been awful for two years. But actually, this is the beginning of the rebuild, not the middle. The last two years were mostly clock-watching, and the Lakers are down three draft picks. This is going to take time and luck, and I think Mitch’s statement about the playoffs was ill-advised and that it will come back to KO Byron (maybe Mitch planned it that way–who knows?)
And, I think some people need to temper their expectations for Julius Randle a bit. Randle’s absence creating a mini-mystique, Clarkson’s emergence, and the fact that a few very vocal, somewhat confrontational posters are big fans of Randle’s game seem to have some people thinking he is going to come in and go all Charles Barkley on the NBA his first year. I hope so, and I am no scout, but I think Randle is going to have some growing pains as well.
That is not to say that things are not better now than they were at this time last year. They are. The last two years, I have been dismissive of the idea that the Lakers were going to surprise people, were better than people thought, needed time to gel etc. It was pretty clear from the get-go that the 2014 and 2015 teams just weren’t going to be very good and had little future.
This team is different–they will need time to gel, and I think they could surprise some people over the second half of the season. But I think the first 30-40 games are going to be rough in some ways.
Robert says
Picks: It is too early for judgment. And it will remain too early for the next year. That said we gambled with our pick and the 2 games so far would not have been added reasons to do so. On the other hand – Nance has looked good so I am down to about only about 2 guys I would have taken in front of him instead of the 5 that I stated the day after he draft : )
Record: We will most likely win more games this year but that is not as important as the development of Clarkson, Russell, and Randle.
Sixer/Laker game: I know this is Summer League but that was nothing less than complete chaos.
Lakers Fans: The home team for Vegas has always been the Lakers. Cudos to Craig + JC and others who went to the games. That said we suck as fans. Having a 100 section that arrives 1/2 thru the first quarter and stares at cell phones does not compare to the stadiums where rabid fans all wear the home team’s tee shirts (and this is the norm now).
TheNumberOfFlopsIsTooDamnHigh says
@Oldtimer
that’s a great idea, to put Lou at the two so we have the scoring and we can still slide Kobe to the 3 to have his leadership and court vision for our starting line up, while at the same time hedging for the fact that he will not be able to create separation like he used to to drain his jumpers.
I wasn’t thinking of that. So you are making a good point, this starting line up (Clarkson, Lou, Kobe, Bass, Hibbert) will most definitely be better than last years.
But then, what bench would we be looking at? Last year, Ed Davis, Ellington, Price and even Young at times were not bad at all actually, it was mainly the erratic substitutions and questionable coaching that kind’a put a wrench in the gears.
So i’m thinking compared to that, other than at center we are going to look very very lousy this season man, no scoring and no D.
I want to stay positive, like I said, and we all know that a rebuild does’nt happen in 2 seasons.
But I’m afraid we screwed up on Russel, and also that Randle won’t be as good as we need him to be to be competitive this season, which is absolutely paramount to attract the star free agent(s) we need to add next summer.
I know, like you all said, it’s only two games into summer league, but several other rookies within the exact same environment and parameters looked much much better than Russel and Randle.
Mid-Wilshire: who exploded for 42 in the summer league and then disappeared into oblivion?