It’s late August. There is no NBA action anywhere in sight. What better time for a hodgepodge of links and notes than now? Onto our latest edition of Fast Break Thoughts…
*Yesterday we talked about the pressure D’Angelo Russell is facing as a #2 overall pick and playing for a Lakers’ organization looking for their next great player. Well, yesterday Russell also made an appearance on ESPN Radio and did an interview with Mike Trudell and Mychal Thompson. The interview was transcribed at Lakers.com and can be found here.
*The entire interview is worth your time, but one quote that stood out to me was when he discussed playing next to Jordan Clarkson:
I feel like we’re dangerous for our team. We both rebound. We both can push the break, and we both can run the wing. So if he gets it and I’m running the wing, he can set up the offense or make the right decisions and vice versa with me. I feel like it’s dangerous, and we can play together easily. I think it will just take some time.
*I’m glad Russell added the caveat that “it will just take some time” to his answer, because it will. The relationship he describes is only developed through reps and feeling each other out on the floor. Russell is correct that both guys can do a lot of the same things on the floor, the process of how they sort out how they get on the same wavelength is what will be interesting to watch.
*A page you should bookmark: the Lakers’ Team Salary page at Basketball Insiders. That page is maintained by Eric Pincus (also of the LA Times) and he does a great job keeping up with CBA activity for the Lakers and the rest of the league.
*Speaking of Pincus, he was a guest on the Lakers Outsiders Podcast yesterday morning (co-hosted by our very own Anthony Irwin). Pincus talks about his start as an NBA scribe, his roots as a go-to guy on the collective bargaining agreement, and much more. Give it a listen.
*What’s that, you want to see Andrew Wiggins dunk on JJ Barrea? I’m glad you asked.
*Kobe Bryant is a guy who, over time, has gotten more and more grief about his high volume shooting at relatively average efficiency levels. Here is a piece in defense of “chuckers” like Bryant (and Russ Westbrook and others of that ilk), which details how players like them do more to help their team’s offense than hurt it. Lots of great graphs and salient points in there.
*Last week we talked about the Lakers investing in youth in their Front Office by promoting Ryan West. This came on the heels (at least somewhat) of the team moving assistant coach and advanced scout Clay Moser off the bench and into a liaison position between the analytics department and the coaching staff. That latter move is one of the topics discussed in a very good piece on analytics, communication, and people skills in NBA office spaces.
*Lastly, it is the 10 year anniversary of when Hurricane Katrina struck Louisina. The aftermath of the storm affected countless lives and intersected with all parts of society in the state — including sports. In a very good piece for ESPN, Arash Markazi wrote about Katrina’s legacy for Chris Paul and the NBA. This morning, on twitter, Markazi gave us a peak at a Paul quote that did not make the story. Welp.
This quote didn't fit into my Chris Paul story about Katrina. Why? Basketball reasons. #Lakers http://t.co/8JeEJXYfTU pic.twitter.com/qnfcH5ju09
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) August 27, 2015
rr says
“Basketball reasons” will be a meme for a long time.
Chuckers: I think it has always been clear that positive ancillary effects come with having Kobe/Westbrook type guys even if some shots may be ill-advised.
Kevin says
1. Even if the Lakers are bad there’s a good chance they don’t keep their draft pick this year.
2. With teams signing their young players ( like Jonas Valan?i?nas and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist) there does no appear to be any young talented players, who are on the same timeline as our young core. available in restricted free agency.
3. This summer’s crop of free agents has been panned as being thin behind KD, who isn’t coming.
I agree with those who say our vets are average, at best. So our youngsters, Randle, Clarkson and Russell, must perform for the team to move forward. So, with the above givens, will the Lakers FO be satisfied with only organic growth from our core in 2016/17 to improve the team? Or, will there be pressure to use one of the core as bait to obtain a proven veteran?
Really, I’m just curious if the core are untouchable or not?
LKK says
Oh no… Just saw on the local news that Darryl Dawkins has passed away at the age of 58. No cause of death was announced. He was quite the showman. Great nickname of Chocolate Thunder! RIP.
rr says
RIP Darryl Dawkins.
david h says
darius: today, thanks for keeping it surreal.
Go lakers
Todd says
Kevin: Free agency, restricted or non-restricted, is not likely to be a tool for improvement next summer. Neither is the draft as you noted. We still have the trade market but as you stated we have very average vets who would not fetch much in return.
So all that is left is the kids. You never say never but I think Russell is untouchable. If Clarkson progresses and is deemed worthy of the contract his restricted free agency will demand then I think he stays.
That leaves Randle. Full disclosure: I wanted Exum and was never completely sold on Julius. I think Randle is a tweener and as such his value can only be determined by who is is paired with at the forward position and to some degree, who plays center. I don’t see Randle as being a star but I can see him excelling as part of a talented front court. The problem of course is that the Lakers don’t have the other front court pieces (SF/C or PF/C if Randle can guard a Three) in place yet. That’s why I think we’ll have to keep Randle for awhile to see if he fits in longer term.
So to answer your question, I think 2015/16 will be painful. I think we’ll make incremental progress based on the kids getting better in 2016/17. If the kids make enough progress then maybe some free agent talent joins us in the summer of 2017.
Yeah, this is going to take awhile.
Anonymous says
Really, I’m just curious if the core are untouchable or not?
—
I agree with Todd. The Lakers should let the core develop in the hopes of attracting some talent in the summer of 2017 (we’ll have our pick and its a good free agent market). The downside is that the team will struggle this year but I think we’ll make progress next year. It is a talent driven league and we need more of it.
Keith says
Really, I’m just curious if the core are untouchable or not?
__
Russell = Untouchable
Clarkson = Touchable, but only for the right deal
Randle = Untradeable until he proves he is and can stay healthy. Then he’s Touchable.
Mid-Wilshire says
@ Keith, et. al.,
In other words, untouchable.
I think the Lakers are committed to their 3 core players, at least for the foreseeable future. They’re going to want to see what they have.
This makes sense.
Mid-Wilshire says
“I think 2015/16 will be painful.”
The season will be painful if we measure everything by wins and losses. If we do that, it could be downright brutal.
But, if we take a more strategic perspective and evaluate 2015/16 in terms of what could be the case in 2018/19, then the season could have a very different feel to it. You don’t turn around a battle ship on a dime. And you won’t turn around this franchise over night. It’s going to take years, not months.
I like D’Angelo Russell’s comments above. He shows an extraordinary amount of awareness for a 19-year old (more than I had, certainly, when I was his age). Russell can see that he and Clarkson constitute to a large degree a pair of interchangeable parts, probably more so than any other team in the NBA has had for a while. But he’s also aware that it will take a while for things to gel. That shows me that he’s very savvy and mature for his age.
This year, then, is all about the development of our young players. 2015/16 is all about 2018/19. It’s that simple. We’ll just have to be very patient. After all, in 3 years, D’Angelo Russell will be all of 22. Think about that.
That is a very sobering thought.