Luke Walton’s hiring rightfully gives Lakers fans hope that the team is trying (at least now) to rebuild in the right ways. The move evidences a humility the team has not seen before — instead of hiring some insider that can restore the team to glory by reinforcing what the Lakers did in the good old days, Luke has been brought here largely to pass on wisdom gained from other spheres in the modern era (during which the Lakers have been a failure).
Yes, Luke has substantial experience within the organization, but that is not the only reason he has the job; he is the coach because of what he learned and experienced in Golden State’s first rate organization. To me, this admission that the Lakers have something to learn from the way others do things is a real turning point in their rebuild, as it suggests a willingness to embrace the revolution. And I do believe that Luke is probably the ideal candidate to bring us into the modern times, even if he (and the team) has much learning yet to do.
And there is a long, long ways to go. Trying to diagnose what went wrong with the Lakers this year is kind of like trying to pinpoint what went wrong when the economy crashed nearly a decade ago – there were too many terrifying problems to find just a single tipping point. The team was a spectacle of dysfunction and incompetence, and following it day in and day out was painful.
This piece will attempt to analyze one aspect of these struggles – the team’s offensive problems. Note the emphasis on team, as I will, largely, not look at the performance issues of individual players, and instead focus on team characteristics. For example, this analysis will look at things like what kinds of shots the team took, rather than Kobe’s TS%. This post will also not look at defense, which deserves a separate analysis, given the team’s last place finish in defensive efficiency.
We begin by noting that the Lakers finished 29th (second to last) in offensive efficiency (98.6 points per 100 possessions), down from 23rd and 100.8 a season ago. (To finish last in defensive efficiency and second to last in offensive efficiency is a sad thing, and led to the worst net rating in the league.) Why were the Lakers so bad at offense? What smaller problems and decisions created this end result? What systemic issues should Luke try to correct as he rebuilds the team? I looked at the available numbers, and here’s what I found. As always, I’m sure others will see more interesting things.
(A quick comment on the elephant in the room. The numbers confirm that Kobe had a disastrous impact on the offense. We know that. His usage to efficiency ratio was historically bad. Simply having him on the court, using possessions, was clearly a drag on the offense when his year is looked at in the cumulative. We all know this, but the team was horrific offensively even if you subtract Kobe, and the mission here is to begin to understand why.)
1. Efficiency
Let’s quickly identify what the Lakers were NOT bad at, as that is a short list and can perhaps rule out a few problems, and allow us to better focus on what went wrong. A few initial stats:
| Statistic | League Rank |
| Turnover Rate | 10th lowest |
| Free Throw Attempt Rate | 8th |
| Free Throw % | 11th |
| eFG% | 30th |
| TS% | 30th |
Why look at these statistics together? To me, these numbers reflect a team which got plenty of shots off (low turnovers) and had plenty of help from the FT line, but was still the worst team in the league at shooting efficiency (even factoring in those free throws).
Conclusion 1: The Lakers were the worst team in the league by a mile at making the field goals actually attempted. Ouch.
2. Shot Distribution
Digging deeper, why were they so inefficient at making shots? Many reasons, but a significant one was that they took inefficient shots.
Conclusion 2: The Lakers took the wrong kinds of shots.
L.A. was 14th in the league in 3 point frequency, which is in the top half of the league and reflects a commitment to shooting from distance. But, a closer examination shows they took the wrong kinds of threes, leading to the worst 3 point % in the league.
For example, the team was last in the league in the % of 3’s that were assisted, and first in the league in the % that were unassisted. Obviously, creating your own 3 point attempt is going to be far less efficient than the offense creating one for you. In terms of shot locations, the Lakers were 28th in the number of corner 3’s attempted, and 12th in the number of above the break 3’s attempted. So, while they took many 3’s, they were typically above the break one-on-one threes, leading to the worst 3 point % in the league. Our eyes told us this…their threes were largely the result of Russell or Kobe or Lou dribbling around for a while and then shooting with someone in their face, rather than an open corner 3 after ball movement.
Moving beyond 3s, the Lakers were 26th in points in the paint, 26th on FG attempts within the restricted area (2nd to last in efficiency on those attempts), 25th in FG attempts within 5 feet of the rim (28th in efficiency), 5th in jump shots taken, and 9th in midrange shots taken (2nd to last in efficiency). This is all quite bad.
We understand now more than we did ten years ago the value of taking the right kinds of shots. Corner threes, getting to the rim, and free throws. The team did ok on the latter, but altogether failed on the first two, leading to simply terrible shooting percentages. I am confident that Luke understands this issue, but was not confident that Byron did.
3. Passing
If I were to pinpoint the single biggest problem with the team on offense, it would be with respect to passing. Their numbers in this area are simply disastrous:
| Statistic | League Rank |
| Assists | 30th |
| Assist ratio (% possessions ending in assist) |
30th |
| Catch and shoot frequency | 29th |
| Total passes per game | 28th |
| Touches per game | 28th |
| Secondary/hockey assists | 30th |
| Potential and adjusted assists (defined by nba.com) | 30th |
Down the line, they were a team that simply did not pass the ball often or well. All too often they held the ball…they were last in the league in zero dribble shot frequency (shots taken without dribbling), last in 0-2 second touch time (when the player moves the ball within 2 seconds), and 4th worst in 6+ second touch time, and held the ball for the longest average seconds per touch (2.98) in the league.
There were many consequences from this ball holding. For example, they were 9th worst in taking shots with 4 seconds or less on the shot clock. Additionally, the Lakers took the 12th most FGs with a defender within 2 feet, the 3rd most 3 FG with a defender within 2 feet, and were 3rd worst in taking shots with a defender more than 6 feet away.
Conclusion 3: The Lakers were the worst passing team in the league.
I believe this is one area Luke will have an immediate and powerful impact on the team. He was a well-rounded player, but he obviously made his career on his passing. I can still remember watching him in person dominate games while at the University of Arizona during the tournament through his passing. But more than that, I believe he understands the ball movement theory that has taken over the league the last few years. Golden State was the best in the league at moving the ball, and their passing stats are the inverse of the Lakers – shortest average touch time, first in assist % (by a mile over the second team), first in secondary assists, first in touches, first in 0-2 second touch time, 8th in passes made, etc.
And it does not take talent to build a culture and system centered on ball movement. Brad Stevens has been able to do so in Boston without superstar talent. Boston ranks 2nd in touches per game, 2nd in passes, 2nd in assist %, and 2nd in potential assists, and 1st in passes after a drive. They are at the top of the league in nearly every offensive statistic that is driven by system factors – drive %, isolation %, paint shots, etc, etc.
The Lakers young players have to learn to play this way – make a decision immediately whether to shoot, pass, or attack, and never hold it while the defense sets and the shot clock ticks. I am hopeful that Walton will help ingrain these habits, which will lead to more ball movement, more assists, and better shots. The Lakers possessions last year usually ended, after a failed action or two, with someone dribbling for a while, trying to gain an advantage in isolation, and taking a tough shot. It didn’t go well.
4. Plan of Attack
Another problem area was how the team tried to attack the defense to create shots. And this goes to the fundamental purpose of an offensive system – to create shots that are easier to make. Sometimes, this is as simple as a great player beating his guy to create separation and fire away – see Kobe Bryan in years 1-17, Durant now, etc. But, even if you have this luxury, every team needs to maximize their offensive potential by using a team system that creates the most efficient opportunities each possession. And a system does that by creating advantages – space to take an open shot, mismatches, numbers advantages (think GS’s 4 against 3 after Curry is trapped out high on a pick and roll), etc.
Teams create these advantages through coordinated and repeated uses of screens, quick ball movement (especially side to side and into the paint), penetration, cutting, spacing, and so much more. Think the Spursgasm youtube videos. Ideally, the system is designed so that each possession results in multiple actions, one flowing from another, that put escalating pressures on a defense, so that the defense is constantly scrambling to recover, and you are able to find an open shot by a player who is good at making that shot.
A few representative statistics to highlight the Lakers flawed approach:
| Statistic | League Rank |
| Fastbreak points | 18th |
| Transition points per possession (PPP) | 29th |
| Points in the paint | 26th |
| Isolation frequency | 1st |
| Isolation PPP | 26th |
| Drives per game | 25th |
| Drives pass frequency | 30th |
| Drives FG% | 26th |
| Pick and roll (P/R), ball handler shooting frequency | 1st |
| P/R, ball handler points per possession (PPP) | 8th |
| P/R, roll man frequency | 27th |
| P/R, roll man PPP | 30th |
| Spot up attempt frequency | 30th |
| Spot up PPP | |
| Post up attempt frequency | 9th |
| Post up PPP | 29th |
A few miserable take aways: Last year’s team didn’t fastbreak much, but when they did they were terrible at it. They didn’t drive the ball into the paint, but when they did, they rarely passed and didn’t score well. When running a pick and roll, the guards almost always shot, and actually do so quite well, but they rarely passed to the roll man for a finish (the bigs certainly have some blame for this). They tried to post up often, but were terrible at it. They did not create spot up opportunities, but when they did those attempts ended poorly. These are all sure signs of an offense which was not well organized, with teammates working together. And the team was clearly not adept at creating efficient shots.
Conclusion 4: Our offensive system did not create efficient scoring opportunities.
I don’t want to pile on Byron after he was fired, but last year’s Laker team had no coherent system that did these things with any level of consistency. At best, we would see one half-assed action about 15 seconds into the possession, and when that didn’t work some perimeter player would be forced to create a shot in isolation while everyone else stood around. It was beyond frustrating to watch.
Compare that to the Spurs or Warriors, who begin each possession with an action quickly, and then run a series of actions that result in a good shot well before the 24 second clock expires. They have great shooters and playmakers, yes, but they also maximize that talent through their systems. Consider, for example, that LaMarcus Aldridge went from shooting 1.5 threes per game in his last season in Portland (at a solid 35.2%) to making ZERO threes this year, and also dropped his FT attempts per minute from last year to this year, but nevertheless had the highest TS% of his career this year. How do you become more efficient when you shoot less threes and less FTs? Because San Antonio’s system is perfectly designed to get him shots that he is good at making.
5. Summary Thoughts
Luke has miles to go in transforming this Lakers team into even an average offensive unit. Losing Kobe will help, as will hopefully gaining talent this offseason and seeing the young core develop over the summer. Hopefully shear improvement from the players will result in better scoring next year – D’Angelo becoming a more consistent playmaker, Clarkson continuing to improve his 3 point shooting, Randle improving his midrange game, a roll man that can add something in the pick and roll, a small forward that can space the court and make open threes, etc, etc.
But above all of that, the team needs to learn how to play smart offensive basketball in today’s league. What is so needed is a commitment to executing a system that results in the right players taking the right shots – more and better passing, less ball-holding, getting into the paint, finding corner 3s, better screening and cutting, more pace within the half court, better use of spacing.
I believe that Walton understands the principles that drive great offense and am hopeful that he can teach them. How quickly the team is able to incorporate them at a high level will be the great challenge. Stevens needed a few years to get his system in place, but with the team playing the right way, they are still only 13th in offensive efficiency. Ultimately, we need talent plus the right approach to score at elite levels, but if Walton can take care of the latter, hopefully the former will quickly come.
rr says
Haven’t read this yet but always like Reed’s stuff.
rr says
From the post:
a roll man that can add something in the pick and roll,
From Vice Sports, in March:
He’s also one of the best pick and roll finishers in the league—among players that have finished as least 75 possessions as the roll man, Whiteside is second in the league in points per play, per Synergy Sports. He’s got nice partners to work with in Goran Dragic and Dwyane Wade, sure, but not just anyone can shoot 79 of 109 as the roller
Baylor Fan says
This is a great, detailed analysis. The other elephant in the room is the short shrift given to the Lakers analytics department by last year’s coaching staff. They made similar observations and were functionally ignored. Imagine how energized they must feel with Walton’s hire? As for passing being a new part of the NBA, I remember Bill Walton was a pretty decent passer in his day. The Lakers would be greatly improved if they could emulate his Portland team. The new ability to determine how closely guarded players are when they shoot is very helpful. Saying 3s are better than 2s still depends on how open the shooter is. Next season will be a much better barometer on how good the young players are. They will finally be put into positions to succeed.
BigCitySid says
– It make sound overly simplistic, but I believe because actual plays will be taught and run with less selfish ball stopping. Management will allow this coach to run the show on the floor. Walton will be in charge of all the players. At this point Walton is the big name on the team. There will be a new mindset. Players know what they’re doing on the court can make a positive difference. For the 1st time in some of their Laker careers, the goal will be to win games, not lose.
– Not sure how you measure those things, but those are some of the reasons I believe the team will be better offensively in 2016-17 than they were this past season.
– Lakers, welcome back to the NBA.
bluehill says
BCS – good point about Luke’s power relative to players’ power. Luke is the man right now and the players are more likely to respect him. I think that’s one reason why Stevens has been successful in Boston and one reason why Blatt didn’t survive in CLE.
It will be refreshing and exciting to watch a team that tries to run and will be held accountable for running some semblance of an offense.
Peter Brown says
A lot of these stats are negatively skewed because of the presence of Kobe and his stooge Byron Scott. While this still would have been a miserable team, it wouldn’t have been as bad without them being on the team.
ValisJason says
Great article. Best I’ve yet read on how Walton will probably be able to improve the team next year.
But, I just have one word for you: “fewer”
Kbj says
The ball stoppers are still on the team, i.e., Lou Williams and Nick Young. I want to see the Lakers take action and get these two guys off the team. They provide no value on the defensive end and are as big ball stoppers as any in the league. Lakers need to get rid of the dead weight if they want the team to progress.
Mid-Wilshire says
Reed,
Thank you for a superb analysis. It’s thorough, incisive, and you certainly seem to draw all the right conclusions. Great job.
So…if a lack of passing and effective ball movement and the inability to get uncontested shots (including corner 3s) is the problem, then what is the solution? In a recent interview, Luke talked about his fondness for the Pinch Post offense. From the sounds of it, it appears that the Lakers could be running that offense a great deal this next season.
http://bballbreakdown.com/2012/09/14/secrets-of-nba-offenses/
Any ideas on your part as to how that might help? Apparently, both Golden State and San Antonio run the Pinch Post offense extensively.
joe1976 says
great write up
Chris J says
Conclusion 3: The Lakers were the worst passing team in the league.
———————-
Luke aside, I believe this is one area in which the absence of Kobe Bryant will have an immediate and powerful impact on the team.
Likewise, the top two areas of need, in my opinion, are a center who can defend and play pick-and-roll well alongside Russell, and a wing with young legs who’ll defend well and get out and fill the wing whenever Russell or Randle opt to push the ball up the floor. (Think Ariza, cerca 2009.) Nance Jr. offers some of those traits, but overall he’s not a starter-caliber NBA player.
Mozgov or Whiteside could seemingly be good options for the center spot, but the type of wing I’d like to add isn’t as obvious among this summer’s crop of potential free agents, however.
Clay Bertrand says
rr,
Exactly. When reading about lack of P/R finishing by the Roll man, all I was thinking was WHITESIDE!!!!
I know that he will be chased by many and that the Heat probably will have some shady under the table deal where he will mysteriously ReSign there for like $6 mil, but barring that, he is perhaps the most realistic single difference making FA we could bring in.
He instantly becomes a DeAndre Jordanesque Roll man who I envision a 6’5″ Russell feeding a steady diet of lobs to. He becomes the shot changing Defensive anchor that Roy Hibbert always dreamed of being. He’s also young enough to grow with the young core and he’s a free spirit that I think Luke could really help mold into a force. Imagine Whiteside and Randle rebounding!!! They’ll kill eachother to get EVERY Def board!!!
I hope he is someone the Lakers will go after hard. I know we need some Vet help, but Whiteside has some talent that could really mesh with our young guys.
matt says
My thoughts:
Is clarkson a legitimate starter?
Can randle learn to shoot a jumper?
Will russell be able to run the offense of a nba team?
Clay Bertrand says
Reed, this was a really good write up. Good job breaking the hard numbers down into digestible substantive analysis.
Kbj,
“The ball stoppers are still on the team, i.e., Lou Williams and Nick Young.”
______________________________
Agreed. How times have changed…….
Interesting that it has often been said over the years that teams “Need guys who can get/create their own shot.” This really in practice translates to, “A guy who is a good 1 on 1 player or ISO player,” because if the guy is “creating his own shot”, by definition, no one else from the team is actively involved–he’s doing it on his own. The system isn’t creating the shot and neither are the other players in these cases. Nick Young and Lou Williams can “create” their own shots. It just usually takes almost 10 seconds to DO this creating. They are such good self shot creators in fact, that they are conversely NOT very effective at simply catching & shooting an open shot that an offensive system of ball movement could produce.
With the ball movement system becoming the trend in the NBA, the Lakers had THREE guys (counting Kobe) last year who could “create their own shot” i.e. dribble for 12 seconds and then shoot. The guy who can create his own shot in the modern NBA is going extinct like the post up 7 footer. We will need to add more Danny Green types who don’t rely on ISO or 1 on 1 dribbling to “create” their shots. Anthony Brown will hopefully be a catch and shoot guy on offense.
Nick and Lou are valuable if you need a guy to get a decent shot off on a short clock. BUT the goal of Luke’s offense will be to get GOOD shots early enough in the shot clock to NOT HAVE TO be needing a shot with 5 seconds or less on the clock. Our new system will mean that we will not need guys like Nick and Lou because they simply won’t fit.
Nick and Lou are a fit if there is little to no offensive system working to create efficient shots. We seemed to have no system last year under Byron. With what Luke will bring in, these guys are square pegs in round holes from the get go.
I only wonder if we can get anything at all for them in trade this summer. Nick may well end up being stretched.
Anonymous says
Can someone answer if Clarkson can be part of a sign and trade. Or, would the Lakers need to sign him this Summer and if they decided to move him do so prior to the trade deadline next Season.
Teamn says
Good stuff.
One of the things I like about GSW, they seem to emphasize continued development of their players. Of course, they are not the only team to do this, but it does not seem to be something done league wide; in fact, I often read articles explaining how there’s no time for coaches to develop young players, especially one and dones, and thus the shortfalls those players have stick with them.
Much of this falls to the player, I know, but I hope that Luke can bring some of that developmental approach to the young guys on the Lakers. Perhaps instill a culture of team-wide improvement and accountability.
DJ says
Luke of course will bring offense style of Golden St to Lakers, but the thing is this Lakers team is the worst in the NBA, we should remember that, the coach still have to make an adjustment to the defense of opponent, so it is not easy, team will find your weakness and attack, it is a long way to go, hiring Luke doesn’t mean instant success.
AusPhil says
ValisJason – That jumped out at me as well: LMA shot FEWER 3s and FEWER FTs.
But Reed, I loved this article. I’ve forwarded it on to a bunch of my NBA-loving friends, as it so clearly explains many of the issues LA has had in the past few seasons. And now we all hope that the coaching change will at least get a new era started system-wise.
Hemingway says
Stannis would be proud that the grammar police is out in force… Only on FBG…
I’d be interested in thoughts on specific systems or sets that would maximize the skillset of our core players. Using the assumption that we don’t land a ball dominant superstar in free agency… How can Walton best put Russell, Randle, etc. in positions to capitalize on their skills?
R says
Clay, Swaggy has zero value.
I can’t imagine any team with enough self loathing to take him.
DieTryin' says
Reed- great read. Pun intended. Provides a revealing post mortem on the manifold offensive problems the Lakers exhibited especially during the Byron Scott reign. Shot selection and efficiency were terrible as you pointed out and the statistics bore out. But the MOST frustrating thing was the utter lack of ball movement.
Luke will likely have a strong positive impact on getting the ball moving. I cannot wait.
And Whiteside should be the #1 realistic FA get this summer. Trade or stretch swaggy P. Trade Lou if possible. If not okay as 6th man minutes only.
Crazy finish to the Spurs/OKC game. All even at 1-1. And the league will likely to come out with another meaningless mea culpa tomorrow on the refereeing.
matt says
Crazy stats 31st in assist, 1st in isolation
What about the 1st in p/r ball handler shooting frequency.
These games were hard to watch.
Good to know luke comes from a team that is good at what the lakers need.
Most of what the warriors do can be taught, especially the ball movement.
Chris J says
Is clarkson a legitimate starter?
Can randle learn to shoot a jumper?
Will russell be able to run the offense of a nba team?
————
Better served as a sixth man. Quick scoring, lousy defense.
I believe so. Shooting can be learned.
No question.
My two cents.
Jim213 says
Plain and simple, IMO for Luke to have a decent season the FO will need to address defense and play-making/facilitation this off-season/draft. While surrounding the youth with better veterans that can shoot. Otherwise, another tough season may loom, to which it may not be what FO sold Luke on during the 6 hour interview.
Anonymous says
Nice analysis!
Couldn’t help but laugh when i read “one half-assed action about 15 seconds into the possession”. Sad but true.
J C says
Great write-up, Reed.
Renato Afonso says
Great post Reed and I agree with your conclusions.
BCS, you are spot on, there is no bigger name on the team than Luke Walton and now they can move forward to improve their “basketball”. I hope he gets the type of player he needs to have a proper system in place.
On the Lou Williams and Nick Young type of players, if possible, I would keep one of those in the roster. Sometimes you just need that guy that comes off the bench when the open shots aren’t falling and creates something out of nothing. As long as the coach is able to control him, it can be a very powerfull tool…
teamn says
Renato,
Good point regarding the need for bench scoring. I vote for Williams. Young is too much of a knucklehead. I live back in the DC area and watched him “develop” under Gilbert Arenas. He is still the same guy and needs to be kept away from the young guys. Why he wasn’t already, I can’t figure out.
lil pau says
absolutely fantastic post. FB&G at its very best.
re: the lakers offensive ineptitude… in addition to those numbers being weighed down by kobe, they were also weighed down by the sheer epic suckdom of hibbert, esp the PNR numbers. On the other hand, those numbers benefitted from Clarkson’s and to a lessor degree DAR’s rising ability to shoot that tricky midrange floater we associate with HOF PGs like Nash, Stockton and Parker. Plenty of reasons to feel optimistic about our backcourt moving forward…
Clay Bertrand says
I have heard/read that using the “stretch provision” to waive Young is a real possibility assuming he can’t be lumped into a bigger deal or otherwise moved. I don’t realistically expect a return of any usable asset for him at this point, but gaining full relief of his remaining salary would be considered a win IMO.
Lou wouldn’t hurt to be retained for bench scoring in the “guy who can create his own shot” mold. More than one of this type of player is too many for a modern, ball movement team’s roster though to me.
J C says
Renato and teamn-
For sure a good scorer off the bench can be fantastic.
Think Vinne Johnson aka the microwave from the bad boys Pistons.
I like Lou, he’s more skilled than Nick.
Once a defensive minded- and pass- oriented offense – is installed by Luke – and he begins to foster the kind of accountability great teams like GS have – lazy defenders will find themselves riding the pine, so previous concerns about him should fade.
I also agree that Lou and Nick are kinda redundant, unless Nick is content to play sparingly.
Clay Bertrand says
***I should add, obviously on Young, the stretch would be the “last resort”***
Joel says
Definitely keep Williams over Young. Apart from not being a clown, he at least boosts his efficiency by getting to the line regularly. As long as Luke doesn’t get the brilliant idea of starting him, he can still be a useful player.
Mid-Wilshire says
The more I think about Luke’s potential influence, the more (cautiously) optimistic I become. Think of all the new elements to come:
1) The organic growth of the kids (they’re bound to get better, stronger, and more mature);
2) Luke’s new system (on both sides of the ball);
3) Better ball movement; a premium on passing and hitting the open man (with Luke as the HC, I think this is a given);
4) Better play at the 5 position (it can’t get worse, can it?);
5) No Kobe (addition by subtraction);
6) No farewell tour and circus atmosphere (the ultimate distraction, especially for the younger players);
7) And above all, better teaching and mentoring and a much more positive, nurturing presence in the locker room.
Depending on whom we get through Free Agency, it seems that an improvement of some level is inevitable. Now it all comes down to the next wave of new talent and to Luke’s building everything into a cohesive unit.
Maybe this team has a future after all.
Marques says
Randle can’t finish in traffic and needs a running start to get his shot off.
Russell is a great passer who doesn’t pass much.
Maybe a summer working on the pick and roll fixes or hides the flaws.
My concern is if they go with the space and pace, they will find themselves down by 20 in the first quarter more often than not.
Bad defense and taking and missing quick shots is what sunk the wizards this year.
matt says
Nick young career has really gone downhill since byron took over, he might still have something left
Anon#1 says
Randle can’t finish in traffic and needs a running start to get his shot off.
__
My concern with Randle is that he has no range. I recall that Byron was going to have Tracy Murray re-create his stroke this summer in an effort to make him more efficient outside the paint. I wonder if that is still the plan with Luke?
I’ll admit that I usually want more height and length from my PFs but GS’s success has made rethink the fact that we need a 6′ 11″ guy with a 7+ ft wingspan at the Four. If Randle can make some adjustments and become more of an outside threat and work on his defense I can see him being the Lakers version of Draymond Green . It is Green in my mind that makes the Warriors so tough to beat.
matt says
We could put anthony brown in nicks jersey, and pass him off as nick young.
KevTheBold says
I doubt any solid bb fans are expecting Walton to perform miracles or even overnight gains.
However, at his age, he’s got the time, and hopefully will be granted the patience to instill and grow a new philosophy and methodology.
matt says
Yeah radio personalities like dan Patrick don’t have anything positive to say, about the lakers still.