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What the Lakers Lost on Tuesday Night

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Listen. No one is going to credibly argue the Lakers weren’t wildly successful at Tuesday’s draft lottery. Rather than surrendering their 2017 1st round pick to the 76ers and, by domino effect and legacy of the Dwight Howard trade, their 2019 1st round pick to the Magic, the Lakers retain both.

Just having these two picks back in hand opens up opportunities and scenarios previously closed off. If the Lakers want to patiently rebuild, they now have two more 1st rounders (including this year’s #2 overall selection) in their coffers. If they want to try to contend now, they’ve added a top asset this summer as ammunition they can leverage alongside they young players they’ve added in recent years.

Solely from this perspective, the Lakers have made out like bandits and are now staring at a wide open field to chart their path back towards competitive basketball.

That said, the Lakers still have a penance to pay for those trades for Steve Nash and Howard. So, even though they undoubtedly were a winner on Tuesday, an accounting of what they still owe is also in order.

First, the Lakers will now surrender their 2018 1st round pick to Philly. There are no protections, no escape routes. No longer can the Lakers alter lineups in the last 20 games of the year which — even in the name of investment in young players — deflate win totals and up their chances to keeping next year’s pick. It’s gone. And, should things fall a certain way, that could be a tough pill to swallow.

I’m not going to speculate on how good or bad the Lakers might be next season. October is a long way from now and anything from internal improvement to smart trades and free agent signings (not to mention any impact the draft picks have) could catapult this team forward. But, from where we sit now, there’s a better than small chance the Lakers remain a lottery team next year. And, as we just saw Tuesday night, anything can happen in a lottery. If the pick the Lakers owe somehow ends up in the top 3-5 next year and Philly gets a top flight talent…you see where I’m going with this, right?

Beyond that, while the Lakers no longer owe the Magic a 1st round pick, the 2nd rounders they will convey have value. The Lakers now surrender this year’s #33 pick and next year’s 2nd rounder as well. This year’s 2nd rounder is a good selection that is now out the door. And, as stated above, while we do not know how good next year’s team will be (thus, we don’t know how good that 2nd rounder will be), it’s not a stretch to say it will be in the top 40-42 picks. Again, that’s not nothing.

And while drafting in the 2nd round isn’t a long term strategy for finding rotation players, I don’t need to remind you that the Lakers have had success finding talent there in recent seasons. Three years ago they got Jordan Clarkson with the 46th pick. Last year Ivica Zubac was taken at #32. As the Lakers beef up their scouting department, the hope would be they only improve in being able to mine this part of the draft to find contributing players who other teams overlook or pass up.

The good news is that the Lakers won’t be fully without 2nd round selections in the coming seasons. As part of the Jose Calderon trade last summer, the Lakers received two future 2nd round picks. Real GM’s future draft picks owed page (a true resource, btw) tells us those are Denver’s 2018 2nd rounder and Chicago’s 2019 2nd rounder. Those picks will give the Lakers some chances to find some hidden gems, but removing their own picks means the Lakers have fewer bullets in the chamber to try to hit that target.

Again, I’m not going to argue what the Lakers still owe is greater than what they received Tuesday. If choosing between the 2017 and 2019 1st rounders or the 2018 1st rounder and the 2017 and 2018 2nd rounders, I’m choosing the former every time. The return from the 2017 pick alone can outweigh any of those other assets — and maybe combined.

That said, it’s always good to keep a tally on both sides of the ledger. And, despite being huge winners on Tuesday night, the Lakers lost some stuff too. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go back to scouting this year’s top prospects.


Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. John Citizen says

    The more highlights i see the more it is clear to me, Fox is better than Ball, way better.

    • Mikey says

      No chance, dude. Fox is a poor shooting, worse passing, super athletic guard. Those guys almost never do well. But hey, if Elfrid Payton, Rajon Rondo and Mudiay are your thing, then go on an stump for Fox.

      I’m going to go with the guy who led the NCAA’s top offense as a freshman, I believe led the Pac10 in assists, shot over 40%, and is about 2-3 inches taller… just because, you know, assists, shooting and height matter in the NBA. But that’s just me. And all 30 gms. And every pro scout.

    • Vasheed says

      Fox is the guy I’m leaning torwards at this point. He is an elite speedy PG who can push the ball with a decent IQ if not yet fully polished game.

      Lonzo throws too many warning flags for me. He looks like a bigger slower version of Russell without the sweet stroke, or any mid range game to speak off. If that hasn’t scared you yet Lonzo makes Russell look like a beast in the lane.

      I would love to see Lonzo coached by MDA. His offensive system would play to Lonzo’s strengths. In Luke’s system I just don’t see things working out so well.

      I also like Jackson but, at this point I would give the nod to Fox.

  2. R says

    The Lakers dodged a bullet no doubt and I’ll take it.

    I am a little concerned about L Ball’s shot to be honest. Some of the cautionary pre draft commentary reminds me of pre draft concerns about the similar ability of a past lottery selection to get his shot off under NBA conditions. Those concerns about Adam Morrison proved to be well founded.

    Still, a big PG with superior court vision and a funky shot … hey, didn’t the Lakers do pretty well with a guy like that back in the day?

    • Alexander says

      I’m a big Fox fan, but Ball may turn out the best and most entertaining player of his class. This video explains his shot well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CNxoTKvG20

      It sure sounds to me like he’ll do fine in the NBA without changing it, AND, his range is already past the NBA-3 line. So,

      A guy who shoots 40+% from 3 and is an elite passer who makes others better and instills a certain furious winning pace to his team, and can play above the rim – is a future HOF’er. Ball is coming to LA.

  4. CraigW. says

    Ball’s biggest negative — he is different.

    I remember Sidney Moncrief was targeted as a can’t miss prospect who the Lakers would be advised to draft. Instead the new owner made it a condition of the sale that the Lakers would draft Magic Johnson. Magic certainly had the ‘it’ factor, but he was relatively slow, couldn’t guard very well, and had a very inconsistent shot. All he really had was fantastic passing skills, made all his teammates better, and was incredibly charismatic.

    In no way will I try to say Lonzo Ball is the new Magic Johnson, but that comparison is far better than any other comparison with recent players. Since Magic is also the new VP, I posit that the only reason we will not select Lonzo Ball #2 is if the Celtics select him #1. I won’t be tremendously disappointed if that happens, either. See this link to a February blog entry for the Boston Celtics – http://www.celticshub.com/2017/02/24/lonzo-ball-perfect-fit-celtics/

  5. Joe says

    I just hope we get the best prospect, whether if its Lonzo or Jackson or Fox. If Lonzo is not the best prospect, then get one of the others. Its that simple.

    Unfortunately, there are people actually arguing against Lonzo because of his father. Ridiculous imo. If Lonzo is the best prospect, then pick him. Who cares about his father?

    Anyway, I don’t know who I would choose. Perhaps Lonzo, but I really like Jackson’s 2 way potential.

    • CraigW. says

      Joe,
      Think about how Jackson and Ingram will work together. They have some similar shooting issues and can’t really play the 2 on offense. If we draft Jackson – IMO – that will be a signal Ingram is ‘in play’ for some kind of trade.

    • Renato Afonso says

      Dude, it was a joke… The Lakers already have plenty of guards that don’t play defense.

      • Joe says

        Renato, what joke? The fact that people are using his father as a reason to not like Lonzo? You may have been joking but other people aren’t.

        Otherwise, you are going to have to explain to me what you are talking about.

        • Renato Afonso says

          Previous post I talked about avoiding his dad like the plague. Thought it was a reference to that.

          • Joe says

            Ah, I apologize. Anyway, I was referring to those people in general and if you are joking, then that’s okay.

  6. Sam says

    I worry about Lonzo’s markedly poor on-ball defense.
    Yeah, I know, some guys named Magic and Nash played no D either. But those guys could score.
    I’d hate it if we end up with Jason Ki__ (i.e., tall point guard with great court vision who can’t shoot … with no ‘D’).

  7. bluehill says

    How important is it for the point guard to be able to penetrate and separately to be able to create his own shot in Luke’s offense? From what I’ve read those don’t seem to be Ball’s strengths. If he’s paired with DLo in the backcourt, you could have 2 guys that aren’t strong penetrators and that don’t seem to be particularly great shot creators.

    Seems like players in today’s NBA need to have multiple strengths. When Magic was playing he was by far the assist leader on his team. For example, 86-87 he had 977 for the year and the next highest was Byron with 281. In today’s offenses, it seems like assists are more spread out which suggests that PGs need to be good at some other things. For comparison, this year: GSW – Curry – 523, Green – 533; SAS – Parker – 285, Kwahi – 260; CLE – LBJ – 646; Kyrie – 418; BOS – IT – 449, Horford – 337. The Clips seem to have the most “traditional” PG – Chris Paul – 563. Blake Griffin – 300.

    Again I don’t know Ball that well, but from what I’ve read he sounds similar to what we have.

    “Russell is not your typical uber-athletic, high-flying one and done lottery pick, relying much more on skill, feel and instincts than most freshmen. He has great size for the point guard position at 6-5, with solid length and a good frame that should fill out in time. His size, combined with his shooting ability and basketball IQ, gives him (and the coaching staff that will eventually utilize him) intriguing versatility, as he can be paired with many different styles of guards and wing players, allowing his team to take advantage of all kinds of mismatches and get very creative with the lineups and play-calls they throw out …

    While Russell is incredibly smooth, his lack of freakish explosiveness in terms of his pure first step and ability to elevate around the basket could make for an adjustment period in the NBA as he transitions to playing against bigger, longer and more athletic competition. Russell’s splits against the best teams Ohio State faced this season (especially his mediocre 43% 2P% against BCS teams at or over .500) reveals how much he struggled at times against defenses that were familiar with his strengths and weaknesses and had a specific game plan for slowing him down. With that said, the lack of alternative scoring options on the Buckeyes roster surely played into that as well.

    http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/D-Angelo-Russell-7175/

    • CraigW. says

      There are two camps – athletic vs b’ball IQ. It appears you are in the athletic camp. There is nothing wrong with that, but the Lakers President was a b’ball IQ kind of guy.

      The other thing is that it takes about 4 years for young players to really turn the corner, presuming they are getting better every year. That brings a different coloration to evaluating the youngsters. Clarkson is going into his 4th year, but he leveled off last year – so he isn’t our breakout-threat. Randle is going into his 3rd year (rookie season lost), but his b’ball IQ under pressure is questionable – so he is not likely a breakout this year. Russell is going into his 3rd year and we need to give him at least another year, so I would seriously question trading him at this time. We can’t really start to evaluate Ingram or Zubac for a couple of more years.

      All this really means we should seriously reconsider whether we want to trade for a PG this summer, as we are not likely to see any real jump next year; maybe 30-35 wins. Drafting a Lonzo Ball, who’s strength is making other players better, is probably the best thing we could do this summer. What he is likely to do – regardless what his stats will say next year – is to speed up the development of Russell/Randle/Ingram/Zubac and perhaps even Nance. IMO – that is the most impactful thing we could do for the Lakers.

    • LT Mitchell says

      Aside from being tall and crafty PGs who can shoot from outside, Ball and DAR are very different players.

      Ball has the advantage over DAR in the following areas: height, athleticism, lateral speed, jumping ability, court vision and passing, defense, maturity, leadership, and basketball IQ.

      DAR has a better shooting release and is the better scorer in the paint (in half court sets).

      • KevTheBold says

        Great assessment, Mitch ! Agree totally.

        As for Jackson, I wouldn’t mind if they decided he was the best player option, though how we would pair him with Ingram would be a challenge imo, but I’m no expert on how they will develop, and possibly learn to compliment one another.

        The scenario with Russell and Ball, however, though for now, has defensive holes as well, their potential as an offensive duo might shake up the nba.

        As if Lonzo is finally paired with someone that has Russell’s passing ability, he may supply us with a solid, if not impressive scoring game.

  8. A Horse With No Name says

    Excellent post. What Ball is really terrific at is moving the ball. He makes quick decisions, doesn’t stall the flow, and see’s the floor with great anticipation that lead to easy buckets for others. You are correct, like DAR, his ability to penetrate isn’t a strength. This is where roster construction has to be taken into account if those two are paired in the back court. Can Randle and Ingram be the penetrators who kick it out to the guards? Can Zubac help space the floor as a five with a solid jump shot, and thus open easier penetration opportunities for others? In theory, I think all of these questions can be answered affirmatively. What is more concerning to me however, is what happens at the defensive end. DAR made big strides defensively this season and wasn’t nearly the sieve many believe him to be. Presumably Ball can also grow defensively with experience and physical maturation (strength gains). I don’t really have a handle on his lateral quickness, as that is always the limiting factor in defensive potential.

    What I do know though, is that Deaaron Fox is extremely quick and athletic, and already a plus defender. He is also great at getting to the rim. If he can gain weight and strength, his ceiling is going to be very high–perhaps higher than Lonzo’s. Right now I think Fox is the safer pick too. The “bust” potential for Ball, with his quirky, inefficient release and average quickness is concerning. The lakers cannot afford to miss on this pick. Fox is the guy to get here–I think. Picking Fox also might yield additional assets through trading down.

    • LT Mitchell says

      It’s a tall order to try to guard players who are shorter and quicker. Defensively, a Russell/Ball backcourt would be a disaster as neither has the ability to guard that position. I think Ball has the athleticism and instincts to be a plus defender in this league but as a SG. Ideally, he would be paired with a defensive PG who can spread the floor (sound familiar?), and unfortunately Russell does not fit the bill. In my opinion, one of these guys will not be here by the trade deadline.

    • bluehill says

      I think we need a mix of both BBIQ and athleticism on the team. I’ll throw in competitiveness too. As a team, my totally subjective opinion is that we lean more towards BBIQ than athleticism and more offense than defense. Maybe there’s a link between BBIQ and offense and athleticism and defense.

      As for competitiveness, to my Kobe-blinded eyes, no one’s really stood out. I think Ingram has a bit of fire underneath those sleepy eyes and the all-around skill set to make use of it. JC has moments. JR seems to get more despondent than to elevate his game. DLo, well, I’m not convinced about him.

      In any case, I’m not saying just draft the best athlete. The top picks they all seem to have strengths and weaknesses so I would put more weight on athleticism.

  9. Archon says

    If the Lakers ran a pick and roll offense I’d prefer Fox over Ball. In the motion offense the Lakers do run Ball’s passing and 3 point shooting are more valuable then what Fox brings to the table.

  10. Mitch says

    We can finally put to pasture the endless tank debates. The constant streams of crazy after every late season victory. RIP tankathon.

    Ball, Jackson or trade?? Such a sweet debate.

  12. Adam (@adamv37) says

    What the Lakers lost on Tuesday was the incentive to tank. I think more than anything else, we should be grateful for the fact that we don’t have to root for our team to lose games anymore. It doesn’t matter if the team drafts Ball or trades for George or signs Hayward this summer, I’ll just be happy to root for a team that can’t benefit from losing.

  13. ED says

    Ball needs to go really hard at strength and conditioning. Will help him at both ends; be quicker,more explosive. If Fultz isn`t available,no way absent a trade,the Lakers pass on Ball.The Lakers need top tier people in player development to help the young core,and be willing to pay top $ to get them.

  14. CraigW. says

    I agree with Renato, Use the #28 and trade up for someone ranked in the top 15, Trade the second overall pick to a really bad team for Their top pick, ie Sixers, Phoenix, we lad a lottery pick there in 2018 and draft a much needed big.

  15. Fern says

    No reason to tank now, i see that people are overlooking the other first rounder we have on the Draft. Ball or Fox? I honestly don’t have a clue. I like the high IQ but on the other side we have enough guards that can’t guard and it would be nice to get some defensive guard. I bet the Lakers are going for Ball though. Local boyand all reslly want to play for the Lakers to the point he won’t workout for anybody else and i think he is the kind of pg Magic would go for. Im torn but i think the writing is in the wall…

  16. Fern says

    The Lakers won regardless, at least we have some clarity and an end date to the seemingly unending receipts for the Nash and Howard trades.

  17. BigCitySid says

    Nice write up. Agree w/ you as far as draft choices go, but it’s a good reminder to let us know team will still be paying for focusing more on the past than future in Kob’s last 3 years with team. That said, I hoping Ball is available at 2. Will be interesting to see DAR at the off guard w/ Ball running the team & Ingram on the wing. 35 to 39 wins won’t make the post-season, but will show steady continuing improvement.

    With no 1st round draft choice to consider (not yet anyway) focus will be on that free agent who will be able to help guide the team into the post season in ’18-’19.

    It’s a great time for the Blue & Gold.

    • CraigW. says

      Sid,
      With Walton’s offense either will bring up the ball and they both will set up for 3pt shots. There will be no real ball dominant PG, but quick passing will be the key. Where Ball will really change the Lakers is when he gets the ball on a transition. That’s where his passing genius will really allow us to score before the other team can even think about it.

    • Anonymous says

      Where’s the video link for Fultz? Don’t be so sure that Fultz isn’t there at the 2nd pick.

  20. Alan says

    “Dodged a bullet” is a great way to put it. If Ball is available, Lakers should take him. He can pass & shoot, two tremendous assets in anyone’s book. He will provide a WOW factor at Staples Center, Lakers really need a shot in the arm after the last few years.

    Newspapers are reporting teams may be contacting Laker management about Russell? In my view, he is slow to the basket, was out several games with knee problems and has a lingering character issues stemming from secretly recording Swaggy P about his love life. The Lakers can do better. Just a thought.

    That brings us to the #28 pick. Now what? A shooter, a rim protector, best player available? I say draft the best shooter so Lonzo can pass him the ball.

    Hope the team can stay healthy and win some games next year, I’m looking forward to each step along the way. ?

  21. Archon says

    Me personally, I want no part of the over rated Ball or his crazy dad. Pck Jackson or make a deal.

    • CraigW. says

      Thanks for the link to Ball. Casually watching him you don’t realize the athleticism he possesses. As for his shooting, think ‘Silk’ – his shot was both hands behind his head, but the darn thing went in for 4yrs at UCLA and a long NBA career.

      • KenOak says

        Ball’s shot worries me a little bit. I could see an NBA defender giving him more trouble getting it off. His athleticism seems to be better than advertised after watching those highlight vids.

  24. Dom says

    Some great points. Defense is effort, concept, scheme and execution by all 5 players on the floor. Steph is a terrible defender but in GSs concept they account for him and he works hard to do his job. There aren’t many Tony Allens and Avery Bradleys. As far as Lonzo as a finisher at the rim, he was over 70 percent. I think he is a no brainer pick. As far as the 2 2nd round picks and next year’s 1st. It sucks but you can’t have too much youth and at some point you have to pay them all. Also young players need playing time to develop and good vets to teach them how to prep and play. These are kids we are talking about. We have enough youth let’s see about getting pg13 after next season. Try to jettison Mosgov and Deng contracts. Get some reasonably priced vets in to teach and move forward. Personally Ingram zubac Nance are my keepers everyone else is in play. With Ball and the 28th pick I think we are in good shape with PG 13 on the horizon. I certainly wouldn’t give up more than Dlo or Randle plus deng/Mosgov for someone who we can get for free in free angency in 2018.

  25. mattal says

    I am leery of drafting Lonzo.

    Ball got to the line 98 times in 36 games at UCLA. Fultz got to the line 70 more times in 6 less games. Lonzo does not like contact and never drives to the basket. His ‘at the rim’ scores were lobs and un-contested lay ups.

    Russel got to the line 168 times which is 300 times less than John Wall. DAR also doesn’t like contact and rarely drives to the rim. A Ball/Russell backcourt is problematic to say the least.

    Add in the Lavar circus and the collateral damage he would likely cause the Lakers and it’s easy to just say no.

    • CraigW. says

      There are players that stats define and others that defy stats. Ball is one of the latter – so was Magic.

      If we look at things through only one lens we miss much of the world. The more games I see of Ball, the better he looks. He is someone who defines the game, i.e. he manages the team. Kobe did this and his stats certainly do not define what he meant to the Laker franchise.

      • Concerned says

        I would not equate Ball with Magic.

        Being a UCLA fan I saw most of Ball’s games and more than a number of them were in person. I know he has talent and performed well on the college stage.

        I wasn’t as aware of the free throw issue, as noted by mattal.
        However, I do agree that if Lonzo can’t keep his defenders honest by having the ability/desire to drive to the basket it limits the space he will have to shoot his jumper. And while his jumper goes in, the windup of it is very low and NBA defenders will take that away.

        My bigger concern is his lack of a mid range game. His points at UCLA were 3pt shots (with space) and lobs/layups predominately in transition and rarely contested. This is why his 2pt percentage was so high – virtually all of his shots were at the rim.

        I see Ball as Ricky Rubio. An offensively challenged point guard who distributes well. I do not see him as a transformative NBA talent.

        And yes, his dad is a problem. Lavar is all about himself and to make himself more important Lonzo has to be a star. What if Lonzo isn’t? Lavar will be an issue.

      • mattal says

        Craig: I get that you feel strongly about Ball being akin to the next Magic. But that does not mean that just because I don’t share your perspective that I am looking through at the world through one lens.

        That comment smacks of elitism and is out of place. This is a great site because of the open exchange of ideas.

        I believe that Ball has a ceiling at the NBA level and would prefer that the Lakers select a player with more upside — and I believe there are some present in this draft.

        If the Lakers draft Ball and he becomes Magic Part 2 then I will have no issues acknowledging I was wrong.

        • RR says

          Mattal,

          I saw some interesting stuff on Ball v. Fultz from a numbers standpoint. Ball plays a “sabermetric” game in that he takes a lot of 3s and shoots a lot at the rim. Ball has a much, much higher conversion percentage at the rim than Fultz does. Fultz plays a more “traditional” game, operating a lot in mid-range.

          That said, as you note, Fultz got to the stripe MUCH more than Ball did, and also much more than Russell did.

          This raises some questions. I have seen some claims to the effect that UCLA had an awesome O due largely to Ball; I have seen other claims to the effect that Ball was surrounded by vastly better teammates and therefore this indicates that Fultz will be better in the pros. Kevin Pelton and Chad Ford, FWIW, pretty much concluded that Fultz is less likely to bust but that Ball has a higher ceiling–specifically, Jason Kidd with better shooting range.

          I have no strong opinions on this right now, except to say that if Ball is on the board at #2 I think that MagicRob will definitely take him.

  26. drrayeye says

    It’s interesting that as some Laker Fans quibble about what to do with the #2 draft pick, many sports writers have assumed the selection of Lonzo, and are contemplating various DAR trades.

    I’m still savoring possibilities. . . .

    • CraigW. says

      DAR is entering his 3rd year. Some talk as if his skillset has been fully determined. The key for most all-stars with barely any college is the 4th year, presuming they improved each of their first 3. Why we would be determined to trade DAR just as he is approaching a breakout time is beyond my comprehension.

  27. LAkersfan1 says

    I think everyone here has the team’s best interests at heart. There is no exact science in whether these picks will work out. Most picks flame out. Two things that gets overlooked are team chemistry and the individual’s drive to succeed. The different personalities that make up any team can either make or break a team. A young team such as ours can be very fragile mentally and emotionally.

    When you are the point guard/ forward, you are usually the leader of the team, much like the quarterback in football. D Lo was supposed to be that guy but the fallout from that stupid incident with Nick Young damaged his rep to some extent. It could be still in the back of each player’s mind whether they can fully trust Russell. Off the court chemistry is just as important as on the court. They don’t have to be buddies but at the very minimum there has to be a mutual respect from guys 1 through 15.

    When you bring in Lonzo, as focused on basketball as he is (according to several interviews/ articles), his dad (depending on his mouth) can hurt the dynamics of the team by the things he might say in the media. According to staffers at UCLA, they set up ground rules and Lavar seem to have followed them to a certain extent. When it is at the pro level, it becomes serious business (college, to some extent provided a safer environment), every person for themselves. You look at teams like the Dubs and Spurs. Guys 1-15 buy into the team’s ethos. They’re also a little more older and mature than our team but I’m sure the scouting dept gives great emphasis on a player’s character as well. As great as Lonzo’s ability on the court will help our team, the potential pyrotechnics from Lavar could undermine that. Lavar should not be underestimated in picking Lonzo and the possible negative impact he could have on the franchise. Lonzo is definitely high risk/ high reward.

    I think that’s something Luke will have to stress in deciding who will be selected. As far as Lonzo’s mechanics, there was a sports science segment done on it. For those worried about it, it’s not as bad as it looks.

    My curiosity lies with the #28 pick, if we can get a guy that is gifted in creating a basket and plays lock down D who we can develop their shot, that would really help our team. Shooting is the one thing you can always fix with good coaching and reps. You need a balanced roster to compete in the West. From the current roster we don’t have a shot creator except maybe JC. I would say Nick Young as well but I don’t think he’ll be on the roster this upcoming season. We lost Lou so we need some scoring punch off the bench to either maintain or increase the lead when the starters sit. I wish Thomas Robinson got more playing time. I think he was pretty good when he got to play.

    One more thing to consider is the following 2018-2019 season, if we are to bring in Paul George, how will it help/hurt the youth’s development. He and Ingram play the same position. I didn’t like how he called out his teammates during the post game. I don’t recall Kobe doing that. If he wants to express his frustrations then do it in the locker room not to the media. That just erodes your teammates confidence and breaks their spirit. I’m not exactly on the PG bandwagon because of this. To me, that shows lack of positive leadership, something the kids will not take too kindly and they’ll shut him out.
    I’m not into coddling and babying adults but there is a fine line between good and bad leadership and you have to have that skill of learning who you can push hard and who you have to be cool with.

  28. Darius Soriano says

    Pardon my language, but to the fucking idiot who keeps trying to spam the comments by impersonating other commenters, your efforts aren’t going to work. Get a life, man. Jeez. Hahaha.

  29. FredP says

    Off topic but the Celtics helped the Lakers get the second pick by winning the first pick. Before the draft the Lakers had a 15.6% chance to get the first pick and an estimated 15.7% chance to get the second pick. The only pick with the true odds is the first pick since all but one of the 1001 four number combinations are in play. Once the first pick is made, that teams combinations are removed and it makes a difference how many combinations that team had. Boston had the most at 250 giving them a 25% chance of winning the lottery. That meant the each of the remaining teams had 25% greater chance than they had before to get the second pick. For the Lakers that meant they went from 15.6% to 20.8% to get the second pick. So, if the Lakers were not going to get the first pick, it was better that it went to the Celtics since it increased their chances the most to get the second pick.

    • Barath Sundar says

      I think the lottery proceeds in reverse order ?

      Ie. They don’t select #1 first, they select them last..

  30. LAkersfan1 says

    Things just got more interesting, PG didn’t make any of the all NBA teams. But if he stayed with Pacers next year and get on one of the teams, he’d be eligible for that super max extension again, according to the ESPN article. 8th and 9th year with the same team are eligible only if they make the all NBA teams or MVP or Defensive Player of the Year.
    With the lack of wins by the Pacers, PG would need ridiculous stats to earn those honors.