OFFICIAL AROUND THE NBA THREAD - August 2021

They have had a better offseason than us. They also have more talent than us.

 

Westbrook is an awful player. Melo is a negative. They lost 2 of their best 2-way players in Caruso and KCP. They’ll sell tickets cuz of the names but they are worse team by FAR.

 

They would finish with a better record than us with teams constructed as they are now.

 

Last season, they had the same record as us with a better roster. They are worse this year while we have stayed the same. Btw, Lakers fans should prepare for a major dip in LeBron’s production partly because Westbrook won’t give him the ball but more so because this is his NINETEENTH season. Father Time is undefeated.

 

Wait so you think that if healthy, the Lakers with LeBron and AD aren't contenders? They were injured last season with injuries that don't tend to end careers and were champions the season before with a weaker supporting cast than they've already been given and they still might get more with a Schroder sign and trade. The defense this team will be able to play is going to be scary. Their ability to attack the rim is going to be like nothing we've seen. They've signed a bunch of shooters too (Nunn, Ellington, Baze, Ariza and Melo).

So we'll see. I think with the right move we will have a very competitive team this upcoming season but the Lakers will be the favorite to come out of the West. I think that makes them a contender.

 

But you can’t depend on LeBron and AD being healthy for 100+ games this season. LeBron is in his 19th season!! The drop off he had last season will continue this season. They have lost two of their best defenders (Caruso and KCP) and added players who are awful defenders. Westbrook is unplayable in a playoff series at this point in his career though he might help in regular season against crappy teams. They had a much better roster in 2020. Phoenix is 100% the favorite out West. Even Lakers fans know this. Go to Lakersground.net and read the Westbrook thread. They’re not stupid. He’s a negative player and has the ball all the time and if he doesn’t have the ball, no one guards him.

Let’s put it this way. Would you be praising Neil if WE traded for Westbrook and signed Melo?

 

Why do I come back here?

 

I have been starting to wonder this as well?

 

Look who showed up. The mayor of ClownTown!

 

The Cat knows! #BAM

 

SPC is dropping mad hoop knowledge into it's litter box for you suckas! Pick it up!

 

This reminds me of the old quote about owning a boat: the two best days for boat-owners are: the day you buy it, and the day you get rid of it.
This is the day you buy the boat.

 

This is a luxury yacht , not a boat son!

 

36-24-36....SWEET!
37 - 33 - 37 and 28 & injured... Not so sweet.

 

Sounds more like a Banana boat reunion when Lebron saved Melo from drowning.

 

So you're counting on players from another team getting injured when judging what they will do... not sure that's a great way to evaluate. The idea that Westbrook won't adjust his game for LeBron and AD and will continue to dominate the ball is laughable.

If Westbrook does adjust his game, focuses on defense, being a willing passer but not the main facilitator and attacking the rim... then they got a helluva player. He's done that before... the guy has been the second best player on a finals team in 2012 and he was one win away from the finals as the second best on his team in 2016. Since then his skills haven't diminished, his goals seem to have changed from winning to putting up stats. That will have to change playing with LeBron but he's shown he could do that when playing with KD. So if Russ has the third highest usage on the team and put's winning first... this is a good to great pickup. If the Lakers play Melo like we did then they're fucking stupid but they won't. They'll play him when they need offense and only keep him on the floor when he's hot.

Dwight Howard was a good pickup... in 17mpg last season he pulled down 8 boards, shot 59% from the field and got .9 blocks per game... basically a block every game. Ariza is still a capable 3 and D guy. Baze is playing some damn good basketball, sharp shooting, defending and I think he'll win a starting spot on this team. Kendrick Nunn is a beast defensively and hits threes. Wayne Ellington is a sharp shooter. If used correctly Melo is still an asset and will be a backup at the 4 where LeBron and AD will take most of the minutes. I still think this team will make a sign and trade sending Schroder out that will make us all role our eyes and call them lucky.

We'll see. You are counting on Russ being the Russ he's been since losing KD and not adapting his game to a win first mentality and you're expecting LeBron and AD to be hurt. This team will play a lot of small ball. We'll see what happens but throwing them out of the contending conversation is probably not wise.

Oh and I would hate it if we brought in Russ and kept Melo especially if we were going to continue to worry about his legacy.

 

So it's towing another, smaller, yacht full of hookers and drugs. (And like all luxury yachts, it's a vain attempt to recapture a long-lost youth.)

 

Lebron had plenty of chances to save Melo when he was drowning earlier and didn't. Olshey/Stotts and Dame did the saving. Come December when the Lakers are .500 and Melo is getting attacked constantly on defense while Westbrook has a higher usage than Lebron, we'll truly see how much saving Lebron is capable of-- I'm guessing waivers/trades are on the horizon.

 

Westbrook had a lower usage rate than Beal last year. He also had a lower usage rate than Dame. Westbrook had an assist rate of 48.6%; Dame's rate was 34.6%

for sure, when you compare the scoring efficiency of Dame and Westbrook, Dame's usage is justified and Westbrook's isn't. Westbrook has flaws but sharing the ball isn't one of them

the Lakers will be skating on real thin ice next season because they will depend of Westbrook finding that sweet spot of knowing when to look for his best kind of offense and when to facilitate. His history suggests that will be a real challenge. However, If Lebron, AD, and Westbrook do mange a good mesh, the lakers will be really good