AD NEED AN MD & LESS SCRUBS IN LA’S ANATOMY: THE 2021 LAKERS OFFSEASON THREAD

[ShoryukenHaduken]

[The Athletic] Superstar shopping: LeBron, Russell Westbrook and the Lakers’ summer of recruiting

In the two months that followed their first-round playoff flop against Phoenix, when Davis’ groin injury left them pulling up lame, the Lakers explored the prospect of trading for such stars as Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal, DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook. The process unfolded well beyond the team’s front office’s search, with James setting up a war room of his own at his Brentwood estate for some in-person player meetings while leading remote communications in other conversations.

> Those talks and others led the Lakers to the conclusion that the truculent Westbrook was the best solution on the board. A former league MVP, he checked the superstar box, and as a dynamic playmaker he would help ease the burden on James. It wasn’t hard to sell Westbrook on the vision. A former UCLA star who had grown up celebrating Lakers championships at the parades on Figueroa Street, Westbrook was all in.

> After weeks of conversation with James, Davis and then-Lakers forward Jared Dudley, who emerged as a sort of consigliere to the Lakers’ superstars in these meetings, Westbrook believed he was on his way to L.A. For years he had angled to get home, and now everything was lining up for it to finally happen.

> There was only one problem: The Lakers’ efforts to complete the fairytale had been repeatedly stymied by the Wizards’ refusal to make Westbrook available because, sources said, they still planned on moving forward with the Westbrook-Beal backcourt. Westbrook, for his part, would have played out the remaining two seasons on his deal if a trade hadn’t materialized.

> “No one thought that Russ would get out,” said one source close to the discussions.

> So by the morning of the NBA Draft on July 29, with seemingly no trade for Westbrook available, Rob Pelinka, the Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager, appeared to have no choice but to move on. The Lakers’ brass had spent considerable time on a backup plan to net Sacramento’s 28-year-old marksman Buddy Hield. He addressed the team’s shooting needs if not exactly their thirst for another star.

> That day, a telltale moment occurred: Westbrook received a tip. Not only could the Lakers not break through with the Wizards, but also they were on the cusp of trading Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell — players whose salaries would be required to execute a Westbrook trade — to the Kings for Hield.

> “That set Russ off,” one source said. “All he wanted, by any means, was to be a Laker.

> Westbrook had been telling those around him for weeks that he was finally coming home, but now those dreams seemed to be slipping away. So shortly before noon on July 29, he asked his billionaire boss, Ted Leonsis, for a personal favor: Find a way for him to land with the Lakers. That passionate plea set off a chain of events that resulted in the Lakers assembling one of the most star-laden and veteran teams in league history.

> “(Westbrook) took control of his situation,” one involved source said.

Superstar shopping: LeBron, Russell Westbrook and the Lakers’ summer of recruiting

Superstar shopping: LeBron, Russell Westbrook and the Lakers’ summer of recruiting

the robfather out here making moves

 

[ShoryukenHaduken]

i cant see talen making a starting spot unless he improves his shooting a lot and wayne is actually a decent defender from what ive been looking at. Add in the shooting of ariza then this starting 5 makes sense

russ
ellington
ariza
james
AD

bench
talen
nunn or monk(im hoping for monk)
bazemore
melo
howard

only changes is if ad or bron stays in with the bench during there solo mins

 

[Flex Luger]

i cant see talen making a starting spot unless he improves his shooting a lot and wayne is actually a decent defender from what ive been looking at. Add in the shooting of ariza then this starting 5 makes sense

russ
ellington
ariza
james
AD

bench
talen
nunn or monk(im hoping for monk)
bazemore
melo
howard

only changes is if ad or bron stays in with the bench during there solo mins

I think Nunn is gonna be the backup point guard

 

[ShoryukenHaduken]

I think Nunn is gonna be the backup point guard

that could be the case i gotta look into how good of a playmaker nunn is we at least have seen talen playmaking pretty solid when hes had to play PG. Otherwise that leaves monk out the rotation and I view him as that jamal crawford type who gets buckets when given the chance.

 

[Flex Luger]

that could be the case i gotta look into how good of a playmaker nunn is we at least have seen talen playmaking pretty solid when hes had to play PG. Otherwise that leaves monk out the rotation and I view him as that jamal crawford type who gets buckets when given the chance.

I think the bench unit could be

PG - Nunn
SG - Monk
SF - THT
PF - Melo
C - Dwight

 

[Flex Luger]

 

[ALonelyDad]

Good job!!

 

[Dr. Narcisse]

Mann....I dont know about Ariza starting. Save his legs for the playoffs if need be. Really thought Monk would get the first chance at starting over Ellington as well. Let him sink or swim. You already know what Wayne brings.

 

[areohbee824]

Media day tomorrow. Off-season flew by real fast

 

[Lakerman0834]

Media day tomorrow. Off-season flew by real fast

Only team in legue to have media day on its own day. GOAT shyt right there

 

[HoldThisL]

Media day tomorrow. Off-season flew by real fast

The whole 2021 just moving at a crazy speed .

Also I hope Ariza does not start, but I understand why. Experience+Defense, I guess .

Would really like to see THT or Monk in that role

 

[Dr. Narcisse]

The whole 2021 just moving at a crazy speed .

Also I hope Ariza does not start, but I understand why. Experience+Defense, I guess .

Would really like to see THT or Monk in that role

This aint the thread, but this world is moving faster than we think

 

[2Quik4UHoes]

Media day tomorrow. Off-season flew by real fast

I been so busy, I’m working on the season thread tho. I’ma try to get it out by tmrw but gahdamn

 

[ISO]

Ellington starting is the right move going to be excited to see LeBron playing with a shooter of his caliber.

 

[Trojan 24]

Mann....I dont know about Ariza starting. Save his legs for the playoffs if need be. Really thought Monk would get the first chance at starting over Ellington as well. Let him sink or swim. You already know what Wayne brings.

Ariza the homie, but I don't see how he gives you more then 10 minutes a game. Breh is