Kang Deezy
Overall Nice Guy
Trash organization, trash fan base
Like I said, Kobe stans that hate LeBron wants to see this shyt blown up
The Lakers are losing games for two main reasons:
1. They leave teams wide open for three
2. They can't fight back with threes of their own
The first issue can be fixed with a better defensive scheme and effort, which ultimately comes down to coaching. This is why the vast majority of people that watch these games (not just Kobe stans that are upset LeBron is on the team) have been complaining about Ham.
The second issue is one that can be fixed with trades. The Lakers have two guys that can shoot at a decent clip (other than LeBron): Prince and Reaves. The problem is that with the rotations the Lakers have, it's somewhat rare to have both those guys on the floor, and then in the lineups they're not both on the floor, the Lakers can't fire back.
LeBron's game has been well known since he first came into the league: DRIVE AND/OR KICK.
So then why has the Lakers organization put guys around Bron that get in the way of/don't fit the drive and kick? Westbrook, Vando, Reddish, Hayes, Beverly, Gabriel, Juan Toscano-Anderson, THT????
This is why the Lakers have struggled with LeBron. LeBron thrives with guys that cut and are active in the half court. If they're running around screens to get open on the perimeter, LEBRON WILL FIND THEM.
When you put guys on the floor that cannot shoot, they can cheat off their man, killing LeBron's drive to the basket. This is why LeBron has started firing more threes-- he can't get to the bucket easily anymore because the paint is crowded AND AD is there.
The solution is simple-- if a guy is shooting 36% or better, seriously look at acquiring him by the trade deadline. You don't even have to make huge trades (like Lavine would be); two guys that can stretch the floor and open up the lane will be all it takes. Once teams have to start respecting our wing shooting, the lane opens up and LeBron gets to operate like the CLE/MIA days.
Trade-eligible players the Lakers should be looking at:
1. Cameron Johnson (41% from 3, 15 PPG) Salary $25m
2. Herbert Jones (36%, 11 PPG) Salary $12m
3. Matisse Thybulle (38%, 6 PPG) Salary $11m
4. Buddy Hield (38%, 13 PPG) Salary $21m
5. Zach Lavine (33% currently, but he's sandbagging to get traded; he normally shoots 38%) Salary $40m
6. Dejounte Murray (39%, 21 PPG) Salary $18m
Two of these guys potentially turns the season around. Buddy and Lavine combination would be lethal with LeBron and AD, but it might cost Reaves getting one or both those guys, and that salary hit would be BRUTAL.
Murray is the most interesting one. He's a pure scorer, has a relatively decent salary for the Lakers and shoots 39% from three.
Edit: couple mistakes corrected regarding salaries. My information was outdated.
Herb Jones is a terrible shooter
Thybulle has been a terrible shooter during his career but has ticked up with no pressure in Portland. That Lakers Tax will crush him.
Murray is a career 34% three point shooter. Again, Lakers Tax. He'll get to LA and look like Ramon Sessions.
Lakers don't have anything to offer Brooklyn for Cam Johnson.
Lavine and Hield are the best bets. Between the two, give me Lavine. Hield will probably look like Malik Beasley in LA.
@ this thread. nikka posts a picture showing half of Bron's teams had lower tier offenses and blaming it lack of shooters. Yet Kobe was out here leading the Lakers to top 10 offenses even with Smush, Luke and Kwame in the starting line up. Whether we were a good team or bad team with Kobe we were damn near guarenteed to have a top 10 offense. But with Bron he gets the title of the guy who makes his teammates better and he manipulates the roster every season and still gets excuses when his team is 25th in offensive rating
but oh let me guess, when The Birdman is waist deep in the hood in Inglewood, everyone there is a bron supporter who looks down on "Kobe fans" who apparently don't like the Lakers
@ this thread. nikka posts a picture showing half of Bron's teams had lower tier offenses and blaming it lack of shooters. Yet Kobe was out here leading the Lakers to top 10 offenses even with Smush, Luke and Kwame in the starting line up. Whether we were a good team or bad team with Kobe we were damn near guarenteed to have a top 10 offense. But with Bron he gets the title of the guy who makes his teammates better and he manipulates the roster every season and still gets excuses when his team is 25th in offensive rating
but oh let me guess, when The Birdman is waist deep in the hood in Inglewood, everyone there is a bron supporter who looks down on "Kobe fans" who apparently don't like the Lakers
Lonnie wasn't defensible but I don't think he would have stayed because of Ham. Was in the doghouse last season for no reason. Him and Schroder were massive losses.Malik and Lonnie are defensible.
But letting Brook walk like that was rough.
And of course one of the worst decisions in any franchise's history in letting Caruso go. What makes it even worse is the pennies Caruso is making right now relative to his value. He offered to take even less than that just to stay with the Lakers....and they still turned it down
We might have to wait 50 years before we see generational incompetence like that again..