2014 LA Lakers Media Day & Training Camp Discussion

[Mirjalovic]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/518500656324169728[/tweet]

please nash, be healthy this year !!!

I'm a bad guy but I don't really care.....I rather have Lin/Clarkson at the 1 spot

for what ?

bigger paycheck for Lin ?
tanking with Clarkson ?

Nash is still better than Lin or Clarkson.

[crazyeights]

If Nash is healthy, he's still an amazing asset. Let's not get that confused. At the moment he's healthy. They were just being extra-cautious with him, because we need him for when it counts, not for Real Training Camp on NBA TV.

[ROballer]

Nash is not better than Lin,get that weak **** out of there

He's 41 yrs old and will probably implode if he has to play more than 20-25 mpg in consecutive games...that alone makes him worse than Lin

I swear,ABILITY TO ACTUALLY play gets severly underrated around here....of course he's a productive player for 10-15 mpg ,but that's hardly enough and for sure doesn't make him any better than Lin

His defense is atroucious as well,especially at this age....so no ,he's not better than Lin,and I reserve judgement on the Clarkson comparison until I see the young guy actually play against NBA talent

And yeah,I own Lin in the Fantasy League so.....no Nash is good for me

[TyCobb]

Even when healthy Nash is a huge liability on defense. Not a good start for your team defense when the main on-ball defender is invisible to the guy bringing the ball up the court and initiating plays.

Nash should be running the 2nd unit off the bench with Lin as the starter.

[ROballer]

Nash and Boozer are both over the lump **** who are not bringing a game and season changing mentality or impact ,but manage to stunt the young guys progress...because you actually progress by playing,not that BS that you learn from the veterans.That's what coaches are for ,to show you certain aspects of the game

So yeah,Nash is not clearly better than Clarkson and Boozer is not better than Randle RIGHT now,not even talking about potential,but right now ...

I'll curse the day Julius gets 20 mins a game while the no defense /low efficiency ,bad hairline **** gets the bulk of the mins at PF and gets to finish the game on the court because he's a veteran and used to be good 5 yrs ago
Not even talking about Kelly,another possible contributor who has a bright future,turned into a bench warmer


So yeah,when I hear Nash or Boozer are hurt ,count me on the hooray group,because that might be the only thing making Scott not play them...cause I'll **** guarantee it,they can stunk it up as much as they can on the court,their role will not change and Scott will continue to play them,only reason being their past (a **** reason to begin with)

[crazyeights]

Lin is going to see plenty of minutes, Randle too. Byron's not going to simply play Nash or Boozer because they're veterans if we're losing. We'll be a results driven team if all are healthy.

It's a team game and deficiencies can be hidden, don't see the point in taking sides when they're all on the same one.

Nash makes the game easier for his teammates. He's an amazing shooter, something we need. He's a great leader--another thing we need.

Lin is also vital to this team. He can create, taking the load off of Kobe, but more importantly he can score. He also plays solid defense.

Every single player we have has an important role on this team. And saying young players don't need to learn from veterans is absurd. It ignores why the Lakers have historically been great, it ignores knowledge and tradition. People in any profession don't just burst fully-formed onto the scene--it takes hard work and direction. I'm not sure what it is you do in life, but to think you don't need as much great mentorship as possible to truly be great is head scratching....

[DEEP3CL]

Roballer, while I agree with some of the things in your postings one that I strongly disagree with is Randle being better than Boozer and a rookie not needing to learn from a vet.

And I just don't get why guys are just trashing Booz like he's utter garbage. The man can still play, some really have to understand that systems can make or break a player. Boozer only started to seem useless once Thibs vision started to go in other directions with younger players. But what many over look and this could be because some of us as fans only focus on our team, but I focus on all teams and systems. But like I said Thibs slowly lower the usage of Boozer plain and simple, and that in turn made him look like an eroding player.

Much like how MDA's system affected Pau, we don't know what type of resurgence Pau may have in Chicago. It may be good for a while, but I still see his skill set weakening by the years but he'll help the Bulls. And it stands to believe Boozer will help us because he's hungry to prove he can still play.

As far as Nash....well I have tempered expectations. I'm not expecting the world from him healthy or not. I expect Lin to really shoulder a bulk of our offense from that spot and for Clarkson to see minutes in spots. So when saying so and so is better than so and so....I usually base it on certain aspects of a players game. Defensively, Lin and Clarkson are miles better than Nash, but offensively Nash is better than Jordan but we have to wonder how much better than Lin at this point in his career.

But it's like crazyeights said, every player on this team has a role and that role has to be played for us to do better than last season. And Scott is old school, I don't think he'll play guys just to be playing them. He's already said if some one doesn't have it that game he'll go somewhere else.

[ChokeFasncists]

Real Training Camp L.A. Lakers - Jeremy Lin

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFYHt4vKyow[/youtube]

Oh, gotta get into better shape dude!

[Michael Lucky]

Nash and Boozer are both over the lump **** who are not bringing a game and season changing mentality or impact ,but manage to stunt the young guys progress...because you actually progress by playing,not that BS that you learn from the veterans.That's what coaches are for ,to show you certain aspects of the game

So yeah,Nash is not clearly better than Clarkson and Boozer is not better than Randle RIGHT now,not even talking about potential,but right now ...

I'll curse the day Julius gets 20 mins a game while the no defense /low efficiency ,bad hairline **** gets the bulk of the mins at PF and gets to finish the game on the court because he's a veteran and used to be good 5 yrs ago
Not even talking about Kelly,another possible contributor who has a bright future,turned into a bench warmer


So yeah,when I hear Nash or Boozer are hurt ,count me on the hooray group,because that might be the only thing making Scott not play them...cause I'll **** guarantee it,they can stunk it up as much as they can on the court,their role will not change and Scott will continue to play them,only reason being their past (a **** reason to begin with)

I've made my peace with Boozer being on the team now and starting. But yes i do have concersn over Randle's minutes. If Boozer who had a pretty terrible year last year gets 30mpg i'll be pretty upset. I don't really believe in this idea of learning from a vet since I see players improving more by getting minutes and experience on the court during real games. Besides what's the difference between learning from a vet when they get 15mpg or 30mpg on the court, you still practice with them everyday. Like i've said I see it more as inhibiting your young talented player from getting much needed experience on the court. No reason not to give Randle plenty of minutes due to Boozer who's not a part of our long term plans.

[Little General]

First Week of Camp Wrap Up

Spoiler:

After a grueling week of practices in Byron Scott’s first Lakers training camp as head coach, here are 10 things you need to know about his squad heading into Monday’s preseason opening game in San Diego:

1. Kobe Bryant looks terrific. Practicing every day, Bryant is fully healthy, having come into camp in midseason shape at around 215 pounds. No Laker has been more dominant in scrimmages or drills, and his mastery of NBA schemes has been a major help to the coaching staff in teaching the young guys. The best news L.A. could have gotten heading into the first preseason game was Kobe looking how he’s looked.

2. L.A.’s other 19-year NBA veteran, Steve Nash, has "no issues whatsoever" after tweaking his ankle on Saturday, per his coach. Nash practiced on Sunday and played in the first part of the team scrimmage, looking very good to Scott. The big key with Nash so far is that he’s had no recurrence of the crippling nerve issues that plagued him for the last two years. All good things so far.

3. Speaking of Nash and Scott, here’s how the point guard described the coach: “Byron has been amazing so far. Detailed, concise, articulate. Nobody is (having to guess) what he’s talking about.” Kobe is equally on board, and very impressed with how his former teammate in 1996 has immediately commanded the respect of the roster. The intensity of the week of practice has been echoed up and down a roster that Bryant’s said has done more conditioning than any team he’s ever been on.

4. Nick Young’s having Monday surgery after suffering a complete tear of the radial collateral ligament in his right (shooting) thumb, which will keep him out a number of weeks. But that didn’t keep him from doing conditioning and ballhandling drills at practice on Saturday and Sunday. He even made a few left-handed free throws while talking trash to teammates, and of course didn’t let the bad news affect his smile.
The other injured players unable to practice right now are Ryan Kelly (hamstring) and Xavier Henry (back), though both are hopeful to return to the fray sooner than later. Henry’s still dealing with some issues with his knees, as well, while Kelly is otherwise healthy.

5. Wesley Johnson has settled into the starting small forward role, and his direct challenge from Scott and Bryant is to be the team’s lockdown defender, perhaps the most important player on that end of the floor. Said Bryant: “He looks phenomenal. He looks incredible. He can run all day, he's defending with a passion. He's covering lanes … he's shooting at gaps defensively. He's playing post defense, perimeter defense. He's doing it all.” Here’s more on Johnson heading into his fifth season: What to Expect from Wes?

6. Among the standouts at practice has been Jeremy Lin, who has showcased his ability to get to the rim with regularity, opening up the defense and creating good shots for his teammates. If Nash can stay healthy and ends up starting, Lin will still likely play more minutes. In fact, he and Johnson could vie for the most playing time on the team.

7. Rookies Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson have spent some time shining in practice, and some time showing that they’re rookies, as expected. Both, however, do appear ready for NBA minutes, and Randle’s going to get his no matter what. Clarkson’s chances at playing time increased with Young’s injury, though he’ll have to battle veterans Wayne Ellington and Ronnie Price, not to mention whoever doesn’t start between Nash and Lin, since both can play on or off the ball. Randle, on the other hand, should be in a rotation with potential starters Carlos Boozer and Jordan Hill, plus Ed Davis and Robert Sacre.

8. Two of Scott’s assistant coaches are complimenting each other quite well, with Jim Eyen focusing most on game preparation and putting in schemes, and Paul Pressey serving as the primary go-between for Scott and the players. Having the coaching staff on the same page is essential, especially with a new group, and the first week was very positive in that context according to multiple players.
Kobe at practice

9. Price, signed just before training camp by Mitch Kupchak, has impressed everyone after one week, most notably Bryant and Scott, who’ve been going out of their way to praise him. Here’s a deeper look: Price Impresses Peers at Training Camp.

10. Who's going to start on Monday? Based on the week of practice, it'll be: Nash, Bryant, Johnson, Boozer and Hill. Coach Scott told me that he may well switch things up after the game against Denver to see if any different combinations work better, and Lin is one guy we might expect to get a more lengthy look with the starters.

Source: http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/141006_c ... rsReporter

[Kilroy]

Isn't it kind of weird we didn't give out more camp invites... Our roster seems kind of light right now compared to other years... Or am I full of ****?

[Michael Lucky]

I was thinking the same actually.

[GeorgeDillion]

The maximum amount of players you can have at camp is 20, I believe. Were currently at 19 with Roscoe Smith, Jeremy Tyler, Jabari Brown and Keith Appling.

[crazyeights]

Isn't it kind of weird we didn't give out more camp invites... Our roster seems kind of light right now compared to other years... Or am I full of ****?

Maybe that impression comes from the fact that we're relatively deep this year, so rather than the last 10 of 19 guys seeming like "camp fodder" there's only like 4 or 5. Everyone else has a role and is needed.

[ROballer]

Nash and Boozer are both over the lump **** who are not bringing a game and season changing mentality or impact ,but manage to stunt the young guys progress...because you actually progress by playing,not that BS that you learn from the veterans.That's what coaches are for ,to show you certain aspects of the game

So yeah,Nash is not clearly better than Clarkson and Boozer is not better than Randle RIGHT now,not even talking about potential,but right now ...

I'll curse the day Julius gets 20 mins a game while the no defense /low efficiency ,bad hairline **** gets the bulk of the mins at PF and gets to finish the game on the court because he's a veteran and used to be good 5 yrs ago
Not even talking about Kelly,another possible contributor who has a bright future,turned into a bench warmer


So yeah,when I hear Nash or Boozer are hurt ,count me on the hooray group,because that might be the only thing making Scott not play them...cause I'll **** guarantee it,they can stunk it up as much as they can on the court,their role will not change and Scott will continue to play them,only reason being their past (a **** reason to begin with)

I've made my peace with Boozer being on the team now and starting. But yes i do have concersn over Randle's minutes. If Boozer who had a pretty terrible year last year gets 30mpg i'll be pretty upset. I don't really believe in this idea of learning from a vet since I see players improving more by getting minutes and experience on the court during real games. Besides what's the difference between learning from a vet when they get 15mpg or 30mpg on the court, you still practice with them everyday. Like i've said I see it more as inhibiting your young talented player from getting much needed experience on the court. No reason not to give Randle plenty of minutes due to Boozer who's not a part of our long term plans.

Spot on as usual

One of the most knowledgeable and underrated posters around here