Vlade Radmanovic...finally?

[BrianFellow_17]

The most dangerous shooter on the Lakers (and most clutch outside of Kobe) is Fisher.

Sorry, changed that for you.

0.4 anyone?

[hermes]

To be fair, he was playing well early this season before he got injured.

[scoobs07]

Vlad has been playing great I have noticed but to take odom out for vlad? I'm not so sure. Has anybody been watching Odom since pau has showed up? The guy has been playing a very high level of basketball. He even came up with the game saving "block" last night. Van Gundy said it was arm. Looked very much like hand to me when I watched it a second time...thought it was arm live then slow motion replay looked very much like hand (which is ball) anyhow that is a side story...what I"m saying is look at how well Odom is fitting in with Pau. This is the perfect place for Odom...here are odoms stats over the last 3 with Pau...

71% from the field on 15 for 21 shooting.
10 rebounds per
3.5 assists per
2.5 turnovers per
15 points per

The leading factor for me right now is defense. Odom is still far superior to vlad on the defensive end and that includes rebounds (Odom has more rebounds than Pau over the last 3 and Pau is playing the cernter spot so I don't buy that when Bynum comes back pau and bynum will collect all the boards) I really want to see the front court of Odom Pau and Bynum on D. In my mind Vlad fits the offensive end better than Odom with Pau and Bynum in but with kobe - fish - bynum - and Pau do we really need more offense?

Vlad is doing much much better on D. I enjoy that he is actually getting scrappy with his D and I can see the effort. But it's much like sasha...lots of hard work but not efficient work which leads to sloppy fouls...often getting out of position and allowing the whole team defense to break down because of it. Odom is a far superior TEAM defender. I'm not saying Odom is an all nba defensive player but I would rather see him with more minutes than Vlad at least for now.

Hes been playing great at the POWER FORWARD position, not small forward. Thats why it will change when Bynum comes back. With Gasol, Bynum and Kobe you want to put as good of perimeter shooters around them as possible. In my opinion, there would realy be no point in LO starting at SF, unless he drastically improves his perimeter shooting.

[Cboywhitey]

scoobs...

I understand that he is not playing small forward I'm just pointing out that he is playing a high level of basketball right now. Make a lot of the right choices out on the floor. I also said that I think vlad makes more sense in the offense. I understand that.

My points are that vlad is a huge liability on defense. We are scoring 100 plus points a game. Our scoring is not our problem. My point is I think odom makes more sense on defense which in my opinion is more important than vlad "spreading the floor." I put that in quotes because there is more than one way to spread the floor and feel Odom in will have that effect.

Beyond that the lakers don't play a traditional offense. The offense they run requires men to play many positions. Even though odom would be starting at small forward it does not mean he has to line up in the corner for the 3 all day. I understand he will see a lot of open looks but he's not always going to be standing outside the 3 point line. I imagine with odom in...if they play it right there will be a miss match on the block every single time down the floor. I would rather a miss match on the block than a 3 point shot from vlad. The miss match will not always be odom...it will be kobe, bynum, pau, or odom when teams are forced to constantly rotate. I prefer it for a few reasons...in most cases it is a higher percentage shot and has the potential for putting teams in foul trouble...it also requires help from the bigs which leaves our bigs opportunities for offensive putbacks. Also if we continue to get the big on their small forward...guards will be forced to lag in on them...opening shots for bryant and fisher. There is more than one way to spread the floor. I don't think odom at small forward is as bad as many people think. Vlad's defense will hurt us more than his 3 pointers. He has been playing great and yes he forces teams to spread the floor but his defense is not good and I have never felt that we have had a really hard time putting points up.

It's all about defense for me though. My main reasons for odom over vlad have nothing to do with the offensive end. If odom can't handle guarding SF and can't bring in 8 to 10 rebounds a game then take him out for vlad.

[milesfides]

One thing that really bothers me about Radmanovic's game is that many times, he doesn't even look like he's trying. He doesn't play with energy, he's not moving with a purpose.

The only rebounds he gets are the ones that bounce right to him. His passes are lackadaisical, his drives are like serving up tennis balls to get swatted away.

I don't even see him running. His fastest pace is a steady jog. There's just no urgency to his game whatsoever, and on tv, it looks like he isn't playing with any effort.

On defense, he's rarely in a defensive stance, he gets beat easily and doesn't try to recover, he doesn't help out, etc.

When he's not hitting shots for us, he's just not contributing in any other way, in fact, he's hurting our team with his lack of rebounding, defense, passing, etc.

Although Radman has been shooting well, I'd much rather have Sasha in the game, with Kobe moving down to small forward. Even when Sasha's shot isn't falling (which is rare), he contributes in other ways, and he's always playing hard.

[TheUrbanZealot]

^^What are you talking about?
Radmanovic has been playing excellent off-the ball with his cuts, passes and dishes...

I agree, I don't see anything glaring that Radmanovic is doing wrong right now.

You have to remember Miles that Radmanovic was conditioned in Seattle to basically be a unique 3pt threat. He wasn't really coached into developing his all around game- thus, he has carved himself a niche.

Vlad is a 3pt shooting SF/PF whose purpose is to spread the floor. He isn't going to do too much else, and quite frankly, that is fine. I look at anything else he does as a bonus. He is like our Steve Kerr except he's 6 10 and has a little more all around skill (though not quite the shooter)...

[Kreuk]

One thing that really bothers me about Radmanovic's game is that many times, he doesn't even look like he's trying. He doesn't play with energy, he's not moving with a purpose.

The only rebounds he gets are the ones that bounce right to him. His passes are lackadaisical, his drives are like serving up tennis balls to get swatted away.

I don't even see him running. His fastest pace is a steady jog. There's just no urgency to his game whatsoever, and on tv, it looks like he isn't playing with any effort.

On defense, he's rarely in a defensive stance, he gets beat easily and doesn't try to recover, he doesn't help out, etc.

When he's not hitting shots for us, he's just not contributing in any other way, in fact, he's hurting our team with his lack of rebounding, defense, passing, etc.

Although Radman has been shooting well, I'd much rather have Sasha in the game, with Kobe moving down to small forward. Even when Sasha's shot isn't falling (which is rare), he contributes in other ways, and he's always playing hard.

(goes into OMGWTF mode)...

the guy is scoring points, which is what he was brought here to do... What is the problem?

[milesfides]

I don't know, play hard? Too much to ask?

Thought it contributed to why our team almost gave away this one. It was a game that would be decided by players who bust their ass; Radman wasn't one of them.

I'm happy he's been shooting it well recently (aside from this game); that can really help our team. I guess it's when he starts missing shots that I'm reminded there's little else to his game.

It especially bothers me when guys like Sasha and Turiaf are on the bench, two players who have some heart to their game.

Just wish Radman didn't play like he didn't give a crap, because that's what it looks like to me.

Probably unfair expectations, since I'm seeing this guy as the eventual replacement for Lamar Odom.

[snaquille oatmeal]

rad the white Cookie

[LAKESHOW]

this guy had just better work hard. fit in. be a good teammate. and help his team win a championship.

or else get a doggone SNO-BOARD broke over his head.