Building with an identity

[aaron_gray]

Looking around the league, many rebuilding teams have begun to establish a core group of players to build around, and they have begun to add complimentary players that fit the identity of that team. When I say identity, I mean the playing style. Detroit has loaded up on shooting as they try to come up with the Dwight Orlando teams 2.0. The Bucks swapped for Carter-Williams to get even longer in their blitzy aggressive defense. And the Suns decided that they liked the 2 ball handler lineup, and replaced Goran Dragic with Brandon Knight (and in the process, parting with one of the most valuable assets in the league which shows just how committed they are to this identity).

My question for you is, with the Lakers core apparently set in Julius Clarkssell, going forward, what kind of identity (offensively and defensively) would you like this team to adopt, and what players would you add to compliment the core's strengths and/or cover the core's weaknesses? Would you go for showtime 2.0? Grit n Grind? Small but aggressive defense? Go for shooting at every position? Play inside out or vice versa? There are lots of playing styles to choose from and there are plenty of bargain vets who will fill a niche for a cheap price. So what identity would you choose and who would you sign?

[Dr Aki]

kinda the same thing with the post-magic era

accrue a bunch of young talent, then go big in FA

i sometimes wonder where we'd be if the FO didn't try to save so much money and spent 1sts to dump salary

[yitur]

Well right now we can say our primary core players are Russell, Clarkson snd Randle. All of them can rebound, handle and pass the ball. Offensively we can be a versitale attack from every position kind of team. I'm not sure on defense.

[Laker_Kid]

I've been waiting for someone to bring this topic up. lol. Anyhow, I am actually extremely happy and excited about the roster. To begin with, these guys are young, hungry, and willing to put in the work. One common characteristic they do have: they are all smart and charismatic. A new culture is growing - one that's a positive, hardworking, and winning mindset. As opposed to Lin, Henry, Johnson, Hill, we now have Russell, Clarkson, Randle to look forward to... I personally feel that the FO did a good job placing solid players on the roster this time. Its just a matter of chemistry, growth and experience. Adding a star player in place of Kobe and no doubt we could be contending in 3-5 years. Focus now should be on development and building that culture and the team's identity.

This team looks really versatile at all positions, although the weakest might be the 3 spot. Having Hibbert up top actually balances the defense, it'll be up to the guards to prevent the balance from tipping too much... I think we could have a solid defense, but it would be on offense where this team would shine. I hope to see Spurs/Suns kind of ball movement and unselfishness. For some reason... I could see the old Nets with Kidd or Hornets with CP3... I'm not so sure that's a good thing. but we'll see...

[Sofa King]

I hope we dont suck again. Thats the identity that I want for the team. For years the team has competed for the playoffs and contended for titles. Lets get back to that.

[Slava]

The roster we have right now save for the veterans looks to be an up-tempo style roster providing that all of our draft picks pan out. Randle is going to a the guy that will catch the ball when Russell or Clarkson are doubled off a screen and roll action and go 4 on 3 to make plays for others or score himself. Both guards can shoot, handle and pass very well. Russell is a tad more unselfish than Clarkson but both seemed to jive well in summer league.

If we were to build with a system in mind, I'd have wanted us to go hard after DeAndre as the first option and Tyson Chandler as the 2nd. Hibbert is an okay consolation prize but he isn't the most nimble guy on pick and rolls, Brandon Bass is a pick and pop guy so that places an extra emphasis on Randle being that guy, which he clearly hasn't shown yet.

I still believe we need to somehow navigate this season and let Kobe, Byron et al move on before we see what identity they will look to build on.

[Marionettetc]

I don't think our team identity will be cemented until next year when either Kobe retires or comes back for less than 25 million, right now he's a net negative on the court considering his injuries and playing time. He's simply taking up too much cap space right now and 25 million is the kind of money you give the league MVP.

Russell has PG locked down. He's the type of player that can play 82 games a year given that his game is cerebral, and he doesn't play above the rim. Clarkson is fine enough for SG right now, he's not the purest shooter but combined with his adequate handle and above average slashing he's a much better option than anything else we have right now not considering Kobe, who hopefully can get through an entire season at SF.

I keep bringing Kobe up, but he's the huge ? mark right now and I suspect the front office feels the same way. I don't think real forward progress will happen until his contract is handled next year.

Randle is a lock for PF and with his bulldog style of play on offense, I hope he can sustain its physicality for a whole season. Randle is another ? mark because putting your head down and charging to the basket is pretty hard to call plays for. He's a black hole when he gets the ball, but I attribute it to experience rather than bad habits. He has the skills to swing the ball around or pass out of double teams, and his handle is above average for a PF so he should be able to figure it out. Hibbert will be fine at Center, as it sounds like he's willing to back off of offensive sets and support the rest of the team with Man defense and rim protection. If he settles into a roll of put backs and garbage work, I can see his offensive weaknesses being masked by a team concept (which I admittedly still don't know what Scott plans on doing. He talks a lot about the Princeton offense and buying into team defense but we obviously haven't seen much in the way of results. I understand the circumstances the team has had to deal with the last two years, but we haven't seen the final product yet.)

I think just by virtue of the strengths of the team (Russell's passing/court vision), (Clarkson's scoring) and (Randles scoring) and the overall youth of the squad, I foresee them playing an up-tempo offensive game. Since our four main scoring threats (Russel, Randle, Clarkson, and Kobe) can all handle the ball I think up-tempo is certainly the way to go. No one excels in a half court offense besides Kobe and Russell.

Defensively, I think the team will have to lean on team defense concepts because Kobe is closer to 40 than 30, Russell and Clarkson are not defensive stoppers and Randle seems lost on defense sometimes.

[Kilroy]

The identity has to come from a dominant player. Presumably that will be Russell, but until one of the guys becomes the player he's going to be, we can't build around them and the team won't have an true identity.
I agree with Slava that on paper this is an up tempo roster to a point, but that's like saying it's going to be like 60% of the teams in the league, which isn't really an identity.
The identity has to come from Russell IMO... Either he's going to become the dominant floor general that he's supposed to be, or he's not. If he does, we immediately have an identity that we can build around. If he doesn't, then we have to hope Randle is a transcendent player at the 3/4 that can provide us that identity. But that would mean he was in the KD/LeBron discussion, and better than Griffin. Which, as high on him as I am, seems like it would be an absolute miracle. It's hard to create an identity at the 3 or 4.
So to me, we need this season under our belts before we start talking about building with an identity.

[djericho]

It's up to the coach to build the teams identity. Right now this team reminds me of the post Magic era. Alot of young players with some splashes of vets. It'll take a season or two for the core to gel, at that point bring in a superstar FA. As long as this team isn't used to losing and being a perennial lottery team constantly rebuilding like the sixers or wolves.

[DEEP3CL]

It's on Byron to get the defensive scheme down once and for all, we're going to have paint protection for the first time in 4 years with Roy.

This is why I like what Roy said in his first press conference, that he wants to lock down the paint. But these perimeter guys have to make it difficult to begin with in the first place. When you have two 6'5" guards in the back court that is size that even Phil would have envied.

We're gonna score, but we gotta eat off that defensive plate first. Team usually have a trademark identity after the core of their team is established. I think next summer we'll have a feel for where we're heading in that regard.

People still doubting us and that's cool, we may not be what we're use to being yet but we're not going back to the lottery that's for damn sure and you can mark that.

[Up-And-Coming]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os_FMRy0E5w[/youtube]

Hey guys! I hope you don't mind, but since we are talking about the Laker's future, I thought I would post an offseason workout that I just came across