Lakers look completely lost without Lonzo

LivingLegend · Post #21 » by **LivingLegend** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 5:56 pm

I mean you have a team with a bunch of 23 year olds missing the guy who gets everybody lined up. What do you expect?

draftnightsuit · Post #22 » by **draftnightsuit** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 5:58 pm

NBAFan93 wrote:If only the Lakers had another former #2 pick PG who could take over the role while their current #2 pick PG is out injured...one who was already playing a lot of minutes at the 2 spot who could just move over...

Oh well - maybe they can tank next season to get such player in the 2019 draft (eye roll).

I guess they may have been better w/ Lonzo than w/o him in the past 3 games, but they were still losing a lot before Lonzo went out, so who knows.

What’s Russell gonna do, cheer them on from the bench?

Also, he’s not a leader and was a cancer for them when he was there. The Lakers have the right pieces around Lonzo, but they fall apart without him.

dynamic duo · Post #23 » by **dynamic duo** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 5:59 pm

JGOJustin · Post #24 » by **JGOJustin** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 6:02 pm

I mean they were a horrid offensive team with Lonzo.

They were going to lose these games anyway and were overachieving in those games against Hou and GSW. To attribute their "success" against these teams to Lonzo is a bit much.

Buckeye-NBAFan · Post #25 » by **Buckeye-NBAFan** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 6:02 pm

jazzfan1971 wrote:You need a good PG to survive in this league.

They have to be at least Patrick Beverley/old Tony Parker level to make the Conf Finals/contend.

NBAFan93 · Post #26 » by **NBAFan93** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 6:13 pm

draftnightsuit wrote:
NBAFan93 wrote:If only the Lakers had another former #2 pick PG who could take over the role while their current #2 pick PG is out injured...one who was already playing a lot of minutes at the 2 spot who could just move over...

Oh well - maybe they can tank next season to get such player in the 2019 draft (eye roll).

I guess they may have been better w/ Lonzo than w/o him in the past 3 games, but they were still losing a lot before Lonzo went out, so who knows.

What’s Russell gonna do, cheer them on from the bench.

Also, he’s not a leader and was a cancer for them when he was there. The Lakers have the right pieces around Lonzo, but they fall apart without him.

I thought it was a given that players who get traded and get injured on the team they were traded to would not have been injured had they stayed?

... If Russell was still in LA and healthy they would be much better off in this situation is what I’m saying.

Mister Ze · Post #27 » by **Mister Ze** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 6:26 pm

I'm honestly shaking my head at their off-season moves.

draftnightsuit · Post #28 » by **draftnightsuit** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 6:32 pm

What’s with this push to try to make it seem like the Russell trade was a bad move for the Lakers? They got rid of a cancer (who is currently injured) AND landed Kuzma.

It was a great trade for the Lakers.

ajdontwatchthat · Post #29 » by **ajdontwatchthat** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 6:36 pm

Lonzo is the only person who can keep KCP in check. The impact of that is huge in itself.

All Clarkson wants to do is run a two-man game with Randle and ignore wide-open Kuzma to increase their value. Seen it with and without Lonzo.

As for Walton, he is a bottom 5 coach in the league. i can't remember one halfcourt set he actually runs in succession. Ingram runs iso all day because Luke has ZERO plays ran for him and more for KCP to brick off a three.

The team was already bad but without Zo, the offense is borderline g-league esque

markjay · Post #30 » by **markjay** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 6:52 pm

Tim Kempton wrote:Jason Kidd also improved the Mavs by 23 games, taking a 13-69 Mavs team to a 36-46 record in his rookie year, whereas the Lakers' record is on pace to be similar to last season.

Commending Lonzo Ball for helping the Lakers lose by close margins is the most loser-ish, self-defeatist thing I've read on these boards in quite sometime.

Right. Because losing to the Warriors twice in overtime is the exact same thing as losing to the Clippers by 15.

The Lakers do not have a draft pick and any chance of making the playoffs this year was a long shot. Their main priorities are to improve and let their young players develop, and show themselves to be a good free agent destination. In spite of losing record, they looked like a very different team this season until Lonzo went out. They had had among the most difficult schedules in the league to date, but they were keeping games close against excellent teams and their young players were shining (unlike last year when many of their wins were due to Lou Williams and Nick Young's shooting). Their defense also was completely transformed from last year. Though they were only 11-20, their point differential was -2.8, as opposed to last season when their point differential was -.6.9. Lot of people who were watching them and who are not Lakers fans were pointing to them as an up and coming exciting team.

Now, the last few games, they just look miserable. They are 0-3 at home, in spite of playing of playing two out of three teams with losing records, and their point differential is -14.0. If it doesn't make a difference to you, fine, but people who watch the Lakers regularly see a world of difference.

Post #31 » by **TyCobb** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 6:53 pm

NBAFan93 wrote:If only the Lakers had another former #2 pick PG who could take over the role while their current #2 pick PG is out injured...one who was already playing a lot of minutes at the 2 spot who could just move over...

Oh well - maybe they can tank next season to get such player in the 2019 draft (eye roll).

I guess they may have been better w/ Lonzo than w/o him in the past 3 games, but they were still losing a lot before Lonzo went out, so who knows.

You realize that guy has not played since Nov. 11th right? :rofl:

Post #32 » by **TyCobb** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 6:54 pm

NBAFan93 wrote:
draftnightsuit wrote:
NBAFan93 wrote:If only the Lakers had another former #2 pick PG who could take over the role while their current #2 pick PG is out injured...one who was already playing a lot of minutes at the 2 spot who could just move over...

Oh well - maybe they can tank next season to get such player in the 2019 draft (eye roll).

I guess they may have been better w/ Lonzo than w/o him in the past 3 games, but they were still losing a lot before Lonzo went out, so who knows.

What’s Russell gonna do, cheer them on from the bench.

Also, he’s not a leader and was a cancer for them when he was there. The Lakers have the right pieces around Lonzo, but they fall apart without him.

I thought it was a given that players who get traded and get injured on the team they were traded to would not have been injured had they stayed? ... If Russell was still in LA and healthy they would be much better off in this situation is what I’m saying.

What you're showing is... you have no idea what you're talking about.

Lalouie · Post #33 » by **Lalouie** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 6:54 pm

In this stat obsessed world of sports it's sometimes impossible to see the big picture. Zo has this way of making his teammates THINK DIFFERENTLY, and therein lies his value. Sure he must put up numbers but he does not have to dominate the ball to affect the game.

In such a scenario it's easy to minimize his contributions and credit teammates who are putting up hard numbers, but the eyeball test tells you this team is not the same without him. He makes good decisions. He makes plays THAT ARE THERE. Lots of players try to force a play. And if his teammates are smart they'll be in position to finish the play he initiates. It's all been said over and over again. The lakers are the wrong team for him. They're young and stupid.

Youth aside, Zo is a finished product.

alebaba · Post #34 » by **alebaba** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 6:58 pm

JB2 wrote:some of ya'll just refuse to give Lonzo any credit

Yea, because the Lakers were winning games with Lonzo...The only one praising him are lakers fan who think hes jesus.

NBAFan93 · Post #35 » by **NBAFan93** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 6:59 pm

TyCobb wrote:
NBAFan93 wrote:If only the Lakers had another former #2 pick PG who could take over the role while their current #2 pick PG is out injured...one who was already playing a lot of minutes at the 2 spot who could just move over...

Oh well - maybe they can tank next season to get such player in the 2019 draft (eye roll).

I guess they may have been better w/ Lonzo than w/o him in the past 3 games, but they were still losing a lot before Lonzo went out, so who knows.

You realize that guy has not played since Nov. 11th right?

Cause he’s injured. So we assume had he stayed in LA he would have got injured on the same exact day and be out just as long? Injuries are situational and random - they don’t occur no matter what.

So if Hayward had stayed in Utah he wold have broken his leg on 10/17 as well?

Lalouie · Post #36 » by **Lalouie** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 6:59 pm

TheCustodian wrote:Or it could be that it's impossible for a team with no bench to speak of to play 5 games in 7 days at the same level.
But nah... must be Lonzo.

Your sarcasm is leaking. Lol. Bottom line,,, they're a different team without him. It's like they can't THINK without him. You're missing it.

ItsThatEasy · Post #37 » by **ItsThatEasy** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 7:00 pm

Zo's biggest strength coming into UCLA PRE-LAVAR HYPE was his ability to make players around him better.

I put pre-Lavar in all caps because now BBB is a sideshow it seems everyone wants to ignore this was indeed something people praised him for. But somehow now that he's a Laker and his dad is a national story it's completely unfeasible that he actually does make players around him better.

He's been doing it his whole life, Chino Hills, UCLA and now the NBA. He has a lot to work on but he brings something to his teams that's not easily quantifiable, that's just Lonzo.

druggas · Post #38 » by **druggas** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 7:00 pm

Tim Kempton wrote:Jason Kidd also improved the Mavs by 23 games, taking a 13-69 Mavs team to a 36-46 record in his rookie year, whereas the Lakers' record is on pace to be similar to last season.

Commending Lonzo Ball for helping the Lakers lose by close margins is the most loser-ish, self-defeatist thing I've read on these boards in quite sometime.

And Kidd beat up his wife, so what's your point?

STRIKE: Offensive off-topic comment
Inappropriate and derailing.
-Sammy

Post #39 » by **TyCobb** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 7:00 pm

NBAFan93 wrote:Cause he’s injured. So we assume had he stayed in LA he would have got injured on the same exact day and he out just as long? Injuries are situational and random.

So if Hayward had stayed in Utah he wold have broken his leg on 10/17 as well?

viewtopic.php?f=23&t=1580186&start=1560#p60711515

Embiid's are just random too.

DAWill1128 · Post #40 » by **DAWill1128** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 7:02 pm

That's what I was saying at the beginning of the year, I couldn't believe they didn't bring in a vet. Just some older vet like Jack, Douglas, Farmar to show Lonzo what it takes to compete night in and night out with the best. It was throwing Lonzo to the Wolves without someone to drag him back in afterwards. The Lakers franchises lack of prep and mentorship was lacking to help Lonzo on the court and the media and pundits feasted.

Look at the Clippers, they were sliding like crazy until Milos came back to run things. A lot of NBA players don't know how to run an offense or set it up. Guys like Avery Johnson, Charlie Ward, and Mark Jackson late in his career come to mind, guys who weren't stat stuffers but could organize and lead an offensive unit.

I see it on the Warriors, we got McCaw who we have been starting and he's very quick and long but he's not a 1, he's just mentally a 2. McCaw has all the tools but he just isn't mentally wired to play as the 1. Livingston on the other hand you won't even notice on the stat sheet, but he understands pace, getting it to the wing for an entry pass to the post, when the defense tightens up getting a nice short jumper for himself.