Serious Responses Only: Coaching the Lakers to a Championship With Russell Westbrook in 2022/2023

Post #61 » by **Michael Jackson** » Mon May 16, 2022 10:52 pm

John Murdoch wrote:He will be waived and stretched before he returns imo

Should just be waived though. Forget the stretch. The extra capsbace you would get this year isn't going to help, unless there is some outlier of a deal out there. Just waive him don't lengthen the money out, no more Loul Deng nonsense

Lost Angel · Post #62 » by **Lost Angel** » Mon May 16, 2022 10:57 pm

going to use MDA's point guard play book for Russ and put LeBron in the Amare role (but not tell either of them that's what i'm doing). Russ get's three early 3 pointer jack up shots and if he makes one he gets another. If not, he has focus on drive, dunk and dish in switchable high pick n rolls with Lebron/AD.

sending AD to be a longer Marion on offense, forcing bigs to stretch on defense opening up a driving lane for Russ. Monk and Nunn will flank as 3 point shooters. We have to outscore early in the game because this lineup cannot play defense whatsoever. This is a run n gun for 5-7 minutes to start the game and see who's hot early. Things don't look good? Westbrook out, Oladipo/THT in and LeBron takes over ball handling.

THT, Johnson, JaVale (welcome back), Wenyen, Oladipo, Reaves will come off the bench and some of these guys can actually play good defense.

I'll enjoy the 35 game run before getting fired.

Post #63 » by **Michael Jackson** » Mon May 16, 2022 11:00 pm

So Russ looked ok in Washington. Hell he got Daniel Gafford paid, but that's because he works really only well pushing the pace. The Lakers personnel is not fit for his style at all. To get something out of him, get a few bench shooters and a guy that will run with him and he can play with the second squad. In a way that could work too, say the First teams strategy isn't working new coach can flip it and run down the other team. It would be based on the nightly matchup. OK it wouldn't work but theoretically it is about the only thing I think you can try.

Post #64 » by **Michael Jackson** » Mon May 16, 2022 11:02 pm

G35 wrote:
tsherkin wrote:
G35 wrote:

How do you know this but Lebron didn't......

Is this a serious question?

Yep...why not. I mean I knew WB wasn't a championship piece when he was still in OKC. But why didn't Lebron know...why are they so many people that NOW say you can't win with WB......

A year ago everyone was saying the same thing. Why didn't LeBron know? Well he isn't good at that stuff and never has been.

svart · Post #65 » by **svart** » Mon May 16, 2022 11:11 pm

Balls Deep wrote:It’s impossible to win with that guy playing significant minutes. That’s my 100% serious answer.

This^

Too stubborn to change, too inefficient how he is playing now.

Lost Angel · Post #66 » by **Lost Angel** » Mon May 16, 2022 11:20 pm

Michael Jackson wrote:
G35 wrote:
tsherkin wrote:
Is this a serious question?

Yep...why not. I mean I knew WB wasn't a championship piece when he was still in OKC. But why didn't Lebron know...why are they so many people that NOW say you can't win with WB......

A year ago everyone was saying the same thing. Why didn't LeBron know? Well he isn't good at that stuff and never has been.

the entire trade was shocking to be honest, so many other options out there and they went with Westbrook. Some patience would've done them well

Post #67 » by **Michael Jackson** » Mon May 16, 2022 11:36 pm

Lost Angel wrote:
Michael Jackson wrote:
G35 wrote:
Yep...why not. I mean I knew WB wasn't a championship piece when he was still in OKC. But why didn't Lebron know...why are they so many people that NOW say you can't win with WB......

A year ago everyone was saying the same thing. Why didn't LeBron know? Well he isn't good at that stuff and never has been.

the entire trade was shocking to be honest, so many other options out there and they went with Westbrook. Some patience would've done them well

Not only was it a car crash, but you would have kept Kuzma and likely would have had the cap then to keep Caruso and this team is much better

Big J · Post #68 » by **Big J** » Mon May 16, 2022 11:42 pm

I'd take the leash off Westbrook and get him back to his OKC days and let Bron & AD be his Steven Adams.

BobbyPortisEyes · Post #69 » by **BobbyPortisEyes** » Mon May 16, 2022 11:50 pm

The fact that you awarded the best answer to a guy whose "coaching advice" was that Westbrook needs to become a 35% three point shooter is very telling of how unrealistic and unfair this task is for a coach, especially a coach in their first year. I wouldn't accept the job under this "championship or bust" premise because I would see it as a signal of how short-sighted and out of touch with reality the Lakers management is. Knowing how hands on the Lakers are in terms of meddling with coaching decisions, this is a recipe for disaster.

If the premise can be tweaked a bit.. my answer would be that you can keep Russell Westbrook on the roster for 2022/2023 and the Lakers can win a championship in 2023/2024. The goal for 2022/2023 would be simply to field a competitive team and to develop Wenyen Gabriel, Austin Reaves, Stanley Johnson, and THT into guys you can depend on in the playoffs. The main task with Russ would be to prevent him from becoming a distraction.

The season has to be considered a success if you're able to a) develop the young guys b) field a competitive playoff team (i.e. have a legit shot at getting out of the first round) and c) prevent Russ from being a distraction and eroding the culture of the team.

You do these three things and head into 2023/2024 with enough cap space to build a contender and you're in surprisingly good shape.

NZB2323 · Post #70 » by **NZB2323** » Mon May 16, 2022 11:58 pm

They didn’t even make the play-in but a new coach is supposed to lead an aging team to a championship?

I know they had injuries, but Zion was out all year, Kawhi was out all year, Paul George was out most of the year, and the 2nd and 3rd best players on the Nuggets were out.

I expect the Clippers, Pelicans, and Nuggets to be better than the Lakers, in addition to the Mavs, Warriors, Grizzlies, Jazz, Suns, and Timberwolves.

Balls Deep · Post #71 » by **Balls Deep** » Tue May 17, 2022 12:20 am

G35 wrote:
Balls Deep wrote:It’s impossible to win with that guy playing significant minutes. That’s my 100% serious answer.

How do you know this but Lebron didn't......

Obviously he thought he could make it work, probably because he’s played with him on Team USA before. But he’s completely finished now.. can’t predict that

MoneyMo · Post #72 » by **MoneyMo** » Tue May 17, 2022 12:28 am

JN61 wrote:Lakers had stretch of 7-8 games where LeBron was healthy and Westbrook was handling the ball like 80% of the possession. They actually looked like really good team. Then LeBron took over because his ego couldn't take it and they regressed heavily.

That would be the recipe of them being top 5 team.

Are you sure about that?

Edit- If pic doesn't load: https://imgur.com/c5XeKpA

Russ handled the ball plenty, and the team horrid when the ball was in his hands. The team ORTG was top 5 with Lebron on and Westbrook off, and was bottom 3 with Westbrook on and Lebron off.

Additionally, check out the below.

Read on Twitter

bb22 · Post #73 » by **bb22** » Tue May 17, 2022 1:12 am

Can’t afford to have him on the same team as Lebron. It never made any sense, especially with Lebron’s defense and athleticism declining (relative to his superhuman standards). Buy out or trade is the only realistic option.

However, if he truly is stuck here you have to bench him and play him exclusively as Lebron’s replacement. That should give him about 13-14 minutes per game. He’ll get some starter minutes when Lebron’s resting.
If they end up trying the above, it will likely result in Russ being completely benched as the coaching staff realizes that there are younger and better players available to take those minutes.

Ballerhogger · Post #74 » by **Ballerhogger** » Tue May 17, 2022 1:19 am

Role player 15min

giberish · Post #75 » by **giberish** » Tue May 17, 2022 1:40 am

You might be able to win a title with Westbrook on the team - but as a 25 mpg or so 6th man. It's unlikely but theoretically possible that he's agree to that. You'd also want him to put some of his extra energy from playing fewer minutes into defense - also unlikely but theoretically possible.

The problem is that you'd need 4 more quality players to fill out the 3-8 spots in the main rotation with no assets to get them. So the whole thing just becomes DOA.

Of course, even if you cheat the system (for instance by getting a couple quality starters and a couple more high-end reserves to take min salary or not much more as FA's - and no, not Melo/Howard/Ariza type guys, credible mid-ish career guys), you still probably don't win a title due to the lack of elite talent at the top baring a big bounce-back season from Davis.

Pablo Escobar · Post #76 » by **Pablo Escobar** » Tue May 17, 2022 1:44 am

sp6r=underrated wrote:West was a great, great player but at this stage of his career he's a net negative and will get progressively worse year to year. With Lebron on the team there is no need to have him play on ball.

The best hope is this summer he somehow fixes his jumper to become an adequate jump shooter. BAsed on his FT shooting he should be able to become an above average 3 Point shooter 35-37%. It is a learnable skill. Then on defense tries to see if you get him to reembrace his college role as a defensive player.

I doubt the above can happen because you're asking him to totally revamp his game but it isn't impossible

A guy that struggles to dunk is going to commit to defense while being a year older next year? he has never played defense his entire career so to think he can start now while he's basically cooked is hilarious. His shot is based on his elevation and he has lost a ton of lift so it's broken unless he completely changes his mechanics. Maybe your Knicks can take him and let him ball out.. :lol:

triple_threat · Post #77 » by **triple_threat** » Tue May 17, 2022 2:55 am

KembaWalker wrote:trade LeBron for Harden
trade Davis for KD
???
Championship?

Yes Philly takes it for sure

TheLand13 · Post #78 » by **TheLand13** » Tue May 17, 2022 3:04 am

DroseReturnChi wrote:lebron needs to play off the bench and hand over keys instead of stat padding. he can do his thing ps.

I want to see you run a franchise for entertainment purposes.

Post #79 » by **tsherkin** » Tue May 17, 2022 3:17 am

G35 wrote:
tsherkin wrote:
G35 wrote:

How do you know this but Lebron didn't......

Is this a serious question?

Yep...why not. I mean I knew WB wasn't a championship piece when he was still in OKC. But why didn't Lebron know...why are they so many people that NOW say you can't win with WB......

People have been saying this since he was with the Thunder. And Lebron, great as he is at playing the game of basketball, is not a staggering wizard of a GM. Nothing about what he's done has made him seem especially savvy in that regard. Nothing about playing the game of basketball inherently makes you better at organizing intelligent teams. Like, everyone and their mom knew that this was a terrible idea before it happened. Sticking with a mistake just because you have been long in making it isn't smart, and that's what they are doing right now.

Da ThRONe · Post #80 » by **Da ThRONe** » Tue May 17, 2022 3:20 am

Westbrook has always needed a very specific personnel to win in the NBaA playing his style. The Lakers are far from that group. 1st for them to have a snowball chance in hell he'd have to completely change his style. Become a hustler on defense and off ball slasher/secondary player maker on offense. Can't see Russ humbling himself enough to accept a style change. And even if he did the Lakers still don't have the shooting to win a title. Even assuming everyone could stay mostly healthy.