The LeBron James All-NBA (2nd) and Luka Doncic - 24-25 Thread

[zimpy27]

Hayes has been completely pointless tonight. I was hoping JJ wouldn't give him a second shift.

Also hard to justify Knecht as a rotation player if he's not making shots. His defense is comically bad.

Yeah Knecht is limited without defense or playmaking right now for the Lakers.
He's going to be most useful if he has positional size and defense at the 2 to go along with his shooting.
But he's not there yet, I'd be trading him for value if were the Lakers.

[IG2]

LeBron never looked engaged in this game. Awful defense and no aggression on offense. +/- isn't everything but he was the only starter heavily in the negatives while everybody else was a plus. Easily his worst game since returning.

On the plus side, DFS doing what he was signed for. JJ had a quick hook for Rui early 3rd qtr and replaced him with DFS. Only a matter of time until he becomes a starter.

[nzahir]

Why did Christie not call a TO there? That's the game.

JJ shouldnt be putting Max in that spot....thats not his strong suit

I dont like when Max has to do too much or tries to do too much

Stick to playing good defense, set good picks and finish layups/dunks as a roll man, knock down open 3s, hit your fts, and once in a while fake the 3 and drive

I think tonight sealed the deal for showing us why we need a better C than Hayes/Koloko

Knecht may not be ready to really contribute yet in the playoffs in a legit role as the 8th/9th man

Currently we got 5-6 playoff rotation guys:
AD, Bron, AR, DFS, Max, Rui??

Need 8 guys

So 2-3 more on top of what we got

[jalengreen]

The hayes v adams backup 5 mismatch was so terribly apparent

[trickshot]

The hayes v adams backup 5 mismatch was so terribly apparent

sigh. que sera sera

[zimpy27]

LeBron never looked engaged in this game. Awful defense and no aggression on offense. +/- isn't everything but he was the only starter heavily in the negatives while everybody else was a plus. Easily his worst game since returning.

On the plus side, DFS doing what he was signed for. JJ had a quick hook for Rui early 3rd qtr and replaced him with DFS. Only a matter of times until he becomes a starter.

Yeah I think Reaves, Christie, DFS, LeBron, Davis will be the lineup very soon.

I could see Rui being moved on if he can't improve his rebounding intensity on both ends. He's made strides on offense but defense is still an issue, he seems very offense orientated, like he can only give energy to offense. It's a problem.

Rui-Vando-Wood as a 3-5 might fix this up, gives a lot more size by keeping Rui as a 3 in a backup role.

Theoretically, this is a team that does not lack size: Reaves, Christie, DFS, LeBron, Davis -- Gabe, Knecht, Rui, Vando, Wood
The real issue is a lack of playmaking and the lack of defense of Knecht+Rui when at full strength, and the lack of helath for Vando and Wood so far.

[dcstanley]

The hayes v adams backup 5 mismatch was so terribly apparent

Those Hayes minutes at the start of the fourth were abhorrent. Lakers need a viable C or even PF off the bench in the worst way. Kessler would be a miracle.

[nzahir]

The hayes v adams backup 5 mismatch was so terribly apparent

sigh. que sera sera

And Rui had 1 rebound....crazy

1 more month before the deadline

My real worry is Pelinka and Jeanie cheap out like usual and dont really make a big move or two and settle for a smaller move or 2

For ex we just add someone like Nick Richards or JOnas and call it a day and say the additions of Vando and Gabe (1 would go if its Jonas) playing better are enough

Its got to be add 2 guys and keep Rui or its add 3 guys if Rui is gone

We have a solid base and foundation, I just hope these morons in charge understand that

[Tracymcgoaty]

Lebrons +/- are bad because he's expected to carry the second unit. He just cant do that anymore. Not for an extensive period anyway.

I seriously wonder what his +/- looks like this season whenever he plays with the second unit.

[nzahir]

Lebrons +/- are bad because he's expected to carry the second unit. He just cant do that anymore. Not for an extensive period anyway.

I seriously wonder what his +/- looks like this season whenever he plays with the second unit.

Need another ball handler out there with him

The DFS deal at least gave me some hope Pelinka is looking at the right spots

Hard to find a 2 way guard though with no flaws

Lonzo and Brogdon both have injury concerns. Think Brogdon got hurt again

Any underrated names we arent thinking of/seeing?

DJM is the buy low target, but I doubt NOLA wants to sell him this low

[Tracymcgoaty]

Lebrons +/- are bad because he's expected to carry the second unit. He just cant do that anymore. Not for an extensive period anyway.

I seriously wonder what his +/- looks like this season whenever he plays with the second unit.

Need another ball handler out there with him

The DFS deal at least gave me some hope Pelinka is looking at the right spots

Hard to find a 2 way guard though with no flaws

Lonzo and Brogdon both have injury concerns. Think Brogdon got hurt again

Any underrated names we arent thinking of/seeing?

DJM is the buy low target, but I doubt NOLA wants to sell him this low

Look for Dennis to be dealt by the warriors

[zimpy27]

Lebrons +/- are bad because he's expected to carry the second unit. He just cant do that anymore. Not for an extensive period anyway.

I seriously wonder what his +/- looks like this season whenever he plays with the second unit.

It's actually been lineups with Knecht that he's struggled. They just don't seem to mesh.

LeBron isn't defending hard and I think Knecht makes that worse being out there with him.
Main reason I think Knecht should be traded for value.

[Tracymcgoaty]

Lebrons +/- are bad because he's expected to carry the second unit. He just cant do that anymore. Not for an extensive period anyway.

I seriously wonder what his +/- looks like this season whenever he plays with the second unit.

It's actually been lineups with Knecht that he's struggled. They just don't seem to mesh.

LeBron isn't defending hard and I think Knecht makes that worse being out there with him.
Main reason I think Knecht should be traded for value.

Im still optimistic that Knecht will turn out good in the end for us. Dont even know what value you could get for him right now. His stock is probably at the bottom right now. But i think next year we'll see a different level player. once he gets a full off season to train. He's honestly got all the makings of a bucket getter coming off the bench. He's more than a shooter.

[dcstanley]

Lebrons +/- are bad because he's expected to carry the second unit. He just cant do that anymore. Not for an extensive period anyway.

I seriously wonder what his +/- looks like this season whenever he plays with the second unit.

Need another ball handler out there with him

The DFS deal at least gave me some hope Pelinka is looking at the right spots

Hard to find a 2 way guard though with no flaws

Lonzo and Brogdon both have injury concerns. Think Brogdon got hurt again

Any underrated names we arent thinking of/seeing?

DJM is the buy low target, but I doubt NOLA wants to sell him this low

I'm warming up to swinging for Ingram and Kessler.

AR/Max/Ingram/LBJ/AD
DFS/Kessler
Reddish/Wood/Knecht

Basically have 7 guys you can trust in the playoffs, maybe 8 if Wood gets healthy. Wood can be a reasonable facsimile of Rui if he returns in shape this season.

Max, Kessler, DFS, and AD are all two way guys. Ingram might be a one-way player but he's at least an all-star level talent. He has the tools to be a solid defender with a reduced offensive role.

[Tracymcgoaty]

Lebrons +/- are bad because he's expected to carry the second unit. He just cant do that anymore. Not for an extensive period anyway.

I seriously wonder what his +/- looks like this season whenever he plays with the second unit.

Need another ball handler out there with him

The DFS deal at least gave me some hope Pelinka is looking at the right spots

Hard to find a 2 way guard though with no flaws

Lonzo and Brogdon both have injury concerns. Think Brogdon got hurt again

Any underrated names we arent thinking of/seeing?

DJM is the buy low target, but I doubt NOLA wants to sell him this low

I'm warming up to swinging for Ingram and Kessler.

AR/Max/Ingram/LBJ/AD
DFS/Kessler
Reddish/Wood/Knecht

Basically have 7 guys you can trust in the playoffs, maybe 8 if Wood gets healthy. Wood can be a reasonable facsimile of Rui if he returns in shape this season.

Max, Kessler, DFS, and AD are all two way guys. Ingram might be a one-way player but he's at least an all-star level talent. He has the tools to be a solid defender with a reduced offensive role.

Ingram and Kessler? How would that work?

[nzahir]

Lebrons +/- are bad because he's expected to carry the second unit. He just cant do that anymore. Not for an extensive period anyway.

I seriously wonder what his +/- looks like this season whenever he plays with the second unit.

It's actually been lineups with Knecht that he's struggled. They just don't seem to mesh.

LeBron isn't defending hard and I think Knecht makes that worse being out there with him.
Main reason I think Knecht should be traded for value.

Im still optimistic that Knecht will turn out good in the end for us. Dont even know what value you could get for him right now. His stock is probably at the bottom right now. But i think next year we'll see a different level player. once he gets a full off season to train. He's honestly got all the makings of a bucket getter coming off the bench. He's more than a shooter.

We arent gonna trade Knecht for an old vet

So if its in any deal, its gonna be for a young guy like Kessler or in a deal as the main player in a package for an all star type of guy like Fox/KD

Knecht is worth more than a 1st though imo

Hes still a rookie, took Cam Johnson 1-2 years (even as an older rookie) to really get going

[zimpy27]

Need another ball handler out there with him

The DFS deal at least gave me some hope Pelinka is looking at the right spots

Hard to find a 2 way guard though with no flaws

Lonzo and Brogdon both have injury concerns. Think Brogdon got hurt again

Any underrated names we arent thinking of/seeing?

DJM is the buy low target, but I doubt NOLA wants to sell him this low

I'm warming up to swinging for Ingram and Kessler.

AR/Max/Ingram/LBJ/AD
DFS/Kessler
Reddish/Wood/Knecht

Basically have 7 guys you can trust in the playoffs, maybe 8 if Wood gets healthy. Wood can be a reasonable facsimile of Rui if he returns in shape this season.

Max, Kessler, DFS, and AD are all two way guys. Ingram might be a one-way player but he's at least an all-star level talent. He has the tools to be a solid defender with a reduced offensive role.

Ingram and Kessler? How would that work?

I'm cool with Ingram but Kessler would be a mistake.
But I'm interested in why it's a no for DeMar but a yes for Ingram?

DeMar has had better impact stats than Ingram for every season, including this one.
DeMar has shown positive impact stats with Raptors, Spurs, Bulls and now Kings (roughly in the 50th to 80th best range every year the past 5 seasons). He's a reliable impact player and I'd bet he'd be the same on the Lakers.

He got a bad rep because he was played as a number 1 option, when he's really a 3rd option. He's also paid cheaply now.

[EmpireFalls]

Skip just got taken down in a lawsuit for sexual harassment so even despite the loss, it’s a win for LeBron tonight

[nzahir]

I'm warming up to swinging for Ingram and Kessler.

AR/Max/Ingram/LBJ/AD
DFS/Kessler
Reddish/Wood/Knecht

Basically have 7 guys you can trust in the playoffs, maybe 8 if Wood gets healthy. Wood can be a reasonable facsimile of Rui if he returns in shape this season.

Max, Kessler, DFS, and AD are all two way guys. Ingram might be a one-way player but he's at least an all-star level talent. He has the tools to be a solid defender with a reduced offensive role.

Ingram and Kessler? How would that work?

I'm cool with Ingram but Kessler would be a mistake.
But I'm interested in why it's a no for DeMar but a yes for Ingram?

DeMar has had better impact stats than Ingram for every season, including this one.
DeMar has shown positive impact stats with Raptors, Spurs, Bulls and now Kings (roughly in the 50th to 80th best range every year the past 5 seasons). He's a reliable impact player and I'd bet he'd be the same on the Lakers.

He got a bad rep because he was played as a number 1 option, when he's really a 3rd option. He's also paid cheaply now.

Demar shoots less 3s and is a worse shooter

He and BI are both bad defenders, but BI has the higher ceiling there

The big concern with BI or Demar is it likely means moving Rui, who has been a good floor spacer

Makes it harder to play AD and C, unless that C is a guy like Myles Turner

If we get Turner and Demar, that would be interesting. 43ishM comvined. Rui, Vando, Vincent are almost 39. Put JHS and a minimum and it would work. Sac gets Rui, no picks back for them. Indi gets 1 unprotected 1st and a lotto protected 1st/swap back+ salaries

Reaves, Christie, DFS, Bron, AD
Milton? Knecht, Demar, Wood? Turner

Not bad, but still some holes and a lot of shuffling. Demar is that #3 ball handler though here. Maybe try and get Keon Ellis as well and give Sac some 2nds

[zimpy27]

Ingram and Kessler? How would that work?

I'm cool with Ingram but Kessler would be a mistake.
But I'm interested in why it's a no for DeMar but a yes for Ingram?

DeMar has had better impact stats than Ingram for every season, including this one.
DeMar has shown positive impact stats with Raptors, Spurs, Bulls and now Kings (roughly in the 50th to 80th best range every year the past 5 seasons). He's a reliable impact player and I'd bet he'd be the same on the Lakers.

He got a bad rep because he was played as a number 1 option, when he's really a 3rd option. He's also paid cheaply now.

Demar shoots less 3s and is a worse shooter

He and BI are both bad defenders, but BI has the higher ceiling there

The big concern with BI or Demar is it likely means moving Rui, who has been a good floor spacer

Makes it harder to play AD and C, unless that C is a guy like Myles Turner

If we get Turner and Demar, that would be interesting. 43ishM comvined. Rui, Vando, Vincent are almost 39. Put JHS and a minimum and it would work. Sac gets Rui, no picks back for them. Indi gets 1 unprotected 1st and a lotto protected 1st/swap back+ salaries

Reaves, Christie, DFS, Bron, AD
Milton? Knecht, Demar, Wood? Turner

Not bad, but still some holes and a lot of shuffling. Demar is that #3 ball handler though here. Maybe try and get Keon Ellis as well and give Sac some 2nds

I think the Turner dream is dead, yes he'd be amazing but that deal needed to be done in 2022 offseason.

DeMar shoots very well, better than BI. DeMar just doesn't shoot well beyond arc but from FT line out to 3 he's at nearly 50%. Which is Jordan numbers.

He still stretches the floor because you can't let him get to his spots or you'll foul him.

He's a very talented offensive player, he loses marks on defense is all but not as many as Rui does.

Reddish, DeMar, Vando, Wood as a bench is solid.