Future of the Los Angeles Lakers

[LFAHFN22]

Our visions on how this team should be built vary quite significantly, and ultimately it's only Kupchak's vision that matters, but having been a long time reader of this board, I've always wondered how others would want this team constructed.

For example, I see a lot of praise for Julius Randle and I'm not entirely sure I buy it. Personally, I'd try to move him for a top ten pick in this year's draft if I could. My main concerns with Randle center around his build, and how he fits into the tweener category (who never really work out). Randle is just under 6'8", which isn't a huge concern on its own as there are countless successful power forwards who are in that range; however, those power forwards all have a much longer wingspan than Randle (6'11"). Randle is often compared to Z-Bo given his style of play (along with being a lefty), but Z-Bo has a 7'4"-ish wingspan to help him compensate for his lack of size. I'd like to get on board with Randle as our future power forward, so I'm basically asking what others here see in him.

I often come across people clamoring for Marc Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge, and though both are great players, would signing them really be the right move considering how young the core of this roster is? Jordan Clarkson is 22 and Towns/Okafor are 19,while Randle is 20. Would it make sense to bring in someone who is 30, or would we be better off waiting for someone who is closer to the 25-27 age range, where the acquired player's prime would overlap with our core's? Rajon Rondo falls into the "older player" category as well, and I believe he'd be a horrible fit for just about any team in the entire league. The NBA has evolved far too much to allow a non-shooting point guard to be a viable option. You just can't have a point guard whose perimeter shooting is atrocious, and who converts free throws 60% of the time.

Which leads into another possible scenario. . . If we are unable to land the "right" free agent this year, isn't it very possible that we finish at the bottom of the Western Conference and keep our top-three protected pick next year? Now, I never advocate losing, and absolutely believe that (purposely) losing is suffocating contaminant, but isn't that a very probable outcome, and possibly a positive one, as well? I expect Minnesota to show serious progression, and it's possible that Denver regresses (given their desire to blow it up). That'd, very unfortunately, leave us in the mix for the bottom of the conference. Now, gaining another top-three pick, with Kobe's contract coming off the books, we'd have roughly 13 million on the books at the end of the 2016 season, when the cap is projected to hit approximately 108 million. So, to recap, entering that off-season period, we would have the Bird rights to Jeremy Clarkson, while having Nick Young, Okafor/Towns, Julius Randle, a top-three pick, and roughly 95 million in cap space during a period when countless stars project to hit the market. Not too shabby if you ask me. However, everyone envisions something different for this team. . . What's yours?

[Dr Aki]

For example, I see a lot of praise for Julius Randle and I'm not entirely sure I buy it. Personally, I'd try to move him for a top ten pick in this year's draft if I could. My main concerns with Randle center around his build, and how he fits into the tweener category (who never really work out). Randle is just under 6'8", which isn't a huge concern on its own as there are countless successful power forwards who are in that range; however, those power forwards all have a much longer wingspan than Randle (6'11"). Randle is often compared to Z-Bo given his style of play (along with being a lefty), but Z-Bo has a 7'4"-ish wingspan to help him compensate for his lack of size. I'd like to get on board with Randle as our future power forward, so I'm basically asking what others here see in him.

i agree, i don't buy his hype. sure he's been injured, but he didn't show me a great deal in summer league either, he didn't shoot well, his post-game wasn't overtly encouraging and he's intent on facing up so often, he might as well start playing the 3 and working on his lateral defense and getting a consistent 15-18 footer.

at the moment, he's a classic tweener and not the good kind, but as long as he's able to consistently produce, i think carl landry would be a better comparison than zbo

I often come across people clamoring for Marc Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge, and though both are great players, would signing them really be the right move considering how young the core of this roster is? Jordan Clarkson is 22 and Towns/Okafor are 19,while Randle is 20. Would it make sense to bring in someone who is 30, or would we be better off waiting for someone who is closer to the 25-27 age range, where the acquired player's prime would overlap with our core's? Rajon Rondo falls into the "older player" category as well, and I believe he'd be a horrible fit for just about any team in the entire league. The NBA has evolved far too much to allow a non-shooting point guard to be a viable option. You just can't have a point guard whose perimeter shooting is atrocious, and who converts free throws 60% of the time.

yes, because those players would become the 2nd piece of a pre-requisite big 3 that we'd need to compete in the wild west and would act as a magnet for future marquee FAs.

whether it's this season where kobe and marc gasol + whoever we can swing with clarkson/randle/other picks/salary filler for whatever allstar is unhappy and wants to force their way to the lakers. or if it's next summer once kobe retires and marc gasol + clarkson/randle/okafor will serve to attract kevin durant to tinsletown.

Which leads into another possible scenario. . . If we are unable to land the "right" free agent this year, isn't it very possible that we finish at the bottom of the Western Conference and keep our top-three protected pick next year? Now, I never advocate losing, and absolutely believe that (purposely) losing is suffocating contaminant, but isn't that a very probable outcome, and possibly a positive one, as well? I expect Minnesota to show serious progression, and it's possible that Denver regresses (given their desire to blow it up). That'd, very unfortunately, leave us in the mix for the bottom of the conference. Now, gaining another top-three pick, with Kobe's contract coming off the books, we'd have roughly 13 million on the books at the end of the 2016 season, when the cap is projected to hit approximately 108 million. So, to recap, entering that off-season period, we would have the Bird rights to Jeremy Clarkson, while having Nick Young, Okafor/Towns, Julius Randle, a top-three pick, and roughly 95 million in cap space during a period when countless stars project to hit the market. Not too shabby if you ask me. However, everyone envisions something different for this team. . . What's yours?

2 years out of the playoffs is a record for the lakers (i know, crazy stat right?), and the lakers aren't one to go the route of philadelphia or minnesota and accrue lottery picks that never seem to develop into a proper playoff team.

that said, lebron, durant, anthony davis (RFA) would be the pipedreams in 2016

[Mirjalovic]

Julius Randle is much better than Carl Landry plus i don't think anyone in top 10 beside top 3 picks is better than Randle.

you will see how strong Julius next year and understand why i'm so high on him.

[Laker_Kid]

we will not be bottom 3 next year. i dont even know how you can even think we'd be even worse after how this team played this year. it disgusts me that anyone would even ponder about losing another year.

my hope is we spend our capspace this year as we should. draft one of towns or okafor. kobe plays out his final year. and we find another to take on the reigns along our young core. i pray we make the playoffs in 2 to 3 years time.

[kblo247]

Julius Randle is much better than Carl Landry plus i don't think anyone in top 10 beside top 3 picks is better than Randle.

you will see how strong Julius next year and understand why i'm so high on him.

You're sleeping on Winslow, Mario, and Muiday imo ... It's a 6 team draft barring someone reaching on prgs and wcs

[Mirjalovic]

i like Hezonja and Mudiay, but it's like asking who's better, Manu and Wall or Blake Griffin ? There are no wrong answer.

[LFAHFN22]

i agree, i don't buy his hype. sure he's been injured, but he didn't show me a great deal in summer league either, he didn't shoot well, his post-game wasn't overtly encouraging and he's intent on facing up so often, he might as well start playing the 3 and working on his lateral defense and getting a consistent 15-18 footer.

at the moment, he's a classic tweener and not the good kind, but as long as he's able to consistently produce, i think carl landry would be a better comparison than zbo

When's the last time a small forward-power forward tweener worked out in the NBA? When's the last time a player who was groomed as a power forward at the college level successfully converted to small forward? When's the last time a severely undersized power forward made a huge impact in the NBA? Are you okay with drafting Carl Landry, or even Kenneth Faried, as your ninth overall pick?

yes, because those players would become the 2nd piece of a pre-requisite big 3 that we'd need to compete in the wild west and would act as a magnet for future marquee FAs.

whether it's this season where kobe and marc gasol + whoever we can swing with clarkson/randle/other picks/salary filler for whatever allstar is unhappy and wants to force their way to the lakers. or if it's next summer once kobe retires and marc gasol + clarkson/randle/okafor will serve to attract kevin durant to tinsletown.

I think the Kobe marriage needs to end. . . His time has been up for a while, and he's no longer relevant as far as elite players are concerned. In fact, I personally he's sort of a relic in his style of play given the sort of game the NBA has transitioned into. We can all harp on his raw assist numbers, but that fact of the matter is that he's a true ball stopper in an era that demands ball movement to be successful. The problem with grabbing a 30 year old star is that you're really kind of limiting your window, no? Most of the years after 30 trend the wrong way.

2 years out of the playoffs is a record for the lakers (i know, crazy stat right?), and the lakers aren't one to go the route of philadelphia or minnesota and accrue lottery picks that never seem to develop into a proper playoff team.

that said, lebron, durant, anthony davis (RFA) would be the pipedreams in 2016

I'm not sure that our picks wouldn't develop. In fact, I think we have one of the higher development rates in the entire league, and a lot of that has to do with the patience we have in the development process. Moreover, aside from from the aforementioned players, you also have quite the line up in 2017. Assuming Kobe's body holds up for 70 games next year, and assuming that he somehow adds 7 wins to our win total (by himself alone), who do you realistically believe we'll be better than in the upcoming season, assuming we don't add the "right" free agent?

Julius Randle is much better than Carl Landry plus i don't think anyone in top 10 beside top 3 picks is better than Randle.

you will see how strong Julius next year and understand why i'm so high on him.

There are a lot of players who can end up having better NBA careers than Julius Randle. Having immense strength is great and all, but what's the point if everyone you're going up against is that much longer than you, to the point where blocking you isn't really a difficult chore?

Justise Winslow, Mario Hezonja, Emmanuel Mudiay, Willie Cauley-Stein, and Kelly Oubre are all players who I think can end up having better careers than Julius Randle. Remember, having size at your position is such an important thing, 'cause size is the one thing you can't teach. And by size, I'm obviously talking about length more so than anything.

we will not be bottom 3 next year. i dont even know how you can even think we'd be even worse after how this team played this year. it disgusts me that anyone would even ponder about losing another year.

my hope is we spend our capspace this year as we should. draft one of towns or okafor. kobe plays out his final year. and we find another to take on the reigns along our young core. i pray we make the playoffs in 2 to 3 years time.

I wouldn't be happy with another losing season either, but that's sort of what happens when you fail to get rid of someone one year early rather than two years late. This is why someone like Bill Belichick is so damn successful. In any case, why do you think we won't be bottom three next year? I expect the Wolves, Jazz and Kings to progress more than we do based solely on the development of their young and far more promising talent. The same goes for teams like Philadelphia, Orlando and Detroit as well. This is without acknowledging the fact that New York will almost definitely compromise their future by allocating significant cap space to third tier talent this off season. That, coupled with them being in the Eastern Conference allows more room for a record improvement. If you take the homer goggles off, it's not hard to see that despite being fourth-last this year, two of the three teams behind us have more room for growth (Minnesota, Philadelphia). Minnesota has Martin, Dieng, LaVine, Shabazz, Pekovic, Rubio, Wiggins, and the first overall pick, which is better than what we have or can reasonably accumulate. Philadelphia has Embiid, Covington, and Noel, which may not definitively be better than what we have, but they play in the Eastern Conference and should find wins more often than we do.

[Mirjalovic]

This is why NBA lottery often introduce massive busts. People too obsessed with raw athleticism and measurement. Last season, even at one point Noah Vonleh's stock was higher than Randle's, that's ridiculous. Wingspan could take you to the sky, but then again, in NBA you need real skills and talent. Tell that to Hasheem Thaabet.

C'mon now, Oubre will have better career than Randle ? Randle is not only strong, but he's one of the quickest 4, has decent handle, has decent vertical jump, can rebound, can finish through contact, can shoot midrange and occasionaly trey, not a liability on FT line.

the only knock for him, he is not a shot blocker. so what ? He still quick enough to guard every PF in the NBA, still can be taught decent defensive system and positioning.

LOL Oubre

[LFAHFN22]

Obviously length is not the be all and end all of success in the NBA, but it's definitely one of the better foundations to have. The problem with players like Vonleh and Thabeet is that they have absolutely no feel for the game, evidenced by a simple eye test. Randle might have a great deal of versatility on the offensive, but you'll be pressed to find a starting power forward who he'll be able to stop. Aside from strength, is there anything you mentioned that people didn't say about. . . Say. . . Derrick Williams? He had a similar college career to Anthony Bennett, and a lot of those positives were once listed about him. Terrence Jones is another player that comes to mind. Ultimately, as I once read on this board, Randle might just be our Lamar Odom replacement (a Lite version), which isn't bad at all. But do you really want that to be the ceiling of your 9th overall pick? I say if Randle, the 27th and the 34th can get us New York's 4th, you do that in a heartbeat.

I'm not sure why you're laughing at Oubre. Oubre reminds me a lot of Paul George when he was coming out of college. They both have really good length, good athleticism and fluidity, an NBA ready shot (Oubre's is better coming out of college), and a tenacity on the defensive end. Paul George had question marks with his build and handle coming into the NBA, and those are the same question marks I'd put on Oubre. I'm not saying he'll be Paul George. . . I'm saying he has a good foundation to build on.

[Mirjalovic]

Derrick Williams, Anthony Bennett and Terrence Jones are different from Randle. They are stretch 4 that can't play inside consistently. Randle is a versatile and skilled bruiser. Rare combination.

and what's wrong about being Lamar Odom ? We can't win **** without him and lite version ? how do you know Randle is Odom's poorman ?

[AdonisDeMarion]

I don't agree with bringing in talent above 25, I want a total youth movement.

I want a young starting Small Forward and Shooting Guard. I say let Hill walk if we can't trade him( rather get a late first or 2 second rounders) I want Davis and Black to return.

This year isn't about hitting a Homer run, we need to build a young foundation so they can not only grow together but also be in place with good chemistry already going so the next off season when the cap goes boom, we can have our stars then.

Think about it we have 3 draft picks, Bryant should be the only elder on the team. He's the only on making double figures on the team. We have ample cap space and even more next off season so let do things right we always had a quick fix but I'm digging this rebuild

[Luciferswings]

Barring some kind of miracle max free agent home run, which I think is unlikely, the Lakers are best served spending about 10 mill a year on a wing like D.Green or D.Carroll, and stealing a few underrated players for cheap (guys like Baynes and C.Joseph for instance would be fairly cheap and very useful, and the Spurs can't keep them if they're signing big names). Assumedly you'll take Okafor, so that gives you a decent young core to build around. You let Kobe go on retirement tour next season, even if you have to push him into it, and you start the new era in 2017 with a goal of adding a max free agent and some complimentary pieces in the 2016 offseason, then try to make the playoffs in 2017.

[The Prodigy]

There are some valid concerns about Randle but I don't know where you're getting your measurements from. Randle measured 6'9" at the combine with a 7' wingspan. Not impressive by any means but not anything to be overly concerned about either.

Further, just because he's more of a face up player, doesn't necessarily make him a tweener. Face up power forwards are becoming the norm in today's NBA. Randle's combination of quickness, strength, ball handling and body control should serve him well playing that role. It will be imperative for him to develop a mid range jumper to complement his other skills. He has solid form and showed flashed in preseason but he'll need to continue working on it.

I'd be open to trading him, especially if we draft Okafor, but it's not because I'm not optimistic about him.

[magicbesteva]

lol did Randle just get compared to Derrick Williams Bennett and Terrance Jones? Derrick Williams had no offensive skills. He was just a man in the college game. His athleticism n potential got him picked number two. His skills n feel for the game are nowhere near close to Randles.
I know it's easy to fall into the same group as everyone else because people are starting to forget how good he was playing. People are forgetting how skilled Randle is. The guy is going to be special. Comparing him to Z-Bo is a bad comparison. I think he's going to be better. If the Lakers don't get a pf in Free Agency I expect him to average 18pts and 8rebs

[The Prodigy]

lol did Randle just get compared to Derrick Williams Bennett and Terrance Jones? Derrick Williams had no offensive skills. He was just a man in the college game. His athleticism n potential got him picked number two. His skills n feel for the game are nowhere near close to Randles.
I know it's easy to fall into the same group as everyone else because people are starting to forget how good he was playing. People are forgetting how skilled Randle is. The guy is going to be special. Comparing him to Z-Bo is a bad comparison. I think he's going to be better. If the Lakers don't get a pf in Free Agency I expect him to average 18pts and 8rebs

This is where people get ahead of themselves. I agree that the Randolph comparison is bad, but because they are different players, not because Randle is a lock to be better. Randolph is a proven all star in this league, whereas Randle has an NBA preseason under his belt. We should consider ourselves lucky if Randle comes close to Memphis Randoplh.

[Mirjalovic]

We are so lucky to get a top 3 2014 prospect in 7th pick.

[Dr Aki]

We are so lucky to get a top 3 2014 prospect in 7th pick.

lol, no way he was/is a better prospect than embiid, wiggins and jabari

[Mirjalovic]

We are so lucky to get a top 3 2014 prospect in 7th pick.

lol, no way he was/is a better prospect than embiid, wiggins and jabari

top 3.. he is probably not better, but definetely in the same league with them.

[TylersLakers]

If you can get a pick in the 1-5 range, you trade Randle. If not, he stays. I wouldn't take any player in the 6-10 range over him. No way.

[Vaylen]

I'm not a huge fan of Randle. And I would be willing to trade him for a good young PG or SF. But there is NO WAY the Lakers are going to be in the top 3 picks next year. Just accept the fact that their #1 pick is GONE next year. Thank you Mr. Nash.