Sixerscan wrote:Kobblehead wrote:Would be pretty cool to see the Lakers be the first modern NBA team to run a 3-2 zone defense.
Ball, Russell and Ingram all have great length but all of them lack the size and strength to actually defend anyone, man-up.
It'd be cool in that they would lose a lot of basketball games and we would get a sweet pick.
Naaa. You don't want them to get that.
If the Lakers get Lonzo Ball, they're not going to just sit there and lose, knowing they owe the 76ers their pick in 2018. They'll just trade Brandon Ingram and Julius Randle to the Pacers to get Paul George a year early, since the Pacers know he intends to sign with the Lakers anyway. And even after acquiring a Paul George, they'll still likely have close to 20 million available under the salary cap. The Lakers aren't going to play a lineup of all-under 23 year olds in a year that they don't own their pick. They'll easily be able to field a team of Lonzo Ball, D'angelo Russell, Paul George, Larry Nance, plus a good Free agent.
Point is, the Lakers getting to keep that pick one more season opens up easy possibilities for them to get significantly better next year. Without much effort from the new front office. And they won't have the incentive to do another undercover tank, like they've done the last 3 years, because they know they don't have the pick.
