Would you trade rosters with Boston?

[ak7]

Posts like these are why the Lakers franchise is so disliked.
Zubac over Horford.

Remember that laugh.....cause in 2 years Zubac will prob be twice the Center Horford ever was. Your talking about a foreign rookie who got to play 16-minutes for less than half the season vs a 10 year veteran.

Go look at Horford's career numbers. There's a bulk-bin for centers like him. Career 14.3 ppg....8.7 rebounds. I'll take my chances with Zubac over some center I can bake from a box at Costco.

First things first, Zubac will never have a peak year close to Horford's.

He will never post a 10 WS season with under 20% usage (like Horford) in his career because he's half the defender and passer that Horford is.

He will never be the passer down on the block like Horford is.

And finally, even at Horford's worst, he has never posted a negative 2.5 BPM like Zubac did in his "impressive" rookie season.

So please, if you can bake an all-defensive NBA center with elite playmaking skills that can also anchor your defense on a nightly basis while posting 15/8/5/2/1, please do it because the Lakers will need it if Zubac is their center going forward.

Weird that you labeled Horford a "bulk-bin" center. Have you ever watched the NBA or played the game of basketball?

[J_LA]

Never say Never

[soxfan2003]

Celtics fan here so I am admittedly biased but folks on the Celtics forum know I am not in the habit of overrating Celtics talent and being a homer at all.

That being said, I am on record on draft day 2014 before Ainge picked saying my strong preference was for Marcus Smart over Randle. I thought Randle was the better offensive player and had more potential on that end but I believe Smart is the better all around player since he is an impact player on the defensive end. And I see it as Smart as better as the 4th to 5th best player on a championship team than Randle. It really is 3 straight playoffs before this series that Smart has been good when even a player like Avery Bradley has struggled at times.

I won't disagree with the notion that the Lakers may be the higher upside young talent since someone like Ingram could be really good but they do have a couple of long term contracts that are bad so unless I thought one of the Lakers young players was going to be at the Leonard level or above, even taking my green colored glasses off, fairly easy for me to go with Celtics roster especially with Lakers revenue. Maybe a different story with small market revenue stream and ownership unwilling to pay luxury tax but even then I probably take the Celtics roster and just start dealing off players for future picks. And build via the draft.

Lakers revenue (arguably) allows LA to keep IT, Bradley, Smart, KO when their contracts expire even with Horford and his market rate contract on the team. Horford isn't a great big but he is very good and you put Crowder on this years Wolves, I honestly think they would have been fighting for that 8th playoff spot. Crowder who has 3 years left on his below market deal may be a zero upside player but he contributes to winning with his toughness. Rozier/KO are quality rotation players...even though he played very well today....can't honestly say Brown is a quality rotation player right now but he has a chance to be a very good starter. C's have players stashed overseas as well. LA with Boston's cap room could possibly lure another FA star like Blake Griffin to join the team probably better than the Celtics can. Not sure if Griffin would want to be hated by Clippers fans but he wouldn't even have to leave LA. Don't know enough about that dynamic.

Not enough to bridge the gap with Golden State if the Warriors are healthy but perhaps enough to knock them out if one of their 4 all-stars goes down during the playoffs during one of the next 3 seasons.

The huge issue with the Celtics roster is affordability starting in 2018-19 in the sense if the team lets say grabbed Blake Griffin or Hayward for even a modestly below market deal not many teams would have the willingness to spend 160+ million on a team that realistically probably would just be 2nd/3rd best in the WC.

I see a real good chance at the Lakers with this roster being a top 2-5 team in the NBA for a couple of years. I think given that chance if ownership is willing to spend the $$$$$ like the Nets did for a few years, you have to take your chances especially considering KD and Curry do not seem to be built like Lebron when it comes to durability.

[Gek]

Ignoring any future draft picks coming their way or coaching staffs and focusing just on the rosters that led to the 1 seed vs the 3rd worst record, would you rather have the lakers roster over the celtics? Taking into consideration things like age and potential along with current level of play, is it crazy to rather have the lakers lineup?

Stepping back - no homerism and stripping away the teams, I'd take Boston's situation. Let's be real, we have a decent squad, but the Jim Buss years didn't leave us with an ideal situation. Not saying Boston's is... they have Isaiah Thomas as a UFA in 2018 and he'll be expensive to re-sign, and as a small guard not great to re-sign. He's also tough to trade given that and his presumably beloved status as a C. I'd still take a playoff lineup with young talent over ours as that playoff lineup is a few years ahead.

[Gek]

If you include the picks, yes.

If you don't include the picks, no.

But I do love Horford and would trade for him.

The same 30 year old $26 million a year Al Horford who plays for Boston and averages 14 points and 7 rebounds a game Al Horford?

As it currently stands I'd rather stick with Zubac at 1/25 the price.

There are a lot of teams that would win a ring with Horford as a starter and not Zubac given many attributes beyond 14/7, but in our situation - I agree. Horford isn't getting us a championship any sooner than anyone else in the NBA outside the top 3-5 players.

[Kilroy]

Player for player... I'm still sticking with the Lakers roster... I think Boston's punching up right now. I think they've caught people by surprise and are benefiting from that.
But I think our players (not picks) are going to eventually be a lot better than what Boston has.

Smart hate aside, they have good players... I just think the smart money is on ours for the long term.

[Pointgod]

Isiah Thomas just dropped 50+. In a playoff game.