GAME:40 Los Angeles Lakers (12-27) VS Sacramento Kings (13-25) - WIN - 13-27

[RamonSessions7]

It's looking to me like we'll go on a winning streak. And, I'm gonna call it — we'll make the playoffs.

Whoa, we just beat two of the worst teams in the league at home and this one coming off a back to back for the other team. We're still amongst the bottom dwellers currently.

[Kilroy]

Kuz is kinda wack in his postgame interviews... kind of me-me guy.

what do you mean

I'll try to post his interview if I find it online...if they post it. Kind of a weird one.

Was it the one where he dismissed his recent shooting slump by saying he "Can't be Superman all season?"

[TyCobb]

what do you mean

I'll try to post his interview if I find it online...if they post it. Kind of a weird one.

Was it the one where he dismissed his recent shooting slump by saying he "Can't be Superman all season?"

Nah. Last night he said stuff like a lot of guys here look to score so I just tried to play defense and pass and now we're 2-0 because of it type of comment.

[Kilroy]

My brain tells me they're still going to try to trade Randle, but watching this unit play and watching Luke getting after Randle, I started to get a feeling maybe they have decided to move Nance with Clarkson at least for now... Bringing in Jamil Wilson on a 10 day would seem to indicate a big is gone, unless that big was Bogut...
Clarkson seemed pissed tonight, Nance seemed a little subdued... Randle seems more comfortable than he has all season. And this Starting lineup and Lukes Rotations just seem right, now...

But who knows... Like I said, nobody but Ball is truly safe.

I'm guessing Kuzma too. Unless you meant in the starting lineup. Still kinda surprised he lost his job despite how much he's proven himself

No, what I mean is Ingram and Kuzma are virtually untouchable... But if they didn't mesh with PG13 or LeBron, or those guys didn't want them... Or if those guys were ready to come here, and someone made a killer offer for Ingram or Kuz, I could see us trading either of them.
The thing with Kuz is he might have to come to terms with coming off the bench for the long haul... If we do get LeBron and George, there isn't going to be a lot of space in the SL for him. Especially if we keep Ingram...
I'm not sure Kuzma sees himself as a bench player for the future, and I'm not sure he'd be willing to hang out until a Starting spot opened.

Not saying Kuzma is anywhere near the 'Trading Block'... Just that this is a team in flux and we're focusing in flexibility and acquiring stars. In that paradigm, almost anything can happen... I think other than trading Ball.

[Kilroy]

I'll try to post his interview if I find it online...if they post it. Kind of a weird one.

Was it the one where he dismissed his recent shooting slump by saying he "Can't be Superman all season?"

Nah. Last night he said stuff like a lot of guys here look to score so I just tried to play defense and pass and now we're 2-0 because of it type of comment.

Nice... He seems to be getting more comfortable in front of the reporters... In a bad way.

[TyCobb]

Nice... He seems to be getting more comfortable in front of the reporters... In a bad way.

Yeah, he is clearly our media doll. I still can't find it online anywhere. Haha.

I guess we're just gonna have to pretend it didn't happen.

[TyCobb]

Post-game interviews coming up on Lakers channel again... I guess I'll just post the quote myself when they replay his interview lol.

[TyCobb]

"I just feel like a lot of guys are trying to score...so um, you know, making a better effort defensively, playmaking for guys is better for the team you know.. uh score 25 and we have a losing record, you know, I'm passing, playing defense, we're undefeated... well 2-0 at least these past two games so."

[BEazy]

I didn’t see anything wrong with that statement. We all gotta realize Kuz is a rookie, with that said, he’s still learning the ways of the NBA. He’s basically taking a page from Lonzo’s book and trying to impact the game in other ways instead of scoring.

[TyCobb]

People proclaiming him the leader, but really looks out how he comes off himself the most. He's smart and he's already established a relationship with the media.

[Kilroy]

Worst part of it for me is him taking credit for passing and playing better D like he could have done it all along but was focused on scoring... Dude was basically a black hole on offense and one of the worst defenders on the team... Instead of saying he had a lot of room to improve in those areas and wanted to work to get better... He's calling himself the reason for the winning streak.

I have no problem with cockiness, I generally can tune it out... But cocky guys always get their ass handed to them sooner or later, and I wonder how a guy as young as Kuz will deal with that when it happens.

I also am not really crazy about the need by guys like Kuz and Russell before him to start calling themselves the leader of the team without really doing a whole lot to deserve it.

That's what's been the main refreshing aspect of Ball's approach. He knows he's basically the leader now and certain to be the leader in the future but doesn't feel the need to harp on it.

[TyCobb]

I think he's already been humbled and came back down to Earth after that crazy shooting slump. Now... he is focused on contributing in other ways. I think that shows his response to getting his ass handed to him. It's good response (Luke keeps privately challenging him to focus on D), but still a 'pat on my own back' type of answer.

And I wasn't singling out last nights postgame interview like it just started. His interviews have been trending like this. Obviously post-game is a time for self-reflection, but we stop pretending like he is the undisputed leader on the team. It is the guy who is leading by example and approaching conversation team first all the time.

[Kilroy]

I get it, it's a pattern.. Which is why I mentioned the Superman comment, I think from pregame...

He did get humbled but unfortunately talked to Kobe after. I think that's what we're seeing now. It's escalating again.

Can't help wondering if at some point there's going to be some friction between he and Ingram if there isn't already...

I assume Randle will be gone by the deadline, maybe Nance too... And even if Randle isn't gone, I see his starting job just temporary until Kuz improves his Defense. Since that's already happening, I think it's a matter of time before Kuz and Ingram are in the starting lineup together, and so far, those two guys haven't really seemed to mesh that well. Like last game, Randle seems to be trying to force feed both of them to get them going, but they don't really feed each other.
Hopefully his on the court improvements continue and they can get firing at the same time.

[Sushisensei26]

This feels a lot like the "Kobe effect" on Kuzma's personality and the way he carries himself. I started noticing a bit of a change since their meeting. The next interview he gave was the "I am not surprised I am this good".

[Edrees]

"I just feel like a lot of guys are trying to score...so um, you know, making a better effort defensively, playmaking for guys is better for the team you know.. uh score 25 and we have a losing record, you know, I'm passing, playing defense, we're undefeated... well 2-0 at least these past two games so."

He isn't dissing other guys for looking to score, he's dissing himself during the losing streak for being a guy just looking to score.

[JohnVancouver]

Post-game interviews coming up on Lakers channel again... I guess I'll just post the quote myself when they replay his interview lol.

I can't believe you guys down there get to watch something called the "Lakers channel"


G*ddamnit. Been a Canadian Lakers fan almost 50 years and this is the story of my life. When I was in school all I had was the Canadian papers, which only carried the scores, and one game a week on tv. Child abuse

[JohnVancouver]

"I just feel like a lot of guys are trying to score...so um, you know, making a better effort defensively, playmaking for guys is better for the team you know.. uh score 25 and we have a losing record, you know, I'm passing, playing defense, we're undefeated... well 2-0 at least these past two games so."

I'll cut him slack because he's had enormous media attention - look at how the national announcers rave about him - and for a guy who wasn't even supposed to go in the first round, no doubt he's feeling pretty cocky. He'll get over it. As mentioned, usually when you get too full of yourself the universe is rubbing its hands and chuckling ...

[Laker_Kid]

Nice... He seems to be getting more comfortable in front of the reporters... In a bad way.

Yeah, he is clearly our media doll. I still can't find it online anywhere. Haha.

I guess we're just gonna have to pretend it didn't happen.

Watch on YouTube

at around 1:17

[TyCobb]

That was actually post game 41, but yeah he did say something similar in game 40 post game too. I think I mentioned that in 41 thread.