Game 7: Los Angeles Lakers (2-4) @ Minnesota Timberwolves (2-4) - LOSS - 2-5

[ILC]

You will always have a worse +/- when AD plays at your position, and has one of the best +/- in the league this year lol
Use some context this stat means nothing.

That makes zero sense. AD is not playing his position, they play together a ton, which should actually help him to get those numbers up. If he was playing strictly behind AD and less minutes then yeah, but it's the complete opposite.

All people talked about during the summer is how Randle is this perfect fit with AD and their whole team that will make them so much better. Bullcrap

You mind to share the numbers where the Pels or the Lakers are better without Randle?
All I see is positive BPM so if you don't mind to have a good debate, please show me the numbers.
And don't brind the useless +/- numbers where LBJ himself was one the worst last year.

https://stats.nba.com/team/1610612740/onoffcourt-advanced/?Season=2018-19&SeasonType=Regular%20Season&sort=NET_RATING&dir=1

Pels with Randle on the floor: -5.7 pts per 100 possessions
Pels with Randle off the floor: +11.8 net rtg

Literally 17.5pts better without him.

Lakers were 0.2 pts better w/o him, not a big deal, but he was a net negative anyways.

[ILC]

As long as Luke thinks that the key to victory is keeping the team's best defender and second best player on the bench during 4th quarters, and playing Rajon Rondo 31+ mins, the team is going to keep losing.

Walton is not long for that job.

Lakers defense this year:
- with Lonzo on: 115.6 Drtg
- with Lonzo off: 106.7
- with Rondo on: 107.6
- with Rondo off: 115.5

There's also this:

Read on Twitter

Other than the game vs Denver Lonzo has been pretty bad.

Things may very well turn around, but so far Rondo has thoroughly outplayed him, few blunders late aside bc they're not in those games if not for his spark off the bench. Lakers are 8.5 pts better with him on than off the floor.

I still think Lakers best lineup would be Rondo, Lonzo, Ingram, Kuzma, LBJ if LeBron really locked in defensively and moved more offensively allowing Rondo and Ingram to handle more.

[evilpimp972]

That makes zero sense. AD is not playing his position, they play together a ton, which should actually help him to get those numbers up. If he was playing strictly behind AD and less minutes then yeah, but it's the complete opposite.

All people talked about during the summer is how Randle is this perfect fit with AD and their whole team that will make them so much better. Bullcrap

You mind to share the numbers where the Pels or the Lakers are better without Randle?
All I see is positive BPM so if you don't mind to have a good debate, please show me the numbers.
And don't brind the useless +/- numbers where LBJ himself was one the worst last year.

https://stats.nba.com/team/1610612740/onoffcourt-advanced/?Season=2018-19&SeasonType=Regular%20Season&sort=NET_RATING&dir=1

Pels with Randle on the floor: -5.7 pts per 100 possessions
Pels with Randle off the floor: +11.8 net rtg

Literally 17.5pts better without him.

Lakers were 0.2 pts better w/o him, not a big deal, but he was a net negative anyways.

That's what I thought.
Do you realise by your metric, LBJ was behind Love/Green/G.Hill with one of the worst net rtg in the league and he's barely over 0 this year with the lakers? Should we sit Lebron James?
This stat use no context at all, this is a terrible way to judge a player impact. Using ORTG or DRTG on a single player is a TERRIBLE take.
You should just stick to RAPM.

[ILC]

Do you realize LeBron James is an all time great and he was coasting and earned benefit of the doubt with these things in RS?

Do you realize Julius Randle is a nobody yet compared to him and needs to show he has real impact?

Yes, every stat needs context. For example Lonzo has a terrible net rtg so far but you can explain that by injury, inconsistent lineups, getting back in shape etc. Randle is literally in a perfect situation, has the green light to push the ball, shoot, isolate etc and still is a big net negative.

[stan francisco]

Luke is trying out different lineups. LeBron is getting used to a new defense, new teammates. The young bucks have to learn how to play around LeBron.

As soon as rotations settle, it’ll come together. I’d guess the starting lineup he runs with will be:

LB, BI, KK, LBJ, JMG

I wish it could be:

LB, JH, KK, LBJ, JMG

Why? Because Lonzo completely disappears and defers to Ingram way too much when they play together. It’s as if he feels superfluous and disengages. They should head two different lineups, not share the job in one.

This bench will kill come playoffs time:

RR, KCP, LS, BI, MW

Regular season rotations:
PG: LB 24, RR 20, BI 4
SG: JH 28, BI 10, KCP 8
SF: KK 20, LS 16, BI 8, SM 4
PF: LBJ 28, KK 8, BI 6, LS 4
C: JMG 40, KK 4, LBJ 4

It’s obvious, however you juggle this puzzle, that we need depth at center and that there are not enough wing minutes to go around.

Trading KCP and Zubac for a C seems doable. Ingram’s defense is good, but we could use a star center if one could be traded for, like AD.

40 minutes per game for Javale?

Glad the joke was noticed. Makes a stark point, doesn’t it? Which is not so funny.

[Slava]

As long as Luke thinks that the key to victory is keeping the team's best defender and second best player on the bench during 4th quarters, and playing Rajon Rondo 31+ mins, the team is going to keep losing.

Walton is not long for that job.

Lakers defense this year:
- with Lonzo on: 115.6 Drtg
- with Lonzo off: 106.7
- with Rondo on: 107.6
- with Rondo off: 115.5

There's also this:

Read on Twitter

Other than the game vs Denver Lonzo has been pretty bad.

Things may very well turn around, but so far Rondo has thoroughly outplayed him, few blunders late aside bc they're not in those games if not for his spark off the bench. Lakers are 8.5 pts better with him on than off the floor.

I still think Lakers best lineup would be Rondo, Lonzo, Ingram, Kuzma, LBJ if LeBron really locked in defensively and moved more offensively allowing Rondo and Ingram to handle more.

I'd trust the numbers over a whole season than small sample theatre. Last season Lonzo was 3rd amongst PGs in DRPM, Rondo was 39th. Lonzo was playing behind Lopez and Randle while Rondo had Anthony Davis a DPOY candidate on his team. There's really no honest way to convince anyone that Rondo is a better defender than Lonzo.

[tugs]

Anyone else concerned with players' frustrations? Hart mentioning attention to detail, Bron's patience, Kuz voicing out his displeasure with a bench role...

Are expectations that high? Thought they knew this was a process?

[ILC]

As long as Luke thinks that the key to victory is keeping the team's best defender and second best player on the bench during 4th quarters, and playing Rajon Rondo 31+ mins, the team is going to keep losing.

Walton is not long for that job.

Lakers defense this year:
- with Lonzo on: 115.6 Drtg
- with Lonzo off: 106.7
- with Rondo on: 107.6
- with Rondo off: 115.5

There's also this:

Read on Twitter

Other than the game vs Denver Lonzo has been pretty bad.

Things may very well turn around, but so far Rondo has thoroughly outplayed him, few blunders late aside bc they're not in those games if not for his spark off the bench. Lakers are 8.5 pts better with him on than off the floor.

I still think Lakers best lineup would be Rondo, Lonzo, Ingram, Kuzma, LBJ if LeBron really locked in defensively and moved more offensively allowing Rondo and Ingram to handle more.

I'd trust the numbers over a whole season than small sample theatre. Last season Lonzo was 3rd amongst PGs in DRPM, Rondo was 39th. Lonzo was playing behind Lopez and Randle while Rondo had Anthony Davis a DPOY candidate on his team. There's really no honest way to convince anyone that Rondo is a better defender than Lonzo.

And no one said Rondo is a better defender. Team is defending better with him right now. Two different things.

This is also not last season with zero pressure and a nice, cool, young team going out there and having fun. You got LeBron James on your team and things are different now.

[Edrees]

That makes zero sense. AD is not playing his position, they play together a ton, which should actually help him to get those numbers up. If he was playing strictly behind AD and less minutes then yeah, but it's the complete opposite.

All people talked about during the summer is how Randle is this perfect fit with AD and their whole team that will make them so much better. Bullcrap

You mind to share the numbers where the Pels or the Lakers are better without Randle?
All I see is positive BPM so if you don't mind to have a good debate, please show me the numbers.
And don't brind the useless +/- numbers where LBJ himself was one the worst last year.

https://stats.nba.com/team/1610612740/onoffcourt-advanced/?Season=2018-19&SeasonType=Regular%20Season&sort=NET_RATING&dir=1

Pels with Randle on the floor: -5.7 pts per 100 possessions
Pels with Randle off the floor: +11.8 net rtg

Literally 17.5pts better without him.

Lakers were 0.2 pts better w/o him, not a big deal, but he was a net negative anyways.

Might be because randle plays when AD doesn't. Of course pelicans will be worse without AD on the floor.

[JohnVancouver]

Randle plays hard, can run, has handle, good passing, tough defender and rebounder - and he signed for what, $8mil? In retrospect better him than KCP. Though he would have wanted multi years, not one and done like KCP. Whatever, I miss the hell out of him

[stan francisco]

If the last four minutes of the Nuggets game is any indication of what’s to expect from Lonzo more consistently, I’ll happily be patient with him while he warms up for the season.

In ten games or so, a different tune will be sung around here about Lonzo. People need to not expect instant greatness. It’s a process.

But he needs to stop vanishing whenever he shares the floor with Ingram, let it all hang out, demand to be the floor general, call for the ball back from Ingram etc.

If he could only have the same aggressive mindset offensively as he does defensively. That’s part of the process.