Laker Thread

[threesox84]

I don't sense a great deal of enthusiasm for basketball on this board, but with more and more LA fans coming back online in the years to come I hope that might change. Either way I thought an *official* Laker thread might be in order. If such a thread already exists and is just buried (I couldn't find one) please feel free to merge, MODS.

Now that all said -- HOLY CRAP Lonzo Ball looks good. It seems like he's just as good at basketball as his Dad is at bloviating, which says a lot.

 

[FaulkSF]

Wish I would have seen last night's game, but his stat line looked very promising and a good reason for the Lakers and their fans to be excited.

 

[Dieter the Brock]

All Laker talk has been confined to the "Lavar Ball's Dad is an Idiot" thread in General Sports Talk

But yes an official Laker thread is needed

 

[Memento]

Technically, this fits better on General Sports. There's some basketball threads there.

I'm actually not a fan of any team. It's more the players that get me interested in professional basketball. Jordan Clarkson and DeMarre Carroll are Mizzou grads, so I'll always cheer for them, wherever they go. Jimmy Butler's story is compelling and got me to root for the guy. Porzingis is getting a raw deal with the Knicks, first with draft night wanting to prove his worth, then with Phil Jackson's idiocy. I badly want him to go to a contender. The Greek Freak is a highlight reel waiting to happen, so I like watching him.

I'd say more, but it would be pointless rambling.

 

[threesox84]

Thanks for moving this to the appropriate spot, mods! Still getting my ROD sea legs here.

 

[Selassie I]

I used to be a Laker Fan. That started to change when Orlando got the Magic... it completely changed when Shaq and the NBA made sure the Lakers stayed on top.

So... I do notice what's going on.

I'll just say this. Summer League games are a far cry from the real thing. Hell, I even managed to make it onto the court some years back in the Summer League here in Orlando. I was a ref though LOL. But my point is... don't get too excited yet. The Lakers might win as many games as my Magic next season.

 

[FaulkSF]

Get Lonzo on the court and he's trouble. Last night fucked around...

 

[threesox84]

Get Lonzo on the court and he's trouble. Last night fucked around...

...and ate a double-double? I'm not good with lyrics.

 

[threesox84]

I used to be a Laker Fan. That started to change when Orlando got the Magic... it completely changed when Shaq and the NBA made sure the Lakers stayed on top.

So... I do notice what's going on.

I'll just say this. Summer League games are a far cry from the real thing. Hell, I even managed to make it onto the court some years back in the Summer League here in Orlando. I was a ref though LOL. But my point is... don't get too excited yet.

Oh I'm fully aware. I've been watching summer league games for about 12 years now. An old middle-school friend of mine was actually good enough to make the Laker summer league team in like 2005 or 2006. After I got my first taste of basketball in July I've been hooked ever since.

In any case, Lonzo's skillset seems like the kind that will translate from this level to the next. He's a lot more impressive to me at this level than Randle, Ingram, Russell, Clarkson etc. were. Anyway, who knows. Still exciting.

The Lakers might win as many games as my Magic next season.

They might win less! Will still probably be fun to watch, though.

 

[threesox84]

All Laker talk has been confined to the "Lavar Ball's Dad is an Idiot" thread in General Sports Talk

But yes an official Laker thread is needed

I was convinced that LaVar Ball was an idiot until he won Magic Johnson over and started towing (toeing?) the company line afterwards. I don't see him posing much of a problem for the Lakers at all.

I think he's just a marketer and has settled on a WWF-style approach.

 

[threesox84]

Wish I would have seen last night's game, but his stat line looked very promising and a good reason for the Lakers and their fans to be excited.

His passing is old news by this point. I think the best way to describe it is as being as good as advertised.

It's everything else that really impresses me. His shot looks so funky when he releases it but it hits the rim softly with a nice arc. He's thrown up some ugly bricks but most of his misses are pretty soft shots that you can see falling in the future.

His defense is also really good. He gets beaten one-on-one (like literally every other basketball player ever) but he's rarely out of position. His court vision on offense also seems to translate to a few steals per game on defense, too.

Looks good so far.

 

[threesox84]

I used to be a Laker Fan. That started to change when Orlando got the Magic... it completely changed when Shaq and the NBA made sure the Lakers stayed on top.

So... I do notice what's going on.

I'll just say this. Summer League games are a far cry from the real thing. Hell, I even managed to make it onto the court some years back in the Summer League here in Orlando. I was a ref though LOL. But my point is... don't get too excited yet. The Lakers might win as many games as my Magic next season.

Btw I'm a huge fan of '70s-era dub Reggae. Might you also be similarly inclined?

 

[Selassie I]

Btw I'm a huge fan of '70s-era dub Reggae. Might you also be similarly inclined?

You obviously don't spend any time in the Song Of The Day thread. LOL

Oh... I may have posted several hundred Reggae songs there (both young and old).

 

[threesox84]

You obviously don't spend any time in the Song Of The Day thread. LOL

Oh... I may have posted several hundred Reggae songs there (both young and old).

Guilty as charged.

 

[Boston Ram]

"Laker Thread"??!!! Talk about segregation lol. Lakers won like 15 games last year, hardly qualifies them to have their own thread.

Only good thing about the Lakers is that Celtics own their pick next year if it falls in the 2-5 range. So when the Lakers and Nets tank the Celtics could have picks 1 and 2 next year after losing to Golden State in the NBA Finals....

 

[threesox84]

Only good thing about the Lakers is that Celtics own their pick next year if it falls in the 2-5 range.

Big deal. Chances are that even if the Septics get our pick Granny Age will just trade it for a bunch of picks in the early-2020s and another six or seven small forwards.

 

[Boston Ram]

Big deal. Chances are that even if the Septics get our pick Granny Age will just trade it for a bunch of picks in the early-2020s and another six or seven small forwards.

Next years draft is full of bigs at the top

 

[RamFan503]

The Lakers had what? Four picks in the top 45? And none of them picked by Mitch. The youth movement has begun in earnest.

It will be interesting to watch and possibly the team to watch two or three years down the road.

Meanwhile, the leprechauns will mire in also ran land of the East.

Go Lakers!

 

[FaulkSF]

If the Lakers can stay healthy they'll be a 30 win team this year. They have been upgraded at the PG, SG, SF (Ingram looks much more mature and confident), and C positions this year plus a deeper bench with Hart and Kuzma.

Next piece to upgrade would be a defensive minded coach.

 

[Merlin]

I don't think the Lakers have the leadership to get back and stay on top nowadays. I loved the Ingram pick last year, and I loved seeing them dish that piece of crap Russell to the Nets. I think Ball is going to play well at this level too. Even like their head coach. But their ownership on down isn't good enough or aligned the way it needs to be for success.

It's a shame too. This organization has a long way to go to climb out of this hole IMO and it ain't gonna happen without serious changes at the top.