Lakers mailbag: Looking at what Mike Brown might bring as head coach
This is the first edition of Lakers mailbag where I'll answer questions Laker fans email me every week. Here's how the drill is going to work: Email me your question to the address marked at the bottom of the post with at least your full name and city of residency. If you're concerned with having your name being put out on the Web, that's fine. We'll go with the first name. But either way, send me your questions and I'll consider it for a mailbag every Friday. Hopefully this becomes a regular staple at the Lakers blog, but the success mostly hinges on your questions.
I'll also carry my pledge and engage more in the thread discussions, particularly since there won't be any practices or games to cover. So hopefully this is the first of many good mailbag posts. Without further ado, here are questions from this week's mailbag, all of them naturally pertaining to newly hired Lakers Coach Mike Brown.
1. Now that he’s in LA, with a whole squad of talent, what offense will [Brown] take? Will he keep the triangle or go for something else? What can we look forward to? -- Peter Chisom, Goleta, Calif.
It didn't take too long for that question to pop up in Brown's introductory press conference and he made it very clear the offense will look different. Though Brown said he'll still run "bits and pieces" of the triangle, it's going to look nothing like the sets Phil Jackson ran with the Lakers. Brown specifically mentioned three areas he wanted the Lakers to perfect, including "attacking the clock," "paint touches," and "spacing." Out of those three concepts, Brown wants the Lakers' offense to get the ball set in their offense in the first three or four seconds on the shot clock so there's more time to actually run the offense. He wants the Lakers to run constant ball reversals to throw the defense off balance and so that they fully utilize their inside-out game. And he wants the Lakers to have proper spacing so that there's floor balance.
Specifically regarding the inside game, Brown plans to draw from his experience as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs' 2003 championship team that featured getting the ball to David Robinson and Tim Duncan more in the post instead of the blocks and on more pick-and-roll action. Brown believes if the Lakers apply those concepts to Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, it'll be harder for opponents to throw double teams at the frontline and push them out of the lane. Still, Brown made it clear regarding Kobe Bryant that "this is his team" and that his teammates need to find ways to make sure he has open looks in what he calls his "sweet spots." Brown's ideas all sound good in theory, but with Bynum's insistence on having a bigger role, Bryant immediately saying Bynum needs to "fall in line," and Gasol presumably having a better performance next season, the success of Brown's plan will hinge on how he gets everyone to buy into it.
2. To gain athleticism, speed, and youth, and consistency in the roster, at what positions do you see the biggest need for an upgrade? -- Gonz
As much as everyone would love to see the Lakers get Dwight Howard, it'd actually be better for them to see if they can land success in next year's free-agency class by acquiring Deron Williams or Chris Paul. But with the Lakers coming off a season that consisted of a $91-million payroll, there's really not much the Lakers can do unless they suddenly want to trade their core away. Lakers guard Shannon Brown remained adamant during his exit interview that he hasn't decided how he will exercise his $2.37-million option. But should he opt out, it's understandable if the Lakers don't feel as inclined to try to get him back as they did last year, considering his season-wide inconsistency. I'll leave the reporting aspect of free agency to my colleagues Mike Bresnahan and Broderick Turner, but the Daily News recently provided a good list of free-agent guards along with their 2010-2011 salary, including Mavericks guard J.J. Barea (1.81 million), Suns guard Aaron Brooks ($2.016 million), Utah's Ronnie Price ($1.38 million) and Minnesota's Sebastian Telfair ($2.7 million).
Whether or not the Lakers make any changes to their roster, it's indisputable that Derek Fisher's role will change since the Lakers are deviating from triangle. I believe his relationship with Bryant will prove more valuable because it's unclear how Brown will manage him, but there's no doubt his declining speed and athleticism will prove harder to compensate for in the new offense. That's why it's important Steve Blake provide the playmaking role he lacked last year, Brown provide more than just dunks should he return and Devin Ebanks learn the shooting guard position. The Lakers have a team option on Ebanks, but he indicated in his exit interview that he was told to work at that spot for next season.
I was wondering how the coaching change effects Lamar Odom's role? Does Brown have a history of going big? Is there a possibility that Lamar starts and Artest's minutes get reduced? Or moved to the two? Backing up Lamar or Kobe? -- Joseph
No one in the media asked Brown that question so it'd be unfair to speculate. But considering there was lots of ground to cover such as his overall coaching philosophy, who he's talked to on the team and history with Cleveland, that issue was understandably put on the back burner. I could see Artest's minutes get reduced, but only because Matt Barnes and Devin Ebanks will be presumably more healthy next season. As enticing as it is to see a Triple Tower lineup featuring Bynum, Gasol and Odom, the Lakers' Game 3 performance showed that really exposed the Lakers on transition defense and closing out on the perimeter. Considering Brown has emphasized defense as his top priority, I'd highly doubt he'd have Artest, the team's best lockdown and perimeter, come off the bench.
--Mark Medina
E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com
Photo: Lakers Coach Mike Brown has a big learning curve ahead of him if he wants to blend into the L.A. scene. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times / May 31, 2011
Photo: Lakers Coach Mike Brown shares a laugh with some acquaintances following a news conference in El Segundo on Tuesday. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times / May 31, 2011
@LTLF ... “Trade Pau + Caracter or Ebanks for Kirk Hinrich and Josh Smith.” Sorry but I do not like this trade at all. I don’t think Josh Smith has an ounce of basketball intelligence and Kirk Hinrich is not our solution at point guard. I wouldn’t trade Pau for anybody but CP3 or DWill.
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@BAY TO LA ... Understand what you are saying about the risk of injury with respect to Drew but to me the chances that Drew will be able to stay healthy next year look far better to me than the chances that Pau is going to be able to raise his game back up to his previous level. Right now, he is a marked man as far as other teams go and after his playoff collapse, the physicality is only going to increase. Looking at the situation from that point of view says that Drew is likely to be more reliable.
...
Finally, when you consider trading Drew or Pau, you need to consider the fact that we have a great power forward on the bench in Lamar Odom who can step right in and replace Pau as our starting power forward. If we trade Drew for anybody other than Dwight, then you have to face the reality that Pau Gasol would be our starting center. That will just not work for a team that wants to play championship level defense. I think we all have seen what now happens when Pau plays center.
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TOM
Posted by: LakerTom | June 03, 2011 at 01:37 PM
@LEO ... Excellent post. I especially liked your comment about the team needing “a personality change more than a personnel change” and agree 100% with your observation that the Lakers should be playing right now in the NBA Finals. Hopefully, the enthusiasm for defense and teamwork that Mike Brown will bring will be the catalyst for the personality change we need. I think that’s what the Lakers front office is counting on as well as a motivated group of players looking for redemption,
...
Having said that, my big concern still is whether or not these changes will be sufficient to bring about a change in Pau Gasol’s personality. I guess I find it hard to believe that this guy is ever going to be the player he once was. I totally do not buy the theory thrown out there that he was exhausted from having to play center while Drew was rehabbing his knee to start the season. I think the guy just lost his desire and motivation to play the game at a high level and quit, which is the worst thing he could have done to his coach and teammates. Does he deserve another chance to prove himself. Probably, but if the chance to trade him for Chris Paul or Deron Williams comes up, Pau will be gone.
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TOM
Posted by: LakerTom | June 03, 2011 at 01:37 PM
@ART ... There’s a reason why so many trades that occur seem to be deals that were under the radar and not foreseen by the media, especially when talking about trades for superstar or all-star players. The dynamics involved include team’s current assessment of the value of the players being discussed, the respective teams’ financial, salary cap, and luxury tax situations, whether the team with whom they are taking is in the same conference, etc. It’s not like just firing up the ESPN trade machine.
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So while the Lakers front office has come out and said they were moving forward with the same core group of players, I still think they will be keeping their options open. If Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Raymond Felton, or any player who might be on their radar suddenly does become available, I have no doubt the Lakers would definitely consider taking advantage of the opportunity to get better. Personally, I think regardless of what they are saying, the Lakers will make a move.
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Much has been made of the point that trading Drew, Pau, or Lamar to solve our point guard problem would violate the sacred credo that you never trade big for small. While I am a big believer in size and length, the reality is that this is a time where the Lakers may need to trade size and length for speed and athleticism, especially since they will be leaving the Triangle in their rear view mirror. Bottom line, we need a better point guard solution than Fisher and Blake to win a championship and the only viable trade pieces we have that could accomplish that are Drew, Pau, and Lamar.
...
The logical game plan to me would be for the Lakers first to look to trade Pau Gasol and Steve Blake for Chris Paul and Trevor Ariza. The NBA has a big problem in New Orleans. Until they resolve the problems with Chris Paul and either get him to sign an extension or trade him for an elite player with a stable contract, the NBA is not going to be able to find a buyer for the franchise. Right now, most observers believe that there is no way that Chris Paul is going to stay with the New Orleans. As soon as the Hornets find that Chris is not going to stay, the league will have no option but to trade him.
...
As for Ariza, the Hornets obviously have not been happy with his development. 11 points per game and a 40% shooting percentage from the field and 30% from beyond the arc are not what they hoped to get when they signed him to a 4-year $30M deal. Including him in a 4-player deal with Chris Paul that would get them Pau Gasol and Steve Blake would result in reducing their long term obligations. Bringing in a talented all-star power forward like Pau would give the Hornets an excellent front court trio with Okafor and West and stabilize the team’s roster so the NBA could find a new owner.
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TOM
Posted by: LakerTom | June 03, 2011 at 01:38 PM
Keyword there is "lost," not "quit." Kobe's team quit and he couldn't do anything about it. I don't ever remember Magic's team quitting, but they LOST their fair share of games against SUPERIOR teams, not the likes of Cleveland, MINN, GS, etc., etc and when they lost to Jordan, it was due to injuries during the playoffs, not because of emotional and mental defeat. Magic's Lakers never approached a season as if they were entitled to be in the postseason; they played knowing they had to earn it no matter how favorable their odds were to be there. Yes, Kobe has a lot more to prove. Is he one of the elite? For sure but he can add some notches to his belt by winning with another coach and leading what will hopefully be a rejuvenated and revived team.
Posted by: :-( | June 03, 2011 at 10:53 AM
-----------------------
I agree this Lakers flameout was horrible and I can understand you using the Q word. But the bottom line is a lost is a lost. In Lakerland only one thing matters and that’s winning the ring. Magic and Kobe Lakers both got 5 titles.
Magic’s team in 89 had a similar regular season malaise as this year club. They lost 8 straight road games. They also lost to 4 of the 6 worst teams in the league including a 21 win Clippers team, 21 win SA, 26 win NJ and 27 win Sacramento team. Magic Lakers also lost to inferior teams in the playoffs like the 90 Suns. I loved Magic Lakers just like I do Kobe Lakers, but both of them had flaws. Yes, Kobe Lakers have had more struggles, but I would argue that Magic has had better teams and Magic didn’t have another championship team in his same conference like Kobe did with the Spurs.
Posted by: LRob2 | June 03, 2011 at 01:39 PM
@Tim-4-show – I would trade either big man for Howard. Not sold on Pau for CP3. I would prefer DWill if I had my choice of PG’s.
@Art – I agree the pressure is still on the Mavs. It was a great game last night and I’m hoping for 7 games like you.
@Bay to LA – I agree with your take on Pau. However, I’m not opposed to trading him if it upgrades the roster, not because he had a bad playoff this year.
@Leo – I agree 100% with your statement that all Lakers underachieved this season. Of course, some underachieved more than others, but nobody hands are clean.
Posted by: LRob2 | June 03, 2011 at 01:42 PM
LT,
I agree with you about the PG situation but the trade of Pau and Blake hurts the inside situation for the Lakers. Should Bynum or LO get injured, ugh, no depth. Even if they both stay healthy all year still no depth.
To me the issue isn't so much trading big for small, it's more that the Lakers don't have very much depth and while you strengthen the PG situation with that trade you create a real liability with the bigs because after Bynum and LO there's nothing there. Zip, nada.
Maybe they can sign a free agent big cheap, but they totally failed at that last year.
I think Fish and Ron are weak links and a trade for CP/Ariza helps to fix that but I don't like what that leaves for an inside presence.
I think ideally they should trade Ron and package the entire bench for a decent forward and a PG. Not a superstar like CP or D Will, just an upgrade there would make a difference.
Maybe Trey J gets a shot.
He's got some hunger, some athleticism, not afraid to shoot, decent size at 6', 5.
But there's probably a reason he has been stuck in the D league.
As you said, it’s not like just firing up the ESPN trade machine.
Lotsa variables, so I don't see the blockbuster all-star type trade happening, not this summer anyway.
I think the Lakers will wait and see what coach Brown can do with these guys before pulling off a big name trade.
Maybe before next years trade deadline something will pop depending on how they do up to that point.
Finally, if Pau is going to get traded, how about look for a multi-team trade for a decent (no superstars) PG, forward and center/PF combo guy and a big bench guy.
Posted by: Art_Lakers | June 03, 2011 at 02:05 PM
Hi all - haven't been around in awhile, and I'm sure it's been talked to death already, but I am so glad the Mavs won last night!! I can't even begin to think about the alternative LOL!! Now they've gotta win Game 3 - the winner of that game wins the finals series 100% of the time. With them being at home, I'm feeling pretty good about their chances. As long as the bench comes through and the pressure doesn't get to them, they should be fine. Here's hoping this team continues to NOT be the Mavs from years past LOL!!
Posted by: Justanother Mambafan | June 03, 2011 at 02:09 PM
100$ says Lakers are coming back the way they went out this "season" lol
Posted by: Tech N9ne | June 03, 2011 at 02:27 PM
@JAMF - Nice to see you on the threads! It was pretty fun watching that game. I was honestly surprised Miami suddenly reverted to being the team that was going to fall apart in November. I'm even more surprised on how more and more resilient the Mavericks have been. I'm seriously convinced that it wasn't just the Mavs beating the Lakers in the semifinals that spurred their confidence. It is the fact on how dominating they were in a sweep. The Mavs def deserve credit because they played a good series against the Lakers. But had L.A's problems not been as so self inflicted, Dallas wouldn't have the same confidence as it does now
Posted by: Mark Medina | June 03, 2011 at 02:31 PM
Posted by: Mark Medina | June 03, 2011 at 02:31 PM
Good observation MM about the Mav's getting more confidence by beathing the lakers, but as you mentioned, they already had that confidence when they were playing against us, so we didn't create their confidence, we just gave them and the NBA a little sigh of relief that LAL will no longer be dominant during this post season, which is very sad, but then again, we can't really say we went down fighting, we kind of gave up the whole series!
my 2 cents!
Posted by: Tech N9ne | June 03, 2011 at 02:59 PM
an interesting article
http://bleacherreport.com/tb/b9KNN
That sounded good. But the Lakers have the league’s highest payroll and, barring a major trade, won’t be able to add any proven stars to their lineup until 2014. For the time being, the mega free-agent game being played out in Miami and elsewhere simply isn’t an option.
So they’ve got what they’ve got -- guys who were too tired and/or too sick of one another to feign true effort vs. a less-talented team that right now is challenging the Heat for a championship.
It all seems pretty ugly. And assuming Cleamons, who didn’t want to name names of the guilty, is in concert with Jackson and the rest of the Lakers’ former staff, it might be even uglier than we realize.
Read more: http://aol.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2011-06-03/lakers-coaches-had-a-clue-about-chemistry-issues?utm_source=bleacherreport.com&utm_medium=referral#ixzz1OFqGmzPG
Posted by: hobbitmage | June 03, 2011 at 03:25 PM
Watching the Mavs come back last night, I was very impressed with Dirk’s performance. Bottom line, despite Gasol’s and Blake’s complete collapse, the reason the Mavs are in the Finals and not the Lakers is specifically that Dirk Nowitzki played like the franchise player he is while Kobe didn’t. Actually, let me amend that last statement. Dirk played like the franchise player he was supposed to be but never did before while Kobe didn’t, whether due to injury or mileage or whatever.
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I was also impressed with the Dallas offense. Anybody who thinks that we don’t need a true point guard now that we are leaving the Triangle behind needs to watch how Jason Kidd gets the ball to his players where they can do something with it. Give Rick Carlisle credit for devising some great plays to free up Dirk. The staggered screen they ran to get Dirk that wide open 3 to take the lead with 26 seconds left was a thing of beauty. They set the first screen down low so Dirk could come and get the ball above the 3-point line followed up by a second screen by Chandler to keep Dirk’s man from being able to challenge his 3-point shot. That was a very sophisticated play executed perfectly.
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Those are the kinds of plays that I am hoping Mike Brown can provide to give Kobe easier shots when we are playing half court basketball. I love his 3 offensive points – push the ball, swing it from side to side, and play inside-out basketball. I think I am looking forward to next season as much as any season in the Lakers history. It’s going to be fun watching a hungry Lakers team and coach going after another ring. Suddenly, predictable will be become intriguing for the Lakers and their fans.
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TOM
Posted by: LakerTom | June 03, 2011 at 03:37 PM
@HOBBITMAGE ... Thanks for posting that article. I had read it earlier and was disappointed that it never alluded to any specifics. The thing about team chemistry and synergy is that it only takes one player to destroy a team’s efficient offensive execution and its well-oiled defensive rotations. In the case of the Lakers second round sweep by the Mavs, the player who destroyed our chemistry and synergy was obviously Pau Gasol. His failure to rotate and confusion on defense and his inability to attack the rim and play aggressively on offense were the knives in the back that killed the Lakers. I will give Pau full credit for being the difference in our wining back-to-back championships but he also has to shoulder the major blame for our failing to three-peat. You have to question his heart.
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TOM
Posted by: LakerTom | June 03, 2011 at 03:58 PM
So let's think about the point guard situation. There are several things to consider:
1. What PGs could the Lakers possibly get through trade or free agency this summer?
2. What do the Lakers need out of the PG position?
3. What would it take to get one of those teams to trade the PG in question?
(if they would be willing to trade them at all)
Let's start this discussion with the first question.
Off the top of my head, here is a list of every PG in the league that would be a reasonable improvement at PG for the Lakers (in one way or another):
Steve Nash, Rajon Rondo, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Jose Calderon, Ray Felton, John Wall, Jason Kidd, Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose, Devin Harris, Andre Miller, Kyle Lowry, Tony Parker, Mike Conley, Jrue Holiday, DJ Augustin, Jameer Nelson, Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis, Luke Ridnour, Chauncey Billups, Ramon Sessions, Rodney Stuckey, Darren Collison, Jordan Farmar, Beno Udrih, Ty Lawson, Jose Juan Barea, Brandon Jennings, Aaron Brooks, Jason Terry, Baron Davis, Boobie Gibson, Goran Dragic, Mo Williams, Jarrett Jack, Lou Williams, George Hill, Kirk Hinrich, Jeff Teague.
I could list a few more, but it's debatable whether someone like Eric Maynor or C.J. Watson would really be an improvement.
Next, let's remove players whose teams will absolutely not trade them by next season (might be able to get them in summer of 2012 or later, but not this summer).
That rules out Rondo, Williams, Calderon, Wall, Kidd, Westbrook, Rose, Lowry, Conley, Augustin, Nelson, Curry, Billups, Stuckey, Collison, Lawson, Jennings, Brooks, and Terry (at least). Probably Nash as well.
So here's the reduced list of PGs that there might be some tiny
chance the Lakers could acquire for next season who might improve the team:
Steve Nash
Chris Paul
Ray Felton
Devin Harris
Andre Miller
Tony Parker
Jrue Holiday
Monta Ellis
Luke Ridnour
Ramon Sessions
Jordan Farmar
Beno Udrih
JJ Barea
Jason Terry
Baron Davis
Boobie Gibson
Goran Dragic
Mo Williams
Jarrett Jack
Lou Williams
George Hill
Kirk Hinrich
Jeff Teague
And that's it. That's the complete list. If you wanted to delude yourself and argue that Gil Arenas wasn't as washed up as Derek Fisher and is worth paying as much as Pau, you could add him to the list, but what you could get from Arenas isn't worth 1/3 of what he's paid. He's arguably a worse bargain than Luke Walton at this point.
You could also maybe argue that Charlotte might be willing to part with Agustin (if they draft a PG at the 9 spot) or something like that, but for the most part I'm pretty confident that the Lakers couldn't get any of Rondo, Williams, or the others regardless of what they offer this off season (as I said, maybe summer of 2012 they could pry Deron Williams free if he threatens to bolt).
It may make you laugh or call me crazy to have guys like Teague and Farmar on the list, but if you look at it objectively, every player on that list would be an improvement over Fisher and Blake. Some much more than others, but all would be improvements.
I'll continue with the next question in a separate post.
Posted by: LongTimeLakerFan | June 03, 2011 at 04:11 PM
Mike Brown will bring some freshness from the HC position and perhaps the players will buy into "His Way" which is fine as it should be.
In my opinion, No Amount of Great Coaching in the world is going to get THIS Lakers team to the Finals anytime soon. The team Roster isnt balanced as it should be and Kobe simply makes too much money and wants the ball too much for any changes to happen while he is still on the Payroll.
Kobe is the one who should "get in line" when it comes to shots per game and just being a good all around player. Kobe never was or never will be a good leader. Its not in him.
Posted by: Drago | June 03, 2011 at 04:16 PM
Hobbitmage,
Reading those sentiments I wonder how much the front office knew and how much it knows. If I were running the front office, I'd want fairly consistent dialog with the coaches to know who's on board, who's slacking, etc. This is pivotal for management to know.
Let's assume that the Lakers front office actually knows what's going on. They seemed to back in 07-08 with the genius trades they made, and seemed to when they traded off space cadet. But they fell woefully short last off season. It's a reasonable assumption that they know who fell short and why.
Would you not expect the front office to trade or attempt to trade those players that helped cultivate the cancer of attitude the coaches were talking about? For them not to would be idiotic. Who knows, there could be some surprises on that list.
I just hope management is awake and not asleep like last off season
Posted by: Tim-4-Show | June 03, 2011 at 04:31 PM
It may make you laugh or call me crazy to have guys like Teague and Farmar on the list, but if you look at it objectively, every player on that list would be an improvement over Fisher and Blake. Some much more than others, but all would be improvements.
I'll continue with the next question in a separate post.
Posted by: LongTimeLakerFan | June 03, 2011 at 04:11 PM
Good list LTLF I actually was looking for that, but when you said if I mentioned Teague and Farmar on the list, I actually would agree 100% with Teague but not Farmar, I honestly think the guys way to cocky to become a Laker again, he had a choice to stay with LA but he decided to make himself better and make a name for himself, well guess what? his coming off the bench for Nets isn't he? so I don't thnk Farmars coming back and I really dont't want him back, I rather get Sash Vuj for that matter!
Posted by: Tech N9ne | June 03, 2011 at 04:48 PM
I think the only reason Sasha is gone is because he was making too much money and his contract was expiring. Change either of those variables, and he's still on the team
Posted by: Tim-4-Show | June 03, 2011 at 04:53 PM
Playing behind D Will is something nearly all PGs in the L would have to do. Playing behind D Fish on the other hand is enough to piss someone off.
Hmmm.
Posted by: Tim-4-Show | June 03, 2011 at 04:55 PM
Maybe the Knicks might be willing to trade Billups for Gasol. Billups/Turiaf for Gasol/Blake or Fish?? I know Billups would be another perfect fit for this Laker team.
There's so many scenario's...bottom line is we need a change, and that change has to be Pau Gasol and a starting PG.
Go Lakers!
Posted by: Rocky | June 03, 2011 at 04:57 PM
Alright Laker nation
TECHA N9NA is out for today!
EVERYONE ENJOY YOUR FRIDAY! NO GAMES! NO NOTHING!
TGIF!
see you guys back monday!
Posted by: Tech N9ne | June 03, 2011 at 04:58 PM
>>>I actually would agree 100% with Teague but not Farmar, I honestly think
>>>the guys way to cocky to become a Laker again, he had a choice to stay with
>>>LA but he decided to make himself better and make a name for himself, well
>>>guess what? his coming off the bench for Nets isn't he?
My response #1:
Lakers with Farmar & Vujacic = 2 championships
Lakers with Blake & Barnes = 2nd round exit.
Doesn't matter if you're cocky or not - Kobe's cocky. Bynum is cocky. Artest is cocky. If it wins you rings, you can put up with some attitude.
response #2:
The main reasons Farmar left were because he was stuck backing up Fisher and because he wasn't a good fit for the triangle. If Fisher's going to the bench and if they're mostly dumping the triangle, then there's no reason that Farmar couldn't fit right in and help the Lakers get a couple more rings.
I'll remind you that Derek Fisher ALSO left the Lakers to get more money and more PT. Look what happened when he returned.
Posted by: LongTimeLakerFan | June 03, 2011 at 05:11 PM
>>>Maybe the Knicks might be willing to trade Billups for Gasol.
I'd guess not - mainly because they don't have any other legitimate starting PG, while they do have a player about as good as Gasol in the front court. Amare/Gasol is redundant. Amare/Billups isn't.
If they had some young stud PG who had shown some consistency (like Ty Lawson or Darren Collison), I'm sure they'd part with Billups in a hot minute. But Toney Douglas is not going to get them any rings.
Posted by: LongTimeLakerFan | June 03, 2011 at 05:15 PM
>>>Playing behind D Will is something nearly all PGs in the L would have to do.
>>>Playing behind D Fish on the other hand is enough to piss someone off.
True. But arguably, Fisher was a better fit for the triangle. Better spot-up 3-point shooter. And Fisher was better at defending stronger guards (while Farmar did better with faster guards).
Posted by: LongTimeLakerFan | June 03, 2011 at 05:16 PM
So let's consider what qualities you could get out of the list of available PGs that I mentioned...
Quickness:
Chris Paul, Ray Felton, Devin Harris, Tony Parker, Jrue Holiday, Monta Ellis, Jordan Farmar, JJ Barea, Lou Williams, George Hill, Jeff Teague
Good defense against quick guards:
Chris Paul, Ray Felton, Devin Harris, Jrue Holiday, Monta Ellis, Jordan Farmar, Baron Davis (when motivated), Lou Williams, George Hill, Kirk Hinrich
Good passing (# of assists & assist/turnover ratio):
Steve Nash, Chris Paul, Ray Felton, Devin Harris, Andre Miller, Tony Parker, Luke Ridnour, Ramon Sessions, Jordan Farmar, Mo Williams, Beno Udrih, Jrue Holiday, Baron Davis, Tony Parker
Decent 3-point shooting:
Luke Ridnour, Boobie Gibson, Steve Nash, Chris Paul, George Hill, Jrue Holiday, Goran Dragic, Jordan Farmar, Beno Udrih, Tony Parker, Ray Felton, Kirk Hinrich
Good shooting overall (>44% is good for a PG):
Tony Parker, Beno Udrih, Steve Nash, Luke Ridnour, Ramon Sessions, Chris Paul, Andre Miller, George Hill, Jrue Holiday, Jose Calderon
And then there are negative aspects to most of these guys:
Steve Nash - bad defense
Jordan Farmar - poor free throw shooting
Baron Davis - rarely motivated to play at the level he's capable of
etc.
Even CP3 has one issue - his knees. If it weren't for that, he'd be the perfect choice (assuming New Orleans is willing to part with him at all, let alone to the Lakers).
--------------------------------------------------
As for what the Lakers need out of a new PG, I'd say the two biggest factors are defense on quick guards and 3-point shooting. Those deficits really showed up in the Dallas series. Barea, Terry, and Kidd seemed unstoppable versus the Lakers poor defense from the PG position. And Fish was the only Laker who could hit 3's consistently in the playoffs.
Beyond defense and 3's, here are some other features that would be nice to get out of the PG position:
pick-and-roll offense.
With Pau/Drew/Lamar/Artest/Kobe as the pick guy, a PG could get an awful lot of assists in the pick and roll for the Lakers. Udrih, Sessions, Ridnour, Nash, Paul, and Terry all have very very good P&R skills. Barea and Hill just a notch below.
Transition offense -
CP3, Felton, Harris, Parker, Farmar, Davis, Hill, Ellis, and Barea are all good at the speed game. Nash can't run the court that fast, but his passing skills make up a very good slow-fast break.
Alley-oop -
This is Andre Miller's specialty, and with Drew, Pau, Kobe, and Lamar, he'd have a lot of people to oop his alley.
Youth -
Nash (37) and Andre Miller (35) are as old as the hills. Jason Terry (33), Baron Davis (32), Luke Ridnour (30), and Kirk Hinrich (30) are over 30 as well. Harris, Udrih, and Mo Williams are 28, so they'd probably be set for the rest of the Kobe/Pau/Lamar years. Everybody else is 26 or younger and could be part of the Bynum core going forward.
So there you have it. Those are the strengths of the likely available crop of PGs (some much more available than others of course).
Posted by: LongTimeLakerFan | June 03, 2011 at 06:00 PM
LTLF,
Regarding the better spot up shooter - this must be a subjective thing no? I mean, who led the team in 3pt % last season? It was J Farmar, so for Fish to be a better spot up shooter you must be using a different metric such as "with less than a second to go in the game" or something like that
Posted by: Tim-4-Show | June 03, 2011 at 06:24 PM
Ever since Mike Brown became head coach I started thinking of all the quick guys that we lost due to them not being a good fit for the triangle and/or Phil not wanting to play them. Jordan Farmar was at the top of that list.
I really wouldn't mind Farmar back. He's quick, not afraid to take it to the basket and can shoot. He's not a turnover machine and can play some D on the quicker guards.
And while he did leave for supposedly greener pastures, I wouldn't want to play backup to DFish either if I played like him. Plus, from what I remember, he was one of the few that actually will pass the ball to Bynum/inside (Sasha was the one who couldn't pass to save his life).
For that matter, we could free up almost 8 mill for a point guard or shooter if friggin Fisher and Luke would just retire already. Luke clearly isn't able to play anymore and Derek can move to assistant coach if he's such a steadying factor in the locker room.
Posted by: alekesam | June 03, 2011 at 08:07 PM
Maybe the Knicks might be willing to trade Billups for Gasol. Billups/Turiaf for Gasol/Blake or Fish?? I know Billups would be another perfect fit for this Laker team.
There's so many scenario's...bottom line is we need a change, and that change has to be Pau Gasol and a starting PG.
Go Lakers!
_______
One big problem with Billups is his age and we need to build on the future and not have to do this again in a year or two.
Good luck Mike Brown... we Lakers fans are hoping you can get the team to buy in just as much as the Buss' in choosing you as head coach.
Posted by: Kukuihaele | June 04, 2011 at 09:52 AM
As a life long fan of the Lakers it's easy to question management when extending Kobe's contract another 3 years at $30 million on his last year. Man oh man, that's a lot of cash to pay for one player, can you imagine how much talent you can get for $30 million? I like Kobe (don't get me wrong) and will support the Lakers in their quest for another ring or two for Kobe and the Buss family.
As much as I like Fisher it's time to make a reality check and have him come off the bench or trade him. Sooner or later an aging point guard's ability to keep up with the younger players is costing the Lakers valuable steps up court in transition. Many times this past season D. Fisher would explode to get across the center line but then backs off... we need a point guard who can take advantage of open looks to the basket and drive for a basket and one! It's tough getting old and still having that young at heart mentality. Once again, don't get wrong... I like our aging point guard in D. Fisher. Speaking of our player's association president, get the job done Fisher so the players are not slighted and we have another exciting season beginning in October of 2011.
Lakers need to reorganize and get onto the same page. What should change this coming season is the fact Kobe will be able to practice with his healed knee and not having to sit out practice sessions... in order to be a cohesive unit all players have to be on court when practice begins.
As for the Mavericks come from behind win over the Heat... what a fantastic game. I hope the Mavericks can seal the deal and win out in Dallas. Showboating, hanging your hand up like a swan and chest thumping in front of the opponents bench with 7 minutes left in the game was totally unforgivable and the Heat are paying the price now...
Go Mavericks!
Posted by: Kukuihaele | June 04, 2011 at 10:10 AM
>>>For that matter, we could free up almost 8 mill for a point guard or shooter
>>>if friggin Fisher and Luke would just retire already.
Spoken like somebody who's never heard of the CBA.
Assuming the current CBA rules (which are gone - the new rules might be even MORE restrictive), the Lakers have an MLE to spend this summer. If they keep Luke and Fisher, they have an MLE. If Luke and Fish both retire, they have an MLE.
Those two guys have absolutely nothing to do with how much the Lakers have available to spend on a point guard.
Posted by: LongTimeLakerFan | June 06, 2011 at 07:42 AM