SPL: Lakers vs. Jazz & Final SPL Impressions (07/21/15)

The Lakers ended their Las Vegas Summer League competition with a record of 1-4. Certain fans may be disappointed by the record, but the focus should be on their improvement. I've said before on this blog that summer league is not about wins and losses. It's about whether your young players show flashes of being able to play basketball at the NBA level. The Lakers' young players showed that in droves. There are various reasons that didn't result in more wins, but none of that should concern Lakers fans, other than the Lakers running the Princeton offense.

Here's what I saw from each player:

D'Angelo Russell
- Russell showed his shooting ability in this game. His mid range jumper off the pick and roll was especially deadly. If he keeps that up he'll be hard to stop.
- His defense has been better than advertised. He moved his feet well.
- Russell obviously had to adjust to several things in SPL, but his leadership ability was on display from day 1.

Julius Randle
- Randle picked up where he left off in the last game. He hit another mid range jumper
- He also was able to get to hoop well and finished better than he has before as the rust comes off
- He contested shots on the defensive end as well. He needs to box out better.
- As SPL went on Randle got much better at finding teammates for kick outs on his drive. He had some really nice assists.

Jordan Clarkson
- Clarkson had a really nice poster dunk in this game (see the highlights).
- He also made some good interior passes. Looking forward to his play once the real season begins.

Robert Upshaw
- Upshaw didn't get much time in this one. His effort was still there though.

Anthony Brown
- He's been even more invisible since being taken out of the starting lineup the last game. But I think he will be a solid player for the Lakers. The Lakers need just need to run some plays that get him good looks from 3.

Tarik Black
- Tarik had some nice baby hook shots in the paint. Not much to talk about, but solid game from him.

Larry Nance Jr.
- Nance Jr. had a running baby hook. Other than that he didn't do much.

SPL is over now. I'll be leaving to Kenya soon! Hopefully I'll have time to give my thoughts on the results of the Lakers free agency: Roy Hibbert, Lou Williams, and Brandon Bass.

On July 23rd I'll be apart of a team doing missionary work in Kenya. We'll be working in Kibera Slums which is the largest slum in Africa and is home to over 2 million people. There is one toilet with plumbing for every 2000 people there. We are in need of prayers and financial assistance. We're at about 92% funded right now. If you'd like to give you can at the link below:

www.wateroflifecc.org/gorgive

Register and then hit the give to teams button to select "2015 - Kenya Team 1" and my name is Jason

Thank you SO MUCH for your help. Any amount counts :)

Thanks for reading, go Lakers!!!

SPL: Laker vs Mavericks Impressions (07/16/15)

The Lakers young guns looked MUCH better Wednesday night as they took on the Dallas Mavericks SPL team. In the second half of the game the Lakers finally abandoned some of their archaic Princeton sets which have been very troublesome for the younger players to grasp. For those that remember, Mike Brown was trying to run a similar offense with Nash and Howard on board. It was unsuccessful then, and it's not the ideal system to run now when you have a lot of athletes who can create their own shots. Once the Lakers got into more traditional pick and roll offense with a few horns sets thrown in, they began to play a lot more freely. This is hopefully an adjustment the coaching staff makes soon. But don't count on it. Byron is as stubborn as they come.

Here's what I saw from each player:

D'Angelo Russell
- Russell had far fewer turnovers in this game than the previous one. By relaxing some of the Princeton sets he looked a lot more comfortable. He had one crucial turnover where he tried to split the double team on one of the final possessions. Just a rookie mistake that he will learn from.
- His shooting was off target all night. Looks like his legs might be a little gassed at this point, which is normal for a rookie.
- He had some more dazzling passes in this one. I really can't wait until the chemistry between Russell and his teammates is built up and we start running better sets

Julius Randle
- Julius Randle found a much better rhythm and diversified his game with drives to the basket, kick-outs to teammates, post ups, and his mid range jumper.
- He had one sequence where he did a jab step into a step back fade away from 20 feet out. That's very encouraging as that is what will open up the floor for the rest of his game.
- Randle was switched onto guards several times defensively and showed good effort. He led the team in the NBA's new "hustle" stat.
- Julius needs to consistently box out on the defensive glass and set better picks.

Jordan Clarkson
- Clarkson sliced and diced to rim for layups pretty much whenever he wanted. I think he is often on cruise control for much of these games.
- He and Russell looked much more comfortable as dual initiators when the Lakers ran a simpler, more efficient offense.
- He tried to force it in some of the final possessions. He likely got fouled on his final drive, but it wasn't called.

Robert Upshaw
- Upshaw didn't play a ton of minutes. He gets called every game for illegal screens.
- He had a nice turnaround jump shot today that shows he won't be a liability on offense in the future. His free throw form also looks good.
- Robert just needs to continue to add strength and conditioning in addition to staying away from distractions off the court.

Anthony Brown
- Anthony Brown was taken out of the starting lineup for Jabari Brown.
- The way the Lakers play doesn't afford much opportunity for Brown to score. I'd like to see him run off some screens to create catch and shoot situations for him. Or have him waiting to launch a corner 3 on a drive and kick.

Tarik Black
- Tarik could not contain Jeremy Tyler. He's just too undersized. He's going to have to exert more energy if he doesn't want to be a liability defensively.

Larry Nance Jr.
- Nance Jr. didn't do much in this contest. Like Black, he must use his tremendous motor to impact the game.

The Lakers will play again on Friday afternoon at 3pm against the Jazz SPL team. I'll likely have to DVR that one. There'll be a write up to follow. After summer league finishes, I'll give my thoughts on the results of the Lakers free agency: Roy Hibbert, Lou Williams, and Brandon Bass.

Also, coming up soon on July 23rd I'll be apart of a team doing missionary work in Kenya. We'll be working in Kibera Slums which is the largest slum in Africa and is home to over 2 million people. There is one toilet with plumbing for every 2000 people there. We are in need of prayers and financial assistance. We're at about 65% funded right now. If you'd like to give you can at the link below:

www.wateroflifecc.org/gorgive

Register and then hit the give to teams button to select "2015 - Kenya Team 1" and my name is Jason

Thank you SO MUCH for your help. Any amount counts :)

Thanks for reading, go Lakers!!!

SPL: Lakers vs Knicks Impressions (07/14/15)

Sunday night the Lakers SPL team took on the Knicks and things got ugly quickly. The Lakers offense sputtered from the get go as the ball never made it farther than one or two passes. This led to highly contested shots, sloppy turnovers, and easy scoring opportunities for the other team. Pretty much all of the Lakers young players played poorly in this game. They were able to make some adjustments after the first quarter and even climbed back into the game, but they couldn't get over the hump.

However there isn't a need to panic yet, as some fans have done, lol. Summer league is not about wins and losses. It's more about seeing if your rookies can show flashes of talent in an NBA environment. All of the Lakers young guys have already done that. So there is nothing to worry about on that front. The Lakers are also trying to implement a very complicated Princeton offense in a very short amount of time. That's a move I disagree with completely. This team is not built for the Princeton offense. They need be running a modern space and pace offense that allows them to get out and run. The team is full of athletes! Something similar to what GSW, SAS, and ATL run. But alas, for the time being we are stuck suffering under Byron Scott's outdated 1980s basketball philosophies.

Here's what I saw from each player:

D'Angelo Russell
- Russell had a few bright spots where his shooting was on display. He also threw a few passes that his teammates weren't ready for. They really need to learn to be ready for a pass at all times with him on the floor.
- He also had some more careless turnovers like in the last game.
- I think he'll come around. But I don't think the Lakers trying to get him to implement the Princeton this early into his career is a good idea. That system is a bad fit for our team and it can be pretty discouraging when you start each game in a hole because your offense can't generate any good looks.

Julius Randle
- Julius started off terrible. He was forcing the issue too much.
- He played at one speed (full speed) and kept attacking the rim. The great thing is that he could get to the spots he wanted to at will. The bad thing is it was incredibly predictable and allowed the defense to focus in on it and stop him.
- He made an adjustment in the 2nd half and began using the drive and kick game. This worked well and got open shots for his teammates. He even picked up his effort defensively.
- He's still rusty, having played only about 40 mins of competitive ball in the last 8 months, but he's definitely still got all the tools. I want to see him start to incorporate his jumper back into his game like he did last SPL and preseason.

Jordan Clarkson
- He had an off night by his standards thus far, but then again so did the entire team

Robert Upshaw
- Upshaw altered a few shots and may have gotten one block if I recall. Quite game from him in this one

Anthony Brown
- Showed more of that fire by battling for rebounds and contesting shots. I thought Brown played well in this game

Tarik Black
- Tarik was one of the rare Lakers who had a good offensive showing. He kept the Lakers in the game in the 2nd quarter

Larry Nance Jr.
- Nance Jr. couldn't get much going in this game either, but he competed hard.

The Lakers will play again on Wednesday night. The time hasn't been determined yet. It will be tournament style to determine a summer league champion. All teams will play a minimum of two more games.

Also, coming up soon on July 23rd I'll be apart of a team doing missionary work in Kenya. We'll be working in Kibera Slums which is the largest slum in Africa and is home to over 2 million people. There is one toilet with plumbing for every 2000 people there. We are in need of prayers and financial assistance. We're at about 57% funded right now. If you'd like to give you can at the link below:

www.wateroflifecc.org/gorgive

Register and then hit the give to teams button to select "2015 - Kenya Team 1" and my name is Jason

Thank you SO MUCH for your help. Any amount counts :)

Thanks for reading, go Lakers!!!

SPL: Lakers vs. 76ers impressions (07/13/15)

The Lakers summer league team was back in action Saturday night. This time they faced off against the 76ers and a guy they were expected to draft, Jahlil Okafor. Julius Randle did not play as a precaution set by the training staff. He's completely healthy to play, but they don't want to rush him back. He will play tonight against the Knicks.

Here's what I saw from each player:

D'Angelo Russell
- In this game Russell had some struggles with turnovers. There were a few times where he dribbled into heavy traffic or tried a risky pass
- He tried to get in the lane more this game. He's got a euro step in his arsenal. Would love to see him work on his first step and get some more explosion out of it.
- His shooting looked good even on the misses. And he had threw a few beautiful passes that his teammates weren't expecting. They'll learn to be ready for anything when Russell is on the floor.

Julius Randle
- DNP

Jordan Clarkson
- There's almost no point to covering Clarkson here. His game is too advanced for the SPL level. He shook a defender out of his shoes at one point and just made him look silly. As I said previously he's playing to get reps with the rest of the Lakers young core.

Robert Upshaw
- This was another solid defensive effort by Upshaw. He's a guy who will be able to change the complexion of a game with his defense. He did it in this one as he stuffed Okafor several times.
- You can tell that he's still really rusty and is far behind in the strength training as compared to other rookies. But with time he'll get it together
- One very encouraging thing about him, he runs the floor pretty well for his size

Anthony Brown
- This game showed more of that fire from him that I wanted to see. He had a few blocks and locked up the opposing PG on one possession
- His outside shot looks pretty reliable to me
- I'm impressed with Anthony Brown thus far

Tarik Black
- Nothing new to report still on Tarik. He's doing a solid job.

Larry Nance Jr.
- "Larry!! Larry!! Larry!!" The crowd was chanting his name so I guess he was doing something right haha.
- This game shows why the Lakers drafted him. Larry was all over the floor. Pinning Okafor's shot against the glass and skying in for putback dunks got the crowd going wild. That's his game. Hustle plays, athleticism, and defense. If the other team doesn't box him out....look out below!!
- Good performance by Nance Jr.

The Lakers will play again tonight at 5:30pm PST against the Knicks summer league team. I'll have analysis up on that as soon as I can.

Also, coming up soon on July 23rd I'll be apart of a team doing missionary work in Kenya. We'll be working in Kibera Slums which is the largest slum in Africa and is home to over 2 million people. There is one toilet with plumbing for every 2000 people there. We are in need of prayers and financial assistance. We're at about 54% funded right now. If you'd like to give you can at the link below:

www.wateroflifecc.org/gorgive

Register and then hit the give to teams button to select "2015 - Kenya Team 1" and my name is Jason

Thank you SO MUCH for your help. Any amount counts :)

Thanks for reading, go Lakers!!!

First Impressions: Lakers Summer League (07/11/15)

They say first impressions are the most important. Well if that's true, then in this humble blogger's opinion the Lakers have a very bright future ahead. All of the Lakers rookies took the floor for the first time last night as professionals. The team ended up losing the game, but each player showed flashes of what they can be in this league, and that's pretty much what you want to see out of summer exhibition play.

Here's what I saw from each player:

D'Angelo Russell
- Cooler than the other side of the pillow, he came out calm and collected. The moment wasn't too big for him.
- He hit shots, showed his bball IQ with his passing, and looked more than comfortable running the offense
- He competed defensively.
- Russell made a few rookie mistakes like getting a backcourt violation when he didn't realize the NBA rules were different from college.
- Overall Russell will continue to adjust to the pace of the NBA and become one of the main offensive orchestrators on the team.

Julius Randle
- Got to whatever spot he wanted on the court when he wanted. He was by far the strongest player playing.
- Looked really rusty and missed easy shots he normally makes. He was out of rhythm until the end of the 4th
- He didn't let the game come to him and tried to force the issue a little bit
- His conditioning is much improved and he looked very athletic, getting a putback dunk and a driving dunk over Payne
- Overall this was promising for Randle. As he gets more time we'll see him back to the level he was at in the preseason last year. That was when he was mixing up the jumper with his driving game nicely.

Jordan Clarkson
- This dude was on a whole other level from everyone else on the court. He had a nice duel with Zach Lavine too.
- He looked poised, athletic, and his jumper is getting deadly
- Clarkson was just better than everyone last night. His experience and the work he has been putting in shows. Check out the highlights
- Overall he's mostly playing in SPL to gain chemistry with the rest of the Lakers young core. He's doing a great job

Robert Upshaw
- He looked awkward and out of shape at times, but above all else this kid competed. He went right at the number 1 overall pick in Karl Anthony Towns. They had a nice battle that got a little heated.
- Even out of shape he impacted the game defensively by getting 3 blocks
- He has a little bit of a nasty attitude when he competes. Like MWP did. The kind of dude you love on your team and hate when he's not.
- Overall I was impressed. And so were the Lakers because they signed him to a contract! Exactly what I wanted to happen. Bye Sacre.

Anthony Brown
- Played his role well. Hit open shots and played solid defense
- He made a few mistakes lie everyone else but he did what is asked of him.
- Overall I like him and his game. I want to see if he has that fire to compete or if he is laid back all the time

Tarik Black
- Overall he looks much the same as last year, which isn't a bad thing. He should be a solid backup center until Upshaw is ready or if the Lakers want to run small ball

Larry Nance Jr.
- A lot of what he did won't show up in the highlight reel unless they show his poster dunk attempt.
- Overall he hustled a lot and showed his tremendous motor. He'll get mor playing time tonight with Julius Randle held out as a precaution by the training staff

The Lakers will play again tonight at 5:30pm PST against the 76ers summer league team. I'll have analysis up on that as soon as I can.

Also, coming up soon on July 23rd I'll be apart of a team doing missionary work in Kenya. We'll be working in Kibera Slums which is the largest slum in Africa and is home to over 2 million people. There is one toilet with plumbing for every 2000 people there. We are in need of prayers and financial assistance. We're at about 48% funded right now. If you'd like to give you can at the link below:

www.wateroflifecc.org/gorgive

Register and then hit the give to teams button to select "2015 - Kenya Team 1" and my name is Jason

Thank you SO MUCH for your help. Any amount counts :)

Thanks for reading, go Lakers!!!

What to look for in Summer League (07/08/15)

The first chance to see the Lakers play basketball this year will be in the Las Vegas Summer League. They'll tip-off at 5:30 PST against the Minnesota Timberwolves. You'll be able to catch the games on TWC Sportsnet or NBATV. The Lakers full summer league roster is posted below.

Tarik Black, C, 6-9, 250, Kansas/USA
Anthony Brown, G/F, 6-7, 210, Stanford/USA
Jabari Brown, G, 6-4, 215, Missouri/USA (out with eye injury)
Dwight Buycks, G, 6-3, 190, Marquette/USA
Jordan Clarkson, G, 6-5, 185, Missouri/USA
Will Davis II, F, 6-8, 210, UC Irvine/USA
Tony Mitchell, F, 6-6, 216, Dolomiti Energia Trento (Italy)/USA
Xavier Munford, G, 6-2, 180, Rhode Island/USA
Larry Nance, Jr., F, 6-9, 230, Wyoming/USA
Julius Randle, F, 6-9, 250, Kentucky/USA
D'Angelo Russell, G, 6-5, 195, Ohio State/USA
Robert Upshaw, C, 7-0, 258, Washington/USA

HEAD COACH: Mark Madsen (Stanford)
ASSISTANT COACHES: Larry Lewis (Morehouse), Thomas Scott (Pasadena CC)
ATHLETIC TRAINERS: Marco Nunez (Cal Poly Pomona), Nina Hsieh (Cal State Fullerton)

Some of these players don't have much of a shot of making the Lakers team during the regular season. They will be competing to make other rosters of find a job overseas. For the players that are expected to remain on the Lakers after the summer league ends, let's discuss three questions to watch for in their play.

D'Angelo Russell
1) Will his elite passing and shooting displayed in college translate, with more athletic defenders guarding him?
2) Will he be able to defend point guards and shooting guards without being a liability?
3) Can he lead a team at this level?

Julius Randle
1) Has his jumper become consistent?
2) Has he improved his conditioning, pick setting, and pace of play (knowing when to attack and when to hold back)?
3) Is he healthy?

Jordan Clarkson
1) Has his 3 point shooting improved?
2) Has his on ball defense improved?
3) How does he adjust to playing off ball with Russell?

Robert Upshaw
1) Can he be an elite defensive center as he was in college?
2) How does he gel with Randle, Russell, Clarkson?
3) Can he mature and not regress to drugs or breaking rules?

Anthony Brown
1) How well does he shoot from 3?
2) Can he defend other perimeter players well?
3) How good is he at picking up the offensive concepts?

Tarik Black
1) Has he added any outside range to his game?
2) Does he still have that high motor that makes him effective?
3) Is his defense improving?

Larry Nance Jr.
1) What does his jump shot look like?
2) Will he do all the dirty work to make the team more effective?
3) Can he posterize at least one person in summer league?

As a team
1) How does the young core gel on/off the court?
2) Do they play a brand of basketball that will equate to wins down the line?
3) Do they compete as hard as they can regardless of the outcome?

I plan on watching as much of summer league as I can. It should be a lot of fun. This is the most talented summer league team the Lakers have probably ever had. And while the end result doesn't matter much, expect the Lakers players to compete hard. These are all highly competitive guys who want to win no matter what the stakes. Next article will be a summary after the first game :)

Also, coming up soon on July 23rd I'll be apart of a team doing missionary work in Kenya. We'll be working in Kibera Slums which is the largest slum in Africa and is home to over 2 million people. There is one toilet with plumbing for every 2000 people there. We are in need of prayers and financial assistance. If you'd like to give you can at the link below:

www.wateroflifecc.org/gorgive

Register and then hit the give to teams button to select "2015 - Kenya Team 1" and my name is Jason

Thank you SO MUCH for your help. Any amount counts :)

Thanks for reading, go Lakers!!!

The Lakers select...who?? Larry Nance Jr. & Anthony Brown (07/07/15)

While much of the attention post draft has been drawn by the Lakers number 2 overall pick, D'Angelo Russell, the Lakers also selected two other players on June 25th. As first team all-NBA rookie Jordan Clarkson proved last year, sometimes it doesn't matter where you're drafted but how hard you work. Let's take a look at the Larry Nance Jr. and Anthony Brown.

Larry Nance Jr. (Selected #27)
Position: Forward
Height: 6-8 ▪ Weight: 235
College: Wyoming
Career: 123 G, 11.3 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.4 APG

Nance is guy who is really athletic. He comes from a basketball background since his father played in the NBA for 13 seasons and was a 3 time all-star. He describes himself as a hustle player who will do all the dirty work necessary to secure a win. Once he matures and gets used to the NBA, I see him a high energy guy off of the bench who can change the momentum of the game with a big time dunk or a dive on the floor for a loose ball. Think of him as a much more coordinated and athletic Mark Madsen. He'll be the glue guy that keeps everyone together. Check out the videos below to see some of his dunks in college and get a feel for his personality. He has a decent jumper even if the release is a little awkward. I think his playing time will largely be dependent on if he becomes a liability on the offensive end.





Anthony Brown (Selected #34)
Position: Forward
Height: 6-6 ▪ Weight: 215
College: Stanford
Career: 145 G, 10.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.6 APG

Anthony Brown grew up as a life long Laker fan. Being from LA he saw all of the Kobe era championships. This kid was in awe even when he did the pre-draft workout for the Lakers. He worked out with other potential prospects on a day where Kobe happened to stop by the facility. In his interview afterwards he stated he could "feel Kobe's presence" LOL. That's a Laker fan through and through. On the court he wants to be a "3 & D" small forward. He wants to focus on taking opportunities as they come to him since this team has a lot of shot creators, and on defending the other teams' best perimeter players. Brown has been studying the games of players like Khris Middleton and Demare Carroll. Those are good guys for him to emulate. He has the talent to follow their game patterns. If Brown can be a dead eye shooter from 3 and a solid defender, the Lakers will have made an excellent pick. See the videos below.





The Lakers will start summer league play this Friday at 5:30pm PST. This will be our first look at all of the Lakers' young talent together. The roster has D'Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, Robert Upshaw, Anthony Brown, Tarik Black, and Larry Nance Jr. Stay tuned. My next article will covering what we should look for and expect from each player in summer league. Should be very excited for the Lakers!


Also, coming up soon on July 23rd I'll be apart of a team doing missionary work in Kenya. We'll be working in Kibera Slums which is the largest slum in Africa and is home to over 2 million people. There is one toilet with plumbing for every 2000 people there. We are in need of prayers and financial assistance. If you'd like to give you can at the link below:

www.wateroflifecc.org/gorgive

Register and then hit the give to teams button to select "2015 - Kenya Team 1" and my name is Jason

Thank you SO MUCH for your help. Any amount counts :)

Thanks for reading, go Lakers!!!

Target Acquired, Permission to Fire - 2015 Free Agency (06/30/15)

Now that the draft is over the Lakers can focus their attention on NBA free agency. Free agency starts tomorrow, July 1st, and there's about a week moratorium when teams can officially sign players to contracts.  So who is available and who should the Lakers target? That's probably a question best answered by first knowing how much spending money the Lakers have.  LA should have about $23m in cap space this summer.  There is a small chance that they could trade Nick Young and Ryan Kelly which could get them in the ball park of $29m to spend.  However that is unlikely to occur.  So assuming the Lakers will have about $23m in space (plus a small $2.8m exception), let's look at their roster and see where the needs are:

Roster as of 06/30/2015

Guards (PG or SG)
Jordan Clarkson
D'Angelo Russell
Kobe Bryant
Nick Young
Jabari Brown

Wings (SF)
Anthony Brown

Bigs (PF or C)
Julius Randle
Tarik Black
Ryan Kelly
Larry Nance Jr.
Robert Sacre

The Lakers have the most need at the wing position and at the center spot.  At the moment they don't have starting quality NBA talent at those positions.  It is possible for them to play other players in those spots, for example Kobe and Nick Young are capable of playing SF if need be, but it is less than ideal.  Mitch Kupchak will look to fill these holes as best he can this summer.  But he will go into free agency with the understanding that he may not be able to fill all the holes in one offseason, and that it's not possible to get an all star at every position either. 

So let's a take a look at some of the names the Lakers have been linked to in rumors.  Remember that rumors are worth about as much as we pay for them.  In this case they're free so...take from that what you will lol :).  I'll also include if I think that player would be good for this team or not and why.  In the last section I'll discuss my top 2 hopes for this summer's FA signings.

Player Rumored to be signed by the Lakers

Kevin Love - Do not want - Most people would say why don't you want Love?  My answer is simple.  He's injury prone and doesn't play much defense.  In addition to that he commands $19m in salary. We only have $23m to spend.  I'll pass on him.  2 years ago I would have loved to have him.

Rajon Rondo - DO NOT WANT - Notice I put this one in all caps?  It's for emphasis. He can't play effectively anymore, shoots free throws worse than Dwight Howard, has an attitude worse than Dwight Howard's, and would take playing time away from our young guards in Clarkson and Russell.  Even if the league paid us to take him I still wouldn't sign him. Puke.

DeAndre Jordan - Yes please - He fills the gaping hole we have at center. He's a rim protector and he's athletic enough to run on the break. He's also an excellent rebounder.  He finishes everything within reach of the basket at a high percentage.  He'd take up nearly all of our $23m in cap space but he'd be worth it because he brings a lot of things we desperately need.  The only downside is his free throw shooting.  But it's been statistically proven that strategy actually works against the team using it.  Would love to have DJ on this team.

LaMarcus Aldridge - I guess - I'm on the fence about this one.  He's an all-star player with lots of experience.  My reservation only comes from the fact that he doesn't have the rim protection that we need and in the past he's been hesitant to play at center. Like Love and DJ he would take up essentially all of the open space we have.  It's worth noting that while I'm on the fence about this I don't think the Lakers are, they would sign him in a heart beat if given the opportunity. 

Greg Monroe - No thanks - Monroe will likely wind up on the Knicks which is a good thing because I certainly don't want him here.  He is too slow to be a good defender at the power forward or center position.  And his offensive game is really inefficient.

Those are some of the more well known players rumored to be pursued by the Lakers.  For a full list of 2015 NBA free agents go here: http://www.nba.com/freeagents/2015/

My plans for the Lakers free agency are very simple.  Go after the best player available. If you don't get him, then get complimentary role players/pieces since Kevin Durant, Mike Conley, etc. will be free agents next year.

Plan A:  Sign DeAndre Jordan ($19m), Sign a SF with the remainder Alfariq Aminu/Rudy Fernandez/Dorrell Wright ($4m)

Plan B: Sign Tyson Chandler ($12m), Sign Danny Green ($11m)

Let me explain Plan B a bit because I haven't talked about those players before.  Tyson Chandler is pretty much the same style of player as DeAndre Jordan.  He is much cheaper than Jordan because he is much older.  He's 32.  However he can still be a solid contributor, and he'd serve as the perfect mentor to a player like Robert Upshaw who is currently signed to the Lakers summer league team.  Chandler would get a chance to finish off his career in his hometown and make one last decent contract.  Danny Green would be able to play SF or SG.  His specialty is shooting 3 pointers at a high percentage and playing pretty good defense. He is a solid veteran with championship experience from San Antonio.  Adding another vet to the locker room helps Kobe and he'd also be a good mentor for Anthony Brown who the Lakers drafted at #34.  To me there wouldn't be much of a drop off from Plan A to Plan B. Although Plan A makes a much bigger splash in marketing and ratings.

The next article will cover the Lakers other two draft picks this year, Larry Nance Jr. and Anthony Brown, so stay tuned!

Also, on July 23rd I'll be apart of a team doing missionary work in Kenya. We'll be working in Kibera Slums which is the largest slum in Africa and is home to over 2 million people. There is one toilet with plumbing for every 2000 people there. We are in need of prayers and financial assistance. If you'd like to give you can at the link below:

www.wateroflifecc.org/gorgive

Register and then hit the give to teams button to select "2015 - Kenya Team 1" and my name is Jason

Thank you SO MUCH for your help. Any amount counts :)

Thanks for reading, go Lakers!!!

Lakers #loading (06/28/15)

With the 2nd pick in the 2015 NBA draft, the Los Angeles Lakers select...D'Angelo Russell from The Ohio State University." NBA commissioner Adam Silver uttered these words Thursday night as the Lakers used their highest draft pick since James Worthy in 1982.

It's safe to say most Lakers fans were a bit surprised by the pick. Not because Russell was undeserving, but because it had almost been a forgone conclusion that the Lakers would simply select whichever big man prospect that was not picked at #1. This is because the Lakers have a rich history of talented big men who have helped them produce championships. Additionally the Lakers have a gaping hole at the center spot on their roster right now. I could actually start at center for the Lakers, and you wouldn't notice a drop off in performance from last season. Putting two and two together, most fans and sports writers believed the Lakers would select a center since we need one, and the two available were projected to be really good.

Enter D'Angelo Russell.

I'll admit I was surprised they picked him too. But not in a bad way. Like in the way you're surprised when you leave work on a Friday, and there's no traffic on the way home. It was a pleasant surprise! I didn't think the Lakers would go against conventional wisdom that says you should pick a big over a small. Ever since Russell was brought to my attention last year, it was clear this dude can play the game of basketball. But we'll get to that in the next section. Even better still for the business side of the house, D'Angelo has that LA personality. He has a ton of natural charisma and isn't afraid of the spotlight. In the end I think that, combined with his skills, made him a can't miss pick for the Lakers. One which I agree with. (I had him at #2 on my personal board after Towns).

The Lakers also had two other draft picks which they used on Larry Nance Jr (#27) and Anthony Brown (#34). They also offered summer league contracts to forward Branden Ashley and center Robert Upshaw. I will cover these players in a follow on post :). I'm really excited about Upshaw. We're desperate for a center and he's got all the skills we would need at that position. His only question mark is if he can get his head on straight. Much more or follow on that. He has the potential to be an even bigger steal than Jordan Clarskon...

So let's take a look at D'Angelo Russell and see what kind of player he was in college, and what type of player he can be in the NBA. Here are some of his strengths and weaknesses:

Strengths
Passing ability/IQ
Shooting
Ball handling
Unselfish but not afraid to take over

Weaknesses
Doesn't have elite athleticism
Lacks strength
Needs better moves for finishing at the rim

NBA comparison (play style): Stephen Curry, James Harden, Manu Ginobli

Russell plays the game very smoothyly. What I mean by that is he's always in control. He controls the pace and tempo of the game. He's able to manipulate the defense with his high basketball IQ, and sees plays develop before they happen. He always makes the right pass at the right time. Whether it leads directly to he assist or it is the pass the leads to the assist he usually has his hand in it. Additionally, because he is a deadly shooter off the dribble or in catch and shoot situations it makes the defense have to respect him. They can't give him too much space so it opens up lanes for his passing game.

D'Angelo is equally adept at playing up tempo as he is at playing in a half court offense. With him, Jordan Clarkson, and Julius Randle the Lakers have 3 promising younger players who can all initiate the offense by creating for themselves or others. It will make for EXCITING basketball a few years down the road. Without further ado, here's a great highlight video showing Russell's play style:



Laker fans should be excited about the future with D'Angelo Russell on board. They obviously saw enough talent in him to take a risk in drafting him against conventional wisdom over Jahlil Okafor. More posts to follow on his development. The next two articles will be on what moves the Lakers should make in free agency and a look at the other two draftees from Thursday night.

Also, in a month I'll be apart of a team doing missionary work in Kenya. We'll be working in Kibera Slums which is the largest slum in Africa and is home to over 2 million people. There is one toilet with plumbing for every 2000 people there. We are in need of prayers and financial assistance. If you'd like to give you can at the link below:

www.wateroflifecc.org/gorgive


Register and then select Kenya Team 1 and my name is Jason

Thank you SO MUCH for your help. Any amount counts :)

Go LAKERS