[Pre-season] Kings @ Lakers (in Vegas), 10/8/17 - 6PM PT

No, they really arent. How so?
Yes, they are. Our youth movement consists of five rookies, four sophomores, and a third year player at the moment. This is our first full year rebuilding and our best player is George Hill.

Their youth movement consists of two rookies, two sophomores, a third year player, two fourth year players, and a fifth year player. This is their fourth year rebuilding and their best player is Brook Lopez, who they got with one of their other prospects and would easily be our best player.

Now, I have a low opinion on most of their young players and we can talk about how successful the Lakers rebuild is likely to be, but there's no doubt they're further ahead than we are. Their guys are more developed because they've been at it three seasons longer. Frankly, the gap between them and us should be a lot larger than it actually is.
 
Yes, they are. Our youth movement consists of five rookies, four sophomores, and a third year player at the moment. This is our first full year rebuilding and our best player is George Hill.

Their youth movement consists of two rookies, two sophomores, a third year player, two fourth year players, and a fifth year player. This is their fourth year rebuilding and their best player is Brook Lopez, who they got with one of their other prospects and would easily be our best player.

Now, I have a low opinion on most of their young players and we can talk about how successful the Lakers rebuild is likely to be, but there's no doubt they're further ahead than we are. Their guys are more developed because they've been at it three seasons longer. Frankly, the gap between them and us should be a lot larger than it actually is.
Yea ... we’ll see. As of now, I’m not impressed nor am I sold on their talent. All you did was tell me how long their young guys have been together. Doesn’t guarantee that they’ve improved as a unit

I’ve literally seen nothing impressive from Ingram and Randle is a role player at best
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
No, they really arent. How so?
Ingram, Kuzma, Randle, Clarkson, Ball. Yeah, I'd say they are ahead in their rebuild. Kuzma is the real deal. To me, he looks like he should be included in the ROY debate. He took Skal out of his game, and he plays like a vet on the offensive end. At the very least, he was a super steal at #27 in the draft.
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
Fox has got to learn to stay out of the lane when there's traffic in there, or he's going to be injured for most of the season. He just doesn't have the frame to be going body to body against the bigs. I know he wanted to win the game, and he probably was a little frustrated because he wasn't scoring, but he's got to pick his spots so that he doesn't get creamed.
 
Yea ... we’ll see. As of now, I’m not impressed nor am I sold on their talent. All you did was tell me how long their young guys have been together. Doesn’t guarantee that they’ve improved as a unit

I’ve literally seen nothing impressive from Ingram and Randle is a role player at best
Believe you me, I trash the Lakers' young core on a daily basis. I hate Randle's game, Clarkson is what he is which is mediocre, I'm starting to think Ingram is a bust after being high on him, and Ball I feel will top out as an average starter. I trashed his demeanor and his game, but honestly D'Angelo Russell was the best thing that franchise had going for it.

Though, with two-thirds of our roster having played a combined 88 games or something ridiculous like that, you can safely say that they're a better team at least for this year and farther along in their rebuild. Does that mean I think their rebuild will be successful with that group, no.
 
Fox has got to learn to stay out of the lane when there's traffic in there, or he's going to be injured for most of the season. He just doesn't have the frame to be going body to body against the bigs. I know he wanted to win the game, and he probably was a little frustrated because he wasn't scoring, but he's got to pick his spots so that he doesn't get creamed.
Fox has got to get the respect of the referees or he will never be able to drive in the paint. Randle laid out Fox with a forearm on the play when he was injured. Fox was fouled on every drive into the paint tonight. One foul was called.
 
Fox has got to learn to stay out of the lane when there's traffic in there, or he's going to be injured for most of the season. He just doesn't have the frame to be going body to body against the bigs. I know he wanted to win the game, and he probably was a little frustrated because he wasn't scoring, but he's got to pick his spots so that he doesn't get creamed.
That's going to be hard because 100% of his game is downhill attacking. That number isn't an exaggeration.. all his mid-ranges come from step backs on the attack.
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
That's going to be hard because 100% of his game is downhill attacking. That number isn't an exaggeration.. all his mid-ranges come from step backs on the attack.
I agree that his one-on-one offense is all downhill attacking, with mid-range pull ups. But he's got to focus on using screens for his offensive game in the half court. Then he won't have to force himself in the lane in those situations and he can still use a mid range shot. Also, Joerger hopefully will make it easier on him by playing him with other players suited to the running game. Fox should be able to get at least 6 points a game just from fast break opportunities, where he doesn't have to go against tall trees.
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
Fox has got to get the respect of the referees or he will never be able to drive in the paint. Randle laid out Fox with a forearm on the play when he was injured. Fox was fouled on every drive into the paint tonight. One foul was called.
When he averages 18+ points a game, he'll start getting the respect of the refs. Until then, I hope he's a little cautious in his drives to the basket. I, for one, want to see him play a lot this year rather than getting physical therapy by the trainer.
 
Did anyone think that the entire team was playing tooo unselfishly in this game? I really got the feeling that they were entirely focused on running the offense the right way and were being entirely too unselfish in doing so.
In the first half they were having troubles getting guys open and when they would, they were missing nearly everything. Just one of those games as far as shooting went.

IMO the biggest problem has been running the offense through a big man in the high post. It's just not working and we don't have the big men for it. WCS and Skal don't have a knack for it. They were getting the ball poked away and just making bad reads and passes in general. Good luck saved us from a few turnovers there. Then Papa is atrocious at it since he can't even receive the ball correctly most the time. Kofous is our best option but realistically he should be about the worst at it if that's how you want to run your offense.

It seemed like most sets they'd pass it to WCS at the top of the key. He'd look around and not see anything. Then a guard would have to come back to the ball and WCS would have to pass it back. Now there's 10 seconds on the shot clock with zero accomplished. So WCS sets a screen for the guard, which doesn't work most the time and now the guard is in a situation with less than 7 seconds on the shot clock to try and find an open man quickly or to hoist up a contested shot. Seemed like that's how half of Temple's shot attempts went during the game.

It was sort of rinse and repeat all game but I think that's how you have to run an offense half the time with Hill out there. With Fox and Mason you can let them break the defense down and make things happen but Hill isn't that type of PG so the offense can get stagnant with him out there. If you top that with guys not hitting their shots, then it's going to be painful because there aren't going to be many easy looks in the paint if no one can beat their man in the first place.