In case you missed it, and I think you may have, Skal played in the NBA last year. And pretty well at that considering how far he fell (and I really wish Boston had taken him over the Dancing Bear).Somewhere in a similar thread from yesteryear there is a longing for lottery luck to grab Harry Giles or Skal Labissier at the top of the next year's draft.
After the Celtics won the lottery this year, didn't they pull a C's ping pong ball on the next two pulls (to decide who gets pick #2)?Celtics should tank this year. I don't want to choose between Doncic, Ayton, and Porter. I want them ALL!
He was a four star recruit, yes, but he's also an example of something I harp on all the time, the 16 year old Diamond Stone was a man amongst the boys and beat his peers up. The 18 year old Diamond Stone was not, and hadn't grown his game enough to continue his dominance.I think generally if you look at the top 5ish high school seniors in the year before their draft, 1 or 2 of them are typically replaced by guys from the 5-10 range. Probably a pretty decent "hit" rate in terms of who ends up at the top of the draft, though there are always guys who fall way down or climb. I believe Diamond Stone, for one, was a top recruit entering college ball.
They'll finish closer to 15th than to 8th, even if no one in the west improved I don't see how they had a shotMillsap to Nuggets. Butler to Wolves. No chance this Lakers team makes the playoffs next year.
Agreed, and because the West is so much deeper than the East, and because LAL has so many games against the West, I would expect the bottom teams in the West to have worse records than similar teams in the East.They'll finish closer to 15th than to 8th, even if no one in the west improved I don't see how they had a shot
Atlanta?I think the only team that has a chance at being worse than the Lakers is the Nets. Oh boy!
Indiana should be right there with Brooklyn. They are going to be awful.
For awhile Orlando has been my sneaky tank pick for this season, but I don't know how a new GM will factor in. They've been a rudderless ship the last couple years including a truly disastrous 2016 offseason. Seems like it's really not a good situation there. They've already had a bad summer in that LA's lotto luck cost them LA's 2019 1st rounder that instead becomes a pair of 2nds I believe.Orlando, too. Don't think people understand how bad they were in the second half last year. They were basically a .500 team until January.
The Knicks (especially if they deal Carmelo) and Suns will be just as bad if not worse next year, too. A lot of competition at the bottom next year, barring anything unforeseen.
For awhile Orlando has been my sneaky tank pick for this season, but I don't know how a new GM will factor in. They've been a rudderless ship the last couple years including a truly disastrous 2016 offseason. Seems like it's really not a good situation there.
What about the rest? That's an incredibly uninspiring roster without George.Myles Turner is a lot better than anyone hipster hoops has
Imagine draft lottery night next year--we get down to top 2 picks and it's Lakers and Nets left to be revealed.I think the only team that has a chance at being worse than the Lakers is the Nets. Oh boy!
I think I would rather the Lakers pick get pulled "early" at #4 than have to deal with the stress of potentially not getting it at all.Imagine draft lottery night next year--we get down to top 2 picks and it's Lakers and Nets left to be revealed.
That would indeed be a nice option on the table! Depending upon how the 2018 kids develop, we might even choose to keep the picks.Nailing 1/2 might be the only way we get New Orleans to answer the phone on Davis.
Oladipo and Sabonis are, sadly, the second and third best players between those franchises.What about the rest? That's an incredibly uninspiring roster without George.
Would suck on the Lakers front, but would be nice on the Hayward front.This would suck. http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/246717/George-Hill-Discussing-One-Year-Deal-With-Lakers
Can't see him leaving that much money on the table though.
I think those margins matter when the pick has to fall between 2-5. 4 or 5 extra wins could be the difference between being the 4th worst team in the NBA or the 7th worst. Hawks, Bulls, Nets should all be terrible. The Suns and Kings are going all in with youth and could either win 20 or 35. The Magic have talent but no direction, and if the Jazz lose both Hayward and Hill, they could take a huge step back. If the Pistons manage to move Drummond and Jackson, they'll be especially terrible as well. Same goes for the Knicks if they move Melo, maybe even if they don't. The margins are going to matter.Yep, no doubt...especially Lopez. But I think the aim here is more about development than wins, and obviously the Lakers don't have their pick so no sweat off their noses if they do. From the Celtics pov, I doubt Hill specifically will add too many wins in such a stacked conference. But, hey, maybe it'll matter at the margins.
He wouldn't be contributing to losses like Black and Mozgov.Lopez has never really contributed to wins.
Most three point shooting guards will have a mid to late 30s dip when it comes to knocking down threes and creating shots. I'm thinking about guys like Derek Fisher, Mitch Richmond, Kobe, and Paul Pierce.Jamal Crawford prefers to play with the Lakers if he is bought out. http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/246740/Jamal-Crawford-Prefers-To-Sign-With-Lakers
not sure that really moves the needle any.
Only if you assume their chances at finishing 1 through 5 are all equal. It's probably actually better than a 70% chance assuming worst or second worst is probably more likely than 4th or 5th worst.Does that come out to a 70% chance of the pick conveying? (I am assuming that the Laker finish worst to 5th worst)
He'll need to be paired with a defensive minded guy like Bradley or Beverly who can guard quick 1's, much like Magic was paired with Byron Scott. They'll also need to keep that pace up for him to be effective. Should be fun to watch.I watched the game last night and his skills are as advertised; great vision and his ability to grab defensive rebounds and initiate a fast break is impressive. He also couldn't stay in front of DSJ or Yogi if he was allowed to hand-check them with a taser. Also the Lakers SL team plays at an incredible pace so all stat accumulating should be taken with a grain of salt.
Caldwell-Pope is that kind of player, so the Lakers will probably deploy him against the better PG's. He may not be a long-term solution in LA, but he'll help make Ball look good out of the gate.He'll need to be paired with a defensive minded guy like Bradley or Beverly who can guard quick 1's, much like Magic was paired with Byron Scott. They'll also need to keep that pace up for him to be effective. Should be fun to watch.