Post by Admin on May 21, 2023 12:19:32 GMT -5
Lakers were run off their home court by the Nuggets who look unbeatable with a duo of Jokic & Murray. Right from tip off the Nuggets took it to the Lakers outscoring them by 12pts in Q1. Sure the Lakers rallied back in Q2 to get close by the half and held on in Q3 but James, Davis & Reaves weren't enough (Hashimura only other Laker in double figures) for 5 Nuggets in double figures with Murray (37pts) combining with Jokic (24pts) for 61pts!
So the Lakers finally drop the ball on a turned around season that was bailed out at the trade deadline by some incomprehensible trades by other NBA teams for future 2nd round draft picks (Minny took the picks and Conley) and over the hill or non-competitive bodies. Ainge gambled as usual this time that L.A. would bust and any 1st round pick would become valuable. But Danny should know that as long as there's beautiful weather and hot babes in L.A. there will always be top free agents willing to go there even in a rebuild as LBJ did. So that makes the odds of his gamble working out slim or none. He's lost his fast ball and got hood winked by the Fakers.
He got nothing for Westbrook (buyout picked up by Clippers) and jettisoned Conley (to Minny for cap space) giving the Lakers Beasley & Vanderbilt as well as Russell from Minny (none of which performed that great in the playoffs other than the home grown Reaves and Hachimura who they got from Wizards for a Nunn and 3 sloppy seconds. Again ... WHERE WAS BRAD WHEN THIS DEAL WENT DOWN? Too busy working on a Muscala deal? Ugh! All I can assume from that deal is that DC wanted out from Hachimura after he took time off for personal reasons and there's been some talk of mental illness being involved though it's uncertain if it pertains to him or a family member.
That said, the Lakers are 0-3 now and already warning other NBA teams that they will match any offers that Reaves & Hachimura get but have tabled discussions with Russell until the POs are over (because he's been a disappointment?) ...
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Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images
... both players have now been arguably the third and fourth best players on (at least) a Western Conference Finals team, all signs are pointing towards both Reaves and Hachimura being in purple and gold for years to come. No less an authority than ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski stated as much on the latest episode of “The Woj Pod” with ESPN Lakers beat reporter Dave McMenamin.
After Woj stated that both Hachimura and Reaves wouldn’t get past the sixth or seventh pick, respectively, if their 2019 and 2021 NBA Draft classes were re-selected, both he and McMenamin said they don’t see any scenario where the Lakers don’t keep both (via “The Woj Pod,” emphasis mine):
McMenamin: “And that’s why, no matter what happens from here on out for the rest of the Lakers’ postseason run, they’ve identified these two players in particular, you have to imagine Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves will be part of their future going forward.”
Woj: “Both restricted free agents, I don’t see any scenario where the Lakers would not match on both. They have to... They’ve proved themselves to be win-now players with LeBron and Anthony Davis on their timeline (and) these are both starting-level players... Again, they will match on those two. They just cannot let them leave.”
Again, none of this is particularly shocking. Reaves has said he wants to be a Laker for the next 5-10 years, and even if he himself can’t believe how much money — up to $98 million! — he’s rumored to be getting offered, it’s difficult to envision the Lakers not matching any contract thrown his way. Not only because of how great he’s been, but because (by virtue of their highly compensated top-two stars) even if they let Reaves and basically all their other free agents go, they still can’t quite get enough cap space to make even one free agent a full max offer and then fill out the rest of the roster with a merry band of minimum contracts.
In short, they just have no avenue to replace Reaves with a similar-caliber talent and fill out the roster with guys who can actually play if they lose him.
The same is true for Hachimura, who has similarly made no secret of how much he’s appreciated his experience in Los Angeles (and has been cashing in on endorsement deals since being acquired). His free agent market is less crystal clear and reported on than Reaves’ is, but it’s no longer outlandish to suggest he’s going to get around the $18.8 million annually that his cap hold currently is after his transcendent playoff performance.
The future is a bit murkier for another Lakers free agent. D’Angelo Russell has, charitably, had an up-and-down postseason. He is averaging 18.2 points per game on nearly 40% shooting from three in Lakers wins thus far, but just 9.8 on 21.7% in losses, respectively. When he has it going, the Lakers are basically unbeatable, but in games where opponents take him out of things or he’s just having an off night, he is mostly actively detrimental due to his defensive deficiencies.
Woj: “D’Angelo Russell is a little different. Threading that is going to be interesting, I know they’ve talked preliminarily on an extension, I think they’ll deal with it after the season, and it really shows you with the way this Lakers roster will be built, it’s really hard to bring in the third big player anymore. With the new collective bargaining agreement, you’re in a much better place breaking (your salary) up with some very good players, and they learned that with the Westbrook trade. And with a new CBA and how punitive it is to be in the upper spending area, you can’t do anything with your roster at that point, the Lakers are in pretty good shape going into this summer.”
After Woj stated that both Hachimura and Reaves wouldn’t get past the sixth or seventh pick, respectively, if their 2019 and 2021 NBA Draft classes were re-selected, both he and McMenamin said they don’t see any scenario where the Lakers don’t keep both (via “The Woj Pod,” emphasis mine):
McMenamin: “And that’s why, no matter what happens from here on out for the rest of the Lakers’ postseason run, they’ve identified these two players in particular, you have to imagine Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves will be part of their future going forward.”
Woj: “Both restricted free agents, I don’t see any scenario where the Lakers would not match on both. They have to... They’ve proved themselves to be win-now players with LeBron and Anthony Davis on their timeline (and) these are both starting-level players... Again, they will match on those two. They just cannot let them leave.”
Again, none of this is particularly shocking. Reaves has said he wants to be a Laker for the next 5-10 years, and even if he himself can’t believe how much money — up to $98 million! — he’s rumored to be getting offered, it’s difficult to envision the Lakers not matching any contract thrown his way. Not only because of how great he’s been, but because (by virtue of their highly compensated top-two stars) even if they let Reaves and basically all their other free agents go, they still can’t quite get enough cap space to make even one free agent a full max offer and then fill out the rest of the roster with a merry band of minimum contracts.
In short, they just have no avenue to replace Reaves with a similar-caliber talent and fill out the roster with guys who can actually play if they lose him.
The same is true for Hachimura, who has similarly made no secret of how much he’s appreciated his experience in Los Angeles (and has been cashing in on endorsement deals since being acquired). His free agent market is less crystal clear and reported on than Reaves’ is, but it’s no longer outlandish to suggest he’s going to get around the $18.8 million annually that his cap hold currently is after his transcendent playoff performance.
The future is a bit murkier for another Lakers free agent. D’Angelo Russell has, charitably, had an up-and-down postseason. He is averaging 18.2 points per game on nearly 40% shooting from three in Lakers wins thus far, but just 9.8 on 21.7% in losses, respectively. When he has it going, the Lakers are basically unbeatable, but in games where opponents take him out of things or he’s just having an off night, he is mostly actively detrimental due to his defensive deficiencies.
Numbers like that — and how relentlessly the Nuggets are hunting him on defense in the conference finals — are likely why the team is considering bringing him off the bench, but are also worried about “hurt feelings” on his part with such a move heading into free agency.
With all that context factored in, it’s no shock that on the same episode of “The Woj Pod,” Woj says the team is holding off on extension talks until after the season (again, emphasis mine):
With all that context factored in, it’s no shock that on the same episode of “The Woj Pod,” Woj says the team is holding off on extension talks until after the season (again, emphasis mine):
Woj: “D’Angelo Russell is a little different. Threading that is going to be interesting, I know they’ve talked preliminarily on an extension, I think they’ll deal with it after the season, and it really shows you with the way this Lakers roster will be built, it’s really hard to bring in the third big player anymore. With the new collective bargaining agreement, you’re in a much better place breaking (your salary) up with some very good players, and they learned that with the Westbrook trade. And with a new CBA and how punitive it is to be in the upper spending area, you can’t do anything with your roster at that point, the Lakers are in pretty good shape going into this summer.”
To sum up: At 0-3 vs Nuggets the Lakers need to win 4-In-A-Row to get to the Finals. Put a fork in them ... they are done and going down like Bobby Brown!
Let's all hope the Celtics don't follow the Laker lead but based on what we've seen the entire season, I for one am not optimistic and prepared to see some changes and wait for next year, AGAIN!
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