What, no talk about the Lakers getting Russ?

galaxy27 · July 29, 2021 8:53PM

very interesting draft-night trade

blurryface · July 29, 2021 10:04PM

how about him having a triple double in his name?

ruSSeLL westbrOOk. 🤯

craig44 · July 30, 2021 4:56AM

looks like the final push to get Lebron a ring. I would imagine from here on out it will be very difficult for Lebron to stay healthy at his age for an entire season.

blurryface · July 30, 2021 4:58AM

@craig44 said:
looks like the final push to get Lebron a ring. I would imagine from here on out it will be very difficult for Lebron to stay healthy at his age for an entire season.

i hate defending him but he’s only 36, right? kareem went to 41 w/o the benefit of todays medical advancements or pampering.

thisistheshow · July 30, 2021 5:17AM

@blurryface said:

@craig44 said:
looks like the final push to get Lebron a ring. I would imagine from here on out it will be very difficult for Lebron to stay healthy at his age for an entire season.

i hate defending him but he’s only 36, right? kareem went to 41 w/o the benefit of todays medical advancements or pampering.

Lebron has had a relatively injury free career thus far, and remains in great form despite the severe wear and tear on him from so many games played and so many deep runs.

erikthredd · July 30, 2021 6:04AM

Out of all of the possible moves that LA could have made this offseason, this one seems like it was made out of desperation. Lebron needs 3&D guys around him,not another star who can’t shoot that needs the ball in his hands to actually make an impact.
Honestly, the only way I see this move working is if Lebron let’s Russ be the primary ball handler while he starts to take a secondary role. That being said,Westbrook plays hard and when Lebron isn’t on the floor LA will have two stars to run their offense through.

I think the Lakers could have been better off had they added two out of Kyle Lowry,DeMar DeRozan and Buddy Hield instead of using their best trade chips on Westbrook.

Edit: Also you have to look at what this trade means for their 2021 salary cap as well. They may not even be able to afford vet minimum ring chasers.
Projected 2021-2022 salary cap: $112 million
Lebron,Westbrook and AD’s contracts combined: $120+ million

galaxy27 · July 30, 2021 6:30AM

@erikthredd said:

I think the Lakers could have been better off had they added two out of Kyle Lowry,DeMar DeRozan and Buddy Hield instead of using their best trade chips on Westbrook.

if they had pulled off LBJ-AD-DeRozan-Lowry, i think everyone else would have been playing for 2nd

but as it stands, i don't foresee LeBron adding another ring to this finger with the addition of Westbrook. i just have a hard time envisioning a harmonious relationship on the court based on their styles of play.

erikthredd · July 30, 2021 6:43AM

@galaxy27 said:

@erikthredd said:

I think the Lakers could have been better off had they added two out of Kyle Lowry,DeMar DeRozan and Buddy Hield instead of using their best trade chips on Westbrook.

if they had pulled off LBJ-AD-DeRozan-Lowry, i think everyone else would have been playing for 2nd

but as it stands, i don't foresee LeBron adding another ring to this finger with the addition of Westbrook. i just have a hard time envisioning a harmonious relationshhip on the court based on their styles of play.

Agreed. Once this trade is finalized the only other players under contract outside of the three above are the ghost of Marc Gasol and some JAG named McKinnie. They still have their own FAs like Caruso,Matthews,Drummond,THT,McLemore and Schroder that can re-sign but that roster wasn’t all that great this season.
This all should make for some good drama though and providing the main players are all healthy we’re going to hear about a potential Nets/Lakers Finals showdown all season.

blurryface · July 30, 2021 7:04AM

Los Angeles rent-a-player strategy. not exclusive to the lakers, either. look what the dodgers have done and did today. scherzer, turner.

2dueces · July 30, 2021 10:41AM

AD is a big man that has big man injuries late in the season. If he’s unavailable at anytime for any length in the playoffs their chances of another ring are greatly reduced.

blurryface · July 30, 2021 10:45AM

@2dueces said:
AD is a big man that has big man injuries late in the season. If he’s unavailable at anytime for any length in the playoffs their chances of another ring are greatly reduced.

i agree. i will say i thought a lot of the players were being soft about such a short off-season after covid bubble. it became pretty transparent especially leading up to the playoffs that injuries started to atoll rather quickly. on every team in the league. the players started dropping like flys.

it will be interesting to see how fragile davis will be this upcoming season w zero excuses, regardless how valid it most likely was last season.

fergie23 · July 30, 2021 1:44PM

If Lebron could win a championship with Kyrie, he can win one with Russ. I am not a huge fan of the trade because I have never liked how Russ plays but it will undoubtedly make the team stronger when Lebron sits. That said, 2 aging stars and a fragile big man doesn't feel like a recipe for success.

Robb

craig44 · July 30, 2021 1:54PM

@blurryface said:

@craig44 said:
looks like the final push to get Lebron a ring. I would imagine from here on out it will be very difficult for Lebron to stay healthy at his age for an entire season.

i hate defending him but he’s only 36, right? kareem went to 41 w/o the benefit of todays medical advancements or pampering.

he will be 37 a couple of months into the season. it isn't just his age though. he has logged heavy minutes since age 18. kareem was playing the much shorter college seasons until he was what, 22?

yes, there are certainly much more advanced medical advancements, but 2 decades of deep playoff runs takes its toll. this season there was the ankle injury. he also had a significant groin injury a year or two ago.

i think lebrons window is closing quickly.

blurryface · July 30, 2021 2:01PM

@craig44 said:

@blurryface said:

@craig44 said:
looks like the final push to get Lebron a ring. I would imagine from here on out it will be very difficult for Lebron to stay healthy at his age for an entire season.

i hate defending him but he’s only 36, right? kareem went to 41 w/o the benefit of todays medical advancements or pampering.

he will be 37 a couple of months into the season. it isn't just his age though. he has logged heavy minutes since age 18. kareem was playing the much shorter college seasons until he was what, 22?

yes, there are certainly much more advanced medical advancements, but 2 decades of deep playoff runs takes its toll. this season there was the ankle injury. he also had a significant groin injury a year or two ago.

i think lebrons window is closing quickly.

i hope so. i just dont think his ego will allow him to retire until he gets the scoring title. i can see him being 42 avg 8 points a game til he gets there, bad groin or not.

thisistheshow · July 30, 2021 6:37PM

@blurryface said:

@craig44 said:

@blurryface said:

@craig44 said:
looks like the final push to get Lebron a ring. I would imagine from here on out it will be very difficult for Lebron to stay healthy at his age for an entire season.

i hate defending him but he’s only 36, right? kareem went to 41 w/o the benefit of todays medical advancements or pampering.

he will be 37 a couple of months into the season. it isn't just his age though. he has logged heavy minutes since age 18. kareem was playing the much shorter college seasons until he was what, 22?

yes, there are certainly much more advanced medical advancements, but 2 decades of deep playoff runs takes its toll. this season there was the ankle injury. he also had a significant groin injury a year or two ago.

i think lebrons window is closing quickly.

i hope so. i just dont think his ego will allow him to retire until he gets the scoring title. i can see him being 42 avg 8 points a game til he gets there, bad groin or not.

...........
I don't know exactly how the numbers work out, but I can definitely see him playing until he has it.

sayheywyo · July 31, 2021 1:57AM

@thisistheshow said:

I don't know exactly how the numbers work out, but I can definitely see him playing until he has it.

Agree. I see Lebron playing for 3 more years..... age 37, 38, 39. Kareem played until 41. Kareem averaged 22, 23 and 17 points per game between age 37-39. Lebron could sit out 30 games per season and average 19 points per game and get the scoring title. And then blurry....... those e-topps will explode. just my humble opinion.

blurryface · July 31, 2021 8:34AM

@sayheywyo said:
@thisistheshow said:

I don't know exactly how the numbers work out, but I can definitely see him playing until he has it.

Agree. I see Lebron playing for 3 more years..... age 37, 38, 39. Kareem played until 41. Kareem averaged 22, 23 and 17 points per game between age 37-39. Lebron could sit out 30 games per season and average 19 points per game and get the scoring title. And then blurry....... those e-topps will explode. just my humble opinion.

thats the plan! cant stand the guy, but he can send my kids to college for free.

and ive nailed down tons of etopps. when they hit $9k+ mark, i moved 3 to pay for the rest of the hold. they've come back to earth with most everything else but i'm good there. ive actually moved on to two other cards that i think have massive upside.

2003 topps matrix #jaw james, anthony, wade

2003 topps matrix #wjb wade, james, bosh

only reason im saying this is because i have already procured 30 or so 8s and up on the cheap.

with the lineage of the topps brand in conjunction w/ the bird/magic/dr j that features two hof rcs and another hof, these cards (which even resemble the bird/magic rc) will be the first ever to feature 3 hof rookies on 1 card. the bosh card will have the distinction of being all 3 hof rookies from the same class on the same team to win a championship. while the carmelo card will carry the distinction of being the first w 3 1st round hofs pictured.

i went heavy on the jaw card first bc i knew anthony was a lock & bosh had got passed over by the hall already. but now that he is officially in, i started scooping those up during the last few months. the current dip has just the cherry on top.

not too many things im confident on when it comes to putting my name on a call, but these are a no brainer, imo. and no, i dont have a single one listed or will list until a few months leading up to brons induction. then the masses can have them! and ill have my island. space jam 2 will be forbidden.

blurryface · July 31, 2021 8:38AM

and he still will never be jordan! 😉

erikthredd · July 31, 2021 4:20PM

sayheywyo · August 1, 2021 2:29AM

@blurryface said:

2003 topps matrix #jaw james, anthony, wade

2003 topps matrix #wjb wade, james, bosh

Not a Lebron fan either, but the newer generation that's spending $$ like him a lot. I'm just a casual collector and no where near your buying power. In addition to the ones you mentioned I did pick up a couple of the #baj bosh, anthony, james on the way cheap a couple years back and graded one just to see how it fared (PSA 9)--- tough cards. Similar plans when Bron is inducted----- although mine will probably be a week in a Smoky mountain cabin w/family vs the Island thing and we'll be watching the original Space Jam.

blurryface · August 1, 2021 6:48AM

@sayheywyo said:
@blurryface said:

Similar plans when Bron is inducted----- although mine will probably be a week in a Smoky mountain cabin w/family vs the Island thing and we'll be watching the original Space Jam.

as long as the family’s there, that all that matters. a cabin in the smokeys aint all that bad either and w enough digging could technically be an island as well! who knows, you might even strike a gold or ruby pocket. all thanks to lebron. plus so much easier to sell when theres no emotion involved.

erikthredd · August 3, 2021 8:22AM

Kudos to Lebron and the Lakers for creating a retirement home for older NBA players...
Lebron 36
Marc Gasol 36
Russell Westbrook 32
Trevor Ariza 36
Kent Bazemore 32
Dwight Howard 35
Wayne Ellington 33

The two youngest players that LA currently has under contract are:
Anthony Davis 28
Alfonzo Mckinnie 29

blurryface · August 3, 2021 9:14AM

@erikthredd said:
Kudos to Lebron and the Lakers for creating a retirement home for older NBA players...
Lebron 36
Marc Gasol 36
Russell Westbrook 32
Trevor Ariza 36
Kent Bazemore 32
Dwight Howard 35
Wayne Ellington 33

The two youngest players that LA currently has under contract are:
Anthony Davis 28
Alfonzo Mckinnie 29

i would thought anthony davis was 68 judging by that impressive uni-brow.

blurryface · August 3, 2021 9:15AM

@erikthredd said:
Kudos to Lebron and the Lakers for creating a retirement home for older NBA players...
Lebron 36
Marc Gasol 36
Russell Westbrook 32
Trevor Ariza 36
Kent Bazemore 32
Dwight Howard 35
Wayne Ellington 33

The two youngest players that LA currently has under contract are:
Anthony Davis 28
Alfonzo Mckinnie 29

and dont the lakers have 1 guy on the team that had a bonilla type contract thats 43 or something like that?

erikthredd · August 3, 2021 11:16AM

@blurryface said:

@erikthredd said:
Kudos to Lebron and the Lakers for creating a retirement home for older NBA players...
Lebron 36
Marc Gasol 36
Russell Westbrook 32
Trevor Ariza 36
Kent Bazemore 32
Dwight Howard 35
Wayne Ellington 33

The two youngest players that LA currently has under contract are:
Anthony Davis 28
Alfonzo Mckinnie 29

i would thought anthony davis was 68 judging by that impressive uni-brow.

That uni-brow has been going strong since HS.

I think the answer to question two is Luol Deng but I could be wrong.

erikthredd · August 3, 2021 11:25AM

LA did go out and sign a 23yr old,Malik Monk, but then went and balanced it out by signing 37yr old Carmelo Anthony.

If LA keeps going at this rate the NBA might have to create the Social Security Tax Exemption.

thisistheshow · August 3, 2021 11:31AM

@erikthredd said:

@blurryface said:

@erikthredd said:
Kudos to Lebron and the Lakers for creating a retirement home for older NBA players...
Lebron 36
Marc Gasol 36
Russell Westbrook 32
Trevor Ariza 36
Kent Bazemore 32
Dwight Howard 35
Wayne Ellington 33

The two youngest players that LA currently has under contract are:
Anthony Davis 28
Alfonzo Mckinnie 29

i would thought anthony davis was 68 judging by that impressive uni-brow.

That uni-brow has been going strong since HS.

I think the answer to question two is Luol Deng but I could be wrong.

................
https://www.sportscasting.com/luol-deng-made-more-money-for-lakers-2020-21-than-all-but-5-players-including-kyle-kuzma/

blurryface · August 3, 2021 8:13PM

@erikthredd said:
LA did go out and sign a 23yr old,Malik Monk, but then went and balanced it out by signing 37yr old Carmelo Anthony.

those matrix cards i spoke of early are looking better & better now. especially if melo gets a ring. lakers are basically the equivalent to the yankees as far as the crazy collector base.

What, no talk about the Lakers getting Russ?

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