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tblzrsreturn
Joined: 07 Jun 2007
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 Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 6:42 am Post subject: o-skill bynum needs to learn first...and other observations |
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here are my observations on the lakers for the new year's...
1) there is one fundamental offensive skill bynum must learn over the next ten months which will allow him to make the next huge jump in progress: he needs to learn how to back people down. it's no surprise that a relative newcomer to the game wouldn't have learned this counterintuitive skill yet. if he doesn't have it by next october, then the rate of growth over the next 20 months of his overall skill level will plateau. but knowing how hard bynum works, i do expect him to have learned this skill by next october. this skill is the one that will allow him to become the most dominant center in the league, because this is the one that will allow him to have devastating close-to-the-basket go-to moves while also opening up his court vision.
2) for bynum to become a better rebounder, he must become physically much stronger than he is today...next year, what i'd like to see from bynum in those frequent but brief rebounding situations is for him to rapidly but slyly move opposing rebounders who have superior rebounding position out of that position and install himself there--without getting whistled. for instance, i'd like to see him move an opposing rebounder, who is stationed in front of the rim in box-out position, underneath that rim and effectively take that opponent out of the play.
this is not something you can ask out of just anybody, but i think bynum will be capable of this at some point--hopefully by next year--and he is one i would like to ask this of...
on the flip side, right now, there are a few smaller but stronger players (kendrick is one) who can physically remove bynum from rebounding position--without fouling. at least this much must stop...by next season...
3) for jordan and javaris to co-exist, both jordan and javaris must learn off-the-ball skills. the effectiveness of both players are drastically reduced when they don't dominate the ball. i especially hope that phil will not make it such that when the two are playing at the same time, farmar dominates the ball while javaris is forced off-the ball--in other words, that jordan is designated the pg and javaris the sg--this would kill javaris who will be a better player than jordan within three years and needs to handle the ball as much as jordan. but i have a feeling that this will become a moot point by next year.
they should be able to learn how to share by then simply by playing more together...they just need reps together i think...but if they don't learn to play together, they will effectively cannibalize each other's development and impact...
4) i like that trevor is showing confidence in his 3-pt shooting...but if trevor doesn't develop both a mid-range game and ball handling skills in the next ten months, the small forward position will remain the biggest liability in the next two playoffs...i like the perimeter shut-down potential of kobe+trevor, but trevor is the only sf on the team who has the potential to be a full-time 2-way player...but nobody knows yet if he has the will to become that player...
5) good people (people i like) who we shouldn't have to expect back for next season: chris mihm and sasha vujacic...i don't like the whiny rudeness some lakers fans have shown them over the years (and i've been guilty of that whiny rudeness myself at times, i will admit), but nowhere in my crystal ball do i see them back next year; so my wish is that lakers fans try to act with class and dignity and behave well towards these two good people who we will be leaving us in the summer...
6) lakers should bring marc gasol over here as soon as they can.
7) keep kwame for part of or all of the mle...if he wants more, say goodbye. kwame is now a situational luxury center for us. he makes defending san antonio and houston and miami easier, i guess, but that's about it. he's useless against smaller top teams such as the ones in phoenix, detroit, and boston...and bynum can already wax most of the teams in the league himself anyway. and if bynum has another growth in skill level next year as i expect he will, then kwame may not even be worth the mle...especially after gasol comes over...
8) for the draft, i am hoping for either cal's devon hardin or a scorer at the wing (either at 2 or 3) who is long and athletic...but if mitch could use that pick in a trade for apparent-bust gerald green, i'd totally support that...
thanks for reading, fellas....and goodnight  |
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Teen Girl Squad
Joined: 16 Dec 2007
Posts: 233
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 6:48 am Post subject: |
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A couple of quick replies.
Your observations are correct about Bynum. Strength is part of the issue but it lies more heavily on Bynum obtain position, which the coacing staff has already acknowledged is his biggest weakness. Heck Phil was making fun of Andrew because of it. Increased strength will help but Bynums already a big dude, most of it is fundamental.
The other is the comment on Farmar/Critt. You are right in that they need to play off the ball but I do think Farmar has learned a lot already with that role. Critt definitely needs to work on it though. |
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KGInCali
Joined: 07 Jun 2007
Posts: 517
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 7:04 am Post subject: Re: o-skill bynum needs to learn first...and other observati |
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| tblzrsreturn wrote: |
here are my observations on the lakers for the new year's...
1) there is one fundamental offensive skill bynum must learn over the next ten months which will allow him to make the next huge jump in progress: he needs to learn how to back people down. it's no surprise that a relative newcomer to the game wouldn't have learned this counterintuitive skill yet. if he doesn't have it by next october, then the rate of growth over the next 20 months of his overall skill level will plateau. but knowing how hard bynum works, i do expect him to have learned this skill by next october. this skill is the one that will allow him to become the most dominant center in the league, because this is the one that will allow him to have devastating close-to-the-basket go-to moves while also opening up his court vision.
2) for bynum to become a better rebounder, he must become physically much stronger than he is today...next year, what i'd like to see from bynum in those frequent but brief rebounding situations is for him to rapidly but slyly move opposing rebounders who have superior rebounding position out of that position and install himself there--without getting whistled. for instance, i'd like to see him move an opposing rebounder, who is stationed in front of the rim in box-out position, underneath that rim and effectively take that opponent out of the play.
this is not something you can ask out of just anybody, but i think bynum will be capable of this at some point--hopefully by next year--and he is one i would like to ask this of...
on the flip side, right now, there are a few smaller but stronger players (kendrick is one) who can physically remove bynum from rebounding position--without fouling. at least this much must stop...by next season...
3) for jordan and javaris to co-exist, both jordan and javaris must learn off-the-ball skills. the effectiveness of both players are drastically reduced when they don't dominate the ball. i especially hope that phil will not make it such that when the two are playing at the same time, farmar dominates the ball while javaris is forced off-the ball--in other words, that jordan is designated the pg and javaris the sg--this would kill javaris who will be a better player than jordan within three years and needs to handle the ball as much as jordan. but i have a feeling that this will become a moot point by next year.
they should be able to learn how to share by then simply by playing more together...they just need reps together i think...but if they don't learn to play together, they will effectively cannibalize each other's development and impact...
4) i like that trevor is showing confidence in his 3-pt shooting...but if trevor doesn't develop both a mid-range game and ball handling skills in the next ten months, the small forward position will remain the biggest liability in the next two playoffs...i like the perimeter shut-down potential of kobe+trevor, but trevor is the only sf on the team who has the potential to be a full-time 2-way player...but nobody knows yet if he has the will to become that player...
5) good people (people i like) who we shouldn't have to expect back for next season: chris mihm and sasha vujacic...i don't like the whiny rudeness some lakers fans have shown them over the years (and i've been guilty of that whiny rudeness myself at times, i will admit), but nowhere in my crystal ball do i see them back next year; so my wish is that lakers fans try to act with class and dignity and behave well towards these two good people who we will be leaving us in the summer...
6) lakers should bring marc gasol over here as soon as they can.
7) [b]keep kwame for part of or all of the mle...if he wants more, say goodbye. kwame is now a situational luxury center for us. [/b] he makes defending san antonio and houston and miami easier, i guess, but that's about it. he's useless against smaller top teams such as the ones in phoenix, detroit, and boston...and bynum can already wax most of the teams in the league himself anyway. and if bynum has another growth in skill level next year as i expect he will, then kwame may not even be worth the mle...especially after gasol comes over...
8) for the draft, i am hoping for either cal's devon hardin or a scorer at the wing (either at 2 or 3) who is long and athletic...but if mitch could use that pick in a trade for apparent-bust gerald green, i'd totally support that...
thanks for reading, fellas....and goodnight |
I agree on every one of your points except the two that were highlighted.(Sasha/Mihm & Kwame) I really don't see why you wouldn't expect people, especially Lakers fan to be extra critical of Sasha and Mihm, especially Mihm. Here's a guy who has been injured a full season, and when he's close to returning, demands the full level exception, and he's already not really that good anyway. Sasha Vujacic has always been a tease. Whenever his contract is up for renewal he starts to wow the fans with seemingly dormant basketball abilities. For Sasha Vujacic, you're always left asking the same question, "Where was this ability the past couple of years?"
As far as Kwame goes, I hope that he's a goner. I am at a loss whenever I see such comments on fans who are hopeful that Kwame comes back next season. As if he couldn't possibly provide any newer indication of how sorry and pathetic he is out on the court. The man is not totally useless, that's true, but I think even giving him 2.5 million of the exception would be an overpayment. I would love to see his 9 million expiring contract bartered for something of value, anything.
I am hopeful that the Lakers can somehow land Kevin Love. Bynum and Love would become a tandem etched into the minds of us all if they were ever lucky to be paired together. As far as Gerald Green, I'm all for it, as long as we can get rid of Sasha in the process. He probably wouldn't get much playing time as a Shooting Guard(Kobe Bryant's position), and he wouldn't fare much better as a small forward with Luke and Ariza playing there. If we could get him for peanuts he would be a nice project to work with. As far as everything else goes, I can tell you're a fundamentally sound critic.
_________________
If I could do it, I would purposely walk up to Kwame Brown and tell him that he sucked more than Karine Steffans at a Jay-Z music video set. I wouldn't even be scared. The man is an absolute joke. I'm pretty sure I could take him one on one, and i'm only 6'2'', 210lbs. If he punches like he shoots free throws, then he'll be missing all day long. |
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abeer3
Joined: 18 Feb 2005
Posts: 4562
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 7:45 am Post subject: |
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| i think farmar plays better off the ball than critt. i'd like to see their roles switched when they share the floor, with critt having the creating/ballhandling duties and farmar looking to cut and score. they can switch spots defensively. |
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dvdrdiscs
Joined: 02 Feb 2007
Posts: 762
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 8:14 am Post subject: |
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Bynum won't learn how to back people down within 10 months. And it's not because I'm doubting him, it's because he is physically incapable of doing it. His core strength is relatively weak still. It saddens me when a guard punks him and he falls to the ground.
Hence, he can't immediately jump straight to learning how to back people down without first working on his core and overall strength. And those kind of things are only doable in the offseason.
To add, it is my belief that once he gets stronger, and a little bit bigger, his game will take another leap. He looks like he has the smarts but not the entire physical package to do what his mind wants him to do. |
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J.C. Smith
Joined: 13 Jul 2005
Posts: 1508
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 8:30 am Post subject: |
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| Kwame is our own free agent, we don't need to spend the MLE on him. If we want to resign him we can sign him for whatever we like and still keep the MLE. IMO though he's as good as gone before the trade deadline. |
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JSM
Clublakers Site Manager
Joined: 28 Apr 2003
Posts: 70472
Location: Atlanta
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 8:54 am Post subject: |
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| abeer3 wrote: |
| i think farmar plays better off the ball than critt. i'd like to see their roles switched when they share the floor, with critt having the creating/ballhandling duties and farmar looking to cut and score. they can switch spots defensively. |
Yeah Farmar is better at getting open. The most open you'll see Critt (outside of a fast break) is when he steps back at the top of the key. Whereas you'll often be able to find Farmar lined up for an open baseline 3 pointer. Let Critt handle the ball and Farmar will get even more 3s by way of drive and dish.
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abeer3
Joined: 18 Feb 2005
Posts: 4562
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:28 am Post subject: |
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| JSM wrote: |
| abeer3 wrote: |
| i think farmar plays better off the ball than critt. i'd like to see their roles switched when they share the floor, with critt having the creating/ballhandling duties and farmar looking to cut and score. they can switch spots defensively. |
Yeah Farmar is better at getting open. The most open you'll see Critt (outside of a fast break) is when he steps back at the top of the key. Whereas you'll often be able to find Farmar lined up for an open baseline 3 pointer. Let Critt handle the ball and Farmar will get even more 3s by way of drive and dish. |
farmar also makes good basket cuts from the top of the key. you can tell crittenton hasn't played off the ball much yet. i had the same problem when i played. i was used to making the plays as opposed to finishing them. lamar still has trouble with this, too. some guys are just wired to play off the ball, it seems (like rip hamilton) while others (like wade) have trouble if the ball's not in their hands to start. |
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Samene
Joined: 01 Dec 2006
Posts: 58
Location: La Quinta
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 12:18 pm Post subject: |
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There is a lot of talk here about how we are going to dump players but it forgets one essential thing: Lakers management thinks these guys are good. The front office will trade Kwame for someone they love but that doesn't mean they don't like Kwame. They do. Seriously. And they freakin' LOVE Sasha. And they keep noone else's council on such matters. Remember how they wasted no time resigning Cook and Phil kept starting him at PF when an injury took someone out? Read Phil's 'Last Season' book and you'll note that he NEVER stopped thinking Cook could play the post.
These guys don't wanna let go of Kwame or Sasha. They are still hoping Chris gets healthy.and if he does they will cherish his weak butt also.
I don;t even think they'll resign Kwame for less than his current salary because they've spent the last year with his fat paycheck as the ONLY THING that made interesting trades feasible. Want a decent player back? Then you gotta overpay Kwame. The formula for paying Kwame:
Farmar's Value + Kwame's Value - Farmar's Salary = Kwame's Salary
That way when you trade them the other team gets enough value to do the deal and you can get back a decent veteran. |
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KGInCali
Joined: 07 Jun 2007
Posts: 517
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 1:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Samene wrote: |
There is a lot of talk here about how we are going to dump players but it forgets one essential thing: Lakers management thinks these guys are good. The front office will trade Kwame for someone they love but that doesn't mean they don't like Kwame. They do. Seriously. And they freakin' LOVE Sasha. And they keep noone else's council on such matters. Remember how they wasted no time resigning Cook and Phil kept starting him at PF when an injury took someone out? Read Phil's 'Last Season' book and you'll note that he NEVER stopped thinking Cook could play the post.
These guys don't wanna let go of Kwame or Sasha. They are still hoping Chris gets healthy.and if he does they will cherish his weak butt also.
I don;t even think they'll resign Kwame for less than his current salary because they've spent the last year with his fat paycheck as the ONLY THING that made interesting trades feasible. Want a decent player back? Then you gotta overpay Kwame. The formula for paying Kwame:
Farmar's Value + Kwame's Value - Farmar's Salary = Kwame's Salary
That way when you trade them the other team gets enough value to do the deal and you can get back a decent veteran. |
Did you mean to put "it"? You act like you're speaking in general, but you address only my points. I think you could show some respect and just put my name or use a pronoun. The use of "it" just seems like hate.
I've said it before, and i'll say it again, we have a bad GM, who makes very BAD decisions. Keeping Cook as long as we did was outright ridiculous. Trading for Brown to begin with wasn't a wise decision, without getting a 1st round pick also. Kupchak is just lucky that Bynum and Farmar worked their butts off to put this team where it is. Their strong work ethic along with Phil's coaching, and Fisher/Bryant's leadership is what has made the biggest impact. I give nothing to Kupchak. He should've been fired a milennia ago. I stand by my opinion, that he is and always will be the worst GM in sports, not just the NBA.
_________________
If I could do it, I would purposely walk up to Kwame Brown and tell him that he sucked more than Karine Steffans at a Jay-Z music video set. I wouldn't even be scared. The man is an absolute joke. I'm pretty sure I could take him one on one, and i'm only 6'2'', 210lbs. If he punches like he shoots free throws, then he'll be missing all day long. |
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Samene
Joined: 01 Dec 2006
Posts: 58
Location: La Quinta
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 4:28 pm Post subject: |
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| I thought the part about Sasha not coming back next year was tblzrsreturn's point. The idea of Kwame being re-signed cheap has been put up in a dozen threads. If you are the person officially representing that idea then you know where I stand regarding it. I was, actually, speaking generally. I got no hate to give you... |
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BDG
ClubLakers.com Administrator
Joined: 20 Apr 2003
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Location: Los Angeles
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 5:48 pm Post subject: |
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Great post -- I agree with everything you said, except that we should try and move Kwame near the deadline before we contemplate re-signing him.
_________________
Slava laughed at the suggestion his skills might be affected by the down time. "Are you kidding?" he said. "Basketball is like ball. It's all a circle."
BEST VIDEO EVER ... AND AND THE SECOND BEST. |
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Griever
Joined: 20 Dec 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 5:56 pm Post subject: |
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Totally agreed with everything you said .. Bravo ... Bynum needs to start backing down and show us that hook Kareem taught him.
Farmar i believe is getting better at off-ball hes just been having some off games (inconsistent) ..
Javaris just seems like he wants to throw a little bit of flash into everything .. just get it done and play within the offense he will be fine ..
And Ariza is already improving the shot from what i can see (Coaches said he has a nice stroke) he just needs the confidence and the oppurtunities of shooting those open mid-range/ threes and his handles are alright from what i can see |
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jlkr
Joined: 17 Jan 2006
Posts: 913
Location: Los Angeles
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 7:09 pm Post subject: |
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Mihm has a player option. Given his history this year, unless he comes back strong at the end of the season, he isn't going anywhere next year for more money. So I expect him to not exercise the option. And I expect the Lakers to not buy him out for two reasons: (1), his salary will still count against the cap; and (2), the Lakers practically never buy out players. They allow players to walk at the end of their contracts, but they don't buy them out before that.
Gasol will join the team next year. All indications point toward the Lakers getting him on board at that time since his contract will have ended and it will not be necessary for the Lakers to buy it out from his current team.
Given that, I would say that Brown is definitely gone next year: I just do not see the team keeping 4 centers, and Brown has not shown himself capable of playing the PF and Gasol isn't a PF either.
Besides, Odom is the PF until he goes as he has shown he can't play the SF effectively for the Lakers. And Turiaf is his backup. |
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Kobe's Empire
Joined: 15 May 2003
Posts: 3660
Location: La Crescenta/Glendale, California
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:30 pm Post subject: |
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What an great post.
I couldn't have agreed more with #5 and #7.
Good job man.
_________________
Can't mess with a squad that got screwed out of 1 game in the finals and was 2 games away (technically should have been 1 game away) from an NBA title THAT ADDS THIS in 08-09
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9efsJwJxYEk
owned |
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tblzrsreturn
Joined: 07 Jun 2007
Posts: 287
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| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 6:31 am Post subject: |
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| Teen Girl Squad wrote: |
A couple of quick replies.
Your observations are correct about Bynum. Strength is part of the issue but it lies more heavily on Bynum obtain position, which the coacing staff has already acknowledged is his biggest weakness. Heck Phil was making fun of Andrew because of it. Increased strength will help but Bynums already a big dude, most of it is fundamental.
The other is the comment on Farmar/Critt. You are right in that they need to play off the ball but I do think Farmar has learned a lot already with that role. Critt definitely needs to work on it though. |
i agree with you. :)
about bynum, though...he may be a big guy but he is not using his bulk as effectively as he could. he clearly needs to learn many fundamental skills and techniques over the summer, but i am hopeful that he will return next fall also with greater strength and power. :)
critt looks useless without the ball right now and it is unlikely that will change this season...and i agree that farmar looks like he can become a good catch-and-shooter..i do wish that phil would let critt run with hot shooting fish (not sasha) in the backcourt occassionally to see if that will make critt more comfortable...
it would be nice if phil could help critt out a bit here so that when the playoffs come around everyone will have the confidence in his game and his situation so that he would be of use...i would not be happy if critt went into the post season feeling unsure of his role on the team...that would be a needless waste of abilities the lakers probably might be able to use then... |
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tblzrsreturn
Joined: 07 Jun 2007
Posts: 287
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| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 6:34 am Post subject: Re: o-skill bynum needs to learn first...and other observati |
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| KGInCali wrote: |
I agree on every one of your points except the two that were highlighted.(Sasha/Mihm & Kwame) I really don't see why you wouldn't expect people, especially Lakers fan to be extra critical of Sasha and Mihm, especially Mihm. Here's a guy who has been injured a full season, and when he's close to returning, demands the full level exception, and he's already not really that good anyway. Sasha Vujacic has always been a tease. Whenever his contract is up for renewal he starts to wow the fans with seemingly dormant basketball abilities. For Sasha Vujacic, you're always left asking the same question, "Where was this ability the past couple of years?"
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you realize that that was a tongue-in-cheek comment, right? :P |
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wolfpaclaker
Joined: 23 Aug 2005
Posts: 1733
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| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 6:55 am Post subject: |
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Stu talked about it on the Laker telecats, in regards to his B2B game, AB needs to mantain better upperbody balance.
I feel his biggest drawback in regards to the B2B game is that he's still learning the art of shot selection. When he's at his best, totally involved in the game, there is no hesitation with his moves. Whether it's a hook, up and under, back down and just dunk over the guy ... he does it pretty quickly. The problem often comes with when a) he's not sure what move to make and b) when his moves get defended well or taken away by the defense. Gotta start developing more instinct to his post game. It's coming along, but I would say he's not as consistent with his post game application as a TD, Yao etc.
Which is fine, considering his age/experience. We'll need him to become that player if we are going to win a title within the next 2-3 years. Noway we win a title with Andrew averaging 12-13 ppg and Lamar 14-15 and Kobe 26+. We need better balance of the 2nd and 3rd option. The last 13 games, Andrew is averaging 16 ppg on nearly 70% FG. That's a big reason why we are playing so much better. When Andrew can start becoming closer to a 20 ppg dominant low post player, then we'll truly contend IMO. |
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tblzrsreturn
Joined: 07 Jun 2007
Posts: 287
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| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:13 am Post subject: Re: o-skill bynum needs to learn first...and other observati |
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| KGInCali wrote: |
As far as Kwame goes, I hope that he's a goner. I am at a loss whenever I see such comments on fans who are hopeful that Kwame comes back next season. As if he couldn't possibly provide any newer indication of how sorry and pathetic he is out on the court. The man is not totally useless, that's true, but I think even giving him 2.5 million of the exception would be an overpayment. I would love to see his 9 million expiring contract bartered for something of value, anything.
I am hopeful that the Lakers can somehow land Kevin Love. Bynum and Love would become a tandem etched into the minds of us all if they were ever lucky to be paired together. As far as Gerald Green, I'm all for it, as long as we can get rid of Sasha in the process. He probably wouldn't get much playing time as a Shooting Guard(Kobe Bryant's position), and he wouldn't fare much better as a small forward with Luke and Ariza playing there. If we could get him for peanuts he would be a nice project to work with. As far as everything else goes, I can tell you're a fundamentally sound critic. |
1) i agree with you on kwame. with bynum's rise, kwame has become a luxury situational player who would be of use against maybe four teams in the league...kinda like what elden cambell was after we got shaq...if they think they could afford him for a year or two more then i wouldn't object...having a spare 7-footer who plays man-d isn't the worst thing to have at your disposal...beyond that, i would like to see marc gasol be our new fulltime backup at the 5 and part with kwame asap.
2) it seems we are agreed that we could use a physical 4. unfortunately, i am not thrilled with what the pac 10 has to offer in this year's draft, that includes love (if he decides to go pro) and hardin. though hardin missed last year...i think he has not received good coaching and he has simply not worked on any kind of offensive game. but i think that he has the potential in a couple of years to at least do all the things kwame does for us now...but better+ dunk and rebound and shot block also.
regarding love, i am not convinced that his game will translate well to the pro game. he cant get off the ground; he isn't super quick; he isnt that big; he relies on his strength and aggressiveness to muscle after rebounds and points...i dont know. he is obviously highly skilled and strong, but i just cant picture him being effective enough for me to be happy with having him. haha. actually, i was hoping that marc gasol could be our kevin love for next year...
3) i think we could use another young wing scorer who could create his own shots. i have doubts that trevor will be able to be that player for us mainly because he hasnt even worked much on ball handling skills yet. and moreover, i would like someone to eventually take walton's spot in the rotation.
if it were even possible, i would still prefer to have gerald green than have to pick some young gunner up from low in the draft. seems minnie isnt too happy with his d...and anyways, they have a glut at the wing... |
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tblzrsreturn
Joined: 07 Jun 2007
Posts: 287
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| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:17 am Post subject: |
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| abeer3 wrote: |
| i think farmar plays better off the ball than critt. i'd like to see their roles switched when they share the floor, with critt having the creating/ballhandling duties and farmar looking to cut and score. they can switch spots defensively. |
i agree. or better yet, i hope they learn how to "co-dominate" the ball...it's what happens in good backcourts in college. they have to figure out how to get into rhythm while taking turns being the handler... |
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tblzrsreturn
Joined: 07 Jun 2007
Posts: 287
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| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:24 am Post subject: |
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| dvdrdiscs wrote: |
Bynum won't learn how to back people down within 10 months. And it's not because I'm doubting him, it's because he is physically incapable of doing it. His core strength is relatively weak still. It saddens me when a guard punks him and he falls to the ground.
Hence, he can't immediately jump straight to learning how to back people down without first working on his core and overall strength. And those kind of things are only doable in the offseason.
To add, it is my belief that once he gets stronger, and a little bit bigger, his game will take another leap. He looks like he has the smarts but not the entire physical package to do what his mind wants him to do. |
i am hoping very much that your doubts will not be proven true. i cant imagine that kobe would be happy if bynum does not possess this skill by next october...hell, i wouldnt be happy. :P
well, backing down people isnt all about brute strength, it requires great balance and shiftiness too...it is also something you cant learn by yourself in the gym, he needs a sparring partner, preferably someone 7 foot tall and strong. i am hopeful that kareem will take care of the details and get him comfortable with this move by next fall...
but youre right, bynum needs to have better core and lower body strength... |
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tblzrsreturn
Joined: 07 Jun 2007
Posts: 287
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| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:29 am Post subject: |
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| abeer3 wrote: |
| JSM wrote: |
| abeer3 wrote: |
| i think farmar plays better off the ball than critt. i'd like to see their roles switched when they share the floor, with critt having the creating/ballhandling duties and farmar looking to cut and score. they can switch spots defensively. |
Yeah Farmar is better at getting open. The most open you'll see Critt (outside of a fast break) is when he steps back at the top of the key. Whereas you'll often be able to find Farmar lined up for an open baseline 3 pointer. Let Critt handle the ball and Farmar will get even more 3s by way of drive and dish. |
farmar also makes good basket cuts from the top of the key. you can tell crittenton hasn't played off the ball much yet. i had the same problem when i played. i was used to making the plays as opposed to finishing them. lamar still has trouble with this, too. some guys are just wired to play off the ball, it seems (like rip hamilton) while others (like wade) have trouble if the ball's not in their hands to start. |
i agree. if critt ever learns how to play off the ball, it is not happening this year. that is why i think to get the most out of having critt this year, we need to allow him to be the point guard when he is on the court, preferably by teaming him up with a shooter like fish. i just dont like the idea of compounding the problem by taking the ball away from farmar also. while it is true that he is better off the ball than critt right now, farmar is still much more effective with the ball than without. |
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tblzrsreturn
Joined: 07 Jun 2007
Posts: 287
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| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:35 am Post subject: |
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| J.C. Smith wrote: |
| Kwame is our own free agent, we don't need to spend the MLE on him. If we want to resign him we can sign him for whatever we like and still keep the MLE. IMO though he's as good as gone before the trade deadline. |
i dont think we will be trading him during the season because i think we like having spare 7foot defensive minded lunkheads around. and i think this would be wise.
i think we'll just let him walk in the off-season though. |
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tblzrsreturn
Joined: 07 Jun 2007
Posts: 287
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| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:41 am Post subject: |
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| Samene wrote: |
| I thought the part about Sasha not coming back next year was tblzrsreturn's point. The idea of Kwame being re-signed cheap has been put up in a dozen threads. If you are the person officially representing that idea then you know where I stand regarding it. I was, actually, speaking generally. I got no hate to give you... |
my point about resigning kwame is simple: he is a luxury item--a situational player useful to the lakers only against less than five teams in the league. if you can sign him for cheap, then i wouldnt mind. at any rate, i think marc gasol will be a terrific backup to bynum. cheaper too. :) |
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tblzrsreturn
Joined: 07 Jun 2007
Posts: 287
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| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:55 am Post subject: |
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| KGInCali wrote: |
| Samene wrote: |
There is a lot of talk here about how we are going to dump players but it forgets one essential thing: Lakers management thinks these guys are good. The front office will trade Kwame for someone they love but that doesn't mean they don't like Kwame. They do. Seriously. And they freakin' LOVE Sasha. And they keep noone else's council on such matters. Remember how they wasted no time resigning Cook and Phil kept starting him at PF when an injury took someone out? Read Phil's 'Last Season' book and you'll note that he NEVER stopped thinking Cook could play the post.
These guys don't wanna let go of Kwame or Sasha. They are still hoping Chris gets healthy.and if he does they will cherish his weak butt also.
I don;t even think they'll resign Kwame for less than his current salary because they've spent the last year with his fat paycheck as the ONLY THING that made interesting trades feasible. Want a decent player back? Then you gotta overpay Kwame. The formula for paying Kwame:
Farmar's Value + Kwame's Value - Farmar's Salary = Kwame's Salary
That way when you trade them the other team gets enough value to do the deal and you can get back a decent veteran. |
Did you mean to put "it"? You act like you're speaking in general, but you address only my points. I think you could show some respect and just put my name or use a pronoun. The use of "it" just seems like hate.
I've said it before, and i'll say it again, we have a bad GM, who makes very BAD decisions. Keeping Cook as long as we did was outright ridiculous. Trading for Brown to begin with wasn't a wise decision, without getting a 1st round pick also. Kupchak is just lucky that Bynum and Farmar worked their butts off to put this team where it is. Their strong work ethic along with Phil's coaching, and Fisher/Bryant's leadership is what has made the biggest impact. I give nothing to Kupchak. He should've been fired a milennia ago. I stand by my opinion, that he is and always will be the worst GM in sports, not just the NBA. |
i think kupchak is doing a terrific job, btw. saying that fisher's leadership, and bynum's and farmar's hard work has nothing to do with kupchak is kinda ridiculous. the reason why he took bynum and farmar was because of their potentials and his faith in them to work on their games. the reason he picked up fish is because he knew that the team required veteran leadership. it is up to the players to do their thing--true, but the gm is there to put the right mix of veteran leaders and young hard workers together. he cannot do any more than that. that is what his job is. cook turned into trevor--that's working out for us.
he put this team together that is not only the third youngest team in the league, but also one of its best, and he is in the midst of one of the most amazing rebuilding projects in the history of american sports--building a contender 3-4 years after razing the last one...
regarding kwame and mihm and sasha leaving or not leaving, it is unlikely they will be retained because i think their spots are going to other players--i think sasha will go because critt is going to take all his minutes; chris will just be let go because he is superfluous; and kwame will go because marc gasol is going to take his spot. :P |
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tblzrsreturn
Joined: 07 Jun 2007
Posts: 287
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| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 8:01 am Post subject: |
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| jlkr wrote: |
Mihm has a player option. Given his history this year, unless he comes back strong at the end of the season, he isn't going anywhere next year for more money. So I expect him to not exercise the option. And I expect the Lakers to not buy him out for two reasons: (1), his salary will still count against the cap; and (2), the Lakers practically never buy out players. They allow players to walk at the end of their contracts, but they don't buy them out before that.
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oh. i thought it was team option.
anyway, chris has long expressed his desire to be a starter in this league--not just sit third on the depth chart. if he thinks he can get into a better position on a different team, maybe he'll just opt out then...hmm...i guess that's the hope... |
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tblzrsreturn
Joined: 07 Jun 2007
Posts: 287
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| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 8:14 am Post subject: |
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| wolfpaclaker wrote: |
Stu talked about it on the Laker telecats, in regards to his B2B game, AB needs to mantain better upperbody balance.
I feel his biggest drawback in regards to the B2B game is that he's still learning the art of shot selection. When he's at his best, totally involved in the game, there is no hesitation with his moves. Whether it's a hook, up and under, back down and just dunk over the guy ... he does it pretty quickly. The problem often comes with when a) he's not sure what move to make and b) when his moves get defended well or taken away by the defense. Gotta start developing more instinct to his post game. It's coming along, but I would say he's not as consistent with his post game application as a TD, Yao etc.
Which is fine, considering his age/experience. We'll need him to become that player if we are going to win a title within the next 2-3 years. Noway we win a title with Andrew averaging 12-13 ppg and Lamar 14-15 and Kobe 26+. We need better balance of the 2nd and 3rd option. The last 13 games, Andrew is averaging 16 ppg on nearly 70% FG. That's a big reason why we are playing so much better. When Andrew can start becoming closer to a 20 ppg dominant low post player, then we'll truly contend IMO. |
i agree with you completely. my thought on his developing the b2b skill is that it will help slow the game down for him. with this skill, he wont have to think too hard about finding ways to getting around his defender, he would simply move through his defender's position.
i do think that he will have to have the b2b skill by next october for the lakers to be legit contenders over multiple years of kobe still in his prime. |
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2Pacalypse
Random Thread King
Joined: 07 Sep 2006
Posts: 5290
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| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 5:51 pm Post subject: |
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Great post.
Congrats on winning the post of the week. I put your post in the homepage. 
_________________
www.thelakersnation.com/forums
The BEST Lakers Site on the Net. |
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jlkr
Joined: 17 Jan 2006
Posts: 913
Location: Los Angeles
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| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 6:21 pm Post subject: |
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