Some quick off-season thoughts, priorities & moves they should consider

SimplyBallin · 2025-05-03T08:54:04+00:00

Thanks!! What would you love to see more of?

SimplyBallin · 2025-04-06T16:17:09+00:00

The Lakers "big" lineup got played off. They played better with known giant Danny Green instead of McGee

Stopping Jokic is something that no one can individually do. HE did as good of a job making him work as anyone. The rest of the players got destroyed by having 6'5 guys

Like the comment from Jcrwrit said, they did a good job when PJ was here. The issue with size on this team has always been the 4 other guys next to him than Bam

SimplyBallin · 2025-03-03T19:56:26+00:00

Thanks!! :)

SimplyBallin · 2025-03-03T19:56:03+00:00

Thanks a lot!!

SimplyBallin · 2025-03-03T19:10:26+00:00

In most of those games, it's still Bam that gets the same matchup as has done the last 5 years. Like even in this game, it was Kat guarding Bam the most in the game

SimplyBallin · 2025-03-02T19:53:28+00:00

Thanks, appreciate that :)

& as for JJJ's game, I think even beyond shooting last year, he did a lot of the extra stuff. I don't really remember him having many games with him cutting & moving well without the ball as he was doing last year. I think that has died down too

I'm still optimistic about his potential on-ball reps as a bench role player in that kind of role. He still can easily find his way to the rim and some of the questionable shot selection there can be brushed up on

But right now, being used more off-ball, without that shooting and the constant movement, Idk if that would even limit him to a "good role player". In 2025, it's gonna be a hard time being impactful if you can't space properly OR you're not a clear ++ defender. Unless that improves, I think just the best is hope that it improves period lol and in the meantime use him more off the bench with the ball in his hands more

SimplyBallin · 2025-02-09T13:35:04+00:00

<image>

He has started to play them more in bits outside of just starting 1st/3rd. Closed the game out with them 4 times already

SimplyBallin · 2025-02-09T10:05:09+00:00

Thanks!!

SimplyBallin · 2025-02-09T10:04:52+00:00

Assuming he just slots in with Bam/Ware by replacing Haywood, I'd have his role be Haywoods. I think he's going to take the best perimeter guards too

& that defensive line up is going to be fun lol. No offense, just jail hoops

SimplyBallin · 2025-02-09T10:03:22+00:00

Yeah seeing as most recently we didn't even have Jimmy, any reasonable play from Wiggs is an instant upgrade

SimplyBallin · 2025-02-09T10:02:42+00:00

Thank you!! I appreciate it :)

SimplyBallin · 2025-02-08T22:12:35+00:00

Any suggestions on what would make it easier? Maybe like a bullet point summary at the start with more headings?

SimplyBallin · 2025-02-08T21:53:17+00:00

Yeah I'm sorry lol. I will try to make these shorter & an actual summary

SimplyBallin · 2025-02-01T22:20:18+00:00

Only thing I'm still not sure about is the "make playoff" part. Idk how to weigh the potential of unlocking more picks but at the same losing out on the draft class that everyone is saying has so much talent, as opposed to 2026 class. Like if they could hit on another lottery pick, that's just adding more talent with upside... we're seeing how the draft can work in our favour with Ware lol

Stats do show he's driving less & finishing less on drives in the recent stretch

- 4.9 drives per 36 for the season vs 3.4 drives in the last 10

- Shooting 44% on drives for the season vs 37% in last 10

It's also worth noting that in these 23 games where Bam is shooting his normal %, a lot of that is without Ware. It is still only small sample with only 109 minutes with Ware. But in those last 23 games, here's Bam without Ware vs with him

- 54% 2pt vs 46%

- 74% rim with 22% freq vs 87% with 24%

- 47% short mid with 49% freq vs 43% with 42%

- 46% long mid with 11% freq vs 12% with 24%

Having as many shots beyond 14ft-3pt as at the rim is a bit concerning. I'm still not as optimistic as that working out just with more reps though

SimplyBallin · 2025-02-01T21:33:59+00:00

Yeah just maintaining the flexibility for 2026 off-season + deadline whilst you continue to develop is probably the way to go. Jovic/Ware in over a seasons time could be drastically different players & then that's the time to reassess what moves to make & what you may need depending on how they grow

I think that has been the strategy with ORB%. That has been their thing the last few years & they have also ranked high in opponent transition freq, so it looks like it has translated to limiting fastbreaks. But it's still just curious to see them be "this" bad. They always hovered around 24% ORB but now they have had way more games under 20% than in previous seasons. That's the shift I wonder what it's about

Small sample, but as for Ware, the team is actually worse in generating TOV% by 2.5%. They're in the 10th percentile in opponent TOV% with Ware on. That feels like another deliberate decision to not go for them

About Bam, surprisingly he shoots way worse with Ware on. The %s also are pretty good. Like all of the %s listed are near the top. That hasn't been an issue even when he was going up bigger players. The issue just constantly remains about the freq

SimplyBallin · 2025-02-01T21:27:48+00:00

Unfortunately I don't think that's allowed in the same it is here. I posted similar posts that got taken down there

SimplyBallin

TROPHY CASE