Lakers vs Celtics

[GuardianAngel25]

WoW what a great game ending with a buzzer beater from Rondo. Got to see a nice preview of the young talent on both teams that we will likely have as our top 2 trade packages this off season. Tatum, Brown, and Kuzma all had great games.

Tatum 22 points/10 rebounds/5 assists/9-14 FG..
Showing he is becoming the total package as he continues developing. This kid is going to be a star. 20 years old
Comparison- Tatum has always reminded me of a Melo clone while being a much better defender.

Jaylen Brown 22 points/2 rebounds/1 assist/7-10 FG..
Gave us a preview of his 2 way ability and great athleticism. The primary defender on Lebron most of the game making him work. Could have the most potential of all. 22 years old.
Comparison- Brown is a stronger Demar Derozan with a better 3 point shot.

Ingram 11 points/2 rebounds/7 assists/4-14 FG..
Started off slow picking it up in the 2nd half while playing solid defense and giving a preview of his skills as a potential point forward. Has the total package and if continues to develop while becoming more consistent can be a top 3 SF in a few years. 21 years old
Comparison- Ingram to me has a similar skill set and potential as Paul George.

Kuzma 25 points/5 rebounds/2 assists/10-21 FG..
He had a very good games shooting 5-8 from the 3 point line and giving you a good glimpse of his talent as modern day NBA stretch 4. 23 years old
Comparison- Kuzma is going to be the PF/SF version of Klay Thompson.

I love the packages they can both offer. The Celtics have become my new top choice if they offer their best draft pick. The Lakers have Lonzo who I am a fan of but his dad is going to be a problem I think that will be much tougher for us to handle then the Lakers. If he wants to go to the Suns and we can get Josh Jackson as has been rumored then I would be ecstatic. His last 3 games he has scored 25/25/27 points. This kid has potential to be a flat out star and is only 21 years old. Really excited to watch these young players this season giving us a better idea of what we are getting.

[P_B_&_G]

Lavar Ball is going to end up watching all of his kids play in Europe if he doesn't shut his mouth. No team wants that distraction.

[Pelicanidae]

''Kuzma is going to be the SF/PF version of Klay Thompson''

Sure, if he can ever learn to defend anyone ever, in any situation.

[GuardianAngel25]

Lavar Ball is going to end up watching all of his kids play in Europe if he doesn't shut his mouth. No team wants that distraction.

Yea I agree his dad is going to really hurt his career if he doesn’t get off the fact Gelo just sucks. I would love to have Lonzo who imo is a PG version of Ben Simmons with similar potential. At worse his floor is a 6’6 version of young Celtics Rondo with defensive versatility to guard 3 positions having more athleticism and has shown he is developing a decent 3 point shot. Lonzo/Jrue would instantly become the best defensive back court in the NBA and both compliment each others game very well. This allows them to share distribution duties which would be great for Jrue. I think he would thrive is Gentrys system if he’s still around next year. In a perfect world he would come here and accept the great role we would have for him along with his dad keeping his mouth shut.

I would rather him become the Suns problem with the Pelicans swapping straight up for Josh Jackson. Lonzo would be a great fit on the Suns who desperately need a PG. Lonzo/Booker backcourt duo is a perfect fit complimenting each other so well and would be fun to watch as they continue to develop. Lonzo/Ayton gives you a similar combo as Simmons/Embid while Booker gives you a Butler caliber player. This trio is 20, 21, and 22 years old with unlimited to potential and can be serious contenders a few years out as they enter the prime of their careers. Then you throw in what is likely to be a top 3 pick potentially landing you Zion or RJ Barett and you have one hell of a group that will be dangerous. I would kill to have that team going forward but I’m very happy with the options we have this off-season.

Josh Jackson has been showing why he was the 4th pick of the draft a year ago. He’s a 6’8 SF/SG at just 21 years old in his 2nd season and has as much potential as any young talent in the NBA. He has been a scoring machine lately and is only going to get better. The Suns have been rumored to wanting to move him and this could be our chance. No matter what trade we do this team will be a big man away from being serious contenders for a long time with potential star/superstar talent at every position in our starting lineup. BolBol is my target if we don’t have a top 3 pick and with the draft picks we will accumulate trading AD we will be able to move up and snag whoever we want I’m this upcoming draft.

[GuardianAngel25]

''Kuzma is going to be the SF/PF version of Klay Thompson''

Sure, if he can ever learn to defend anyone ever, in any situation.

Kuzma is actually an average defender and is someone who has continued improving on both sides of the ball. No he won’t ever be Anthony Davis on defense but he can absolutely be a very solid defender with hard work. In just one offseason he completely transformed his body adding more athleticism while adding more muscle/strength and lowering his body fat %. With as hard as he works Kuzma is the type of player I will bet on to make these improvements. I’ll listen to what Kobe has to say who actually trains with him. I watch just about every Lakers/Celtics game there is so I’m sure I have seen a lot more of him as well.

[PELICANSFAN]

Kuzma is actually an average defender and is someone who has continued improving on both sides of the ball. No he won’t ever be Anthony Davis on defense but he can absolutely be a very solid defender with hard work. In just one offseason he completely transformed his body adding more athleticism while adding more muscle/strength and lowering his body fat %. With as hard as he works Kuzma is the type of player I will bet on to make these improvements. I’ll listen to what Kobe has to say who actually trains with him. I watch just about every Lakers/Celtics game there is so I’m sure I have seen a lot more of him as well.

He will never be Klay Thompson on offense. He does not really create for himself and his release is nowhere near Klay's (not that many are). He also is not a sharpshooter like Klay. I think he is only shooting about 30% from 3.

[GuardianAngel25]

He will never be Klay Thompson on offense. He does not really create for himself and his release is nowhere near Klay's (not that many are). He also is not a sharpshooter like Klay. I think he is only shooting about 30% from 3.

LoL are you watching Kuzma right now? Do you ever watch Kuzma? I watch every game and this kid has the potential and skill set to be a PF version of Klay Thompson. He has a great release that is very quick like Klay. Just put up 23 points in 1st quarter. He’s going to be a better version of Tobias Harris who he is playing right now and I’ll take it.

[Pelicanidae]

LoL are you watching Kuzma right now? Do you ever watch Kuzma? I watch every game and this kid has the potential and skill set to be a PF version of Klay Thompson. He’s going to be a better version of Tobias Harris who he is playing right now and I’ll take it.

You ever watch that game where Brandon Jennings basically had a triple double in his first NBA game?
Or what about that time Corey Brewer dropped 51?

[tyler]

You ever watch that game where Brandon Jennings basically had a triple double in his first NBA game?
Or what about that time Corey Brewer dropped 51?

Yea but Kuzma is better than them both and still is young

[Pelicanidae]

Yea but Kuzma is better than them both and still is young

I do agree that Kuzma is better than both of them.

That said, Kuzma isn't that young. He's 23, almost 24 right now. Is that young? Yeah it is, but is it young enough to be pulling the ''oh he's still young'' card? Probably not. Most NBA players are who they are by the time they're 23, 24, 25 years old. Sure they might improve somewhat after that, but they've usually shown the signs beforehand. Kuzma has not shown any signs of absolute stardom. He's shown all the signs of being a SF Lou Williams. Which is good, but not Klay Thompson.

Partially because Klay actually plays defense.

[Tinman]

I do agree that Kuzma is better than both of them.

That said, Kuzma isn't that young. He's 23, almost 24 right now. Is that young? Yeah it is, but is it young enough to be pulling the ''oh he's still young'' card? Probably not. Most NBA players are who they are by the time they're 23, 24, 25 years old. Sure they might improve somewhat after that, but they've usually shown the signs beforehand. Kuzma has not shown any signs of absolute stardom. He's shown all the signs of being a SF Lou Williams. Which is good, but not Klay Thompson.

Partially because Klay actually plays defense.

Isn't this so refreshing . We have a cluster____ season, yet everyone is engaged , looking
Straight ahead to the pre-season 2019 activities.
Man, when you have so many freaking scenarios that we THINK we know can happen, there are probably some doozies coming that we don't know about. It's so nice to say "Man, this offseason will fun & can be rewarding , instead of - dang it, we are over the Salary cap". Gonna be entertaining.

[Pelicanidae]

Isn't this so refreshing . We have a cluster____ season, yet everyone is engaged , looking
Straight ahead to the pre-season 2019 activities.
Man, when you have so many freaking scenarios that we THINK we know can happen, there are probably some doozies coming that we don't know about. It's so nice to say "Man, this offseason will fun & can be rewarding , instead of - dang it, we are over the Salary cap". Gonna be entertaining.

Yeah it's interesting. When it comes to the AD trade, we're all talking LA, Boston, Knicks, but who knows what else might happen. I've speculated elsewhere that maybe Phoenix decides to pair AD with Booker and they offer their first + Ayton, which isn't a knockout offer but it's definitely interesting. Maybe Atlanta decides to try a similar thing with Trae Young and they decide to move their first rounder + John Collins? Again, not a knockout offer, but interesting. And of course, what if our pick jumps up to #1? It's unlikely, but it could happen. Then everything changes.

Then there's all kinds of other moves that haven't even crossed my mind. Then there's free agency! We make the AD trade, we could get rid of Solo as well in there, and if we take on expirings for Hill, we could have almost $40m of cap space this summer if the FO decides to play the free agency market + picks rather than trading for established players.

So many possibilities.

[Tinman]

Yeah it's interesting. When it comes to the AD trade, we're all talking LA, Boston, Knicks, but who knows what else might happen. I've speculated elsewhere that maybe Phoenix decides to pair AD with Booker and they offer their first + Ayton, which isn't a knockout offer but it's definitely interesting. Maybe Atlanta decides to try a similar thing with Trae Young and they decide to move their first rounder + John Collins? Again, not a knockout offer, but interesting. And of course, what if our pick jumps up to #1? It's unlikely, but it could happen. Then everything changes.

Then there's all kinds of other moves that haven't even crossed my mind. Then there's free agency! We make the AD trade, we could get rid of Solo as well in there, and if we take on expirings for Hill, we could have almost $40m of cap space this summer if the FO decides to play the free agency market + picks rather than trading for established players.

So many possibilities.

Doesn't Atlanta Have 5th & 8th pick? ThAt could be interesting.

[Pelicanidae]

Doesn't Atlanta Have 5th & 8th pick? ThAt could be interesting.

The 5th and the 11th, based on current predictions. But still, if ATL decide to pair their playmaking shooter Trae Young and Taurean Prince with AD, do they trade John Collins + the 5th and 11th pick? And keep in mind, the 11th pick is from Dallas so it could improve over the last 25 games or so of the season.

I don't know if I take that trade, but it definitely becomes interesting.

[Tinman]

The 5th and the 11th, based on current predictions. But still, if ATL decide to pair their playmaking shooter Trae Young and Taurean Prince with AD, do they trade John Collins + the 5th and 11th pick? And keep in mind, the 11th pick is from Dallas so it could improve over the last 25 games or so of the season.

I don't know if I take that trade, but it definitely becomes interesting.

Ah, but can Atlantas 2 picks (if 5 & 8), Pels pick & Pels 21 unconditional get us Zion?

[Pelicanidae]

Ah, but can Atlantas 2 picks (if 5 & 8), Pels pick & Pels 21 unconditional get us Zion?

Probably not, but if we had #5, #8, (say ours was #9), then I would probably want 3 top 10 picks over Zion, to be honest.

Is 1) Superstar potential player as good as 3 star potential players?

[Taker597]

Probably not, but if we had #5, #8, (say ours was #9), then I would probably want 3 top 10 picks over Zion, to be honest.

Is 1) Superstar potential player as good as 3 star potential players?

Zion is too undersized to be effective at 4/5. Too heavy, slow, and struggle shorting to be a 3/2.

I don't see how he fits with his hype.

[Tinman]

Probably not, but if we had #5, #8, (say ours was #9), then I would probably want 3 top 10 picks over Zion, to be honest.

Is 1) Superstar potential player as good as 3 star potential players?

Wait , your saying 7 1st round picks? No offense, but that's nuts.

[Tinman]

Zion is too undersized to be effective at 4/5. Too heavy, slow, and struggle shorting to be a 3/2.

I don't see how he fits with his hype.

Bwahahahahahahahha . Oh gracious, my stomachs hurting .

[bahmamamba]

Zion is too undersized to be effective at 4/5. Too heavy, slow, and struggle shorting to be a 3/2.

I don't see how he fits with his hype.

lol, what???

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[GuardianAngel25]

You ever watch that game where Brandon Jennings basically had a triple double in his first NBA game?
Or what about that time Corey Brewer dropped 51?

LoL this makes no sense but ok!

[Tinman]

Zion is too undersized to be effective at 4/5. Too heavy, slow, and struggle shorting to be a 3/2.

I don't see how he fits with his hype.

Wait, did you say too slow? There is NOWAY that you've seen him play. He has NO slow bone in his game. He's also just under 6'8". If 6'8 285 can't guard a 4? O Lawd.

[GuardianAngel25]

Kuzma finished with 39 points going 14-21 FG and 5-8 3pt. Yes he is still young and has a ton of talent. He has plenty of room to keep improving and no most NBA players aren’t even near their peak at 23-24 years old which is flat wrong. There is case after case I can point to with players continuing to develop becoming stars/superstars. Just a few quick examples are Jimmy Butler, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Gordon Hayward, Victory Oladipo, Tobias Harris, Seth Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymon Green, Jrue Holiday, and the list goes on and on.

At 23 years old Klay Thompson was averaging 18 ppg while Stepth Curry was averaging 15 ppg with Kuzma at 19 ppg. Draymon Green wasn’t near the player he is today at 23 either. Kuzma in just 1 off season has completely transformed his body dripping body fat and developed a nice 3 point shot that is only going to get better. I simply said he is going to be a PF/SF version of Klay Thompson offensively not the same defensively and there isn’t much argument against that. Since that wants to be argued so much then I will say he is going to be a better Tobias Harris. His defense has improved since he became stronger and more athletic this offseason as he should continue to progress in this area.

Just funny how people count Kuzma and Ingram out so quickly at 23 and 21 years old while having shown they are far ahead of many super stars we are watching today. Same thing with Lonzo around here who has so much potential and can be every bit as good as Simmons just 6’6. As I have said before you swap their dads and put Lonzo on the Sixers then we would be having a different discussion right now. I think his dad would be to much for us to handle but that’s fine give me Josh Jackson.

[Tinman]

Kuzma finished with 39 points going 14-21 FG and 5-8 3pt. Yes he is still young and has a ton of talent. He has plenty of room to keep improving and no most NBA players aren’t even near their peak at 23-24 years old which is flat wrong. There is case after case I can point to with players continuing to develop becoming stars. At 23 years old Klay Thompson was averaging 18 ppg while Stepth Curry was averaging 15 ppg with Kuzma at 19 ppg. Draymon Green wasn’t near the player he is today at 23 either. Kuzma is 1 off season has completely changed his body and developed a nice 3 point shot that is only going to get better. I simply said he is going to be an offensive version of Klay Thompson not the same defender. His defense has improved as he became stronger and more athletic this offseason as he should continue to improve in this area. Just funny how people count Kuzma and Ingram out so quickly at 23 and 21 years old while having shown they are far ahead of many super stars we are watching today were at similar ages.

Klay Thompson is in the top 5 all time greatest shooters. Kuzma OK, but a bit hyperbolic you are .

[bahmamamba]

Klay Thompson is in the top 5 all time greatest shooters. Kuzma OK, but a bit hyperbolic you are .

Thompson is also a really good defender..kuzma not so much

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