Tim MacMahon: "Luka was gonna sign the supermax. Why didn't you sign him and then if you really wanted to trade him [...]" |
Nico: "Well there's no guarantee he would sign a supermax" | MacMahon: "He has guaranteed it, he was bawling on the bench" |
Nico: "Well like I said, we can agree to disagree"
Nico was just following orders. I saw the same thing when the CAVS traded Ron Harper to the Clippers for Danny Ferry - an absolutely piss-poor move that might've cost them the championship - but the owner wanted Harper gone. GM Wayne Embry took the hit, but was smart enough to have the owner give him a contract extension for falling on his sword.
At the end of the day, it's the owner's team. Dr. Buss wanted to do a few questionable moves, and more than once Jerry West had to threaten to quit to block him. Even then, had Buss not absolutely idolized West, he'd have probably made the deal and let West go.
There are only 30 NBA GM jobs, and Nico's pays $5,000,000.00 per year. Not many GMs are walking away from that because the owner wants to make a stupid move.
The Harper for Ferry deal in hindsight was a terrible move but at the time, Harper's value (especially with his off the court issues) was around Ferry's, if not actually less, as just coming off college, Ferry was viewed as possibly another Larry Bird and was drafted ahead of Sean Elliott, Glen Rice, JR Reid and Stacey King, all of whom (including Ferry) were the possible #1 pick in the 1989 draft. I remember the hoopla around Danny Ferry and he came in with a TON of hype and the only reason he was available to the Cavs was because Ferry absolutely refused to play for the Clippers. If not for that demand, Im almost sure the Clippers dont even trade Ferry for Harper.
Tim MacMahon: "Luka was gonna sign the supermax. Why didn't you sign him and then if you really wanted to trade him [...]" |
Nico: "Well there's no guarantee he would sign a supermax" | MacMahon: "He has guaranteed it, he was bawling on the bench" |
Nico: "Well like I said, we can agree to disagree"
Nico was just following orders. I saw the same thing when the CAVS traded Ron Harper to the Clippers for Danny Ferry - an absolutely piss-poor move that might've cost them the championship - but the owner wanted Harper gone. GM Wayne Embry took the hit, but was smart enough to have the owner give him a contract extension for falling on his sword.
At the end of the day, it's the owner's team. Dr. Buss wanted to do a few questionable moves, and more than once Jerry West had to threaten to quit to block him. Even then, had Buss not absolutely idolized West, he'd have probably made the deal and let West go.
There are only 30 NBA GM jobs, and Nico's pays $5,000,000.00 per year. Not many GMs are walking away from that because the owner wants to make a stupid move.
The Harper for Ferry deal in hindsight was a terrible move but at the time, Harper's value (especially with his off the court issues) was around Ferry's, if not actually less, as just coming off college, Ferry was viewed as possibly another Larry Bird and was drafted ahead of Sean Elliott, Glen Rice, JR Reid and Stacey King, all of whom (including Ferry) were the possible #1 pick in the 1989 draft. I remember the hoopla around Danny Ferry and he came in with a TON of hype and the only reason he was available to the Cavs was because Ferry absolutely refused to play for the Clippers. If not for that demand, Im almost sure the Clippers dont even trade Ferry for Harper.
Read Embry's book, as well as the Cleveland newspapers at the time - almost everyone thought it was a horrible deal for Cleveland at the time. Had Harper not torn up his knee with the (curse of the) Clippers, it might be known as one of the Top 5 Worst trades of all time. _________________ On Lakersground, a concern troll is someone who is a fan of another team, but pretends to be a Lakers fan with "concerns".
Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 24687 Location: La Jolla, San Diego
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2025 5:05 pm Post subject:
Dr. Laker wrote:
1995Lakers wrote:
Dr. Laker wrote:
drae wrote:
Tim MacMahon: "Luka was gonna sign the supermax. Why didn't you sign him and then if you really wanted to trade him [...]" |
Nico: "Well there's no guarantee he would sign a supermax" | MacMahon: "He has guaranteed it, he was bawling on the bench" |
Nico: "Well like I said, we can agree to disagree"
Nico was just following orders. I saw the same thing when the CAVS traded Ron Harper to the Clippers for Danny Ferry - an absolutely piss-poor move that might've cost them the championship - but the owner wanted Harper gone. GM Wayne Embry took the hit, but was smart enough to have the owner give him a contract extension for falling on his sword.
At the end of the day, it's the owner's team. Dr. Buss wanted to do a few questionable moves, and more than once Jerry West had to threaten to quit to block him. Even then, had Buss not absolutely idolized West, he'd have probably made the deal and let West go.
There are only 30 NBA GM jobs, and Nico's pays $5,000,000.00 per year. Not many GMs are walking away from that because the owner wants to make a stupid move.
The Harper for Ferry deal in hindsight was a terrible move but at the time, Harper's value (especially with his off the court issues) was around Ferry's, if not actually less, as just coming off college, Ferry was viewed as possibly another Larry Bird and was drafted ahead of Sean Elliott, Glen Rice, JR Reid and Stacey King, all of whom (including Ferry) were the possible #1 pick in the 1989 draft. I remember the hoopla around Danny Ferry and he came in with a TON of hype and the only reason he was available to the Cavs was because Ferry absolutely refused to play for the Clippers. If not for that demand, Im almost sure the Clippers dont even trade Ferry for Harper.
Read Embry's book, as well as the Cleveland newspapers at the time - almost everyone thought it was a horrible deal for Cleveland at the time. Had Harper not torn up his knee with the (curse of the) Clippers, it might be known as one of the Top 5 Worst trades of all time.
Many don't realize Ron Harper, pre-injury, was actually closer to MJ than Clyde Drexler in terms of skills. _________________ "The game is MORE than just one player. Without Luka, DFS would have been more than enough to replace him based on what we've seen," LakersFever714, the greatest casual of all time.
Yea I never brought into the Ron Harper hype as a possible rival to Jordan. Yes he was the Ohio Flyer and a good defender (even here he was never a Moncrief) but the reason I was never sold on Harper was because he never had much of a jumper and with his form, I dont think he could have developed a great jumper. Even the athletic version of Harper in the West, I would not have chosen him over Rolando Blackman, Alvin Robertson, Byron Scott or Clyde Drexler. Sorry throw in Mitch Richmond as well who was better all around than all the guys I mentioned.
Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 24687 Location: La Jolla, San Diego
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2025 5:11 pm Post subject:
1995Lakers wrote:
Yea I never brought into the Ron Harper hype as a possible rival to Jordan. Yes he was the Ohio Flyer and a good defender (even here he was never a Moncrief) but the reason I was never sold on Harper was because he never had much of a jumper and with his form, I dont think he could have developed a great jumper. Even the athletic version of Harper in the West, I would not have chosen him over Rolando Blackman, Alvin Robertson, Byron Scott or Clyde Drexler.
Well "closest" is relative. LOL! I'm just speaking in terms of tools. He had more similar tools than Clyde. But athletic do it all wings were basically in its infancy. So when I say close, I don't mean close, close. LOL! _________________ "The game is MORE than just one player. Without Luka, DFS would have been more than enough to replace him based on what we've seen," LakersFever714, the greatest casual of all time.
Yea I never brought into the Ron Harper hype as a possible rival to Jordan. Yes he was the Ohio Flyer and a good defender (even here he was never a Moncrief) but the reason I was never sold on Harper was because he never had much of a jumper and with his form, I dont think he could have developed a great jumper. Even the athletic version of Harper in the West, I would not have chosen him over Rolando Blackman, Alvin Robertson, Byron Scott or Clyde Drexler.
Well "closest" is relative. LOL! I'm just speaking in terms of tools. He had more similar tools than Clyde. But athletic do it all wings were basically in its infancy. So when I say close, I don't mean close, close. LOL!
Funny thing in comparison with Clyde. I guess the one guy who had an even uglier jumper than Ron Harper was Clyde with his kicking action in the air and catapult shooting form. Some of these 80s guys had forms you would never see today. Jamaal Wilkes and whatever that was from mid-range. Sam Perkins and that flat-a** shot and James Worthy with his look at the ball and stick his booty out three point shot.
Yea I never brought into the Ron Harper hype as a possible rival to Jordan. Yes he was the Ohio Flyer and a good defender (even here he was never a Moncrief) but the reason I was never sold on Harper was because he never had much of a jumper and with his form, I dont think he could have developed a great jumper. Even the athletic version of Harper in the West, I would not have chosen him over Rolando Blackman, Alvin Robertson, Byron Scott or Clyde Drexler.
Well "closest" is relative. LOL! I'm just speaking in terms of tools. He had more similar tools than Clyde. But athletic do it all wings were basically in its infancy. So when I say close, I don't mean close, close. LOL!
Funny thing in comparison with Clyde. I guess the one guy who had an even uglier jumper than Ron Harper was Clyde with his kicking action in the air and catapult shooting form. Some of these 80s guys had forms you would never see today. Jamaal Wilkes and whatever that was from mid-range. Sam Perkins and that flat-a** shot and James Worthy with his look at the ball and stick his booty out three point shot.
And all those guys were knockdown shooters. Cant forget Bill Cartwright
Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 24687 Location: La Jolla, San Diego
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2025 6:43 pm Post subject:
1995Lakers wrote:
Runway8 wrote:
1995Lakers wrote:
Yea I never brought into the Ron Harper hype as a possible rival to Jordan. Yes he was the Ohio Flyer and a good defender (even here he was never a Moncrief) but the reason I was never sold on Harper was because he never had much of a jumper and with his form, I dont think he could have developed a great jumper. Even the athletic version of Harper in the West, I would not have chosen him over Rolando Blackman, Alvin Robertson, Byron Scott or Clyde Drexler.
Well "closest" is relative. LOL! I'm just speaking in terms of tools. He had more similar tools than Clyde. But athletic do it all wings were basically in its infancy. So when I say close, I don't mean close, close. LOL!
Funny thing in comparison with Clyde. I guess the one guy who had an even uglier jumper than Ron Harper was Clyde with his kicking action in the air and catapult shooting form. Some of these 80s guys had forms you would never see today. Jamaal Wilkes and whatever that was from mid-range. Sam Perkins and that flat-a** shot and James Worthy with his look at the ball and stick his booty out three point shot.
Michael Adams and his heave. Alex English smooth leaner. _________________ "The game is MORE than just one player. Without Luka, DFS would have been more than enough to replace him based on what we've seen," LakersFever714, the greatest casual of all time.
Yea I never brought into the Ron Harper hype as a possible rival to Jordan. Yes he was the Ohio Flyer and a good defender (even here he was never a Moncrief) but the reason I was never sold on Harper was because he never had much of a jumper and with his form, I dont think he could have developed a great jumper. Even the athletic version of Harper in the West, I would not have chosen him over Rolando Blackman, Alvin Robertson, Byron Scott or Clyde Drexler.
Well "closest" is relative. LOL! I'm just speaking in terms of tools. He had more similar tools than Clyde. But athletic do it all wings were basically in its infancy. So when I say close, I don't mean close, close. LOL!
Harper wasn't the shooter MJ was, but defensively, in the open court, penetrating, playmaking and in the post, he was as close to MJ as anyone. _________________ On Lakersground, a concern troll is someone who is a fan of another team, but pretends to be a Lakers fan with "concerns".
Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 37735 Location: Santa Clarita, CA (Hell) ->>>>>Ithaca, NY -≥≥≥≥≥Berkeley, CA
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2025 9:44 pm Post subject:
Dr. Laker wrote:
Runway8 wrote:
1995Lakers wrote:
Yea I never brought into the Ron Harper hype as a possible rival to Jordan. Yes he was the Ohio Flyer and a good defender (even here he was never a Moncrief) but the reason I was never sold on Harper was because he never had much of a jumper and with his form, I dont think he could have developed a great jumper. Even the athletic version of Harper in the West, I would not have chosen him over Rolando Blackman, Alvin Robertson, Byron Scott or Clyde Drexler.
Well "closest" is relative. LOL! I'm just speaking in terms of tools. He had more similar tools than Clyde. But athletic do it all wings were basically in its infancy. So when I say close, I don't mean close, close. LOL!
Harper wasn't the shooter MJ was, but defensively, in the open court, penetrating, playmaking and in the post, he was as close to MJ as anyone.
Why did Harper’s stats decline so dramatically after his first season? 22.9 ppg in all 82 games as a rookie, but never again had that level of production. By the time he played with MJ (who was supposedly a possible rival according to this thread), he was averaging single digits.
How important was he on the 1999-2000 title team? Was he better than Fisher at that point? _________________ Damian Lillard shatters Dwight Coward's championship dreams:
^^^ the irony was Harper was brought in 1994 to replace Jordan with half of Jordan's salary slot as MJ retired. Salary slots were a thing until the 1995 CBA. Why Harper's shots went down dramatically with Chicago even before Jordan came back is a mystery since he was initially brought in to Chicago to replace some of Michael's scoring punch. It got to the point BJ Armstrong had him firmly beat for one guard spot and even Pete Myers stole minutes from him at the other guard spot.
But this is where Phil/Krause showed their true brilliance. When they surprisingly chose Harper over Armstrong in terms of who to protect for the 1995 expansion draft. Part of it was knowing there was no way anyone would select Harper at his contract following his down year but it was also knowing more importantly that Harper could ably replace Armstrong and play with MJ despite having none of the deadly 3 pt range that Armstrong had through defense and initiating the triangle.
Harper was always a good scorer. He had a couple other 20 point seasons. He wasn't a great fit with the Bulls though, he was a slasher not a shooter. He went from being a good scorer, to mainly being a steady defensive guard. His scoring dropped from 20 per game with the Clippers, to 6.9 points the next season with the Bulls.
He didn't have much in the tank by the time he was a Laker, he was in his mid-30s. But had triangle experience and veteran leadership.
Why did Harper’s stats decline so dramatically after his first season? 22.9 ppg in all 82 games as a rookie, but never again had that level of production.
The team added Larry Nance via trade and Mark Price developed into a starter, so with Brad Daugherty and Harper, plus Hot Rod Williams as 6th Man, they had 5 guys who could go for 30 on any given night. That's why the league was stunned by the trade - that was similar to the formula (Cavs HC) Lenny Wilkens had when he coached the Sonics to a title. Cleveland was expected to be in the mix for years.
Quote:
How important was he on the 1999-2000 title team? Was he better than Fisher at that point?
He was important because he knew how to win. Ditto AC Green & John Salley. Shaq was not a leader and Kobe was 21 years old. Phil Jackson's statement was "you win with men" and brought in veteran winners to change the locker room culture. Plus, Harper knew the Triangle, including how it informed the defense. DFish was trash at the time and didn't really become a contributor until after he got hurt in 20-21. He missed most of that season and while he was out, he worked on his 3-pt. shot. Harper got hurt, DFish came back, and he KILLED IT from 3 in those playoffs (plus Fish and Tyronn Lue hounded the hell out of AI in the Finals). Even then, he didn't start the following year. The Lakers brought in Lindsay Hunter, so in reality, DFish was never the starting PG during the 3-Peat.
Back to the topic at hand:
Luka just makes everything look so easy. Kobe would score 20 in a quarter and look like he had gone 15 rounds with Mike Tyson. Luka gets 20 in a quarter and you don't even notice it until the announcer brings it up. _________________ On Lakersground, a concern troll is someone who is a fan of another team, but pretends to be a Lakers fan with "concerns".
You know I read that stuff from Nico, but then I watch Luka's defense. It hasn't been as bad as advertised SINCE he recovered from the injury. I have to see the playoffs but Luka's defense isn't that bad. He certainly going to never win a defensive award, but similar to Dirk, if you put Tyson Chandler/Marion/Kidd/DeShawn Stevenson types around a HOF elite offensive player like that, you should win.
So no I don't buy what Nico is saying. There's more to it than that. There'll be more that comes out of that Dallas story, but probably not for a long long time.
You know I read that stuff from Nico, but then I watch Luka's defense. It hasn't been as bad as advertised SINCE he recovered from the injury. I have to see the playoffs but Luka's defense isn't that bad. He certainly going to never win a defensive award, but similar to Dirk, if you put Tyson Chandler/Marion/Kidd/DeShawn Stevenson types around a HOF elite offensive player like that, you should win.
So no I don't buy what Nico is saying. There's more to it than that. There'll be more that comes out of that Dallas story, but probably not for a long long time.
Luka was injured during last year's playoffs, so of course his defense was sub par then, but he's not a turnstile.
Do you think it goes beyond the Adelson's not wanting to pay Luka? _________________ On Lakersground, a concern troll is someone who is a fan of another team, but pretends to be a Lakers fan with "concerns".
Joined: 14 Apr 2001 Posts: 145646 Location: The Gold Coast
Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2025 11:33 am Post subject:
Dr. Laker wrote:
wolfpaclaker wrote:
You know I read that stuff from Nico, but then I watch Luka's defense. It hasn't been as bad as advertised SINCE he recovered from the injury. I have to see the playoffs but Luka's defense isn't that bad. He certainly going to never win a defensive award, but similar to Dirk, if you put Tyson Chandler/Marion/Kidd/DeShawn Stevenson types around a HOF elite offensive player like that, you should win.
So no I don't buy what Nico is saying. There's more to it than that. There'll be more that comes out of that Dallas story, but probably not for a long long time.
Luka was injured during last year's playoffs, so of course his defense was sub par then, but he's not a turnstile.
Do you think it goes beyond the Adelson's not wanting to pay Luka?
I don’t think so, a super max for a guy who doesn’t really take care of himself is risky. I was that guy, I was immortal at 26. Physically we see some decline from Luka but the skill and IQ will always be there. Get him some healthy lifestyle and eating habits and there won’t be much to worry about in the next 5-6 years. At least not from him, the question isn’t Luka, it’s what the organization does around him. _________________ RIP mom. 11-21-1933 to 6-14-2023.
You know I read that stuff from Nico, but then I watch Luka's defense. It hasn't been as bad as advertised SINCE he recovered from the injury. I have to see the playoffs but Luka's defense isn't that bad. He certainly going to never win a defensive award, but similar to Dirk, if you put Tyson Chandler/Marion/Kidd/DeShawn Stevenson types around a HOF elite offensive player like that, you should win.
So no I don't buy what Nico is saying. There's more to it than that. There'll be more that comes out of that Dallas story, but probably not for a long long time.
Luka was injured during last year's playoffs, so of course his defense was sub par then, but he's not a turnstile.
Do you think it goes beyond the Adelson's not wanting to pay Luka?
I don’t think so, a super max for a guy who doesn’t really take care of himself is risky. I was that guy, I was immortal at 26. Physically we see some decline from Luka but the skill and IQ will always be there. Get him some healthy lifestyle and eating habits and there won’t be much to worry about in the next 5-6 years. At least not from him, the question isn’t Luka, it’s what the organization does around him.
It may have actually been the best for Luka and the Mavs. I remember when Shaq went to Miami he; took a $10m pay cut, lost 50lbs and; relinquished primary offense priority to a ball dominant guard. He wouldn’t have allowed himself do any 1 of those 3 things with the Lakers. Maybe Luka does some things with the Lakers that he wouldn’t have allowed himself to do had he stayed with the Mavs.
We’re speculating because something on the surface of the Luka trade doesn’t add up, it seems like the Mavs should have taken the risk with Luka. Maybe they asked him to do some things and he told them to f*^k-off because he just took them to the finals. Perhaps they saw what could be a ticking time bomb that they couldn’t diffuse, didn’t want to invest the time/money of a super max in, and wanted a quick out before the details came out like it would have for a lengthy public league wide “for sale” sign. _________________ When reasonably possible, I expect the Lakers to go after a ship like it can’t be denied. I haven’t seen a completely committed effort by the GM for the last 2 off seasons nor the last 2 trade deadlines. What is going on?
Luka’s defense seems mostly fine within the normal flow of the game. It's when he gets hunted that he starts getting exposed and kinda loses the will to compete on that end. _________________ It was reminiscent of one of those Most Interesting Man in the World advertisements: "I don't always shoot 6-for-28 from the field, but when I do, I become the youngest player in league history to score 28,000 career points."
Luka’s defense seems mostly fine within the normal flow of the game. It's when he gets hunted that he starts getting exposed and kinda loses the will to compete on that end.
He’s similar to Magic, imo. Good team defender, but very vulnerable to getting attacked one on one by certain types of players.
He understands team defense, good at stepping into passing lanes. Also does a reasonably good job of using his girth to root out larger defenders in the post. On the perimeter, he has a hard time recovering if someone gets past him on their first step due to his size.
I'd expect teams to try to target him in the playoffs, to try to wear him down. But he hasn't been terrible on that end.
You know I read that stuff from Nico, but then I watch Luka's defense. It hasn't been as bad as advertised SINCE he recovered from the injury. I have to see the playoffs but Luka's defense isn't that bad. He certainly going to never win a defensive award, but similar to Dirk, if you put Tyson Chandler/Marion/Kidd/DeShawn Stevenson types around a HOF elite offensive player like that, you should win.
So no I don't buy what Nico is saying. There's more to it than that. There'll be more that comes out of that Dallas story, but probably not for a long long time.
What did you think of Luka's defense vs the Celtics though in the finals? Cause I think it was that one series alone that crystalized for Nico why Luka needed to be gone. The Celtics did a couple things well to Luka on both offense and defense. On offense, its targeting the step back jumper and crowding in so he wouldnt be able to comfortably get that off, and consistently forcing Luka to go right and towards the baseline. In Jaylen Brown's case it was also being disciplined and not falling for the head fakes and understanding Luka's rhythm as a ball-handler to know when to reach and rip the ball away from him. On defense, there were too many instances to count of him being particularly matchup targeted and being blown by.
Beating the Celtics will be the ultimate test for Luka. I do think Luka can matchup hunt a lot of the Celtics though: Porzingis, White, Pritchard and Kornet are the easiest matchups. Horford, Tatum, Jrue and Hauser are the harder targets to hunt but can be systematically picked apart when Luka is feeling it and Brown guards Luka the best.
^
Honestly I only watched game 1, and when I saw Porzingis go into god mode I kinda knew the series was over.
I think you can't overreact to ONE series. We lost to Boston in 2008. Most wanted Odom gone. Then, soon after Pau was labelled soft. Fast forward 2 years and we beat them, Odom shows he's a lot tougher than that and Pau also mans up. Go back to the Suns 2005 series, Kobe doesn't shoot the ball at all in game 7. Many hated on Kobe, cemented him as a guy who only could win as a 1B ok next to a 1A. Not a leader blah blah.
So yeah even if Luka had that series vs the Cs it's far from a career. That's not what this is about. As I've said a few times, there's got to be way way more to this that hasn't yet come out, probably ownership is involved and there was a HUGE gap between Luka's camp and Dallas etc. Something about the whole thing made them feel 360M for him wasn't happening.
Anyway it's all moot for us, we got a player to build around. I just don't buy Nico's statements at face value. No one trades a great player just because they don't play great defense. That's BS. More will come out with due time.
You know I read that stuff from Nico, but then I watch Luka's defense. It hasn't been as bad as advertised SINCE he recovered from the injury. I have to see the playoffs but Luka's defense isn't that bad. He certainly going to never win a defensive award, but similar to Dirk, if you put Tyson Chandler/Marion/Kidd/DeShawn Stevenson types around a HOF elite offensive player like that, you should win.
So no I don't buy what Nico is saying. There's more to it than that. There'll be more that comes out of that Dallas story, but probably not for a long long time.
What did you think of Luka's defense vs the Celtics though in the finals? Cause I think it was that one series alone that crystalized for Nico why Luka needed to be gone. The Celtics did a couple things well to Luka on both offense and defense. On offense, its targeting the step back jumper and crowding in so he wouldnt be able to comfortably get that off, and consistently forcing Luka to go right and towards the baseline. In Jaylen Brown's case it was also being disciplined and not falling for the head fakes and understanding Luka's rhythm as a ball-handler to know when to reach and rip the ball away from him. On defense, there were too many instances to count of him being particularly matchup targeted and being blown by.
Beating the Celtics will be the ultimate test for Luka. I do think Luka can matchup hunt a lot of the Celtics though: Porzingis, White, Pritchard and Kornet are the easiest matchups. Horford, Tatum, Jrue and Hauser are the harder targets to hunt but can be systematically picked apart when Luka is feeling it and Brown guards Luka the best.
After Doncic's comment about his injury, ESPN reported that he received a pain-killing injection before Game 2 to help manage his thoracic contusion. He's expected to receive another injection before Game 3.
"Luka Doncic received a pain-killing injection before Game 2 to numb the area of his thoracic contusion, sources tell Malika Andrews and me," Tim MacMahon wrote. "The expectation is that Doncic will get another shot before Game 3."
He was also dealing with a knee and ankle sprains. _________________ On Lakersground, a concern troll is someone who is a fan of another team, but pretends to be a Lakers fan with "concerns".
Joined: 15 Sep 2012 Posts: 31123 Location: La La Land
Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2025 5:08 pm Post subject:
Dr. Laker wrote:
1995Lakers wrote:
wolfpaclaker wrote:
You know I read that stuff from Nico, but then I watch Luka's defense. It hasn't been as bad as advertised SINCE he recovered from the injury. I have to see the playoffs but Luka's defense isn't that bad. He certainly going to never win a defensive award, but similar to Dirk, if you put Tyson Chandler/Marion/Kidd/DeShawn Stevenson types around a HOF elite offensive player like that, you should win.
So no I don't buy what Nico is saying. There's more to it than that. There'll be more that comes out of that Dallas story, but probably not for a long long time.
What did you think of Luka's defense vs the Celtics though in the finals? Cause I think it was that one series alone that crystalized for Nico why Luka needed to be gone. The Celtics did a couple things well to Luka on both offense and defense. On offense, its targeting the step back jumper and crowding in so he wouldnt be able to comfortably get that off, and consistently forcing Luka to go right and towards the baseline. In Jaylen Brown's case it was also being disciplined and not falling for the head fakes and understanding Luka's rhythm as a ball-handler to know when to reach and rip the ball away from him. On defense, there were too many instances to count of him being particularly matchup targeted and being blown by.
Beating the Celtics will be the ultimate test for Luka. I do think Luka can matchup hunt a lot of the Celtics though: Porzingis, White, Pritchard and Kornet are the easiest matchups. Horford, Tatum, Jrue and Hauser are the harder targets to hunt but can be systematically picked apart when Luka is feeling it and Brown guards Luka the best.
After Doncic's comment about his injury, ESPN reported that he received a pain-killing injection before Game 2 to help manage his thoracic contusion. He's expected to receive another injection before Game 3.
"Luka Doncic received a pain-killing injection before Game 2 to numb the area of his thoracic contusion, sources tell Malika Andrews and me," Tim MacMahon wrote. "The expectation is that Doncic will get another shot before Game 3."
He was also dealing with a knee and ankle sprains.
Health and injuries have played a factor in every playoffs since I was born.
We win in 2011 if Phil wasn't diagnosed with cancer a month before the playoffs.
We win in 2008 if Ariza and Bynum were healthy.
We win in 1991 if Worthy and Scott were healthy.
And Minnesota fans will tell you, they beat Dallas last year if Ant was healthy. _________________ When the world grows. Grow with it.
^
Honestly I only watched game 1, and when I saw Porzingis go into god mode I kinda knew the series was over.
I think you can't overreact to ONE series. We lost to Boston in 2008. Most wanted Odom gone. Then, soon after Pau was labelled soft. Fast forward 2 years and we beat them, Odom shows he's a lot tougher than that and Pau also mans up. Go back to the Suns 2005 series, Kobe doesn't shoot the ball at all in game 7. Many hated on Kobe, cemented him as a guy who only could win as a 1B ok next to a 1A. Not a leader blah blah.
So yeah even if Luka had that series vs the Cs it's far from a career. That's not what this is about. As I've said a few times, there's got to be way way more to this that hasn't yet come out, probably ownership is involved and there was a HUGE gap between Luka's camp and Dallas etc. Something about the whole thing made them feel 360M for him wasn't happening.
Anyway it's all moot for us, we got a player to build around. I just don't buy Nico's statements at face value. No one trades a great player just because they don't play great defense. That's BS. More will come out with due time.
I still honestly think the only thing that makes sense is Dumont is incredibly frustrated at not being able to build a casino in Texas and they're going to do an Oakland Athletics
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