2024 NBA Season

[danherbias07]

Hot topics are still about the Lakers, Lebron, AD, and Russ.

1 more month to go and the new season starts. I honestly would like to see Russ traded so the Lakers will have a strong line-up with no excuses if they can't compete on top. But I agree with the odds, the Boston Celtics are the real favorites next season with even more additional acquisitions for this season. My main focus will be on the 76ers and T'wolves though. I am just super curious about how the new twin towers perform when the league is currently going smaller.

Any NBA ESPN or Yahoo Fantasy player here?

KAT and Gobert. Aaarrr.  It's a small ball era, but let's see. This might change the perspective about NBA.
Philadelphia 76ers adding fuel to their defense by acquiring PJ Tucker in their roster. But, it's more on the chemistry side. The main players are intact and the thorn that had been stressing their management is gone.
Now, they could focus on winning the championship and I expect a healthier season for them. Harden and Embiid precisely, these two players will be their backbone. They cannot allow both players to be out because of injuries.

[Reid]

We cannot never be too sure though, maybe one day we will be surprised about Westbrook being traded already. If he is not having a good season, I don't think the Lakers will still finish the whole season before trading him. Westbrook IMO does not belong to the Lakers, his style does not blend with other superstars like Lebron and Davis.

Westbrook may expect this too, a trade in the middle of the season if they won't see the dominant Westbrook that we once knew.
I agree, he doesn't belong there. He is a leader, not a follower and that is why it would not work with Lebron and AD. I doubt we will see chemistry with them, I just don't see it.
We didn't see it during his OKC career and so will it be with the Lakers.
The commanding type of a player, he likes being on the frontline and not a wingman. It had been years though jumping from one team to another, there must be a change.

[sana54210]

We cannot never be too sure though, maybe one day we will be surprised about Westbrook being traded already. If he is not having a good season, I don't think the Lakers will still finish the whole season before trading him. Westbrook IMO does not belong to the Lakers, his style does not blend with other superstars like Lebron and Davis.

Westbrook may expect this too, a trade in the middle of the season if they won't see the dominant Westbrook that we once knew.
I agree, he doesn't belong there. He is a leader, not a follower and that is why it would not work with Lebron and AD. I doubt we will see chemistry with them, I just don't see it.
We didn't see it during his OKC career and so will it be with the Lakers.
The commanding type of a player, he likes being on the frontline and not a wingman. It had been years though jumping from one team to another, there must be a change.

I am sure that if they had a chance to trade him for anything decent then they would have. But it is obvious that Lakers found no suitors for Westbrook, in fact they tried to get Irving a lot but they failed that too. In their dreams I feel like a situation where Irving and Hield came on board, and anyone outside of Lebron and AD left, would be ideal. That way they would have Irving- Hield- Lebron- AD four at the start, doesn't really matter who the five is because they do not have anyone there.

It would have made them so much better and now instead they will have to play with whatever player they have instead, which will be a bit of a trouble and I doubt they would find a trade for Westbrook with that much salary.

[Japinat]

A variable I've seen discussed here a few times is the AD situation.
Unfortunately he is in a delicate situation and has regrettably spent more time off the court due to his injuries than playing.

But anyway, I believe for the Lakers to be champions in this season, they need to evolve a lot, not specifically improve their roster (this is an important factor), but something more relevant, is the chemistry between the players, which I saw a few times in some games the Lakers played in the previous NBA season.

It's difficult to create strong chemistry if they keep on rotating new players on their roster. It cannot even be compared with the likes of GSW, Phoenix Suns, and Grizzlies. There's a savior though, Lebron James. He had been a leader for a long time and he knew how to create chemistry in a short span of time. I remember him creating events for the Lakers players a lot of times to strengthen that chemistry so it will just depend on them if they want to join.
AD and Lebron won't have a problem and they kept Austin Reaves which I think will be a lot of help to them.

Lakers need to retain what rooster they have if there current rooster are skilled ones its just they really need chemistry so that they can work all things out, but the problem with them maybe LBJ request to overhaul their team is they change their player to new once they get bad run in a season. And I think what LBJ did last time did not work since they end up on bad position last season. So maybe its best for them to have young potential talents and develop them since this could bring good future to LA rather than trying to create a super team surrounded  by ball dominant players since for sure they really get a problem again with that.

They already got a powerful roster last 2020 but after they won the Finals, the team decides to let go some of the players so that they can afford Westbrook in the process, and that's where they did some mistakes. Now, they cannot blame Westbrook alone just because he didn't meet the standard they expected from him but because they already have some good players and still decided to let them go. One examples for that is Alex Caruso.

[stadus]

Westbrook was healthy last season and yet he doesn't play like a real big 3. If Davis will have a great season, I hope Westbrook will not ruined his moment as his inconsistency is really a big problem to the team, especially during crucial times.

The upcoming season will probably be Westbrook's last chance to prove to everyone that he can still dominate the court and perform impressively like an all-star player. So if Westbrook is able to analyze his poor performance from the previous season and draw appropriate conclusions, he could be useful for the Lakers. Although I honestly don't have much faith in that.

I do not think that Westbrook has anything to show for anymore, he lost his super fast moves and he can't drive anymore and his "act like driving but stop and shoot midrange" act is not getting anything important and he is missing them too. Which means that he is going to just get worse and worse and he would be lucky to find a minimum salary next season. His future is just like Carmelo Anthony's future, dude was one of the best scorers of his era and then he wasn't even wanted, same will happen to Westbrook.

But he can still drive to the basket though, but there were times that he will missed a dunk or easy shots inside and that's why he prepared those middle shot bank. Just remember that when he was in Washington, he was still super athletic and even lead them to the playoffs. Something that just really happen to Westbrook when he plays with the Lakers. Carmelo though is not as athletic as Russ though during his prime, he is just pure scoring machine.

Both Carmelo and Westbrook will be in the same path because they failed to maintain their strengths after their prime years is over and actually, that is the biggest challenge for being an player, well except for being an injury prone, because if you can't maintain your style and strengths then surely you will be in free agent in no time just like what happen to Carmelo now.

And soon, Westbrook too because this is the last year of his contract in Lakers and I don't think that the Lakers will give him an extension too because of fact that the team is currently busy to get him traded.

Westbrook is only 33 years old(born in 88). He should not be mentioned like this in these matters. He was a great player and didn't have a big injury. He should have been at his utmost physical level last year, for sure. I mean, ok for some players some of their body parts are worn out so much and we can see a performance drop like a player with knee issues but Westbrook didn't have anything like that. He should be more fit and has to show better performances, physically.

I respect Carmelo a lot for he is still performing solid offensively considering his age.

I think if Anthony Davis was healthy, both of Westbrook's and Carmelo's overall performance will be better. Or we would not need to notice that Lakers sucked.

I understand you mate but we cannot deny that Westbrook will likely join the free agency just like Carmelo soon if the Lakers won't re-sign him or there will be some other teams in the league that would get him. As of now, he is given a chance because he still have 1 season left in his contract but it also looks like that the Lakers are finding some other players that will be traded for him as they already gave up on having some hopes for Westbrook.

Yes, he is still 33 years old and maintained to be physically healthy but what would that do to the league if he is not a playmaker anymore?

[laurenB7742]

Hot topics are still about the Lakers, Lebron, AD, and Russ.

1 more month to go and the new season starts. I honestly would like to see Russ traded so the Lakers will have a strong line-up with no excuses if they can't compete on top. But I agree with the odds, the Boston Celtics are the real favorites next season with even more additional acquisitions for this season. My main focus will be on the 76ers and T'wolves though. I am just super curious about how the new twin towers perform when the league is currently going smaller.

Any NBA ESPN or Yahoo Fantasy player here?

I agree with you that the Boston Celtics are the real favorite next season but I also have to say that if the players are in good form the Lakers can also be really deadly in every match. But for that King LeBron James and his teammates have to play really well. I think that if LeBron James can get enough support from his teammates, the Lakers will do really well this season. But also I am concerned that injurious might have a really bad effect on the Lakers as I think that their players are quite fragile compared to other teams.

[dwyane36]

Hot topics are still about the Lakers, Lebron, AD, and Russ.

1 more month to go and the new season starts. I honestly would like to see Russ traded so the Lakers will have a strong line-up with no excuses if they can't compete on top. But I agree with the odds, the Boston Celtics are the real favorites next season with even more additional acquisitions for this season. My main focus will be on the 76ers and T'wolves though. I am just super curious about how the new twin towers perform when the league is currently going smaller.

Any NBA ESPN or Yahoo Fantasy player here?

I agree with you that the Boston Celtics are the real favorite next season but I also have to say that if the players are in good form the Lakers can also be really deadly in every match. But for that King LeBron James and his teammates have to play really well. I think that if LeBron James can get enough support from his teammates, the Lakers will do really well this season. But also I am concerned that injurious might have a really bad effect on the Lakers as I think that their players are quite fragile compared to other teams.

Honestly, I don't think the Celtics will be a favorite, and it's unlikely they'll be able to reach the final series again. As for the Lakers, it's pretty hard to predict their results in the upcoming season because Westbrook is unpredictable, and Davis is unreliable due to injury prone. It seems to me the Lakers can only reach the 1st or 2nd round of the playoffs. At least I wouldn't expect much more from them.

[harizen]

I honestly would like to see Russ traded so the Lakers will have a strong line-up with no excuses if they can't compete on top.

I don't think trading Russell Westbrook will make the Lakers have a strong lineup.

I don't even see them as one of the contenders even if Westbrook is not there.

However, depending on the situation, if the Lakers are doing great in the early phase of the next season, Westbrook might stay. If not, might be considered traded in midseason. Not seeing Westbrook will be traded prior to the start of the season as far as the latest news or rumors are concerned. Safe to conclude that we keep it that way.

[Yogee]

I honestly would like to see Russ traded so the Lakers will have a strong line-up with no excuses if they can't compete on top.

I don't think trading Russell Westbrook will make the Lakers have a strong lineup.

I don't even see them as one of the contenders even if Westbrook is not there.

It would depend on who they will get in the Westbrook trade of course. It may not make them stronger after the trade but it could improve the playing environment there. I mean no more on and off the court drama surrounding WB's bad performances or rumors about conflicts with his teammates.

[OgNasty]

I honestly would like to see Russ traded so the Lakers will have a strong line-up with no excuses if they can't compete on top.

I don't think trading Russell Westbrook will make the Lakers have a strong lineup.

I don't even see them as one of the contenders even if Westbrook is not there.

It would depend on who they will get in the Westbrook trade of course. It may not make them stronger after the trade but it could improve the playing environment there. I mean no more on and off the court drama surrounding WB's bad performances or rumors about conflicts with his teammates.

I don't think they'd get anyone back of real value in a Westbrook trade.  In my opinion it would be a salary dump so that they could possibly land some decent free agents or maybe grab someone else in a trade during the season.  Right now they're spending something like 140 million dollars on LeBron, AD, Westbrook, & Pat Bev.  Russ and Pat are basically bench players, LeBron is damn near 40, and AD can't stay on the court.  It's a pretty bad situation.  They need to stop making it worse and start fixing it.  Getting rid of Westbrook's contract is a good first step. 

[ChiBitCTy]

I honestly would like to see Russ traded so the Lakers will have a strong line-up with no excuses if they can't compete on top.

I don't think trading Russell Westbrook will make the Lakers have a strong lineup.

I don't even see them as one of the contenders even if Westbrook is not there.

It would depend on who they will get in the Westbrook trade of course. It may not make them stronger after the trade but it could improve the playing environment there. I mean no more on and off the court drama surrounding WB's bad performances or rumors about conflicts with his teammates.

I don't think they'd get anyone back of real value in a Westbrook trade.  In my opinion it would be a salary dump so that they could possibly land some decent free agents or maybe grab someone else in a trade during the season.  Right now they're spending something like 140 million dollars on LeBron, AD, Westbrook, & Pat Bev.  Russ and Pat are basically bench players, LeBron is damn near 40, and AD can't stay on the court.  It's a pretty bad situation.  They need to stop making it worse and start fixing it.  Getting rid of Westbrook's contract is a good first step. 

What else do you think they could do at this point to getting closer to fixing the team? I’m not sure there’s much they can do.  Not in the very shorty term anyhow. Lebron might be getting close to 40 but he’s still a top 5 player in the world and putting up MVP type numbers. If he and Anthony Davis can actually stay healthy and on the court together, could be a decent season for them.

[TravelMug]

I honestly would like to see Russ traded so the Lakers will have a strong line-up with no excuses if they can't compete on top.

I don't think trading Russell Westbrook will make the Lakers have a strong lineup.

I don't even see them as one of the contenders even if Westbrook is not there.

However, depending on the situation, if the Lakers are doing great in the early phase of the next season, Westbrook might stay. If not, might be considered traded in midseason. Not seeing Westbrook will be traded prior to the start of the season as far as the latest news or rumors are concerned. Safe to conclude that we keep it that way.

I also have the feeling the Lakers will want to keep Westbrook at least his season or the first half of it and see how ti goes. If there is an improvement under a new coach and new line up, maybe we will see an old Russ or at least something that can contribute to the Lakers an not the Russ that will make turnovers and missed easy shots or even an airball. If he plays bad then in the second half, he might be shop around again and Lakers hoping that someone will pick him up including his huge contract.

[Dave1]

Hot topics are still about the Lakers, Lebron, AD, and Russ.

1 more month to go and the new season starts. I honestly would like to see Russ traded so the Lakers will have a strong line-up with no excuses if they can't compete on top. But I agree with the odds, the Boston Celtics are the real favorites next season with even more additional acquisitions for this season. My main focus will be on the 76ers and T'wolves though. I am just super curious about how the new twin towers perform when the league is currently going smaller.

Any NBA ESPN or Yahoo Fantasy player here?

I'm also curious on how will be the chemistry of the new twin towers, Man! if they gonna click well, they can be one of the great teams we will ever have this year. Hope that injuries will never touch them and with Gobert finally out from the Jazz, he can start testing his skills and add some new with the help of his new teammates. As for Karl-Anthony Towns, I don't know what he's saying about The NBA hasn't seen something like this, I mean they need to make it sure first to have a great play and once that happened, then he can talk all he wants. Talking too much before the season would only make things worse when the reality is not like how he expected.

We will see, I don't think that Gobert will be like a scoring options for hte Wolves, he will do what he do best, that is to be the man in the middle, block or alter shots. It will still be KAT who is the main point man for them, but at least a lot on his shoulders will be lift since Gobert will be the center now. So he can focus and not get tired because most of the time he is spent in the 4th quarter because he has to score and defend the middle and so he commits unnecessary fouls too.

[LogitechMouse]

I honestly would like to see Russ traded so the Lakers will have a strong line-up with no excuses if they can't compete on top.

I don't think trading Russell Westbrook will make the Lakers have a strong lineup.

I don't even see them as one of the contenders even if Westbrook is not there.

However, depending on the situation, if the Lakers are doing great in the early phase of the next season, Westbrook might stay. If not, might be considered traded in midseason. Not seeing Westbrook will be traded prior to the start of the season as far as the latest news or rumors are concerned. Safe to conclude that we keep it that way.

Westbrook put his house in LA for sale for around $29M IIRC.
Can we say that Westbrook might get traded soon because of this?

Trading Westbrook can go both ways depending on the players that the Lakers will get. If Lakers will trade Westbrook to Jazz for maybe Clarkson or/and Bogdanovic then it will be a win for both teams since Westbrook can do what he can do in the Jazz and the Lakers will have 2 role players who can score at 15-20 PPG. TBH, I don't see anything wrong with Westbrook, AD and LBJ. It's just that they can't find the perfect combination and Westbrook played probably his worst season. We don't know how Westbrook will play next season (assuming he will not get traded) now that they have a new coach in Coach Ham.

I don't know but the Lakers might need to get either Clarkson or Bogdanovic even though Coach Ham already said that they will focus more on defense.

[Pamadar]

Hot topics are still about the Lakers, Lebron, AD, and Russ.

1 more month to go and the new season starts. I honestly would like to see Russ traded so the Lakers will have a strong line-up with no excuses if they can't compete on top. But I agree with the odds, the Boston Celtics are the real favorites next season with even more additional acquisitions for this season. My main focus will be on the 76ers and T'wolves though. I am just super curious about how the new twin towers perform when the league is currently going smaller.

Any NBA ESPN or Yahoo Fantasy player here?

I'm also curious on how will be the chemistry of the new twin towers, Man! if they gonna click well, they can be one of the great teams we will ever have this year. Hope that injuries will never touch them and with Gobert finally out from the Jazz, he can start testing his skills and add some new with the help of his new teammates. As for Karl-Anthony Towns, I don't know what he's saying about The NBA hasn't seen something like this, I mean they need to make it sure first to have a great play and once that happened, then he can talk all he wants. Talking too much before the season would only make things worse when the reality is not like how he expected.

We will see, I don't think that Gobert will be like a scoring options for hte Wolves, he will do what he do best, that is to be the man in the middle, block or alter shots. It will still be KAT who is the main point man for them, but at least a lot on his shoulders will be lift since Gobert will be the center now. So he can focus and not get tired because most of the time he is spent in the 4th quarter because he has to score and defend the middle and so he commits unnecessary fouls too.

From watching the FIBA world, I can say that Gobert is not only focusing on his defensive presence but also he's moving a lot to receive the ball, something that we might also see during his game wearing Timberwolves uniform,

He's athleticism can provide 2-ways looking to see if the wolves will improve more having him, as KAT can have a good rest or will be getting lesser obligation as Gobert can be their defensive arsenal while KAT giving them good numbers of offensive scores.

Just need to blend these two towers for the betterment of the team.

[Cryptmuster]

I also have the feeling the Lakers will want to keep Westbrook at least his season or the first half of it and see how ti goes. If there is an improvement under a new coach and new line up, maybe we will see an old Russ or at least something that can contribute to the Lakers an not the Russ that will make turnovers and missed easy shots or even an airball. If he plays bad then in the second half, he might be shop around again and Lakers hoping that someone will pick him up including his huge contract.

Westbrook will not agree to a contract buyout, the player's consent is required for the buyout to occur. If a player even once agrees to a buyout, then the attitude towards him will change for the rest of his career. Shelburne is sure that Westbrook will never take this step, otherwise he will cease to be himself. It all depends on him, just need to work at the maximum and show best game.

[carlisle1]

I honestly would like to see Russ traded so the Lakers will have a strong line-up with no excuses if they can't compete on top.

I don't think trading Russell Westbrook will make the Lakers have a strong lineup.

I don't even see them as one of the contenders even if Westbrook is not there.

However, depending on the situation, if the Lakers are doing great in the early phase of the next season, Westbrook might stay. If not, might be considered traded in midseason. Not seeing Westbrook will be traded prior to the start of the season as far as the latest news or rumors are concerned. Safe to conclude that we keep it that way.

Westbrook put his house in LA for sale for around $29M IIRC.
Can we say that Westbrook might get traded soon because of this?

Trading Westbrook can go both ways depending on the players that the Lakers will get. If Lakers will trade Westbrook to Jazz for maybe Clarkson or/and Bogdanovic then it will be a win for both teams since Westbrook can do what he can do in the Jazz and the Lakers will have 2 role players who can score at 15-20 PPG. TBH, I don't see anything wrong with Westbrook, AD and LBJ. It's just that they can't find the perfect combination and Westbrook played probably his worst season. We don't know how Westbrook will play next season (assuming he will not get traded) now that they have a new coach in Coach Ham.

I don't know but the Lakers might need to get either Clarkson or Bogdanovic even though Coach Ham already said that they will focus more on defense.

I'm not sure but if that's already a good sign that Westbrook are parting ways with the Lakers?

Or it's just a co-incident that he's selling his house to buy a new one? The new NBA season is nearing, and we still don't have

a clear update with Lakers and Westbook, maybe there's still negotiation that's ongoing between Lakers and Jazz, maybe both

sides are trying to make the best out from these possible trades.

[Yaunfitda]

A variable I've seen discussed here a few times is the AD situation.
Unfortunately he is in a delicate situation and has regrettably spent more time off the court due to his injuries than playing.

But anyway, I believe for the Lakers to be champions in this season, they need to evolve a lot, not specifically improve their roster (this is an important factor), but something more relevant, is the chemistry between the players, which I saw a few times in some games the Lakers played in the previous NBA season.

It's difficult to create strong chemistry if they keep on rotating new players on their roster. It cannot even be compared with the likes of GSW, Phoenix Suns, and Grizzlies. There's a savior though, Lebron James. He had been a leader for a long time and he knew how to create chemistry in a short span of time. I remember him creating events for the Lakers players a lot of times to strengthen that chemistry so it will just depend on them if they want to join.
AD and Lebron won't have a problem and they kept Austin Reaves which I think will be a lot of help to them.

Lakers need to retain what rooster they have if there current rooster are skilled ones its just they really need chemistry so that they can work all things out, but the problem with them maybe LBJ request to overhaul their team is they change their player to new once they get bad run in a season. And I think what LBJ did last time did not work since they end up on bad position last season. So maybe its best for them to have young potential talents and develop them since this could bring good future to LA rather than trying to create a super team surrounded  by ball dominant players since for sure they really get a problem again with that.

They already got a powerful roster last 2020 but after they won the Finals, the team decides to let go some of the players so that they can afford Westbrook in the process, and that's where they did some mistakes. Now, they cannot blame Westbrook alone just because he didn't meet the standard they expected from him but because they already have some good players and still decided to let them go. One examples for that is Alex Caruso.

We can't say that they have to blame Westbrook for what had happened to them last season. It's the breaks of the game, they started good in the first 10-20 games if I'm not mistaken, but as soon as Davis get's injured, the Lakers suffers and they can't recover in time to make the playoffs. For Caruso's case I think it's more of the salary offer and it Alex is not satisfied that's why he chooses to go to the Bulls with good offer.

[Hypnosis00]

......they started good in the first 10-20 games if I'm not mistaken, but as soon as Davis get's injured, the Lakers suffers and they can't recover in time to make the playoffs. For Caruso's case I think it's more of the salary offer and it Alex is not satisfied that's why he chooses to go to the Bulls with good offer.

That 10-20 games, Lakers are not anymore consistent, thanks to Westbrook though. 

A healthy Lakers with Westbrook has a chance to reach the playoffs, but winning the championship, I think that's another story.
Trading Westbrook should be the right idea, unless he will prove us wrong this season to come.

[btc_angela]

......they started good in the first 10-20 games if I'm not mistaken, but as soon as Davis get's injured, the Lakers suffers and they can't recover in time to make the playoffs. For Caruso's case I think it's more of the salary offer and it Alex is not satisfied that's why he chooses to go to the Bulls with good offer.

That 10-20 games, Lakers are not anymore consistent, thanks to Westbrook though. 

A healthy Lakers with Westbrook has a chance to reach the playoffs, but winning the championship, I think that's another story.
Trading Westbrook should be the right idea, unless he will prove us wrong this season to come.

Even the pre-season there are signs that the combination is not going to work well in the long run. Yes, they have games that show some brilliance of Westbrook and even has some posterized dunks but that's it. They slowly losing the momentum and then going down to the 8th spot and deep. And then the finger pointing started as to who is to blame for the Lakers worst season specially for Lebron as a Laker.