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What Do James and Davis Deals Mean for the Future of the Lakers?

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It’s been a hell of a week for Rob Pelinka and Lakers Nation. Yesterday, LeBron James signed a two-year $85 million extension, and this morning, Anthony Davis signed a five-year $190 million extension with the Lakers (obviously). Before I get into things, I need to bring up the fact that this deal was announced by Woj at 4:40 AM Pacific time. I have two possible explanations as to how this deal was completed while the entire West Coast was dead asleep. Either they were up ALL NIGHT trying to get a deal done, which caused them to work into the early hours of Thursday OR Davis and Pelinka are on the East Coast. Either way, it’s pretty insane that the deal was announced when it was, mostly because it probably went seemingly unknown for hours until us LA folk started waking up. If I sounds unappreciative, I promise I’m not…waking up to this news rivaled waking up on Christmas morning.

The James and Davis deals (I would assume) ends an extremely eventful offseason for the Lakers after acquiring or resigning: Jared Dudley, KCP, Markieff Morris, Marc Gasol, Montrezl Harrel, Dennis Schroder, and Wesley Matthews.

The Lakers absolutely got better ahead of the 2020-2021 season, but it is worth noting they parted ways with a few key contributors from last season: Danny Green, Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley, JaVale McGee, and Dwight Howard.

Out on Giannis

Now that the Lakers lineup seems to be pretty much set for this coming season, what do the massive extensions to James and Davis mean for the future of the Lakers? Well first of all, I think it pretty much takes them out of the Giannis sweepstakes. Because of the cap, it’s nearly impossible for them to sign Giannis as a free agent without other players (the most expensive being Davis and James) taking a significant pay cut. Their only real shot at getting him now would be a massive trade in which the Lakers would most likely need to trade away pretty much their entire roster. Seriously though, how many games do you think a three-man team made up of only LeBron, AD, and Giannis would win? I would honestly put the over/under at 50…and even that might be too low.

It would be absolutely insane if the Lakers added Giannis to the two-headed monster that is LeBron and AD, and for that reason, I am out. Even though LeBron is nearing 40, he’s still at the height of his powers, as evidenced by his 2020 Finals MVP award. I can’t in good conscience support adding arguably the best player in the league to this team. After LeBron is gone I have absolutely no problem with adding Giannis, but to add him now would be an embarrassment of riches that no other team in the NBA would be able to compete with.

The Future of LeBron James

My first thought when I saw LeBron only extended for another two years, I thought it meant he plans to retire after the 2022-2023 season. However, in constructing his deal the way he did, he’s actually making more money per season now than he was before, and it doesn’t conflict with the over-38 rule in the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement. Plus, he’ll be able to stick around for Bronny to enter the NBA (in 2023), should the rules change to allow players to straight out of high school to enter the NBA draft. Should Bronny even be good enough to get drafted straight out of high school, they’ll only be able to get him in the 2nd round anyway, since they traded away their 1st round picks until the end of time to the Pelicans.

It’s hard to imagine LeBron leaving LA since it was more of a career and lifestyle choice to move here in the first place, but should Bronny be a lottery pick when the 2023 draft rolls around, is 38/39 year-old LeBron willing to relocate to Charlotte or Detroit to play with his son? Unlikely. I still think we’ve got him until he decides to call it quits, but who knows how much longer we have him after 2023.

The Future of Anthony Davis

Anthony Davis is a Laker for life. Unlike in the MLB, where we’ve seen guys sign contracts in the double digits in terms of years, the NBA tops out around five or six years. Davis’ five year extension means the organization plans to keep him around for along time, and means AD is willing to give his prime years to the Lakers. Assuming he stays healthy and competitive, I don’t see them parting ways in the future. He’s already won a championship here, they’ll be competitive for years to come, and all indicators show he loves being in LA…and we love him too. He’s a great locker room guy and someone any GM would dream to build around in the post-LeBron years.

Unlike other guys like Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and John Wall, who have bad relations with teams they thought they’d be with forever after signing massive deals, AD is different, and his situation is different. The main factor being that he has already won a championship. Those other guys have been on frustrating teams that were never able to win the last game of the year, which lead to them being unhappy. Davis on the other hand, seems like he could not be happier to put on a Lakers uniform every day, hopefully for the rest of his career.

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LeBron Is Making the NBA MVP Race With Giannis Interesting After Big Wins Over Bucks and Clippers

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At this point in the season, the MVP Award is a two-horse race between Giannis and LeBron. I’d be lying to you if I said I had been watching the Bucks closely this season. I recognize that they’re having a historic season and are one of the best teams in the league, plus ya know…GIANNIS…but since I can’t watch them on TV unless they’re on a national network (ESPN, ABC), it makes it hard to keep up. But since I live in Los Angeles and can watch the Lakers whenever I want, I am continuously amazed by the performances LeBron gives on a nightly basis. It’s most evident how much he means to the Lakers when he goes to the bench. I have been very vocal in previous blogs about how bad the Lakers bench is, and that they are a completely different team with him in the game. In addition, he leads the league in assists, which shows how he isn’t just a scorer, but a playmaker that gets other guys involved and makes the whole team better. Since I will clearly come off as biased if I just talk about the things I’ve seen, I’ll let the stats do the talking to determine the argument.

PLAYER GP MIN PTS FGA FG% 3 PTS Made 3P% FT% OREB DREB REB AST STL BLK
Giannis Antetokounmpo 57 30.9 29.6 20 54.7 1.5 30.6 63.3 2.3 11.5 13.7 5.8 1 1
LeBron James 59 34.9 25.7 19.6 49.7 2.2 34.7 70.4 1 6.8 7.8 10.6 1.2 0.5

So as you can see, statistically, Giannis is having the superior season so far. He is averaging more points, rebounds (offensively and defensively), and has a better field-goal percentage. The only significant stats LeBron is leading in are assists and free-throw percentage. However, I do want to take your attention over to “MIN”. Lebron is averaging four more minutes per game than Giannis. This goes back to how bad the Lakers are without LeBron, which doesn’t allow him to rest as much during games. Instead of Jared Dudley subbing in the last few minutes of garbage time, LeBron is forced to stay in the game to secure the lead.

LeBron is 35 years old and has been playing in the league since he was 19. He has played in 1,257 games over his 17-year career and 34.9 min/game is actually his lowest average in a season so far. From 2004-2008 he averaged at least 40 minutes per game, with 42.5 min/game being his highest mark during the 2005-2006 season. The most minutes Giannis has ever averaged in a season was 36.7 in 2017-2018. Giannis, 25, has played in 735 less games than LeBron and they are still putting up comparable numbers, with LeBron carrying a heavier load.

LeBron has already won four MVP’s. A fifth would just be icing on the cake at this point and would tie him with Michael Jordan – an ode to his jersey number. And while I don’t want this to feel like a pity prize (like when Leonardo DiCaprio won the Best Actor Oscar for The Revenant, which wasn’t even close to his best role), if the season ended today I think the award should go to LeBron. To do what he’s doing at his age and with Anthony Davis as his only real help among an inconsistent supporting cast is unprecedented. After beating the Bucks and Clippers in back to back games this weekend they’ve solidified themselves as the best team in the league which is even more impressive considering their third-best player is a toss up between Danny Green, KCP, and Kyle Kuzma. LeBron’s leadership above all else is what separates him from the pack and is what makes his teams so successful. You can hate him off the court all you want (he irritates me every now and then) but you can’t discount the player he is on the floor and the VALUE he’s added to this 2019-2020 Lakers team. It is the Most VALUABLE Player after all…

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Did Giannis Pick the Worst All-Star Team of All-Time?

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Yes.

A look at the most lopsided draft in sports draft history.

This years All-Star game is bound to be one of the most lackluster in recent memory. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been so underwhelmed at the sheer names on the rosters alone. Not even to mention the lopsided teams. This lack of entertainment value came as a bit of a surprise to me but I was able to break it down.

Here are the 3 reasons why this All-Star game is the opposite of “Must Watch TV”

1: Pure Lack of Talent

This year, stars like Curry, KD, Kyrie, Oladipo & Klay are all out with injuries. Two of which, are top 5 players in the NBA. Not seeing Steph and Klay launch 40 footers and the KD drama is just upsetting. These five players alone would be a better team than Team Giannis but that’s for my next point.

2: GIANNIS PICKED THE WORST TEAM EVER

I don’t know what happened here, at all. On paper this isn’t even close. How did he not come out with Kwahi, Davis, Harden or Doncic??? That’s insane! Can Giannis team win? 100% but that’s only Bc the whole thing is bs anyway. But seriously, like it’s so lopsided that it makes you wonder if he has beef/ other agendas with the players he picked. Was he blind folded? Does he owe someone money? Was he muddying the water to guarantee an All Star MVP?? Did Giannis do the 100% chemistry thing in FIFA?? Idk but something is fishy. I’m sure Giannis has forgotten more basketball knowledge than I’ll ever know, but I can personally guarantee a loss for his slapdick team.

3: The Kobe Effect

This years All Star game will feature a pretty shitty end game in order to honor Kobe. Am I for honoring Kobe? Absolutely. I think they should change the goddamn logo, but this? Nah, this ain’t it. It’s over complicated and not fulfilling at all.

All in all, the NBA All Star weekend is fun, it’s highlighted by the skills comp, and the dunk contest. The All Star game is just a background contest for charity (which is great).

Prediction: Lebron 188 | Giannis 160

Pecks

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The Lakers Stay Quiet During 2020 NBA Trade Deadline While Rest of the League Gets Hit With Woj Bombs

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It’s hard to complain as a Los Angeles Lakers fan right now, being that we have the second-best record in the NBA plus a roster that includes LeBron James and Anthony Davis…but I will anyway. Many teams got better as a result of today’s 3 p.m. EST NBA trade deadline, but the Lakers weren’t one of them.

 

Lakers fans have been calling for a trade that would most likely include Kyle Kuzma for some time now, as he has not lived up to expectations this season. While Kuzma is averaging 43.7% from the field and 33.7% from three in 25 minutes, which are comparable to 2020 All-Star Jayson Tatum, it’s the rest of his numbers that irk the Lakers fan base. He is averaging just 13.1 points, 1.1 assists, 0.3 steals, 0.4 blocks, and 4.7 pre-game Instagram posts per game (unofficial).

What’s so frustrating about GM Rob Pelinka not making any moves at the deadline is that despite the winning, they have holes. They are a much worse team when James is on the bench, proving that they don’t have the supporting cast (aside from Anthony Davis) to pick up the slack when James isn’t in the game. Thinking back to their January 1st game against the Suns in which they almost blew a 34-point lead once James went to the bench, it shows why Laker Nation has reason to be nervous. They’ve also lost both games to their biggest competition in the West – the Clippers – who have just showed that they want it more, especially in the final minutes of the second matchup.

However, not all hope is lost. They still remain the favorite to sign Darren Collison, who retired this past offseason. Collison, a career 39% shooter from three would help the Lakers in spacing and would surely add to their depth alongside James and Davis.

BREAKING NEWS – *J.R. Smith has entered the chat*

OUT OF LEFT FIELD the Lakers announce they will bring in J.R. Smith for a workout. Smith, currently a free agent, hasn’t played in the NBA since November 2018, so it seems like the only reason they’d be looking to sign him is because he’s played with James before, so he knows his system?? He did win a championship with James in 2016, so maybe they’re hoping some of that mojo transfers over to this season. However, he’s basically just another Rajon Rondo, so do we really need two of these guys? Plus, with All-Star Alex Caruso and KCP as the primary shooting guards, I’m not really sure where Smith would work into the line-up.

The Lakers have problems that still need addressing, but hopefully if they can sign Collison, it’ll tighten up some loose screws on offense that have been evading them this season. Another scorer is essential to their playoff run, and especially if they expect to be able to compete with the highly favored Bucks out of the East in the Finals.

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