“free agents and player options” yikes

He’s basically admitting its a gap year without directly saying it.

yo Luka swing the rock to Gabe Vincent

Honestly they’re at like a 50ish win pace, idk if it’s fair or realistic to expect JJ to get more out of this roster especially considering the injuries and what not

he’s learning the hard lesson that a lot of generals had to learn throughout history: a military full of mercenaries is not going to do very much. homegrown, seasoned talent is always going to be the best option.

and unfortunately the only people who qualify are austin reaves, and not many others.

Yikes vibes are not good

JJ criticized Doc Rivers for doing exactly what JJ is doing now

turns out podcasting about coaching is easier than actually coaching

Luka’s head coaches before JJ were Rick Carlisle and Jason Kidd. One of the best hc’s of the last 25 years and one of the best point guards of all time. If Luka didn’t listen to them, I can’t imagine JJ’s level of frustration getting Luka to listen to him.

Ah that should all go over well at the next practice! Blame the franchise player and bring up contract structures after a loss!

Took a shot at Luka, the rest of the players and front office all in one.

Again, this guy talks too much to the media as a coach. He’s only causing himself more drama with these comments

That’s just excuse. If the team is full of players with secured contacts you can also say they are all set for life and not hungry enough to fight.

He’s gotta trust the pass… guys are worried about their futures, and that’s what happens when you’ve got a team full of free agents and player options.

This is obvious, and a lot of Lakers fans don’t get that. Luka’s got absolutely security, but he needs the other guys on the court to be bought in without the ability to extend them or anything. Unless you got a bunch of kids you drafted as rookies, thats not how the NBA works. People are always fighting for contracts, minutes, and their piece of the pie. You don’t want a bunch of try hard scrubs. I’d rather have guys that want to be 20 point scorers competing against each other as oppose to a bunch of effort guys who cant.

Yikes 😳😳 ”you’ve got a team full of free agents and player options”

cc: Rob

Well… you can thank Rob Pelinka for this dogshite roster. None of it makes sense neither the contracts nor the timing of those contracts. It’s just terrorism.

And these bums better be worried. There isn’t a lot of time around this league if you don’t perform.

If I were getting paid millions, I’d be hauling ass every possession. Hell, I’d be stretching, icing, hydrating, and massaging LeBron and Luka between quarters. If they need a happy ending. Say less. Whatever it takes lol.

Well he technically has been calling out the team every one of these losses so it isn’t helping us there.

Is kinda expected.. didnt even move any needle during the summer, got trash by timberwolves during playoffs..

Gabe Vincent’s corpse still gets minutes but sure blame Luka.

Tldr: these butter fingers, brick laying, scrubs are gone

JJ speaking like he’s on ESPN never hire a podcaster to be your coach

IM SO SORRY the bad man sent u to hell Luka u deserve better

Shooters shoot with full confidence and we don’t have any besides the obvious with Bron and Luka.

EDIT: Rui has been solid from the corner.

So Nico Harrison was right after all….

Lol nah still worst trade in professional sports history

Wtf is he talking about???

JJ lives and dies by these regular season games he can’t help himself

I was watching the game last night and i saw marcus smart dive for a ball and never get any help getting up, which was hard to see as a celtics fan but also when luka made the pass to rui at the end of the first half and rui made the buzzer beater, luka put his hands on his knees like he was saying “finally these scrubs made a shot” which made me realize how shitty it must be to play for that team

This is crazy to say as the head coach. I know Luka benefits financially a lot from being in LA but he should honestly get the hell out of there for his career’s sake

I have to give credit to JJ on the offense scheme change a few games ago.

The change was mixing up the lakers double corner set (meant for bron and AD highpost and horns actions)

There was definitely a delibrate use of of the empty shortcorner entry pass. They had Luka/Bron getting a inside the 3pt wing/shortcorner pass and they give the Lakers two lanes to cut from the weakside (baseline and highpost flash)

This set definitely helped Vando.

This is what the offense need, some variation for the weak 3pt lineups.

The starting lineup (patchwork) with Smart and Laravia also would benefit. And maximized by the Vando/Smart/Hayes lines.

HOWEVER, defensively the team is poo poo. AR coming back doesn’t help this.

The issues for each player on defense.

1. GV - size. Can decently stay in front. Not a POA guy, but his issue is being small and does not affect weakside/rotating assignments. IE, you can see GV being active, but he’s not going to box out anyone if he has to rotate down. Neither is he lengthy enough to have his hands in passing lanes. I suspect GV defelction rate (adjusted for per 36) is low

2. Laravia - he’s a high motor cone. He can’t stop anyone in the paint, and he often will allow penetration to the paint. (This is also true on transition - ie stop the ball situtations). On a fast break, I’d just attack Laravia with a drive, Laravia will backpeddle /chase to the FT line, then you just dribble around him when he flattens out.

3. Rui - watch the clip, it’s IQ and low atheltism. (He’s not aaron gordon). He will be often relied upon to be backline help defense and he’s just bad at it.

4. Smart - moves his feet, settles too much for block/charge. Great hands/deflections. His issue is…..transition. He’s just….to old to sprint back if he’s under below the FT line on offense.

5. Ayton - struggles against….larger centers. Rebounding motor. DOES not make up ground, DOES not have second jump ability. If he shows on a Pnr, he’s not coming back to make a play near rim.

6. Lebron - he’s just 41 and in regular season defense mode. In playoff mode, still old.

7. Luka - enough said about him.

8. AR - same issue as Laravia, takes blocks (Foul bait version on defense). Help defense issue with GV. Great motor tho.

9. Hayes - dumb fouls, when anyone makes contacts with him….he collapses. Block and help defense are okay from weakside help. You can negate him by just making contact with him either the shooter or offball.

Obviously, effort and coordination would help the lakers, and we are pass the point of blaming injuries and cohesion and JJ trying new lineups with the rotational guys.

Giving Nick Smith/Timme/Bufkin nor getting AR back doesn’t drastically remake the team. Goes back to the Pelinka grabbed way too many one-dimension players.

This also includes Rui/Dlo/AR as starters.

Oddly enough of the players in recent memory that were decent two way that started….

Schroder, Prince, Christie, Cam Reddish.

You weren’t getting flash from Prince, but solid for 25 minute range.

Cam. Just confidence and motor and offense scheme fit. Cam reddish needed more reps dribbling a ball vs standing in the corner.

Luka was one Batum block away from playing vs. US for gold at the Olympics. With a bunch of plumbers.

He should take a sabbatical until next season. I’m sure they’re going to reshape the roster to better fit Luka. This team is just kicking the can until then.

I didnt think we’d get the full Ayton experience until mid-March but here we are, ahead of schedule

Not a bad record for a rebuild year ha

respect the sincerity

so you need players that under contract?!

AD, Caleb Martin, Jaden Hardy coming to you big dog

its never Luka’s fault

And two of the biggest stat padders in the league, who also happen to not play defense.

Hold dat you bum!

But they beat the Nuggets!!

Good luck Rob.

I think everybody on this post is reading this completely wrong.