KobeMVP888 wrote:I know this is a useless exercise because the season is so flushed that we don't even care about the trade deadline or anything else that's going on for the most part, but I think it's worth a look back if for no other reason than the progress of our infants:
Kobe: C- (a few F's and a few As sprinkled in there)
Randle: B (we're seeing noticeable progress)
Russell: C+ (just too inconsistent to grade him higher, but at least his rookie numbers are better than Harden's)
Clarkson: B (he's proving to be a legit NBA player; the question to me is his ceiling. Like Robert, I think he's our trade bait)
Nance: B+ (but for the injury, I'd have given him an A-)
A Brown: B- (I wish he had more minutes, but his progress at both ends is noticeable)
Black: B- (it's not his fault that he isn't getting minutes, but when he's in there, he's our best center)
Hibbert: F (what a useless stiff)
Bass: C+ (he had some solid stretches and some not so solid stretches)
Lou Williams: C+ (fun to watch, but just too inconsistent)
Nick Young: F (Shitty P)
Marcelo Huertas: F (he stinks. Not an NBA player and deserves to rot at the ed of the bench)
Robert Sacre: F (he will always be an F; might be the worst NBA player of all-time)
MWP: Incomplete
Ryan Kelly: F- (if that is even possible)
KobeMVP888 wrote:3Peat
Where do you think Randle, Russell and Nance should be in their progress? Are you using your terms as they apply to veteran NBA players, other rookies or against where they are now vs. where they were when they started the season? I'm just curious because the way I read your analysis, you seem to be measuring these guys against all NBA players at their respective positions or all NBA players period. They are infants.
Note: Randle is averaging a double-double, is 10th in the league in rebounds per game (10.0) and 7th in rebounds per 48 mpg (17.5). Towns is .1 ahead of him in rpg, but for 48 mpg, Randle has him 17.5 to 16.1. Not too shabby for a rookie.
3Peatkb24 wrote:Our grades are similar but I do see you rank Randle a bit higher than I do. I think Randle should be better than Russell and he isn't, they are about the same. His numbers are better but they should be because he is in year 2. I know he was injured last season so technically he is a Rookie but he has been around the NBA longer than Russell. I actually graded Russell the same as you which is shocking. I still gave Randle a C+ which isn't that bad and Nance a B-. I think giving Nance a B+ was kind of high because to me a B+ rookie would have to be like Clarkson played last season.
KobeMVP888 wrote:3Peatkb24 wrote:Our grades are similar but I do see you rank Randle a bit higher than I do. I think Randle should be better than Russell and he isn't, they are about the same. His numbers are better but they should be because he is in year 2. I know he was injured last season so technically he is a Rookie but he has been around the NBA longer than Russell. I actually graded Russell the same as you which is shocking. I still gave Randle a C+ which isn't that bad and Nance a B-. I think giving Nance a B+ was kind of high because to me a B+ rookie would have to be like Clarkson played last season.
You still didn't answer my questions. I also couldn't disagree with you more about Randle's status. He's a rookie. Being "around the NBA" and actually playing in NBA games are two entirely different things.
lakerevolution wrote:I don't get to watch as many games as some of you, but it isn't hard to see that we are getting better as a team. Still a ton of work to do via trades and drafts to make this into a team capable of post-season contention. The front office has to make things happen pretty soon or Laker Nation is going to start losing it's patience.
KobeMVP888 wrote:There you go again with this "Year 2" shit. In MLB, September call ups can play for a month and still retain their rookie status. The NBA has different, albeit fucked up, rules but Randle played all of 14 minutes in his rookie season, so for all intents and purposes, he is a ROOKIE. Pau Gasol's CAREER averages (actually, this season's numbers) are what you expect from a 21 year old undersized rookie power forward? You expect way too much from 19 year old D'Angelo Russell, too, at these INFANT stages of his career. How would you have rated Kobe after Year 1 of his career? Look up Harden's and Westbrook's rookie numbers and get back to me. I guess all of them were Average, too. What is your criteria?
KobeMVP888 wrote:3Peat
I really don't understand your point about Pau. He was and remains a very special player who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Perhaps your criteria is very strict, but that qualifies him as Great. No not in the MegaStar Great category, but as the second best player on two championship teams with incredibly consistent career averages (18.3, 9.5, 3.3, 1.7), there are not many players out there to compare him to during his 15 seasons. Another Great player who Randle may or may not ever measure up to is Blake Griffin. Pau was a #3 overall pick. Blake was a #1 overall pick.
I wasn't looking at the grades you gave; it was the criteria that puzzled me. All the announcers, when it's the Lakers local announcers or the national guys, consider Randle to be a rookie for all intents and purposes, including your guy, Reggie. Not only that, but in terms of his scoring, he has to deal with the Kobe sideshow along with learning how to score among the trees as an undersized yet brutal power forward. Throw in Jordan Clarkson's and Lou Williams' need to score, the fact that Byron shortened his minutes once Nance started, the rest of the Shit Show around him, and the reality is that he is showing tremendous progress for his rookie season. Your read seems to be more like he should be performing as a veteran by now. I just don't understand where you're coming from on him. Same with Russell. Both are progressing nicely, just not as nicely as Lakers fans dreamed they would. There aren't many rookies playing better than them. You should be looking at them as rookies, not as veterans IMHO. Look at other teams whose cores are very young, inexperienced players, even Minny with Towns, Wiggins and Lavine, and I'll show you teams with losing records. We just need to remain very patient.
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