Lakers teammates Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley have expressed concerns about playing in the Orlando bubble during troubled times, but Danny Green believes that NBA players can make a stronger social statement by playing. Green made his comments in an interview with Caron Butler on the NBA’s Twitter account (hat tip to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps). “I think we can use the platform to our advantage and enhance it,” Green said. “I mean, I see both sides. … There are going to be cameras all over Orlando, so they can see exactly what we want and what we’re trying to do. So I think it’s an advantage to us to get down there and use that platform to keep the movement alive.”
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Although he’s not expected to be healthy enough to participate, Suns forward Kelly Oubre is grateful his team was given the opportunity to play again this season, as he told Bryan Kalbrosky of Hoops Hype. He believes it will be beneficial for the club’s development. “We have to continue to get better each and every day,” he said. “We haven’t done anything yet. So our main goal should be to just lock in and just continue to just focus on getting better and coming back next year, better than ever.”
- The Kings will likely go smaller in their starting lineup with Richaun Holmes at center and Harrison Barnes playing power forward, according to Jason Jones of The Athletic. In that scenario, Marvin Bagley III — the second overall pick in the 2018 draft — would come off the bench. Coach Luke Walton could also employ some three-guard looks in Orlando with De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic on the court at the same time.
- The Lakers have hired Dr. Karida Brown as Director of Racial Equity & Action, according to a team press release. Dr. Brown will create a curriculum to help the Lakers staff enrich their knowledge on urgent topics, as well as helping to identify ways the team can be more active and efficient in creating change.
Bagley has become a tweener now. The kings really set themselves back 3-4 years with that pick.
Sacramento might have been a little better off drafting Doncic or Young.
MIGHT have been???? The Kings are the stupidest organization in the NBA, Maybe in all of American sports …
I give that title to the Cleveland browns or the pistons heck even my mariners unfortunately.
The Bagley pick comes in third right after the Blazers deciding to bypass Michael Jordan and years later, Kevin Durant …
Kings quick rebuild to get them to the playoff next season
Trade Harrison Barnes for Al Horford
Try get some picks also but if not then settle for a straight swap
Trade Buddy Heild for Gary Harris and Keira Bates-Diop
Draft Aaron Nesmith at #13 to play as a bench shooter and fill out that rotation nicely.
1. Fox. Joseph
2. Harris. Vassell
3. Bogdanovic. Bates Diop
4. Bagley. Bjilica
5. Horford. Holmes
Fox is the smart and quick playmaker and leader. Harris is the perfect sidekick who has a good all round game. Bogi plays smart at the 3 and helps give some shooting. Bagley dominates at the 4 and Horford adds shooting and veteran leadership at the 5.
Off the bench Jospeh runs the team, Nesmith gives you shooting much like Heild would. Bates-Diop for now fills the 3. Bjilica gives you a stretch big and shooting and Holmes get to dominate bench bigs
Bring the whole team back and draft a shooter and they will be a playoff team. They got killed in a lot of games because they didn’t have a real center. Alex Len filled that void. Buddy is too valuable to them. Can’t trade him unless he demands to leave.
Heild is just a shooter and you can easily replace that. Nesmith who they can draft is also a shooter and can give them a lot of what buddy gave them. Apparently the team regret giving Heild his contract and see him as more of a bench sixth man now. So it wouldn’t suprise me at all if they traded him. They got killed in a lot of games cause they suck on defence especially down low. Getting Harris and Horford makes them a lot better on defence.
Harris and Fox would form a nice backcourt duo for the kings as would Bagley and Horford as bigs.
I think this would be a better route to go
Bagley was a horrific pick for so many reasons. He’s still so far from actually learning how to play the right way. He really needed to play and be on the court this year. Right now, he’s really just an ISO-4 and should come off the bench for the foreseeable future. IF (and it’s a massive “if”) he can stay healthy, he really has the potential to be a difference maker in a few years. I’m really hard on him, but he really did improve throughout his rookie year which I haven’t seen many guys do.
Buddy cannot he replaced that easily. Especially when neither PG are good shooters. Fox’s outside shooting numbers are misleading considering he gets the Draymond treatment of guys standing 8 ft back and letting him shoot anytime.
The team mightily underachieved this year and I really don’t think they should overreact and make drastic moves. Unloading Barnes’ contract should be considered for long term plans, especially if they re-sign and overpay Bogi.
To be blunt, Walton did a really poor job and needs to figure stuff out. Unfortunately, they overpaid and are stuck with him for at least next year.