James Harden will be on some sort of minutes restriction in his Clippers debut on Monday against the Knicks, Adam Zagoria relays in a NJ.com story.
“There will probably be something,” coach Tyronn Lue said of limiting Harden’s minutes. “We don’t want to just jump right into it and play him crazy minutes, so we’ll just talk to the medical staff and just see what’s best.”
Harden will also have to adjust to being off the ball on a majority of possessions when he’s sharing the backcourt with Russell Westbrook.
“That’s what we talked about the last two or three days, is just when they’re on the floor together, just making sure James is off the ball and let Russ be more of the point guard,” Lue said.
We have more on the Los Angeles teams:
- Jaxson Hayes is listed as questionable for the Lakers’ road game against the Heat on Monday due to a sprained left ankle, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register tweets. Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Jarred Vanderbilt are already listed as out due to a variety of injuries. However, Taurean Prince is not on the injury report after missing the last two games due to a knee injury.
- Vincent won’t be able to play against his former team because of a knee injury, but he indicated he wanted to return to Miami during free agency. Vincent’s stock rose during the postseason, putting him out of the Heat‘s price range, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “I think I had a good playoff run, and I think that changed my value,” Vincent said. “I think once that changed, it just became more difficult. I think Miami wanted me to be there. I think I was naturally looking to return to the team I just had a Finals run with and the team I had been with for the last three or four seasons. It’s unfortunate it didn’t work out. But my value had changed.” Vincent joined the Lakers on a three-year, $33MM deal.
- The Lakers have been outscored 117-54 in second-chance points through six games and coach Darvin Ham says it’s simply a matter of effort and positioning, Price writes. “You can’t scheme rebounding,” Ham said. “You’ve got to want to get the ball. Plain and simple. The shot goes up, if your opponent is in your area, you’ve got to get hits, put bodies on bodies and be the most aggressive one to the ball. That’s it. There’s no play I can draw up to get more rebounds.”
Can’t draw up getting rebounds but you can play 2 big men together like AD and Wood who would grab a bunch of rebounds
Darvin Ham is a guy I like from a toughness standpoint. As a head coach he’s not doing it for me. Your superstar player is Anthony Davis. Right or wrong? All he’s asked for you is to let him play Power Forward because that is his preferred position. It’s nothing wrong with your superstar player wanting to play his natural position. Play Anthony Davis at Power Forward and Christian Wood at Center. It’s instantly going to solve the rebounding issue. Then it’s been the Los Angeles Lakers best lineup.
Christian Wood will be able to guard Nikola Jokic Joel Embiid and the rest of the big Centers in the NBA. Then it will allow Anthony Davis to free lance on defense and come off the weak side. Christian Wood showed he will buy in on the defensive end when he played tough defense on Kevin Durant.
Then having Christian Wood in the starting lineup at Center isn’t going to cramp the floor because he’s a really good three point shooter.
Darvin Ham needs to get it together before Rob Pelinka turns it over to Phil Handy.
They’ve had a 2 big lineup for 76% of the time so no it’s not that – Do you guys watch games ?
Lack of intensity plain and simple
Ham is just asking to be fired…
You are the coach… Your job is to come up with strategies and relay them to the players so they play the way you want them to…
There are plenty of strategies to tackle that… One of them is complaining to the media about how little effort your team puts in, but you never admit you have run out of options like that…
Those statements show he’s clueless.
Ham won’t/can’t be fired. LeBron runs that team and he lobbied for Ham.
They have played huge so far this year
This is an effort issue not a coaching defect
So, are we talking about Wood as a coach killer again ? Or is this on AD ? Do you think the coaching staff is trying to stuff Wood somehow? If he starts, how does the rotation change ? Do Rui and Vandy get more minutes ? I think Vandy has value as a 4, but he’s buried here.
If they’re going big with Davis at the 4, then naturally guys like Vanderbilt and Hachimura will see some minutes at the 3. Lean into the size advantage, especially when the guys are athletic enough to keep up with smaller opponents.
When you look at this team. What do you see. A veteran team. The starting lineup should be in their thirties around Davis(PF) and LeBron(SF). They need to have another tall defender C (veteran) next to Davis along with a (veteran)SG and (veteran) PG starting. Reeves would be a great 6th man change of pace off the bench. Role players off the bench are Reeves, Vincent, Vanderbilt, Reddish, Hayes and Prince. Young prospects they already have. I would trade D Russel, Rui H, Wood and picks for a veteran PG, SG and C. I know it won’t happen but what about Russell, Rui H and 1st or two for K Irving and M Morris, then trade Wood with picks for a veteran SG and C starting.
Or trade Russel, Rue H and
Wood and picks for DeRozan, Craig and Drummond. Sign a veteran PG out there somewhere in this world. Maybe the Lakers can do one of those new Adam Silver trades that anything can be done. Off to trade draft rights to Louis Labeyrie and Chinemelu Elonu with cash to 76s for Pat Beverley