Author Topic: How good is a George/Cousins lead Lakers team?  (Read 4593 times)

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How good is a George/Cousins lead Lakers team?
« on: April 06, 2018, 03:27:53 PM »

Offline perks-a-beast

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If Lakers get Paul George, which I think they will, they will have an easy time acquiring another star in free agency or via trade. PG is good friends with Cousins who can convince him to ditch the Pelicans - who are a first round exit at best even with Cousins- and to be the next great laker big man up on ball Mount Rushmore with The Shaqs and the Wilts and the Kareem's.


Here's what I'd do if I were the Lakers..

1. Get rid of Dengs horrendous contract, send out Ingram with him to fetch some young talent for better team depth. This will allow more financial flexibility to sign max deals.

Hypothetical trade: Ingram and Deng to Chicago for Valentine, Portis, 2019 1st (TOP 3 protected)

Sign George and Cousins Max deals

Re-sign Caldwell-Pope and Lopez (both better fit than isaiah Thomas for the Lakers)

How good would this hypothetical 2018-19 Lakers team be?

PG: Lonzo Ball , Tyler Ennis
SG. Caldwell-Pope , Josh Hart
SF: Paul George , Denzel Valentine
PF: Julius Randle , Kyle Kuzma
C: DeMarcus Cousins , Brook Lopez , Bobby Portis

Am I way off base here or does that look like a title team?  ???

« Last Edit: April 06, 2018, 03:37:39 PM by perks-a-beast »

Re: How good is a George/Cousins lead Lakers team?
« Reply #1 on: April 06, 2018, 03:42:05 PM »

Offline DefenseWinsChamps

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Not a title team, but probably is a playoff team (assuming Cousins returns to form).

Are they better than the Warriors, Rockets, or Wolves?

What would be really interesting is if the Lakers could trade Deng, Kuzma, and/or Ingram for Leonard, then sign George and James.

Ball-George-James-Leonard is pretty deadly, and there are plenty of options to fill out the roster.

Especially when you consider how little money there is out there this off-season, superteams have an advantage because they can offer the same minimum, biannual, or mid-level exceptions as other teams for role players.

Re: How good is a George/Cousins lead Lakers team?
« Reply #2 on: April 06, 2018, 03:49:39 PM »

Offline footey

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If Lakers get Paul George, which I think they will, they will have an easy time acquiring another star in free agency or via trade. PG is good friends with Cousins who can convince him to ditch the Pelicans - who are a first round exit at best even with Cousins- and to be the next great laker big man up on ball Mount Rushmore with The Shaqs and the Wilts and the Kareem's.


Here's what I'd do if I were the Lakers..

1. Get rid of Dengs horrendous contract, send out Ingram with him to fetch some young talent for better team depth. This will allow more financial flexibility to sign max deals.

Hypothetical trade: Ingram and Deng to Chicago for Valentine, Portis, 2019 1st (TOP 3 protected)

Sign George and Cousins Max deals

Re-sign Caldwell-Pope and Lopez (both better fit than isaiah Thomas for the Lakers)

How good would this hypothetical 2018-19 Lakers team be?

PG: Lonzo Ball , Tyler Ennis
SG. Caldwell-Pope , Josh Hart
SF: Paul George , Denzel Valentine
PF: Julius Randle , Kyle Kuzma
C: DeMarcus Cousins , Brook Lopez , Bobby Portis

Am I way off base here or does that look like a title team?  ???

They’re not trading Ingram to dump Deng, unless for Davis or Leonard.

Re: How good is a George/Cousins lead Lakers team?
« Reply #3 on: April 06, 2018, 03:52:00 PM »

Offline Donoghus

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1st or 2nd round exit in the West.


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Re: How good is a George/Cousins lead Lakers team?
« Reply #4 on: April 06, 2018, 03:53:49 PM »

Offline jambr380

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I don't know how good it will be in relation to teams like GSW, Houston, Boston, or Philly (with Lebron), but they should definitely do it if at all possible. Both players are legitimate max-level players in their prime. If the last two seasons, we had signed Cousins and George instead of Horford and Hayward (say they were never available), I think the vast majority of us would be rejoicing. I understand the contention over Cousins, but he would have signed here for 'free' without giving up prime assets.

I would be extremely nervous about them packaging everything else and coming up with Kawhi, but I guess that would be there prerogative. Hopefully getting rid of Deng would cause them to cough up otherwise necessary assets.


Re: How good is a George/Cousins lead Lakers team?
« Reply #5 on: April 06, 2018, 04:03:59 PM »

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Seeing thread titles about FA signings for the Lakers which may make them contenders again gives me agida every time I look at the Forum Topics.  Why must we torture ourselves looking at agonizing Lakers hypotheticals.   The Lakers are truly the only team in the NBA that can play the tank and cap-space game and be a certain contender. 

Should be a NLA (No LA) option so that these forum topics don't display.

Re: How good is a George/Cousins lead Lakers team?
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2018, 05:51:42 PM »

Offline chiken Green

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Depends on how Ball improves.. But with Randall and Kuzma in the line up they can be really interesting..

Re: How good is a George/Cousins lead Lakers team?
« Reply #7 on: April 06, 2018, 05:57:39 PM »

Offline freshinthehouse

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With that scenario that would give the Lakers roughly 30 mill to pay Randle, KCP, and Lopez.  Is that enough money to pull it off?

*edit* and to answer the question, probably a 1st or 2nd round knockout.  Personally i'd love to see the lakers lock into that team long term.  no way that core wins it all, unless lonzo become a HOF caliber player, which i do not see happening.

Re: How good is a George/Cousins lead Lakers team?
« Reply #8 on: April 06, 2018, 06:15:03 PM »

Offline Beat LA

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I think much of this hypothetical scenario, which I can certainly see happening at least insofar as George to LA is concerned, will be largely contingent on how well Cousins recovers from his ruptured achilles tendon injury, if he does, at all, as guys just are never the same after suffering such an ailment.

I mean, Cousins was already a mediocre defender, at best, prior to the injury, so I can't exactly see it helping his case, moving forward, making that potential Lakers team just awful on defense, George and KCP, I guess, and, to a certain extent, Lonzo, notwithstanding, of course, which kind of leaves George in the same situation in which he currently finds himself on the Thunder in being the only guy who plays any defense.

Personally, and while I know that this will never happen, I think that George should return to Indiana. Imagine a Pacers team with a starting lineup of Stephenson, Oladipo, George, Young (I guess, although this position really needs to be upgraded. Like significantly), and Turner, with guys like Bogdanovic and Sabonis coming off of the bench, for, well, starters. Is that team not a contender, at the absolute minimum, because I think that they could win it all, but I'm weird :-\.

Re: How good is a George/Cousins lead Lakers team?
« Reply #9 on: April 06, 2018, 06:33:18 PM »

Offline Fred Roberts

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Going back to indy does look much more attractive for George, but he's made that decision and might want the LA lifestyle.

Be amazing if indy got him back.

Re: How good is a George/Cousins lead Lakers team?
« Reply #10 on: April 06, 2018, 06:43:43 PM »

Offline Celtics4ever

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Not very, do either of these guys know what it takes to win on a consistent basis.   They are fine racking up stats on so-so teams.

Re: How good is a George/Cousins lead Lakers team?
« Reply #11 on: April 06, 2018, 06:47:23 PM »

Offline Monkhouse

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I think much of this hypothetical scenario, which I can certainly see happening at least insofar as George to LA is concerned, will be largely contingent on how well Cousins recovers from his ruptured achilles tendon injury, if he does, at all, as guys just are never the same after suffering such an ailment.

I mean, Cousins was already a mediocre defender, at best, prior to the injury, so I can't exactly see it helping his case, moving forward, making that potential Lakers team just awful on defense, George and KCP, I guess, and, to a certain extent, Lonzo, notwithstanding, of course, which kind of leaves George in the same situation in which he currently finds himself on the Thunder in being the only guy who plays any defense.

Personally, and while I know that this will never happen, I think that George should return to Indiana. Imagine a Pacers team with a starting lineup of Stephenson, Oladipo, George, Young (I guess, although this position really needs to be upgraded. Like significantly), and Turner, with guys like Bogdanovic and Sabonis coming off of the bench, for, well, starters. Is that team not a contender, at the absolute minimum, because I think that they could win it all, but I'm weird :-\.

That team is definitely not gonna beat GSW or Rockets. It is certainly a possible contender in the Leastern Conference, but you would be hard pressed to find anyone scared on the Rockets or GSW team.
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Re: How good is a George/Cousins lead Lakers team?
« Reply #12 on: April 06, 2018, 08:23:46 PM »

Offline Beat LA

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I think much of this hypothetical scenario, which I can certainly see happening at least insofar as George to LA is concerned, will be largely contingent on how well Cousins recovers from his ruptured achilles tendon injury, if he does, at all, as guys just are never the same after suffering such an ailment.

I mean, Cousins was already a mediocre defender, at best, prior to the injury, so I can't exactly see it helping his case, moving forward, making that potential Lakers team just awful on defense, George and KCP, I guess, and, to a certain extent, Lonzo, notwithstanding, of course, which kind of leaves George in the same situation in which he currently finds himself on the Thunder in being the only guy who plays any defense.

Personally, and while I know that this will never happen, I think that George should return to Indiana. Imagine a Pacers team with a starting lineup of Stephenson, Oladipo, George, Young (I guess, although this position really needs to be upgraded. Like significantly), and Turner, with guys like Bogdanovic and Sabonis coming off of the bench, for, well, starters. Is that team not a contender, at the absolute minimum, because I think that they could win it all, but I'm weird :-\.

That team is definitely not gonna beat GSW or Rockets. It is certainly a possible contender in the Leastern Conference, but you would be hard pressed to find anyone scared on the Rockets or GSW team.

You mean my hypothetical Pacers team? I don't care about scaring anybody, lol, but a starting lineup of Stephenson, Oladipo, and George would be the best two-way combination, 1-3, in the league, would it not, and those guys would be, at least theoretically, anyway, be able to cancel out Curry, Thompson, and Durant, and Turner gives them that next scorer, not to mention Bogdanovic and Young, both of whom destroyed Golden State last night.

I don't know, man, with another player or two off of the bench, I think that that team could win it all, and as for their matchup with Houston, again, Lance, Oladipo, and George, should be able to best Paul and Harden, or have I gone off the rails, again, lol?

Re: How good is a George/Cousins lead Lakers team?
« Reply #13 on: April 06, 2018, 09:02:07 PM »

Offline gpap

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Why don't the Celtics try to get Paul George in free agency?

Or, work out a sign and trade with OKC, if need be

Would much rather have PG than Kawhi Leonard. We already have one injury prone player, don't need another one.

Re: How good is a George/Cousins lead Lakers team?
« Reply #14 on: May 16, 2018, 02:22:59 PM »

Offline rondofan1255

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Trending news is that Cousins unfollowed the Pelicans on Instagram  :o