2026-27 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

Rookie Austin was much more polished and basketball ready than Thierro will be in the next 2 years (at least). Athleticism makes you shine in the SL, you go play against the big boys and you're exposed. I still like the kid though

 

Opposite of what? Reaves just got the opportunity to play more as a rookie. It's not like he was all rookie team or something.

 

Skills level .... come on now don't be dense.

 

Based of of what? Austin showed promise but this polished stuff isn't exactly accurate. To his credit he worked his a** off from rookie to sophomore.

 

Explain that take..Reaves is a guard, he showed capable guard skills..like a decent guard prospect should. He got the shot to play..that elevated his development. They play different positions, they aren't supposed to have similar skill sets.

 

If you are talking about a defensive minded wing..athleticism and effort are more valuable skills than handles and jump shooting. It's a different level of expectation for the role you are expected to fill. Thiero is ready to play now.

 

The level of all the skills he needed as a guard handling the ball, passing, floor vision, shooting, IQ .... everything was way beyond similar skills Adou will need if he's going to do more than just dunk the ball when he's open for a lob or fast break. But he has freak athleticism on his side and yes, should get the chance with minutes to grow and refine. He actually does have some ball handling skills but isn't smart enough yet to not try them way too much in congested areas before they are better. And needs to work on shooting and more than just one kind of shot to be playable on offense.

 

No. A scorer facilitator is supposed to have those skills dude. It's not the same for a defensive wing. Being successful in that role has different metrics. Dude needs to play..period. He's not going to learn these things sitting on the bench. Playing time matters..if we brought Caruso back, Reaves might have never developed in the same way. There is no substitute for actual playing time.

 

He's ready to get minutes and see how he does, if he's a good/quick learner and can handle the IQ of what JJ wants from him BOTH sides of the ball. I liked what I saw in summer league on defense .... he seemed to get better with his footwork and lateral speed trying to stay in front of his covers as the games went on.

 

He just needs to play brother..

 

Problem was you bringing up "polished" in comparison to Adou and claiming AR wasn't with what HE needed to be good at coming out of college. He was waaay more polished as a 2 way player than Adou is right now.

 

Yeah like I'm not arguing that, DUH. Just did not like the AR comparison with their respective needed skills for their positions both sides of the floor. As rookies. And now Adou is in his 2nd year.

 

LT... you fell for it again bud. Carry on

 

This is different. He doesn't do the T word, just is stubborn as hell in any differing of opinions that might occur in any instant. I have had my mind changed to see things differently multiple times with Slick, and will get the occasional similar acknowledgment back. Just not on that g-damn stupid Westbrook argument for 2 years.

 

Austin wasn't any more impressive than Grimes as a rookie.

 

I made my points. If he wasn't impressive as an undrafted rookie then no way in hell would LeBron have clued the FO in right after his mini vegas camp that they needed to get him on the formal roster. Who the hell was talking about Grimes???

 

Two different conversations. I never said Austin was a scrub as s rookie..I was hyping Austin Reaves before just about everyone on this board. Got lectured from JSM, Weezy and others, about having the audacity to claim that Austin would be a better player than Caruso in a very short period of time.

I simply brought up Grimes as an example of rookie performance and skill set for a scorer/??facilitor. That's it..it wasn't a Grimes is similar to Reaves or something comment.

Adou ready to go IMO..I have the same feeling about him that I had about Austin.

 

Not sure why we’re comparing rookie Grimes to rookie AR. One was the 25th pick in the draft and the other was undrafted. The undrafted player had a better rookie season.

 

Meh..I still think it's crazy that Westbrook, still gets talked about, when that team had zero chances of winning with LeBron and AD hurt.

Meanwhile Tinkerbell gets a total pass, for choking away a shot at a Championship!

 

I guess that comment went over your head then. Reaves went undrafted by choice, but that’s totally irrelevant, to the context of that comment. Which I touched on by saying, that I wasn't saying Grimes was "better "

 

Hyperbole much? with the "total pass" for Tinkerbell. But since you bring up LeBron and AD's injuries costing us in the playoffs and for chances at a ring, and Pelinka always gets this he had LeBron all these years and one finals appearance is not acceptable ..... well YEAH LeBron and AD's injuries are one big reason for that, and it's just how the LUCK of health in the NBA goes. You get the best players you can on the team and hope for the best in that regard. So IF either of or both of Luka and AR are dinged these playoffs it's the same damned thing and I don't want to hear a lot of crap from You about it. S*** happens injuries are always out there. Who knows what we might have done that FIRST year LBJ was here when we still had the promising and talented KIDS and he was 8 years younger if HE hadn't gotten injured himself when we were in 4th place.

• The Injury: LeBron suffered a significant groin injury on Christmas Day 2018 against the Golden State Warriors. [1, 2]

• Impact of the Injury: He missed a career-high 17 consecutive games, during which the Lakers went 6–11, sliding out of the Western Conference top-four playoff seed they held at the time of the injury. [1, 2, 3]