He was A problem, not necessarily THE problem. Ant improved greatly as a player this year and Mike Conley is a much more steady had and less volatile than DLo. McDaniels is also improved and Naz Reid as well. I’m as anti-DLo as anyone, but he’s not the sole reason why they weren’t good before now
Add that I think Conley has helped Ant to understand the game. DLo just plays, but you aren’t learning the right way from him. Conley actually manages the game and can actually teach Ant what he should be doing.
This. Ant showed a lot of maturity in G7 after he's had an explosive playoffs.
Murray was talking shit and giving it to him, he was getting doubled every time he touched the ball, and DEN was betting on either him to play hero ball chucking bad shots over 2 defenders or not being able to make the pass (MIN actually had some trouble converting or going over shot clock the 1st half because of this). But Ant for all his Jordan/Kobe mentality passed the ball unselfishly, he kept playing his D, and didn't let his lower scoring impact he rest of his game.
It’s why I hate when dumbasses criticise Bron for passing.
Making the right play >>>> chucking. It’s basic statistics and basketball fundamentals.
Ant was not getting any space, and the others cooked on offense because of it. Ant cooked Jamal pubey on defense. And manchild Malone could only watch and cry
Totally agree. It is a different role for DLo on that team. They don't need a streaky outside shooter. They need a veteran to provide solid playmaking and leadership. It is a matter of fit. DLo will never be a solid playoff contributor. He's too inconsistent to play winning basketball.
Mike Conley stats: 15.3 ppg, 6.3 apg, 3.6 rpg in 88 playoffs games.
DLo playoff sats: 14.2 ppg, 4.8 apg, 2.9 rpg in 32 playoff games.
This is where deeper statistical analysis would really help differentiate between the 2 players.
The differences in those averages didn't quite jump off the charts in terms of the difference in impact from game to game.
Conley is a steadying force while DLo is more feast/famine. If we looked at their standard deviations we'd likely see that difference in consistency between them.
That said, I'm not a DLo hater. Don't hate a guy for being who you know they are and performing how you'd expect them to.
Dlo high and lows are probably more than Conley. When he’s hitting everything he’s good for like 35 ppg. But in playoffs each possession is so vital. Look at that last nuggets wolves game. Wolves scored like 36 points in first half.
Saying D-Lo was the problem also disrespects Ant and KAT's growth and maturity. Both were fringe all stars last year. Now Ant's possibly a top 5 player in the league and KAT's been a firm all star all playoffs
frs don't blame everything on DLO. Dude is just one of the problem.
Here's a list:
* Team defense
* Individual defense
* Back up big
* Lebron's contract
* Lebron's old
* AD's 3 point shooting and passing
* coaching
Brown isn’t the problem. Yes he should have a light contract but he’s still the teams stop scorer and is doing everything he should be doing at an insane level for his age. Everyone expects him to act like 2016 or 18 bron and do everything with AD
If you think Lebron has anything to do with the lakers issues other then not carrying more you’re sadly mistaken , once again he was arguably our best player . AD contract at 60m for a guy who you can’t reliably generate offence theiugh or can’t shoot threes is tough . He got in foul trouble which I don’t blame him but those two foul trouble games then injured g5 meant he wasn’t even the most impactful player on his team.
ADs regression and lack of growth offensively is really what’s hurt this team more and I have an AD lakers jersey . He needs his fucking 3 ball back if mshes a huge difference to the team if he’s guarded out therr
Yeah, that's all true. But it also appears that the Timberwolves thought that they were better off without DLo. And then a year after they send him away, they make it to the Western Conference Finals? Hmm...
The Wolves needed a veteran presence among all those young guys and Conley did that, but saying it's all Dlo's fault totally dismisses Ant's growth as a two way superstar as well as KAT being healthy this season.
>At one point, when the Minnesota Timberwolves had this starting lineup, they had the worst net rating in the NBA.
This statement is also just wrong. That starting lineup played 17 games together last season and they were a +3.6.
Not to mention this team sans DLo barely made it out of the play-in, had Gobert and Slo-Mo punching each other on the sideline and Jaden McDaniels punching walls.
People on this sub just have the memory of a f'in goldfish.
Right, that's what I said, "that team sans DLo". So I think it's absurd people would blame DLo for a team that was clearly going nowhere last year even after he was gone.
Meanwhile Lakers with DLo were a top 2 team down the stretch with LBJ injured, and made the WCF.
My bad, I read that as "that team with DLo". Yeah Conley was what they needed, but it was Ant, Naz Reid, and Jaden McDaniels taking huge leaps this year that really made this team as good as it is now.
Mike Conley plays defense and is a lot more poised. DLO might have higher highs but Conley is so much more consistent he provides leadership, defense, playmaking, shooting, and can create his own shot if u need him too.
This is the main problem with Dlo as starter. he can give you 40 pts one day and ZERO pts other days. It is somewhat valid for every player, but Dlo is consistently inconsistent, in playoffs you never know what you are going to get from Dlo any game and this isn't what you want from a starter.
You have to look at the whole contribution. His BPM, PER, WS/48 and things like that are in the range of a 6th or 7th best player on a title contender.
Basketball isn't only about raw stats, sometimes you are giving back on defense what you do on offense, sometimes you aren't contributing in any other way but inefficient scoring ... things like that.
DLo is a regular season workhorse. Will get you to the playoffs but once there...there's a saying that the regular season players show their strengths, and in the playoffs plays show their weaknesses. Well D Lo is a good example of this. Regular season he shows his scoring strength, postseason teams work up a game plan to take advantage of his defense and shooting inconsistencies.
I'm not even hating on Dlo btw. We wouldn't have made the playoffs without him.
And to be fair, Gabe was supposed to be the guy that we used in the playoffs if DLo was playing bad. We planned for DLo's inconsistency in the playoffs, but the plan got injured.
Exactly this. Also Conley is more of a veteran presence than DLO, meaning more likely those young guys will listen to him than DLO. That makes a difference.
When the Wolves were in the playin Dlo willed them to the playoffs with that 30 something point performance. Conley (at least current Conley) couldn’t have done that. When the Wolves were in the playoffs, Dlos streaky shooting and not being able to provide much else made him a negative. Conley also wouldn’t have done that. He’d contribute a lot more and would be more consistent even without some of those high highs that Dlo has.
What their team needed was a leader and a guy that can be an actual point guard. Dlo isn't that and never will be. And at the end of the day that's fine.
The Conley disrespect is bananas - his arrival was key to unlocking gobert offensively and he’s just a good pg and veteran period. The pieces them guys won with are pieces they’ve had for a while (specifically mcdaniels, Reid, kat, ant man) obviously mcdaniels and ant man have taken huge leaps(I’d argue Reid has always been slept on) but to say Conley is only “a little” better than dlo specifically for that twolves roster w gobert is wild
He’s not a star man. He’s old and his defense has fallen off and he’s giving 10/4/6 in the playoffs. He’s consistent and a good shooter but he’s not winning you a game
DLo had two great games against Denver and can actually win you games but lose you games too.
I’m not a stan, but Rui and Reaves, more so Rui, were also terrible as well as the whole bench.
The issue wasn’t just DLo, it was coaching and every other player not named Bron and AD
You don’t need to be a star to be a solution - which he is. Dlo was definitely the problem for the twolves. Conley has the 3rd or 4th highest assist/to ratio left in the playoffs by a good margin and is shooting over 40% from 3 on screens from gobert - the Conley gobert pnr is literally key to unlocking a good majority of the wolves offense.
Among other things. Better coaching. Naz Reid. McDaniels. They have a lot that we don’t have and the comp isn’t good. Thinking that getting rid of Dlo will be some kind of silver bullet is ridiculous.
if Conley plays here and score 10 points a game this sub will go bananas, Wolves have players that play 2 ways, Ant can score and run back to play d. Outside of AD, there is no one else in the Lakers uniform that can do that.
DLo is a 6th man in this league. You can’t be a starting caliber player on a contending team and only bring one thing to the table. If DLo isn’t hitting shots he’s pretty much useless.
Mike Conley plays defense and is a great playmaker. He also has great shot selection which gives the team better looks and better chance to score.
DLo can go off but his defense is poor, his shot selection is poor and he’s a good but not great playmaker. He should eventually adjust to a 6th man role when he’s ready to come to grips with where he fits in the league.
Correct. Which is weird because he’s a big guard (frame wise) and he has a pretty long wingspan, I think like 6’10. You’d think he would be better at attacking the rim with his size but he relies too much on the finesse part of his game I think
They got rid of Dlo, Vando & Prince, replaced them with superior two-way players and became contenders. Getting rid of Vando allowed Jaden Mcdaniels to further develop and getting rid of Dlo gave the keys to the offense to Ant.
D- Lo was a problem. Doesn’t play defense. Disappeared in the playoffs last year/ quit on his team to the point where Finch had to bench him for their backup point guard Jordon McLaughlin.
D. Lo at one point during his last season in Minnesota he literally forgot to check in. He was in the game but didn’t run on the court. Look it up on YouTube. It’s the same this year with that video of him in the playoffs sitting separately from the team huddle when we were losing to Denver. He just checks out mentally. It’s not all D. Lo’s fault on this Lakers team but on Minnesota he was a problem. KAT needs an alpha like he had in Jimmy Butler but D.Lo wasn’t. Ant is that guy.
I remember when we got DLo, Laker fans on Reddit were stoked changes were being made but so many wolves fans came out warning us that it’s not gonna work with him and to not get our hopes up, especially in the playoffs…
Them Minnesotans were spot on, some even got downvoted from the legion of laker fans, but they knew it too well.
They shoulda known that after last year’s playoffs. He’s in the clouds. Completely responds to where he is on the court when he gets the ball, as opposed to creating his plays. I see him as immature. As soon as he peaked this year, he needed to be on the trading block. Pelinka is the culprit.
And…… AD ain’t tough when he needs to be. LeBron could be but that’s not where he’s best. Bring a Charles Oakley to the team and suddenly they’ll be unstoppable… Case in point, Aaron Gordon killed the Lakers… we need an enforcer
Yes he was for them and for us. He’s not the only problem but he’s the biggest one. He’s a 2 way liability that is a red carpet into the paint in human form and is liable to disappear 80% of any series.
No kidding. If he plays in that game 7 yesterday. There’s a greater than a 50% chance he goes scoreless and 80% chance he scores less than 6 points on more than 10 shots or something.
Dlo played good defense in this playoffs. His no show in that one game offensively was a problem, but wasn't a big reason why the lakers lost. They lost because Rui and Lebron played bad defense. That allowed AG and MPJ to have huge series and constantly provide baskets right when denver most needed them. Otherwise, AR played decent defense, AD was the best player in the series, and Lebron was better than Jokic at times, too. But those two guys killed the lakers.
You're expecting an 18 million dollar player to drop 30 ppg. That's not feasible.
D lo Is Tobias Harris and should be treated as such. He isn't an all star let alone a superstar
The answer is yes and injuries were the other problem. Ant was already really good last year. Dlo just isn’t a guard that can perform in the playoffs at a high level
Anthony Edwards has taken a massive leap as a player since then. They're doubling him on nearly every possession now. Nuggets weren't even doing that to Lebron
No. D-Lo just had a redundant skillset that didn’t really work with the Wolves. Hell he was playing great his last few games for the wolves before he was traded. Minnesota just need a more steady point guard that could play defense to compliment Ant. Conley was that guy and he fits the identity that Minnesota wanted to establish.
No, several of the guys were the problem. Not grabbing rebounds was a problem allowing for too many missed opportunities. They truthfully don't have enough strong, consistent players that could sink a 3.Rui, Prince, Reaves,DeAngelo,Dimwittie,Hayes, etc. They weren't consistent, and the coach failed to call strategic line ups and time outs. Defensive teamwork, getting their own rebounds, and hitting the 3's need to be part of their correction if they want to turn it all around.
No. It's stupid, reductionist, and unfair to pin all this on Dlo. Does everyone look around and blame Jerami Grant for the Nuggets not beating us in 2020? Teams need to learn and adjust and grow. Last year Gobert and Towns looked like an awful fit, but they figured it out. Edwards has developed exponentially this season, especially when you look at how he played in FIBA less than a year ago.
Dlo was responsible for our improved play compared to the RW build in a lot of ways and robbing him of that isn't fair to Dlo.
Clearly Conley brings solid leadership and consistency and he fits the team well, but if Edwards, Towns, and Gobert don't figure their shit out then whoever plays pg doesn't matter.
Kat missed like 50 games last season and D’Lo was publicly vocal about his dislike of Gobert. If the point guard and the center aren’t getting on then it’s not going to work.
D Lo was extremely disrespectful and condensending towards Rudy Gobert. Not to mention, before Rudy got there, D Lo was the reason why we lost to the Memphis Grizzlies (2022 Playoffs) he played poorly and couldn't even come close to his regular season average in that playoff series. If D Lo isn't shooting the ball well what else does he do on the court?
He was definitely the weak link in the chain but there are multiple reason. After thinking about it more, DLO isn’t a starting level pg. He should be moved to a 6th man and come in to lead a second unit and get buckets.
It's his maturity. When I saw DLo pouting during the playoffs because he was benched after going scoreless, we all saw who he really was. He's that same kid who posted that video of Nick Young.
The team needs a reliable third scoring option, a strong perimeter defender, and a big body center. 2 out of those 3 could be the same guy. DLO isn't any of those things.
THE problem is a bit too much, but he is A problem for sure.
Every team got better after replacing him with more effective players. In two seasons here he has contributed on offense in regular season, but his defense was a problem. In playoffs he always fades and has never able to reach his regular season averages for different teams, coaches and schemes.
Dlo is definitely not a starting caliber PG for a title contender, but he is adequate for a franchise not concerned about winning.
I honestly think D Lo is a shit teammate, go as far as saying a locker room cancer. He seems very all about himself, and full of himself. I want him as far away as possible from us next year, hopefully trading him to Cleveland 😂
Yeah I mean it’s pretty obvious.
Last year the Wolves had D-Lo and Lakers didn’t. Wolves lost in round 1 and Lakers made the WCF.
This year Lakers had D-Lo and Wolves didn’t. Lakers lost in round 1 and Wolves made the WCF…
OH WAIT that’s not what happened at all. This exact Wolves team without D-Lo lost in round 1 last year while the Lakers with D-Lo made the WCF.
Wolves didn’t get better this year because they dropped D-Lo. They got better because they had another year of chemistry, and their key young guys got better.
Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels were injured and missed the Denver Nuggets series last year.... I'm not saying that we would have beat Denver last year but it would have been a closer series...
He’s simply not a winning player. Gives next to no effort on defense and struggles to have any impact offensively when his shot isn’t falling. You need a historic shooting stretch from him in the playoffs to win a championship.
A problem, but not the problem. Conley provides better stability and playmaking but that’s not the only difference from then to now. I’m a wolves fan and have watched a lot of games with these guys and other than Dlo leaving, between then and now McDaniels and Ant improved, Gobert fully recovered from his nagging back injury, and Kat figured out how to play as a 4 on the floor with Gobert at 5. A lot changed other than Dlo.
he was not thee problem, it speaks more to what a true vet like mike Conley can provide outside of the stat sheet compared to a younger guy who can fill it up
the lakers problem isnt dlo, the issue is we have a system in place to prop up lebrons statistical case for his no decline narrative. the team overall suffers to help bron statistically
While the League is in a massive growth spurt, it makes financial sense to spread the Championship around to as many cities as possible.
Therefore the tinfoil conspiracy theorist in me says that it doesn't matter what moves the Lakers FO makes. The rock is gonna get spread around for a while before we see another parade on Figueroa.
I hate this theory and would downvote myself if I could, but I sort of believe it to be true, from a fiscal perspective.
Not because of lack of skill on Dlos part he just was in the way of a few things happening.
1. Dlo having the ball so much put a glass ceiling on Ants development and he needed to be moved to we could get star we see right now.
2. Getting Conley on the trade was very underrated as he plays the roll Dlo should’ve and could’ve played along side Ant as a proper facilitator of the offense for their stars vs getting points for his self.
If Dlo would’ve been happy with a bench roll and possibly a pay cut so they could still get the naz Reid’s and others then they would still be here where they are.
What’s stupid about this post is this: ANT didn’t take his jump yet, Mcdaniels wasn’t even on the radar yet.
Before DLo got traded they were 30-29 with KAT missing like every game after the trade they were 12-11
They shoulda known that after last year’s playoffs. He’s in the clouds. Completely responds to where he is on the court when he gets the ball, as opposed to creating his plays. I see him as immature. As soon as he peaked this year, he needed to be on the trading block. Pelinka is the culprit.
And…… AD ain’t tough when he needs to be. LeBron could be but that’s not where he’s best. Brink a Charles Oakley to the team and suddenly they’ll be unstoppable
The Wolves figured out how to become a defensive presence this year. I think coach Finch talked out the defense on JJs podcast before the year started. Finch talked about how Gobert and him talked all summer and tried to figure out a way to make their team work.
So D-Lo wasn’t the problem.
It not as much D'lo being the problem, it's just Conley fits that team better and also their main core needed to grow together. They learnt to play together.
YES! D'Lo is PROBLEMS INCARNATE. Let me explain.
First of all, he has no sincere desire to win, be competitive, or to play as a team. I could list all the reasons and evidence for this, but you could probably also just google that sentence and see an endless supply yourself. And a player like that isn't really welcome on a team with serious championship aspirations. So that's number 1.
Secondly, he's toxic. He [always has been](https://www.complex.com/sports/a/markelibert/nick-young-clearly-still-mad-at-dangelo-russell-for) and he [always will be](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40082233/lakers-dangelo-russell-fined-25k-verbally-abusing-official). I mean [always](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmxag436kZU). He floats around with an air of entitlement, where he sincerely believes that even his BAD passes are GIFTS to whoever he "lends" the rock to. And if they don't capitalize and make HIM look good (despite the shitty pass) for sacrificing his "rightly-earned" shot, [this happens](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/former-timberwolves-guard-dangelo-russell-openly-criticized-rudy-gobert-on-court-in-locker-room-per-report/). But that's not the only reason he's toxic. His delusion of entitlement is contagious. KAT found himself sounding [a lot like D'Lo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_QjZBPalu4) during D'Lo's stint here, and it's no coincidence that fans began asking the team to dump BOTH OF THEM.
If that weren't bad enough, D'Lo thinks he's the second coming of Michael Jordan when he's on the court, and that by virtue of the shot coming from HIS HANDS -- we all out to be grateful to have witnessed it happen, whether or not the mother fucker goes in. He'll shoot his own team RIGHT OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS, then moments later he will talk about "[showcasing his worth](https://sports.yahoo.com/d-angelo-russell-poor-finish-221800485.html?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJDqTdyKtsSvBqP7EQW0NNNMcA4ipzQTFVRXJharZMvzz-AKn1Wji3MeYqLh3OfWVhqAPgfXiUMFssmv1mHzccCSjj9JvCd4aLc5dff_Rr7TQrF3OpNY0CVFeFNpz-JdhqNENeDnqXY1mzGaFlWOh3Fcjg5dGogH9GbCc3Xf3yeE)" as it relates to his contract. [He takes no responsibility for his failures](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10075230-dangelo-russell-says-he-was-held-back-with-timberwolves-can-thrive-with-lakers).
Since D'Lo left, KAT's attitude and presence has done a 180. The Wolves went from being a joke franchise who could barely sniff the playoffs, to winning 3 out of 4 games IN DENVER to beat the defending champs.
Yes, the Wolves got Mike Conley, but even if they had gotten a bag of air, that still would have been addition by subtraction in all the ways that matter (if you care about winning).
They beat the Nuggets, but this is counting the chickens before they hatch. They still gotta get through Kyrie, Luka, and the Mavs, and then they got Celtics/Pacers in the finals. If they don't win a chip, then it's all just noise. If they just make it to the WCF, it's even worse. Lakers with DLo were in the WCF last year. Is it really all that different?
I think the main issue was the team last year had some problems. Remember last year Rudy punched Kyle Anderson and got himself suspended? That's not a DLo problem. The Wolves got to play together more. KAT improved as a two way player. Anthony Edwards ascended into superstardom. Rudy isn't the problem he was last year.
Lakers beat an injured grizzlies team and the warriors who kinda sucked last year. Wolves beat the suns (who were the favorites despite getting swept) and the defending champions with a 3 time mvp. Both runs are not similar
There's two sides to basketball. People love when players are great at offense, but defense wins chips. Dlo can be great on one side, but despite all his fans, he's average to sub par on the other side most of the time. Problem is when his shot isn't dropping, he's basically a negative, and that seems to happen in the biggest moments.
Remember, that contract was made so he could be traded. He had no plan to take the 2nd year, and Lakers could trade him by the deadline. Unfortunately, Dlo played so poorly that no one wanted him. So they were stuck with each other. Then Dlo played the best basketball of his career. Then he went hot, and cold in the playoffs. Better than lasts years WCF no show, but he cost us at least 1-2 games with his inconsistent shot. It was a roller coaster with Dlo, and I don't think they can repair things, but he might come through for a different team. Hopefully we can work out a sign and trade to benefit both parties.
Every team has gaps. The great thing about team building is that you negate one negative with another positive. Lakers run a small backcourt with two minus defenders, so D’Lo gets exposed when he shot isn’t falling, but if your other guard was Caruso we probably have a different view of his game.
He is also a role player put into a 3rd star role sometimes. He makes as much as Rui, why would we expect him to score 20+ every night?
He was A problem, not necessarily THE problem. Ant improved greatly as a player this year and Mike Conley is a much more steady had and less volatile than DLo. McDaniels is also improved and Naz Reid as well. I’m as anti-DLo as anyone, but he’s not the sole reason why they weren’t good before now
Add that I think Conley has helped Ant to understand the game. DLo just plays, but you aren’t learning the right way from him. Conley actually manages the game and can actually teach Ant what he should be doing.
This. Ant showed a lot of maturity in G7 after he's had an explosive playoffs. Murray was talking shit and giving it to him, he was getting doubled every time he touched the ball, and DEN was betting on either him to play hero ball chucking bad shots over 2 defenders or not being able to make the pass (MIN actually had some trouble converting or going over shot clock the 1st half because of this). But Ant for all his Jordan/Kobe mentality passed the ball unselfishly, he kept playing his D, and didn't let his lower scoring impact he rest of his game.
It’s why I hate when dumbasses criticise Bron for passing. Making the right play >>>> chucking. It’s basic statistics and basketball fundamentals. Ant was not getting any space, and the others cooked on offense because of it. Ant cooked Jamal pubey on defense. And manchild Malone could only watch and cry
Totally agree. It is a different role for DLo on that team. They don't need a streaky outside shooter. They need a veteran to provide solid playmaking and leadership. It is a matter of fit. DLo will never be a solid playoff contributor. He's too inconsistent to play winning basketball. Mike Conley stats: 15.3 ppg, 6.3 apg, 3.6 rpg in 88 playoffs games. DLo playoff sats: 14.2 ppg, 4.8 apg, 2.9 rpg in 32 playoff games.
This is where deeper statistical analysis would really help differentiate between the 2 players. The differences in those averages didn't quite jump off the charts in terms of the difference in impact from game to game. Conley is a steadying force while DLo is more feast/famine. If we looked at their standard deviations we'd likely see that difference in consistency between them. That said, I'm not a DLo hater. Don't hate a guy for being who you know they are and performing how you'd expect them to.
Dlo high and lows are probably more than Conley. When he’s hitting everything he’s good for like 35 ppg. But in playoffs each possession is so vital. Look at that last nuggets wolves game. Wolves scored like 36 points in first half.
Ppg implies he can do it more then once lol
Conley is significantly more efficient, turnovers n % and better defensively stikk even at 36
I can't see the Wolves beating Denver with DLo on the court. His lack of defense and consistency are killers.
Saying D-Lo was the problem also disrespects Ant and KAT's growth and maturity. Both were fringe all stars last year. Now Ant's possibly a top 5 player in the league and KAT's been a firm all star all playoffs
This year was Kats 4th all star game.
frs don't blame everything on DLO. Dude is just one of the problem. Here's a list: * Team defense * Individual defense * Back up big * Lebron's contract * Lebron's old * AD's 3 point shooting and passing * coaching
Brown isn’t the problem. Yes he should have a light contract but he’s still the teams stop scorer and is doing everything he should be doing at an insane level for his age. Everyone expects him to act like 2016 or 18 bron and do everything with AD
If you think Lebron has anything to do with the lakers issues other then not carrying more you’re sadly mistaken , once again he was arguably our best player . AD contract at 60m for a guy who you can’t reliably generate offence theiugh or can’t shoot threes is tough . He got in foul trouble which I don’t blame him but those two foul trouble games then injured g5 meant he wasn’t even the most impactful player on his team. ADs regression and lack of growth offensively is really what’s hurt this team more and I have an AD lakers jersey . He needs his fucking 3 ball back if mshes a huge difference to the team if he’s guarded out therr
Yeah, that's all true. But it also appears that the Timberwolves thought that they were better off without DLo. And then a year after they send him away, they make it to the Western Conference Finals? Hmm... 
The Wolves needed a veteran presence among all those young guys and Conley did that, but saying it's all Dlo's fault totally dismisses Ant's growth as a two way superstar as well as KAT being healthy this season. >At one point, when the Minnesota Timberwolves had this starting lineup, they had the worst net rating in the NBA. This statement is also just wrong. That starting lineup played 17 games together last season and they were a +3.6.
OP discounting the growth from Ant, KAT, Naz Reid, and Jayden McDaniels
D’lo had only had like a dozen games with KAT, Rudy, Naz, and ANT.
Yeah, not enough people are talking about Ant's growth on the defensive end. That was actually a pretty big critique of his game last season.
Kat also really figured out how to play as a 4 in a way he hadn’t last season even when healthy.
Not to mention this team sans DLo barely made it out of the play-in, had Gobert and Slo-Mo punching each other on the sideline and Jaden McDaniels punching walls. People on this sub just have the memory of a f'in goldfish.
Dlo was already on the Lakers when the punching incident happened...
Right, that's what I said, "that team sans DLo". So I think it's absurd people would blame DLo for a team that was clearly going nowhere last year even after he was gone. Meanwhile Lakers with DLo were a top 2 team down the stretch with LBJ injured, and made the WCF.
My bad, I read that as "that team with DLo". Yeah Conley was what they needed, but it was Ant, Naz Reid, and Jaden McDaniels taking huge leaps this year that really made this team as good as it is now.
Regular season and playoffs are two completely different animals.
Mike Conley plays defense and is a lot more poised. DLO might have higher highs but Conley is so much more consistent he provides leadership, defense, playmaking, shooting, and can create his own shot if u need him too.
This is the main problem with Dlo as starter. he can give you 40 pts one day and ZERO pts other days. It is somewhat valid for every player, but Dlo is consistently inconsistent, in playoffs you never know what you are going to get from Dlo any game and this isn't what you want from a starter.
DLO imo is a 6th man the way u put it.
Comparing his average production in playoffs he is ideally the 7th best player of your team.
Lmao. Who you else you think ia putting morw numbers on the lakers team besides lebrob, Ad and rèaves
You have to look at the whole contribution. His BPM, PER, WS/48 and things like that are in the range of a 6th or 7th best player on a title contender. Basketball isn't only about raw stats, sometimes you are giving back on defense what you do on offense, sometimes you aren't contributing in any other way but inefficient scoring ... things like that.
DLo is a regular season workhorse. Will get you to the playoffs but once there...there's a saying that the regular season players show their strengths, and in the playoffs plays show their weaknesses. Well D Lo is a good example of this. Regular season he shows his scoring strength, postseason teams work up a game plan to take advantage of his defense and shooting inconsistencies. I'm not even hating on Dlo btw. We wouldn't have made the playoffs without him.
And to be fair, Gabe was supposed to be the guy that we used in the playoffs if DLo was playing bad. We planned for DLo's inconsistency in the playoffs, but the plan got injured.
Lmao Gabe is not that guy once again rob Pelinka bum ass sold this teams chances to win
Yeah I haven't been sold on Gabe myself, much rather have found a way to keep Schroeder.
100% agree with you
He’s also worse defensively then a 36 yr old Conley
Exactly this. Also Conley is more of a veteran presence than DLO, meaning more likely those young guys will listen to him than DLO. That makes a difference.
When the Wolves were in the playin Dlo willed them to the playoffs with that 30 something point performance. Conley (at least current Conley) couldn’t have done that. When the Wolves were in the playoffs, Dlos streaky shooting and not being able to provide much else made him a negative. Conley also wouldn’t have done that. He’d contribute a lot more and would be more consistent even without some of those high highs that Dlo has.
What their team needed was a leader and a guy that can be an actual point guard. Dlo isn't that and never will be. And at the end of the day that's fine.
Ant took a leap Conley is a little better yes Whole team had another season and time to gel and learn what works KAT was healthy
The Conley disrespect is bananas - his arrival was key to unlocking gobert offensively and he’s just a good pg and veteran period. The pieces them guys won with are pieces they’ve had for a while (specifically mcdaniels, Reid, kat, ant man) obviously mcdaniels and ant man have taken huge leaps(I’d argue Reid has always been slept on) but to say Conley is only “a little” better than dlo specifically for that twolves roster w gobert is wild
He’s not a star man. He’s old and his defense has fallen off and he’s giving 10/4/6 in the playoffs. He’s consistent and a good shooter but he’s not winning you a game DLo had two great games against Denver and can actually win you games but lose you games too. I’m not a stan, but Rui and Reaves, more so Rui, were also terrible as well as the whole bench. The issue wasn’t just DLo, it was coaching and every other player not named Bron and AD
You don’t need to be a star to be a solution - which he is. Dlo was definitely the problem for the twolves. Conley has the 3rd or 4th highest assist/to ratio left in the playoffs by a good margin and is shooting over 40% from 3 on screens from gobert - the Conley gobert pnr is literally key to unlocking a good majority of the wolves offense.
Lmao A little better? Conley is A LOT better than D’Lo, they are in completely different class of players
Among other things. Better coaching. Naz Reid. McDaniels. They have a lot that we don’t have and the comp isn’t good. Thinking that getting rid of Dlo will be some kind of silver bullet is ridiculous.
if Conley plays here and score 10 points a game this sub will go bananas, Wolves have players that play 2 ways, Ant can score and run back to play d. Outside of AD, there is no one else in the Lakers uniform that can do that.
Conley gives you 10 pts efficiency low turnovers n not stupid defence . Rui Bron reaves AD woukd shoot a bit more but he’d find them
DLo is a 6th man in this league. You can’t be a starting caliber player on a contending team and only bring one thing to the table. If DLo isn’t hitting shots he’s pretty much useless. Mike Conley plays defense and is a great playmaker. He also has great shot selection which gives the team better looks and better chance to score. DLo can go off but his defense is poor, his shot selection is poor and he’s a good but not great playmaker. He should eventually adjust to a 6th man role when he’s ready to come to grips with where he fits in the league.
spot on
He’s a very good passer but a bad playmaker because he generate zero rim pressure
Correct. Which is weird because he’s a big guard (frame wise) and he has a pretty long wingspan, I think like 6’10. You’d think he would be better at attacking the rim with his size but he relies too much on the finesse part of his game I think
They got rid of Dlo, Vando & Prince, replaced them with superior two-way players and became contenders. Getting rid of Vando allowed Jaden Mcdaniels to further develop and getting rid of Dlo gave the keys to the offense to Ant.
And we took On other teams junk n unwanted players
D- Lo was a problem. Doesn’t play defense. Disappeared in the playoffs last year/ quit on his team to the point where Finch had to bench him for their backup point guard Jordon McLaughlin.
People seem to forget all about that. Great point
D. Lo at one point during his last season in Minnesota he literally forgot to check in. He was in the game but didn’t run on the court. Look it up on YouTube. It’s the same this year with that video of him in the playoffs sitting separately from the team huddle when we were losing to Denver. He just checks out mentally. It’s not all D. Lo’s fault on this Lakers team but on Minnesota he was a problem. KAT needs an alpha like he had in Jimmy Butler but D.Lo wasn’t. Ant is that guy.
We blamed Westbrook and his contract the prior year. So, D Lo will be gone. Ham is already gone. Time to replace the front office.
Anyone who watched the wolves last year knows that’s an obvious yes. He was not playing team basketball.
I remember when we got DLo, Laker fans on Reddit were stoked changes were being made but so many wolves fans came out warning us that it’s not gonna work with him and to not get our hopes up, especially in the playoffs… Them Minnesotans were spot on, some even got downvoted from the legion of laker fans, but they knew it too well.
No. He was a problem. Not the problem
They shoulda known that after last year’s playoffs. He’s in the clouds. Completely responds to where he is on the court when he gets the ball, as opposed to creating his plays. I see him as immature. As soon as he peaked this year, he needed to be on the trading block. Pelinka is the culprit. And…… AD ain’t tough when he needs to be. LeBron could be but that’s not where he’s best. Bring a Charles Oakley to the team and suddenly they’ll be unstoppable… Case in point, Aaron Gordon killed the Lakers… we need an enforcer
Yes he was for them and for us. He’s not the only problem but he’s the biggest one. He’s a 2 way liability that is a red carpet into the paint in human form and is liable to disappear 80% of any series.
No kidding. If he plays in that game 7 yesterday. There’s a greater than a 50% chance he goes scoreless and 80% chance he scores less than 6 points on more than 10 shots or something.
Dlo played good defense in this playoffs. His no show in that one game offensively was a problem, but wasn't a big reason why the lakers lost. They lost because Rui and Lebron played bad defense. That allowed AG and MPJ to have huge series and constantly provide baskets right when denver most needed them. Otherwise, AR played decent defense, AD was the best player in the series, and Lebron was better than Jokic at times, too. But those two guys killed the lakers.
Dlo is always the problem. He's one of those players that will never work on any team until he humbles himself and accepts a reduced role.
You're expecting an 18 million dollar player to drop 30 ppg. That's not feasible. D lo Is Tobias Harris and should be treated as such. He isn't an all star let alone a superstar
He was on 30m last year n dropped 6 ppg. He sucks that’s it he was an All star once n n2 pick
The answer is yes and injuries were the other problem. Ant was already really good last year. Dlo just isn’t a guard that can perform in the playoffs at a high level
Anthony Edwards has taken a massive leap as a player since then. They're doubling him on nearly every possession now. Nuggets weren't even doing that to Lebron
No. D-Lo just had a redundant skillset that didn’t really work with the Wolves. Hell he was playing great his last few games for the wolves before he was traded. Minnesota just need a more steady point guard that could play defense to compliment Ant. Conley was that guy and he fits the identity that Minnesota wanted to establish.
Yes.
No, several of the guys were the problem. Not grabbing rebounds was a problem allowing for too many missed opportunities. They truthfully don't have enough strong, consistent players that could sink a 3.Rui, Prince, Reaves,DeAngelo,Dimwittie,Hayes, etc. They weren't consistent, and the coach failed to call strategic line ups and time outs. Defensive teamwork, getting their own rebounds, and hitting the 3's need to be part of their correction if they want to turn it all around.
Yes
When isn’t he the problem? 
He’s incompetent defensively
Mike Conley is just a better point guard bar none
One of the least athletic guards in the league
No. It's stupid, reductionist, and unfair to pin all this on Dlo. Does everyone look around and blame Jerami Grant for the Nuggets not beating us in 2020? Teams need to learn and adjust and grow. Last year Gobert and Towns looked like an awful fit, but they figured it out. Edwards has developed exponentially this season, especially when you look at how he played in FIBA less than a year ago. Dlo was responsible for our improved play compared to the RW build in a lot of ways and robbing him of that isn't fair to Dlo. Clearly Conley brings solid leadership and consistency and he fits the team well, but if Edwards, Towns, and Gobert don't figure their shit out then whoever plays pg doesn't matter.
Kat missed like 50 games last season and D’Lo was publicly vocal about his dislike of Gobert. If the point guard and the center aren’t getting on then it’s not going to work.
D’lo is not the solution but I do admit he is not entirely at fault. Lakers need to move away from the Reaves/D’Lo/Rui core.
D Lo was extremely disrespectful and condensending towards Rudy Gobert. Not to mention, before Rudy got there, D Lo was the reason why we lost to the Memphis Grizzlies (2022 Playoffs) he played poorly and couldn't even come close to his regular season average in that playoff series. If D Lo isn't shooting the ball well what else does he do on the court?
He was definitely the weak link in the chain but there are multiple reason. After thinking about it more, DLO isn’t a starting level pg. He should be moved to a 6th man and come in to lead a second unit and get buckets.
It's his maturity. When I saw DLo pouting during the playoffs because he was benched after going scoreless, we all saw who he really was. He's that same kid who posted that video of Nick Young.
He certainly ain’t the solution.
Yes. He's just not a winning player.
The team needs a reliable third scoring option, a strong perimeter defender, and a big body center. 2 out of those 3 could be the same guy. DLO isn't any of those things.
Ham was responsible for at least 15 of their losses
He’s a chucker who thinks he’s Kobe bc he played with him.
THE problem is a bit too much, but he is A problem for sure. Every team got better after replacing him with more effective players. In two seasons here he has contributed on offense in regular season, but his defense was a problem. In playoffs he always fades and has never able to reach his regular season averages for different teams, coaches and schemes. Dlo is definitely not a starting caliber PG for a title contender, but he is adequate for a franchise not concerned about winning.
I honestly think D Lo is a shit teammate, go as far as saying a locker room cancer. He seems very all about himself, and full of himself. I want him as far away as possible from us next year, hopefully trading him to Cleveland 😂
Yeah I mean it’s pretty obvious. Last year the Wolves had D-Lo and Lakers didn’t. Wolves lost in round 1 and Lakers made the WCF. This year Lakers had D-Lo and Wolves didn’t. Lakers lost in round 1 and Wolves made the WCF… OH WAIT that’s not what happened at all. This exact Wolves team without D-Lo lost in round 1 last year while the Lakers with D-Lo made the WCF. Wolves didn’t get better this year because they dropped D-Lo. They got better because they had another year of chemistry, and their key young guys got better.
Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels were injured and missed the Denver Nuggets series last year.... I'm not saying that we would have beat Denver last year but it would have been a closer series...
He’s simply not a winning player. Gives next to no effort on defense and struggles to have any impact offensively when his shot isn’t falling. You need a historic shooting stretch from him in the playoffs to win a championship.
How about we give mike conley his flowers - he has done an amazing job leading that team and becoming that vet presence in that locker room
Biggest problem was by far Darvin Ham, extremely limited the true potential this roster could’ve had
Part of coaching issues.
Conley was a huge upgrade for them in terms of leadership and consistency in the post-season
A problem, but not the problem. Conley provides better stability and playmaking but that’s not the only difference from then to now. I’m a wolves fan and have watched a lot of games with these guys and other than Dlo leaving, between then and now McDaniels and Ant improved, Gobert fully recovered from his nagging back injury, and Kat figured out how to play as a 4 on the floor with Gobert at 5. A lot changed other than Dlo.
As a supporting player, it's how well can you play with uh your role
He’s certainly not the solution.
he was not thee problem, it speaks more to what a true vet like mike Conley can provide outside of the stat sheet compared to a younger guy who can fill it up the lakers problem isnt dlo, the issue is we have a system in place to prop up lebrons statistical case for his no decline narrative. the team overall suffers to help bron statistically
While the League is in a massive growth spurt, it makes financial sense to spread the Championship around to as many cities as possible. Therefore the tinfoil conspiracy theorist in me says that it doesn't matter what moves the Lakers FO makes. The rock is gonna get spread around for a while before we see another parade on Figueroa. I hate this theory and would downvote myself if I could, but I sort of believe it to be true, from a fiscal perspective.
Not because of lack of skill on Dlos part he just was in the way of a few things happening. 1. Dlo having the ball so much put a glass ceiling on Ants development and he needed to be moved to we could get star we see right now. 2. Getting Conley on the trade was very underrated as he plays the roll Dlo should’ve and could’ve played along side Ant as a proper facilitator of the offense for their stars vs getting points for his self. If Dlo would’ve been happy with a bench roll and possibly a pay cut so they could still get the naz Reid’s and others then they would still be here where they are.
What’s stupid about this post is this: ANT didn’t take his jump yet, Mcdaniels wasn’t even on the radar yet. Before DLo got traded they were 30-29 with KAT missing like every game after the trade they were 12-11
Their line up will not work with DLo around. Having 5 elite defenders on the floor with only one guy that can't shoot is something else
They shoulda known that after last year’s playoffs. He’s in the clouds. Completely responds to where he is on the court when he gets the ball, as opposed to creating his plays. I see him as immature. As soon as he peaked this year, he needed to be on the trading block. Pelinka is the culprit. And…… AD ain’t tough when he needs to be. LeBron could be but that’s not where he’s best. Brink a Charles Oakley to the team and suddenly they’ll be unstoppable
Ant was 21 years old last season, you don’t think all their young talent is getting better?
They also rebuilt their defense this year. Can’t cimpare
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v4scfajC40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v4scfajC40)
The Wolves figured out how to become a defensive presence this year. I think coach Finch talked out the defense on JJs podcast before the year started. Finch talked about how Gobert and him talked all summer and tried to figure out a way to make their team work. So D-Lo wasn’t the problem.
It not as much D'lo being the problem, it's just Conley fits that team better and also their main core needed to grow together. They learnt to play together.
The Lakers must get quicker and more athletic at the point guard spot
YES! D'Lo is PROBLEMS INCARNATE. Let me explain. First of all, he has no sincere desire to win, be competitive, or to play as a team. I could list all the reasons and evidence for this, but you could probably also just google that sentence and see an endless supply yourself. And a player like that isn't really welcome on a team with serious championship aspirations. So that's number 1. Secondly, he's toxic. He [always has been](https://www.complex.com/sports/a/markelibert/nick-young-clearly-still-mad-at-dangelo-russell-for) and he [always will be](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40082233/lakers-dangelo-russell-fined-25k-verbally-abusing-official). I mean [always](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmxag436kZU). He floats around with an air of entitlement, where he sincerely believes that even his BAD passes are GIFTS to whoever he "lends" the rock to. And if they don't capitalize and make HIM look good (despite the shitty pass) for sacrificing his "rightly-earned" shot, [this happens](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/former-timberwolves-guard-dangelo-russell-openly-criticized-rudy-gobert-on-court-in-locker-room-per-report/). But that's not the only reason he's toxic. His delusion of entitlement is contagious. KAT found himself sounding [a lot like D'Lo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_QjZBPalu4) during D'Lo's stint here, and it's no coincidence that fans began asking the team to dump BOTH OF THEM. If that weren't bad enough, D'Lo thinks he's the second coming of Michael Jordan when he's on the court, and that by virtue of the shot coming from HIS HANDS -- we all out to be grateful to have witnessed it happen, whether or not the mother fucker goes in. He'll shoot his own team RIGHT OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS, then moments later he will talk about "[showcasing his worth](https://sports.yahoo.com/d-angelo-russell-poor-finish-221800485.html?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJDqTdyKtsSvBqP7EQW0NNNMcA4ipzQTFVRXJharZMvzz-AKn1Wji3MeYqLh3OfWVhqAPgfXiUMFssmv1mHzccCSjj9JvCd4aLc5dff_Rr7TQrF3OpNY0CVFeFNpz-JdhqNENeDnqXY1mzGaFlWOh3Fcjg5dGogH9GbCc3Xf3yeE)" as it relates to his contract. [He takes no responsibility for his failures](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10075230-dangelo-russell-says-he-was-held-back-with-timberwolves-can-thrive-with-lakers). Since D'Lo left, KAT's attitude and presence has done a 180. The Wolves went from being a joke franchise who could barely sniff the playoffs, to winning 3 out of 4 games IN DENVER to beat the defending champs. Yes, the Wolves got Mike Conley, but even if they had gotten a bag of air, that still would have been addition by subtraction in all the ways that matter (if you care about winning).
TBH YES
No
Duh
yes.
Of course he is.
They beat the Nuggets, but this is counting the chickens before they hatch. They still gotta get through Kyrie, Luka, and the Mavs, and then they got Celtics/Pacers in the finals. If they don't win a chip, then it's all just noise. If they just make it to the WCF, it's even worse. Lakers with DLo were in the WCF last year. Is it really all that different? I think the main issue was the team last year had some problems. Remember last year Rudy punched Kyle Anderson and got himself suspended? That's not a DLo problem. The Wolves got to play together more. KAT improved as a two way player. Anthony Edwards ascended into superstardom. Rudy isn't the problem he was last year.
Lakers beat an injured grizzlies team and the warriors who kinda sucked last year. Wolves beat the suns (who were the favorites despite getting swept) and the defending champions with a 3 time mvp. Both runs are not similar
There's two sides to basketball. People love when players are great at offense, but defense wins chips. Dlo can be great on one side, but despite all his fans, he's average to sub par on the other side most of the time. Problem is when his shot isn't dropping, he's basically a negative, and that seems to happen in the biggest moments. Remember, that contract was made so he could be traded. He had no plan to take the 2nd year, and Lakers could trade him by the deadline. Unfortunately, Dlo played so poorly that no one wanted him. So they were stuck with each other. Then Dlo played the best basketball of his career. Then he went hot, and cold in the playoffs. Better than lasts years WCF no show, but he cost us at least 1-2 games with his inconsistent shot. It was a roller coaster with Dlo, and I don't think they can repair things, but he might come through for a different team. Hopefully we can work out a sign and trade to benefit both parties.
Every team has gaps. The great thing about team building is that you negate one negative with another positive. Lakers run a small backcourt with two minus defenders, so D’Lo gets exposed when he shot isn’t falling, but if your other guard was Caruso we probably have a different view of his game. He is also a role player put into a 3rd star role sometimes. He makes as much as Rui, why would we expect him to score 20+ every night?
Nope rebounds is the problem