I'm sorry but............. The Lakers are a great team and a contender when healthy

[kennethgriffin]

people are blinded by last season and all the injuries. coach firings. coach/player fights. locker room beef

this team got rid of the distractive players ( howard/metta )

if everyone can stay healthy. this is a great team on paper


starters

http://i40.tinypic.com/1268t4j.png


bench

http://i40.tinypic.com/hu3jf7.png




much improved athleticism at SF for the starting linup and bench with young/johnson

thats the one position you aboslutely need to have athletes to keep up with the durants/melos/lebrons of the nba

btw i left off jordan farmar cause hes a joke and won't get a lick of playing time

but other than that. this is a solid team. if clicking and happy they can easly make a run at the western confrence finals

i don't see anyone except maybe sanantonio and houston ( if howard bounces back ) as a threat to this team

okc is busted up. theyre goin in the wrong direction. all you morons thinking this is a year for LA to tank will be shocked when they win 50 games

[Jameerthefear]

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/7141/ohdamnlol.gif

[SpecialQue]

Beautiful. But where's the defense?

Also, Farmar's great.

[kennethgriffin]

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/7141/ohdamnlol.gif

nash injured all year

pau injured all year

kobe misses playoffs

you think theres any real way to tell how this team will be next year?


you guys are really undervaluing the pickups of young/kaman/johnson

those were huge signings that might have saved the season

anything is an upgrade for a cancer locker room distraction in howard. and anything is an upgrade to slow over the hill washed up ron artest. but to get a solid big man who can hit free throws and was an allstar not to long ago is more than i could ask for in kaman. and nick young who when given the shots can average a ton of points

its obvious the lakers are in better shape than people think

[red1]

Im sorry but............... you are a fggt

[SpecialQue]

Their recent signings seem to have been made with scoring and chemistry in mind. They're not going to win shit this year, but they'll be entertaining and sell tickets.

[Lakers2877]

No they're not

[Jameerthefear]

nash injured all year

pau injured all year

kobe misses playoffs

you think theres any real way to tell how this team will be next year?


you guys are really undervaluing the pickups of young/kaman/johnson

those were huge signings that might have saved the season

anything is an upgrade for a cancer locker room distraction in howard. and anything is an upgrade to slow over the hill washed up ron artest. but to get a solid big man who can hit free throws and was an allstar not to long ago is more than i could ask for in kaman. and nick young who when given the shots can average a ton of points

its obvious the lakers are in better shape than people think
Come on dude. Their best bet is the 7th seed, and there's a good chance Nash and Pau will miss games this year too. Plus how do we know how Kobe is going to come back, how the new players are going to fit etc. They have no chance at WCF.

[KyrieTheFuture]

I look forward to this being bumped even though it's obviously a trolling thread

[Trollsmasher]

OP digging his own and Kobe's legacy grave once again:lol

bookmarked

[Lakers2877]

Oh shite. I just realized Kaman was an Allstar. Now that he's playing with Kobe he'll become a top 10 big man of all time lol

[SpecialQue]

Pau Gasol ‏@paugasol 2h

Welcome back to the team Jordan Farmar! Also welcome Wesley Johnson and @NickSwagyPYoung . Let's get ready for a great season. #LakerNation

Pau's pumped! :rockon:

[Lakers2877]

I look forward to this being bumped even though it's obviously a trolling thread
If somebody remembered this thread 6 months from now I'd probably nicely suggest they eat a bullet for breakfast

[kennethgriffin]

its quite possible that the lakers upgraded at 3 positions

kobe will be slightly less effective probably

but when you factor this


pg - nash missed all last season. they upgraded just by nash being healthy
sg - kobe will be about the same when recovered
sf - nick young at this point in his career is better than ron artest
pf - pau was injured all year. they upgraded just by gasol being healthy
c - lost howard. picked up kaman.

[OJ SIMPSON 2.0]

I agree, Lakers win AT LEAST 50 games. No way Kobe's slowing down, Nash will be healthy, Pau will be healthy. Pau will play C on offense and Kaman will be shooting jumpshots as a PF. I don't expect Sacre to play much, Lakers will probably run a 3 man rotation between Pau, Kaman, and Hill. Lakers are offensively unstoppable, they just need to find some kind of defensive identity and they'll be a top team.

[Jameerthefear]

its quite possible that the lakers upgraded at 3 positions

kobe will be slightly less effective probably

but when you factor this


pg - nash missed all last season. they upgraded just by nash being healthy
sg - kobe will be about the same when recovered
sf - nick young at this point in his career is better than ron artest
pf - pau was injured all year. they upgraded just by gasol being healthy
c - lost howard. picked up kaman.
Why are you assuming Nash is going to be healthy? Pau is not getting any younger by the way.

[Xiao Yao You]

When Kobe wins without Phil get back to me.

[chips93]

old players get injured alot

its not bad luck, if you have a team full of thirty year olds, and they are always hurt.

its something you have to account for when building a team

[Lakers2877]

its quite possible that the lakers upgraded at 3 positions

kobe will be slightly less effective probably

but when you factor this


pg - nash missed all last season. they upgraded just by nash being healthy
sg - kobe will be about the same when recovered
sf - nick young at this point in his career is better than ron artest
pf - pau was injured all year. they upgraded just by gasol being healthy
c - lost howard. picked up kaman.
The lakers, if healthy, can be a solid team. I'd say if Kobe comes back ready to go I don't think a 50-32 record would be out of the question. They could put up a fight in the first rd and maybe even pull an upset with the right matchup. But they are not a contender for the nba title. You've gotta play defense to contend for the Larry O'Brien

[kennethgriffin]

I agree, Lakers win AT LEAST 50 games. No way Kobe's slowing down, Nash will be healthy, Pau will be healthy. Pau will play C on offense and Kaman will be shooting jumpshots as a PF. I don't expect Sacre to play much, Lakers will probably run a 3 man rotation between Pau, Kaman, and Hill. Lakers are offensively unstoppable, they just need to find some kind of defensive identity and they'll be a top team.


also get a load of this

with metta and howard gone

every single guy on the team is unselfish and doesnt mind passing up a shot to get a better look

except for their absolute best player ofcourse kobe bean bryant

thats the making of a winner

when you have multiple guys who wanna take every shot when they touch the ball... its never a good thing. when 3 of them are in the starting linup. its a recipe for disaster

lakers got allllllllot better this year

[Lakers2877]

old players get injured alot

its not bad luck, if you have a team full of thirty year olds, and they are always hurt.

its something you have to account for when building a team
Yup

And unfortunately the Laker homer in me and the rest of SoCal conviently forgot about that part before last season lol

[Lakers2877]

When Kobe wins without Phil get back to me.
When Kobe wins without wearing shoes, you let me know

[SpecialQue]

Haven't seen a Lakers team this stacked in years...

[Lakers2877]

also get a load of this

with metta and howard gone

every single guy on the team is unselfish and doesnt mind passing up a shot to get a better look

except for their absolute best player ofcourse kobe bean bryant

thats the making of a winner

when you have multiple guys who wanna take every shot when they touch the ball... its never a good thing. when 3 of them are in the starting linup. its a recipe for disaster

lakers got allllllllot better this year
Without Dwight I do believe there will be a much better, consistent flow to the offense. The problem is, last year the offense wasn't the problem. They were awful, terrible defensively

[KyrieTheFuture]

If somebody remembered this thread 6 months from now I'd probably nicely suggest they eat a bullet for breakfast
People have bumped far less memorable threads and you know this. People ****ing bookmark threads to be bumped later for whatever weird reason. Also, to be on topic, being a year older does not make it more likely you'll be healthy this season

[NASH = BEST]

:oldlol:

I'm not going to lie, I also feel like the Lakers have the potential to be a good team next season.

It could be the Nash-homer in me, but I think this team is currently underrated, and has the potential to surprise us all.

This summer kind of reminds me of that 07' Lakers offseason. If I remember correctly, Kobe had demanded to be traded, and no one, and I mean NO ONE, had any hopes for the Lakers that upcoming season. Many believed (including myself) that even if they managed not to give in to Kobe's trade demands, they would be a first round exit, at best. Then these dudes came out of no where, winning games left and right (even before the Gasol trade), and the rest is history.

Here's to hoping history repeats itself...

:cheers:

[kennethgriffin]

When Kobe wins without Phil get back to me.


kobes never had his own team/ fully healthy roster and no phil before

1996 - shaqs team ( del harris )
1997 - shaqs team ( del harris )
1998 - shaqs team ( del harris )
1999 - shaqs team ( kurt rambis )
2000 - shaqs team ( phil jackson )
2001 - kobe and shaqs team ( phil jackson )
2002 - kobe and shaqs team ( phil jackson )
2003 - kobe and shaqs team ( phil jackson )
2004 - kobe and shaqs team ( phil jackson )
2005 - kobes team ( rudy T / frank hamblin ) * fully injured roster ( kobe/odom)
2006 - kobes team ( phil jackson )
2007 - kobes team ( phil jackson )
2008 - kobes team ( phil jackson )
2009 - kobes team ( phil jackson )
2010 - kobes team ( phil jackson )
2011 - kobes team ( phil jackson )
2012 - kobes team ( mike brown ) * fully injured roster ( kobe/pau )
2013 - kobes team ( mike d'antoni ) * fully injured roster ( nash/kobe/pau/howard )



so kobes only had his own team without phil for 3 out of 17 years. all of them in rebuilding years with injuries


big deal.

[Heavincent]

Not a contender, but they'll be better than they were last year.

[chips93]

:oldlol:

I'm not going to lie, I also feel like the Lakers have the potential to be a good team next season.

It could be the Nash-homer in me, but I think this team is currently underrated, and has the potential to surprise us all.

This summer kind of reminds me of that 07' Lakers offseason. If I remember correctly, Kobe had demanded to be traded, and no one, and I mean NO ONE, had any hopes for the Lakers that upcoming season. Many believed (including myself) that even if they managed not to give in to Kobe's trade demands, they would be a first round exit, at best. Then these dudes came out of no where, winning games left and right (even before the Gasol trade), and the rest is history.

Here's to hoping history repeats itself...

:cheers:

thats what i though last year, that despite there being a lot of guys who were all gonna wanna shoot a lot, nash would be able to make it work. that hes one of the smartest, most unselfish players in the league, and he would figure it out, but he/they never quite did

so im not sure what is gonna be any different next year.

[Fresh Kid]

Im sorry but............... you are a fggt
You got some nerve.

[ballup]

I figured out how to be a common bad Lakers fan:

Player X goes to Lakers, treat him like he's going to put the Lakers over the top
Player X doesn't do so well, demand his blood and his first born
If Player X stays in the next season, Player X's image is salvaged and you tell yourself that he will be solid, but you ignore all other possibilities
If Player X leaves in the next season, bash him and call him a scrub

[kennethgriffin]

Without Dwight I do believe there will be a much better, consistent flow to the offense. The problem is, last year the offense wasn't the problem. They were awful, terrible defensively

they were the worst free throw shooting team in the league with guys like metta/howard on the team. and they were contagious

now all skilled sharp shooters even at the center and power forward spots. theyel go from dead last to maybe top 10 in free throw shooting


that and 2 of the 3 best free throw shooters on this team ( nash/blake ) will finally be playing

the line hurt us more than most people know. the field goal percentages/fast pace ppg disguised it

[Lakers2877]

:oldlol:

I'm not going to lie, I also feel like the Lakers have the potential to be a good team next season.

It could be the Nash-homer in me, but I think this team is currently underrated, and has the potential to surprise us all.

This summer kind of reminds me of that 07' Lakers offseason. If I remember correctly, Kobe had demanded to be traded, and no one, and I mean NO ONE, had any hopes for the Lakers that upcoming season. Many believed (including myself) that even if they managed not to give in to Kobe's trade demands, they would be a first round exit, at best. Then these dudes came out of no where, winning games left and right (even before the Gasol trade), and the rest is history.

Here's to hoping history repeats itself...

:cheers:
I like your optimism but that was '08

[brownmamba00]

young sushi gonna drop 20 ppg this year yall just watch:pimp:

[DMV2]

Not a contender, but they'll be better than they were last year.
You know they were a 7th seed playoff team last season in spite of all their struggles. If they'll be better than last year like you say they are then they'll be at least #5 or #6 seed team? :oldlol:

They'd be lucky as fk to make it in the playoffs this upcoming season.

[Lakers2877]

I figured out how to be a common bad Lakers fan:

Player X goes to Lakers, treat him like he's going to put the Lakers over the top
Player X doesn't do so well, demand his blood and his first born
If Player X stays in the next season, Player X's image is salvaged and you tell yourself that he will be solid, but you ignore all other possibilities
If Player X leaves in the next season, bash him and call him a scrub
And that's different from the majority of succesful franchises in sports how exactly?

[NASH = BEST]

thats what i though last year, that despite there being a lot of guys who were all gonna wanna shoot a lot, nash would be able to make it work. that hes one of the smartest, most unselfish players in the league, and he would figure it out, but he/they never quite did

so im not sure what is gonna be any different next year.

Injuries :confusedshrug:

Not sure what the stat was last season, but the starting line up never logged in heavy minutes together. Due to injuries, the team never had a good chance to build good chemistry. There were moments where it seemed like things were getting better, and then a new injury would occur.

The whole Howard situation was a major distraction also. When Dwight was out, and Pau was starting at center, the team seemed to be getting on a roll. When Pau went out, I was like "Sh!t, this team is snake-bitten!". I think there a better team next season with Pau instead of Howard.

Ultimately, I agree with the premise of OP.

IF healthy, the Lakers have potential to be contenders.

[Lakers2877]

You know they were a 7th seed playoff team last season in spite of all their struggles. If they'll be better than last year like you say they are then they'll be at least #5 or #6 seed team? :oldlol:

They'd be lucky as fk to make it in the playoffs this upcoming season.
Lucky to make the playoffs? That's kind of silly. Last year they were completely ravaged by injuries

[TylerOO]

I agree. No excuses for Kobe this year

[TheReal Kendall]

http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/MorganFreeman-bobbing.gif

[kennethgriffin]

young sushi gonna drop 20 ppg this year yall just watch:pimp:


i'l say this

pg - nash - 12/3/8
sg - kobe - 26/6/5
sf - young - 13/4/2
pf - pau - 19/10/3
c - kaman - 11/8/2

bench - 19ppg ( 100 ppg as a team )

[TheReal Kendall]

i'l say this

pg - nash - 12/3/8
sg - kobe - 26/6/5
sf - young - 13/4/2
pf - pau - 19/10/3
c - kaman - 11/8/2

bench - 19ppg ( 100 ppg as a team )


GIVE IT A REST BRO!

[DMV2]

Lucky to make the playoffs? That's kind of silly. Last year they were completely ravaged by injuries
Healthy Lakers will just reduce opponents 60 points at halftime to maybe 50 but will still be getting L's at the end of the game.

There's a reason why they were plagued with injuries last year, they're an OLD ASS team.

[kennethgriffin]

GIVE IT A REST BRO!


you disagree with my predictions?

[TheReal Kendall]

you disagree with my predictions?

OF COURSE I DISAGREE. LAKERS WON'T MAKE PLAYOFFS

[red1]

You got some nerve.
son, why are you following me around?

[ballup]

And that's different from the majority of succesful franchises in sports how exactly?
I haven't seen such delusion about simple role players of any other NBA franchise than the Lakers. Some Knicks fans come 2nd, but still far behind those Laker fans.

[ispin69]

They get more delusional every year.

[Fresh Kid]

son, why are you following me around?
Im not your son, you are my son.

[DirkNowitzki41]

kaman is god awful. have fun with him

kobe/kaman/nick young - all 3 blackholes on the same team. :oldlol:

[red1]

Im not your son, you are my son.
:facepalm

[kennethgriffin]

kaman is god awful. have fun with him

kobe/kaman/nick young - all 3 blackholes on the same team. :oldlol:


kamans per 36min stats last year on YOUR dallas mavericks

18.3ppg, 9.8 rpg, 1.4 blks, .507 fg%, .788 ft%

god awful?

its just cause he was on your sh*ty mavs. everyone looks god awful when you play for a god awful franchise :lol

[Young X]

Nash is getting underrated, he was one of the best PG's in 2012 and one of the best offensive players, if he doesn't get injured again I don't see why can't play at that same level - his game doesn't rely on athleticism at all. Kobe is Kobe. Offense is not the problem tho. DEFENSE is.

Old ass Nash
Old ass Kobe (coming off injury)
No Metta
Pau - slowest player in the league
Kaman - slow whiteboy

They have the potential to be one of the worst defenses of all time.

[kennethgriffin]

Nash is getting underrated, he was one of the best PG's in 2012 and one of the best offensive players, if he doesn't get injured again I don't see why can't play at that same level - his game doesn't rely on athleticism at all. Kobe is Kobe. Offense is not the problem tho. DEFENSE is.

Old ass Nash
Old ass Kobe (coming off injury)
No Metta
Pau - slowest player in the league
Caman - slow whiteboy

The Lakers have the potential to be one of the worst defenses of all time.


old ass nash was an old ass allstar a year ago
old ass kobe was an old ass 1st team all nba player this year
no metta.... but nick young is better than metta
pau - slowest player in the league and an allstar a year ago
kaman - per 36 stats are as solid as some top 10 bigs in the nba

[Young X]

old ass nash was an old ass allstar a year ago
old ass kobe was an old ass 1st team all nba player this year
no metta.... but nick young is better than metta
pau - slowest player in the league and an allstar a year ago
kaman - per 36 stats are as solid as some top 10 bigs in the nba
You're missing the point, offense is not the problem. Defense is the problem. Do you realize how horrific the Lakers were defensively when Dwight was on the bench last season?

Then you take away Dwight and Metta - the only 2 good defenders on the team, add a slow 7 footer, add no athleticism, Mike Antoni, 40 year old Nash (never been a good defender), 35 year old injured Kobe = historically bad defense.

[kennethgriffin]

You're missing the point, offense is not the problem. Defense is the problem. Do you realize how horrific the Lakers were defensively when Dwight was on the bench last season?

Then you take away Dwight and Metta - the only 2 good defenders on the team, add a slow 7 footer, add no athleticism, Mike Antoni, 40 year old Nash (never been a good defender), 35 year old injured Kobe = historically bad defense.


defense is all hustle. not much more than that. i think this years lakers will have that hunger/chemistry and a few fresher legs with johnson/young at sf

kobes still good at defense btw. he was slow the first part of 2012-13. but bounced back after the allstar game

[Lebron23]

If only their core players were 4-5 years younger. Lakers, Blazers and Mavericks are battling for the 8th seed.

[LosScandalous]

A D'antoni designed roster.

I wish we still could of dumped off that useless chucking piece of shit on the court, Jodie Meeks for a real shooter

It's championship or bust every single year for the Lakers organization but saying this time is a 5+ seed is a long shot, so many thing would have to happen right.

first of them being healthy Kobe, 2nd they actually play defense, and 3rd Nash, Wes, Jodie, Young, Blake all turn out to be healthy, lights out shooters (Nash is always a sure thing but the rest are not)

I'm optimistic though and I support the direction the team is going towards though :rockon:

[Carbine]

One of the worst defensive back courts in the league.

One of the slowest and worst defensive front courts in the league.

= a great team on paper??????

[livingby3's]

If im not wrong the Lakers are at the bottom 10 teams in opponents ppg last season, and that's with Metta and Dwight through various point of the season.
like other posters mentioned, the Lakers have MDA as the coach, probably the oldest and one of the worst defensive backcourt in the league, having Kaman defending the paint instead of Dwight, all of that in this guards driven league, it's not looking good.

[kennethgriffin]

If im not wrong the Lakers are at the bottom 10 teams in opponents ppg last season, and that's with Metta and Dwight through various point of the season.
like other posters mentioned, the Lakers have MDA as the coach, probably the oldest and one of the worst defensive backcourt in the league, having Kaman defending the paint instead of Dwight, all of that in this guards driven league, it's not looking good.



yet the lakers will still have a better record than last year


i'l bet my avatar on it

if the lakers don't have a better record i'l change it to whatever you want. if they're a worse team next year you have to change it to whatever i want

[Lamar Odumbb]

They are 1 trade from being a legit contender. If they can somehow trade Blake and Wesley Johnson for Trevor Ariza and then sign Odom, then they are gonna be a tough out for the top 4 seeds.

[dbk123]

tbh i think this team will have better chemistry than last year. Nash pau kobe play well together.

[kennethgriffin]

tbh i think this team will have better chemistry than last year. Nash pau kobe play well together.


all i'm gonna say is... addition by subtraction


they could have just waived howard and metta. not added anyone. and been better


the fact that they got young, johnson and kaman blew me away. i was surprised they all took pay cuts to come here.

[GrapeApe]

Their defense will be abysmal. Unspeakably bad. Plus, it seems like a lot of Laker fans are in denial about Kobe. He'll be 35 coming off a major injury. It's unlikely he'll be anywhere near the same player once he returns.

[ShaqAttack3234]

A healthy Laker team could maybe get a lower seed and be out in the 1st round, but there's a good chance this simply isn't a playoff team. You can almost be sure that their defense will be terrible.

Given their age and recent injuries, good health is unlikely. Who expects a 40 year old point who was injured most of last season to stay healthy? Listing Nash's 2012 all-star selection doesn't mean anything. He no longer has a team built to his strengths and is no longer the centerpiece, plus he no longer gives you enough offense to make up for his defense, and his defense has gone from bad to worse.

Pau is 33, was also injured last season and hasn't played like an elite big man in 2 seasons. It's nice that he got an all-nba second team selection in 2011, but he's not that player anymore.

Same with Kaman's all-star selection. Since that 2010 season, he's missed a significant amount of games each year, and been on 3 different teams that all missed the playoffs. Besides, I think he's set to be the back up center.

Kobe is the only player I can see living up to the accolades listed in the OP, but at 35 coming off such a serious injury, even he's far from a sure thing. You can't count him out, and it wouldn't surprise me one bit if he averages 25 ppg, but truthfully, we don't know when he'll be ready to play yet or what level he'll be able to play at.

And then there's Pringles coaching the team. There's not much of a chance this team contends in the West. Playoffs are possible, but nobody thinks they're a serious threat to come out of the West. There's a reason the Lakers are looking towards the 2014 offseason.

[kennethgriffin]

Their defense will be abysmal. Unspeakably bad. Plus, it seems like a lot of Laker fans are in denial about Kobe. He'll be 35 coming off a major injury. It's unlikely he'll be anywhere near the same player once he returns.


non laker fans are the ones in denial about kobe. every year you guys predict hes gonna average 22-23ppg on 40% shooting and fall out of 1st team honors

every single god damn year for the last half decade

you people are clueless on hard work, dedication, inovative rehab, science and unlimited resources. hes not an average man who rehabs on his spare time. every waking moment of the day is spent training. you think he wants to give up 30 mill a season? he'l average 25/5/5+ next year. i'l bet my life on it. and if fully healthy i say he drops 28-29 a game


and on good percentages

[SpecialQue]

The Lakers = http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9vHmf2JVdig/TYbFL0XdnPI/AAAAAAAAOi4/sgN_Vgk44ko/s400/The%2BPerfect%2BBreakfast003.jpg

[kennethgriffin]

A healthy Laker team could maybe get a lower seed and be out in the 1st round, but there's a good chance this simply isn't a playoff team. You can almost be sure that their defense will be terrible.

Given their age and recent injuries, good health is unlikely. Who expects a 40 year old point who was injured most of last season to stay healthy? Listing Nash's 2012 all-star selection doesn't mean anything. He no longer has a team built to his strengths and is no longer the centerpiece, plus he no longer gives you enough offense to make up for his defense, and his defense has gone from bad to worse.

Pau is 33, was also injured last season and hasn't played like an elite big man in 2 seasons. It's nice that he got an all-nba second team selection in 2011, but he's not that player anymore.

Same with Kaman's all-star selection. Since that 2010 season, he's missed a significant amount of games each year, and been on 3 different teams that all missed the playoffs. Besides, I think he's set to be the back up center.

Kobe is the only player I can see living up to the accolades listed in the OP, but at 35 coming off such a serious injury, even he's far from a sure thing. You can't count him out, and it wouldn't surprise me one bit if he averages 25 ppg, but truthfully, we don't know when he'll be ready to play yet or what level he'll be able to play at.

And then there's Pringles coaching the team. There's not much of a chance this team contends in the West. Playoffs are possible, but nobody thinks they're a serious threat to come out of the West. There's a reason the Lakers are looking towards the 2014 offseason.


you assuming all of the worst possible outcomes is no different than me assuming all of the best possible outcomes

in reality i'm sure there will be set backs next season. but not even half as many as last year. theyel have a better record

mettas defense was trash last year and howard gambled and had no timing either on d... they were coasting on rep. the whole team barely defended. they all were lazy on d... i say the less big names you have the more hustle you give. i think this team will take pride this year in giving 100% on defense

[KG215]

Troll thread successful...5 pages and counting.

Good job Griff.

[GrapeApe]

non laker fans are the ones in denial about kobe. every year you guys predict hes gonna average 22-23ppg on 40% shooting and fall out of 1st team honors

every single god damn year for the last half decade

you people are clueless on hard work, dedication, inovative rehab, science and unlimited resources. hes not an average man who rehabs on his spare time. every waking moment of the day is spent training. you think he wants to give up 30 mill a season? he'l average 25/5/5+ next year. i'l bet my life on it. and if fully healthy i say he drops 28-29 a game


and on good percentages

Listen, I like Kobe and I hope he returns to form and has a successful comeback. I'm just being realistic. I know he works hard and has great medical/rehab resources but he's still human. Father time is usually unkind to athletes with a serious injury at Kobe's age.

[SpecialQue]

Troll thread successful...5 pages and counting.

Good job Griff.

They may not be contenders, but I do think this Laker team is a lot better ON PAPER than people are giving it credit for. I'm optimistic. I'll even do an avy bet that they'll be in the playoffs.

[KG215]

They may not be contenders, but I do think this Laker team is a lot better ON PAPER than people are giving it credit for. I'm optimistic. I'll even do an avy bet that they'll be in the playoffs.
I agree. I think the 7 and 8 spots are pretty wide-open (OKC, Spurs, Clippers, Grizz, Rockets, Warriors will finish 1-6 in some order) and the Lakers are one of the teams that can challenge for either spot. But Griff is trying to selling them as contenders and I don't see that being a possibility.

[#number6ix#]

Good offensive pieces but that's only half of the game...when the playoffs roll around its all about multiple stops

[kennethgriffin]

Listen, I like Kobe and I hope he returns to form and has a successful comeback. I'm just being realistic. I know he works hard and has great medical/rehab resources but he's still human. Father time is usually unkind to athletes with a serious injury at Kobe's age.


there's never been another kobe type player whos gone down with this kind of injury though. you can count on one hand how many people work as hard as this guy and who have the same drive inside them

the average mans spirit is broken

even a good/great player will give in most of the time

but when you have as much riding on your recovery as kobe does. you do 8-10 hour rehab days instead of 3-4. you do more research and homework. hire more staff. and are open to more innovative therapy


kobe has the all time scoring record, a sixth championship, 30 million dollars, and a bunch of critics to prove wrong

give him just 1 of those reasons to come back strong and he'd do it. all 4 reasons combined and i'l bet he makes a full recovery by the 2nd week of the season at the latest

[kennethgriffin]

I agree. I think the 7 and 8 spots are pretty wide-open (OKC, Spurs, Clippers, Grizz, Rockets, Warriors will finish 1-6 in some order) and the Lakers are one of the teams that can challenge for either spot. But Griff is trying to selling them as contenders and I don't see that being a possibility.


injured top to bottom they were a 7th seed

fully healthy theyre a 7th seed?

common man. howard wasnt that much of a difference maker. he was a distraction and a cancer more than he helped this team

nick youngs better than metta

i dont see it

[talkingconch]

Lakers are definitely more athletic now at the expense of defense though.

No one will ever know how that team could have done last season.

[ShaqAttack3234]

you assuming all of the worst possible outcomes is no different than me assuming all of the best possible outcomes

Not really, I'm just guessing that old players who have showed significant declines already won't all of a sudden turn back the clock. It usually doesn't happen that way, particularly at 40 like Nash. I've also watched enough basketball to know that when players are well into their 30s and already missing a lot of games due to injuries, it's likely that will continue. It's just a part of aging.

As for Kobe, I'm not making an assumption either way. As I said, wouldn't surprise me if he comes back strong and averages 25, but it also wouldn't surprise me if he shows a significant decline.


in reality i'm sure there will be set backs next season. but not even half as many as last year. theyel have a better record

A better record is possible for best case scenario, I mean they only went 45-37 last season and won't have the same distractions, but I also wouldn't bet on a better record than last season. I don't see this as a 50 win team.


mettas defense was trash last year and howard gambled and had no timing either on d... they were coasting on rep. the whole team barely defended. they all were lazy on d... i say the less big names you have the more hustle you give. i think this team will take pride this year in giving 100% on defense

A D'Antoni team giving 100% defensively is not likely. Even when Pringles had contending teams in Phoenix that wasn't the case. Besides, the Lakers just don't have good defenders. When you don't have a good defensive coach or the personnel, chances are you're going to be bad defensively.

[KG215]

injured top to bottom they were a 7th seed

fully healthy theyre a 7th seed?

common man. howard wasnt that much of a difference maker. he was a distraction and a cancer more than he helped this team

nick youngs better than metta

i dont see it
And the 6th and 8th seeds from last year got better and will be at least 3-5 games better than they were last year. I think all of those 6 teams (OKC, SAS, LAC, MEM, GSW, HOU) will win 50+ games. I don't think the Lakers are a 50 win team.

So yes, fully healthy they're a 7th seed, and they're certainly not a contender.

[kennethgriffin]

And the 6th and 8th seeds from last year got better and will be at least 3-5 games better than they were last year. I think all of those 6 teams (OKC, SAS, LAC, MEM, GSW, HOU) will win 50+ games. I don't think the Lakers are a 50 win team.

So yes, fully healthy they're a 7th seed, and they're certainly not a contender.


i got it like this

#1 SAS 60 wins
#2 OKC 59 wins
#3 MEM 56 wins
#4 LAC 55 wins
#5 HOU 54 wins
#6 LAL 52 wins
#7 GSW 50 wins
#8 DEN 49 wins

[KG215]

i got it like this

#1 SAS 60 wins
#2 OKC 59 wins
#3 MEM 56 wins
#4 LAC 55 wins
#5 HOU 54 wins
#6 LAL 52 wins
#7 GSW 50 wins
#8 DEN 49 wins
:oldlol:

Ok, so a 52 win 6th place team is a great team and a contender?

[TheReal Kendall]

They may not be contenders, but I do think this Laker team is a lot better ON PAPER than people are giving it credit for. I'm optimistic. I'll even do an avy bet that they'll be in the playoffs.

Bro I thought we wasn't responding to trolls?:facepalm

[kennethgriffin]

:oldlol:

Ok, so a 52 win 6th place team is a great team and a contender?


i said when healthy. i'm predicting 52 wins cause i think theyel have some set backs


if kobe/pau/nash are all healthy come playoff time. theyel be better than their record shows

if they all played the entire season fully healthy with lots of minutes each. they could be a 58-59 win team easy

but they wouldnt make it. they have to play a sanantonio style save their best for last type season

[SpecialQue]

Bro I thought we wasn't responding to trolls?:facepalm

:(

[Goldrush25]

They didn't upgrade at coach or owner.

As long as you have Antoni (no D) and that imbecile Jim Buss, they will sabotage any semblance of a competitive team the Lakers could field. Sorry. Even Kobe isn't enough to overcome that.

[Lateralus]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jILCWwzyIEY

[Nets fan 93]

Kaman and gasol in dantoni's system.... Thats all...

[LakersDaBEst]

i got it like this

#1 SAS 60 wins
#2 OKC 59 wins
#3 MEM 56 wins
#4 LAC 55 wins
#5 HOU 54 wins
#6 LAL 52 wins
#7 GSW 50 wins
#8 DEN 49 wins

those wins... kidding me right?

[SpurrDurr]

LAL might even land a fortunate 8th seed, Utah is out of the equation so they ll have to battle against Dallas, Portland and Wolves, so i'd say it's pretty open.

Contender? Hell no. Tanking? You won't, so no future star getting to LA.
2014 FA? Just a dream.

Difficult times ahead for you guys.

[Nashty]

They will be contenders if Kobe doesn't come back. Nash running the show with Meeks, Young, Gasol and Kaman will be great, but Kobe will ruin the team chemistry with chucking his way to all-time leading scorer.

[chazzy]

They will be contenders if Kobe doesn't come back. Nash running the show with Meeks, Young, Gasol and Kaman will be great, but Kobe will ruin the team chemistry with chucking his way to all-time leading scorer.
Sorry for bad english and bad posts

[Nashty]

Sorry for bad english and bad posts

You are retarded :cheers:

[YAWN]

if Kobe comes back like he was last year this is a 50 win team.

Addition by subtraction with Howard leaving. Gonna love not having to witness hack a shaq momentum killing bricks from the free throw line every 4th quarter.

[senelcoolidge]

:facepalm this lakers team is not a 50 win team. this just shows how sad and delusional laker fans are. it's pretty pathetic. the lakers will be fighting for the last spot in the playoffs.

[BlazerRed]

much improved athleticism at SF for the starting linup and bench with young/johnson

thats the one position you aboslutely need to have athletes to keep up with the durants/melos/lebrons of the nba



:biggums: :biggums: :biggums: Young keeping up with Durant/Melo/Lebron?! :roll:

[Unbiased_one]

kobes still good at defense btw. he was slow the first part of 2012-13. but bounced back after the allstar game

You can't be good at defense if you don't play it.

[sportjames23]

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/7141/ohdamnlol.gif


:roll: :roll: :roll:

[deja vu]

I'll give the Lakers a 50-50 chance to make the playoffs. :lol

[SwayDizzle]

if Kobe comes back like he was last year this is a 50 win team.

Addition by subtraction with Howard leaving. Gonna love not having to witness hack a shaq momentum killing bricks from the free throw line every 4th quarter.
You said it! I was getting so sick of those bricks. Those hack a Howard plays completely killed the flow of the game. Good riddance to Howard. I feel blessed as a Laker fan.

[qrich]

50 wins for the Lakers?

That means San Antonio, OKC and the Clippers all will win 68 games, splitting the head to head with one another, causing the 4 losses. Maybe 67 if they split with Miami,

[Wally450]

i got it like this

#1 SAS 60 wins
#2 OKC 59 wins
#3 MEM 56 wins
#4 LAC 55 wins
#5 HOU 54 wins
#6 LAL 52 wins
#7 GSW 50 wins
#8 DEN 49 wins


Can all those wins even add up to the losses that there will be?

That would mean the bottom of the West and most of the East would really suck. Worse than years past.

[Doranku]

Can all those wins even add up to the losses that there will be?

That would mean the bottom of the West and most of the East would really suck. Worse than years past.

Something very similar happened in '08 I believe. Lakers were #1 at 57 wins, and I believe the 8 seed had 50 wins.

[ShaqAttack3234]

i got it like this

#1 SAS 60 wins
#2 OKC 59 wins
#3 MEM 56 wins
#4 LAC 55 wins
#5 HOU 54 wins
#6 LAL 52 wins
#7 GSW 50 wins
#8 DEN 49 wins

There are 6 teams that I expect to be significantly better than the Lakers, and they are Thunder, Spurs, Clippers, Grizzlies, Rockets and Warriors. OKC, San Antonio and Memphis should be roughly the same as they were last year with the one question being the coaching change in Memphis. The Clippers should be better(though I suspect their improvement may show more in the playoffs and big picture than in their regular season record), the Rockets should be significantly better and the Warriors should be better.

I don't expect Denver to be as good as last year after losing Igoudala and because Gallo probably won't be back until midseason at the earliest and they have a coaching change as well. But they still may be better than the Lakers though after the top 6, the dropoff seems to be significant in the West. But the top 6 should be ridiculously competitive.

[funnystuff]

Kobe is going to write up some other "injury" so he doesnt have to take blame in missing the playoffs/first round loss.

Typical Egomaniac.

[KG215]

Can all those wins even add up to the losses that there will be?

That would mean the bottom of the West and most of the East would really suck. Worse than years past.
Yes, and here's some recent examples:

2010: 50-32 (all but one WC finished with 25+ wins)
2009: 48-34
2008: 50-32 (every team in WC won 20+ games)

That's the record of the 8th seed in the West those years.

[Crown&Coke]

the Lakers forget to play defense for months at a time. That aint the sign of a "great" team

and Kurt Rambis aint the answer. He isn't going to be able to go in there and knock a pg's head off when he is dancing into the lane at will for 10 consecutive possessions.