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

[QUOTE=brownmamba00]young sushi gonna drop 20 ppg this year yall just watch:pimp:[/QUOTE]


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 )

[QUOTE=kennethgriffin]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 )[/QUOTE]


[B][SIZE="6"]GIVE IT A REST BRO![/SIZE][/B]

[QUOTE=Lakers2877]Lucky to make the playoffs? That's kind of silly. Last year they were completely ravaged by injuries[/QUOTE]
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.

[QUOTE=TheReal Kendall][B][SIZE="6"]GIVE IT A REST BRO![/SIZE][/B][/QUOTE]


you disagree with my predictions?

[QUOTE=kennethgriffin]you disagree with my predictions?[/QUOTE]

[B][SIZE="6"]OF COURSE I DISAGREE. LAKERS WON'T MAKE PLAYOFFS[/SIZE][/B]

[QUOTE=Fresh Kid]You got some nerve.[/QUOTE]
son, why are you following me around?

[QUOTE=Lakers2877]And that's different from the majority of succesful franchises in sports how exactly?[/QUOTE]
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.

They get more delusional every year.

[QUOTE=red1]son, why are you following me around?[/QUOTE]
Im not your son, you are my son.

kaman is god awful. have fun with him

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

[QUOTE=Fresh Kid]Im not your son, you are my son.[/QUOTE]
:facepalm

[QUOTE=DirkNowitzki41]kaman is god awful. have fun with him

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


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

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.

[QUOTE=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
Caman - slow whiteboy

The Lakers have the potential to be one of the worst defenses of all time.[/QUOTE]


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

[QUOTE=kennethgriffin]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[/QUOTE]
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.

[QUOTE=Young X]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.[/QUOTE]


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

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

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:

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??????

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.

[QUOTE=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.[/QUOTE]



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

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.

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

[QUOTE=dbk123]tbh i think this team will have better chemistry than last year. Nash pau kobe play well together.[/QUOTE]


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.

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.

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.

[QUOTE=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.[/QUOTE]


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

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

[QUOTE=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.[/QUOTE]


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

Troll thread successful...5 pages and counting.

Good job Griff.

[QUOTE=kennethgriffin]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[/QUOTE]

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.

[QUOTE=KG215]Troll thread successful...5 pages and counting.

Good job Griff.[/QUOTE]

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.

[QUOTE=SpecialQue]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.[/QUOTE]
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.

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

[QUOTE=GrapeApe]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.[/QUOTE]


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

[QUOTE=KG215]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.[/QUOTE]


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

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.

[QUOTE=kennethgriffin]you assuming all of the worst possible outcomes is no different than me assuming all of the best possible outcomes[/QUOTE]

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.

[QUOTE]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[/QUOTE]

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.

[QUOTE]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[/QUOTE]

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.

[QUOTE=kennethgriffin]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[/QUOTE]
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.

[QUOTE=KG215]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.[/QUOTE]


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