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K0BEE 2.0
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 Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 3:28 pm Post subject: |
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| I can't believe everyone is counting out the Lakers despite the fact that there getting a 100% healthy Kobe back and Improved PG depth we are only like 2 solid pieces away from contending for the title. |
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jjww28
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ringfinger
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| Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 3:30 pm Post subject: |
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| K0BEE 2.0 wrote: | | I can't believe everyone is counting out the Lakers despite the fact that there getting a 100% healthy Kobe back and Improved PG depth we are only like 2 solid pieces away from contending for the title. |
Nearly every team is 2 solid pieces away from contending for the title.
You do realize that Kobe is going to be some percentage less than 100 away from what he was pre-injury, right? I mean, that is the only guarantee. |
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petergr
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K0BEE 2.0
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Joined: 17 May 2013
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| Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 3:43 pm Post subject: |
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| No..... the only guarantee I see is that people have this assumption that the Lakers are gonna have another bad season like last year even though we have Improved in some areas. |
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Don Draper
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Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 28464
Location: LA --> Bay Area
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| Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 3:44 pm Post subject: |
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| lakerglory wrote: | SMH @ people overrating the Mavs. Other than OKC, Spurs, Clippers 4-8 spots are up for grabs.
1. OKC
2. Spurs
3. Clippers
4. Portland, Mavs, Rox, Lakers, Memphis, Warriors in no particular order. |
If Dirk keeps up his play then Chandler/Dirk/Ellis/Parsons is a pretty damn good core. Would take it over the Rockets' squad for sure. |
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pio2u
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Joined: 26 Dec 2012
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| Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 3:49 pm Post subject: |
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1. OKC
2. Clippers
3. Spurs
4. Mavs
5. Warriors
6. Houston
7. Blazers
8. Memphis |
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30
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Joined: 20 Feb 2012
Posts: 4985
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| Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 3:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | Kobe Bryant ✔ @kobebryant
12th I see.. |
EDIT: Forgot to include this was last year.
Last edited by 30 on Tue Aug 12, 2014 4:24 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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petergr
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K0BEE 2.0
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Joined: 17 May 2013
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| Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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Peter..... Kobe came back in December when everyone thought he would be back by November.... it probably messed up the team chemistry knowing that the best player on the team came back late then went out for the year with his injury against the Grizzles....
I don't think we are gonna be cursed next year. |
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lakerglory
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Joined: 17 Sep 2008
Posts: 326
Location: San Antonio, TX
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| Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 4:10 pm Post subject: |
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Whatever, even sweeter as the underdog anyway for a change. If the the Lakers overachieve and sneak up on people I will enjoy it twice as much  BSPN and their talking heads will look pretty stupid if the team gets it together and develop chemistry from the start. |
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Dave20
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Joined: 15 Jun 2013
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| Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 4:18 pm Post subject: |
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1.OKC
2. Spurs
3. Clippers
4. Blazers
5. Warriors
6. Rockets
7. Mavs
8. Grizzlies
9. Pelicans
10. Suns
11. Kings
12. Nuggets
13. Lakers
14. Jazz
15. Timberwolves |
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stewjoe
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| Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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| K0BEE 2.0 wrote: | | I can't believe everyone is counting out the Lakers despite the fact that there getting a 100% healthy Kobe back and Improved PG depth we are only like 2 solid pieces away from contending for the title. |
Which two? Lebron and Durant?
We only have one definitive NBA starter on the team (Kobe). Nobody on our team averaged more than 29 minutes a game last year.
Boozer has been a starter, but was on the verge of being replaced by Gibson.
Randle probably should be an NBA starter, but we need to see more than a few summer league games to decide. Ironically, he is probably not going to start.
I like Ed Davis and (the over-paid) Jordan Hill, but together they averaged 36 minutes a game last year.
Lin and Young are very useful as a 3rd guard and scorer off the bench respectively.
The rest are trying to make a name in the league.
It's great to watch Kobe again. But it is not 2005.
As for the rest of the team, my question is--how many Lakers would start on the top teams in the west?
1.OKC (Kobe over R. Jackson. Possibly Hill over Perkins)
2. Spurs (only Kobe over D. Green)
3. Clippers (Kobe over Reddick)
4. Grizzlies (Kobe over Courtney Lee, maybe Young over Tayshaun)
5. Warriors (Not sure anyone would as they like the way Steph and Klay play)
6. Blazers (only Kobe over Mathews)
7. Mavs (Kobe over Monta and possibly Lin over Jameer, but more likely just move Monta to the 1 and play him and Kobe together with Lin off the bench)
8. Rockets (Randle over Jones, and Kobe at the 3 over Ariza)
9. Pelicans (Kobe over Tyreke or E. Gordon)
10. Suns (Kobe at the 3 and maybe Randle over the Morris bros)
11. Nuggets (Kobe over Afflalo)
12. Lakers
13. Kings (Kobe and Randle over Jason Thompson)
14. Jazz (Kobe and maybe Randle over Favors)
15. T Wolves (Kobe, Randle)
We are going to be at a disadvantage at 3-4 positions every night against most of the west. We have arguably the worst center in the west (except perhaps Perkins). We have arguably the worst small forward in the west. We have the second or third worst starting point guard in the west.
Ending up 9-10 range would be quite an achievement this year. |
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K0BEE 2.0
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| Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 8:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Stewjoe - Every team has a disadvantage every night that is why there is coaches in the league to make proper adjustments........ that excuse can be made for every team in the league. |
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ringfinger
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Joined: 08 Oct 2013
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| Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 6:22 am Post subject: |
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| K0BEE 2.0 wrote: | Peter..... Kobe came back in December when everyone thought he would be back by November.... it probably messed up the team chemistry knowing that the best player on the team came back late then went out for the year with his injury against the Grizzles....
I don't think we are gonna be cursed next year. |
To be fair, you thought we'd be 5th in the West last year. We finished almost 3x worse than your projection.
I think the problem with your projections is that you assume best case scenarios that have to occur in order for them to hit.
At best, there is an adjustment period across multiple variables and that's before taking health in to account.
- Kobe has to adjust to a full-time NBA schedule at 36 and hasn't played through one since he was 34.
- We have a number of new players on the team that will need to adjust and no core to carry the load
- We have a rookie that will need to adjust to the NBA landscape
- New coach will need time to adjust to his new players
The teams 1-8 generally brought back the same core and coach, and won't have nearly as many adjustments to make (which take time). And they don't really have question marks around the health of their best player either.
Projections generally need to adjust for the unknown. |
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TheSource666
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Joined: 20 May 2014
Posts: 91
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| Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 6:35 am Post subject: |
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| KobeDunk wrote: | | SGVL1 wrote: | 15 wolves
14 kings
13 jazz
12 lakers
11 nuggets
10 pelicans
9 suns
8 grizzlies
7 rockets
6 mavs
5 blazers
4 clippers
3 warriors
2 spurs
1 thunder |
wow you have the lakers where they finished last year but last year we had 100000 injuries and No Kobe, plus we had D'Antoni and no Randle.... I think you're selling Kobe short, just him healthy is at least an 8th seed. IMO |
It's realistic. The team this year doesn't have Pau Gasol. D'antoni did a great job at maximizing scrub talent with his offensive system, and Kobe might be only a slight net positive based on how bad his defense is / chemistry problems when he comes back.
Kobe prime with Odom prime couldn't get the Lakers an 8th seed every year.
And for the record, I think the Kings will be better than the Lakers. |
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Lukellipsis
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| Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 6:44 am Post subject: |
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my safely loose predictions, lol
top 4 are more certain:
1. Thunder
2. Spurs
3. Blazers
4. Clippers
These 2 will be very close:
5. Warriors
6. Mavs
this group I think could be up for grabs. Injuries, good fortune, and trade deadline deals could be the tipping point for the teams in this group:
7-12. Rockets/Grizzlies/Pelicans/Suns/Lakers/Kings
these teams... meh:
13-15. Nuggets/Timberwolves/Jazz |
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msb212
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| Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 6:49 am Post subject: |
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We're gonna suck.
Every team we play can double Kobe every single play, and we have no one else to take advantage? Boozer? undersized and over the hill. Randle? It's going to take at least a year to get comfortable with NBA speed and timing. Lin? he can drive and kick, but to who?
Don't even bring up Defense
Face it folks, it's not going to be pretty. |
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Jordan-esque
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tlim
Star Player
Joined: 26 Jun 2002
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| Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 7:00 am Post subject: |
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Meh. 9 or 10 is what I think we'd be at unless this group somehow miraculously gels.
1 through 8 are tough to get into in the West. |
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mettaElbow
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| Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 7:04 am Post subject: |
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| if you look at strength of teams, at least on paper it appears so, if kobe plays at a decent level i cann see lakers get 8-10, anything further looks impossible |
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NomisR
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| Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 7:44 am Post subject: |
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| #1 seed |
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yinoma2001
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Joined: 19 Jun 2010
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| Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 7:59 am Post subject: |
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range for me is about 9-12.
_________________
From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals |
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70sdude
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| Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 8:10 am Post subject: |
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| K0BEE 2.0 wrote: | | I can't believe everyone is counting out the Lakers despite the fact that there getting a 100% healthy Kobe back and Improved PG depth we are only like 2 solid pieces away from contending for the title. |
I guess there's just some reasonable, general doubt amongst us regarding a lot of what you assumed to be fact:
"100% healthy Kobe"
There is reason to doubt that he can play an entire season, let alone ever again, at an "All Star" level (the one that's familiar to most Laker fans). Even if one were to agree he's got a good chance of coming back skill-wise and athleticism-wise in form close to that of three seasons ago, let's appreciate he's still three years older than he was. He is proving to be increasing susceptible to old player wear and tear. He is dealing with surgically repaired foot and leg injuries at age 37. He is a perimeter player. He would be the first guard of that age to lead team into the Finals, ever. Hmmm, with the help he has, this is not going to happen any time soon even if he's all-NBA for 82 games.
"Improved PG depth"
I don't see the depth myself, but I see one starting quality NBA point guard, which is a bit improved over that's year's horror show. Is that cause for thinking this team will be strong ? No, but it may be a little stronger.
"Two pieces away from title contention"
Twenty-plus NBA clubs are two pieces away from making strong playoff run at a title. The way it works however is that there is strong competition to acquire two of those rare players which could represent those "two pieces." I sure didn't see the Lakers add that type of player after Dwight left. So our team is more like the bottom of the heap than ever, lacking adequate talent now and unable to land better talent to turn things around. |
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wolfpaclaker
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| Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 8:11 am Post subject: |
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I'm more interested in the fact that the Rockets would fall to 8th, meaning our draft pick would be in the 18-21 range depending on how bad the East is. I'd be quite content with a 19th pick. I'd love a 19th pick and a 4th pick, but our team is too good to be that bad and at the same time it is unlikely we make the playoffs.
I'd guess somewhere along the lines of 9-12 is about right. |
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