ESPN Projects Lakers to finish 14th of 15th in the West

[dcarter4kobe]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13431835/2015-summer-forecast-west-standings

Projected record of 26 wins. The last couple years, ESPN projected similar finishes and we all for the most part thought they were crazy. With the west being so loaded this year, I understand the projection this year

Only team picked to finish under the Lakers is the Timberwolves but I think they will actually be respectable this year. I believe the race to the bottom of the west will between the Blazers, Lakers and Nuggets.

Only teams in the East projected to finish with less wins is the Sixers and Knicks (who I think will actually challenge for a playoff spot

Here's to hoping to the ping pong balls landing our way
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"He's a Zen master, so he can speak to you, and he doesn't need a microphone; you can hear him in your head, 'Ron, don't shoot, don't shoot.' Whatever, pow, three. I love the Zen, though."

[yinoma2001]

Ugh. They've been on the mark the last few years, so I'm going to give them a bit of the benefit of the doubt. But I think (hope) the team gets over 30 wins. Still that may only be 12-13 range.
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From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals

[Jim99187]

Dallas is going to win 41 games? based on what?

Parson's coming from a severe knee injury
Wes Matthews coming from torn ACL. if kobe couldnt do it i doubt Wes Matthews does it
Nowitzki got much older.

they lost: Chandler, Monta, Aminu

lol

[Omar Little]

[yinoma2001]

[greenfrog]

Generous again, I had them at 25.

That's not the worst case scenario either. If they get off to a bad start and the personal agendas and youthful selfishness come to the forefront it can be 20 or 21.

[dcarter4kobe]

The Lakers had a 28% winning % in the 35 games Kobe played last year. That would be about 23 wins over the course of the year

I say the bottom 4 in the NBA next season will be the Lakers, Blazers, Nuggets, and of course sixers
_________________
"He's a Zen master, so he can speak to you, and he doesn't need a microphone; you can hear him in your head, 'Ron, don't shoot, don't shoot.' Whatever, pow, three. I love the Zen, though."

[Four Decade Bandwagon]

I am going with unrealistically optimistic until the Lakers prove me wrong.

I look at those projections and see the speculation that 41 wins earns the 8th seed. Lakers "only" have to improve by 20 wins to get in.

[lukewaltonsdad]

35 wins is my estimate. Reading Pincus' tweets the other day he said he thinks the team is barely a .500 team. I'd take that all day long.

[activeverb]

Well, our success depends on a 36-year-old player coming back into form after 2 injury-riddled seasons; a lazy headcase at center showing he still cares; and a bunch of untested rookies. It's probably reasonable to amuse more could go wrong than could go right.

[yinoma2001]

If I had to guess, I'm at the 25 to 35 wins pocket. That's probably good for 12-13th at best.
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From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals

[dcarter4kobe]

I also find it kind of scary that so few updates are coming from Kobe's rehab. A lot of people are just penciling him for starting night as if he's not currently recovering from shoulder surgery that was suppose to hold him out for 9 months from January 28th.

9 months from 1/28 is right on opening day I believe.
_________________
"He's a Zen master, so he can speak to you, and he doesn't need a microphone; you can hear him in your head, 'Ron, don't shoot, don't shoot.' Whatever, pow, three. I love the Zen, though."

[70sdude]

I think the Laker record next May will reveal them to be one of the five or six worst teams in the West again (under 40 wins), and that's barely a sneeze from what ESPN projects.

The team will be better than last year, marginally. It's one step forward.

[greenfrog]

[VanderBlue'sJersey]

[Jim99187]

hibbert alone will add 5more wins to the lakers by his defense.

rest depends on how many games kobe plays and what contributions we randle/russell/lou and n young

all our trash from last yr is gone

[Don Draper]

Whatever. It's dumb to expect much in the rookie year of our top pick, just look at Durant/Westbrook. I just hope we see progress.

[yinoma2001]

As AV said, it hinges on Kobe, the growth of our young players, and Hibbert.

I like the Hibbert/Lou/Bass signings b/c they will help during our young core's growing pains.
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From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals

[22]

I stopped caring what ESPN think about bball long ago... LC is pretty much their only dude I trust

[Omar Little]

[Lakers_Jester]

I'm optimistic on this one, as a competitor I always try to see where we can overachieve but i realive im not realistic here. 8th seed I think is possible if things go very right. Byron while a meh coach, actually might let the guards do what they please since that's usually what byron does, stay out of the way of the lead guards. Hopefully this allows rusell and clarkson to grow quickly and impress. Hibbert alone will drastically Improve our defense. Our bench I think is underrated, we actually have depth. 2 legit 6th men, and solid shooters and roleplayers. Even a guy like jabari brown can go off on any given night.

If byron can be a leader of men and stays out of the X's and os stuff, letting the creators figure it out (since we have so many) I hope we can surprise.

[2019]

[yinoma2001]

[Gimme_the_rock]

A lot has to go wrong for that to happen. Then again, that pretty much explains the past few Laker seasons.
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We back.

[DoubleClutch]

No Way!!

We are going to at least make the 13th spot!!

Stupid BSPN....
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“This goes far beyond paychecks”