That is just sad considering Jokic didn't play and Deandre Jordan is their only other center. Not a good sign for him in terms of possibly getting minutes in the playoffs.
And in other apocalyptic news…y’all hear that? It’s the doomsday cowbell ringing. The Queens are a win away against the lottery bound Spurs on Sunday from clinching the Pacific.
I believe no team has ever made the playoffs after 2-10 start
Fo’real?
Well in order to avoid play-in asterisks, hopefully we seed 8 or higher before the play-in tourney. That way under previous conditions, we’d still have been in 😉 _________________ Not familiar with the salary cap/CBA rules & how it impacts our Lakers?
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And in other apocalyptic news…y’all hear that? It’s the doomsday cowbell ringing. The Queens are a win away against the lottery bound Spurs on Sunday from clinching the Pacific.
Funny how we were actually above .500 at some point last season, but finished the season terrible. A 180 compared to this season _________________ 48 49 50 52 53 54 72 80 82
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If Suns want to win a chip, KD has to be the #1 on offense. Booker is good but he needs to deffer to the better player _________________ 48 49 50 52 53 54 72 80 82
85 87 88 00 01 02 09 10 20
We have the Pelicans in the tiebreaker, AND they have a harder schedule than the Clippers in general. So as long as the Lakers take care of their own business and continue winning games, then we can get over the Clippers for the 6th seed.
Clippers is playing let Russell cook ball.
Lol it might work like 1 out of 5 games.
But it won’t work consistently.
I predict they get owned by Pelicans.
Kawhi probably gave up this season after Paul George went down
Joined: 25 Apr 2015 Posts: 29012 Location: Anaheim, CA
Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2023 11:07 pm Post subject:
If the Clippers lose to the Pelicans, the Lakers control their own fate for the 6 seed at absolute worst, because we would have an opportunity to beat the Clippers and hand them a second loss down the stretch. In fact, if we ran the table, the odds would be good of getting the #5. I know that's not the matchup that teams would like, but it's not like any of the Clippers/Warriors/Lakers/Wolves can afford to be losing games, either. Perhaps there will be a tanking opportunity for someone very late in the season in their final game or something, but for now, it's certainly full steam ahead for the teams 5-11. (Utah isn't really full steam ahead, but everyone currently 5-11 is.)
My perfect scenario:
Suns vs. Warriors bloodbath in the 1st Round, thus eliminating 1 of the 4 true West contenders. (Those 4, as I see it, are the Grizzlies, Suns, Warriors, and Lakers.)
Lakers get the 6 seed and face the Kings. Of course that's not a guaranteed series win by any means, but it's a team that doesn't have playoff experience and has an abysmal defense. If we won that, it's true that we'd probably get Memphis in the 2nd Round, but it's not like we can avoid the true contenders until the WCF, unless we get a huge break.
Clippers fall to the 7-8 spot and have to play in the play-in. If they get Memphis in the 1st Round, they'll be an underdog for sure. If they get Denver in the 1st Round, I actually think that's a better matchup for them, but then they'd be in the path of the Suns or Warriors after that.
And, no, the Clippers aren't a real contender. Not with PG out and not with the defense they've been playing pretty much all year and not with having Westbrook on the team.
Neither is Denver, by the way. They won't come out of the West. I genuinely think we have a better chance to win a championship this year than they do.
Joined: 25 Apr 2015 Posts: 29012 Location: Anaheim, CA
Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2023 11:16 pm Post subject:
And if the Pelicans lose to the Clippers, at least that helps us with where the Pels are, and makes falling down to the 9-10 spots less likely. A Pelicans win over the Clippers is definitely the max chaos scenario, where just a single win or loss could mean avoiding the play-in altogether or dropping all the way down to the 9 spot.
This has to be exactly what the NBA was envisioning. Its regular season is mostly devalued and the league has big problems with star players just skipping games entirely, but in terms of drama and meaningful games for a lot of teams down the stretch, this has to be what the league was hoping for.
Can't believe people doubted the play ins. They were a lock. Totally different team since the trade deadline. More depth, more defensive balance with Vandy, better shooting. No more bad chemistry with WB. etc.
Now it's about seeding. I like the 6 vs 3 match up A LOT better (assuming Kings stay at 3). I don't like the match up with the Grizz.
The big question now is AD's ankle/stress injury, and as well Lebron's. You have a few games left, play ins are all but official. Do you go all out to make a run for 6th seed (that has a low chance) that gives you the best shot at winning the 1st round? Or do you go with load management and just clinch play ins.
Yes. We’re probably gonna go easy on the Rockets and play down to our competition. So we lose that one while Warriors and Clippers get teams that will just rest their best players.
Now it's about seeding. I like the 6 vs 3 match up A LOT better (assuming Kings stay at 3). I don't like the match up with the Grizz.
Lakers matchup up great with the Grizzlies. That’s not really an issue. If we get 6th seed and assume we beat the Kings, we play them in the 2nd round anyway.
Grizzlies are a choking pretender team who ESPECIALLY without Steven Adams, have no answer for AD (even with Adams, if AD can handle Towns and Gobert at the same time, he can handle Adams).
Only team I would be really scared of in the playoffs is the Suns. So legit worse case would be getting 5th seed to play Suns in the first round, or 8th seed and having to play Nuggets then Suns in the first two rounds. So 6th seed is most definitely that sweet spot. _________________ Russell Westbrick: https://media.tenor.com/images/3c15249955860a4b16b59e8ae035fb75/tenor.gif
And in other apocalyptic news…y’all hear that? It’s the doomsday cowbell ringing. The Queens are a win away against the lottery bound Spurs on Sunday from clinching the Pacific.
Funny how we were actually above .500 at some point last season, but finished the season terrible. A 180 compared to this season
It’s been 14 months + since our last above 0.500, my positive spin is both Rob and Darvin are learning on the fly (slow fly for one of them)
And in other apocalyptic news…y’all hear that? It’s the doomsday cowbell ringing. The Queens are a win away against the lottery bound Spurs on Sunday from clinching the Pacific.
Funny how we were actually above .500 at some point last season, but finished the season terrible. A 180 compared to this season
It’s been 14 months + since our last above 0.500, my positive spin is both Rob and Darvin are learning on the fly (slow fly for one of them)
Rob learned A LOT quicker than Ham that’s for sure. Honestly, Rob has actually been solid despite that one, BIG mistake with the Westbrook trade. (Which arguably, might not even be his fault since Lebron and AD really pushed him to do that trade instead of the Kings deal to get us Hield.) I would also argue that the Schroder trade was in my opinion, the worse move because if we had just kept the pick, we would have had Desmond Bane. But besides that, and Caruso letting go wasn’t his fault because it was just Jeanie being cheap there, he has been good here.
Ham on the other hand, is just another Byron Scott/Luke Walton with better player relationships. At least in the Wolves game, it was probably one of the better coaching games I have seen from him in the entire season. So who knows? Maybe he is finally growing some brain cells. _________________ Russell Westbrick: https://media.tenor.com/images/3c15249955860a4b16b59e8ae035fb75/tenor.gif
I’m not sure what Malone is supposed to say. The truth of the matter is Thomas Bryant isn’t very good. He can get rolling offensively sometimes but he’s atrocious on D and most nights he’s going to be bad on both ends. _________________ 14-5-3-12
That’s actually…wow I’m surprised at how cold that answer was. That doesn’t usually sound like him from what I recall. TB must be having a huge fit with that organization now, and it’s affecting the locker room a bit to a point of Malone just freezing him out now.
Joined: 15 Sep 2012 Posts: 27851 Location: La La Land
Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2023 8:49 am Post subject:
I wonder who will win MVP this year?
I have a feeling they'll give it to Jokic again.
But he wouldn't get my vote. _________________ "I knew I was fly when I was just a caterpillar."
I’m not sure what Malone is supposed to say. The truth of the matter is Thomas Bryant isn’t very good. He can get rolling offensively sometimes but he’s atrocious on D and most nights he’s going to be bad on both ends.
Thomas Bryant was solid for the Wizards before his injury and then took a year to get back to where he was coming off a terrible injury.
Came to us and was finally finding a rhythm, then asked for a trade so he could get more minutes, and gets a coach that refuses to play him and he can never catch a rhythm with.
Maybe Malone is the one that sucks. Thomas Bryant isn't great defensively, but to act like he's some kind of scrub is way WAY off-base. Thomas Bryant is a talented center that can hit threes, rebound and finish. He'd be a solid backup for Jokic, but Malone doesn't make him that.
Ultimately Malone hinders the team by not playing their 2nd best center behind their best center and it seems personal. No idea what Bryant did to upset Malone to this level of pettiness but it only hurts their team to not play some of your best players with the bench. But I guess as long as they are winning off Jokic's back he doesn't care.
Thomas Bryant is averaging 12 points and 7 rebounds while shooting 65% from the field and 44% from three. THAT is a VALUABLE backup center. The fact Mike Malone is giving him constant DNPs and then playing him 1 minute and then 0 minutes and then 2 minutes and then 4 minutes and then 0 minutes and then 10 minutes and then back to 0 minutes and then is smug and petty when asked why he refuses to play him and why he can't get a rhythm and blames Bryant for it. That's a bad coach. Bryant is one of their best backup 5 options but due to Malone's own personal reason or biases he refuses to play him.
Any other coach keeping a 12/7 65% Field goal 44% three point shooting backup center with DNPs rather than help their star center get some rest would get looked at sideways and rightfully called out. The fact Malone is so arrogant and cold about it says more about him than about Bryant. Jokic is out and Malone still refuses to play him. There's no excuse.
Well when the Nuggets lose again this year and he's in the unemployment line he won't be as smug as he is now. So there's that. _________________ How NBA 2K18 failed the All-Time Lakers:
Last edited by MJST on Sat Apr 01, 2023 9:02 am; edited 1 time in total
I’m not sure what Malone is supposed to say. The truth of the matter is Thomas Bryant isn’t very good. He can get rolling offensively sometimes but he’s atrocious on D and most nights he’s going to be bad on both ends.
Thomas Bryant was solid for the Wizards before his injury and then took a year to get back to where he was coming off a terrible injury.
Came to us and was finally finding a rhythm, then asked for a trade so he could get more minutes, and gets a coach that refuses to play him and he can never catch a rhythm with.
Maybe Malone is the one that sucks. Thomas Bryant isn't great defensively, but to act like he's some kind of scrub is way WAY off-base. Thomas Bryant is a talented center that can hit threes, rebound and finish. He'd be a solid backup for Jokic, but Malone doesn't make him that.
Ultimately Malone hinders the team by not playing their 2nd best center behind their best center and it seems personal. No idea what Bryant did to upset Malone to this level of pettiness but it only hurts their team to not play some of your best players with the bench. But I guess as long as they are winning off Jokic's back he doesn't care.
Thomas Bryant is averaging 12 points and 7 rebounds while shooting 65% from the field and 44% from three. THAT is a VALUABLE backup center. The fact Mike Malone is giving him constant DNPs and then playing him 1 minute and then 0 minutes and then 2 minutes and then 4 minutes and then 0 minutes and then 10 minutes and then back to 0 minutes and then is smug and petty when asked why he refuses to play him and why he can't get a rhythm and blames Bryant for it. That's a bad coach. Bryant is one of their best backup 5 options but due to Malone's own personal reason or biases he refuses to play him.
Any other coach keeping a 12/7 65% Field goal 44% three point shooting backup center with DNPs rather than help their star center get some rest would get looked at sideways and rightfully called out. The fact Malone is so arrogant and cold about it says more about him than about Bryant.
Well when the Nuggets lose again this year and he's in the unemployment line he won't be as smug as he is now. So there's that.
Even a cone plays more d then t Bryant. It's not a surprise he is not getting any mins
I’m not sure what Malone is supposed to say. The truth of the matter is Thomas Bryant isn’t very good. He can get rolling offensively sometimes but he’s atrocious on D and most nights he’s going to be bad on both ends.
Thomas Bryant was solid for the Wizards before his injury and then took a year to get back to where he was coming off a terrible injury.
Came to us and was finally finding a rhythm, then asked for a trade so he could get more minutes, and gets a coach that refuses to play him and he can never catch a rhythm with.
Maybe Malone is the one that sucks. Thomas Bryant isn't great defensively, but to act like he's some kind of scrub is way WAY off-base. Thomas Bryant is a talented center that can hit threes, rebound and finish. He'd be a solid backup for Jokic, but Malone doesn't make him that.
Ultimately Malone hinders the team by not playing their 2nd best center behind their best center and it seems personal. No idea what Bryant did to upset Malone to this level of pettiness but it only hurts their team to not play some of your best players with the bench. But I guess as long as they are winning off Jokic's back he doesn't care.
Thomas Bryant is averaging 12 points and 7 rebounds while shooting 65% from the field and 44% from three. THAT is a VALUABLE backup center. The fact Mike Malone is giving him constant DNPs and then playing him 1 minute and then 0 minutes and then 2 minutes and then 4 minutes and then 0 minutes and then 10 minutes and then back to 0 minutes and then is smug and petty when asked why he refuses to play him and why he can't get a rhythm and blames Bryant for it. That's a bad coach. Bryant is one of their best backup 5 options but due to Malone's own personal reason or biases he refuses to play him.
Any other coach keeping a 12/7 65% Field goal 44% three point shooting backup center with DNPs rather than help their star center get some rest would get looked at sideways and rightfully called out. The fact Malone is so arrogant and cold about it says more about him than about Bryant. Jokic is out and Malone still refuses to play him. There's no excuse.
Well when the Nuggets lose again this year and he's in the unemployment line he won't be as smug as he is now. So there's that.
What he was before injury is a bit immaterial. We are talking about now. I disagree he was getting into rhythm when he asked for a trade. He had a nice stretch when AD first went down and we were leaning on him for offense. After a quick burst of a stretch he went back to being pedestrian on O while remaining unplayable on D. Davis came back and he wasn’t of much use. His minutes cratered and he wanted out (it’s a contract year, after all).
Well, it has been the same story in Denver. They’re a team that already struggles defensively and Bryant isn’t going to help them there. Malone’s personal bias is that he has seen Bryant play and he doesn’t want to bleed more points every time he’s in. There’s a reason he was available at the min and even then has bounced around. Why do you think 2 playoff teams wanted out of the Bryant Business? It’s not because they’re smug. _________________ 14-5-3-12
I'm finally convinced this Laker team is playin bound. I needed to see that win against the T-Wolves to be convinced. So, yeah, this lakers team is actually pretty damned good right now. Give credit to Mr. Ham and to Pelinka for righting the ship.
Still concerned about the Lebron re-integration, though. Dude kills the offensive flow, and is prone to making some extremely stupid turnovers. Also, concerned about our need to lean on AD so much, because AD is subject to disappear when we need him most, or, of course, he'll just get hurt. Would like more balance in the Lakers attack. Anyway, on to the post-season. This should be interesting.
That’s a desperate coach. Anything less than conference final, he gone.
TB did make the same mistake Schroder did. He shouldn’t have complained about playing time in LA. He was due a big raise with his performance here…now he will just be a min signing again. _________________ 2 star model (Lebron/AD) in 2023-24 = no playoffs, again.
I'm finally convinced this Laker team is playin bound. I needed to see that win against the T-Wolves to be convinced. So, yeah, this lakers team is actually pretty damned good right now. Give credit to Mr. Ham and to Pelinka for righting the ship.
Still concerned about the Lebron re-integration, though. Dude kills the offensive flow, and is prone to making some extremely stupid turnovers. Also, concerned about our need to lean on AD so much, because AD is subject to disappear when we need him most, or, of course, he'll just get hurt. Would like more balance in the Lakers attack. Anyway, on to the post-season. This should be interesting.
Read my sig. _________________ On Lakersground, a concern troll is someone who is a fan of another team, but pretends to be a Lakers fan with "concerns".
Hell of a game by Westbrook yesterday. 4 points and 5 turnovers. _________________ Nobody in the NBA can touch the Laker brand, which, like the uniform color, is pure gold.
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