Were the Lakers championship contenders before "the trade"?
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Were we?
Yes but I still like the trade
29%
 29%  [ 18 ]
Yes so I don't like the trade
1%
 1%  [ 1 ]
No
68%
 68%  [ 42 ]
Total Votes : 61

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lakersfever714
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 7:07 am    Post subject: Were the Lakers championship contenders before "the trade"?

I thought JJ and the team have begun to figure it out and gelling after their past 10 games including blowing out the Knicks at MSG. Now we have to start all over replacing our offensive assets with defensive ones building around Luka.

We have Vando back so we had the unit that made the WCF in 2023. We still wouldn't have an answer for Jokic but we've always played them tight so I thought having Knect over DLo this year could be enough to make up for that few points difference in the score.

So if you think we were contenders this year and maybe three more years during AD's prime, then we had just given up possibly 4 years of championship contendership for "possibly" 9 years of contending with Luka assuming we could build a contending team around him next year.

So the trade is great if you didn't think we were contending but it is actually a bad trade if we were.
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governator
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 7:13 am    Post subject:

We had a puncher’s chance
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 7:16 am    Post subject:

We needed a trade or two before "the trade" to put us over the top. We needed a center. If we hadn’t made any moves at the deadline, we would have had no chance of winning the championship.
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wolfpaclaker
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 7:32 am    Post subject:

governator wrote:
We had a puncher’s chance

Yep, we were always a good team/threat with a healthy AD/Bron. However with the way Pelinka had built the situation, there just wasn't a realistic path to a title. A 2nd round or WCF run was possible.

Now what they could have gotten with Max Christie/2029 FRP/Austin Reaves? I don't know. That could have changed things. The West is a lot weaker this year as both Minneosta and Denver lost their pieces/chemistry. Dallas also was worse this year pre-Luka trade even. I do think we had a chance to get out of the West if we made a trade. A chance, definitely not front runners. I didn't see us beating Boston/CLE though.

With that same mindset though, being that the West is weaker at the top (again Dallas, Denver and Minnesota are worse this year) we should be able to contend with Lebron/Luka. I don't like all this talk that the Lakers are a longterm team now. That's not really true if you look at the roster outside of Luka. Even Luka for example, next year will be his 8th year. Joker and AD won titles by their 8th year. It's not like we should be waiting until post-Lebron to win. We should try to win now too, IMO.
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LakerSD
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 7:38 am    Post subject:

Hell no.

We haven’t been close since that 2020-21 team that got injured.

Even the WCF team got favorable matchups until the conference final and was never really going to win.


Last edited by LakerSD on Tue Feb 04, 2025 11:20 am; edited 1 time in total
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lakersfever714
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 7:45 am    Post subject:

governator wrote:
We had a puncher’s chance


If our roleplayers played like they did against the Knicks and AD had his 40/20 game, do you think we'd be favored against OKC and the Cavs? That was what we had in 2020 when AD got the three month rest before the playoffs!!

Granted AD is inconsistent but we'd only need his MVP-like contribution half the time in order to win a 7-game series. THAT is what is needed in order to win in today's hypercompetitive NBA environment. Luka isn't going to bring us any defense. He's only gonna bring us what Lebron has been bringing maybe slightly better.
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governator
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 7:59 am    Post subject:

lakersfever714 wrote:
governator wrote:
We had a puncher’s chance


If our roleplayers played like they did against the Knicks and AD had his 40/20 game, do you think we'd be favored against OKC and the Cavs? That was what we had in 2020 when AD got the three month rest before the playoffs!!

Granted AD is inconsistent but we'd only need his MVP-like contribution half the time in order to win a 7-game series. THAT is what is needed in order to win in today's hypercompetitive NBA environment. Luka isn't going to bring us any defense. He's only gonna bring us what Lebron has been bringing maybe slightly better.


You’ve been soured on this trade which is cool cause I think AD is that good too but I also think Luka is a tier player above AD. Luka is one of those unstoppable player in the playoff
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nevitt_smrek
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 8:42 am    Post subject:

governator wrote:
We had a puncher’s chance


But needed someone else to clear the path by taking out Denver
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lakersfever714
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 8:48 am    Post subject:

governator wrote:
lakersfever714 wrote:
governator wrote:
We had a puncher’s chance


If our roleplayers played like they did against the Knicks and AD had his 40/20 game, do you think we'd be favored against OKC and the Cavs? That was what we had in 2020 when AD got the three month rest before the playoffs!!

Granted AD is inconsistent but we'd only need his MVP-like contribution half the time in order to win a 7-game series. THAT is what is needed in order to win in today's hypercompetitive NBA environment. Luka isn't going to bring us any defense. He's only gonna bring us what Lebron has been bringing maybe slightly better.


You’ve been soured on this trade which is cool cause I think AD is that good too but I also think Luka is a tier player above AD. Luka is one of those unstoppable player in the playoff


I know Luka is a generational talent but you don't think Lebron and AD were unstoppable in 2020? My argument is that we've given quite a lot too because if we were a legit contending team, then why would we give that up if the point is to win championships? I would be jumping with joy at the trade if we were a 19-28 team instead of 28-19.

Anyways, I hope Luka could win for us at least two or three championships so I would be proved wrong. Otherwise, this was a terrible trade.
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 8:57 am    Post subject:

With Max on the rise and with Vando returning still not in game shape, I thought we were a legit big away from contending. Specially if we draw the right team in the playoffs. Team was never really fully healthy together but were 9 games above .500 before the allstar break.

I guess we’ll never know but I thought the Knicks and Celtics games were a sign that they can compete.
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 8:57 am    Post subject:

If they had traded for a decent center, yes. Otherwise no.
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AY2043
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 8:59 am    Post subject:

I don't think so. I think the best case was getting to the WCF and winning a game or two.
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:01 am    Post subject:

Dominator wrote:
If they had traded for a decent center, yes. Otherwise no.


Before we just needed another big body big to conserve AD… Now we need a big in a big way with a smaller margin for error.
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TooMuchMajicBuss
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:01 am    Post subject:

I don't think we had a snowball's chance of winning a title pre-trade. We elevated our game lately with Max starting and DFS also contributing on defense, to 2nd round instead of play in, or contender to reach the WCF at best, but not win a 7 game series. We were just too hit-and-miss.
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:14 am    Post subject:

No one will ever know
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:31 am    Post subject:

We could have foreman'd our way to the finals if we got the right matchups. I think our seeding takes a hit with the trade for this season, but for future seasons we're better. Our odds for championship weren't 0, but they weren't even 10% though either.
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LakersARETheGOAT
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:36 am    Post subject:

Yes with a center. Lakers were getting hot all they needed was a center. But pelinka had to accept this deal, if word got out that he declined because he didn’t want to trade AD. All hell breaks loose.
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:37 am    Post subject:

Naw.
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lakersfever714
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:37 am    Post subject:

Dominator wrote:
If they had traded for a decent center, yes. Otherwise no.


You'll be surprised at how hard it is to find two playable bigs to complement Luka. We couldn't even find one for the past two years. Last year's draft, half of the teams above us drafted a big so that's why Knect fell to us.

It's like we might have to give up most of our depths (AR, Knect, Rui, etc) just to be able to get two bigs. Otherwise, we're gonna have to be a midget, small-ball team that wouldn't go very far in the playoffs.

I think AD's value is insane based on the current market for bigs and how much the Wolves paid for Gobert.

So people think we're just gonna win a bunch of championships with Luka. Let's see where and how Pelinka is going find such bigs.
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:41 am    Post subject:

No. I'm in the minority here, but if we get a starting caliber center, I actually think this version of the team stands a better chance in any one-off series than the Bron/AD team. They're still not a "contender" in the strictest definition of the word since winning four series consecutively will be a longshot, but in a vacuum, there's a case for them beating any team in the league in a single series.
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:47 am    Post subject:

No.
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lakersfever714
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:49 am    Post subject:

TheBlackMamba wrote:
No. I'm in the minority here, but if we get a starting caliber center, I actually think this version of the team stands a better chance in any one-off series than the Bron/AD team. They're still not a "contender" in the strictest definition of the word since winning four series consecutively will be a longshot, but in a vacuum, there's a case for them beating any team in the league in a single series.


What are we giving up for such starting caliber center though? We only have one frp left so we'd have to give up our depth in order to acquire such center. Then our depth would be in trouble. It's not all as rosy as you think.
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 11:40 am    Post subject:

No.
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TooMuchMajicBuss
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 11:50 am    Post subject:

TheBlackMamba wrote:
No. I'm in the minority here, but if we get a starting caliber center, I actually think this version of the team stands a better chance in any one-off series than the Bron/AD team. They're still not a "contender" in the strictest definition of the word since winning four series consecutively will be a longshot, but in a vacuum, there's a case for them beating any team in the league in a single series.


I disagree on one thing - you are not in the vast minority here. From what I'm reading, a LOT of us believe we stand a better chance now if we land a starting caliber center. I certainly do.


Last edited by TooMuchMajicBuss on Tue Feb 04, 2025 11:52 am; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 11:51 am    Post subject:

No way we were beating either of OKC or Cleveland/Boston in a seven game series, let alone both. I doubt we would have even beaten the Rockets or Nuggets. Potentially we wouldn't have even beaten the Wolves or Clippers.
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