Based on this, Warriors have a better path to finish 6th than Memphis.
Warriors need to win 2 more games, they play Portland and Clips.
Memphis needs to basically win all 3 games - Minny, Denver, and Mavs.
The problem for Memphis is they play Denver:
A) Memphis wins, this secures the Clips as the 4th seed so they may rest players against the Warriors, easier game to win for the 6th seed.
B) Memphis loses, it basically pushes Warriors to 6th because of tie breaker. _________________
Based on this, Warriors have a better path to finish 6th than Memphis.
Warriors need to win 2 more games, they play Portland and Clips.
Memphis needs to basically win all 3 games - Minny, Denver, and Mavs.
The problem for Memphis is they play Denver:
A) Memphis wins, this secures the Clips as the 4th seed so they may rest players against the Warriors, easier game to win for the 6th seed.
B) Memphis loses, it basically pushes Warriors to 6th because of tie breaker.
Nuggets have the tiebreaker against the Clippers. Even if Nuggets lose against the Grizzlies, Clippers still needs to win both of their games just in case Nuggets win against the Rockets. Rockets will probably want to lose too, as winning against the Nuggets could mean a 1st round against them, but if they lose against them they avoid them.
Well, top 6 is locked in. That answers the topic question.
I was sweating dropping to the play-ins with that dreadful road trip plus the Bulls game @ home, but they've gotten it together for the most part. I still think they're not quite at the level they were at during that good stretch, but they're not so far from it right now that they can't get to it during the playoffs.
That week off will do wonders for us. If we beat Houston on Friday, I'd sit Bron, Luka & AR vs Portland. That'll give them a minimum 8 day break.
Who they really need to consider sitting both games is Rui. We handled okc with him. We gave joker his worst game of the year with him. He just handled AD well. They beat the rockets with him and Bron spending the most time on Senguin. And he queerly played very well vs the warriors.
He makes JJs defense go, and it slots everything into place rotation wise. Because when Rui is there, DFS gets to come in for Hayes and really get starters minutes. Gabe gets his time. Hayes starts the halves like Javale did. And Vando can be in the dunker spot and not ask to be the big on defense.
I look at if the rockets play their guys or not and if they don’t, I run everyone but Rui. I’m talking Bron, Luka, Reaves, Gabe, and DFS for 30 plus minutes. Don’t (bleep) around and play Dalton. Don’t give Goodwin a leash. Let those 5 with Hayes beat them. Then test Rui both games and the following week. Everyone else can rest too after the rockets.
I spend the Portland game letting Bronny, Dalton, Goodwin, Markieff, and Koloko start. Len, Shake, Jemison all get all the bench minutes while the others cheer them on.
Don't know if it's accurate or not but Luka has never finished higher than 4th in the standings since he came to the NBA. If the Lakers secure the 3rd seed it will be his highest seed in the NBA.
Of course past history is no indication of future success but I think last year was the first time Luka actually had an all star caliber player in Kyrie playing with him in the playoffs. This should be an interesting playoffs for the Lakers and Luka.
Joined: 13 Sep 2008 Posts: 6256 Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2025 7:44 am Post subject:
lilmomo wrote:
Don't know if it's accurate or not but Luka has never finished higher than 4th in the standings since he came to the NBA. If the Lakers secure the 3rd seed it will be his highest seed in the NBA.
Of course past history is no indication of future success but I think last year was the first time Luka actually had an all star caliber player in Kyrie playing with him in the playoffs. This should be an interesting playoffs for the Lakers and Luka.
The Mavs were 14th, 7th, 5th, 4th, 11th and 5th during Luka's tenure. So you're quite correct.
Joined: 13 Jan 2002 Posts: 8269 Location: Lake Forest
Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2025 11:05 am Post subject:
dont_be_a_wuss wrote:
By my math we have clinched the 5 seed at worst.
If we still win the relevant tie breakers while the Clippers are Division Champs, you are correct. Whoever loses the Denver-Memphis game can at best have the same record as us if we lose the next 2.
Yep! Den 2-0 means they beat Mem, and Clips 2-0 means they beat GSW. The play in 1st game 7th vs 8th would be GSW vs Mem. I’d be pleased with that scenario!!! _________________ When reasonably possible, I expect the Lakers to go after a ship like it can’t be denied. I haven’t seen a completely committed effort by the GM for the last 2 off seasons nor the last 2 trade deadlines. What is going on?
Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 37735 Location: Santa Clarita, CA (Hell) ->>>>>Ithaca, NY -≥≥≥≥≥Berkeley, CA
Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2025 3:52 pm Post subject:
That Josh Giddey game winner turns out to be inconsequential for us now, I guess. Would have really sucked if it made a difference. _________________ Damian Lillard shatters Dwight Coward's championship dreams:
Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 24687 Location: La Jolla, San Diego
Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2025 7:25 pm Post subject:
dont_be_a_wuss wrote:
CandyCanes wrote:
That Josh Giddey game winner turns out to be inconsequential for us now, I guess. Would have really sucked if it made a difference.
That’s still TBD. If we win tonight and Nuggets win over the Rockets on Sunday we could’ve been 2nd.
Rockets have nothing to play for now. so you can't look at it like that. In the other timeline, where Lakers can still get #2, Rockets wouldn't be resting their guys against us or the Nuggets. But the Giddy three, the Orlando game... the Bulls molly whopping of us at Crypto... it's all consequential, it's all the reason why we can't get #2 anymore. _________________ "The game is MORE than just one player. Without Luka, DFS would have been more than enough to replace him based on what we've seen," LakersFever714, the greatest casual of all time.
That Josh Giddey game winner turns out to be inconsequential for us now, I guess. Would have really sucked if it made a difference.
That’s still TBD. If we win tonight and Nuggets win over the Rockets on Sunday we could’ve been 2nd.
Rockets have nothing to play for now. so you can't look at it like that. In the other timeline, where Lakers can still get #2, Rockets wouldn't be resting their guys against us or the Nuggets. But the Giddy three, the Orlando game... the Bulls molly whopping of us at Crypto... it's all consequential, it's all the reason why we can't get #2 anymore.
Yes you can look at it like that! We don’t know how this game would have turned out had the Rockets had something to play for and thus played their starters against the Lakers tonight or against GSW on Sunday. It’s very possible they would have still lost both. The negative effects from the Chi loss is still in effect. _________________ When reasonably possible, I expect the Lakers to go after a ship like it can’t be denied. I haven’t seen a completely committed effort by the GM for the last 2 off seasons nor the last 2 trade deadlines. What is going on?
That Josh Giddey game winner turns out to be inconsequential for us now, I guess. Would have really sucked if it made a difference.
That’s still TBD. If we win tonight and Nuggets win over the Rockets on Sunday we could’ve been 2nd.
Rockets have nothing to play for now. so you can't look at it like that. In the other timeline, where Lakers can still get #2, Rockets wouldn't be resting their guys against us or the Nuggets. But the Giddy three, the Orlando game... the Bulls molly whopping of us at Crypto... it's all consequential, it's all the reason why we can't get #2 anymore.
I'd say the Giddey buzzer beater was the universe restoring balance after the Lebron buzzer beater against Indy. Otherwise, don't forget about the losses to Utah and Charlotte post-Luka. Pretty much every team has those though. _________________ Luxury Tax/FA Spreadsheet (Save to your Google Drive to edit)
That Josh Giddey game winner turns out to be inconsequential for us now, I guess. Would have really sucked if it made a difference.
That’s still TBD. If we win tonight and Nuggets win over the Rockets on Sunday we could’ve been 2nd.
Rockets have nothing to play for now. so you can't look at it like that. In the other timeline, where Lakers can still get #2, Rockets wouldn't be resting their guys against us or the Nuggets. But the Giddy three, the Orlando game... the Bulls molly whopping of us at Crypto... it's all consequential, it's all the reason why we can't get #2 anymore.
I'd say the Giddey buzzer beater was the universe restoring balance after the Lebron buzzer beater against Indy. Otherwise, don't forget about the losses to Utah and Charlotte post-Luka. Pretty much every team has those though.
Yea, you’re probably right about the Indy/Chi buzzer beaters, and the blowout by Chi got balanced by the universe with the Lakers blowing out OKC. I think getting swept by Chi tho was supposed to allow the Lakers to sweep OKC but the ejection of Luka caused a rift in the time space continuum. The Lakers are due for a favorable correction by the universe. I hope it’s a ship lol! _________________ When reasonably possible, I expect the Lakers to go after a ship like it can’t be denied. I haven’t seen a completely committed effort by the GM for the last 2 off seasons nor the last 2 trade deadlines. What is going on?
2024 (Ham) LBJ,AR & AD = Lakers in play in, Mavs in Finals
2025 (Ham out, JJ in) LBJ,AR & LUKA in, AD out = Lakers clinch 3rd seed, Mavs in play in
Im gunna go out on a limb and say moving on from AD and Ham were great decisions…
Go Lakers!!!!
Reductionist, but accurate. _________________ On Lakersground, a concern troll is someone who is a fan of another team, but pretends to be a Lakers fan with "concerns".
2024 (Ham) LBJ,AR & AD = Lakers in play in, Mavs in Finals
2025 (Ham out, JJ in) LBJ,AR & LUKA in, AD out = Lakers clinch 3rd seed, Mavs in play in
Im gunna go out on a limb and say moving on from AD and Ham were great decisions…
Go Lakers!!!!
Gotta include acquiring Luka on the limb or it’s a deceptively insufficient deduced assumption for the “decision”. It’s a common misconception confusing Causality vs Correlation as a fallacy. Moving from AD/Ham has a correlation to the increased success but the primary cause of the success was acquiring Luka.
I know it is a technicality, but I’m pointing it out mostly to oppose dumping on AD…I perceive it as that…to praise Luka. It’s not necessary imo to act like AD was a negative tho it seems popular among Laker fans to do that since the trade. It’s not that AD was not good and Luka fixed a bad thing. AD was great for the Lakers, Luka is greater for the Lakers. _________________ When reasonably possible, I expect the Lakers to go after a ship like it can’t be denied. I haven’t seen a completely committed effort by the GM for the last 2 off seasons nor the last 2 trade deadlines. What is going on?
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