POLL How far will these misfit Lakers go?

[WiggyRuss]

Love how Houston is going to be a great team for 3-4 years with CP3 at 34, but LeBron is about to fall off a cliff any minute because he'll be 34 in December.

do the Lakers have James Harden too? ya know the leagues reigning MVP? or Clint Capela?

 

[ANGELAKERAMS]

do the Lakers have James Harden too? ya know the leagues reigning MVP? or Clint Capela?

No, but they have several good young players.

You were the one playing the IF game regarding LeBron turning 34 and falling apart and the Lakers being nothing.

If CP3 gets injured, Houston wouldn't get anywhere either. And CP3 has a history of injuries, LeBron does not.

 

[tlance]

its completely 100% ridiculous for you to charecterize my position as "LeBron's decline is imminent" when I said the exact opposite. Thats some major fucking horseshit and you know it.

It is completely 100% ridiculous for you to:

1) get this upset over 1 general line in a post aimed at "you all". You first want to back up Dorian in post #245. He isn't just talking about LeBron not winning another title. He also said LeBron isn't a top 10 player at the moment. He said LeBron isn't worth a max contract. He doesn't believe LeBron is a top 12 player all time, which are all mind numbingly stupid takes.

2) you made it seem like my MJ comparison was outlandish because of the mileage. Name another player who was the best in the NBA at age 34? It is a pretty short list.

Best advice I ever got as a kid was to be careful about the company I kept. Because if you associate with people who are doing stupid things and getting themselves in trouble, you tend to get in trouble too. You willingly chose to back @DorianRo AND attack my post which argues the same point you claim to believe.

So you are either playing both sides so you can't be wrong, or you are just arguing for the sake of arguing. Either way, I'm not the little bitch here. And I think you know it.

 

[tlance]

No, but they have several good young players.

You were the one playing the IF game regarding LeBron turning 34 and falling apart and the Lakers being nothing.

If CP3 gets injured, Houston wouldn't get anywhere either. And CP3 has a history of injuries, LeBron does not.

Yeah.

Houston is defintely better this season barring injury.

After this year?

Very good chance LA catches and passes them depending on who they are able to sign next summer. The consistent theme in Wiggy's posts are that he assumes since the Lakers don't have a championship caliber roster this season that they never will because of LeBron's age and mileage.

But, if he actually believes LeBron will be, or even can be the best player in the league for the next 2 years and an allstar caliber player in the West for at least 2 years beyond that, it is pretty silly to rule the Lakers out for the duration of his time there.

Next summer could get really crazy. There is a decent chance LA enters the season as Vegas title favorites IF they sign a FA like Kawhi AND KD leaves GS. Both are quite possible.

 

[DJ Fieri]

No, but they have several good young players.

You were the one playing the IF game regarding LeBron turning 34 and falling apart and the Lakers being nothing.

If CP3 gets injured, Houston wouldn't get anywhere either. And CP3 has a history of injuries, LeBron does not.

BOOM SHAKA LAKA.

 

[Wamu]

better because he would be playing with another All-Star and have a lot more spacing on the floor and that everytime he has gone to a new situation there has been a period of adjustment where his team has struggled.

Come on wiggy answer the question. You didn't give a %, why not?

 

[The Q]

We get it... Lakers fans are excited. Leave it to a Celtics fan to provide some balance.

The Lakers were a bad basketball team last season. Let me say that again another way: all these guy you speak of combined to form the nucleus of a bad team just one season ago.

Don't get me wrong... some of them put up some stats last season, especially in flashes. But let's not forget that the Lakers under Walton play in a friendly offense that runs at a brisk pace...

... the scoring didn't equal success, though.

Of course things will get better in the upcoming with the addition of the best player in the game. But c'mon... reading the OP one might think the Lakers have one of the very best teams in basketball.

They don't. It's gonna be a process.

I look at that Portland team outside of lilalrd, they got the 3 seed.

Now look at that laker team with Lebron.

I’ve seen more surprising things in the nba before

 

[WiggyRuss]

Come on wiggy answer the question. You didn't give a %, why not?

id say 80%

 

[Wamu]

id say 80%

That's a fair #. We all know that Father Time's undefeated but I don't see his game taking a big step back this year. Which is kinda scary for all the mileage he has. You know I'm not a Cavs fan or even a LeBron fan for that matter but he's the best all around player I've ever seen. And just like all the greats (fuck kobe!) I like watching him play. Too bad he's wearing the worst colors in the league now.

 

[DJ Fieri]

I look at that Portland team outside of lilalrd, they got the 3 seed.

Now look at that laker team with Lebron.

I’ve seen more surprising things in the nba before

Exactly.

Lilliard is great and all but c'mon we all know James is a better player.....

James and the rest of the roster could be 3rd in the WC.....and i shouldn' surprise anybody.














They also could be a 5 or 6 seed. But, I'm leaning towards top 3 right now.

 

[The Q]

Exactly.

Lilliard is great and all but c'mon we all know James is a better player.....

James and the rest of the roster could be 3rd in the WC.....and i shouldn' surprise anybody.














They also could be a 5 or 6 seed. But, I'm leaning towards top 3 right now.

I tend to be more conservative so I'm gonna say the 5, but 4/5 is a toss up for me.

With a competent GM Minnesota would be the easy 3 and a legit threat in the WC.

Instead, they're kind of meh.

 

[shopson67]

@tlance

Michael Jordan games played (regular season and playoff) entering his age 34 season: 1006

LeBron James games played (regular season and playoff) entering his age 34 season: 1382

A difference of 376 games, or almost 5 whole NBA seasons. Think about that- almost 5 extra whole NBA seasons.

LeBron James Stats | Basketball-Reference.com

Michael Jordan Stats | Basketball-Reference.com

You left out 101 college games for Jordan.

 

[WiggyRuss]

You left out 101 college games for Jordan.

hmmm something tells me playing against 19 year olds once or twice a week is not QUITE the same as against grown men on an NBA schedule---- but yes--- make some allowance for 101 college games if you want to get technical---- but then also make some allowance for the many more Olmypic Games LeBron has played if you really want to get into the weeds. lol.

 

[shopson67]

hmmm something tells me playing against 19 year olds once or twice a week is not QUITE the same as against grown men on an NBA schedule---- but yes--- make some allowance for 101 college games if you want to get technical---- but then also make some allowance for the many more Olmypic Games LeBron has played if you really want to get into the weeds. lol.

They all add up.

 

[flyerhawk]

Are We Sure … That the Lakers Will Make the Playoffs?

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Are We Sure … That the Lakers Will Make the Playoffs?

Yeah pretty much

 

[flyerhawk]

Yeah pretty much

So you think there is no chance the Lakers miss the playoffs?

 

[The Q]

So you think there is no chance the Lakers miss the playoffs?

Sure...if Lebron gets hurt.

 

[Gman]

Are We Sure … That the Lakers Will Make the Playoffs?

Assuming health, I'd personally be very surprised if they missed the playoffs.

Because LeBron is just too good. That's the main reason.

Even if one is big on the West being a 'super tough' conference, LeBron trumps that.

 

[flyerhawk]

Assuming health, I'd personally be very surprised if they missed the playoffs.

Because LeBron is just too good. That's the main reason.

Even if one is big on the West being a 'super tough' conference, LeBron trumps that.

The article makes some interesting points.

First off the projections for the Lakers are, so far, between 41.5 wins and 48.5 wins. 41.5 is likely too low unless Lebron misses significant time. But if we look at Vegas'(48.5) number then missing the playoffs is a very real possibility. The 8th seed last year was a 47 win team. So if the Lakers underachieve a little from the vegas lines, 2 games, then they miss the playoffs. It's not exactly an earth shattering event.