The future potential of 2020's projected playoff teams from worst to best:

[Sparhawk]

Thats not possible for most adults with down syndrome

I'm not going to judge.
I'm trying to help.
Reading comprehension is so integral to cutting through the noise, the BS, the fake news, the misinformation.
Not everyone has a firm grasp on sorting through it.

Foster care studies show that kids have a lot of anger and are 2-7x more likely to have ADD, behavioral problems, and require some form of anger management.

 

[Black Adam]

They most definitely deserved to get slammed in the wake of the Magic fiasco.

lol yeah, there's that...

talk about falling into a bucket of shit...

 

[Black Adam]

I'm not going to judge.
I'm trying to help.
Reading comprehension is so integral to cutting through the noise, the BS, the fake news, the misinformation.
Not everyone has a firm grasp on sorting through it.

Foster care studies show that kids have a lot of anger and are 2-7x more likely to have ADD, behavioral problems, and require some form of anger management.

you, sir, are a model citizen...

so helpful. what a guy...

 

[Sparhawk]

you, sir, are a model citizen...

so helpful. what a guy...

View attachment 230156

It's important to be cordial to all folks in life, even if they are stinkin' Lakers and Celtics fans...

 

[True Lakers Fan]

They most definitely deserved to get slammed in the wake of the Magic fiasco.

I disagree, I dont dont think they deserved to be slammed because their vice president of operations , couldnt handle his employees and quit like a coward instead of being man enough to face them directly. Ive audited thousands if businesses, and no one has ever been that unprofessional

 

[trojanfan12]

I disagree, I dont dont think they deserved to be slammed because their vice president of operations , couldnt handle his employees and quit like a coward instead of being man enough to face them directly. Ive audited thousands if businesses, and no one has ever been that unprofessional

Yes they did. They absolutely deserved it. The whole thing was a bad look on the organization. It's not just about how he left either. The whole hamhanded way the initial AD trade attempt was handled, his "tampering". Those things happened while he was the VP.

They never should have put him in that role in the first place. He made it pretty clear at the initial press conference that he was only doing it because Jeanie asked. No one really caught it at the time, but that should have been the first red flag.

Additionally, if Pelinka really was calling attention to Magic not being around for the day to day stuff by walking around asking people "Where's Magic?" that's also a bad look for the FO.

Having said that, since Magic stepped down, Pelinka has done a nice job, including making a better than expected/predicted recovery from not landing Kawhi.

But the latter doesn't excuse the former.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Yes they did. They absolutely deserved it. The whole thing was a bad look on the organization. It's not just about how he left either. The whole hamhanded way the initial AD trade attempt was handled, his "tampering". Those things happened while he was the VP.

They never should have put him in that role in the first place. He made it pretty clear at the initial press conference that he was only doing it because Jeanie asked. No one really caught it at the time, but that should have been the first red flag.

Additionally, if Pelinka really was calling attention to Magic not being around for the day to day stuff by walking around asking people "Where's Magic?" that's also a bad look for the FO.

Having said that, since Magic stepped down, Pelinka has done a nice job, including making a better than expected/predicted recovery from not landing Kawhi.

But the latter doesn't excuse the former.

As a professional, the matter should have been handled behind closed doors face to face - Not taking it to the public and embarrassing everyone. The fact that the Lakers has a very good team is a reflection of the front office that moved forward.

 

[trojanfan12]

As a professional, the matter should have been handled behind closed doors face to face - Not taking it to the public and embarrassing everyone. The fact that the Lakers has a very good team is a reflection of the front office that moved forward.

You're too focused on how Magic left and not enough on his entire tenure. Yes, most of what happened is on Magic. But Jeanie isn't blameless and neither is Pelinka.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

You're too focused on how Magic left and not enough on his entire tenure. Yes, most of what happened is on Magic. But Jeanie isn't blameless and neither is Pelinka.

Quite frankly - I don't think his tenure was all that wonderful. He did some good things, but he also made some mistakes. Personally I believe Jim Buss was so horrible, that almost anyone with half a brain would look considerably better and I never really believed he would stay put - He left the Lakers as a player, purchased some stock, then sold it and became head coach, then left as head coach and bought the stock and then sold the stock and became a consultant which he quickly stated was not enough. I don't see how anyone could possibly think he was going to stay. I sure didn't. I don't blame him for leaving - if he wasn't happy, then he did the right thing. I am just saying that I have always been taught to stand up to another person and have the balls to tell them face to face the truth - about quitting a job, terminating a relationship that's not working out or anything else. Either way - I hope he is happy. It's nothing personal, but I don't believe that the Lakers deserved all of the criticism that they got. The only story we have really heard is Magic Johnson's version of what happened and as the president of operations, he should have expected problems coming into an organization that was a total wreck.

Like I said - he some great things - but he made some mistakes and one of them was how he left.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Yes they did. They absolutely deserved it. The whole thing was a bad look on the organization. It's not just about how he left either. The whole hamhanded way the initial AD trade attempt was handled, his "tampering". Those things happened while he was the VP.

They never should have put him in that role in the first place. He made it pretty clear at the initial press conference that he was only doing it because Jeanie asked. No one really caught it at the time, but that should have been the first red flag.

Additionally, if Pelinka really was calling attention to Magic not being around for the day to day stuff by walking around asking people "Where's Magic?" that's also a bad look for the FO.

Having said that, since Magic stepped down, Pelinka has done a nice job, including making a better than expected/predicted recovery from not landing Kawhi.

But the latter doesn't excuse the former.

Personally - I think Magic in that position for a limited time was okay. I think for a transition period it was a great move; but I think Magic should have recognized that shouldn't be a long term solution. It wasn't well thought out, but we all say and do things that are not well thought out like a friend of mine who asked his wife why she prepared the "mess" that she had served on the table(Even though I didn't care for the food, it was a nice meal and she worked hard)

Got to think things out ahead of time - works out better -

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Yes they did. They absolutely deserved it. The whole thing was a bad look on the organization. It's not just about how he left either. The whole hamhanded way the initial AD trade attempt was handled, his "tampering". Those things happened while he was the VP.

They never should have put him in that role in the first place. He made it pretty clear at the initial press conference that he was only doing it because Jeanie asked. No one really caught it at the time, but that should have been the first red flag.

Additionally, if Pelinka really was calling attention to Magic not being around for the day to day stuff by walking around asking people "Where's Magic?" that's also a bad look for the FO.

Having said that, since Magic stepped down, Pelinka has done a nice job, including making a better than expected/predicted recovery from not landing Kawhi.

But the latter doesn't excuse the former.

On this note - One can have too much talent - I thought it was a bit unrealistic to think about landing Kawhi although I can't blame them for trying. I'm not sure failing Kawhi was a bad thing, or hurt them, because it appears to me that they had those moves planned ahead of time regardless of what happened with Leonard. Dwight Howard, however has been the biggest surprise and has turned out to be much better than I expected. I might have to stop calling him Dwight Coward now

 

[trojanfan12]

On this note - One can have too much talent - I thought it was a bit unrealistic to think about landing Kawhi although I can't blame them for trying. I'm not sure failing Kawhi was a bad thing, or hurt them, because it appears to me that they had those moves planned ahead of time regardless of what happened with Leonard. Dwight Howard, however has been the biggest surprise and has turned out to be much better than I expected. I might have to stop calling him Dwight Coward now

On the bold: No doubt they had most, if not all, of those moves set up. How quickly they were able to get everyone signed shows that. It would also be consistent with what Kobe has said about Pelinka having backup plans to his backup plans.

Dwight has been, by far, the most pleasant surprise in all of this. He hasn't just been good in his role, he's actually been a pretty big contributor. Imo, after Lebron, AD and Danny Green, he's been the biggest contributor.

Heck, you could make a case that he's been as much of a contributor as Green.

 

[shopson67]

Ummmm, most quality starters can average 36 minutes per game.
There is value in extrapolating for per 36 stats, but not all cases.
That being said, with more load management, we may see more value in a per30 stat.

Clearly, Boban is not a 22 and 16 guy as he may not be built to last 36 minutes.
But, per 36 for someone like Mitchell Robinson has value.

It's more of a way to extrapolate for rookies playing 15-25 minutes per game.

If a player is only getting 15 minutes, it is typically as a rotation player, with other rotation players, and against other rotation players. If they move to 36 minutes, they are now playing with other starters that will still get their stats, and against better defenders (starters). It's far from a simple extrapolation.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

On the bold: No doubt they had most, if not all, of those moves set up. How quickly they were able to get everyone signed shows that. It would also be consistent with what Kobe has said about Pelinka having backup plans to his backup plans.

Dwight has been, by far, the most pleasant surprise in all of this. He hasn't just been good in his role, he's actually been a pretty big contributor. Imo, after Lebron, AD and Danny Green, he's been the biggest contributor.

Heck, you could make a case that he's been as much of a contributor as Green.

Without Dwight playing as good as he has, I might feel different about the Lakers matching and beating the Clippers. I never considered the Lakers first two meetings with the Clippers as template for the playoffs because from the beginning I figured it would be a process to get ready for the playoffs. Grant it that my expectations of their success does depend on their ability to grow and build chemistry. The one weakness they have as of now is the defense coming from Kuzma. His offense is elite, but his defense is weak and soft. If Vogel willl work with him to develop that, then he will become one of the best

 

[buckalis]

I am watching the Pels vs. Clippers game and am sure every body that also does, would agree that despite who wins at the end, the Pels are playing far more exciting basketball... They seem to have find their chemistry and have a deep and full of talent roster that can only go up... Financials are great too and Zion is coming back next week...

I'm moving the Pels up and the Clips behind them...

Future power rankings (revised):

1. Boston Celtics
2. Miami Heat
3. Milwaukee Bucks
4. Memphis Grizzlies
5. Detroit Pistons
6. Dallas Mavericks
7. Utah Jazz
8. OKC Thunder
9. Charlotte Hornets
10. New Orleans Pelicans
11. Los Angeles Clippers
12. Minnesota Timberwolves
13. Golden State Warriors
14. Toronto Raptors
15. Washington Wizards
16. Chicago Bulls
17. Indiana Pacers
18. Orlando Magic
19. Denver Nuggets
20. Atlanta Hawks
21. Cleveland Cavaliers
22. Sacramento Kings
23. Brooklyn Nets
24. Los Angeles Lakers
25. Houston Rockets
26. Philadelphia 76ers
27. Phoenix Suns
28. New York Knicks
29. Portland Trail Blazers
30. San Antonio Spurs

 

[msgkings322]

I am watching the Pels vs. Clippers game and am sure every body that also does, would agree that despite who wins at the end, the Pels are playing far more exciting basketball... They seem to have find their chemistry and have a deep and full of talent roster that can only go up... Financials are great too and Zion is coming back next week...

I'm moving the Pels up and the Clips behind them...

Future power rankings (revised):

1. Boston Celtics
2. Miami Heat
3. Milwaukee Bucks
4. Memphis Grizzlies
5. Detroit Pistons
6. Dallas Mavericks
7. Utah Jazz
8. OKC Thunder
9. Charlotte Hornets
10. New Orleans Pelicans
11. Los Angeles Clippers
12. Minnesota Timberwolves
13. Golden State Warriors
14. Toronto Raptors
15. Washington Wizards
16. Chicago Bulls
17. Indiana Pacers
18. Orlando Magic
19. Denver Nuggets
20. Atlanta Hawks
21. Cleveland Cavaliers
22. Sacramento Kings
23. Brooklyn Nets
24. Los Angeles Lakers
25. Houston Rockets
26. Philadelphia 76ers
27. Phoenix Suns
28. New York Knicks
29. Portland Trail Blazers
30. San Antonio Spurs

480 × 480

 

[buckalis]

The 32pts blow up that the Lakers suffered playing against the Celtics, should really "help" the Lakers fans to wake up in reality... The Lakers are practically playing in NBA games relying on their two superstars (aging Lebron and AD) without any serious coaching, or tactics, or roster depth in order to compete against teams (like the Celtics or the Bucks a few weeks before) which are building the roster in order to contend for the NBA title in the long term and for many years to follow...

Practically, the Lakers are a circus which has blown up all the young and talented core they invested upon in recent years (Randle, Clarkson, Nance, Ball, Hurt, Ingram, Zubac) and signed back veteran journeyman who couldn't care less for their T-shirt's badge... It's practically the reason why no decent coach would consider taking over this circus during last summer and risk to spoil his career if he would ever accept to take the wheel on this circus...

The fans that are expecting the Lakers to make it out of the West this season and even challenge super teams like the Bucks are in the NBA finals, are by far better if they wake from their dreams into reality... Super teams like the Bucks are, would pray to have circuses like the Lakers playing against them in the finals since it would then be the easiest possible match-up to deal against...

The Lakers fans better realize the situation as of today and think what could possibly the solution be in the following years, when the inevitable decline of performance due to aging of Lebron will cause the circus to decline further in an increasingly stepping up competition and the dead end the Lakers have chosen as being their path will be even more apparent...

 

[tlance]

The 32pts blow up that the Lakers suffered playing against the Celtics, should really "help" the Lakers fans to wake up in reality... The Lakers are practically playing in NBA games relying on their two superstars (aging Lebron and AD) without any serious coaching, or tactics, or roster depth in order to compete against teams (like the Celtics or the Bucks a few weeks before) which are building the roster in order to contend for the NBA title in the long term and for many years to follow...

Practically, the Lakers are a circus which has blown up all the young and talented core they invested upon in recent years (Randle, Clarkson, Nance, Ball, Hurt, Ingram, Zubac) and signed back veteran journeyman who couldn't care less for their T-shirt's badge... It's practically the reason why no decent coach would consider taking over this circus during last summer and risk to spoil his career if he would ever accept to take the wheel on this circus...

The fans that are expecting the Lakers to make it out of the West this season and even challenge super teams like the Bucks are in the NBA finals, are by far better if they wake from their dreams into reality... Super teams like the Bucks are, would pray to have circuses like the Lakers playing against them in the finals since it would then be the easiest possible match-up to deal against...

The Lakers fans better realize the situation as of today and think what could possibly the solution be in the following years, when the inevitable decline of performance due to aging of Lebron will cause the circus to decline further in an increasingly stepping up competition and the dead end the Lakers have chosen as being their path will be even more apparent...

Every team has games where they don’t play well.

And they were on the road at a tough opponent without Anthony Davis.

This result is nothing but a blip.

 

[trojanfan12]

The 32pts blow up that the Lakers suffered playing against the Celtics, should really "help" the Lakers fans to wake up in reality... The Lakers are practically playing in NBA games relying on their two superstars (aging Lebron and AD) without any serious coaching, or tactics, or roster depth in order to compete against teams (like the Celtics or the Bucks a few weeks before) which are building the roster in order to contend for the NBA title in the long term and for many years to follow...

Practically, the Lakers are a circus which has blown up all the young and talented core they invested upon in recent years (Randle, Clarkson, Nance, Ball, Hurt, Ingram, Zubac) and signed back veteran journeyman who couldn't care less for their T-shirt's badge... It's practically the reason why no decent coach would consider taking over this circus during last summer and risk to spoil his career if he would ever accept to take the wheel on this circus...

The fans that are expecting the Lakers to make it out of the West this season and even challenge super teams like the Bucks are in the NBA finals, are by far better if they wake from their dreams into reality... Super teams like the Bucks are, would pray to have circuses like the Lakers playing against them in the finals since it would then be the easiest possible match-up to deal against...

The Lakers fans better realize the situation as of today and think what could possibly the solution be in the following years, when the inevitable decline of performance due to aging of Lebron will cause the circus to decline further in an increasingly stepping up competition and the dead end the Lakers have chosen as being their path will be even more apparent...

Frank Vogel was brought in, largely to improve the Lakers defense. The Lakers are currently 7th after finishing something like 28th or 29th last year.

They managed to put together a decent roster despite waiting on Kawhi, but no one saw this roster having the best record in the West and 2nd best in the NBA at this point in the season.

Coaching has proven to be the least of the Lakers very few problems.

AD is 26. Kyle Kuzma is 24.

Those are a couple of nice pieces to build around and attract other top FA's with.

Also, it was one game against a team that was playing at home, was desperate for a win (they had lost 3 in a row and 6 of their last 8) and is expected to challenge to come out of the East.

And exactly which fans have said that they expect the Lakers to come out of the West? Every fan that I've seen on here has said that if the Lakers want to get past the Clippers and make it to the finals, they have to add a player or 2 that they may not have the means to get.

As usual, you are a proven to be a deepshit moron.

 

[Black Adam]

Butt Phallus doing his usual trolling, i see...