The question isn't how many games we will win but rather how we compare relative to other teams. I see a lot of teams getting better from the bottom (better than us) but don't see too many moving down.
But we have no bench to back them up....These comparisons are made completely on last years play, which is comparing bench/role players with starters of last year.
Kanter/Favors/Hayward/Burks were on PER or even better than those teams players last year.
The question isn't how many games we will win but rather how we compare relative to other teams. I see a lot of teams getting better from the bottom (better than us) but don't see too many moving down.
This is also why I think we will loose more games, almost every team in the west got better!!! Only the suns and kings didn't move the needle to much!!
Truth.
Could argue Lakers got worse, but you could also argue that without the Dwight distraction maybe they got better.
Mavs are another team. How bad will their defense be with a Calderon/Ellis back-court? If Dirk is completely healthy they are probably better though, but if he isn't I would say they are worse than last year.
Truth.
Could argue Lakers got worse, but you could also argue that without the Dwight distraction maybe they got better.
Mavs are another team. How bad will their defense be with a Calderon/Ellis back-court? If Dirk is completely healthy they are probably better though, but if he isn't I would say they are worse than last year.
3. We need the Lakers to make the playoffs at all costs, so much so that I may make a Lakers rally thread. If they make the playoffs then that likely pushes GSW out in higher likelihood (I hope). But more importantly, with Kobe's career coming to a close and the Lakers in steep decline, in this particular draft, it's hard for me to have much faith in the impartiality of how ping pong balls drop and would this wish they bypassed the lottery all together.
Pau Gasol is the key to the Laker's season for me. If he comes out and plays like the Championship-year Gasol, then the Lakers could push the Warriors out of the playoffs.
If he doesn't, then I can see the Lakers missing the playoffs.
I hope he balls next year for the sake of the Warrior's pick and for my fantasy team.
I think the Lakers will be much better this year and for a few reasons:
1. Both Nash and Kobe are great players, but pairing them together was a silly idea simply because both players are successful for the same, mutually exclusive reason (they succeed by having the ball run through them). This will give D'Antoni an opportunity to run through Nash and encorporate guys like Gasol. Kobe can transition back in as a more complementary piece.
2. People really underestimate how big of a cancer Dwight Howard really is. There have been guys come into the league that are phenomenal talents but, despite how talented they are an the great numbers they put up, lack enough winning mentality that they are honestly a sieve to you entire team in ways that aren't quite measurable outside the W/L column. But, as it's not very measurable, nobody will attribute the W/L% to the player because we're so busy being blown away by the physical specimen and the elite numbers.
3. We need the Lakers to make the playoffs at all costs, so much so that I may make a Lakers rally thread. If they make the playoffs then that likely pushes GSW out in higher likelihood (I hope). But more importantly, with Kobe's career coming to a close and the Lakers in steep decline, in this particular draft, it's hard for me to have much faith in the impartiality of how ping pong balls drop and would this wish they bypassed the lottery all together.
i will bet you a million dollars that jazz would win 30 games atleast
anyone who thinks otherwise is completely off their rocker. this is undoubtedly one of the 3 worst benches in the nba. combine that with a starting 5 that has talent but raw at that, and rookie point guard, and a team that has practically never played together; this team will lose A LOT. the team will gel over time and with a top-3 pick, by next year they will once again be a playoff team as we have a lot of money again next offseason to create a great bench for the starting cast.
2013-2014 jazz= worst 4-5 teams in nba
2014-2015 jazz= top 12 teams in nba
it will be amazing to see such a huge jump in a team from one year to another. but thats what a good core 5+ wiggins will get you.
Um. In a team sport those things are absolutely not meaningless. And saying so shows me you've never played a team sport at any level.There is no such thing as "locker room cancer" or "winning mentality". These are meaningless totems. Dwight Howard is a once-in-a-generation talent and the Lakers will miss him dearly. They will finish at the bottom of the conference.