The Lakers are Going to End up as the #7 Seed

[Handlogten's Heros]

Lebron is sitting out tonight. They are sliding and have a tough schedule. Calling my shot now... Lakers will win the first play in game and end up as the #7 seed. Looking at the schedule and I think they go 1-3 in their next 4 at best.

Not sure we can claim the #1... If we lose to Denver this week there is a chance we could slip to #3. I think we are destined for a matchup in the first round with Lebron doe.

 

[infection]

“Lol the jazz don’t care about seeding just health lol seeding stupid lol”

 

[Avery]

Here's the thing: if you think the Lakers are the best team, you're going to have to beat them anyway.

There's no easy road here as you can make a realistic point that UTA, PHX, DEN, LAL, or LAC could win the West (and DAL/POR aren't pushovers).

All about the matchups, not the seeding. I do like the home advantage and it's treated us well this year, but having a healthy backcourt is all that matters.

Contrast that with the East and most people would agree that either PHI, BK or MIL seem destined for that spot.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

“Lol the jazz don’t care about seeding just health lol seeding stupid lol”

I do think Lebron is actually human and hurt right now... I think AD is fragile and the achilles thing could linger... I'm not necessarily saying its the end of the world if that is how it shakes out... we'd obviously have to beat the Lakers and the refs which makes it really tough.

If we slipped and fell to third we may avoid the Lakers. End of week we should know where we stand.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Here's the thing: if you think the Lakers are the best team, you're going to have to beat them anyway.

There's no easy road here as you can make a realistic point that UTA, PHX, DEN, LAL, or LAC could win the West (and DAL/POR aren't pushovers).

All about the matchups, not the seeding. I do like the home advantage and it's treated us well this year, but having a healthy backcourt is all that matters.

Yes but you don't want your road to be Lakers, Clippers, Suns... if you can wait it increases your chances of getting all the way through the guantlet... IF they aren't healthy... it may be good for us to get them early but you'd rather see them duke it out with another title contender.

 

[infection]

I do think Lebron is actually human and hurt right now... I think AD is fragile and the achilles thing could linger... I'm not necessarily saying its the end of the world if that is how it shakes out... we'd obviously have to beat the Lakers and the refs which makes it really tough.

If we slipped and fell to third we may avoid the Lakers. End of week we should know where we stand.

There's definitely variability in it. If you can catch the Lakers rusty and a bit hobbled, especially if you have a bit of rest with them doing play-in, then that's certainly the best time to meet them. But a first round exit for the reigning champs is a huge opportunity cost loss for the league, and there will be a lot of wind in their sails.

And, just to vent, people have the hardest time seeing how officiating and bias can influence games and they seem to thinking that either officiating is determined by the league dressed in black robes in a dark room with dim candles, or it's all on the up-and-up or has a negligible effect. My analogy is the bowling bumpers. Putting bumpers in the gutters for bowling doesn't change your roll. The amount of time that the ball is in contact with the bumpers compared to the amount of time it spends rolling down the lane is infinitesimally small. It's like arguing that because the fraction of time the ball is in contact with a bump is so negligible, that the outcome of that effect is likewise negligible.

tl;dr the whistle's against you from the jump. Rudy may get called for a foul on the jump again.

 

[MT Steve]

I was afraid of the Lakers up until I watched them last night. AD looks awful. LeBron got hurt again. Schroeder got COVID. They have four b2b's remaining in the season.

They aren't going to have time to get into a rhythm before the playoffs start. I also just don't see LeBron being healthy. Not only do I think we'd beat them in a series, I think we'd blast them.

 

[The Thriller]

I do think Lebron is actually human and hurt right now... I think AD is fragile and the achilles thing could linger... I'm not necessarily saying its the end of the world if that is how it shakes out... we'd obviously have to beat the Lakers and the refs which makes it really tough.

If we slipped and fell to third we may avoid the Lakers. End of week we should know where we stand.

It’s not like the Lakers are the only damaged team. How healthy will Conley and Mitchell be in the next few weeks?

 

[Nicksti]

Yes but you don't want your road to be Lakers, Clippers, Suns... if you can wait it increases your chances of getting all the way through the guantlet... IF they aren't healthy... it may be good for us to get them early but you'd rather see them duke it out with another title contender.

But can you say with certainty which 3 of the LAL/LAC/DEN/PHO you rather play? Not to sound like a blind fan but if we are the best we will have to stop worrying about who we play and just play our best basketball because at our best no one beats us.

 

[Elizah Huge]

It’s not like the Lakers are the only damaged team. How healthy will Conley and Mitchell be in the next few weeks?

I’d say pretty healthy considering the amount of games they both are sitting.

 

[Jazzmix]

We already got a matchup we wanted last season and we were kicked out. If you are really aiming at the highest prize than you will have to beat great teams on the way. West is stacked and there is no way around imo.

 

[yamers]

lol @ shroder not getting a vaccine.

lebron is also an anti vaxer. shocker

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

The Lakers could end up anywhere from 6th to 9th at this point. You can't plan anything around them right now.

They also look terrible.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

But can you say with certainty which 3 of the LAL/LAC/DEN/PHO you rather play? Not to sound like a blind fan but if we are the best we will have to stop worrying about who we play and just play our best basketball because at our best no one beats us.

Its true... would just like to avoid Lebron and playing 2 others in that tier. It feels like the year we landed Houston (95-96) because they were unhealthy and they ended up being the champs.

I think if you gave me a choice of teams I'd like to avoid it'd go:

- Clips
-Lakers
-Phoenix
-Denver

Porty, Dallas are a tier below those teams imo. Would like to get one of them or Memphis in the 1st.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

We already got a matchup we wanted last season and we were kicked out. If you are really aiming at the highest prize than you will have to beat great teams on the way. West is stacked and there is no way around imo.

Last year we positioned ourselves to avoid some teams... Denver was good but that was a better matchup. If Murray doesn't go supernova or if we were healthy we pull that one out.

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

Last year we positioned ourselves to avoid some teams... Denver was good but that was a better matchup. If Murray doesn't go supernova or if we were healthy we pull that one out.

Yeah, targeting Denver was the right decision. I think the Jazz had some guys that just didn't want to be in the bubble. The Jazz stopped playing defense.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I didn't catch the Shroeder news... man... they are screwed.

Win tonight and we have a chance to get DM or Mike back fairly soon and can handle the rest of the schedule. Hope for some luck.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

If the Lakers lose to Portland Friday on the back end of a back to back... they won't have the tie breaker against the Blazers or Mavs. I'm like 90% certain they land as the #7.

 

[infection]

This lolzer was in an ad I got on social media:

LeBron James Slams NBA’s New Play-In Tournament

Mavs owner Mark Cuban has called the new concept an “enormous mistake.”

www.forbes.com

Or perhaps this is LeBron’s way to send a message to get an unofficial bye for the play-in.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

This lolzer was in an ad I got on social media:

LeBron James Slams NBA’s New Play-In Tournament

Mavs owner Mark Cuban has called the new concept an “enormous mistake.”

www.forbes.com

Or perhaps this is LeBron’s way to send a message to get an unofficial bye for the play-in.

I've been a Lebron defender but this is serious lols... There is another tweet where he basically advocates for a play in years ago. This is just a dude being a crybaby about this thing not going his way. Like when my kids scream "its not fair". Adam Silver should come out with a rebuttal and just say "too bad so sad".