Playoff hopes: ESPN - 39-21 just to make 8th seed

Snake Eyes wrote:The 2002-2003 Lakers not only fielded a worse team, but had a worse record than we do. I still have confidence.

That team had a prime Kobe and Prime Shaq with veteran players who knew how to play in every situation possible.

OX1947 wrote:

Snake Eyes wrote:The 2002-2003 Lakers not only fielded a worse team, but had a worse record than we do. I still have confidence.

That team had a prime Kobe and Prime Shaq with veteran players who knew how to play in every situation possible.

more of the shaq than the prime one, plus he missed like 15 games that year

that team also had slava medvedenko, samaki walker, and soumaila samake nowhere near the talent this team has

Even with all this losing and the team looking so bad, I still cannot see us missing the playoffs. The Lakers with a relatively healthy roster just do not miss the playoffs, doesn't happen. If a team of Kobe, Dwight, Nash, MWP, Jamison and whoever else is left by season's end, whether that's Pau or pieces he's traded for, can't make the playoffs, I will be stunned and nothing will make sense anymore.

You need around 46-48 wins to make the playoffs in the West .. We will probably make it but as 5th to 8th seed ... nothing to be proud and hyped about ...

Barring an important injury to their franchise player , we're not catching OKC, Grizz, SAS and Floppers..

432J wrote:

OX1947 wrote:

Snake Eyes wrote:The 2002-2003 Lakers not only fielded a worse team, but had a worse record than we do. I still have confidence.

That team had a prime Kobe and Prime Shaq with veteran players who knew how to play in every situation possible.

more of the shaq than the prime one, plus he missed like 15 games that year

that team also had slava medvedenko, samaki walker, and soumaila samake nowhere near the talent this team has

I equate talent by wins, not individual talent. The 2003 team would wipe the floor with this team, eat them and then take a dump underneath Chick Hearn Court outside the stadium.

OX1947 wrote:

Snake Eyes wrote:The 2002-2003 Lakers not only fielded a worse team, but had a worse record than we do. I still have confidence.

That team had a prime Kobe and Prime Shaq with veteran players who knew how to play in every situation possible.

There is no denying that. But this team does have a prime Dwight Howard and a Kobe who, as of right now, has been more efficient than ever before. Although, that is probably not sustainable. I am just trying to say that all is not lost after the first 21 games. There is a lot of ball games left to be played. Give this team a chance to gel with the complete starting roster. We will start winning eventually.

^ lol

Snake Eyes wrote:

OX1947 wrote:

Snake Eyes wrote:The 2002-2003 Lakers not only fielded a worse team, but had a worse record than we do. I still have confidence.

That team had a prime Kobe and Prime Shaq with veteran players who knew how to play in every situation possible.

There is no denying that. But this team does have a prime Dwight Howard and a Kobe who, as of right now, has been more efficient than ever before. Although, that is probably not sustainable. I am just trying to say that all is not lost after the first 21 games. There is a lot of ball games left to be played. Give this team a chance to gel with the complete starting roster. We will start winning eventually.

^ how many times has that been said already?

^ A few times. I feel many fans are already mailing in this season (and some are also mailing in the next two). As of right now, I need a bigger sample size, and preferably with our starting roster. I am not ready to start preaching doom and gloom when there is still 75% of the season is left to be played. I get if people disagree; it is the nature of fandom. It is all about perspective.

Snake Eyes wrote:^ A few times. I feel many fans are already mailing in this season (and some are also mailing in the next two). As of right now, I need a bigger sample size, and preferably with our starting roster. I am not ready to start preaching doom and gloom when there is still 75% of the season is left to be played. I get if people disagree; it is the nature of fandom. It is all about perspective.

We're talking about Lakers fans here ... we're not patient BUT there is still no excuse to lose games against bad to average teams ...

We can't buy into "the patience and it's a process" argument when we are getting owned AT home by the Magic and Jazz ( who have been a terrible road team for years) of this world .

This team should be 14-7 right now despite the injuries/coach change/new roster ... not 9-12

Arash Markazi ‏@ArashMarkazi

Lakers had Kobe, Shaq, Fisher, Horry, Fox, Shaw and Jax as the coach but started the season 19-23. Ended at 50-32

Let's wait a few games when we finally have our full 5 starters back before we start jumping off the cliff.

I'm hoping for the best,6th-8th seed, but I have to expect the worst!!

I'm more pessimitic that I would like to. Most people here take it granted the Lakers will make the playoffs, there is a lot of margin for improvement right? Well, yes, the same can be said of teams like Minnesota (Rubio is still out) and Dallas (Dirk is still out), and yet they have right now better records than us.

Take a serious look at the Conference Standings and ask yourself who exactly are we going to steal the 7th-8th seed from that easyly? The West is tougher than ever this year, and huge improvement must be made to just make the playoffs...

What is the conventional wisdom as to how many wins will it take this year to capture a top 4 seed?

The way its looking, say 60-68 with 60 being a 4 seed and 68 being 1?

So, seeds 5-8 would be what 50-59 wins? At 9-12 we would need to go 41-20 to be in reach of an 8 seed?

That would be a turn around of monstrous proportion I hope the Lakers can make. I cant fathom the reaction if for some really strange reason we miss the playoffs.

You know the Cavs will be up for the game as will every other team looking to make a name for themselves. I guess what pisses me off more than anything is on 11/1 the team came out and said Nash will likely be out for 7-10 days. Are they using a freaking Aztec calendar or what?

I don't think we will make the playoffs. Any optimism I had died after yesterday's abysmal showing after multiple abysmal showings.

Am I jumping ship as a fan? Never that. I will always be a Laker fan, always. But the reality is that this team for whatever reason is terrible, absolutely terrible. It doesn't make sense, I don't completely understand why, but that's the sad reality.

Our defense is horrible. We don't play with passion. We're leaderless. Yes I said it, leaderless. We have no team chemistry. I don't know how that's going to magically change as the season goes on. I'm hoping for a miracle but I'm expecting the worst.

Its quite possible this season could go down as the most disappointing season I have ever experienced as a Laker fan. And my years as a fan go back to before the Magic Johnson days. I can remember watching Kareem play before Magic came and transformed them into a dynasty.

Its definitely time to worry. 25 percent into the season, we should have shown signs of improvement. I see no change from the first game of the season to now. I understand we just had a coaching change. And speaking of coaching change, passing on Phil Jackson just might be the biggest mistake of all.

Maybe we make the playoffs. Maybe we don't. But I seriously doubt we do any better in the playoffs than the past two years. I have a feeling the team mighta screwed up the only chance they had to win a title and keep Dwight Howard to build another dynasty. They did that by choosing Dantoni over Jackson.

So its possible Kobe's final season will be on a rebuilding team with aging vets and no draft picks. May not even be a playoff team. A team other teams will look on the schedule and pencil in a win. Not exactly the way we expected to see Kobe finish his career.

But hey, after next season, big money comes off the books. They won't be paying big bucks to Howard. Fans will still file into Staples Center to watch a 35 win team. Jimmy Buss will be smiling all the way to the bank.

not exactly sure comparing ourselves to a team that started off slow then ultimately failed in teh playoffs is a good thing.

Just wanted to see what the 8th seed record was in the past 2 seasons to see what we'd have to do to claim that 8th spot. (I extrapolated last year since it wasn't a full season).

In 2011-2012 season the 8th seed had 36 wins (or 45 wins when extrapolated out).
In the 2010-2011 season the 8th seed had 46 wins.

To err on the side of caution, let's assume we need 46 wins this year to make the 8th seed.

Record needed for 7th/8th seed
We need to go 37-24 (or win 61% of our games) moving forward.

Record needed for 6th seed
We need to go 38-23 (or win 62% of our games) moving forward.

Record needed for 5th seed
We need to go 41-20 (or win 67% of our games) moving forward.

Record needed for 4th seed
We need to go 40-19 (or win 68% of our games) moving forward.

JGC wrote:Just wanted to see what the 8th seed record was in the past 2 seasons to see what we'd have to do to claim that 8th spot. (I extrapolated last year since it wasn't a full season).

In 2011-2012 season the 8th seed had 36 wins (or 45 wins when extrapolated out).
In the 2010-2011 season the 8th seed had 46 wins.

To err on the side of caution, let's assume we need 46 wins this year to make the 8th seed.

Record needed for 7th/8th seed
We need to go 37-24 (or win 61% of our games) moving forward.

Record needed for 6th seed
We need to go 38-23 (or win 62% of our games) moving forward.

Record needed for 5th seed
We need to go 41-20 (or win 67% of our games) moving forward.

Record needed for 4th seed
We need to go 40-19 (or win 68% of our games) moving forward.

What about 1st seed?

JGC wrote:Just wanted to see what the 8th seed record was in the past 2 seasons to see what we'd have to do to claim that 8th spot. (I extrapolated last year since it wasn't a full season).

In 2011-2012 season the 8th seed had 36 wins (or 45 wins when extrapolated out).
In the 2010-2011 season the 8th seed had 46 wins.

To err on the side of caution, let's assume we need 46 wins this year to make the 8th seed.

Record needed for 7th/8th seed
We need to go 37-24 (or win 61% of our games) moving forward.

Record needed for 6th seed
We need to go 38-23 (or win 62% of our games) moving forward.

Record needed for 5th seed
We need to go 41-20 (or win 67% of our games) moving forward.

Record needed for 4th seed
We need to go 40-19 (or win 68% of our games) moving forward.

61%?! Yikes.

This team hasn't even won 3 in a row yet this season.

The Lakers are 1-9 this season when Kobe scores 30+ points.
The Lakers are 8-3 this season when Kobe scores less than 30 points.

So the Lakers are better when Kobe scores less/takes less shots.

I just won the championship with the Lakers in 2k13. Oh if only life came with a joystick.

Don't see us catching the Grizz, Spurs or OKC

so it's anywhere from 4th to 7th IMO.

Battle Tested20 wrote:

Arash Markazi ‏@ArashMarkazi

Lakers had Kobe, Shaq, Fisher, Horry, Fox, Shaw and Jax as the coach but started the season 19-23. Ended at 50-32

Let's wait a few games when we finally have our full 5 starters back before we start jumping off the cliff.

No but seriously......I am not over panicking just yet. We still have time.