The Lakers Are Clearly The Best Team In The West

Texas Lakers Fan · by **Texas Lakers Fan** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 9:30 pm

I don't think there is any question that with James Harden now being traded to Houston that the Lakers road to the Finals is much easier. I think now you have to say they're the favorite in the West. Someone brought it up in another thread, but the main advantage Oklahoma City had over the Lakers was the bench. Now that advantage has dipped significantly. Now maybe they still have a slight advantage, but the gap between the two benches have closed in a big, big way.

The Lakers have the far superior starting lineup. You look at the Lakers starting unit. You have two legit superstars in Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard who are every bit the dynamic duo that Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are. Then you have two All Stars in Pau Gasol and Steve Nash. Last, but not least you have a terrific role player in Metta World Peace. A guy who is still one of the better perimeter defenders in the league and still a threat offensively.

After Westbrook and Durant the Thunder just don't have many options offensively. Who's their 3rd best player now? Serge Ibaka who isn't a huge threat offensively. Certainly not the threat Harden was for the Thunder. Perkins and Sefolosha are both big time liabilities on offense. Kevin Martin is a solid player, but Harden was a legit All Star and potential superstar. Trading him just makes no sense to me because he would've been a restricted free agent not unrestricted.

You lose alot by trading James Harden. Not only a guy who is a very efficient scorer, but a guy who can create for himself and others and also a solid defender as well. He was really the top playmaker for the Thunder. Now that's Westbrook's responsibility and while he's a terrific player he's not a true point guard at all. He's a shoot first player that's strength is creating for himself and not his teammates.

All in all I think it's very clear who the best team in the West is now. It's your Los Angeles Lakers. NBA Finals here we come! :jam2:

lakersyunowin · by **lakersyunowin** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 9:33 pm

let's let the season start before crowning ourselves the conference champs

The Rock · by **The Rock** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 9:34 pm

Can we please play an actual game before we're crowned...this reminds me of the Dodgers really. The Giants lost one of their best players Melky Cabrera (albeit to cheating), that team is now about to win the world series while the star studded Dodgers lineup didn't even make the playoffs. We need guys to be in the right mindset (especially Ron and Pau) and we need Brown to lead them well. Nothing is a given.

Vasashi17 · by **Vasashi17** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 9:36 pm

Two words: Mike Brown

You may want to hold off for a bit.

Rooscooter · by **Rooscooter** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 9:45 pm

fksteveblake wrote:let's let the season start before crowning ourselves the conference champs

Yeah..... How about let's get within 15 points in a game first....... :man10:

Doc Brown · by **Doc Brown** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 9:48 pm

http://www.clublakers.com/post3712274.html?hilit=%20champions#p3712274

Alcindor · by **Alcindor** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 9:50 pm

Well, I see no need to watch anything until the finals then. Thanks.

kray28 · by **kray28** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 9:55 pm

Right now, with the way we are playing, I don't think we're even a Top 8 team in the West. What we are "on paper" means very little...

Last Sunday, I actually saw them try their damndest to beat Sacramento...at full strength, with a reasonable proxy of the rotations we'll see in the regular season. Mind you, the Queens aren't even close to a great team, but we couldn't do it. The starters built a lead, but then blew it in the third quarter.

Weezy · by **Weezy** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 10:02 pm

On paper, we look the best, but that's paper. In reality, Mike Brown sucks, Nash is being handicapped, Kobe is already injured, MWP is inconsistent again , Dwight is not 100%, and Pau is up and down every night, looking like he's aging rapidly. To top that all off our bench is a question mark still and the backup PG spot is garbage for us. I still believe we can win it all this year if chemistry develops and Nash is let loose to be Nash. I believe OKC just got worse, but not by a lot, and I also believe we're going to struggle against other quick, young teams.

DHL · by **DHL** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 10:04 pm

lets win a game first

Mr_Hollywood_Line · by **Mr_Hollywood_Line** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 10:49 pm

Vasashi17 wrote:Two words: Mike Brown

You may want to hold off for a bit.

This.

If the pre-season was any indication re: how Brown "prepares" for the regular season, then we might be in for a rough ride.

Texas Lakers Fan · by **Texas Lakers Fan** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 10:59 pm

Weezy wrote:On paper, we look the best, but that's paper. In reality, Mike Brown sucks, Nash is being handicapped, Kobe is already injured, MWP is inconsistent again , Dwight is not 100%, and Pau is up and down every night, looking like he's aging rapidly. To top that all off our bench is a question mark still and the backup PG spot is garbage for us. I still believe we can win it all this year if chemistry develops and Nash is let loose to be Nash. I believe OKC just got worse, but not by a lot, and I also believe we're going to struggle against other quick, young teams.

This is based off what some meaningless pre-season games? If you think a team full of veterans is gonna be going all out and trying to win some exhibition games you're kidding yourself. Dwight will eventually be 100 percent and back to his normal Superman self, Kobe is Kobe no injury is gonna slow that man down, World Peace just needs to play solid defense and hit a few open shots I have no doubt he can do that, Nash will eventually get some chemistry going with these guys it'll just take some time. Mike Brown isn't that bad. Some of you are way too hard on him. Sure his rotations are questionable he's not perfect, but he's not terrible either. I don't see how OKC didn't get significantly worse when they traded a guy is who is an All Star caliber player, one of the best guards and the best overall sixth man in the game for a career loser like Kevin Martin.

Texas Lakers Fan · by **Texas Lakers Fan** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 11:00 pm

kray28 wrote:Right now, with the way we are playing, I don't think we're even a Top 8 team in the West. What we are "on paper" means very little...

Last Sunday, I actually saw them try their damndest to beat Sacramento...at full strength, with a reasonable proxy of the rotations we'll see in the regular season. Mind you, the Queens aren't even close to a great team, but we couldn't do it. The starters built a lead, but then blew it in the third quarter.

Are you people for real? :man10:

It's freaking pre-season who the f*** cares? The games mean absolutely nothing. These guys are clearly in cruise control as they should be. Why go all out and try to win meaningless exhibition games why you're a veteran team? Makes no sense at all.

Lakerjones · by **Lakerjones** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 11:08 pm

Shocking move by OKC to trade Harden. On paper, no doubt we are the best. But we also have a terrible coach that is bringing us down. Not sure how this will all play out. But definitely our chances to make it to the Finals got better after the Harden trade.

432J · by **432J** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 11:11 pm

Vasashi17 wrote:Two words: Mike Brown

You may want to hold off for a bit.

LoyalLakerfan44 · by **LoyalLakerfan44** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 11:12 pm

The Lakers would be the best team if they had a great coach. Great players need great coaches not clowns with partial abilities.

Rooscooter · by **Rooscooter** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 11:22 pm

Texas Lakers Fan wrote:
kray28 wrote:Right now, with the way we are playing, I don't think we're even a Top 8 team in the West. What we are "on paper" means very little...

Last Sunday, I actually saw them try their damndest to beat Sacramento...at full strength, with a reasonable proxy of the rotations we'll see in the regular season. Mind you, the Queens aren't even close to a great team, but we couldn't do it. The starters built a lead, but then blew it in the third quarter.

Are you people for real?

It's freaking pre-season who the f*** cares? The games mean absolutely nothing. These guys are clearly in cruise control as they should be. Why go all out and try to win meaningless exhibition games why you're a veteran team? Makes no sense at all.

Oh I assure you.......he's real.......... And right. Until we see something from this team positive the "paper" wins aren't that meaningful.

Also keep in mind that OKC is getting Maynor back this year .........and he's better than anyone we have on our bench.... That ought add a little perspective

The Original 81 · by **The Original 81** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 11:22 pm

You're main argument being the fact that these games are preseason and mean "nothing" is a pretty poor one. Did we go all out to win games? No, but you're acting like our starters were loafing around like they didn't care at all. And even if they were in "cruise control", shouldn't we be able to win a game?

Fact is, we have a lot of work to do and I don't think we're "clearly" the best just yet. I like the optimism though.

borri · by **borri** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 11:32 pm

432J wrote:
Vasashi17 wrote:Two words: Mike Brown

You may want to hold off for a bit.

JGC · by **JGC** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 11:35 pm

Texas Lakers Fan wrote:
kray28 wrote:Right now, with the way we are playing, I don't think we're even a Top 8 team in the West. What we are "on paper" means very little...

Last Sunday, I actually saw them try their damndest to beat Sacramento...at full strength, with a reasonable proxy of the rotations we'll see in the regular season. Mind you, the Queens aren't even close to a great team, but we couldn't do it. The starters built a lead, but then blew it in the third quarter.

Are you people for real?

It's freaking pre-season who the f*** cares? The games mean absolutely nothing. These guys are clearly in cruise control as they should be. Why go all out and try to win meaningless exhibition games why you're a veteran team? Makes no sense at all.

If everyone involved is in cruise control, then we should have looked a LOT better. Kings in cruise control should not be better than Lakers in cruise control.

The games always mean nothing when they are losses and they mean everything when they are wins.

No one is talking about going "all out" to try to win. I don't even think kray was talking about wins. What people are talking about is going out there and trying to develop chemistry. They didn't do that. At all. They failed at it... so far... so they'll have to use the regular season to keep on trying.

I think to kray's point, if we play in the regular season like we did in the preseason, we will be a lower seed in the playoffs and I think that's a fair statement. This team has never played together before, we have no idea how good they will be, only how good they theoretically should be. The Eagles were supposed to be INCREDIBLE last year.

wcsoldier81 · by **wcsoldier81** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 11:45 pm

This trade sure doesn't hurt our chances but we have a long way to go .... it's a process , we have to execute better and in order to do that , we have to watch some tapes

lotus · by **lotus** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 11:47 pm

Actually, I think OKC is better off with that trade, so I'm not so sure they will be worse than last year.

lakersyunowin · by **lakersyunowin** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 11:49 pm

OP, i don't know how you can discount the only substance we have to go on so far (as you call them, "meaningless" preseason games), and yet make a bold claim with NO evidence that we are already booked in the finals. lol?

off-tangent, imo yes the pre-season record is meaningless, but the games are not. that's a whole different discussion though.

therealdeal · by **therealdeal** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 11:49 pm

lotus wrote:Actually, I think OKC is better off with that trade, so I'm not so sure they will be worse than last year.

How in the world could you think that OKC is better off with that trade for this season?

JGC · by **JGC** on Sat Oct 27, 2012 11:58 pm

It's too bad championships aren't won on paper. Then I would be inclined to agree with the OP.

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