The Optimistic Thread! (TRD's FREEDOM THREAD!)

-Kobe was ice cold and missed a lot of shots he'll normally make.
-20 turnovers against the first elite defensive team we've faced since finding our new chemistry.
-Pretty bad officiating at times.
-5-13fts is out of the norm bad, even for Dwight.
-Lebron and Wade both shot really well, which won't always be the case. (conversely, Bosh and their role players shot abnormally poor, which also won't usually be the case)

And we still were right there, neck and neck.

-Oh, and I still insist we're going to get the missing pieces we need in a Pau trade.

This game isn't indicative of how good we'll be for the rest of the year. We just need to make the playoffs by beating the teams we should beat and by continuing to play well and improve, even in losses against the elite teams. We're just starting to build chemistry and i think we'll look like an entirely different (better) team in spring. Hopefully it's not too late.

I'm a little surprised at the amount of negativity I see on here this morning... I think a lot of you expected us to win that game? Or just because it was close down the stretch you let your expectations rise?

Look, we're a struggling team and we made some progress the last week, but we just played the defending champs. We're a sub five hundred team and we just played the champs to the last 2.5 minutes. That's a good sign.

Some really great positives (most of which Punk already pointed out):
1. We had WAY too many turnovers early and a LOT of them weren't even forced, they were just off of lazy passes because our guys were nervous. That won't happen a lot and I'd venture it won't happen again. We ended with what, 20 turnovers? We've been improving in that area and I think overall we did well except for the 1st quarter.

2. Kobe was ICE cold most of the game. He can make a lot of the shots he took. He didn't today, but that's not something we should get accustomed to.

3. The energy was a little off because of Pau, but once he's gone our team's chemistry and energy will pick up again.

4. Dwight was missing gimmes that he's not going to miss very often.

5. We still had a chance to win late DESPITE all the self inflicted problems. We can hang with the best teams in the league, we're just not quite over that hump yet. We've played the Clippers close, the Heat close, the Spurs close twice, and we beat the Knicks. We CAN be a great team, we're just not quite there. Three days off and then we play a team we should beat. I think we'll do it and we'll look good again.

therealdeal wrote:I'm a little surprised at the amount of negativity I see on here this morning... I think a lot of you expected us to win that game? Or just because it was close down the stretch you let your expectations rise?

Look, we're a struggling team and we made some progress the last week, but we just played the defending champs. We're a sub five hundred team and we just played the champs to the last 2.5 minutes. That's a good sign.

At some point, we're gonna have to beat a good team. I just hope we can do that at home against OKC coming up...

Scnottaken wrote:

puffyusaf#2 wrote:Like I said before..... This team has found its footing. We are looking better and Mike B seems to have finally begun to put players where they need to be. The Heat were gifted this game by the officiating plain and simple. Some big shots by the Heat at the end of the game sealed the deal added with some bonehead plays by us.

I am happy with what I saw and what we are making the playoff run happen.

Oh, god, not THAT name!

lol... damn I was tired.

therealdeal wrote:I'm a little surprised at the amount of negativity I see on here this morning... I think a lot of you expected us to win that game? Or just because it was close down the stretch you let your expectations rise?

Look, we're a struggling team and we made some progress the last week, but we just played the defending champs. We're a sub five hundred team and we just played the champs to the last 2.5 minutes. That's a good sign.

Some really great positives (most of which Punk already pointed out):
1. We had WAY too many turnovers early and a LOT of them weren't even forced, they were just off of lazy passes because our guys were nervous. That won't happen a lot and I'd venture it won't happen again. We ended with what, 20 turnovers? We've been improving in that area and I think overall we did well except for the 1st quarter.

2. Kobe was ICE cold most of the game. He can make a lot of the shots he took. He didn't today, but that's not something we should get accustomed to.

3. The energy was a little off because of Pau, but once he's gone our team's chemistry and energy will pick up again.

4. Dwight was missing gimmes that he's not going to miss very often.

5. We still had a chance to win late DESPITE all the self inflicted problems. We can hang with the best teams in the league, we're just not quite over that hump yet. We've played the Clippers close, the Heat close, the Spurs close twice, and we beat the Knicks. We CAN be a great team, we're just not quite there. Three days off and then we play a team we should beat. I think we'll do it and we'll look good again.

It's just the reality of our situation ... missing the playoffs is becoming more and more probable with every loss ... we badly needed the win regardless of the opponent

Not really. All the other bottom seed playoff teams in the West and have been struggling majorly so it's not like we're 6 games out of a spot all of a sudden. The team has been playing much better but is still rough around the edges.

These next 6 games will be telling. LA needs to go 5-1 or 4-2 at the worst to get it going.

@Toronto
@Chicago Bulls
@Memphis Grizzlies
Utah Jazz
Oklahoma City Thunder
New Orleans Hornets

We should win all of those except maybe @ Memphis and maybe vs OKC although that's a game we should win after they embarrassed us last week. Obviously I'm basing this on the hope that the team is done with losing to teams they should be beating. They can't afford to lose to bad teams anymore.

therealdeal wrote:

5. We still had a chance to win late DESPITE all the self inflicted problems. We can hang with the best teams in the league, we're just not quite over that hump yet. We've played the Clippers close, the Heat close, the Spurs close twice, and we beat the Knicks. We CAN be a great team, we're just not quite there. Three days off and then we play a team we should beat. I think we'll do it and we'll look good again.

I know this is your optimistic thread but at this point with the record that we have can we really take solice in moral victories anymore?

dj vitus wrote:

therealdeal wrote:I'm a little surprised at the amount of negativity I see on here this morning... I think a lot of you expected us to win that game? Or just because it was close down the stretch you let your expectations rise?

Look, we're a struggling team and we made some progress the last week, but we just played the defending champs. We're a sub five hundred team and we just played the champs to the last 2.5 minutes. That's a good sign.

At some point, we're gonna have to beat a good team. I just hope we can do that at home against OKC coming up...

Honestly it's not that much of a concern right now. We need to keep building on the s*** teams we're demolishing. And eventually the confidence kicks in and we'll start executing better against the good teams.

We just need to stay the course we're on right now. (this is also in response to khmrp)

i'm optimistic that Pau will be moved soon and the players we receive will help turn this whole thing around


we will be the NBA's version of the LA Kings...8th seed that slayed everyone

if pau comes off the bench, like dantoni as now said could happen, it could really help our team. nash spending more time with dwight and kobe with pau and then all 4 together in the 4th etc.

also teaming up duhon meeks and pau with jamison would spread the floor and allow pau to play in the post and distribute like he did against the heat surprisingly

Portland - 4 losses in a row
Houston - 6 losses in a row
Minnesota - 5 losses in a row


Let's catch these fools!!!

LakeShow09 wrote:Portland - 4 losses in a row
Houston - 6 losses in a row
Minnesota - 5 losses in a row


Let's catch these fools!!!

Denver lost at home. GS also dropped 3 in a row.

Fortunately for us, a lot of teams in the west keep losing. We can catch them.

Those teams aren't that good!

What is so special about Minnesota? They're a bad team! Especially without Love. That team is one we can catch definitely. Portland is a team we SMASHED at home. That team is beatable for sure. Utah and Houston are alright, but are they really better than us? Of course not. We can get there. We just can't lose any more games against teams that aren't elite. Sounds hard, but it's true and it's not impossible.

therealdeal wrote:Those teams aren't that good!

What is so special about Minnesota? They're a bad team! Especially without Love. That team is one we can catch definitely. Portland is a team we SMASHED at home. That team is beatable for sure. Utah and Houston are alright, but are they really better than us? Of course not. We can get there. We just can't lose any more games against teams that aren't elite. Sounds hard, but it's true and it's not impossible.

We are 1-4 against these teams ... not at full strength though ( this is the optimistic part of the post )

wcsoldier81 wrote:

therealdeal wrote:Those teams aren't that good!

What is so special about Minnesota? They're a bad team! Especially without Love. That team is one we can catch definitely. Portland is a team we SMASHED at home. That team is beatable for sure. Utah and Houston are alright, but are they really better than us? Of course not. We can get there. We just can't lose any more games against teams that aren't elite. Sounds hard, but it's true and it's not impossible.

We are 1-4 against these teams ... not at full strength though ( this is the optimistic part of the post )

We are but as he said they are not better than us. We lost to the Bobcats every game of every year no matter what type of team we had it just happened. The Lakers now are not the Lakers of a few weeks ago. We play half as well as we have over the last week we smash both those teams. It isn't some far-fetched comment IMO.

Will be at the game tomorrow. Whenever I go, the Raptors lose

V1n5anity wrote:Will be at the game tomorrow. Whenever I go, the Raptors lose

Yes!

I am optimistic pau,duhon,nash,MDA,ebstanks,blake will continue to suck.

hollywood swinger wrote:I am optimistic pau,duhon,nash,MDA,ebstanks,blake will continue to suck.

It must be an enjoyable season for you, when you literally complain about everything.

Doc Brown wrote:

hollywood swinger wrote:I am optimistic pau,duhon,nash,MDA,ebstanks,blake will continue to suck.

It must be an enjoyable season for you, when you literally complain about everything.

and obviously miss everything except that Nash is crappy player.

At least he's not bashing Kobe, like a certain someone.

Doc Brown wrote:

hollywood swinger wrote:I am optimistic pau,duhon,nash,MDA,ebstanks,blake will continue to suck.

It must be an enjoyable season for you, when you literally complain about everything.

I'm a realist.

hollywood swinger wrote:

Doc Brown wrote:

hollywood swinger wrote:I am optimistic pau,duhon,nash,MDA,ebstanks,blake will continue to suck.

It must be an enjoyable season for you, when you literally complain about everything.

I'm a realist.

lol........ Yes, thats what you are.

LakeShow09 wrote:Portland - 5 losses in a row
Houston - 7 losses in a row


Let's catch these fools!!!

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