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

Something is rotten and if it's possible to get rid of the rotten via trade, everything turns around, even Dwight's attitude. (unless Dwight is a big part of the rotten)

a tiny bit of perspective...our record isn't a whole lot worse than it was in 2002-2003 at this time of the year, and we made it to the playoffs that year. different circumstances...but still, just saying....

Meeks played well in limited minutes and hopefully Dantoni saw (yea right...)

Added Jamison: "Let's just have fun, man, and enjoy this journey and just pull for each other and realize that this is a special team. The first half of this season has been an embarrassment. We've been the laughingstock of the NBA. So, let's turn that embarrassment into one of the best stories in sports history and turn things around."

hearing that kind of made me smile. like "could you imagine the story if they did turn it around" I like Jamison's view on it and although he's played bad he also hasn't really been used properly. Dantoni sucks but maybe the players can unite and play together like they did with Bernie and just play the game they all love and go nuts with energy instead of sad and down due to their record.

if they lose the next game I have a feeling the season will be over mentally for everyone. it's pretty close but the next one will be it. Dwight coming back or not guys gotta step up and I think they know now it's over unless they start winning. forget Dantoni's system and play bball like they know they should and trust their instincts that they've built throughout all their careers. I still believe in them and win or lose its still nuts to see Kobe and Nash play together.

^That's a good quote by Jamison. It's been a tough year.

WilliamHaven wrote:a tiny bit of perspective...our record isn't a whole lot worse than it was in 2002-2003 at this time of the year, and we made it to the playoffs that year. different circumstances...but still, just saying....

Much different story though as you mentioned. We had a prime Shaq and a prime Kobe and Phil. Of course it's not too late yet for these guys to completely turn it around. But I wouldn't count on it.

Ariza3 wrote:Meeks played well in limited minutes and hopefully Dantoni saw (yea right...)

Added Jamison: "Let's just have fun, man, and enjoy this journey and just pull for each other and realize that this is a special team. The first half of this season has been an embarrassment. We've been the laughingstock of the NBA. So, let's turn that embarrassment into one of the best stories in sports history and turn things around."

hearing that kind of made me smile. like "could you imagine the story if they did turn it around" I like Jamison's view on it and although he's played bad he also hasn't really been used properly. Dantoni sucks but maybe the players can unite and play together like they did with Bernie and just play the game they all love and go nuts with energy instead of sad and down due to their record.

if they lose the next game I have a feeling the season will be over mentally for everyone. it's pretty close but the next one will be it. Dwight coming back or not guys gotta step up and I think they know now it's over unless they start winning. forget Dantoni's system and play bball like they know they should and trust their instincts that they've built throughout all their careers. I still believe in them and win or lose its still nuts to see Kobe and Nash play together.

Yeah that's a nice thing to say. They've been saying all these nice things though and it just hasn't been working. Jamison is right though in one thing: take the pressure off man. Just go out and have fun and try to get each other going. Start having a good time.

Kobe won't want to hear that, but if you do that and you stop saying "okay we HAVE to win this game!" and then you lose and then everyone is even more depressed than before... Just sop doing that. Just go out and have a good time and play hard for each other.

I'm still optimistic. Maybe not for this season, but for the future. I think the coach will be fired at the end of the season in order to make Dwight happy. I think management will realize that their vision of Showtime isn't feasible for at least a couple years and that having D'Antoni as the coach isn't the only way to achieve a good running style of play. OKC runs because they're young, fast, and effective when they play like that, not because that's the Brooks system. Same goes for Miami.

Howard will sign here this summer. We'll have a new coach. Pau will likely be gone one way or another. Kobe will work hard to make due with whatever role players he has surrounding him, and Nash will be there trying to make it all work. Outside of those three guys I don't know what it will look like next year. I still think Kobe signs up again for another 2 years at a much reduced rate and becomes the 3rd option behind Dwight and the guy they get to pair up with Dwight.

As for this season... I just hope to watch a few good games where they finally come together a little and play some good basketball. We saw signs of their potential with Bernie coaching. It would be nice to see that again a few more times before the season ends, just so my $190 for the NBA League Pass won't be a total waste...

karacha wrote:^

I agree with that. It all sounds fairly realistic. Nash/Kobe/Dwight, new coach, some new players on short contracts. Better season, nothing spectacular though. Waiting for summer 2014, basically.

Exactly. Minor reload, dump Gasol's salary if Howard resigns, and hope for the best for one season. Maybe keep Gasol and pay the big tax in order to trade him mid season as an expiring contract. But no major moves until the following summer.

They'll make the playoffs as the eight seed on a lucky shot on the last play of the last game...then reel off 16 victories in a row. Yeah, I said it! Now, off to get my glass refilled... LOL!

Only optimism lies in 2014

Dwight cleared.

gcclaker wrote:They'll make the playoffs as the eight seed on a lucky shot on the last play of the last game...then reel off 16 victories in a row. Yeah, I said it! Now, off to get my glass refilled... LOL!

Hell yea. Im on this bandwagon.....

A crappy season finished with the first undefeated playoff run in Lakers history

Love listening to Max Kellerman on 710, 99% of the time we share the same opinion. He is never afraid to voice his opinion and actually knows what he's talking about. Honestly he hasn't been wrong in a really long time

He predicted Nash coming
He predicted Dwight coming
He said PJ should have been hired right after Clown was fired even though all the media was riding MDA because the Lakers leaked his hiring

He said Phil will join the team next season because he's basically going to be in the "Buss family" now. Hoping he's right a 4th time

Optimism will start with firing D'antoni...and stop giving guys not named Phil long term big money coaching deals.

gcclaker wrote:They'll make the playoffs as the eight seed on a lucky shot on the last play of the last game...then reel off 16 victories in a row. Yeah, I said it! Now, off to get my glass refilled... LOL!

Keeping the glass full seems to be the only way to cope with this season.

More power to you.

JoelMyersScrotalSack wrote:Love listening to Max Kellerman on 710, 99% of the time we share the same opinion. He is never afraid to voice his opinion and actually knows what he's talking about. Honestly he hasn't been wrong in a really long time

He predicted Nash coming
He predicted Dwight coming
He said PJ should have been hired right after Clown was fired even though all the media was riding MDA because the Lakers leaked his hiring

He said Phil will join the team next season because he's basically going to be in the "Buss family" now. Hoping he's right a 4th time

So you are saying your like brothers? No, more than brothers..... Twins? Hells yea

puffyusaf#2 wrote:

gcclaker wrote:They'll make the playoffs as the eight seed on a lucky shot on the last play of the last game...then reel off 16 victories in a row. Yeah, I said it! Now, off to get my glass refilled... LOL!

Hell yea. Im on this bandwagon.....

Me too..... who's got the first round?......

Legendary wrote:

gcclaker wrote:They'll make the playoffs as the eight seed on a lucky shot on the last play of the last game...then reel off 16 victories in a row. Yeah, I said it! Now, off to get my glass refilled... LOL!

Keeping the glass full seems to be the only way to cope with this season.

More power to you.

Well, it depends on WHAT is in that glass.

Alright here's some optimism for you jerks:

We are currently 3 games out of last in the conference, yes that much is true BUT!...

we're also only 4 games out of the 8th seed

we're almost exactly caught in the middle here. Minnesota is falling hard since losing Love and Pekovic for a while (2-8 in the last 10). Dallas is playing .500 basketball, but they aren't a good team by any means. Portland has been struggling (4-6).

These are all teams we can beat. Houston right now is in the 8th spot playing exactly .500. We'd have to go on quite a streak to get there, but here's the teams upcoming schedule:
vs. Utah
vs. OKC
@ Phoenix
@ Minny
@ Detroit
@ Brooklyn
@ Boston
@ Charlotte
@ Miami
vs. Phoenix

There's only 2 games there that should be losses (OKC and Miami). We could go 8-2 in the next 10 games!

^ We are spoiled as fans because we are use to fighting for top spots in the West and the league. Truth of the matter is if we are playing well with the team we have we destroy most teams. We are not out of it by anyway. We can go on a roll and all the talk would end. I know there isn't a single top seed that wants to see this Lakers team once it gels

JoelMyersScrotalSack wrote:Love listening to Max Kellerman on 710, 99% of the time we share the same opinion. He is never afraid to voice his opinion and actually knows what he's talking about. Honestly he hasn't been wrong in a really long time

He predicted Nash coming
He predicted Dwight coming
He said PJ should have been hired right after Clown was fired even though all the media was riding MDA because the Lakers leaked his hiring

He said Phil will join the team next season because he's basically going to be in the "Buss family" now. Hoping he's right a 4th time

Hah. Jerry & Jimmy: "PJ, we'll hire you to coach on one condition. Marry Jeannie. You've got until midnight to get it done."

Baseball season is right around the corner. End

borri wrote:

JoelMyersScrotalSack wrote:Love listening to Max Kellerman on 710, 99% of the time we share the same opinion. He is never afraid to voice his opinion and actually knows what he's talking about. Honestly he hasn't been wrong in a really long time

He predicted Nash coming
He predicted Dwight coming
He said PJ should have been hired right after Clown was fired even though all the media was riding MDA because the Lakers leaked his hiring

He said Phil will join the team next season because he's basically going to be in the "Buss family" now. Hoping he's right a 4th time

Hah. Jerry & Jimmy: "PJ, we'll hire you to coach on one condition. Marry Jeannie. You've got until midnight to get it done."

The buss members don't even like each others.