Current Production / Upcoming Schedule Project 48-51 Wins

I am not sure we can play well enough to make the playoffs. If you take the win-loss ratio of the first 8 games out of the projections for the remaining 48, the Lakers are trending toward a 43-39 record. Even accounting for those first games, and an improvement of play as the schedule gets tougher, we don't currently project to win more than 51 games (best case) by the end of the year. That puts us at 6th or 7th in the conference...any injuries and we may miss the playoffs completely.

Another few weeks like this and we may have to start thinking about making a run at Carmelo. I think Denver would take Bynum and filler, as long as we took on some salary (maybe Kenyon Martin) with the deal. I would say maybe we should think about it. We can wait until the February deadline to make a decision, but I don't like the way our team is trending right now.

are you serious???

the world is coming to an end the lakers won't make the playoffs

I understand your concern. THe good thing about your thread is that it exposes a pattern. You took the Lakers play out of the realm of a single game and made it about more. In that sense, there is absolutely a need for concern.

But I dont think there is a reason for any real panic quite yet. Again, I agree with you in that after a few weeks, if this ship isnt righted, there will be a need for panic.

The Lakers won't miss the playoffs unless their record gets close to 0.500, but they will probably have to play at least one series without HCA if the current trends hold. Given how bad they've been playing at home, even that might not make a whole lot of difference.

Interesting projection to say the least in light of their less than stellar showings. The BIGGER question is how or when they can buck the trend they are setting themselves? It would VERY SURPRISING to see the Lakers make ANY major moves in breaking up the core. Not impossible but unlikely.

I say we should wait until the halfway point of the season (January 15th) and if our record (doubled) doesn't project in the top 3 teams in the west, then we should trade for Carmelo Anthony. If we sent them Bynum, Artest, Character and Barnes (along with 2 future first round picks and the remaining 3 mil from our trade exception) then we could get Melo, Shelden Williams and Renaldo Balkman in return. We downgrade at front court with the loss of Bynum, But Shelden Williams is a capable player for the 13 minutes a game we would need him. We also keep the killer B's alive (so to speak) by replacing Barnes with Balkman. That's a downgrade, but since Melo will play 35+ a game, we won't need much off the bench at SF, and Ebanks is too promising to waste anyway. Our starters would be tantalizing though, with a big 3 as good as any out there. Kobe, Melo and Pau to go against LeBron, Wade and Bosh and/or Pierce, Allen, KG. Then we have Lamar to counter Haslem or Shaq and Shannon Brown off the bench to counter Mike Miller or Nate Robinson. It's a big risk, but I think we may need the firepower in the starting line-up.

Remember the year after our first three-peat, we were what, 11-18? Then we managed to win 50 for the year. Well, we didn't win the ring (even with Fish's 0.4) but I think we're in a better position this year.