Optimism Discussion: The Laker's Sky Is Not Falling

I like almost all of your posts and analysis, but I'm not sure about this one, what do you mean? Why is 15 min a problem here? I assume you mean, because you want the starters to play more together. However, LeBron was on somewhat of a minutes restriction and played 31. We usually want one of LeBron or AD on court at all times, and although Ham didn't always do that, if you followed that principle, then even with AD playing 39 (which he shouldn't have had to do if Ham wasn't a dumb a**), then that means LeBron and AD could only play 22 min together in order to stagger. Then there are going to be some subs with the other 3 starters, but apparently DLo/Reaves/LeBron/AD did play 22 min together, which seems good to me.

 

This group can really do some damage. This is your closing group no matter what. I've made my thoughts known on the starting group.

 

I'm thinking about the playoffs. 24 minutes would be my target.

If they played 22, then it's totally fine.

 

https://www.si.com/nba/2023/03/30/nba-playoff-picture-lebron-lakers-will-reach-finals

How is that for optimism?

 

...... awesome

 

lol, the ol' C Bags homer jinx.

you can tell he's a bit tongue in cheek because he sort of brushes off phx, gs, and the clippers as contenders for reasons that we have to be worried about as well.

it's fun that the national press is squirming and hedging their bets again, though.

 

This is all true, but at the same time, the narrative about the Lakers on national media has changed dramatically over the last few weeks. I remember some of the main talking heads laughing at the possibility of us going further than round 1 as far as like 3 weeks ago. Now there seems to be much more optimism about our chances (even though from the perspective of most "experts" it's rather pessimism).

This is the most exciting finish to an NBA season in my time as a basketball fan. Nor do I recall another season in which our chances changed so dramatically - from a laughing stock of the league seemingly without any prospects for the future, to one of the possible contenders with a lot to be looking forward to in the future.

Seriously, Rob is my hero.

 

feel like 2007-8 was a real roller coaster. preseason hopes were pretty low, then bynum emerged and we were in first place, then bynum got hurt and everything looked doomed, then we made the pau trade and ran to the finals, only to get demolished by boston. but i was definitely more excited about that end of season run than i am about this year's. i just don't think the team has had enough time to learn how to play together. that stuff shows in the playoffs.

 

I still miss that transitory , illusory, pre-injury version of Bynum. He was putting up MONSTER numbers before the first knee crisis. Never the same.

 

They really have a frankly frightening core to play against in AD/Lebron/Dlo/Reaves. Dlo and Reaves aren't superstars but it's hard to have 2 top 10 players and than 2 possible borderline All-stars as well on the same roster. Schroeder is an excellent backup PG and they have a defensive stopper in Vando and two serviceable players in Rui and Brown.
That get you 9 guys there.

However, the lack of quality C and the total unreliability of the roleplayers are probably going to bite them in the playoffs. Almost feel they should just throw Christie into the fire as he could solve a lot of problems (Brown for example seems to get obliterated by some dudes like a traffic cone while other guys he's decent at guarding, Brown/Walker/Beasley are not consistent shooters). I'm really high on Christie as another Laker find and unlike THT he's a really good fit for what this team needs. Only problem is does Lebron have another great season in him? So my keys to this team to feeling comfortable with is Lebron defying father time again, Christie taking a leap, getting a quality back up C. They have the Beasley/Bamba contracts to play with so none of this is farfetched

 

Well AD says that we have all the pieces to make a run. Let's get it done!

 

i'm not sure bamba can't be a quality backup center if he's comfortable in the system, too.

hopefully, christie will step into brown's spot and schroder will stay on the mini mle due to his ties to the organization, and we can roll into next year on even ground with any of the west's top teams. hell, maybe we can actually try to load manage AD and lebron a bit more than we have.

 

1 game over .500 baby!!!

 

7th in the West.
Over .500 for the first time in forever.
Took a punch from the Wolves but fought back and cruised to a win.
Survived an off night from LeBron.

Great night.

 

Best Defense in the league, how about that?

 

Sounds fun. According to some, that's all that matters. Odd that it wasn't fun when that guy was here.

 

This was the kind of Laker win that makes me glad to be alive and a fan. MIN matches up well against us, and in the 1st half Rudy and KAT were crashing the boards. But our D just killed 'em in the 2nd half. Our D was, for stretches, astonishingly good. WOW.

AD's falling and writhing in pain, but staying in the game? I know it sounds like hyperbole, but that's gotta be a Top 5 for and AD "OH MY GAWD NO! HE'S ON THE FLOOR IN EXTREME PAIN OUR SEASON'S OVER..." to getting up, staying in...and he went what 38/17? BEAST! I hope he can play the next game, 'cuz he was hobbling...yet was still very effective!

Lebron, AR, Rui: not on top of their game, but battlin': we still won. The D is everything with these guys, which totally makes my day, gotta say.

We won, but that call on Denis "fouling" Conley at the arc and Scott Foster didn't allow us the challenge? I was watching the MIN feed and even their announcers thought it was a ridiculous call. Conley sinks 3 FTs, which really ticked me off: a give-away of 3 pts.

Love everything Vandy is giving us. If he hits that corner 3 at a decent percentage? It would be sheer honey.

Effing AD in BEAST MODE yet again: hairs standing up on my forearm at times he was so bad-a**. I'm just "feelin' it" with this team now. If we can stay healthy...

 

This is maybe best win of the season. This is the type of game that makes me proud to be a Laker fan. Guys were super banged up, especially Ludabrow, the Hedgehog, and the Robber Baron but they gutted it out.