2025-26 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

I think we have a punchers chance against the Spurs.
After the way this team has dramatically changed its defensive effort, and with Luka taking on the Kobe role, I think we can take the rest of the teams in the West.
If we do make the Finals, Boston is the only team I fear, unless somehow Cade can miraculously recover from his collapsed lung.

 

it's basically a repeat of last year. i thought we had a chance to make a little noise in the playoffs, but we came out and just got run over in game 1 at our place, and that was it. that could happen again, as minny (who did last year), denver (who's beaten us convincingly in two recent playoff series), and houston are the likely opponents. lay an egg to start the series against any of them, and it's early summer vacation again. denver would probably (and sensibly) be favored in a playoff matchup with us, home court or not. the west just has six very high quality teams.

 

sort of but OTOH Luka is clearly way healthier and not fat. Lebron was coming off a bad injury opposite of this year where his injury occurred earlier in the year
and while hayes was there last year the center rotation is just flat out better between Dyo-yo and a bigger Hayes.

I don't think the Lakers really have compensated for the DFS loss - Rui and jake are just way too unreliable but Smart is better then any roleplayer the Lakers had last year (too bad JJ didn't play godwin, Theiro cough cough)

wish this team had one really good bench guy - they would have a shot against OKC or SA then IMO but the bench is just really weak right now. The 5 man starting lineup +/- Hayes is really really good all of sudden but I don't trust any of these bench players to be a consistent contributor

 

Yes this is why I'm enjoying this run without getting too high .

Hopefully we'll take Game 1 more seriously this postseason .

 

I actually think we match up well with OKC. Their defense is well suited to creating turnovers against ball handlers with pressure in waves. Luka and Lebron are kind of the antithesis to this due to their size.

I think Reaves will have a tough series and maybe Rui/Kennard as well due to the plethora of perimeter defenders they have.

Ayton is going to be kind of critical against Chet and iHart. If he shows up defensively and mitigates some of their impact. We’re in with a chance.

Smart will also be critical on SGA. I think we sell out to stop him and make the rest of the team beat us.

On the flip side, it’ll be LeBron and Luka’s size and playmaking that needs to be the engine in scoring.

I don’t have a game plan for the spurs and Wemby

 

lol

 

LOL ... the constantly hype myself Lethal Shooter dude.

 

Bucks owners have just come out and said either Giannis extends - eligible October 1st or he gets traded this offseason. I think this could be positive for us if it drags out a little over the summer.

As an example: we could force Denver's hand in the RFA situation over 48 hours. If Denver resigns him, maybe the rest of the FA moves are frozen with teams waiting on what happens with Giannis and the Bucks. So even if we miss out on Watson, we could still be in line for a situation where we get some combo of Bridges/Hart/Turner from NYK or Claxton from BKN or Mobley if its Cavs or so on and so forth.

EDIT: Definitely don't want Giannis though.

 

the solution to the yips isn't humiliating demotion.

 

So what’s our bracket???

San Antonio second round

or OKC second round???

 

I don’t care we’re hot. Well whup a** either way.

 

San Antonio has no experience other than Barnes.

and They have no shot makers outside of Wemby.

Luka will bring Wemby out the paint opening up it up for Ayton and Lebron at the basket.

Fox is good but he ain’t Luka.

OKC is not as healthy as last season. And I don’t know how healthy Jalen Williams is. He’s been pretty hurt with his hamstring and banged up. You never know with Hamstrings. I would go right at him.

and Chet’s a factor but he’s gonna have to guard Ayton. And Ayton will be aggressive and go at him.


Shais Shai but he’s gotta guard Luka and that will take alot. And Shai will the refs ref him different in the playoffs then the regular season.

and Smart will change a lot guarding Shai and Jalen. That’s our POA.

 

I’m sure that same gameplan against Durant will be implemented against Minnesota and OKC.

 

Playoffs is all about half court. Who makes shots. And then when guys get tight and start bricking shots. That can happen with OKC.

The Denver thing doesn’t concern me. I can see us sweeping them. This reminds me of Portland 2000-2001 Denver is completely different with No Michael Porter Jr. the spacing. It was an impossible cover Jokic Porter Jr. Gordon and Murray.

now with Johnson it’s different. And we don’t know how they play in the playoffs.

Luka changes everything. Makes Murray have to guard him. This Luka is outa control. And he can literally carry this team to the championship. Reminds me of Curry in 2016.

 

Minnesota lost ,Nuggets won
perfect playoffs series 3-6 Lakers- Minnesota if they start today

 

San Antonio

 

Yeah, would be the team I'd like the Lakers to face.

I think Houston is just going to be tougher matchup stylistically with their length and constant switching. Even though lakers won 2-0, it'll be a tougher series than Minny.

Even though it is a rematch from last playoffs, the previous Lakers roster was significantly inferior to this one. Smart changes a ton and so does Ayton since Hayes is no longer the primary center.