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 .