We might, but I won't get my hopes up on more than double the win total... That's a lot to ask. I think if we have some luck and stay healthy, if we pick up a couple solid FAs or one great one, we could top out around 42 wins next season. That's nearly double the win total. That's a lot to ask...
I'd like to see us go all out after Love and McDaniels this offseason. That might get us close to 40 wins. Then go all out after Durant in 2016, and be title contenders. 2015: Clarkson/??? Kobe/Ellington McDaniels/Swaggy P Love/Randle Okafor/Davis 2016: Clarkson Kobe???/Swaggy/McDaniels KD/McDaniels Love/Randle Okafor/Davis
A lot of games last season were relatively close games we just couldn't win due to kobes clutch magic being derailed to injuries. And on top of that Clarkson only played in 23 games as a starter. Next season if we win out more close games plus Clarkson improvement and always starting then you have yourself a better team. That's not even including our number 2 pick and great fa that we get. So I have high hopes we'll make the playoffs. It's Lakers tradition to.
^Mychal Thompson given the 2nd pick with likely roster improvements at spots is predicting that the Lakers next season barring another injury wave will make the playoffs and go as far as the second round...
jumping from 20 to 40 wins is probably easier than going from 40 to 50. I mean, the lakers were trying to lose for 10 of those, right? then you get health and talent infusion.
I just want to keep my expectations in check that's all. I certainly think we should fight for 40 wins, but that's assuming a lot right now.
Definitely. I'll take landing at .500 for the season. The key is to at least to get to a place where we are at least 'competitive.'
For sure. We could have won maybe 5-8 more games this season with just a little more talent on the floor (specifically Kobe and Randle). Hopefully we can flip those games and add 10-12 more just with a few more upgraded pieces.
I wouldn't go there... to the second round in the West?... For some reason, I feel some ex-NBA players predictions and expectations to be crazier than that of the fans. But I hope I eat those words
I was hyper critical of taking Towns over Okafor as late as April. I was you can say 99.9 % on Okafor's camp comparing Towns to Shaqtin' a fool HOF Javale McGee. Now, as I watch videos of these two, my opinion has swayed on Towns with his AD potential and remarkable intelligence. I can accept both but KAT looks like he has superstar material.
Alex Kennedy@AlexKennedyNBA 21m21 minutes ago In talking to execs, I've heard Jahlil Okafor compared to Tim Duncan and Karl Towns compared to David Robinson. How lucky were the Spurs? Alex Kennedy@AlexKennedyNBA 18m18 minutes ago By the way, when asked which NBA player Jahlil Okafor reminds him of, David Robinson's answer was Tim Duncan. Alex Kennedy @AlexKennedyNBA 5m5 minutes ago By the way, Tim Duncan has said Jahlil Okafor is way ahead of where he was at 19 years old. People forget it took Duncan awhile to develop.
Well that's some lofty praise from both Robinson and Duncan. Awesome though! The Lakers are in such a good place.
If both Robinson and TD see value in that comparison and they should know as well as anyone (outside of maybe Pop), then that's good enough for me. I don't think he's going to reach TD's level considering that's a HOF comparison of the best player at his position. But people are discounting how NBA ready Jah is and at the same time somehow believe TD entered the league as a hall of famer.
I think the issue people are coming up with are two-fold: 1. Duncan is a Hall of Famer so any comparisons there are really pie-in-the-sky. 2. Duncan as a rookie (albeit 2 years older than Okafor) averaged- 21.1 points 11.9 rebounds 2.7 assists 2.5 blocks 0.7 steals 54.9% from the field 39.1 minutes per game played all 82 games in the season Holy damn those are some numbers. No way Jah does that out of the gate, but hearing from Duncan and Robinson that Jah reminds them of Timmy is pretty great.
Entering the league that much younger than Timmy with where Jahlil is physically and skills wise already, is what a lot of us were so thrilled with last year with Randle nearly that much younger than Barkley when he came out, and already better in the open court on the break. This year will do just fine, and actually he's much better prepared now physically and mentally for his career. Give me some OKAFOR!!
