3rd best team in the West, 4th in the league. You can quibble and knock us down to 8th in the league or whatever and I don't mind. Contenderish, not quite tier 1.
Extremely competitive against the one team in the league who could give them problems. If someone else had taken out Denver I think the Lakers would have cruised to a championship.
Two rotation players and a decent coach away from a ship, that’s how good. Bulldozer (lol!), Caruso, Drummond. The Lakers need some injury insurance tho. Vincent, (turns out he wasn’t that good anyway), and Vando injuries were a difference maker. Put some defense on MPJ and the results perhaps could have been different. Get some more rebounds to limit 2nd chance points and the Lakers beat Denver. _________________ “When it looks as if it is a realistic possibility, I want to focus on winning a ship like it’s a goal that can’t be denied. I didn’t see that this off season.”
Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 36115 Location: Santa Clarita, CA (Hell) ->>>>>Ithaca, NY -≥≥≥≥≥Berkeley, CA
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2024 6:08 am Post subject:
The thing is, I am not sure Denver is actually even that good anymore. Even if we had beaten Denver, would we necessarily have beaten the Wolves and Celtics? _________________ Damian Lillard shatters Dwight Coward's championship dreams:
Joined: 14 Apr 2001 Posts: 144556 Location: The Gold Coast
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2024 7:36 am Post subject:
7th or 8th best team in the West with the 2 stars healthy. With them aging things could be worse but depending on matchups, the team could win a playoff series. Unfortunately some of the better teams in the West are up and coming so as the team ages (along with GS), the opposition will improve. _________________ RIP mom. 11-21-1933 to 6-14-2023.
Not good enough. League is getting younger. Lakers need much better role players than they currently have. Problem is they don't have the advantage of time. Only way they can save whatever left of the AD/Bron era is if they remake the complimentary players who surround them and I don't think we have the people in the front office that can do it.
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2024 7:59 am Post subject: Re: How good are we?
parsons777 wrote:
Given the final score of the last 9 playoff games against Denver, we are almost as good as the best team in the league, not quite, but almost
So, i think we are about the 4th or 5th best team in the league, maybe 3rd behind Denver/Boston/?
For our franchise, with 17 rings, that is not good enough, of course, but we are still a really good team
just my 2 cents
I think this is a good analysis. Though, to be honest, coaching alone could have possibly closed the gap between us and those other 3-4 teams. With a better coach, I suspect we win this series with Denver.
Going forward though we are in difficult place. Though a mid-game injury to AD may have cost us the final game of the Denver series, overall our two superstars were unusually healthy in the season and the playoffs. It is unreasonable to expect they will be as healthy next year as this year, and we may well lose our point guard without having the resources to replace him.
I'm afraid that, given that situation, the front office will try for a hail mary trade (such as several pieces and draft picks for Trae Young) that will not make us any better but will make it harder to ramp up post-LeBron by giving up 2-3 of our first round draft picks.
I would be more in favor of running it back. Our chances of competing for a championship are small (not not non-existent), but we will retain the possibilities of a more full reload after LeBron retires.
Last edited by markjay on Tue Apr 30, 2024 8:01 am; edited 1 time in total
A play in team last 2 seasons, and probably worse next season if we stay as is. Memphis will be back, Rockets are probably taking a step, and Spurs might also fight for the play in. Lakers and Warriors may be on the outside _________________ Previously LBJ23
Joined: 09 Apr 2012 Posts: 1985 Location: Southern California
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2024 8:43 am Post subject:
Play in team and first round playoff fodder. Our organization now settles for mediocrity and seems happy about that. _________________ 17 time World Champions
The NBA is really not good as a whole this season..
Realistically this Denver team is mediocre as they rely on 3 players..(Jokic Murray and MPJ) 2 of which are extremely streaky.
Their bench is terrible and their defense is lax.
I would say Minnesota is probably the most polished team with depth and a superstar at the helm.. But still, they arent a team anyones really afraid of..
Same goes with OKC.. I wouldnt have minded seeing them either.
Roster wise.. We had a lot of talent.. Just very mismanaged..
If Bron and AD could keep this up next season and we replaced DLo with a decent PG and get a big, then we're the best. Period. Nobody would be able to hang with beastmod3 Bron and AD. _________________ Playoffs is good enough. - Jeanie Buss 2024
If Bron and AD could keep this up next season and we replaced DLo with a decent PG and get a big, then we're the best. Period. Nobody would be able to hang with beastmod3 Bron and AD.
Dlo isnt the problem.. THe problem is lebron wants to play PG.. Until he accepts the fact he needs to play off ball, there is not a single PG that helps/can afford
If Bron and AD could keep this up next season and we replaced DLo with a decent PG and get a big, then we're the best. Period. Nobody would be able to hang with beastmod3 Bron and AD.
Dlo isnt the problem.. THe problem is lebron wants to play PG.. Until he accepts the fact he needs to play off ball, there is not a single PG that helps/can afford
3 and D like KCP for DLo. Let Lebron play PG and get a bench player like Rondo to fill in for Lebron. It'd just be like our championship team. A defensive guard and another ballhandler off the bench. Lebron's the best PG in the game so why wouldn't you want him to handle the ball every time? _________________ Playoffs is good enough. - Jeanie Buss 2024
If Bron and AD could keep this up next season and we replaced DLo with a decent PG and get a big, then we're the best. Period. Nobody would be able to hang with beastmod3 Bron and AD.
Dlo isnt the problem.. THe problem is lebron wants to play PG.. Until he accepts the fact he needs to play off ball, there is not a single PG that helps/can afford
3 and D like KCP for DLo. Let Lebron play PG and get a bench player like Rondo to fill in for Lebron. It'd just be like our championship team. A defensive guard and another ballhandler off the bench. Lebron's the best PG in the game so why wouldn't you want him to handle the ball every time?
Did you not just watch a whole season of Lebron at point where he dribbles for 18 seconds before making a decision.. You thinking Lebron is the best PG in the game is flat out insanity
We are a mid level good team, far below Denver and Minnesota, below the Clippers, Kings, and Thunder, but slightly above Golden State, Jazz, Griz. We are likely on or close to the same level as the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavs, and New Orleans Pels. We can be a scary team when everything works right and the matchup is favorable, but severely flawed if those two things are not happening.
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