GT: Lakers vs Celtics 1/21/14 7:30 PM PST

[EArl]

we won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ROballer]

we won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You 6-6 fool.....ruining everything

[Tiesto_Lakers]

I'll take a 24 year old Brooks over 34 year old Blake any day.

[DEEP3CL]

The roster almost looks eerily setup for an addition at PF plus a re-signing of most of the team.

Floor spacing definitely there....just need a work horse type center.

Greg Monroe anyone ?

Joel Hans Embiid

Well yeah if we can land in the top 5, which I don't think we'll finish there. It's gonna be anywhere from 6th to 9th....maybe 10th.

[ROballer]

At this time ,it's almost a given Kobe won't play this season so we don't have that in our way

Considering the healthy bodies ,strength of schedule down the stretch,I say a top 5 worst record is still very possible

Milwaukee and Philly are probably the 2 teams we don't have a shot of surpassing in any scenario...talking about record,there's still the lottery around and at some point,we got to have a little luck on our side after what we've gone through the last 2 years

[Pierre The Poet]

I know many of us loathe D'Antoni, but for young players like Marshon and Bazemore, Henry and Nick Young and Jodie Meeks, he's probably like the best coach ever. To be able to go out there and have a coach pat you on the back when you miss and encourage you to keep shooting, no wonder many below average players find their confidence with him.

[ALL HAIL]

its just good to know we suck less than the Cees!

we suuuck less than the ceees we suck less than the cees baybay uhuh yeah!!! WOT WOT!!! KILLA KILLA BEES YALL!

We suck less than them now, but they'll be the ones who get the higher pick in the draft. That's the last laugh this season IMO.

2 wins against them doesn't mean squat when both teams stink.

Dude we're not getting a top 5 pick period. 5 teams already have a worse record than we do. I stand by my prediction that we'll land anywhere from 6th to 10th.

You a bold mutha (shut yo mouth)!

You gotta remember DEEP, this is a lottery. Anything is possible.

Overall though, I agree with you.

Lakers have to prepare a game plan for a #10 pick in the draft, and if they get a top 5 pick, then thank the heavens.

I don't mind guys on here praying for Embiid, and giving their potential lineups with Embiid at C, but it would be nice if those same people gave their lineups with who they'd pick at #10.

My challenge to the Embiid/Parker/Wiggins/Randle/Exum dreamers of this board: Continue dreaming, BUT let me see how you'd fit a guy like UCLA's Lavine into next year's rotation ...

[Jajwanda]

I think they'd take Cauley-Stein if they had the choice. They've been picking up guards and wings left and right through cheap signings etc... They'd looked at potentially Kevin Love at PF, Melo at PF, and Taj Gibson at PF. That kind of gives you an idea who they'd look at at the C spot.

[ALL HAIL]

I think they'd take Cauley-Stein if they had the choice. They've been picking up guards and wings left and right through cheap signings etc... They'd looked at potentially Kevin Love at PF, Melo at PF, and Taj Gibson at PF. That kind of gives you an idea who they'd look at at the C spot.

You're right, they're auditioning wings for next year and getting all kinds of resigning leverage with each new addition, but I think they're going PG.

Lavine, Ennis, Smart (if he drops).

[crazyeights]

I know many of us loathe D'Antoni, but for young players like Marshon and Bazemore, Henry and Nick Young and Jodie Meeks, he's probably like the best coach ever. To be able to go out there and have a coach pat you on the back when you miss and encourage you to keep shooting, no wonder many below average players find their confidence with him.

If we hadn't had such a rash of injuries, this team would be playing solid, especially for how overmatched in talent they are. What can you expect any coach to do with 8 players, half of which weren't even playing last year.

[Slava]

I know many of us loathe D'Antoni, but for young players like Marshon and Bazemore, Henry and Nick Young and Jodie Meeks, he's probably like the best coach ever. To be able to go out there and have a coach pat you on the back when you miss and encourage you to keep shooting, no wonder many below average players find their confidence with him.

Absolutely. This team is very well coached and all that will be forgotten because of the record.

I hope he gets a chance to coach a heathy team and pieces that fit his offensive style of basketball.

[ALL HAIL]

This team is very well coached and all that will be forgotten because of the record.

I hope he gets a chance to coach a heathy team and pieces that fit his offensive style of basketball.

I'm speechless.

[Pierre The Poet]

This team is very well coached and all that will be forgotten because of the record.

I hope he gets a chance to coach a heathy team and pieces that fit his offensive style of basketball.

I'm speechless.

I don't think he's really a good coach, but I don't think he's TERRIBLE. He's just one dimensional, needs his type of players and his type of players only. So if he could maybe get Deron Williams, Kevin Love, and shooters and runners, I think we'd see a resurgence in Deron's career and the team would be in the middle of the playoff race. But when our roster was healthy, we were in a position to fight for the 7 & 8 spot. That's pretty good for a team with little talent. Especially in the West.

[ALL HAIL]

This team is very well coached and all that will be forgotten because of the record.

I hope he gets a chance to coach a heathy team and pieces that fit his offensive style of basketball.

I'm speechless.

I don't think he's really a good coach, but I don't think he's TERRIBLE. He's just one dimensional, needs his type of players and his type of players only. So if he could maybe get Deron Williams, Kevin Love, and shooters and runners, I think we'd see a resurgence in Deron's career and the team would be in the middle of the playoff race. But when our roster was healthy, we were in a position to fight for the 7 & 8 spot. That's pretty good for a team with little talent. Especially in the West.

Compartmentalized, he's a GREAT coach for all the SPECIFIC aforementioned reasons on this board.

Unfortunately, their is more to being, as Slava stated, "well coached" than developing only PGs, SGs, SFs, and bigmen (Kelly, Clark, and Williams) who are offensively versatile.

[Slava]

I always felt we would get a good play drawn out of timeouts and there was a article that confirmed that. He is very good offensively and as a fan I want to watch such teams. He'll probably get you a decent defense with a big man rim protector like chandler in the paint but we've got a defensive assistant in Rambis just for that purpose.

[ALL HAIL]

I always felt we would get a good play drawn out of timeouts and there was a article that confirmed that. He is very good offensively and as a fan I want to watch such teams. He'll probably get you a decent defense with a big man rim protector like chandler in the paint but we've got a defensive assistant in Rambis just for that purpose.

You're acting like we didn't have that, in Howard, last year.

And, for the record, he's NEVER played strictly defensive guys and/or rim protectors with marginal offensive skills.

He's only had success with defensive guys who offer something substantial on the other side.

Guys like Chandler would hate D'Antoni, because D'Antoni doesn't really value the contributions of guys like Chandler unless they have offensive games like old-school Amare Stoudamire (reference Jordan Hill).

I respect your opinion, but it seems very misguided ... and I love fast paced ball too (within reason).

[Slava]

I always felt we would get a good play drawn out of timeouts and there was a article that confirmed that. He is very good offensively and as a fan I want to watch such teams. He'll probably get you a decent defense with a big man rim protector like chandler in the paint but we've got a defensive assistant in Rambis just for that purpose.

You're acting like we didn't have that, in Howard, last year.

And, for the record, he's NEVER played strictly defensive guys and/or rim protectors with marginal offensive skills.

He's only had success with defensive guys who offer something substantial on the other side.

Guys like Chandler would hate D'Antoni, because D'Antoni doesn't really value the contributions of guys like Chandler unless they have offensive games like old-school Amare Stoudamire (reference Jordan Hill).

I respect your opinion, but it seems very misguided ... and I love fast paced ball too (within reason).

What are you taking about here? With Howard on the floor with a stretch PF (Not Pau) our defensive rating last season was 98, one of the best in the league, it was when D'Antoni had to fit in two big men that our defense suffered the most and without Howard on the floor it was a freaking nightmare to defend anyone.

Chandler signed in NY to play for D'Antoni and by all accounts they loved each other.

"I think he's a great center," Mike D'Antoni said. "I know he's our guy -- I think he's as good as any center in the league. What he brings to the table, whether somebody gives you more here, somebody gives you more there -- his overall play and his intangibles in the locker room, there's nobody better in the game . . . I just don't know how you get better than him as a center."

"He's been a godsend," D'Antoni said. "New York got really lucky to have somebody in their franchise, that classy that good and that young. It should last a long time.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/basketbal ... -1.3584245

“I feel like we’re very talented, obviously well-coached,” Tyson Chandler says. “It’s going to be about growing this year. Talent is nothing. It’s really about just working, working and working throughout the year, never losing focus. If we do that, I feel like it’ll be a very special year.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baske ... z2uBXP4EME

"It would be disappointing to me for Coach's sake because I feel like he's a great coach," Chandler told Iannazzone of D'Antoni. "I think you should play the same way regardless. It's our profession.

[ALL HAIL]

What are you taking about here? With Howard on the floor with a stretch PF (Not Pau) our defensive rating last season was 98, one of the best in the league, it was when D'Antoni had to fit in two big men that our defense suffered the most and without Howard on the floor it was a freaking nightmare to defend anyone.

Chandler signed in NY to play for D'Antoni and by all accounts they loved each other.

Okay.

I was wrong, Chandler loves D'Antoni and loved playing for him.

It still doesn't change the fact that NY with Chandler was mediocre, just like the Lakers with Howard were mediocre as well.

And it still doesn't change the way I feel about your original post:

This team is very well coached and all that will be forgotten because of the record.

I hope he gets a chance to coach a heathy team and pieces that fit his offensive style of basketball.

I'm not here to do a typical brand of D'Antoni bashing. I know he has positive things to offer.

All I needed to see I saw last year.

His inability to use Howard or Gasol properly and his continued inability to use Jordan Hill and Kaman properly, is all I need to see Slava.

He has a "type", just like Don Nelson had a "type".

Unfortunately, I just don't believe those "types" are championship types.

Deep down, I don't think you do either.