How many games will Lakers win? Make the Playoffs? ESPN says 33 games.

[LakersSoul]

The summer league is over.
The FA and trades are mostly done.

Summer Position Recap:

1. Point Guard:
- Drafted our future PG in Ball.
- Re-signed Ennis and added Caruso (2 way guy).

2. Shooting Guard:
- Signed KCP through FA signing, 1 year deal.
- Backups Clarkson (also play PG) and drafted Hart.

3. Small Forward:
- BI returns as a sophomore with more confidence and strength.
- Added Kuzma with Brewer as backup.

4. Power Forward:
- Randle returns for his contract year looking mean.
- Nance (small ball center) and Deng as backup.

5. Center:
- Traded for Lopez.
- Zubac returns for his sophomore campaign and drafted Bryant.

PG: Ball/Ennis/Caruso (2W)
SG: KCP/Clarkson/Hart
SF: BI/Kuzma/Brewer
PF: Randle/Nance/Deng
C: Lopez/Zubac/Bryant

Overall, the team looks to be in great shape. We lost Dlo but overall the team looks a lot more balanced and could surprise many in the league. The biggest shift in the team in at our point guard position. Our point guard position moves away from a scoring duo of Dlo/Lou to a distributor and long distance shooter in Ball. Ball is the future of the Lakers and the future of Showtime. How exciting it is!!

The other major overhaul is at center. We move from Moz/Black to Lopez which is a drastic improvement. Lopez is a serious scoring threat on the post and from 3 point range which will open up the game for the team. Lastly, in the last minutes of summer FA game, the Lakers were in the right place at the right time as KCP landed on the Lakers lap. KCP will add much needed defensive intensity plus mobility and some 3 point shooting. Although this is glossed over somewhat, it is a huge shift from Clarkson and Swaggy led shooting guard position. We are now much better defensively and overall the offense doesnt drop much at the SG spot.

The last two spots of SF and PF will be led by BI and Randle. Both guys the team hopes will make a big jump this year. BI looks stronger and ready to take over this season while Randle is in his contract year and must be an impact player. The FO has just tweaked these spots slightly by adding Kuzma to the mix. Kuzma should play both SF and PF spot and give the team long distance shooting dimension to the game.

With so many changes, you might think the FO is done for the near future but the serious Lakers fans know better. There will be even bigger changes coming next summer. That said, with the team current make-up, how many games will we win this season and will we make the playoffs?

[Pythagoras]

Under 30 wouldn't surprise me as this team looks pretty bad, but I'll be optimistic and say 33.

[Spens1]

34. We'll improve greatly but won't be that good.

[TyCobb]

I have the Lakers as 11th best team in West. How many wins, I don't know.. West will beat up on each other pretty often, might only see two teams in their own tier win wise.

[LakersSoul]

Overall, I hope to see the team playing much better and the beginning of New Showtime Era. The wins might be harder to come especialy in the West but possibly not. We finally have vet scorer and finisher in Lopez. We have more experience coming back with BI, Randle plus the addition of KCP. We finally have a Picasso-esque distributor in Ball.

Ball's play +3 net wins
KCP added but removed Lou/Young -3
BI sophomore year +3
Randle contract year +2
Lopez over Moz +6

I can see us getting net 11 more wins to be knocking on the playoff doors with high 30s win total. In fact, dont call me crazy but if the Ball bounces our way, I can see us even slipping into the playoffs with 5 - 10% chance. Here is my breakdown:

Locks for playoffs:
1. GSW
2. Spurs
3. Houston
4. OKC
5. Clippers
6. Minnesota

The final two spots are up for grabs. I think New Orleans have the edge for the #7 spot with the addition of Rondo and a full year of DMC and Holiday with Davis but you never know. It might become a nightmare in NO with Rondo and DMC leading the way. As for the rest:

Contenders for the 2 playoff spots:
A. Utah
B. Memphis
C. Portland
D. Denver
E. New Orleans
F. Mavs

Again, the only team with serious playoff talent is NO but you never know with that group. Everyone else got weaker. Everyone.

A. Utah lost Hayward and Hill, their top 2 scorer and leaders. Added Rubio and rookie Mitchell.
B. Memphis lost Randolph and Carter and added nothing when they barely won 43 games as #7 team.
C. Portland did nothing other than trade Crabbe. They were the #8 team with 41 wins.
D. Denver lost leading scorer Gallinari but added Millsap. Small downgrade after winning 40 games.
F. Mavs lost Deron Williams, added defensive center in Noel plus drafted DSJ.

I just dont see the locks for playoff spots here. NO has the most talent but most mercurial group too. Utah and Memphis will feel the hurt of losing their core group as they both might miss the playoffs.

[iamworthy]

Teams better than the lakers in my opinion:

Warriors
Houston
Spurs
Clippers
Jazz
OKC
Memphis
Portland
Denver
Minnesota

[Landsberger]

25-30 (it wasn't an option). We will have another poor season overall is my guess. If Luke keep changing lineups every game and not emphasizing defense it could be a step back. The West got better and we're about the same is my view. The personnel could be in flux as well. Lopez, Randle and Nance could very well be trade bait at the deadline. That would throw the lineups in flux again. With a young team that can do a lot of damage.

It isn't about this season anyway. We've been told it's about 18-19. This one we just have to get out of the way before we get those 2 stars if all is to be believed.

[SlimShady83]

I have faith in the Lakers even in the down years...

8th and final spot "gotta dream big, or not at all"

42+wins we'll face GSW in first round

[TKainZero]

40 games is doable. Need some luck and instant improvement from ball/Ingram/Kuz

Kcp and Lopez are great additions

[Lakers24gm]

Im guessing 36 wins but man the west is going to be no joke.

[AcecardZ]

If the team stays relatively healthy they should win closer to 40 games than they do 30.

[BeanBurrito]

If they get more than 30, I would say they exceeded expectations.

[gts1]

The west is so strong.. 30 or so. We're not a good team on paper or in reality, I think we'll see some solid individual performances but good teams wins will be few and far between... Seems like just about everyone in the west got better this offseason, nobody took a huge step backwards other than the Clippers but they're still a better team than us... maybe the 12th seed when it's all said and done?

[danfantastk32]

Teams better than the lakers in my opinion:

Warriors
Houston
Spurs
Clippers
Jazz
OKC
Memphis
Portland
Denver
Minnesota

I gotta question the Clippers. CP3 was what made that team good. Griffin continues to rack up injures, and lose those hops.
Jazz.....will they be that good without Hayward? I think they are questionable.
Memphis......just a core of old guys rotting away. Unless they signed someone that I don't know about, they are a sinking ship.
Portland and Denver might be better than us, but if we make half the leaps we're hoping for....that's certainly up for grabs too.

Warriors, Houston, Spurs, OKC, Minn. I'd say those 5 are NO DOUBT better than us. After that...I think it gets really iffy, especially if we get some of those boosts we're all rooting for.

I'm thinking 35-38 wins myself. I think we're a team with too many weaknesses to beat the good teams....but only when those good teams actually care. We'll get a handful of wins we prob shouldn't have got....and I think we're gonna also be much better than last year....and certainly more rounded as a team.

I'm pretty excited myself. I don't think the West is all that crazy. I think that if a few of those "hopes" we have for guys like Ball / Ingram/ Randle/ Lopez / Kuzma turn out....we could squeeze into a playoff spot. How refreshing would that be?? God...it'd be like that shower you take after a week-long camping trip.

[danfantastk32]

25-30 (it wasn't an option). We will have another poor season overall is my guess. If Luke keep changing lineups every game and not emphasizing defense it could be a step back. The West got better and we're about the same is my view. The personnel could be in flux as well. Lopez, Randle and Nance could very well be trade bait at the deadline. That would throw the lineups in flux again. With a young team that can do a lot of damage.

It isn't about this season anyway. We've been told it's about 18-19. This one we just have to get out of the way before we get those 2 stars if all is to be believed.

Honestly...I think you prob know what your talking about better than me. But god-d** your a sourpuss sometimes...you know that?
25 wins??? Jeez. Have some faith! You need to go sit in a room with Rob for a day or two.

[mcscotty]

I like our depth. I expect the bench will be as a strong as the starters again this season, and will give opposing teams a lot of grief. We're a team that has the ability to make a lot of adjustments and come at you with several different looks. 37 wins.

[ROballer]

I see a similar improvement rate to last year, which is 8-10 games.

35-37 wins is doable, we have no incentive in tanking anymore, the wtf lineups will cease to exist if it was indeed tanking and not stupidity by Luke.

We're gonna struggle defensively, but the offense will be top 10ish with Ball at the helm, from the get go.
This is the last year we're not making the playoffs, mark my words. Even if we strike out in 2018 with EVERYONE, just by internal growth of our youngsters alone, we're good to go.

[Venomized]

i'm feeling positive with our roster. we have depth, finally an all star caliber center, a better ingram and lonzo freaking ball. we are going to surprise a lot of teams this year. i'd say +10-15 wins and a solid shot at the 7th-8th spot

[Marionettetc]

I'd be satisfied if we broke 30 wins and I saw competition each night tbh.

I have no delusions about playoff aspirations.

[sonic the laker]

Despite what some people may like to believe, the Lakers have significantly improved their roster, from last year. Either through FA signings, ala KCP, and Caruso. Drafting, ala Kuzma, Hart, and Bryant. Or, another year of growth for young players, ala BI, Randle, Nance, and Clarkson. Also, the trade for Brook Lopez gave the Lakers a high calibur center, though losing DLo hurts.

1st tier: Golden State, Spurs, Rockets, Blazers, and OKC are all decidedly among the better teams in the West.

2nd tier: Clippers, Jazz, and Memphis have taken steps backwards in strength, just not sure how much until the season starts. But, they're vulnerable.

3rd tier: Minnesota, New Orleans, and Denver, are intriguing as they all added star power to their respective teams. Remains to be seen if it all fits.

4th tier: Sacramento, Phoenix, Lakers, and Dallas all have young rosters, leaning more on internal growth. Some more than others.

Other than the top 5 spots, the last 3 are up for grabs, imo. Those teams in the second/third tier will have a better chance of securing the 6-8 spots, but if the teams in the fourth tier are fortunate in having a player(s) with a breakout year, then anything could happen.

The Lakers chances of making the playoffs this year are low, relative to the "top teams", but not impossible. I have faith that this years Laker squad can do something special.


ZOOM!!!!!!!