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

[dockingsched]

The team is going to need to get off to a really good start, hopefully with a light schedule. If things start off rough, the reality that faces a lot of players next off season is going to become front and center and may mean less wins.

KCP is playing for a long term deal and if things go as planned for the front office, that long term deal has to come from a different team. Sacrifing for this current team might not pay off so will he start focusing on his own numbers?

Same for Lopez. He's playing for his next deal that according to the lakers plan has to come from another team.

Randle is going to be playing for his next contract, and there's been no indications lakers are making that a priority, so he may need to showcase himself for other teams.

Clarkson has to know the reality is that if the Lakers get what they want this offseason , it means he's a cap space sacrifice and his future is with another team. What would be his motivation to defer if the team is losing?

Those are 4 heavy minutes rotation players with some big time motivation to worry about themselves rather than the Lakers future, going to be interesting.

[karkinos]

Well I think their individual success and team success will go hand in hand.

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[Michael Lucky]

The poll clearly shows how ridiculous our Front Office has made these expectations when 51% expect 37 or more wins. I'm not even sure we're better than last year until i see how the pieces mesh on the floor.

[AcecardZ]

How can this team be worse than last year's?

We have a better PG
Randle should be better
Ingram should be better
We have a better center in Brook Lopez
We've added Kuzma who looked solid in SL
We've added KCP at sg.

If this team stays mostly healthy I don't see how it's not better than last year's team.

[Tehtre]

My brain says about 30 games but my heart is telling me 45 games and a playoff berth.

[TheRealKaboom]

You didn't say his game might not translate, you said it won't. How anyone can be so sure of that without having seen him play a game in the NBA is beyond me.

I wrote that what he did in SL won't translate. That means I'm not seeing him as the MVP of the league like he was in the summer league.

Your point was that Lonzo won't be NBA MVP in his age-19 rookie season? Well no ****!

[danfantastk32]

The poll clearly shows how ridiculous our Front Office has made these expectations when 51% expect 37 or more wins. I'm not even sure we're better than last year until i see how the pieces mesh on the floor.

Come on man....why is this a FO issue? Don't we go into each year a little optimistic? I mean....think about it....37 wins ain't even a playoff team. That means we're in the lower half. So how's that some 'ridiculous expectation'? 51% of Laker fans don't think we'll be a bottom feeder this year.....oh the humanity.

I mean jeez....ESPN gives us 33........and the top half our our fanbase give us 4 more more wins. That's a FO issue?

[danfantastk32]

How can this team be worse than last year's?

We have a better PG
Randle should be better
Ingram should be better
We have a better center in Brook Lopez
We've added Kuzma who looked solid in SL
We've added KCP at sg.

If this team stays mostly healthy I don't see how it's not better than last year's team.

Totally agree. Obviously we need to watch the season unfold, but Lopez could play with a peg-leg, and be better than last years option. Randle damn well better improve....and frankly so should Ingram. It's no secret that Ingram was pretty underwhelming last season, so here's to hoping he's MASSIVELY improved.

I don't see where we got worse. We were last defensively......so that will be impossible to get worse at. Talk about "it's only up from here'.

[meetbishop]

How can this team be worse than last year's?

We have a better PG
Randle should be better
Ingram should be better
We have a better center in Brook Lopez
We've added Kuzma who looked solid in SL
We've added KCP at sg.

If this team stays mostly healthy I don't see how it's not better than last year's team.

Totally agree. Obviously we need to watch the season unfold, but Lopez could play with a peg-leg, and be better than last years option. Randle damn well better improve....and frankly so should Ingram. It's no secret that Ingram was pretty underwhelming last season, so here's to hoping he's MASSIVELY improved.

I don't see where we got worse. We were last defensively......so that will be impossible to get worse at. Talk about "it's only up from here'.

True. The only thing I was thinking we probabily lost was Lou Williams 18ppg that we lost. But Lopez will provided that in a better way whiles playing within the system and providing some defense.

[AcecardZ]

KCP averaged about 18 points a game so no fall off there. Plus he's a better defender than Lou Williams.

[meetbishop]

KCP averaged about 18 points a game so no fall off there. Plus he's a better defender than Lou Williams.

When was that? He is more like 13ppg guy.

[Michael Lucky]

14.9ppg 2.7apg per 36mpg for KCP on 51.9TS%. The guy is a bad offensive player, simple as that. Every guard we lost was actually a far better offensive player.

Thinking that Lonzo is going to straight out give you a bunch of more wins as a 19 year old rookie is flat out ridiculous. The best rookies we've had in the last ten years are mostly part of 20-25 win teams. Whether it's KAT, Durant, etc....

And KP's model for wins shouldn't be relied upon. Saying that he gives us 33 wins when he gives no team in the league less than 27 and no more than 49 in the east, isn't saying much.

[AcecardZ]

KCP averaged about 18 points a game so no fall off there. Plus he's a better defender than Lou Williams.

When was that? He is more like 13ppg guy.

I guess I need glasses. Lol. Checked his avg for last year and thought I read 18.8. It was in fact 13.8 as you pointed out.

[Edrees]

I feel like we can get 34 wins this year if everyone remains relatively healthy. Don't forget folks, end of season is like 10 easier wins from all the tanking teams which we finally wont be doing.

[Lalouie]

33wins is not a bad jump. I think it'll be 34 or 5. A little context... MJ +11, Magic +13, and they had more experienced players to work with

[LakersSoul]

33wins is not a bad jump. I think it'll be 34 or 5. A little context... MJ +11, Magic +13, and they had more experienced players to work with

Magic had an All-Star in Kareem plus Wilkes and some young guns like Norm Nixon and Cooper. Jordan on the other hand only had Orlando Woolridge on a poor team.

Ball has Lopez plus younger and semi-vets like Randle and KCP. Not nearly as good as Magic's Lakers but still better than Jordan's Bulls. I can see Ball leading the team to about 13 more wins which will get us to 39 level and just short of a playoffs.

[stan francisco]

I've said we make the playoffs but the more I look at the competition (although changed), it will be tough. If we can get to 42-40, we still might not win the 8th spot. Logic says that even 37 wins will be tough, but I have high hopes of our defensive minded roster improvements and Lonzo running the break.

[Rafer24]

37 to 41.

Lonzo Ball gonna be fun.

[DEEP3CL]

Teams better than the lakers in my opinion:

Warriors
Houston
Spurs
Clippers
Jazz
OKC
Memphis
Portland
Denver
Minnesota

Agree with some of these Big Game, but the Jazz and Memphis will struggle mark my words...

The Jazz lost 37 points scored per night by Hayward and George Hill, with that roster that will be extremely hard to make up. As for Memphis their window has close and their style of play is outdated. And now more pressure is on Conley and Gasol to really carry the load and avoid injury in the process. These two teams can easily fall out of the playoff race and be replaced.

i think 6 spots are locked in, but 2 spots will be battles. Media and fans hype Portland and Denver but these teams are fragile also, meaning they too have to avoid injury and most find a more consistent groove to play. Both of them have stretches where they're beatable.

But I'm good with our progress, no need to rush a playoff berth when it's clearly the Warriors frame...let'em ride another year of a tough playoff run and that's better for us in the long run, age and money is what is going to kill them off.

[AcecardZ]

Deep! Are you a fan of the Lonzo Ball draft pick?

Curious if there was anybody else you preferred..