Can Lakers make to the Playoffs this year?

osamu · Post #361 » by **osamu** » Thu Jan 10, 2013 11:13 pm

karma at its finest!

Kobe Bean · Post #362 » by **Kobe Bean** » Thu Jan 10, 2013 11:19 pm

Especially against SA I expected Kobe to come out and carry us, but he has been chucking up bricks left and right. I have no expectations anymore. Perhaps "Earlsanity" will arise? One can only hope.

The game against OKC is already decided unless Metta locks KD up 2010-style and Pau returns and gets comfortable in the post. I'm betting we'll witness another brick fest by KB, too, courtesy to Sefolosha's defense.

TwentyOne920 · Post #363 » by **TwentyOne920** » Fri Jan 11, 2013 12:14 am

Apathy wrote:Honestly -- and I say this as a guy who views the Lakers as the Yankees; I love to root against 'em -- the Lakers have run bad with injuries.

They were never as good as everyone thought they were going to be, at least not in the regular season. Hollinger and other sabermetric sites (WoW, BP) had 'em projected for ~50-55 wins, no?

But that always came with a huge caveat: health. They were counting on five players staying healthy. If any of them slipped, watch out. That's why, despite 60-win talent, they averaged out to low 50s in wins.

But some simulations will be worse than others. No one pegged a decline in D12's production; hindsight tells us we should've. Nash, even though he's back, is simply not the same. Kobe has been great offensively but given up much of it defensively. And Pau, who was previously an ironman, has battled injuries from day one.

Things like "chemistry" and "leadership," while full of grains of truth, are not the whole story. They're just convenient scapegoats, parroted to us by media minions. Most fans consume too much media, so what they hear over and over becomes accepted as truth. Indoctrination. So that's what most people ITT and this forum point to: "D'Antoni never made a Finals, why hire him?" "Pau is soft." And so on.

The truth is a lot less sexier: lack of health, thanks in part to small sample size (we only get to "run" this "simulation" once; there are always going to be sizable error bars) and horrid depth.

That, and sabermetrics don't exactly care about how Kobe blows on the defensive end too much for Dwight not be able to cover for him.

Jaykoolzboy · Post #364 » by **Jaykoolzboy** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 5:34 am

another blow out by OKC, 15 - 21 , I think they are completely out at this point.

RIPskaterdude · Post #365 » by **RIPskaterdude** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 5:36 am

They should beat the Cavs at home, at least.

Dupp · Post #366 » by **Dupp** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 5:43 am

xx_skaterdude_xx wrote:They should beat the Cavs at home, at least.

We beat them last time !

I think the door has all but closed on the lakers season. Theres still a chance but its looking unlikely.

DirtyDez · Post #367 » by **DirtyDez** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 5:44 am

They got a break with Houston & Portland losing...

RIPskaterdude · Post #368 » by **RIPskaterdude** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 5:47 am

Dutuctive Depp wrote:
xx_skaterdude_xx wrote:They should beat the Cavs at home, at least.

We beat them last time !

I think the door has all but closed on the lakers season. Theres still a chance but its looking unlikely.

No Casspi, no win!!

Dupp · Post #369 » by **Dupp** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 5:53 am

xx_skaterdude_xx wrote:
No Casspi, no win!!

Dw caspi will be tehre

Palmeirense · Post #370 » by **Palmeirense** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 5:55 am

Not impossible, they're 5 games behind the 8th seed, i believe. I also believe around 46 wins will get you in the playoffs this year in the west. I hope they don't make it, though.

ClayDavis · Post #371 » by **ClayDavis** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 6:08 am

Apathy wrote:Honestly -- and I say this as a guy who views the Lakers as the Yankees; I love to root against 'em -- the Lakers have run bad with injuries.

They were never as good as everyone thought they were going to be, at least not in the regular season. Hollinger and other sabermetric sites (WoW, BP) had 'em projected for ~50-55 wins, no?

But that always came with a huge caveat: health. They were counting on five players staying healthy. If any of them slipped, watch out. That's why, despite 60-win talent, they averaged out to low 50s in wins.

But some simulations will be worse than others. No one pegged a decline in D12's production; hindsight tells us we should've. Nash, even though he's back, is simply not the same. Kobe has been great offensively but given up much of it defensively. And Pau, who was previously an ironman, has battled injuries from day one.

Things like "chemistry" and "leadership," while full of grains of truth, are not the whole story. They're just convenient scapegoats, parroted to us by media minions. Most fans consume too much media, so what they hear over and over becomes accepted as truth. Indoctrination. So that's what most people ITT and this forum point to: "D'Antoni never made a Finals, why hire him?" "Pau is soft." And so on.

The truth is a lot less sexier: lack of health, thanks in part to small sample size (we only get to "run" this "simulation" once; there are always going to be sizable error bars) and horrid depth.

shut up. you make too much sense. too much tangible talk. i need intangibles, stuff that allows people to make stuff up. when the arguments are based like that. the media wins!

UnbelievablyRAW · Post #372 » by **UnbelievablyRAW** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 6:53 am

I pride myself for being one of the people that voted no during the "Its too early to write them off" period earlier

/HipsterPost

GoldKnightRises · Post #373 » by **GoldKnightRises** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 7:04 am

The season isn't even halfway done, there is still a large amount of basketball to be played although chances are slimming game by game.

TheGoodDoctor · Post #374 » by **TheGoodDoctor** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 7:16 am

Can they? Sure.

Will they? I'm actually leaning towards no.

GoldKnightRises · Post #375 » by **GoldKnightRises** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 7:18 am

TheGoodDoctor wrote:Can they? Sure.

Will they? I'm actually leaning towards no.

Perfect answer, they can & still people are acting as if spots are already being clinched, I can see why though but it's a long NBA season.

EscapoTHB · Post #376 » by **EscapoTHB** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 7:33 am

They'd need several teams to choke massively in almost historic fashion at this point.

Their schedule isn't getting easier. And they aren't getting healthier.

Basically their season will rest on if Kobe and Nash can by themselves turn it around despite having little time together under a new coach under intense pressure.

Lakers might be better off blowing it all up for picks and cap now.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

GetItDone · Post #377 » by **GetItDone** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 7:33 am

If I told you before the season you have a chance to win a billion dollars if the Lakers make the playoffs, but if you take the bet and they don't, you get killed, im thinking most would take their chances.

GreenBloodedC · Post #378 » by **GreenBloodedC** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 7:39 am

I'm starting to think they won't. We're almost halfway through the season and we've almost got a clear indication on how well teams will perform.

We could say that the Lakers will start winning once they fix their problems, but it also means other teams in the west should start losing.

KyletheDingbat · Post #379 » by **KyletheDingbat** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 8:57 am

If all their guys get healthy they could run off a 10 game win streak, or go 15-2 or something. That would put them right back in the hunt.

Wonderllama · Post #380 » by **Wonderllama** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 9:01 am

Kobe could score 40 points a game and they'd still find ways to lose.

Can Lakers make to the playoffs in wild wild west?