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Simple question. Some on the Laker boards seem to think they will. I'm catching flak for saying they won't. Alot of them saying they will be better than last year's Mavs, and ipso facto they can win close to 70 games if not more. My couter argument is they're not better than alot of other teams that failed to get 67 or so wins, so giving the Mavs as your shining example- a fluke team- doesn't really help.

So what do you think? One of the greatest teams of all-time coming up next year in Staples? Or just another in a long line of teams whose fans tell us will win 70 and don't?

No.

Not a chance in the west.

There are just so many good teams.

Portland is going to be a 50 win team next year IMO.

That's 10 potential 50 win teams.

Wow. NO

They probably won't even be as good as this year's Celtics team.

But they'll be good. Don't get me wrong.

I doubt it.

Maybe if they were in teh east, yes, but theyre gonna have extremely tough competition on a nightly basis considering other teams in the west will also improve (which is a scary thought IMO).

no chance in hell

65 games, probably. And that's if the Lakers stay injury-free, which hasn't happened in the last 5 years.

I don't see the West getting any easier next year, not with Portland looking to have a breakout year, NOH to build on an already successful year, and maybe Yao/TMac finally staying healthy (fat chance).

No. You need to be a dominant team on both sides of the ball to win 70. The Lakers might be a decent defensive team, but not good enough to win 70.

No.

To the people citing the tough Western Conference as a reason they won't: Don't worry, they won't be close enough for you to even think that if they were in the East they could've.

they could. but imho winning that many games has a fair amount to do with luck, so i don't think they will.

if bryant/gasol/bynum/odom were to stay healthy for 80 games....they'd have a fair shot. but what are the odds of that? not high in my estimation.

ILikeTheGrizz wrote:To the people citing the tough Western Conference as a reason they won't: Don't worry, they won't be close enough for you to even think that if they were in the East they could've.

I do think 70 would be in reach if they were in the East.

They play a lot more games against lesser-talent teams, and face elite (or, good) teams a lot less often.

Its possible if they can stay healthy, but i doubt it.....

67 if everyone is relatively healthy

Kno wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



I do think 70 would be in reach if they were in the East.

They play a lot more games against lesser-talent teams, and face elite (or, good) teams a lot less often.

What if Bynum and Pau play seamlessly together, and Lamar stays at this same fever-pitch pace? That'll make a Quintet that'll rival the dominance of this Celtic Trio. Possible. Unlikely, but possible.