Laker Expectations

iamworthy · Post #1 » by **iamworthy** » Thu May 26, 2011 3:10 am

Coming off of a second round sweep, Realistically, What is a successful season for Mike Brown and the lakers next year? Mike is getting alot of negative comments here on our board and the GB so I just wanted to get your opinions.

Post #2 » by **TyCobb** » Thu May 26, 2011 3:19 am

With this roster, anything less than a Finals appearance would be a fail, in my opinion.

Saint18 · Post #3 » by **Saint18** » Thu May 26, 2011 3:22 am

I know he's getting a lot of negative comments but I really do think he can help us. I believe we can win a championship with brown by seeing his defensive credentials. I know he had Lebron but a Cleveland did not make a finals and two con. finals just because of lebron. I am really looking forward to seeing how our offense will look next season as well.

iamworthy · Post #4 » by **iamworthy** » Thu May 26, 2011 3:25 am

Yeah, imo I still have us winning the pacific, possibly winning the west, top 3 for sure, and doing major damage in the playoffs as long as we still have our legs.

Post #5 » by **Jakay** » Thu May 26, 2011 3:33 am

I expect this team to get a younger point guard. Nothing against Fish, guy's just getting too old, and there's nothing wrong with being a bench player.

From there, business as usual.

Saint18 · Post #6 » by **Saint18** » Thu May 26, 2011 3:36 am

Im really optimstic right know. especially with Kobe getting rest and strengthening his knees. I was hoping we could pick up a lightning fast pg that can shoot like L. Barbosa (He would have been perfect in the Triangle) for the mid-level excep. and a Def./Reb rock solid big man that can provide Pau some rest. Joe smith and Theo literally sat their asses on the bench too long, pau got no backup.

salmahayek · Post #7 » by **salmahayek** » Thu May 26, 2011 4:13 am

I think the expectation with this team, with this roster and payroll is a championship. I think they can contend for one.

The key is going to be the Brown - Kobe relationship. If Brown has Kobe buy in, the Lakers will contend for the title.

I think Brown's emphasis on defense will help a lot.

I also like Brown's idea of trying to copy a lot of San Antonio's offense when they had Robinson and Duncan and using a similar style with Bynum and Gasol - intriguing to say the least - if Kobe is down with that mixing into his shots.

Dr Aki · Post #8 » by **Dr Aki** » Thu May 26, 2011 4:39 am

lets manage expectations...

NOTHING SHORT OF A RING WILL DO!

still the truth

So Gutta · Post #9 » by **So Gutta** » Thu May 26, 2011 5:59 am

Championship.

Crazy how Brown is only 7 years older than Kobe.

DEEP3CL · Post #10 » by **DEEP3CL** » Thu May 26, 2011 6:56 am

Expectations will be the same as they always are. A title or else. You think Brown would put himself in this position if he thought he couldn't get his message across ? Dallas better win this title cause if they don't it curtains for them.......book it.

crimsonkb24 · Post #11 » by **crimsonkb24** » Thu May 26, 2011 7:46 am

Has to be the Finals, still the best Roster in the Western Conference. I dont think we can beat Miami next year though, if they use their MLE correctly (if there is one next year)

Post #12 » by **semi-sentient** » Thu May 26, 2011 1:37 pm

TyCobb wrote:With this roster, anything less than a Finals appearance would be a fail, in my opinion.

Our roster is flawed. We have one of the worst benches in the league, and our wing defense is atrocious because neither Kobe or Fisher can defend adequately anymore. Bynum and Pau can't seem to figure out how to play well together, and teams have simply figured out that packing the paint is an easy way to beat us since we have no shooters.

Getting to the Finals would be overachieving when you factor in that a) we'll be one year older with the same flaws and b) teams like OKC and MEM are only going to get better and have well-rounded rosters.

LA Forever · Post #13 » by **LA Forever** » Thu May 26, 2011 3:21 pm

As a Laker fan, expectations are always championship or bust.

As a realistic Laker fan, my expectations are championship or bust.

dirtymike · Post #14 » by **dirtymike** » Thu May 26, 2011 4:22 pm

Right...anything less than a ring will NOT do! Brown made it to the finals with a team that only had lebron...and if the team that had Shaq on it had any heart, they wouldve made it back to the finals a couple of times. There is NO questioning Kobe's heart! So Laker Nation will be aiight. Brown's a good coach. All we need is a friggin PG! Chris Paul anyone???

The Laker Kid · Post #15 » by **The Laker Kid** » Thu May 26, 2011 5:16 pm

Finals appearance at least

desertlakerfan · Post #16 » by **desertlakerfan** » Thu May 26, 2011 6:17 pm

Championship or bust until our window slams shut like it did on SA and likely Boston this year.

Those should be the only expectations for this squad. Mike Brown took a much worse Cleveland team to the finals so the experience is there, he should have no issue doing it with a fully rested and motivated 2011-12 Lakers squad.

desertlakerfan · Post #17 » by **desertlakerfan** » Thu May 26, 2011 6:27 pm

semi-sentient wrote:
TyCobb wrote:With this roster, anything less than a Finals appearance would be a fail, in my opinion.

Our roster is flawed. We have one of the worst benches in the league, and our wing defense is atrocious because neither Kobe or Fisher can defend adequately anymore. Bynum and Pau can't seem to figure out how to play well together, and teams have simply figured out that packing the paint is an easy way to beat us since we have no shooters.

Getting to the Finals would be overachieving when you factor in that a) we'll be one year older with the same flaws and b) teams like OKC and MEM are only going to get better and have well-rounded rosters.

2 of our 3 bench players(Barnes/Blake) were coming off injuries and weren't the same players they were in the regular season. I'll agree that Brown is hot garbage, but hopefully he opts out and we can sign a guard to take his minutes or start at PG and have Fisher play the backup SG role. Our poor playoff wing defense was largely based on slow and old Fisher, chicken pox recovering Blake, and dumb as a bag of nails Brown. Add in that we were trying for our 4th deep playoff run in a row and you've got a recipe for disaster against a hot outside shooting and excellent passing team like Dallas.

We need to stop overreacting towards a bad playoff run with a mentally and physically exhausted team. The extra rest and extra motivation of being swept will get this squad back to the top after a few tweaks this off season.

Saint18 · Post #18 » by **Saint18** » Thu May 26, 2011 7:16 pm

desertlakerfan wrote:
semi-sentient wrote:
TyCobb wrote:With this roster, anything less than a Finals appearance would be a fail, in my opinion.

Our roster is flawed. We have one of the worst benches in the league, and our wing defense is atrocious because neither Kobe or Fisher can defend adequately anymore. Bynum and Pau can't seem to figure out how to play well together, and teams have simply figured out that packing the paint is an easy way to beat us since we have no shooters.

Getting to the Finals would be overachieving when you factor in that a) we'll be one year older with the same flaws and b) teams like OKC and MEM are only going to get better and have well-rounded rosters.

2 of our 3 bench players(Barnes/Blake) were coming off injuries and weren't the same players they were in the regular season. I'll agree that Brown is hot garbage, but hopefully he opts out and we can sign a guard to take his minutes or start at PG and have Fisher play the backup SG role. Our poor playoff wing defense was largely based on slow and old Fisher, chicken pox recovering Blake, and dumb as a bag of nails Brown. Add in that we were trying for our 4th deep playoff run in a row and you've got a recipe for disaster against a hot outside shooting and excellent passing team like Dallas.

We need to stop overreacting towards a bad playoff run with a mentally and physically exhausted team. The extra rest and extra motivation of being swept will get this squad back to the top after a few tweaks this off season.

Steve Blake is useless.... his job was to hit open shots and he could not do that. Brown can go, we should replace him with Barbosa.

Post #19 » by **semi-sentient** » Thu May 26, 2011 7:21 pm

Yeah, Blake was useless for all of maybe 1 month to start the season. It seems like he just kept getting worse and worse.

Post #20 » by **Slava** » Thu May 26, 2011 7:33 pm

Actually I think guys like Blake, Barnes, Ebanks, Caracter and Artest might thrive in a new system. They would at least be spared the confusion of being in an alien offense.

Guys like Fisher and Walton might feel they are excess to requirements with no real role other than leadership and team spirit.

A ball handling free spirit like Odom might do better than he did in the confines of the triangle and I can really see both Kobe and LO average slightly higher than normal assists per game.