The Annual Prediction Thread (Standings, Statistics)

[TylersLakers]

It's that time!

Okay, maybe it's a little earlier than normal but it's the doldrums time of the NBA off-season where there's nothing going on except training camp signings. Barring something unforeseen, our roster is pretty much set. The schedule is out and we now know what we have to work with. Now's the fun part and focusing on this years team. How good can we be? How quick can these young guys develop? Will Kobe stay healthy and play 60-70 games?

Statistics:

Kobe Bryant: 61 GP, 21.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 5.9 APG, 42% FG, 31% 3PT, 82% FT
Jordan Clarkson: 17.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.2 APG, 44% FG, 34% 3PT, 83% FT
Lou Williams: 14.2 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 3.2 APG, 43% FG, 37% 3PT, 81% FT
D'Angelo Russell: 12.8 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.6 RPG, 42% FG, 33% 3PT, 77% FT
Roy Hibbert: 12.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.1 BPG, 46.5% FG, 78% FT
Julius Randle: 11.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 3.1 APG, 44% FG, 64% FT
Nick Young: 10.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.6 APG, 41% FG, 37% 3PT, 90% FT
Brandon Bass: 9.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.2 APG, 51% FG, 82% FT
Tarik Black: 7.8 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 55% FG, 59% FT
Anthony Brown: 7.4 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 43% FG, 42% 3PT
Larry Nance Jr: 6.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 0.8 BPG, 48% FG
Michael Frazier: 5.8 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 40 % FG, 38% 3PT
Ryan Kelly: 4.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 38% FG, 35% 3PT
Robert Sacre: 4.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 42% FG

There's our 14 man roster we'll go with, in my opinion. I'm sure come the trade deadline/with injuries if Sacre and Kelly aren't shipped, Holmes and Upshaw will be brought up.

One thing while noticing while looking at guys' stats is our free throw percentage. This could, quite possibly, be the best free throw shooting team we've had in a long time. Our only questionable free throw shooters are Randle, Tarik Black and possibly Nance. I can't imagine those guys getting to the free throw line that much, aside from Randle.

-----------------------------------

Standings:

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

1- Golden State Warriors (61-21)
2- San Antonio Spurs (58-24)
3- Houston Rockets (56-26)
4- Los Angeles Clippers (56-26)
5- Oklahoma City (55-27)
6- Memphis Grizzlies (51-31)
7- New Orleans Pelicans (49-33)
8- Los Angeles Lakers (48-34)

9- Phoenix Suns (45-37)
10- Utah Jazz (44-38)
11- Minnesota Timberwolves (36-46)
12- Sacramento Kings (34-48)
13- Portland Trailblazers (28-54)
14- Denver Nuggets (26-56)
15- Dallas Mavericks (21-61)


EASTERN CONFERENCE:

1- Cleveland Cavaliers (58-24)
2- Toronto Raptors (52-30)
3- Chicago Bulls (50-32)
4- Milwaukee Bucks (48-34)
5- Atlanta Hawks (47-35)
6- Miami Heat (45-37)
7- Indiana Pacers (44-38)
8- Charlotte Hornets (42-40)

9- Detroit Pistons (40-42)
10- Orlando Magic (38-44)
11- Washington Wizards (35-47)
12- Boston Celtics (33-49)
13- New York Knicks (30-52)
14- Brooklyn Nets (27-55)
15- Philadelphia 76ers (20-62)

I had us at 9 or 10 until the Exum injury as well as the Suns and the Morris situation. They've had a couple good years with Hornacek, but I think their magic starts to run out. They picked up Tyson Chandler and he would have been a great fit next to Aldridge, but they traded away one of the Morris brothers to clear out the cap space and now dysfunction has started to creep in.

[Slava]

You have really high expectations for Randle and Nance. Our win total is likely closer to 40 than 50.

[FrozenIceCubes]

There is absolutely no way the Lakers make the playoffs this year.

To many weaknesses and to inexperienced let's not make other fans point at us as some sort of joke.

The Lakers will be a fun team to watch but anyone who is expecting success is really not thinking straight.

[dipstick]

I'm hoping for a playoff run, but I don't think its likely. Won't go to the extent of impossibility though.

As for the stats, Randle should be just right, if he really ends up starting. Nance and Brown may be a little high unless they get good minutes on injury riddled games.

The big question mark is really Kobe. I really think that he's starting to accept his limitations. After coming out last year the way he did, he accepted that he had to sit some games and also had to be more of a facilitator before eventually hurting himself again and sitting out the rest of the way.

I am hoping to see that kind of Kobe. Someone who is more of a facilitator playing the team game and not demanding having to play 30-35 minutes a game. I would really prefer that he play below 30 minutes but be available to play in all the games. Of course, all this facilitating goes out the window if none of his teammates step up and he has to chuck 30 shots a game to go along with 35mpg.

[mcscotty]

Hate to be the pessimist, but I think we'll be battling in the basement with the Nuggets. It's all on Kobe's busted up shoulders.

[TylersLakers]

You have really high expectations for Randle and Nance. Our win total is likely closer to 40 than 50.

Randle, yes. I think he'll start the season at around 8 points, 4 rebounds and then by the end of the season bring those averages up.

My expectations are pretty low for Nance, IMO. He'll have some inflated numbers due to a lot of DNP-CD's, but because of our front court depth, I could see him getting big minutes at times if injuries occur.

[TylersLakers]

There is absolutely no way the Lakers make the playoffs this year.

To many weaknesses and to inexperienced let's not make other fans point at us as some sort of joke.

The Lakers will be a fun team to watch but anyone who is expecting success is really not thinking straight.

You gotta look at it this way.

Which teams are going to overtake us for the last playoff spot? It really comes down to Phoenix and Utah. The Dante Exum injury for Utah is huge, they were really counting on him along with Gobert to take their games to the next level.

The Mavericks are in the middle of tanking and Mark Cuban has fully admitted to it. Their draft pick is Top 7 protected so they'll be aiming to lose. I would be shocked if Parsons or Wes Matthews played a game until December, minimum.

Denver? Uncertain coaching, no Lawson, didn't do anything to improve upon last year except for a healthier Gallinari.

Trailblazers have lost LaMarcus Aldridge, Batum, Matthews and gained Ed Davis. I love Ed but it would take a 05-06 Kobe season from Lillard to get them anywhere near the playoff race.

Timberwolves? Kings? Don't think so.

[FrozenIceCubes]

the possibility of making the playoffs is there but the roster the Lakers created screams that it's gonna be a process.

You did a great job breaking down the chances of LA making the playoffs but I think everything needs to fall perfectly for the team to make the playoffs.

[One Love]

Very solid post with good assumptions across the board... That being said, I think Randle, Nance & Brown are a bit optimistic and we wi be a .500 team... I am not saying we don't have a chance but two of the young guns will have to step up & Bibbert has to have a BIG year...

[eseigs]

Wizards at 11??

[FrozenIceCubes]

ESPN forecast has the Lakers ranked 14/15 in the west.

Anyone who thinks this current team can make the playoffs is drinking the kool aid . The Lakers probably know that to..

I only see them making the playoffs is if some of the WC contenders go through a injury-plugged season.

[DEEP3CL]

ESPN forecast has the Lakers ranked 14/15 in the west.

Anyone who thinks this current team can make the playoffs is drinking the kool aid . The Lakers probably know that to..

I only see them making the playoffs is if some of the WC contenders go through a injury-plugged season.

ESPN is full of haters. You or no one else can unequivocally say the Lakers aren't making the playoffs. I myself see too many weakness with the teams these so called analyst are putting ahead of us. I can tell you right now with certainty that Dallas, Denver, Sacramento and Utah aren't finishing ahead of the Lakers. They all have a ton of weakness that far outweigh the Lakers.

The teams we will hunt and have to take down would be Phoenix, but seeing how toxic that situation is and we haven't even gotten to camp that team is circling the drain. The way I see it there are 6 locks and two spots up for grabs. People are raving on the Pelicans but they still have weakness...you know Gordon is going to miss games and PG depth will be an issue for them especially if they don't bring back Cole. You look at that roster, you're telling me you're in awe of it ? I'm not, other than Davis I don't see a guy who can take over games. Davis is going to have to carry them just like last season, and it caught up to him in the later games of the playoffs.

Also you add in that they're going to a more uptempo system, if Davis who has yet to play a full season can't hold up along with Gordon and Holiday....New Orleans is no lock like the media wants to make them out to be.

I said I can see us at 41-41, and to make the playoffs we have to steal games we shouldn't be picked to win. A range of 7-8 of those games could get us in the door at the 8th spot. That would put us in that 48-49 win range even though I don't think it will take more than 45-46 games this season to get to 8th.

Now I'm not a fan of making the 8th seed just to be booted in the first round, but this team needs just that. These guys have to feel what playing in the playoffs is like before we can go expecting just to put together a super squad and expect wins.

I think too many guys here want to play it safe and not make a bold prediction to stay in the graces of the other idiot fans that roam this site, as if they're the gods of ball and they're smarter than every Laker fan.....F*** them. Who the hell cares what they think, if you can talk ball in an educated sense and explain your reasoning you should never be afraid to speak your mind.

I mean think about the teams they're even placing in front of the Lakers ? The Laker roster isn't super bad as they want to make it. I see guys that want to fight to win games. But look at those teams....

Dallas....owner admits they'll tank if not in contention and they lost their best scorer in Ellis and they think they can win 41 games ?

Sacramento....That team is a mess from top to bottom, coach wants to trade their best player, GM wants to fire coach

Denver....Traded it's best player/alcoholic....team is hoping a player with a bum knee can regain form and has no other talent on roster.

Utah....Team is just as young as the Lakers but has no real super star and one of their younger players is out in Exum

Portland....You can't get rid of 4/5ths of your starting 5 and expect to be better, all they have is Lillard and nothing else to boast about. And ESPN picks them to win 31 games ? You know some body is on meth at that place.

I mean look at that garbage, they wouldn't even put a name behind who did the rankings. and you know it's garbage when they're saying all Dallas has to do is win 41 games to get into the playoffs when it took New Orleans 45 to snag the 8th seed, now all of sudden the Pels only need to win 2 more games than last season to snatch 7th ? Who the f**k are we fooling here ? If 41 is the range to make it then I know damn well the Lakers can battle for 41 wins, but 26 that's crazy and so is ESPN.

Bottom line is those guys don't know ball.

[FrozenIceCubes]

^
Im gonna take your word for it. Your basketball knowledge is top notch but I don't blame the media and fans for not giving the team much of a chance... It seems like Jeannie/Jim/Mitch have exclusively made this season aboutbeing Kobe's farewell tour.. while the Youngsters show growth.. Like you said wins from anywhere from 35-40 would be a big improvement and a step in the right direction but this season has absolutely nothing to do with winning or succeeding.

[TylersLakers]

ESPN forecast has the Lakers ranked 14/15 in the west.

Anyone who thinks this current team can make the playoffs is drinking the kool aid . The Lakers probably know that to..

I only see them making the playoffs is if some of the WC contenders go through a injury-plugged season.

ESPN is full of haters. You or no one else can unequivocally say the Lakers aren't making the playoffs. I myself see too many weakness with the teams these so called analyst are putting ahead of us. I can tell you right now with certainty that Dallas, Denver, Sacramento and Utah aren't finishing ahead of the Lakers. They all have a ton of weakness that far outweigh the Lakers.

The teams we will hunt and have to take down would be Phoenix, but seeing how toxic that situation is and we haven't even gotten to camp that team is circling the drain. The way I see it there are 6 locks and two spots up for grabs. People are raving on the Pelicans but they still have weakness...you know Gordon is going to miss games and PG depth will be an issue for them especially if they don't bring back Cole. You look at that roster, you're telling me you're in awe of it ? I'm not, other than Davis I don't see a guy who can take over games. Davis is going to have to carry them just like last season, and it caught up to him in the later games of the playoffs.

Also you add in that they're going to a more uptempo system, if Davis who has yet to play a full season can't hold up along with Gordon and Holiday....New Orleans is no lock like the media wants to make them out to be.

I said I can see us at 41-41, and to make the playoffs we have to steal games we shouldn't be picked to win. A range of 7-8 of those games could get us in the door at the 8th spot. That would put us in that 48-49 win range even though I don't think it will take more than 45-46 games this season to get to 8th.

Now I'm not a fan of making the 8th seed just to be booted in the first round, but this team needs just that. These guys have to feel what playing in the playoffs is like before we can go expecting just to put together a super squad and expect wins.

I think too many guys here want to play it safe and not make a bold prediction to stay in the graces of the other idiot fans that roam this site, as if they're the gods of ball and they're smarter than every Laker fan.....F*** them. Who the hell cares what they think, if you can talk ball in an educated sense and explain your reasoning you should never be afraid to speak your mind.

I mean think about the teams they're even placing in front of the Lakers ? The Laker roster isn't super bad as they want to make it. I see guys that want to fight to win games. But look at those teams....

Dallas....owner admits they'll tank if not in contention and they lost their best scorer in Ellis and they think they can win 41 games ?

Sacramento....That team is a mess from top to bottom, coach wants to trade their best player, GM wants to fire coach

Denver....Traded it's best player/alcoholic....team is hoping a player with a bum knee can regain form and has no other talent on roster.

Utah....Team is just as young as the Lakers but has no real super star and one of their younger players is out in Exum

Portland....You can't get rid of 4/5ths of your starting 5 and expect to be better, all they have is Lillard and nothing else to boast about. And ESPN picks them to win 31 games ? You know some body is on meth at that place.

I mean look at that garbage, they wouldn't even put a name behind who did the rankings. and you know it's garbage when they're saying all Dallas has to do is win 41 games to get into the playoffs when it took New Orleans 45 to snag the 8th seed, now all of sudden the Pels only need to win 2 more games than last season to snatch 7th ? Who the f**k are we fooling here ? If 41 is the range to make it then I know damn well the Lakers can battle for 41 wins, but 26 that's crazy and so is ESPN.

Bottom line is those guys don't know ball.

You're 100% right. 6 locks and after that is all about injuries/situations/etc.

ESPN has Dallas in playoff contention. Really? With Parsons and Matthews out to start the season (and possibly more)? With an aging Dirk Nowitzki? Mark Cuban has indicated if they didn't get DeAndre, then it would be a tank year.

Thanks, Deep. Glad someone knows basketball.

[crazyeights]

If Hibbert can have the kind of defensive impact he's had in recent years, if Kobe is healthy (big if), if the coaching staff figures out how to properly utilize Randle, if Lou continues his offensive impact off the bench, and if Clarkson can take the next step, while playing a different role with Russell, if Russell takes strides over the course of the season:

I think we have a puncher's chance at the 8th seed.

Sure, a lot of if's, but I see no point in counting this team out before we even see them on the court. IMO, people are underrating our mix of veterans and young talent. There's a lot of questions, but I like the team we've fielded so far.

If Kobe's healthy and able to be productive in more limited minutes, I'd love to see him in the playoffs one last time, see what happens. Tanking's not an option for this team next year. Getting a taste of winning absolutely needs to be our priority.

It'll be up to the basketball gods now.

[ArC_man]

I think people are hesitant to make optimistic predictions because the last 2 years many of us made optimistic predictions and literally EVERYTHING went wrong.

[crazyeights]

I think people are hesitant to make optimistic predictions because the last 2 years many of us made optimistic predictions and literally EVERYTHING went wrong.

I know. "Realists" are just the broken-hearted.

I actually look at the last 2 years as everything has gone right. Tanking to nab Randle and Russell. Buying Clarkson. Hell of a lot better than being a treadmill team and losing one of the picks to Phoenix or Philly.

Think of it this way, we very easily could have drafted Vonleh and lost our pick this season.

Instead we have the potential to have 2 young guards to learn under Kobe his last season. A ton of cap space going forward, and a healthy Randle. IF Randle had been healthy, IMO, no way do we get the #2 pick. We wouldn't have been as inclined to tank.

[Lakers415]

It's that time!

Okay, maybe it's a little earlier than normal but it's the doldrums time of the NBA off-season where there's nothing going on except training camp signings. Barring something unforeseen, our roster is pretty much set. The schedule is out and we now know what we have to work with. Now's the fun part and focusing on this years team. How good can we be? How quick can these young guys develop? Will Kobe stay healthy and play 60-70 games?

Statistics:

Kobe Bryant: 61 GP, 21.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 5.9 APG, 42% FG, 31% 3PT, 82% FT
Jordan Clarkson: 17.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.2 APG, 44% FG, 34% 3PT, 83% FT
Lou Williams: 14.2 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 3.2 APG, 43% FG, 37% 3PT, 81% FT
D'Angelo Russell: 12.8 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.6 RPG, 42% FG, 33% 3PT, 77% FT
Roy Hibbert: 12.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.1 BPG, 46.5% FG, 78% FT
Julius Randle: 11.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 3.1 APG, 44% FG, 64% FT
Nick Young: 10.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.6 APG, 41% FG, 37% 3PT, 90% FT
Brandon Bass: 9.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.2 APG, 51% FG, 82% FT
Tarik Black: 7.8 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 55% FG, 59% FT
Anthony Brown: 7.4 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 43% FG, 42% 3PT
Larry Nance Jr: 6.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 0.8 BPG, 48% FG
Michael Frazier: 5.8 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 40 % FG, 38% 3PT
Ryan Kelly: 4.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 38% FG, 35% 3PT
Robert Sacre: 4.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 42% FG

There's our 14 man roster we'll go with, in my opinion. I'm sure come the trade deadline/with injuries if Sacre and Kelly aren't shipped, Holmes and Upshaw will be brought up.

One thing while noticing while looking at guys' stats is our free throw percentage. This could, quite possibly, be the best free throw shooting team we've had in a long time. Our only questionable free throw shooters are Randle, Tarik Black and possibly Nance. I can't imagine those guys getting to the free throw line that much, aside from Randle.

-----------------------------------

Standings:

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

1- Golden State Warriors (61-21)
2- San Antonio Spurs (58-24)
3- Houston Rockets (56-26)
4- Los Angeles Clippers (56-26)
5- Oklahoma City (55-27)
6- Memphis Grizzlies (51-31)
7- New Orleans Pelicans (49-33)
8- Los Angeles Lakers (48-34)

9- Phoenix Suns (45-37)
10- Utah Jazz (44-38)
11- Minnesota Timberwolves (36-46)
12- Sacramento Kings (34-48)
13- Portland Trailblazers (28-54)
14- Denver Nuggets (26-56)
15- Dallas Mavericks (21-61)


EASTERN CONFERENCE:

1- Cleveland Cavaliers (58-24)
2- Toronto Raptors (52-30)
3- Chicago Bulls (50-32)
4- Milwaukee Bucks (48-34)
5- Atlanta Hawks (47-35)
6- Miami Heat (45-37)
7- Indiana Pacers (44-38)
8- Charlotte Hornets (42-40)

9- Detroit Pistons (40-42)
10- Orlando Magic (38-44)
11- Washington Wizards (35-47)
12- Boston Celtics (33-49)
13- New York Knicks (30-52)
14- Brooklyn Nets (27-55)
15- Philadelphia 76ers (20-62)

I had us at 9 or 10 until the Exum injury as well as the Suns and the Morris situation. They've had a couple good years with Hornacek, but I think their magic starts to run out. They picked up Tyson Chandler and he would have been a great fit next to Aldridge, but they traded away one of the Morris brothers to clear out the cap space and now dysfunction has started to creep in.

You did calculate what the total ppg came out to right?

JC won't avg above 10 if every Laker is healthy.

I think the lakers can make the playoffs, but I think your stat lines are complete farce...

Bass and randle contributing 20ppg?

[TylersLakers]

It's that time!

Okay, maybe it's a little earlier than normal but it's the doldrums time of the NBA off-season where there's nothing going on except training camp signings. Barring something unforeseen, our roster is pretty much set. The schedule is out and we now know what we have to work with. Now's the fun part and focusing on this years team. How good can we be? How quick can these young guys develop? Will Kobe stay healthy and play 60-70 games?

Statistics:

Kobe Bryant: 61 GP, 21.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 5.9 APG, 42% FG, 31% 3PT, 82% FT
Jordan Clarkson: 17.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.2 APG, 44% FG, 34% 3PT, 83% FT
Lou Williams: 14.2 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 3.2 APG, 43% FG, 37% 3PT, 81% FT
D'Angelo Russell: 12.8 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.6 RPG, 42% FG, 33% 3PT, 77% FT
Roy Hibbert: 12.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.1 BPG, 46.5% FG, 78% FT
Julius Randle: 11.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 3.1 APG, 44% FG, 64% FT
Nick Young: 10.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.6 APG, 41% FG, 37% 3PT, 90% FT
Brandon Bass: 9.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.2 APG, 51% FG, 82% FT
Tarik Black: 7.8 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 55% FG, 59% FT
Anthony Brown: 7.4 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 43% FG, 42% 3PT
Larry Nance Jr: 6.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 0.8 BPG, 48% FG
Michael Frazier: 5.8 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 40 % FG, 38% 3PT
Ryan Kelly: 4.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 38% FG, 35% 3PT
Robert Sacre: 4.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 42% FG

There's our 14 man roster we'll go with, in my opinion. I'm sure come the trade deadline/with injuries if Sacre and Kelly aren't shipped, Holmes and Upshaw will be brought up.

One thing while noticing while looking at guys' stats is our free throw percentage. This could, quite possibly, be the best free throw shooting team we've had in a long time. Our only questionable free throw shooters are Randle, Tarik Black and possibly Nance. I can't imagine those guys getting to the free throw line that much, aside from Randle.

-----------------------------------

Standings:

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

1- Golden State Warriors (61-21)
2- San Antonio Spurs (58-24)
3- Houston Rockets (56-26)
4- Los Angeles Clippers (56-26)
5- Oklahoma City (55-27)
6- Memphis Grizzlies (51-31)
7- New Orleans Pelicans (49-33)
8- Los Angeles Lakers (48-34)

9- Phoenix Suns (45-37)
10- Utah Jazz (44-38)
11- Minnesota Timberwolves (36-46)
12- Sacramento Kings (34-48)
13- Portland Trailblazers (28-54)
14- Denver Nuggets (26-56)
15- Dallas Mavericks (21-61)


EASTERN CONFERENCE:

1- Cleveland Cavaliers (58-24)
2- Toronto Raptors (52-30)
3- Chicago Bulls (50-32)
4- Milwaukee Bucks (48-34)
5- Atlanta Hawks (47-35)
6- Miami Heat (45-37)
7- Indiana Pacers (44-38)
8- Charlotte Hornets (42-40)

9- Detroit Pistons (40-42)
10- Orlando Magic (38-44)
11- Washington Wizards (35-47)
12- Boston Celtics (33-49)
13- New York Knicks (30-52)
14- Brooklyn Nets (27-55)
15- Philadelphia 76ers (20-62)

I had us at 9 or 10 until the Exum injury as well as the Suns and the Morris situation. They've had a couple good years with Hornacek, but I think their magic starts to run out. They picked up Tyson Chandler and he would have been a great fit next to Aldridge, but they traded away one of the Morris brothers to clear out the cap space and now dysfunction has started to creep in.

You did calculate what the total ppg came out to right?

JC won't avg above 10 if every Laker is healthy.

I think the lakers can make the playoffs, but I think your stat lines are complete farce...

Bass and randle contributing 20ppg?

What do you mean the total PPG?

Just because those are their averages doesn't mean that's what our PPG will be as a team. If that's the case, our team would have averaged 169 points a game last season.

You realize Clarkson did average almost 12 points a game last year in his rookie year? Usually rookies have quite a big jump from one year to the second year.

[Lakers415]

It's that time!

Okay, maybe it's a little earlier than normal but it's the doldrums time of the NBA off-season where there's nothing going on except training camp signings. Barring something unforeseen, our roster is pretty much set. The schedule is out and we now know what we have to work with. Now's the fun part and focusing on this years team. How good can we be? How quick can these young guys develop? Will Kobe stay healthy and play 60-70 games?

Statistics:

Kobe Bryant: 61 GP, 21.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 5.9 APG, 42% FG, 31% 3PT, 82% FT
Jordan Clarkson: 17.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.2 APG, 44% FG, 34% 3PT, 83% FT
Lou Williams: 14.2 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 3.2 APG, 43% FG, 37% 3PT, 81% FT
D'Angelo Russell: 12.8 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.6 RPG, 42% FG, 33% 3PT, 77% FT
Roy Hibbert: 12.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.1 BPG, 46.5% FG, 78% FT
Julius Randle: 11.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 3.1 APG, 44% FG, 64% FT
Nick Young: 10.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.6 APG, 41% FG, 37% 3PT, 90% FT
Brandon Bass: 9.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.2 APG, 51% FG, 82% FT
Tarik Black: 7.8 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 55% FG, 59% FT
Anthony Brown: 7.4 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 43% FG, 42% 3PT
Larry Nance Jr: 6.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 0.8 BPG, 48% FG
Michael Frazier: 5.8 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 40 % FG, 38% 3PT
Ryan Kelly: 4.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 38% FG, 35% 3PT
Robert Sacre: 4.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 42% FG

There's our 14 man roster we'll go with, in my opinion. I'm sure come the trade deadline/with injuries if Sacre and Kelly aren't shipped, Holmes and Upshaw will be brought up.

One thing while noticing while looking at guys' stats is our free throw percentage. This could, quite possibly, be the best free throw shooting team we've had in a long time. Our only questionable free throw shooters are Randle, Tarik Black and possibly Nance. I can't imagine those guys getting to the free throw line that much, aside from Randle.

-----------------------------------

Standings:

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

1- Golden State Warriors (61-21)
2- San Antonio Spurs (58-24)
3- Houston Rockets (56-26)
4- Los Angeles Clippers (56-26)
5- Oklahoma City (55-27)
6- Memphis Grizzlies (51-31)
7- New Orleans Pelicans (49-33)
8- Los Angeles Lakers (48-34)

9- Phoenix Suns (45-37)
10- Utah Jazz (44-38)
11- Minnesota Timberwolves (36-46)
12- Sacramento Kings (34-48)
13- Portland Trailblazers (28-54)
14- Denver Nuggets (26-56)
15- Dallas Mavericks (21-61)


EASTERN CONFERENCE:

1- Cleveland Cavaliers (58-24)
2- Toronto Raptors (52-30)
3- Chicago Bulls (50-32)
4- Milwaukee Bucks (48-34)
5- Atlanta Hawks (47-35)
6- Miami Heat (45-37)
7- Indiana Pacers (44-38)
8- Charlotte Hornets (42-40)

9- Detroit Pistons (40-42)
10- Orlando Magic (38-44)
11- Washington Wizards (35-47)
12- Boston Celtics (33-49)
13- New York Knicks (30-52)
14- Brooklyn Nets (27-55)
15- Philadelphia 76ers (20-62)

I had us at 9 or 10 until the Exum injury as well as the Suns and the Morris situation. They've had a couple good years with Hornacek, but I think their magic starts to run out. They picked up Tyson Chandler and he would have been a great fit next to Aldridge, but they traded away one of the Morris brothers to clear out the cap space and now dysfunction has started to creep in.

You did calculate what the total ppg came out to right?

JC won't avg above 10 if every Laker is healthy.

I think the lakers can make the playoffs, but I think your stat lines are complete farce...

Bass and randle contributing 20ppg?

What do you mean the total PPG?

Just because those are their averages doesn't mean that's what our PPG will be as a team. If that's the case, our team would have averaged 169 points a game last season.

You realize Clarkson did average almost 12 points a game last year in his rookie year? Usually rookies have quite a big jump from one year to the second year.

You do realize that last year every guard on the Lakers was out for a good chunk of the season and he was essentially the number 1 option in a pg oriented offense?

Jabari brown averaged 12ppg last season................. Where's his big jump by your logic.

Your stats are completely impossible, unless half the whole team is injured again...