2012/2013 NBA season thread

[Hockey_Ninja]

The Lakers are truly a mess. Kobe was the only player who shot 50% tonight and at his age he shouldn't have to be carry the team offensively when he has guys like Jamison and Howard who can score. They chose D'Antoni over Phil fricken Jackson. They mortgaged the future of the team just so they could built this "super team" and it doesn't look like it's going to get the job done. They better hope Pau and Nash heal up soon and they can start pulling together some W's or it's gonna be to late. The window for there team is closing fast. Something tells me PeteLFan won't pop up in here much until they start winning.

[Vinny01]

I LOVE how terrible the Lakers are they are a top 5 most hated team in sports and easily my most hated in the NBA. Currently this is the best case scenario that will only be better if the miss the playoffs and Dwight walks in the off-season (even though those chances are slim)

[PeteLFan]

The lakers will be fine. It's the transition defense and turnovers that's the issue. Once Steve Nash returns the offense should be more efficient.

What they need to do is fix the defense right now. This team won't hit its stride until January and post all star game.

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by PeteLFan

What they need to do is fix the defense right now. This team won't hit its student until January and post all star game.

The Lakers hit students?!

[TitovFTW]

Originally Posted by PeteLFan

The lakers will be fine. It's the transition defense and turnovers that's the issue. Once Steve Nash returns the offense should be more efficient.

What they need to do is fix the defense right now. This team won't hit its student until January and post all star game.

That's fine and I don't think it's that doom and gloom over the Lakers, but they're still in a lot of trouble. Defense sure isn't going to get any better when Nash gets back. Lakers are putting themselves in such a hole early on, that any hope for homecourt advantage is pretty much all but gone. Homecourt matters sooo much in the NBA playoffs and the Lakers won't have it. This team is still really, reallly old and if they have to play all out down the stretch, it's going to take a lot out of them.

[PeteLFan]

The only old horse is Steve Nash so the really really old argument is bunk.

The lakers will be fine. Right now defense is the issue, once the figure out how to rotate and provide weak side help they will be better.

No Nash won't help the defense but he will fix the issue of guys like metta not handling the ball. He will facilitate shots and play pick and roll with Howard. That's cuts down turnovers and that's cuts back having to play transition defense. Once they score and play in the half court set they defend fine.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Sorry, they're not going to be fine Pete. They've played one of the easiest schedules in the NBA to date, and have #### the bed with their cupcake schedule. I look at their next 10 games and see at least 4 more losses (NYK twice, at Denver, at Golden State). The Lakers at best will be the 5th seed, meaning they'll have to beat 3 of these 4 (SA, OKC, MEM, LAC) without home court. And that doesn't even win them anything. Gasol is old too (all those international games take a toll), Kobe will not keep this pace up (fun stat: Lakers record this year when Kobe scores more than 30: 1-10), and hack a Dwight is always going to be there. The Lakers best play is to find everyway to get Kobe, Gasol and Nash gone by 2014 so they can try and get LeBron.

[Hockey_Ninja]

I highly doubt Lebron will go to LA. Miami will be a contender for a long time and by the time he gets to LA Kobe and Nash will most likely be retired and Gasol would probably be on another team. Dwight (if he re-signs) will be the only star player he would be able to play with and most likely there bench would be even worse than it is now. Lebron wants to win championships and he's in the perfect place to do that, no reason for him to abandon ship to play in LA. The Lakers should have 100% hired Phil Jackson. D'Antoni's system is terrible for the type of team they have.

[PeteLFan]

The D'Antoni system will work once Nash is back. It's all about having a great pick and roll point guard.

[Senator Clay Davis]

LeBron can opt out in 2014, and when you look at the Heat, with Wade breaking down physically and Bosh being good but not great, I think LeBron will see the chance to bolt. Plus the Heat, unlike the Lakers, cannot afford the ridiculous luxury tax levels that will kick in soon. The Heat might not have a choice but to break up the big three, so LeBron could get traded or he could opt out. And the Lakers with Dwight would make sense. So they should clear the team out, like totally blow it up (everyone except Kobe should be fair game), start getting some useful, younger players and improve your depth ahead of 2014, get LeBron, and be ready to go right there.

[TitovFTW]

This is so not a deal of the Lakers not having enough chemistry or learning a new system. This team is in serious trouble

[PeteLFan]

They are without gasol and Nash as well. Once they return then and only then can the team be judged.

[St. Pats]

Originally Posted by PeteLFan

They are without gasol and Nash as well. Once they return then and only then can the team be judged.

Yep that is a fair statement. Still haven't seen the whole enchilada out there at the same time. If they get healthy then it's maybe a whole different ballgame.

[Senator Clay Davis]

I'd like to know how a physically deteriorating Pau Gasol and Steve Nash, who even if 100% healthy is an awful defender, helps them become a better defensive team. If Carmelo didn't get hurt last night the Knicks would have won by 30. The Lakers defense is awful, the bench is the worst ever, and they're going to have to score 110 a night in a brutally tough Western Conference. The Lakers are in deep, deep trouble. I give them a 50/50 shot of making the playoffs.

[TitovFTW]

Originally Posted by PeteLFan

They are without gasol and Nash as well. Once they return then and only then can the team be judged.

Gasol who was playing truly awful and was being speculated to be traded because of it and his success in the D'antoni system. Also, how much of this is about actually judging this team and how much o fit is the hole they're already building and how hard it's going to be to come out of it. I'm not ready to say the Lakers are a bust by any stretch but homecourt matters, and while this team is not dinosaur old, this is not a youthful team at all either.

[PeteLFan]

They will be fine. Like I said once Nash and gasol is back everyone will slide into roles and Howard will do what he does best defend.

[trackercowe]

The Lakers are beyond fine, essentially they may already be done. In order to make the playoffs in the west even as an 8th seed they may need 50 wins (like OKC had in the last full season). In order to pull that off they would need to go 40-18 from now on. Even the best teams in the league would have trouble going on that sort of run, let alone one missing 2 of their 4 best players.

Compounding that even if that were possible, they would likely just get knocked out in the first round anyway as a lower seed. To get any homecourt advantage they'll need to win between 45-50 games down the stretch, which isn't happening.

Even as semi-Lakers fan I already see this season as a write off. But that's tough to deal with seeing how Kobe and Nash are nearing the end of their careers, Gasol will be gone next year, and who knows where Howard will end up. Personally if they can't find a way to keep Howard I see a bleak few years ahead.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Realistically Howard is going nowhere. Brooklyn is where he wants to go but they are out of the picture now with how much money they have commited to their guys (taking the Joe Johnson contract sealed that deal). Dallas and Atlanta are the other possibilities, but Dallas will not be much better off than the Lakers and Atlanta might have a decent chance cause its home and the East is easier than the West. Plus there's always the fact he can only sign a max deal with the Lakers, everywhere else he'd be signing for less. I'd be quite shocked if he left.

[TitovFTW]

But him and Kobe are getting along so well.....

[Senator Clay Davis]

That assumes Kobe gets along well with anyone.