What struck me the most about the game is how slow footed the Lakers starters are. I think they got lucky that no one has scouted the no names on their bench and they caught the Clips off guard but that starting five has no hope of guarding anyone. They're going to stay in games by putting up points but even when they get Kobe back they will be one of the worst defensive teams in the league.
This Lakers team reminds me of our Rockets team that was stuck in a limbo for 3 years. They will need to win by community and have a collective effort by everyone in order to grind out some close wins. Last night's game I consider a fluke. They were facing inner city rivals and riding on extreme momentum trying to prove everyone from media, analysts, to fans wrong. I believe they will fall back down to earth soon because I don't see that bench scoring 70+ a night and their star players are washed up, old, and will be dealing with injuries throughout the year or playing minutes will be limited at the least.
Definately a fluke, you can't bench your starting 5 for the whole final quarter and be considered a decent team...
I've been hoping for this too. Stern retiring isn't enough to stop the Lakers from magically getting a top 3 pick if they are in the lotto.
Ok there Alex Jones wannabes. The last time the Lakers had a number one draft pick was in 1982, and was a coin toss due between the Clippers. The only other time was three years before, when they drafted Magic. Technically the pick wasn't even theirs, because they'd traded for it. You know who's it was? The Utah Jazz. Utah Frign Jazz. Don't tell me the Lakers never sucked in the last 31 years...They were bad in the early to mid 90's, and the mid 00's. How come they never won the lotto in that time?
Well for one, the lottery didn't start until 1985 and the lottery system we have now didn't start until 1990. So really you are only looking at the last 23 years, not 31. Second, they have only had 2 lottery picks in that time period. Those two picks turned into Eddie Jones (1994) and Andrew Bynum (2005). They may have been bad other years, but they didn't still retain their picks. So your "debunking" is really only limited to two instances in the last 23 years.
Okay I did not know that. Bynum was something like number ten. Alot of times those picks were traded away for players. Point is, the Lakers don't draft talent as much as they trade for it. In the last 23 years the Clippers have had 3 number one picks, and they still stunk most of the time. They were bad yes, but nobody accuses them for rigging the lotto, despite being in LA. And now that they are the new darlings of the NBA, why would Silver (NOT EVEN Stern) try to rig the system to let the Lakers get the first pick?
