I highly doubt they'll make it. Lakers are 15-18 and will probably (hopefully) lose their next 3 games against Houston, Spurs, and OKC. Talk about being pummeled for porous defense.
The way the west is shaping out this year, you will need a minimum of 44 wins to make the playoffs. They have 49 games left. In order for them to get there, they have to win at a 66% rate. Currently, the only teams that have won on that rate are: NY, MIA, SA, Memphis, OKC, LAC and GS. With a though week ahead of them, probabilities are not in their favor.
Stern will probably open up 9th seed (for the lakers) as a wild card to give the #1 seed a first round bye
The Lakers' problem right now is their defense. Their offense is fine. The problem with their defense is that all of their players got worse defensively and that does have something to do with their ages. Dwight is not the same dominant defender he once was after the back injury/surgery. Kobe is just slacking off on the D most of the time these days. Nash has always been a liability defensively and he is 39. Pau and Artest are also older, slower, and less effective on the defensive end. They lack an athletic wing who can lock down the other team's top wing scorer. Top all these with D'Antoni who's yet to figure out how to coach defense in the NBA and they are in deep trouble on the defensive end. The Lakers still have enough talents to make the playoffs, but if their current formula continues I can see them miss the playoffs because their defense is just not good and there are enough good teams in the West to push them out. However, it's a long season and a lot can still happen. I don't see D'Antoni lasts the whole season if they continue to lose.
Running a fast paced offense for an old team like the Lakers whose personnel are used to half court offense is the worse thing a coach could concoct. Teams usually win when they play get to play their own pace throughout the game. In the Lakers' case, their own pace isn't even good for them.
Your username suggests you are just here to troll. Please leave this site of your own free will before you get banned.
Well, it doesn't matter how good they look on paper, if they can't get a chemistry going and get on the same page, they will not make the playoffs. Their window of opportunity to make the playoffs is closing quick. They had a chance to turn it around strong in December but they were still losing games and inconsistent. Its already January and they are still going on losing streaks. Another blow to them with Howard out indefinitely and Gasol out with concussion. Its going to be tough for them moving forward and right now, when it rain it pours. The Lakerland isn't looking so good right now and they might as well start looking at prospects for the 2013 NBA draft.
Yes. But if you watched the games this season, you can clearly see that Kobe is forcing the shots. During PJ eras, he shots more or less the same amount but at least he is playing within the system, ala Trianble offense. The last 2 seasons, is like kobe has playing with an agenda, to win the scoring title. Is not coincidence that Dwight, Gasol and Nash are having one of their worst seasons stat wise this season.
In the past and probably maybe even now Dantoni has given Nash the reigns. Nash is really freaking good at controlling the tempo, but there is a clash because playing with Kobe renders most of his playmaking ability useless. Kobe is going to be the #1 option on the floor no matter what, and everyone else has to accomodate to that. I wish he went to Dallas, he would have fit right in and helped them out. Nash deserves a ring.
If the Lakers lose their next 3, they would have to go 33-13 to reach 48. Kevin Love's injury that dooms the T-Wolves might turn out to be the Lakers' key to making the playoffs. The Blazers are shaky and may not even finish .500 for the season. I still say the Lakers will make the playoffs unless Dwight misses a chunk of the season because of his shoulder. (It would be funny if they found their way without him by moving Pau to the middle).
Speaking of the Blazers, someone explain to me how players don't know to switch on screens when you are ahead by 3 and time is running out. You'd think if Jameer Nelson and Josh McRoberts run a PnR at the 3-point line under these circumstances, both guys would go for Jameer and not McRoberts. Instead, they both went to the wrong guy and Jameer drilled a game-tying 3. On to OT.
