[The Scare Crow RisesParticipant]

After starting off the season red hot, surprising most fans and experts by appearing to be better than projected

Well after a few weeks of racking up loses, the Lakers sit with the 9th worst record in the league, and their Draft dubiously falling to the 76ers (Jayson Tatum currently slated in the 9th spot)

So do they turn it around in the 2nd half of the season? Or was their early success fool’s gold?

InteresteD to see where they land in the final standings…

On another topic, do the Timberwolves seem as atrocious as their record would tell? Or just a case of bad breaks?

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

[ZouldiersParticipant]

 Injuries have caught up with the Lakers so this losing streak of theirs was no surprise. I still do see them battling for the 8th seed still and make the playoffs or close to it. Timberwolves on the other hand are just bad. When you have 3 guys score 20 pts per game and not have a winning record, then something is wrong with your team.

[OhCanada-Participant]

 The West depth is weak compared to the East. What really distracted me is the fact that both the Wolves and Lakers somehow managed to get Christmas games but the Raptors didn’t. I don’t wanna watch blowouts on Christmas but that’s how they set it up.

[BeastMode716Participant]

 Kris Dunn. He’s a terrific kid but talking heads predicted that he would walk in & be an impact starter b/c he’s 22. But’s struggling & Rubio is playing the majority of minutes. 

The T-Wolves will gradually pull it together & build an identity b/c the talent of KAt & Wiggins is undeniable Star level. Plus this bad year may work out b/c if the T-Wolves can land one of these stud PG’s it could be a blessing in disguise.

The Lakers I worry is an entirely different story. When Sweet Lou Williams & Swaggy P are our best players we could be in Big trouble. I really think when spring rolls around we will be in that bottom 5 & I am ok w/ that b/c we MUST get that pick that is top 3 protected. Ingram is struggling b/c he just can’t get separation off the dribble & Russell is really starting to worry me. His minutes per game has actually dropped from 28 to 25 while his turnovers have increased slightly while his fg% has dipped slightly. Randle has been better than expected & Clarkson is solid. 

I am torn b/c Harry Giles or Markelle Fultz could be our star but I don’t want to be horrible enough to get one of them. But I’m not so desperate for wins that I’m willing to accept sacrificing the Development of Ingram & Russell to play Nick Young & Lou Williams b/c we want to win meaningless games in what is ultimately a meaningless season

 

 

 

 

[binetParticipant]

 With the sixers pick swap you need to get lucky in the lottery no matter what. Giles would probably have been available after the top 5 because of his injury and the depth of the draft but right now the Lakers mostly need tobe smart in FA.

Minnesota’s situation is probably everybody overrating Thibodeau. He is not the premium coach he is said to be.And he is clearly not a good president of bball if he selects guys he will sit out like Dunn, especially given he is a known quantity upperclassman.

 

[holefillers1Participant]

 Sixers have pick swap with Sactown. What’s that gotta do with the T Wolves?

[wonzi_bellsParticipant]

 The Lakers recent fall seems due to the injuries to Nick Young and D’Angelo Russell as their depth is a key component to their success, so they’ll be in the hunt, though I still think the Jazz will be the new team entering the playoff with the Mavs out. But I think its a good thing that they’ll probably lose their pick to the 76ers as next year’s draft has franchise-level bigs that are better suited to this guard oriented team. And the thing about it is their depth is predicted with Nick Young’s defensive improvement, as well as Lou Williams and both will be 32 and 31 next season, with Deng and Mozgov, two other significant rotation players, being 32 and 31 as well. So with aging players on roster, those players game’s might slipped where the Lakers end up where everyone thought they’d originally be this season but in a draft where Ayton, Bamba and Carter are the top big men to suit their young emerging perimeter players, instead of guys like an injured Giles or a decent Robert Williams.

As for the Timberwolves, their season has shown they still have a long way to go defensively. I’ve watched all of their games and if I’ve ever seen a team play hero ball – this team would be the embodiment of it. Their third and fourth quarters see so little ball movement, it drives me nuts. Nevertheless, their advanced stats show a different side that I might be looking forward to as the season goes along since their net rating and expected win-loss record for most of the season shows a team only slightly below .500 instead of where they currently reside of .280 while their strength of schedule has grown tougher the last two weeks. But for a smaller market like the Twin Cities area, the Wolves would probably due better collecting as much young and cheap assets as they can until their talent breaks through to a point where they’re not in the lottery anymore.

 

 

[WolfRisingParticipant]

 I would think any sane person would say no. I think the main question for the Lakers are any of the young guys looking like stars, and I don’t think you can say yes.  It bodes well for Walton that guys like Young and Williams are playing up, but those guys arent future guys or big trade chips.

The Wolves have some red flags. Everyone wants to talk about Towns, Wiggins, and Lavine and their weaknesses. But they came back better players this year and have continued to work. I’m more worried about the bench which has had no positives amd fed thibs play starters into the ground style. Rubio is fading and Dieng ive always felt is too small or too slow, depending on his match up. Im still buying the future, but they need a lot of upgrades. 

 

[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

 No. And I can say that I never really did. As a Lakers fan, I can say that I was pessimistic even after their strong start. They were winning games early with their surprising depth but that has been compromised due to injuries. Their young players haven’t really taken enough of a leap yet and their defense is still atrocious. I thought they might be able to get to 35 wins early but now that reality is starting to set in I’d say their ceiling is probably closer to 30. It will be interesting to see how they play out the second half of the season if they are out of playoff contention.

The Wolves are just too young right now. The talent is there but they are still learning how to play with one another and they have no idea how to close out games. Even when they win ( like in Chicago the other night) it looks like they are doing everything possible to give away the game. Their young stars will produce highlights and stats, but they haven’t figured out how to win games yet and that’s going to take time.

 

[Magic JordanParticipant]

 Before the season began I pegged the Lakers in the bottom 5.  Who knows, they still may end up there.  However, they are currently only 3.5 games out of the playoffs in the West and that is amidst a 8 game losing streak.  They have been riddled with injuries to key players DRuss, Nick Young (I know right??) and Tarick Black.  With all of D’angelos warts, and despite him in my opinion playing out of position, he can really quarterback on offense.  Nick Young is probably their best two way player (I know right?!?!?!) and Black provides tons to the bench squad.  They are slowly getting healthy, and outside of this brutal 7,000 mile plus road trip they are currently on… their schedule is only going to get easier.  I won’t rule them out of the playoffs yet but it looks like they will be battling it out with a Portland team that has lost some of it’s magic.

Obviously the better thing for the Lakers would be to bottom out and roll the dice again on another top 3 pick.  Especially this year.  It’s hard not to get caught up in the success and overacheiving that they have reached.  But bigger picture is at play.  All of their core is still incredibly young.  So making the playoffs this year, while nice is not really something that has to be done.  They will also lose their pick eventually, however it seems like it would be optimal to lose it next year as there are a ton of free agents coming up that could help this young team.  And now with a coach like Walton in place, coupled with their surprising success I have no doubt that they will be able to lure someone who can make a difference.  

The point of that rant was to say that even with the success, I would support selling high on both Young and Lou.  The way Lou is playing I think there is a borderline playoff team that would surrender a 1st rounder for him.  Not sure I can say the same about Nick since he has a player option, but both could help certain squads tremendously.  And they don’t really serve a purpose on the Lakers outside of getting them to 35 wins which isn’t really the end game here.

Either way I am excited for the nationally televised game tonight between the 76ers and the Lakers.  I anticipate a reasonably close game and it being a game that could potentially get the Lakers back on track.  I also love watching Embiid and am extremely glad he is healthy.  That has always been the only question mark with him and if he stays healthy, he is a generational talent.  Not sold on Simmons, Okafor, Noel or Saric being superstars, or even players that contribute to winning basketball… (maybe Saric).  But Embiid??? Shoooooot that guy will be an absolute difference maker.

 

 

 

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