2017-18 Lakers Season Watch Thread (27-34, 10th Slot on 3/2)

[Jamilmac99]

Don't look now but the Lakers currently sit with a .333 winning percentage and the 5th worst record in the league. Four very tough games coming up as well. It would be so sweet to pluck that pick out of their hands!

[GreenShooter]

Everything you need to know is in the LAL '17-'18 season watch thread. Lots of good discussion there.
Just an FYI, the pick isn't theirs. It either goes to Philly or to us. LA is getting NOTHING via the draft this year....well, there's a second rounder they get from Denver but that's it for now.

[Phantom255x]

This is a big reason why the Lakers are slipping. Everyone says the Lakers are playing a tough stretch of games (hard schedule), but THAT'S just it, the West IS HARD. Lakers are playing in a very tough conference, so their schedule will look hard in most instances even against some of the bottom teams in the West (who have played the Lakers fairly well for the most part as well).

Now here's hoping Memphis can figure it out from here on out and some of the teams start pulling away! 

Next game is against the Clippers. Hopefully they can beat the Lakers and start a run as well.

[Vermont Green]

Bamba, Ayton, Bagley all look like rock solid bigs.  It is early so don't want to get too excited plus we are at the mercy of the lottery.  At #5 seed, it is only 46% chance we get a pick 2-5.  The odds go up significantly if they end up seeded #1-#4, ranges from 70% to 80%.

I wonder who Ainge will end up unexpectedly having his eye on.  History says he won't be following the standard mock drafts.

[CelticsElite]

If Orlando can beat Detroit, Orlando will be tied with lakers. Lakers would technically be 4th worst at that point

[footey]

Bamba, Ayton, Bagley all look like rock solid bigs.  It is early so don't want to get too excited plus we are at the mercy of the lottery.  At #5 seed, it is only 46% chance we get a pick 2-5.  The odds go up significantly if they end up seeded #1-#4, ranges from 70% to 80%.

I wonder who Ainge will end up unexpectedly having his eye on.  History says he won't be following the standard mock drafts.

Do those odds factor in that we can’t keep the first pick?

[saltlover]

Bamba, Ayton, Bagley all look like rock solid bigs.  It is early so don't want to get too excited plus we are at the mercy of the lottery.  At #5 seed, it is only 46% chance we get a pick 2-5.  The odds go up significantly if they end up seeded #1-#4, ranges from 70% to 80%.

I wonder who Ainge will end up unexpectedly having his eye on.  History says he won't be following the standard mock drafts.

Do those odds factor in that we can’t keep the first pick?

Yes.  Otherwise it’d be 100% if the Lakers finished 2nd worst.

[GreenShooter]

This is a big reason why the Lakers are slipping. Everyone says the Lakers are playing a tough stretch of games (hard schedule), but THAT'S just it, the West IS HARD. Lakers are playing in a very tough conference, so their schedule will look hard in most instances even against some of the bottom teams in the West (who have played the Lakers fairly well for the most part as well).

Now here's hoping Memphis can figure it out from here on out and some of the teams start pulling away! 

Next game is against the Clippers. Hopefully they can beat the Lakers and start a run as well.

When is Mike Conley expected back? He'll make a HUGE difference in their record.

[Phantom255x]

Bamba, Ayton, Bagley all look like rock solid bigs.  It is early so don't want to get too excited plus we are at the mercy of the lottery.  At #5 seed, it is only 46% chance we get a pick 2-5.  The odds go up significantly if they end up seeded #1-#4, ranges from 70% to 80%.

I wonder who Ainge will end up unexpectedly having his eye on.  History says he won't be following the standard mock drafts.

Do those odds factor in that we can’t keep the first pick?

Here are the lottery odds.

CREDIT TO @86 Celtics GOAT on the main page for this.

(No. 1=worst record, No. 2 second-worst record and so forth…)
Note: Boston cannot keep the pick if it is No. 1; only a No. 2-5 pick possible for 2018 lottery…

Lakers finishing No. 1 is 75% chance for Boston to get 2-4 pick…Fourth is lowest the No. 1 team can pick…
Lakers finishing No. 2 is 80% chance for Boston to get 2-5 pick…
Lakers finishing No. 3 is 80% chance for Boston to get 2-5 pick…
Lakers finishing No. 4 is 71% chance for Boston to get 2-5 pick…
Lakers finishing No. 5 is only a 46% chance of Boston getting either the No. 2, 3 or 5 pick. (The No. 5 team is Not able to receive No. 4 pick.)

If Lakers finish No. 6 or lower, odds of getting the No. 2-3 pick drastically plummet to 15% and lower for each step below….

Ideally, Boston needs the Lakers to have the second or third worst record to collect their pick. Great odds if Lakers finish worst or fourth worst as well, but No. 5 worst is a big drop and No. 6 worst is very slim….

[saltlover]

This is a big reason why the Lakers are slipping. Everyone says the Lakers are playing a tough stretch of games (hard schedule), but THAT'S just it, the West IS HARD. Lakers are playing in a very tough conference, so their schedule will look hard in most instances even against some of the bottom teams in the West (who have played the Lakers fairly well for the most part as well).

Now here's hoping Memphis can figure it out from here on out and some of the teams start pulling away! 

Next game is against the Clippers. Hopefully they can beat the Lakers and start a run as well.

When is Mike Conley expected back? He'll make a HUGE difference in their record.

He was due back in 2-3 weeks as of one month ago.  If you’re an optimist you can consider him day-to-day at this point.  If you’re a pessimist, he’s out indefinitely.

[GreenShooter]

This is a big reason why the Lakers are slipping. Everyone says the Lakers are playing a tough stretch of games (hard schedule), but THAT'S just it, the West IS HARD. Lakers are playing in a very tough conference, so their schedule will look hard in most instances even against some of the bottom teams in the West (who have played the Lakers fairly well for the most part as well).

Now here's hoping Memphis can figure it out from here on out and some of the teams start pulling away! 

Next game is against the Clippers. Hopefully they can beat the Lakers and start a run as well.

When is Mike Conley expected back? He'll make a HUGE difference in their record.

He was due back in 2-3 weeks as of one month ago.  If you’re an optimist you can consider him day-to-day at this point.  If you’re a pessimist, he’s out indefinitely.

What if I'm a realist? Does that make make him out day-to-day indefinitely ?
That's good news, thanks (about the day to day thing). I think I'll look up if he's practicing yet with the team....Nope, not yet. Still out with sore Achilles. Last update was he would return in two weeks as of Dec 18th so after New Year's, I would guess. That is when the LAL will be smelling their fumes.

[JHTruth]

Don't look now but the Lakers currently sit with a .333 winning percentage and the 5th worst record in the league. Four very tough games coming up as well. It would be so sweet to pluck that pick out of their hands!

They are all depressed about careening towards the worst record in the league and handing us their pick. Reality is starting to assert itself in Lakerland. KCP and Lopez chucking, Kuzma and Ingram too young to carry a squad. Awful..

[JBcat]

What will be interesting to see is which teams at the trade deadline will be sellers.  If the Grizzlies trade away Evans for example that could hurt us although the Lakers might have their own sell off to create more cap space. 

The clutter of teams at the bottom are still within 5 or 6 games from the 8th seed.  So some of them might remain hopeful of a playoff push.

[rondofan1255]

Saltlover predicted 13-28 at the halfway mark. We'll see if he's right! His predictions were money last year (end of November and December records, etc.) unless I'm mistaking him for someone else.

[saltlover]

Saltlover predicted 13-28 at the halfway mark. We'll see if he's right! His predictions were money last year (end of November and December records, etc.) unless I'm mistaking him for someone else.

Yeah, I’m biting my nails to see if we’ll get there.  I did correctly predict the Nets record for multiple months in a row until I stopped when it became clear they were finishing last.