As currently constructed do you think the Lakers will make the playoffs?

[celticsclay]

Lakers won a lot of games with their supporting cast though. I think they'll be better than the Cavs were (assuming LBJ doesn't decline), though in the West that still is probably not a top 4 seed.

The Lakers won 35 games, but they also had a real center in Lopez, a real power forward in Randle, and a lot more depth overall (especially before the IT trade).  They also played in a league where like 8 teams were outwardly tanking or basically made themselves intentionally terrible.  No question James makes them better, but even 10 more wins then last year probably isn't enough to make the playoffs.  Is James with all of the other roster moves (both additions and subtractions) worth like 15 wins?  I just don't see it with the current roster.  They need size and shooting badly.  They have 3 open roster spots, so they can still improve the roster even without a Kawhi trade, but right now that team just isn't very good.

Can't they get Lopez back for a bag of balls? I don't get why people are acting like this is the final roster? Its the third day of free agency?

Like this would probably happen https://www.lakersnation.com/nba-free-agent-rumors-dwight-howard-interest-signing-lakers-lebron-james-teammates/2018/07/03/

[Moranis]

Lakers won a lot of games with their supporting cast though. I think they'll be better than the Cavs were (assuming LBJ doesn't decline), though in the West that still is probably not a top 4 seed.

The Lakers won 35 games, but they also had a real center in Lopez, a real power forward in Randle, and a lot more depth overall (especially before the IT trade).  They also played in a league where like 8 teams were outwardly tanking or basically made themselves intentionally terrible.  No question James makes them better, but even 10 more wins then last year probably isn't enough to make the playoffs.  Is James with all of the other roster moves (both additions and subtractions) worth like 15 wins?  I just don't see it with the current roster.  They need size and shooting badly.  They have 3 open roster spots, so they can still improve the roster even without a Kawhi trade, but right now that team just isn't very good.

Can't they get Lopez back for a bag of balls? I don't get why people are acting like this is the final roster? Its the third day of free agency?

Like this would probably happen https://www.lakersnation.com/nba-free-agent-rumors-dwight-howard-interest-signing-lakers-lebron-james-teammates/2018/07/03/

they could have had Cousins for a bag of balls but did nothing.  They apparently turned off Paul George so much he never even thought about going there, despite lots of people (even you if I recall correctly) stating all last summer it was a no brainer.

They can absolutely make moves, but right now they haven't and right now all sorts of media declare this a clear playoff team that has the 3rd best title odds (obviously the odds expect them to land Kawhi, but if they don't Vegas is going to make a killing on those bets).

[SparzWizard]

LeBron is NOT missing the playoffs.

[Sophomore]

LeBron is NOT missing the playoffs.

Indeed. Look at the team that LBJ dragged to more than 50 wins last year. The Lakers miss the playoffs only if he's injured.

[SparzWizard]

LeBron is NOT missing the playoffs.

Indeed. Look at the team that LBJ dragged to more than 50 wins last year. The Lakers miss the playoffs only if he's injured.

Yup. This is LeBron's team NOW. Not Lonzo. Not Lavar. Not Ingram.

LeBron's team!

[JHTruth]

Can't imagine a LeBron team missing the playoffs. They'll be the 2 or 3 seed most likely

[celticsclay]

Lakers won a lot of games with their supporting cast though. I think they'll be better than the Cavs were (assuming LBJ doesn't decline), though in the West that still is probably not a top 4 seed.

The Lakers won 35 games, but they also had a real center in Lopez, a real power forward in Randle, and a lot more depth overall (especially before the IT trade).  They also played in a league where like 8 teams were outwardly tanking or basically made themselves intentionally terrible.  No question James makes them better, but even 10 more wins then last year probably isn't enough to make the playoffs.  Is James with all of the other roster moves (both additions and subtractions) worth like 15 wins?  I just don't see it with the current roster.  They need size and shooting badly.  They have 3 open roster spots, so they can still improve the roster even without a Kawhi trade, but right now that team just isn't very good.

Can't they get Lopez back for a bag of balls? I don't get why people are acting like this is the final roster? Its the third day of free agency?

Like this would probably happen https://www.lakersnation.com/nba-free-agent-rumors-dwight-howard-interest-signing-lakers-lebron-james-teammates/2018/07/03/

they could have had Cousins for a bag of balls but did nothing. They apparently turned off Paul George so much he never even thought about going there, despite lots of people (even you if I recall correctly) stating all last summer it was a no brainer.

They can absolutely make moves, but right now they haven't and right now all sorts of media declare this a clear playoff team that has the 3rd best title odds (obviously the odds expect them to land Kawhi, but if they don't Vegas is going to make a killing on those bets).

Is there actual evidence to support that George was turned off by Lakers? I haven't seen that myself anywhere. Everything I read was about Westbrook becoming his best friend and George deciding he couldn't leave him and then Westbrook threw him a giant party. Is that not accurate?

It seems like most of the league didn't want Cousins (he didn't have a single contract offer till he called the warriors) so seems weird to single out the Lakers for that. I would suspect that there is a decent chance they get Howard. I also expect them to trade Ball because I don't see him and Rondo both being on the team and as you mentioned they seem to have a very good chance of getting Leonard. Their roster just isn't complete right now and could be very different in a day or two. This just strikes me as a particularly weird thing to do on the 3rd day of free agency when nobody knows how the rest of the offseason will shake out?

The only way this really makes sense to me if it just a psychological way of healing from Lebron back leaving Cleveland. Bag his new team before they complete the roster to deal with it. I get it.

My guess for their roster opening day?

Rondo/hart
pope/tbd
Leonard/stephenson
Lebron/kuzma
Howard/McGhee/Zubac

55 win team?
 

[ETNCeltics]

They have Lebron. They'll make the playoffs unless he decides he wants a longer summer vacation for more time to produce movies.

[Fafnir]

There has been a lot of noise about how Aaron Mintz who is Julius Randle, Paul George, and D'Angelo Russel's agent has been having a lot of friction with the Lakers celticsclay.

And agent relations matter a lot more than you'd think in the NBA, a lot more.

[byennie]

LeBron is NOT missing the playoffs.

Indeed. Look at the team that LBJ dragged to more than 50 wins last year. The Lakers miss the playoffs only if he's injured.

That 50 win team went 15-15 against the west last year. If you take their conference winning percentages and move CLE to the west, they would have been 46-36 and tied for 9th. Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, George Hill, Rodney Hood, Kyle Korver... all these guys would start or get heavy minutes for this Lakers team.

It's not clear the Lakers are a better team than that, with Randle gone, Nance gone, Clarkson gone, Ball hurt, Lopez a free agent.

Personally I think as long as Kuzma and Ingram continue to develop (or get them Kawhi) and they find a big man better than Javale McGee, they'll be fine playoff-wise, but it's no slam dunk as of today.

[nickagneta]

Can't help think that Rondo was brought aboard to be the PG once Ball is traded. No way Lebron wants to deal with a super young PG who's father would be problemaic for Lebron and the team.

I also think SA will eventually trade Leonard so Ingram and Kuzma could also be gone.

But add Kawhi and say more shooting buy trading Ball and suddenly this Laker team is a 3-4 seed or so. But if they go through the entire season as is, the Lakers are more a 7-8 seed and an early exit from the playoffs.

[celticsclay]

There has been a lot of noise about how Aaron Mintz who is Julius Randle, Paul George, and D'Angelo Russel's agent has been having a lot of friction with the Lakers celticsclay.

And agent relations matter a lot more than you'd think in the NBA, a lot more.

Fafnir, I honestly hadn't heard anything about that (but I also didn't watch any of his little shorts on espn announcing his decision making process). Everything I had read seemed to indicate that George staying was mainly about how good friends he was with westbrook and (related) how much he enjoyed it playing there. If there are more actual reports that is interesting and I would like to see them, but overall it seems like tons of players want to go to LA right now. They just got a meeting with Evans who is one of the top ones there, Pelicans wanted to keep Rondo, obviously anyone would have taken Rondo, and I think even Javale had multiple offers. Howard wants to go there..

[celticsclay]

LeBron is NOT missing the playoffs.

Indeed. Look at the team that LBJ dragged to more than 50 wins last year. The Lakers miss the playoffs only if he's injured.

That 50 win team went 15-15 against the west last year. If you take their conference winning percentages and move CLE to the west, they would have been 46-36 and tied for 9th. Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, George Hill, Rodney Hood, Kyle Korver... all these guys would start or get heavy minutes for this Lakers team.

It's not clear the Lakers are a better team than that, with Randle gone, Nance gone, Clarkson gone, Ball hurt, Lopez a free agent.

Personally I think as long as Kuzma and Ingram continue to develop (or get them Kawhi) and they find a big man better than Javale McGee, they'll be fine playoff-wise, but it's no slam dunk as of today.

Korver is probably not starting on a single team in the NBA right now. He is probably physically incapable of playing that many minutes. He is old as heck and gets absolutely destroyed on defense by any team's starters

[Big333223]

I can't get over this group. Stephenson, McGee, and Rondo along with Lebron being temperamental, and throw in Lavar Ball on the periphery. I hope this powder keg goes off.

[byennie]

LeBron is NOT missing the playoffs.

Indeed. Look at the team that LBJ dragged to more than 50 wins last year. The Lakers miss the playoffs only if he's injured.

That 50 win team went 15-15 against the west last year. If you take their conference winning percentages and move CLE to the west, they would have been 46-36 and tied for 9th. Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, George Hill, Rodney Hood, Kyle Korver... all these guys would start or get heavy minutes for this Lakers team.

It's not clear the Lakers are a better team than that, with Randle gone, Nance gone, Clarkson gone, Ball hurt, Lopez a free agent.

Personally I think as long as Kuzma and Ingram continue to develop (or get them Kawhi) and they find a big man better than Javale McGee, they'll be fine playoff-wise, but it's no slam dunk as of today.

Korver is probably not starting on a single team in the NBA right now. He is probably physically incapable of playing that many minutes. He is old as heck and gets absolutely destroyed on defense by any team's starters

Way to nitpick my point - that's why I said "or get heavy minutes", and on a Lakers squad with a roster so gutted they just signed Javale McGee on purpose.

He played 2000 minutes over 95 games and made 200 3PT this year at a 44% clip and continues to be one of the best shooters of All-Time.

The point of course is that we've been told over and over how terrible LeBron's supporting cast was in Cleveland, but the majority of them would fit right in on LA's current roster.