20 replies to this topic

[West Coast]

I'll leave the Eastern Conference out of this because none of those teams are a concern of ours right now.

Many fans are freaking out over the Lakers 7-8 start, well just calm down because the Heat a couple seasons ago were 8-7 at the same mark, its not how you start, its how you finish.


Anyways, the Western Conference is struggling as a whole, need proof? Here you go:

Grizzlies are 11-2

Spurs are 13-3

Thunder are 12-4


After that? There is NO team in the West that has less than 6 losses.



This isn't the start we wanted. We also did not know we'd have a coaching change 5 games into the season. We are adjusting to a new system without Steve Nash, a not fully healed Dwight Howard, and a struggling Pau Gasol who may not be here come Christmas time.

Every team has questions and weak spots, but this is exactly why its better to have early season struggles than struggles in March/April heading into the playoffs.

[Goku]

WC got a lot more competitive.

[MDI]

We're right where we should be considering Nash is hurt, the coaching change and lack of continuity

To start the 2007/2008 season we went 9-8 (ahem under Phil)

http://scores.espn.g...ameId=271202013

that team eventually reached 1st place about a month and a half later in January

We've had slow starts under Phil too where things haven't clicked

[West Coast]

We're right where we should be considering Nash is hurt, the coaching change and lack of continuity

To start the 2007/2008 season we went 9-8 (ahem under Phil)

http://scores.espn.g...ameId=271202013

that team eventually reached 1st place about a month and a half later in January

We've had slow starts under Phil too where things haven't clicked

How dare you post anything negative about Phil Jackson!

[gque24]

Finally some1 who keeps things in perspective

[Cj2008nw]

I just wish there were flashes from each game showing us playing better doesn't seem like we are doing that good

[Cowboys&LakersFan]

I agree. Patience is a virtue like they always say and we all need to be patient with this Lakers team. Sure it hasn't been a great start, but once Nash gets back, and everyone gets aclimiated to each other we'll be very good. The West is wide open. There really isn't a clear cut best team right now.

[24allday]

I'm just worried Pau will continue to play hard once every 3 games and we keep him the whole year. His productiveness is key or whoever we ship him out for.

[Lakers4Life]

Only problem with this bad start we have downright looked "awful" so many games. When teh heat started 8-7 or 9-8 or whatever it was, they showed heaps of signs of dominance, they were just losing stupidly. In 2008 we really didnt have a great team (until we get pau)

[Alpha Four]

WC is too gangster this season. Every team looks competitive.

[Nego]

idk y compare to the 8-7 Miami Heat because that to me was understanding mainly because all three of the main guys in Miami were still young not veterans like our Lakers. Kobe said it that it wouldn't be an issue and I believed it the young guy here is Howard and he's a center so that's not the problem we are struggling and I don't think is too much about chemistry.

[Japago]

Lakers have looked awful though. They can't keep with any athletic team. It comes down to whether or not these problems can all be solved with time alone. And, I think the answer is no. In fact, I think it might be even worse later on.

If the Lakers are having this much trouble keeping up with teams early in the season, what is it going to look like later on when fatigue sets in?

[bfc1125roy]

I made the same observation. I'm not that worried. I would have been if we didn't have D'Antoni because I wouldn't be sure how Nash would fit in, but now I'm more confident to that regard. Also Howard isn't even fully healthy yet.

[West Coast]

Some of the naysayers in this thread are the same ones that freak out after every loss so that's not surprising. But anyways:

Have the Lakers looked great? No. Have the Lakers looked horrible? No.

Take out the first five games with Mike Brown as coach and look at the season with D'Antoni's system being implemented. Our one bad loss came at the hands of the Kings during that time.

Other than that? Lost to the Spurs by 2, lost to Memphis by 8 in a game where after the first quarter, we outplayed the Grizzlies and just could not get over the hump when it was close, and recently lost to Indiana by two in a game where both defenses were pretty good and both offenses were horrible.

The season has not been as bad as some are making it out to be. We are right there, even without Nash. We've beaten athletic teams like the Suns, Rockets, and Golden State, then beat a very good Brooklyn team.

At the end of the day we gotta win games, but for fans to act like we are no better than the Wizards is ignorance at its finest. This team will be fine, once we get fully healthy then we can really judge where this team is at, but the fact is we have played one full game with Nash out there and that was in Mike Brown's offense.

[Nego]

Right now we can all point out some very good things but on the other hand we can also point out all the bad stuff. No matter how you look at it there are bright and dark spots to only look at the positives is stupid. With everything we know is still hard to see what this team is going to do even with Nash coming back, will this inconsistency drag on or will they pick it up and have a decent season? Remains to be seen even though I personally already sense how this season is going to end up.

[Japago]

Some of the naysayers in this thread are the same ones that freak out after every loss so that's not surprising. But anyways:

Have the Lakers looked great? No. Have the Lakers looked horrible? No.

Take out the first five games with Mike Brown as coach and look at the season with D'Antoni's system being implemented. Our one bad loss came at the hands of the Kings during that time.

Other than that? Lost to the Spurs by 2, lost to Memphis by 8 in a game where after the first quarter, we outplayed the Grizzlies and just could not get over the hump when it was close, and recently lost to Indiana by two in a game where both defenses were pretty good and both offenses were horrible.

The season has not been as bad as some are making it out to be. We are right there, even without Nash. We've beaten athletic teams like the Suns, Rockets, and Golden State, then beat a very good Brooklyn team.

At the end of the day we gotta win games, but for fans to act like we are no better than the Wizards is ignorance at its finest. This team will be fine, once we get fully healthy then we can really judge where this team is at, but the fact is we have played one full game with Nash out there and that was in Mike Brown's offense.

They've looked horrible.

The only good team the Lakers have beaten so far is Brooklyn. Brooklyn and Golden State are the only teams currently with a winning record the Lakers have beaten, and I don't really believe in Golden State.

They've lost to some horrible teams like Dallas, Portland, Sacramento, and Indiana. They're all under .500, like the Lakers currently are.

They have a bad record and they look very bad on the court.

[Carpe Diem]

We're right where we should be considering Nash is hurt, the coaching change and lack of continuity

To start the 2007/2008 season we went 9-8 (ahem under Phil)

http://scores.espn.g...ameId=271202013

that team eventually reached 1st place about a month and a half later in January

We've had slow starts under Phil too where things haven't clicked

And then we went 25-5 after Pau..

[West Coast]

They haven't looked horrible the entire season.

If you believe that then so be it but you're wrong. Like I said, they haven't looked great but they haven't looked horrible either.

It's been a typical roller coaster beginning to the season but we've seen flashes of greatness from this squad and seen flashes of crap from them. You have to look at the positives and negatives from them, can't be one sided about it.

[Japago]

They haven't looked horrible the entire season.

If you believe that then so be it but you're wrong. Like I said, they haven't looked great but they haven't looked horrible either.

It's been a typical roller coaster beginning to the season but we've seen flashes of greatness from this squad and seen flashes of crap from them. You have to look at the positives and negatives from them, can't be one sided about it.

True. But, their signs of "greatness" has come from teams that aren't going to make the playoffs. Their crap has come from all kinds of teams.

There's more negative than positive, especially when talking about this team trying to win a championship.

[manaro90]

WC is more competitve from year to year