20 replies to this topic

[West Coast]

Dave McMenamin
Featured

The Lakers developed a mind trick to break down the schedule so making the playoffs won't seem impossible ...

The Lakers look at it like they need to win three out of every four games to make it, whether that is true or not, that's not the point. That is the carrot at the end of their stick. Winning three out of every four. So, when they lost to PHX to start the road trip, they rationalized that it was OK, because they had won their previous three before that. Just like the Boston loss was OK, because they won three in a row before that. They have won two straight four-game series, in their minds, and are 1-0 on their current four-game series after their win in Charlotte.

"This is the second game of the little four-game series that we’ve been playing with ourselves," Dwight Howard said Saturday in advance of the Lakers game against the Miami Heat on Sunday. "We won the last series, so hopefully this series right here, we can win too."

Whose idea was it to use the short-term focus to try to keep the task of making the playoffs from seeming too insurmountable?

"Just all of us talking about it and just going out there and doing it," Howard said.

[bigfetz]

I feel like most of have been doing that lol.

[Saber]

If that will make them win games then do it, but I want to see a 5-6 game winning streak .. come on !

[bigfetz]

We arent going to win the next 4 game series.
Miami - L
suns- W
Clippers-L
Boston- idk probably loss

At best im looking at 2-2 but more likely 1-3

[UKUGA]

We arent going to win the next 4 game series.
Miami - L
suns- W
Clippers-L
Boston- idk probably loss

At best im looking at 2-2 but more likely 1-3

If we can't beat Cips and Boston at home - then we might as well quit now (because we will quit then).

I know Pau is out, so this comes back to dwight. If he plays with energy and determination, the schedule is favorable and we can win a good chunk of games down the stretch.

[Massacre]

Heat
Suns
Clippers
We can beat the Clippers the way they've been playing lately. Already beat the Bobcats.

Celtics
Blazers
Mavericks
Nuggets
Nuggets are one of the best teams in the league since '13, we can afford a loss if we beat the other 3, which we should.

Wolves
Hawks
Thunder
Hornets
The Hawks game will be interesting, as will the OKC game. Can we beat them again? Their house this time.

Raptors
Bulls
Magic
Hawks
Bulls game will be interesting because Rose will be back, as will the Hawks game. Magic and Raptors have beaten us this season as well.

Pacers
Kings
Suns
Wizards
3 wins here no excuses.

Warriors
Wolves
Bucks
Kings
3 wins here again, no excuses.

Mavericks
Grizzlies
Clippers
Hornets
This stretch is interesting as well. Dallas sucks but who knows how they will be playing down the road, same with Clippers. We need a tie.

Blazers
Warriors
Spurs
Rockets
What a way to end the year. Might come down to these games since we might be playing the 7-8-9 seeds as well as our potential 1st rd matchup.

Lets say we win 3/4, that's 23-8. 47-35.

Well...

[MrKnowItAll]

We arent going to win the next 4 game series.
Miami - L
suns- W
Clippers-L
Boston- idk probably loss

At best im looking at 2-2 but more likely 1-3

I think that we can 1of the games between Miami and the clippers. I think for sure we will win both the suns and definetly the Boston game

[MrKnowItAll]

Heat
Suns
Clippers
We can beat the Clippers the way they've been playing lately. Already beat the Bobcats.

Celtics
Blazers
Mavericks
Nuggets
Nuggets are one of the best teams in the league since '13, we can afford a loss if we beat the other 3, which we should.

Wolves
Hawks
Thunder
Hornets
The Hawks game will be interesting, as will the OKC game. Can we beat them again? Their house this time.

Raptors
Bulls
Magic
Hawks
Bulls game will be interesting because Rose will be back, as will the Hawks game. Magic and Raptors have beaten us this season as well.

Pacers
Kings
Suns
Wizards
3 wins here no excuses.

Warriors
Wolves
Bucks
Kings
3 wins here again, no excuses.

Mavericks
Grizzlies
Clippers
Hornets
This stretch is interesting as well. Dallas sucks but who knows how they will be playing down the road, same with Clippers. We need a tie.

Blazers
Warriors
Spurs
Rockets
What a way to end the year. Might come down to these games since we might be playing the 7-8-9 seeds as well as our potential 1st rd matchup.

Lets say we win 3/4, that's 23-8. 47-35.

Well...

Great post.

[West Coast]

We arent going to win the next 4 game series.
Miami - L
suns- W
Clippers-L
Boston- idk probably loss

At best im looking at 2-2 but more likely 1-3

We'll beat the Celtics and Clippers this time around.

Btw, Boston starts a new "four game series". We are currently 1-0 for this "series".

[True Lakers Fan]

whatever happened to the one game at a time that Kobe's been preaching over the last couple of seasons. I like that better, having a 4 game "series" might make them over think and get caught up

[Cj2008nw]

I'ma just tell myself were not making the playoffs so I won't get my hopes up

[bigfetz]

We'll beat the Celtics and Clippers this time around.

Btw, Boston starts a new "four game series". We are currently 1-0 for this "series".

Im not to confidant. We just barely beat the bobcats and before that boston killed us. Nothing for this past week has shown me that they should beat the celtics and the clippers.

This is a season where we just need to get to the playoffs win all the easy games then hope we get hot by the post season. Beating these top teams wont matter right now other than just adding another win.

im just saying its a good chance were going 1-3 here on how we have been playing lately. Just gotta hope we start getting a run again.

[Majesty]

Im not to confidant. We just barely beat the bobcats and before that boston killed us. Nothing for this past week has shown me that they should beat the celtics and the clippers.

This is a season where we just need to get to the playoffs win all the easy games then hope we get hot by the post season. Beating these top teams wont matter right now other than just adding another win.

im just saying its a good chance were going 1-3 here on how we have been playing lately. Just gotta hope we start getting a run again.

I love how you conveniently forgot we went 7-1 beating okc and the news convincinly during that stretch.

One bad performance against the Celtics and suddenly we have 'no chance' again. The Bobcats played us tough before we came back from 18 down and won by 1

This time in their house we were down 20 and came back and won by 9.

Also down the stretchh we seemed to hit a groove, a groove we needed to hit playing without Pau, the guys seemed to e struggling with that in Boston and the first half of the Bobcats game. BUT we figured out the defense in the 2nd half and figured out the defense in the 3rd quarter and it carried over to us figuring out our offense in the 4th quarter.

We didn't lay down, down by 20 one night on a back to back after an uninspired effort the night before we came back. That's a good sign regardless of the team its against.

[Gotrings?]

We arent going to win the next 4 game series.
Miami - L
suns- W
Clippers-L
Boston- idk probably loss

At best im looking at 2-2 but more likely 1-3

We are going to beat the Clippers, Boston, and Miami. Mark my words.

Our one loss will probably be versus Phoenix.

[UKUGA]

whatever happened to the one game at a time that Kobe's been preaching over the last couple of seasons. I like that better, having a 4 game "series" might make them over think and get caught up

It's a lot different when you've played 51 games and are on the outside (looking in) of the play-off race.

[t-1]

Our last game of the season is against Houston. Would be really interesting if a place in the playoffs came down to whoever won that game.

[underworldmike]

I'ma just tell myself were not making the playoffs so I won't get my hopes up

this

[wvlaker]

Something interesting to watch for in the Clipper game will be the matchup of Blake Griffin vs. Earl Clark.

Griffin seems to get at least two high-energy/turning point type dunks on or around Gasol every time we play. Clark hasn't seen the floor against the Clips yet as he was still riding pine last time these teams saw one another and could possibly hinder the way Blake plays against us. I believe Clark can give Griffin fits as he is not a player like Durant that will hit him with multiple fakes and dribbles so he won't be able to simply out-athlete Clark the way he could Gasol.

The biggest key will obviously be with slowing down CP3 and preventing transition baskets, but in the half-court I think Clark could take Griffin out of this one. But I guess we will see.

[dizzle]

http://adf.ly/ItNHJ i think d'antoni explained everything

[Cj2008nw]

The only thing stopping us from making it to the playoffs are the players at this point... if they feel like they should make the playoffs then they should play like it and I don't know what the point is for making the playoffs when we won't get out the first round