The Lakers are the early favorites to win 2019-20 NBA Title

I dunno I'm still gving the King a lot of respect. He is gonna make a statement next year and the Rox better be ready.

He might not get Bron's blessing but Vogel is the best coach he has had, way better than Tyron Lue and Brown for sure. AD is also better than Bosh and the Wade Lebron played with and of course Kuzma is a baller. They still got 28M to fill out their roster thats way more than enough.

I've never seen a time the East was stronger than the West and I've been watching since Jail Blazer era lol. Maybe during Red Auerbach's time the East was better.

 

Odds smodds Warriors will max out Klay and KD and those two will be out all year next year lol.

KD, Cousins, Klay and Curry, Warriors will be the most injury prone team ever next year.

 

That's what everyone did last year....where did the Laker's end up?

I like Vogel too...but if he indeed doesn't get Bron's blessing, this will completely fail. That has been demonstrated several times already.

AD might be better than either one of them...but not better than both.

But...does it not matter HOW they do that?

Yes, it's been a long time. I'm thinking maybe the 80's/90's (Bulls, Pistons, Knicks, etc).

 

Adrian Wojnarowski on the Lakers: "They're not getting Kawhi Leonard. They're not getting Kyrie Irving. Klay Thompson is injured, KD is out. They weren't getting any of those players to begin with. When you are getting to the next tier, you're better off not putting all the money into one guy"

 

Lebron got injured and never recovered, he was playing with a torn groin.

Anyway just see next season all you doubters are gonna be like "Everybody knew Lakers were gonna be contenders" lol

 

Exactly. His player age is getting up there, and these things are going to start happening.

Wouldn't change my stance at all. I'm not saying it can't happen, I'm just saying there are a lot of assumptions being made about who else they get that go into making them favorites now. When they start the season, actually even before, we'll have answers to all those question marks on HOW they filled out their roster. It's all those proclaiming Laker greatness who are just assuming all those question marks will turn out to be exclamation points.

 

AD is the most fragile “all star” of this decade. He can’t stay healthy on the court or off. He can’t stay healthy during the regular season and he also can’t stay healthy during the playoffs. He can barely take his team to the playoffs let alone take care of his fragile body.

But...

If Lebron takes all the load (and doesn’t get injured like last year), AD won’t be fragile anymore, or will he still be fragile and the most injury prone all star of this decade?

Time will tell.

 

Of course the refs affect the game. Just like flopping your way from the 3 point line to the free throw line affects the game. Play like a professional, get calls like a professional. Cheap plays get cheap calls.

 

(Rumor)
Rumor has it that the Lakers have strong interest in bringing D Russell back.

https://sports.yahoo.com/report-lak...ts-free-agent-d-angelo-russell-211640453.html

 

Wonder how they’re going to finish this roster off

 

OT: Would you take Vogel over Spolestra for head coach?


The Lakers should go the Morey route, Spurs ways, and start looking at undrafted rookies and guys abroad who are veterans that could play in the NBA. While, looking for undervalued guys who can play, pretty well.

The last time, the East, as whole was better than the West, I wager around 87-89, the Celtics, Pistons, Bulls, Hawks, Bucks, Cavs, and 76ers.

I have said and argued that the NBA's Western Conference was and still is toughest conference to win in American Professional team sports, while have the most parity.


The West, since about 89 to 91, has produced roughly 6 50-win teams per year. Even topping at all eight playoff teams with 50 or more wins.

Since 1990, every team in the West has had at least 1 NBA Finals appearance or 1 Western Conference Finals.

Championship Winners with 5 or more consecutive seasons without missing the playoffs.

San Antonio Spurs
Los Angeles Lakers
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Dallas Mavericks

(Notice all of the teams I mentioned are more or less perennial playoff teams, as we speak)

Appeared in one or multiple NBA Finals with 5 or more consecutive playoff appearances .

Utah Jazz
Portland Trailblazers
Phoenix Suns
Seattle Supersonics / Oklahoma City Thunder

1 or more Western Conference Finals appearances with 5 or more playoff appearances.

Sacramento Kings
Memphis Grizzlies
Minnesota Timberwolves
Denver Nuggets
LA Clippers (has yet to reach WCF, though)

The only teams who truly stayed mediocre are with 5 or less seasons of playoff appearances :

New Orleans Pelicans

 

Good news, I never thought Beard would have another chance to show that he is better than Lebron heads up. Let’s rolllllllll...

 

Spo hasn't really proved anything I mean ok he won but his team had Lebron, Bosh and Wade lol that's not exactly an achievement. In fact they choked against Dallas isn't that Spo's fault? OTH now that he has a "normal" team his w/l record is meh, the Heat haven't been relevant since Lebron left.

IMO what Vogel did with the Pacers is more impressive they took Miami heat to 7 games just with Paul George and freaking Roy Hibbert. Hibbert is a career 10 and 6 on 46% FG as a no range center, somehow Vogel got him an all star nod.

 

https://www.silverscreenandroll.com...rget-max-cap-space-kyrie-irving-nets-woj-lowe

 

Lakers expected to sign Russell and kanter.

Are they better than rockets?

Every one has better bench than rockets?

 

says who ?

rumors has it that, Brooklyn is not interested in signing just Kyrie. If they can't convince KD to join, it'd build around PG Spencer Dinwiddie, not D Russell. tells you what the Nets think of D Russell.

According to ESPN Bobby Marks, the 23-yr old D Russell will sign w whomever offers him the most $; the T Wolves can afford to offer him the most, not the LAL

 

Whats the Lakers u/O on wins, I would definitely take under. I felt last year it was a great bet in the 50s, and this year it will be even higher. Is this due to Vegas being near LA and their fans influencing the lines? This seems too extreme for that, as someone mentioned about Toronto and LAC, they must know something about Kawhi, just as they must know something about a third star going to LA.

 

Twolves are capped out.

 

It's not clear the Lakers have ANY bench right now. So probably not better than Rockets.

 

Lakers letting some good role players get away putting all their eggs in the basket for kawhi.