<div class="quote_poster">Quoting PupMelo:</div><div class="quote_post">i'd say 29-53, not to be pessimistic or anything just my gut feeling that Odom and Butler wouldn't easily buy into Kobe's leadership but i do hope they'll finish with 50+ wins as some people here projected....</div> Damn, that's harsh ... but i'm glad you're keepin it real Right now, I'm slightly pessimistic. I think with the current roster, they're bound between 38-44 wins. If we can land banks (or any other pg besides Atkins), than u shift that range up 5 more wins.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting SunshineRain:</div><div class="quote_post">45-37, ties for 8th playoff spot, but makes it in on tie breakers. (And a bonus prediction, Kobe leads the West in scoring, 27.9)</div> Only 27.9 when he's the man. Come on, at least 30.4 but I'm going with 31.5ppg.
what was i thinking?...i don't even like dampier's game... though for one season he was impressive..... but you are soooo right yao ming, brad miller and magliore are all better..... damp's got tiny hands and can't catch a pass.... but he has good bulk and can move quite well for that size..... great offensive rebounder ....weakside garbageman.... i stand corrected in a big way.... if you are trying to convince me the two headed monster of divac/mihm is a better shot blocker than shaq.... i dont think so... but i do hear what you are saying.. that is true webber his entire career has been marred by injuries.... but i am giving him the benefit of the doubt that he simply came back too soon last year and was never himself..... and that he will be rested, healthy and ready to go..... again best in the league shaq..... 4 years ago sure..... but today..... no i would have to say garnett and duncan are both surperior and the next tier mcgrady and kobe..... but i think that the jazz are improved much more than say the grizzlies,,,,even the suns have improved ..... the west is tough.... i forgot the blazers ....but why not? and yes i feel the warriors will battle and take a playoff spot..... they have a blossoming group of young talent, j-rich, murph and dunleavy, and a deep supporting cast..... a more athletic grizzlies west... they were one of the hottest teams the last 15 games or so.... coming together after an entire season marred by tons of injuries... but can montgomery coach at this level and sell the team on it? i still stand by what i say of the lakers.... i just am not seeing the talent..... nothing at the 1 ...... ok... kobe obvious......3 butler..... he doesnt dazzle me..... 4 odom.... i think odom has matured quite a bit and will become an all star...though he has always had the ball in his hands ....can he deal playing without it.... 5 mihm/divac...... yeah it will get you through this year..... in fact i think i would put odom at 3 ....grant at 4 and leave butler on the bench ..... i dont see the talent on the bench either.... rush showed flashes certainly.....george should just be cut..... medvenko..... come on..... does he ever think before he reacts? george has the same problem ..... walton....cause he had one clutch game he is suddenly great?.... he is mehmet okur at best..... that said i love watching him .... and he and vlade together will be fun ..... should really help the ball movement malone..... i will be shocked if he signs with the lakers.... i would think as it was shaq who brought him to l.a. so it seemed.... he would go to the heat..... but with the spurs and wolves courting him as well..... a tough sell.... so barring injuries..... please kobe no fluke shoulder injuries this year....that sucked..... i still think a sub 500 team...... and your nba scoring champ
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting boogielew:</div><div class="quote_post">and yes i feel the warriors will battle and take a playoff spot..... they have a blossoming group of young talent, j-rich, murph and dunleavy, and a deep supporting cast..... a more athletic grizzlies west... they were one of the hottest teams the last 15 games or so.... coming together after an entire season marred by tons of injuries... but can montgomery coach at this level and sell the team on it?</div> With all due respect for Chris Mullin, and the work he's doing to make the Golden State Warriors a better franchise in the years to come, how can you even say that the Los Angeles Lakers will not even be a better team than the Warriors this year and make the playoffs? And you think Golden State has better talent than Los Angeles next season? Please compare and make a better argument. And another thing...please use better punctuation in your posts. It's annoying enough that I have to read your insight and look at lower-case letters after periods to begin the next sentence. C'mon, you know better than this.
I gotta agree with Emo. Warriors will not be better than the Lakers. They have talent with players like JRich, Pietrus, etc., but they have no leadership. Mullin has the team going in the right direction and I like what he's doing, but they're not ready yet. The team is still far too young to be ready to compete. And yea, please capitalize, punctuate, etc., correctly. It makes post a lot easier to read.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Moo2K4:</div><div class="quote_post">You're a couple games short there pal...I think you're meaning eiter 48-34 or 50-32.</div> 50-32 is a safer bet, trenchteam
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting kobe-360:</div><div class="quote_post">52-30 Kobe is the leagues mvp and will win the scoring leader at 37.8ppg</div> It's a shame I don't have enough space in my sig for the comments like these.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Bobcats:</div><div class="quote_post">It's a shame I don't have enough space in my sig for the comments like these.</div> All of those are possibilities actually...I just don't think they'll all happen in a year's time. Kobe has the potential to average that much in one season, but I don't think the Lakers will have that 50-win record if he does...but who knows. Also, the Lakers can be a 52-30 team, and if they do, I'm sure Kobe will get the MVP that year...just not the scoring title. It's all possible...just like the possibility of the Bobcats making the playoffs within three years. Some guys will say no way...but I think it'll take a good coach and another successful draft pick, because Okafor will be a monster defensively (shades of Ben Wallace, only a better scorer also). The Lakers have a chance, no doubt about it...but there's no reason for anyone to guarantee failure from a team like Los Angeles.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting realdealbneal:</div><div class="quote_post">All of those are possibilities actually...I just don't think they'll all happen in a year's time. Kobe has the potential to average that much in one season, but I don't think the Lakers will have that 50-win record if he does...but who knows. Also, the Lakers can be a 52-30 team, and if they do, I'm sure Kobe will get the MVP that year...just not the scoring title. It's all possible...just like the possibility of the Bobcats making the playoffs within three years. Some guys will say no way...but I think it'll take a good coach and another successful draft pick, because Okafor will be a monster defensively (shades of Ben Wallace, only a better scorer also). The Lakers have a chance, no doubt about it...but there's no reason for anyone to guarantee failure from a team like Los Angeles.</div> Of course they are all possible, but like you said, just not in the span of one season. Kobe is capable of averaging over 30ppg in a season (he's done it once anyway), but that means he likely has to take shots away from Odom, Butler, etc. I mean, if he's having a bad shooting night, yet still gets 35 points or something, that likely means he has over 30 shots. At times he's gone 10/25, 12/30 etc and got only in the high 20's. Of course, the man is still only 25 and only getting better, but he needs to learn when to pass at the right times.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Bobcats:</div><div class="quote_post">Of course, the man is still only 25 and only getting better, but he needs to learn when to pass at the right times.</div> And what you said above is exactly the key to the Lakers' success this season: passing. By the way...to everyone, please don't put that on Kobe's shoulders. He averaged over 5 assists per game last year, and he's not a PG. Also, the teams started realizing how to beat the Lakers: intercept passes in the passing lane from Kobe to Shaq. The Pistons did this and beat the Lakers. Kobe could not throw easy passes to Shaq through the passing lane, because the defense was smothering every pass. He couldn't throw lobs, either, because the Wallace's were too athletic and would more than likely intercept them, also. The Pistons made it seem like Kobe was selfish, but that's not the truth.
Yes, but there was 3 other people besides Shaq. If he couldn't find Shaq, he'd force a shot when he wouldn't have to. I'm not saying he should've just passed and just sit their, I know how brutal the supporting cast was. He could've passed to someone else and setup a screen or something to help them out. Either way it's done buisness now, and the Pistons just straight dominated the series regardless.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting kobe-360:</div><div class="quote_post">52-30 Kobe is the leagues mvp and will win the scoring leader at 37.8ppg</div> Man if he was to do that I hope he would be shooting .538 from the field. .901 from the freethrow line and .425 from the 3pt line. That lead to his teammates getting involved with the offense too. Teams aren't scoring as much as the 80's so that would have to be accomplished for that many points scored for an invidual to work for his team.
The Lakers will win the Pacific Division this season with 55-27 record. Kobe will have the best year of his career, and prove that he doesn't need Shaq to win.
