2014 Lottery Watch

[OutlawImmortal]

Kind of hoping he'll do what Kobe did in '96 and try to force himself on the team via a trade. Then give up a couple of fillers and end up with TWO top 5 picks.

If we pick Embiid and Exum forces a trade we can call it "the second coming".

 

[Black Adam]

If we pick Embiid and Exum forces a trade we can call it "the second coming".

lol, yeah i guess a cat could HOPE...

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Lakers News: Team's Draft Pick Unlikely To Fall Out Of Top 10 | Lakers Nation

This is good news.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Another quick update on the tank standings

Only behind Utah as they have a game more than us. And Orlando and Utah play each other tonight.

 

[LALakersboy24.7]

Lakers need to lockdown that 4th spot.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Utah beats Orlando and then Orlando beats us in a couple of day times will be an ideal scenario.

 

[LALakersboy24.7]

It's going to get very interesting as we wind down the season.

 

[wildturkey]

Another quick update on the tank standings

Only behind Utah as they have a game more than us. And Orlando and Utah play each other tonight.

One of the saddest things about that picture is Philly has lost 23 straight and they are STILL behind the Bucks.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

As I recall The Clippers lived off of the first round draft picks for over 20 years or more before they finally realized that they needed to make trades and sign other players - lol

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

As I recall The Clippers lived off of the first round draft picks for over 20 years or more before they finally realized that they needed to make trades and sign other players - lol

Have you see this years draft?!?

 

[Retroram52]

That is indeed a pretty lame list. A chronicle of inepititude that is chronic. This is our first year of really being awful in the modern era. At the beginning of the year before the injuries and Don'tknowi flat-out losing this team, I stated I thought we might sneak-up on some people. I never dreamed it would be in the losing column!!

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Couldn't come at a better time though. If we get a top 8 pick we're pretty much guaranteed a starter on next years team. A top 5 pick could possibly be an all-star.

 

[trojanfan12]

That is indeed a pretty lame list. A chronicle of inepititude that is chronic. This is our first year of really being awful in the modern era. At the beginning of the year before the injuries and Don'tknowi flat-out losing this team, I stated I thought we might sneak-up on some people. I never dreamed it would be in the losing column!!

In an odd way, the injuries may be a blessing in disguise. If this team had been healthy, they were looking at a 6-8 seed in the playoffs at best. This would have made it much less likely that they got an impact player in the draft. The only positive would have been turnup being wrong.

It sucks to have to go through a season like this, but I think it's better to endure one horrible season to help re-build more quickly than have several seasons of 6-8 seeds in the playoffs and 1st and 2nd round exits.

In the Lakers current situation, they have Kobe (hopefully at something close to the Kobe we're used to) for a couple of more seasons, a potential impact player from the draft plus cap space to add another top level FA either this season or next as well as some solid role players from the current team. Then, more cap space when Kobe retires. All in all, not a bad position to be in.

 

[Retroram52]

I pretty much agree TJF12 because there are many upsides to this season. One is we are beginning the rebuild and that includes securing a top pick when we have a first rounder because next year we don't have one.

Another is all the players (except Kaman who has some tiff going on with Dont'knowi) that have played and auditioned for the Lakers now have a season of experience at this level. This will make it difficult to find the player to be cut. Many, if not all, of the present roster should come back.

Another is that Kobe gets to rest along with Nash who, because of injury, hasn't played much. These guys both need the rest if they are going to continue to play into the future.

Still another is it helps to provide direction as to where this team wants to go and that can help direct who we select in the draft.

Finally, all the losing also creates desire, individually and as a team, that has been manifested by Nick Young's latest declaration that this team does not want to be the all-time losingest team in Lakers history.

Tough to say and balance losing with this stated goal when tank is the goal this year.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

In an odd way, the injuries may be a blessing in disguise. If this team had been healthy, they were looking at a 6-8 seed in the playoffs at best. This would have made it much less likely that they got an impact player in the draft. The only positive would have been turnup being wrong.

It sucks to have to go through a season like this, but I think it's better to endure one horrible season to help re-build more quickly than have several seasons of 6-8 seeds in the playoffs and 1st and 2nd round exits.

In the Lakers current situation, they have Kobe (hopefully at something close to the Kobe we're used to) for a couple of more seasons, a potential impact player from the draft plus cap space to add another top level FA either this season or next as well as some solid role players from the current team. Then, more cap space when Kobe retires. All in all, not a bad position to be in.

Yeah, when I made that bet with him I'm almost positive that I put an injury disclaimer on it. But eh, it wasn't that bad anyway.

 

[trojanfan12]

I pretty much agree TJF12 because there are many upsides to this season. One is we are beginning the rebuild and that includes securing a top pick when we have a first rounder because next year we don't have one.

Another is all the players (except Kaman who has some tiff going on with Dont'knowi) that have played and auditioned for the Lakers now have a season of experience at this level. This will make it difficult to find the player to be cut. Many, if not all, of the present roster should come back.

Another is that Kobe gets to rest along with Nash who, because of injury, hasn't played much. These guys both need the rest if they are going to continue to play into the future.

Still another is it helps to provide direction as to where this team wants to go and that can help direct who we select in the draft.

Finally, all the losing also creates desire, individually and as a team, that has been manifested by Nick Young's latest declaration that this team does not want to be the all-time losingest team in Lakers history.

Tough to say and balance losing with this stated goal when tank is the goal this year.

In all honesty, I don't think the goal at the beginning of the season was to tank, but as the injuries piled up, especially when Kobe went out with the knee injury, it ended up being the goal. I suspect that D'Antoni ended up being told "just play the young guys" so they could audition and be brought back or let go.

 

[TheSnowdog]

One of the saddest things about that picture is Philly has lost 23 straight and they are STILL behind the Bucks.

They are trying
The game against the Knicks - Philly has a chance for a win and James Anderson blows it with a TO
That is good head's up play. Anderson knew the situation and knew that a win would not do the Sixers any good and gave up the clutch TO there
That type of tanking acumen has to be respected

 

[Retroram52]

That too TJF12.

 

[Kold]

Just a repost from the other thread

ALRIGHT, I think the only games we have a shot at winning is Utah and Sacramento, the only caveat is that we can get hot from the 3 point line and beat anybody. I'd say that we lose both as both are away, and I'm pretty sure that they'll be playing hard for the fans. Just looking at the numbers, I think the lowest inital spot we can get is the 8 spot(the cavs would have to make up 3 games)...as for the highest?

1.)Orlando's schedule-We're 5 back in the loss column

Cleveland
@ Charlotte
vs Minnesota
vs Brooklyn
vs Washington
@ Brooklyn
@ Chicago
vs Indiana
Verdict- It's going to be near impossible to catch Orlando because they have alot of lossable games in that stretch.

2.)Utah- We're 3 back in the loss column
vs NY Knicks
vs New Orleans
@ Golden St.
vs Dallas
vs Portland
@ Denver
vs Los Angeles
@ Minnesota

Verdict- The knicks are up and down so who knows with that game, with no unibrow, they have a chance against New Orleans, they have a shot against minnesota, and we need to lose that game to make it 3 wins(possibly 4). If we go ahead and lose out, we'd tie with Utah and the spot would come down to a random drawing(if I'm not mistaken). Very tough task but not impossible.

3.)Boston- 2 back in the loss column
@Chicago
@Washington
vsPhiladelphia
@Detroit
@Atlanta
vsCharlotte
@Cleveland
@Philadelphia
vsWashington

Verdict- If we don't catch Boston it is an almost complete failure. 2 against Philly, 1 against detroit, and the last one against Washington where the playoff seeding may be decided.

4.) Sacramento- We're tied
@New Orleans
vsLos Angeles
@Golden State
vsDallas
vsOklahoma City
@Portland
@LAC
vsMinnesota
vsPhoenix

Verdict- It would greatly help us if they beat New Orleans tonight and beat us the next game, because after that, they have a murder's row schedule outside of Minnesota. It does help that the final game is at home however.

IN THE END, I think that we hold off Detroit, and I also think that we jump Sacramento and Boston to grab the 5 spot. NOW, the draft lottery is very unpredictable, but lets say we end with the 5th pick. First, I'd be SHOCKED if the top 3 weren't Embiid,Parker, and Wiggins in whatever order...so the 5th pick would guarantee us either Julius Randle or Dante Exum. IMO, Randle is in that 4th spot especially with the run he's had in the tourney. So then there's Exum, I've seen the videos...and I just don't know. He looked good, but 2 games against U.S competition is such a small sample size. I mean I certainly won't be upset if we end up with him, but I'll understand that it's probably going to take some time before he takes off. It wouldn't totally suprise if a team got cold feet when thinking about taking him.

 

[Kold]

Sooo, Sacramento won tonight and that is a HUGE deal as they have that crazy schedule coming up as I mentioned. We need to "get the job done" against them on wednesday. Utah is currently tied with the knicks right now, which was one of the games that I said could go either way...hopefully they win