Tomjanovich to resign as Lakers coach . . .

[rickortreat]

Who cares?  It's going to be a while before the Lakers are competitive again.  Since they play in the western conference, they can't get away with being mediocre and making the playoffs.

How long will it be beofre their competitive with the Kings, the Suns, or the T-Wolves? They're not even in the same class as the Mavericks or the Rockets.

Let Kobe think about THAT for a while.  Maybe now he regrets forcing Shaq out.    :rolleyes:  

[Guest_Randy]

Rick, you REALLY need to stick with the Eastern Conference and the Sixers.  You are OBVIOUSLY in need of a Western Conference update:

Who cares? It's going to be a while before the Lakers are competitive again. Since they play in the western conference, they can't get away with being mediocre and making the playoffs.

1)  The Lakers presently WOULD be in the playoffs -- even in the MUCH tougher Western Conference.

How long will it be beofre their competitive with the Kings, the Suns, or the T-Wolves? They're not even in the same class as the Mavericks or the Rockets.

2)  The Lakers have a better record at this point than both the TWolves AND the Rockets -- they have beaten the TWolves TWICE this year and the Rockets ONCE (the only time they have met to date this year).
Hmm, seems like we aren't in the same class as the Rockets -- we're in a BETTER class!  
How long will it be before the Lakers are competitive with the Kings?  The Lakers have faced the Kings twice this year -- the record is 1-1!
And how many other teams in the league can beat the Suns consistently?  SA?  I think the Kings are the second best team in the NBA -- and the Lakers don't belong on that tier but they are good enough to make the playoffs -- even in the much tougher WC.

Let Kobe think about THAT for a while. Maybe now he regrets forcing Shaq out.

This is SOOOO funny!  I really can't believe that you think that Kobe got Shaq thrown out of LA and PJ fired as coach!  Do you REALLY believe that?  The BIGGEST reason that Shaq is not in LA and PJ is no longer coaching?  MONEY!!!  Buss is a tightwad and he couldn't see paying Shaq the kind of money Shaq wanted for another three years -- and frankly, I'm glad he didn't!  With Shaq making $25 mill + a year and Kobe making the max, it leaves the Lakers with ZERO money under the salary cap (and we ALL know that Buss isn't going over the cap) to sign other players.  The Lakers need quality role players around them to win a title -- and that wasn't going to happen without at least a little money.  Also, look at the shape Shaq has been in since the Lakers won their last title -- he's gone downhill EVERY year!!!  If Shaq was in better shape, Ben Wallace wouldn't have run him all over the court in the finals!  Sure, Shaq would still put up solid numbers but it wouldn't result in another championship, IMO.  
Buss is the reason Shaq is gone -- plain and simple -- because money is ALWAYS the bottom line for Buss.

Take this for an example -- why would Buss resign PJ as coach?  Because PJ wants a WHOLE lot more money than Buss wants to give him -- PJ wanted $10 mill from what I heard -- Buss' wallet doesn't open that far.  BUT Buss is VERY concerned now because the Lakers are losing a LOT of money in revenue -- ticket sales!!!  He wants to find a way to get bodies in those overinflated priced seats -- and he WILL realizes that PJ will help put those bodies in the seat.  

Buss is ALL about the bottom line -- he just realizes that he has the best place in the US (along with NY) to charge incredibly high prices and still sell out the arena -- but he can't allow the talent level to drop to low (see Donald Sterlings past) or people aren't going to pay that kind of money.  Did Kobe have something to do with it?  Perhaps but he wasn't the main reason -- the main reason is MONEY!

[Lurker]

Whoa...slow down there, Randy.  Let's not get too carried away with the Lakers season so far.  They have played a VERY favorable schedule so far.  They have played LESS games than any other team in the west.  Also their split between home & road has been very much to their advantage.

After tonight the Lakers will play 24 of their last 38 games on the road.  Both Minnesota and Houston have played half of their games on the road and half at home.  Also while technically percentage points ahead of Houston, their record for the last 15 and 20 games ( 10-5, 13-7) looks better than the Lakers (8-7, 11-9).  A loss tonight by the Lakers puts them behind Houston.

The Lakers hold on the 8th spot (assumes a loss to the Spurs tonight) in the west has more to do with implosion by other teams (Wolves & Nuggets) than it does with the Lakers earning that spot.

[westkoast]

Whoa...slow down there, Randy.  Let's not get too carried away with the Lakers season so far.  They have played a VERY favorable schedule so far.  They have played LESS games than any other team in the west.  Also their split between home & road has been very much to their advantage.

After tonight the Lakers will play 24 of their last 38 games on the road.  Both Minnesota and Houston have played half of their games on the road and half at home.  Also while technically percentage points ahead of Houston, their record for the last 15 and 20 games ( 10-5, 13-7) looks better than the Lakers (8-7, 11-9).  A loss tonight by the Lakers puts them behind Houston.

The Lakers hold on the 8th spot (assumes a loss to the Spurs tonight) in the west has more to do with implosion by other teams (Wolves & Nuggets) than it does with the Lakers earning that spot.

Gimmie a break Lurker.  You act like the Lakers have been handed their spot.  While they have had a nice stay at home recently they will be back on the road.  This isnt college basketball....they dont have a favorable scheudele playing in the western confrence once the 82 are done.  Their best player and the #1 scorer (not now) in the league and arguable the best slasher is injured.  Hes been gone for 3 weeks and they are still 5 games over .500.  The stat of the last 15-20 most of those have not included Kobe Bryant.  How many teams in this league aside from the Spurs could loose their one and only star and still manage to stay above .500 in the western confrence?

Lakers arent doing to bad in rebounding and 3 point shooting.  They also are one of the best teams in the league in bouncing back from a loss.

You saying the only reason the Lakers have a playoff spot because of Houston/Denver/Wolves  is like saying the only reason the Lakers wouldnt have a playoff spot is because of the Sonics/Suns :rolleyes:

[Guest_Randy]

Hmm, the Rockets record is better in the last 15-20 games than the Lakers -- duh, look at the Laker's record since Kobe went down -- enough said.  

That the Lakers have a tougher schedule left is true -- but to date, the Rockets haven't SHOWN themselves to be a solid team lacking consistency (except in beating the Spurs  :bash: ) :rofl: .  The Lakers have beaten the Rockets TWICE this year -- that SHOULD count for something, don't you agree?  I don't expect the Lakers to beat them without Kobe but then again, most teams in the league (including the Spurs) are quite dependent on their Superstar to win ballgames.

As for the Lakers not earning that 8th seed spot rather having it "handed" to them by the Wolves and Nuggets -- I don't disagree that the Wolves have imploded -- still the saddest and biggest story in the NBA right now, IMO.  However, I couldn't disagree more about Denver -- I don't think they were as good as their record last year and I'd state that they have two of the most overrated players in the league in Melo and KMart -- that doesn't bode well for a team that didn't need another PF but rather a PG who will pass first, a big man who can stay on the court, a sharpshooter from outside and a greater focus (okay, how about any kind of focus) on defense.  

Who among us would have thought that the top 3 teams in the league this year would have been the Spurs, Suns and Sonics?  We all would have picked the Spurs -- a few might have picked the Suns -- NONE of us would have picked the Sonics.  There are surprises on BOTH ends of the spectrum as far as teams imploding and exploding.  

The Lakers are better than most here will give them credit with Kobe in the line-up -- without Kobe they are just playing hard hoping to catch a few teams unaware.  However, the Lakers are 2-0 vs. Houston -- that's not something I made up and that SHOULD state, that at least to the present, the Lakers are a better team.  Don't you think it's probably not a fair comparison to include a group of games in which your star player is sidelined with injury?  How about just including Houstons record when TMac is out?  Kobe has been down for 11 games now -- the Lakers have managed to win about half of those games -- but I wouldn't call that a "fair" assessment of the teams abilities!
 

[Lurker]

Gimmie a break Lurker.  You act like the Lakers have been handed their spot.  While they have had a nice stay at home recently they will be back on the road.  This isnt college basketball....they dont have a favorable scheudele playing in the western confrence once the 82 are done.  Their best player and the #1 scorer (not now) in the league and arguable the best slasher is injured.  Hes been gone for 3 weeks and they are still 5 games over .500.  The stat of the last 15-20 most of those have not included Kobe Bryant.  How many teams in this league aside from the Spurs could loose their one and only star and still manage to stay above .500 in the western confrence?

Lakers arent doing to bad in rebounding and 3 point shooting.  They also are one of the best teams in the league in bouncing back from a loss.

You saying the only reason the Lakers have a playoff spot because of Houston/Denver/Wolves  is like saying the only reason the Lakers wouldnt have a playoff spot is because of the Sonics/Suns :rolleyes:

I don't discount that the Lakers have played well without their #1 player.  In fact I have been quite impressed with the way they have avoided falling apart.  However look closer.

Since Kobe went down they have played 10 games (incl the Cavs game when Kobe went out).  They are 6-4.  They played 8 of the 10 games at home and 1 of the two "road" games was against the Clippers.  So they actually only played & won the one game away from Staples....against the mighty Warriors.

In Staples during that time they are 5-4.  They beat the Warriors, Bobcats, Cavs, Wolves & Blazers.  Only legitimate playoff team would be the Wolves & right now they are so dysfunctional they make the LA drama look like a sideshow.  The 4 losses at Staples were to the Sonics, Clips, Nets & Jazz (w/o AK).  Not real impressive.  Again only one truly legit playoff team.  The Lakers w/o Kobe are basically .500 against non-playoff teams.  Only 2 of those 10 teams boast winning records - the Cavs & Sonics.  And the Cavs winning record has been built at home; they have a horrible road record.

When you read Randy's post he implies Kobe's injury has kept the Lakers from being ranked with the elite of the west.  My post was to merely point out that the Lakers are barely holding onto the 7th seed and have had a favorable schedule.

The Lakers are below .500 on the road and play almost 2/3 of their games over the rest of the season on the road.  Whereas their top competitors have already played more total games and will only play half of their remaining games on the road.  IMO the outlook for the Lakers to make the playoffs is not as rosy as you laker fans would like to believe.  But I would prefer the Lakers to make the playoffs....then they have no chance at winning the lottery.

P.S.  The Lakers are 6-4 w/o Kobe....that means they were 5-5 with Kobe in the last 10 games before his injury.   :crazy:  

[Guest]

When you read Randy's post he implies Kobe's injury has kept the Lakers from being ranked with the elite of the west. My post was to merely point out that the Lakers are barely holding onto the 7th seed and have had a favorable schedule.

My actual quote:

2) The Lakers have a better record at this point than both the TWolves AND the Rockets -- they have beaten the TWolves TWICE this year and the Rockets ONCE (the only time they have met to date this year).
Hmm, seems like we aren't in the same class as the Rockets -- we're in a BETTER class!
How long will it be before the Lakers are competitive with the Kings? The Lakers have faced the Kings twice this year -- the record is 1-1!
And how many other teams in the league can beat the Suns consistently? SA? I think the Kings are the second best team in the NBA -- and the Lakers don't belong on that tier but they are good enough to make the playoffs -- even in the much tougher WC.

Where did I say that the Lakers ranked with the elite of the West.  Hmm, let's actually stop and read it.  I stated that the Lakers are currently playing better than both the TWolves and the Rockets -- and since the Lakers have beaten the Rockets TWICE this year (the only two times they have met) I certainly don't call making the assessment that we are a better team is a reach, is it?  And while the Lakers aren't as good as a healthy Kings team, IMO, they are good enough to make the playoffs.  I never stated that the Lakers were an "elite" team -- by-the-way, just read where I stated the Kings were the second best team in the NBA -- that should have been the Suns -- not the Kings.  Perhaps that's where you thought I was stating that the Lakers were an elite team -- I think if you would have read the whole post, it was pretty clear that I stated the Lakers were not good enough to be considered even on a tier with the 2nd top group of teams in the NBA but they are good enough to make the playoffs -- and at this point, they are good enough to be considered alongside (if not better) than the Rockets and the TWolves.

[Guest_Randy]

P.S. The Lakers are 6-4 w/o Kobe....that means they were 5-5 with Kobe in the last 10 games before his injury. 

By-the-way, Lurker, it's interesting to see who the Lakers faced in those games they lost with Kobe:
    1.  Denver -- should have won, Kobe had a HORRIBLE night -- bet it was that tough Denver defense, huh?  Perhaps it was playing in the same state in which he has had some tough recent memories.
    2.  Miami -- lost in OT -- Miami is playing pretty well.
    3.  SA -- hmm, shouldn't have lost to SA, right?
    4.  Dallas -- another big surprise, huh?
    5.  Memphis -- the Lakers are going to have a tough time with the Grizzlies "bigs" but still they aren't a playoff team.

So the Lakers lost 3 of their 5 games to teams in the "top tier" or at least next to that tier (Miami and Dallas belong in tier 2, IMO).

[rickortreat]

IMO by the end of the year, it will be clear that the Rockets are better than the Lakers.  It's taken time for the team to get it together, and for T-Mac and Yao to learn to play.  They also needed to add some players to distribute the ball.

I am unimpressed by Yao.  I thought he would be a better player than he is.  He changes shots and clogs the middle, but he's not much of a scorer, or defender.

The T-Wolves are a different matter.  I feel sorry for KG, McHale keeps trying to put a good team together, and they just can't seem to get over the hump.  I feel sorry for the Minnesota sports fans, they always get a raw deal.