Nitro

  The actual scoring efficiency and productiveness per 100 possessions is basically the same now as it was then. You can argue that offenses now are also better than they were then, but the dominance of offenses over defenses back in the '80's were basically the same as they are today. 1) Not one team in '84-'85 averaged a pace lower than 98. So no, I don't feel they could score 120PPG, or even 110PPG with their current roster and pace. 2) Looking at raw FG% is faulty. EFG ajdusts for 3 pointers, which teams barely took back from '70-'90. Besides shots at the rim, they are the most efficient shot attempt in basketball, even though it brings down basically every team's raw FG%. Defenses are better now than they were from '70-'90, however the main culprit for the stats you posted are from pace.

It's not the defense that causes that...it's the pace. League averages this season: 105.4 Ortg (points per 100 possessions), 91.8 pace (possessions per 48min), 49.2% EFG League averages in '84-'85 (Jordan's 1st season and the primes of guys like Magic, Bird, Nique etc..): 107.9 Ortg, 102.1 Pace (!!!), 49.6% EFG As you can see, the difference in offensive effectiveness really isn't much different, it's just that in the '80's there were a lot more possessions to eclipse 70pts than today's era.

Don't laugh...[expletive]as and their fried chicken is NEVER a laughing matter. I expect more from you, bro.

When you started watching the Lakers you had banner after banner hanging in the rafters, fielding solid teams and having all that history to remember. When I had Nets season tickets in '97 you know what I got? Keith Van [expletive]ing Horn, and the stupid pre-game video on the jumbotron of him flying a [expletive]ing spaceship with Kerry Kittles (or Kedall Gill, I forget). Oh, we did have this up and comer with a lot of promise named Jayson Williams. He fulfilled that potential by shooting his limo driver with a shotgun. I hope to god the Lakers suck for a few years to bring you fans down to Earth a bit...not necessarily you or anyone here, just in general. Greediest, most entitled fanbase in all of sports besides the Yankees.

Stop. Since Magic left you guys have NEVER won less than 33 games. Had a losing record only 3x. Within 5 years after breaking up Showtime you guys were back winning 50+ games with a young Shaq/Kobe duo. Since Magic left you guys have won 50 games 14x (counting the lockout seasons based on winning %). You won 60+ games 3x. 5 championships. 7 Finals appearances. Saw two top 10 players in their primes. Meanwhile, here in NJ... http://pauloccamacho.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/netsfansbags.jpg YOU DON'T KNOW PAIN LAKERS FANS!!!!

See, I look at it a bit differently...having a deep bench allows you to adjust if the starting lineup is sucking like it has been. They have NOTHING to replace Nash, Kobe and Metta with if those guys are being exposed by their matchup (Nash's poor defense, a cold shooting night by Kobe, Metta being...Metta, etc...). They have 0 explosive scoring threats off the bench. They've never had any reasonable replacement for Pau during all his struggles (Clark is nice, but he's not starter material yet, and he's undersized). No defensive stoppers off the bench. No one that can change the tempo of the game in contrast to the starters. I do agree they should still be above .500, but I still view it as a HUGE reason for their historical sucking.

I don't see why he wouldn't be able to. His main assignments come playoff time will be Kidd/JR, Rip Hamilton, Avery Bradley, Joe Johnson and probably Paul George. Solid group of players, but it's not like he's defending any top 10 players in that list. And honestly the only one I see giving him a lot of trouble is JR, whose game is almost completely dependant on a terrible shot selection that can't be defended by anyone once he catches fire. The offense will be a bigger struggle. He's still got the timing, lateral quickness and crazy long arms to make a huge impact on a consisten basis defensively IF HE WANTS TO. Offensively, there are some defenses that he simply doesn't have the physical tools to dominate anymore.

To sum up my feelings on why the Lakers have sucked this year, in order of importance... 1A) Coaching. 1B) Depth. 2) Being below average athletically at 4 of the 5 starting positions, and also basically the entire bench. 3) Injuries. 4) Gasol. Bottom line is their 2 "permanent" coaches are retards, they lack talent outside of the top 4 and that 4th guy has played miserably, and since training camp they've been hit pretty hard with injuries to their most important players. Add it all up and you get this shit show.

Wade ain't turning it on 'till later in the season...agreed. Offensively I think he's lost enough athletcism to where he's not capable of what he was doing a few years ago, but defensively he's coasted much of this season. Come playoff time all those open 3 pointers he's been giving up won't be there for the opposition, and as he showed by shutting down Kobe, his on-ball defense is still elite when locked in. He has picked his spots offensively much better the last 2 months after that terrible November, and as long as he does that he'll remain extremely dangerous offensively. Miami's defense goes as LeBron and Wade go...they are the anchors, and have been since they came together. Neither has really turned it on yet this season and that, along with an increase of small-ball has made them an average team on that side of the ball. Once they turn it on, this defense goes back to being very good. If Birdman works out, or if Spo chills on the small-ball thing, they become great again.

http://m.palmbeachpost.com/news/sports/basketball/miami-heats-james-and-wade-play-the-percentages/nT2sZ/ Love it.

Walgreens is like the mafia...once you get in deep, you can't get out. IC3.

1) You guys are 4th in FT makes, 1st in FTA. 29th in FT%, but that amount of free throws is still a positive. 2) Because of being a pretty good 3pt shooting team, and taking that volume, the offense is more efficient at producing points than at first glance of raw stats. 3) Lakers are 8th in offensive rebounding, which counter-balances the awful turnover numbers. 4) Pace is number of possessions, which is what Ortg accounts for. Pace would be a good arguement against the Lakers' good Ortg if they were doing a ton of damage in transition, but they are bottom 5 in turnovers forced. Agreed. Although, his high turnovers, career-low FT% and limited repetoire in the post makes it a bit hard at times to make him the focal point in the offense. When he was with Orlando he didn't get a ton more opportunities, and he was more of a decoy for their 3pt shooting gameplan as opposed to the other way around. Lakers would be able to utilize that gameplan more if Gasol didn't clog the paint, and/or suck on the perimeter. You make it seem through your posts the last few days that the offense is running completely around Nash, and in your first post you said that the offense needs to run through Kobe and Dwight, hinting that it hasn't run through Kobe all along. If I assumed wrong, sorry. Well, with this current roster and coaching, you are currently playing for a high lottery pick that I'm sure you guys don't even have the rights to. Improve the defense and you guys are at least a playoff team. Add a few small, low-risk/high-reward pieces (like Miami did with Birdman) to improve the bench and give the team a little more balance, and suddenly you guys can become dangerous. A major trade would be needed to be a true contender.

The offense doesn't suck...it's not utilizing the team's strengths to the fullest, but top 5-6 in the league (last time I checked a few days ago) is far from awful. And they don't need to utilize Kobe any more offensively...no matter the coach, system or Nash's presence, he's been doing way too much this season. Sometimes it's necessary for him to take 20+ shots, but his usage has been far too high this season (just like the previous 2 seasons where he led the league in USG%.). I'd much rather see his minutes and shot attempts get cut and him continue to put in a stronger effort defensively. Him taking 20+ shot attempts just ain't working anymore, and his efficiency has fallen off the cliff. He's still getting plenty of iso's and PnR opportunities...you act like Nash has made him into Steve Novak. Top 10 offense, bottom 10 defense. FIx the latter, and you got a dangerous playoff team. Not enough to beat the top 3 out West, but far better than 17-24.

Kobe being dead tired has nothing to do with running the offense through Nash...it has to do with the 39MPG on 34 year-old legs (one who has 17 years and countless deep post-season runs, and a few Olympic appearances on his resume), while taking over 22 FGA's per game and recently taking tougher defensive assignments.

Absolutely not. He's still a top 10 player in the league, probably top 5 when healthy, and he's one of the only impactful 2-way bigs in the league. As a FA he will make the most money if he stays in LA, and LA will still probably be the most attractive destination for him (compared to a place like Atlanta, or Dallas). Take your chances and hold onto him, as he is one of the few, true franchise players that can lead your team to a title the next 4-5 seasons.

http://edgewoodproperties.com/images/properties/rt36/rt36_pic_big.png Hell.

First off, I said offense wasn't "the" problem...they are 6th in Ortg so far this season, and that's without Nash for most of the season, as well as spot games without Howard. Secondly, yes, there are aspects of their offense that is of concern. Metta taking 11+ shots isn't ideal, although this season he has actually been average when it comes to efficiency. The turnovers are ridiculous, you're right. And the FT shooting, due to Howard, is also a concern. HOWEVER...they are 9th in FG%, 11% in 3pt%, #1 in FTA, and top 10 in offensive rebounding. They have a 30PPG scorer averaging career high in efficiency, Dwight is still giving 18PPG on near 60% shooting, and Nash, while not shooting as much as either of us would like, is his usual efficient self. Bottom line is despite the injuries and surrounding the Big 4 with scrubs, they are still, statistically, the 6th best offense in the league. On that end of the floor, they have the talent to keep getting better, and if they make a few small moves to upgrade the bench, they will be in contention for most productive offense in the league. Defensively is where the real issue is, because Pau continues to break down and certainly can't play PF anymore, Nash is at a massive physical disadvantage with this era of freakishly athletic PG's, Kobe gets lazy with his off-ball defense and has trouble on-ball when he has to go through screens, Metta doesn't have the lateral quickness to defend a lot of elite perimeter scorers, and the rest of the team besides Earl Clark is pretty much incapable of playing defense. To make matters far worse, they got one of the worst defensive coaches in the league that doesn't know how to cover his personel's weaknesses with schemes to maximize Howard's impact. In order to get anywhere near "good", or even "passable" on this side of the ball, they need to make serious changes...either a new coach and a few small additions, or some major trades that will completely change the roster outside of the Nash/Kobe/Dwight trio.

The season he is having now is historic. This year he is in the 50/40/90 club averaging 29PPG, and a ridiculous TS% of over 65% due to how frequently he gets to the line. Those numbers are pretty much unheard of. It's tough to gauge exactly where he ranks all-time, though. He is a high volume scorer who is NOT streaky...you don't get a ton of 45-50pt+ scoring outbursts that you get with guys like Jordan, Kobe, T-Mac, AI, etc... However, you don't get many of the 8-24 nights that those guys had frequently, as well (except prime MJ). I think Real Deal is really underrating what he can do as a scorer. Sure, he don't got much of a post-game, but what seperates him from so many of the league's greatest scorers is that he's absolutely deadly off-ball. He is an unbelievable catch-and-shoot 3pt shooters who is elite in spot-ups, off curls, and those "stop on a dime" transition 3's. Due to his size and length, it is damn-near impossible to even alter his shot once he rises up. Like, he is so tall and has such a good vertical jump that it is hard to even get a hand in his face, let alone threaten him with blocking his shot. He has also gotten better and more careful with his handle, so he has more ways of beating you in iso situations, and he has the first step and size to be extremely effective at getting to the rim and finishing. He also is very good at initiating contact and getting to the line, both on drives and shot attempts. In other words, this guy is insanely unique...I've never seen anything like him in terms of size + repetoire + mindset. I tend to value that killer instinct of a scorer to go for 50+ on any given night, which he doesn't have like MJ and Kobe did/does. However, his insane efficiency at a 30PPG volume is really tough to beat. So, as far as scorers go, I'm very tempted to already put him top 5 all-time. I'd take him over the likes of AI, T-Mac, Dirk, Wade, Drexler, King, Melo, Wilkins, Bird, Barkley, Malone, Hakeem, etc... I'd comfortably put MJ over him, at this point would probably still trust prime Kobe over him (although it's very, very close), and Dantley had insane volume/efficiency but I haven't seen much film of him so let's slide him in there as well. I'd probably take prime Shaq over him, and if LeBron continues this hyper-efficient outside shooting it's a tossup there. So, my top 6 is MJ, Kobe, Dantley, Shaq, LeBron and Durant. Don't really know where Dantley stands, so he may or may not be top 5 all-time.

As someone else said, offense isn't the problem. Kobe's one of the 2-3 best scorers in the league, Nash is one of the best shooters and passers, and Dwight's the best finisher. Most offensive holes they have are because of the supporting cast...that can be patched up mostly with small trades, FA signings (waivers, guys like Delonte West and Kenyon Martin, etc..) and continuing to try and work Pau in different lineups to maximize what he can give you. The team needs help defensively, and until they get better there they won't make the playoffs. As far as major trades go, the Lakers just don't have the pieces. Pretty much no attractive young talent, no draft picks, Pau and Metta are undesirable trade-bait with bad contracts, etc... However, their top talent is good enough to get them by, and there is enough value out their to make a few moves to get a lot stronger after the top 4. And when that happens, their stars will play better, and the team will finally come together. Probably a little too late, though.

LeBron is in the top 15 all-time right now (which is unreal for a 28 year old with only 1 ring), and will probably end up top 6 by the time his career is over, with a chance at being 2nd or 3rd. Jordan still beats him in about every statistical category with far more accolades. Oh, and I'm lazy and don't wanna find the article, but as of last week he's the #1 spot-up 3pt shooter in the entire league this season.

http://i.imgur.com/vRxJ2.jpg

This is probably the most bizzare sports story I have ever heard. What...the...[expletive].

Killa .gif FTW.

It's worse that it wasn't a Spurs home game. Spurs fans in Miami only get 1 chance a year to see them, and they didn't get to see their 3 best players, as well as one of their top role players. Not because they were unable to play. And the rest thing really should only apply to Duncan and maybe Ginobili, but definitely not Parker and Green. It was a statement by Pop, and while I think Stern shouldn't be fining Pop over 200k for it, I would be furious as a fan. If nothing else, those fans should get some kind of refund...they wouldn't have had to premium for a game against a bottom-feeder like Washington or Toronto, so why should they have to pay top price for Spurs team that rolled out a lineup with that kind of talent?