 2014/2015 Projection: 50-32, second place Northwest Division, fifth place Western Conference
Actual Finish: 45-37,
second place Northwest Division, ninth place Western Conference
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Projected
2014/2015 Finish
9
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Actual 2014/2015
Finish
17
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Team
Statistics and League Rank
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Individual
Statistical Leaders
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SDH’s Hero to Honor: +Russell Westbrook
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SDH’s Face to Forget: Scott Brooks
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Forgive the pun, but to say that the 2015 +NBA Season for the +Oklahoma City Thunder was a "stormy" one would be putting it mildly as the team started it without its two leading scorers +Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook for the first month on the season and stumbled out of the gates with a 5-12 record. Yet in spite of the odds against them, the Thunder clawed back to respectability thanks to the return of their dynamic duo leading the charge, but by the time the team seemed to get back on track Oklahoma City still faced an uphill battle as they had plenty of ground to return to contention in the rather overwhelming Western Conference. As if matters were not arduous enough, in their quest for returning to relevancy, the Thunder would receive another harsh blow as Kevin Durant would be lost for the rest of the season after playing just 27 games leaving Westbrook to shoulder the scoring load in the most crucial month of the regular season; nevertheless, Westbrook answered the call as he put up on the single most impressive individual performances in possibly the history of sports and dragged his team to very end battling for the final playoff berth in the West. His finishing the season not only as the league's top scorer, but one of its top assist men and ball thieves would possibly earned him MVP honors had the Thunder managed to clinch the final playoff spot in the West; however, both Westbrook and his team were cheated as they had been eliminated out of contention at the very last game of the season thanks to the +New Orleans Pelicans--who narrowly passed them thanks to a tie breaking technicality.
Although they finished with the exact same 45-37 record, the upstart Pelicans narrowly edged the more seasoned Thunder thanks to them having a better record in the Western Conference--29-23 compared to OKC's 25-27 finish; however, that should not mar what has been an overall impressive season by a team that had so many odds against it. Oklahoma City literally took the expression "fighting to the very end," to heart as it virtually brushed off such a horrific start, scratched and clawed through every game winning 40 of their next 65 while undergoing great flux within the organization--not only with the absence of Durant, but also great with upheaval within the roster as well. Along with Durant, the Thunder also had to endure another significant loss in +Serge Ibaka--the team's leading rebounding and shot blockers as well as its third leading scorer to boot--who had to sit out the season as well for knee surgery and had to deal with an emerging problem heading over the horizon. During the first month of the season, point guard Reggie Jackson had stepped in to fill the void left by Westbrook's and Durant's absence and posted the best numbers in his career leading the team in points (19.3), assists (7.5) and minutes played, while at the same time grabbed 5.3 rebounds at the same time; however upon Durant's and Westbrook's arrival, both Jackson's minutes and production significantly dropped resulting in him becoming frustrated with his role and demanding a trade. This resulted in the Thunder pulling off a massive deal involving the +Detroit Pistons and +Utah Jazz that not only cast away a disgruntled player, but also relieved them of a perennial useless dead weight in +Kendrick Perkins--who had worn out his welcome with fans for quite some time--plus gathered pieces to bolster its roster for the final stretch run. From Detroit, OKC received point guard DJ Augustin and swing man Kyle Singler--two players whose both their ball handling ability and shooting prowess meshed in well with the Thunder's offensive set giving a team a suitable fill in for Durant in Singler while at the same time adding a point guard who did not mind to take a back seat, unlike Jackson; however, they were not the biggest part of the deal. In a shocking move, the Jazz gave the Thunder rising young big man +Enes Kanter, who had been just coming into his own in the last couple of years and had the makings of a potential All Star down the road; however, similar to the situation with Jackson, Kanter felt uncomfortable with his limited role in Utah and upon arriving to Okay City, he certainly proved himself worthy of All Star consideration with a stellar performance that was only eclipsed by Westbrook's own. The 23 year old fourth year center from Turkey was unstoppable as he stormed in posting some of the best numbers that has not been seen from an NBA center with averages of 19 points and 11 rebounds per game while shooting an unconscious .566 from the field during the last 26 games of the regular season. In addition to +Dion Waiters, whom the team acquired earlier in a trade with the +Cleveland Cavaliers, along with an already solid supporting class of role players from the previous seasons, the Oklahoma City Thunder looked just as strong as it did with both Durant and Ibaka in the roster on both ends of the floor while at the same time provided fans a sneak peak of what might come once they return next season. Unfortunately, in spite of the rather impressive roster upgrades, it became a case of "too little, too late" for the Thunder as the team's 5-12 start was simply too much of a burden to bear resulting in not only missing the post season, but also falling out of any chance of attaining the number one overall pick in this summer's upcoming draft which is probably worse than simply falling apart and wasting the season away the same way the +New York Knicks, +Los Angeles Lakers , +Philadelphia 76ers and +Minnesota Timberwolves did to the chagrin of many. Fortunately for the Thunder, they are not in as too bad of a situation as the other teams in the league that fell short to make the playoffs since their fall came due to a series of unfortunate circumstances rather than showing that they are a team in decline or disarray. Had both Durant and Westbrook been healthy from opening tip off, Oklahoma City would have won at least 55 to 60 games easy; however, as a result of just sheer bad luck and the even worst misfortune of being in a conference which does not allow any margin of error, the Thunder were forced to play catch up for the majority of the season. The team will certainly be in better shape with Westbrook, Durant and Ibaka at full strength as they have the entire summer to relax, recuperate and recover from their respective surgeries and hopefully if there are no complications, their restoration period will pass without any complications; however, next season will be bittersweet as they will return without their head coach from the past seven years as it was recently announced that Scott Brooks had been relieved of his post as a result of this off chance season. The dismissal of Brooks can be considered as both a shame and an injustice since he had led Thunder to stand among the league's elite from the moment he stepped into the coaching seat and it was primarily because of his coaching that the Thunder managed to remain in the playoff chase until the very end; plus, the person who will be replacing him has no experience coaching the NBA and will be expected to return this seasoned veteran team back to the stature that Brooks originally brought it in the first place. Billy Donovan has been successful in the college ranks leading the +Florida Gators to two straight +NCAA Championship titles plus numerous tournament appearances since then; however, so far no college coach, even the most successful in their respective fields has been able to bring that same success to the pros and he will be expected to coach a team where he will have little or no learning curve and the margin of error is nonexistent. The introduction of a new coach could not have come at a worse time as next season will possibly be the most pivotal for the franchise because the contracts of both the team's franchise players will expire at its end and such a crucial time needs a more seasoned professional at the coach's seat rather than one that is learning the ropes. This past season has made this situation especially rough because it was essentially wasted due to the the injuries of both Durant and Westbrook and the team's failure to make the playoffs thus resulting in this upcoming one possibly being the last hurrah for this small market NBA franchise that has gained such critical acclaim in such a short span of time. Since arriving to Oklahoma City from Seattle, the Thunder went from wallowing at the bottom as a lottery team its first year to winning 50 games and reaching the playoffs in its second to reaching the NBA Finals two years later and has maintained a reputation as one of the league's elite and most successful franchises since then. Unfortunately, this past season has put all that in jeopardy as it was supposed to be a make or break year to see whether or not it had what it took to at least pull off one last NBA Championship run before everything falls apart and the Thunder would be forced to start back from scratch after such a successful seven year playoff run. Now Thunder fans will have to painfully endure endless speculation and await this season not with their usual hope and excitement, but with the dread of what may soon come. |
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Showing posts with label number 17. Show all posts
Showing posts with label number 17. Show all posts
Sunday, June 14, 2015
SDH's 2014/2015 NBA End of Season Worst to First Countdown: 17. Oklahoma City Thunder
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
SDH's 2013/2014 NBA Worst to First Previews and Predictions: 17. Memphis Grizzlies
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Last Season’s Rank
3
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Projected 2013/2014
Finish
17
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Last
season’s Team Statistics and League Rank
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Returning
Individual Statistical Leaders
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Projected
Starters Based on Talent, Tenure, Paycheck and Potential Impact:
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Second Unit Roster Order Ranked on Talent, Tenure, Paycheck and Potential Impact:
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Analysis:
Last season Memphis was the talk of the NBA when they not only won a franchise record 56, bot they also beat not just one, but of of the Western Conference's top teams in the playoffs eventually falling to the +San Antonio Spurs in the Conference Finals. Now they return into this season with a new coach and just about the same team as least season; unfortunately, what the Grizzlies did not return with is the chance to accomplish that feat again. Last season Memphis was considered as one of the top teams in the league, but that is not the case anymore as numerous teams in the West have upgraded dramatically in the off season. One of their chief rivals in their division, the +Houston Rockets were capable of claiming the summer's biggest prize in free agency in center +Dwight Howard and alongside fellow +NBA All Star +James Harden thus shattering any advantage that the Grizzlies had in maintaining the second place finish they had last season. In addition to Houston's resurgence as a title contender, both the +Portland Trail Blazers and +Minnesota Timberwolves--two team that were once at the bottom of the West--look to make some noise in the west with their own bevy of off season moves which will certainly put Memphis to shame once opening tip off arrives. The Blazers had been very active in the off season bolstering their entire roster starting with the addition of center Robin Lopez whom they acquired in a trade with the +New Orleans Pelicans to play alongside their All Star power forward +LaMarcus Aldridge in the starting lineup. In addition to that, Portland went about to upgrading a bench that ranked among the worst in the league by adding veterans capable of giving the firepower that the Blazers lacked throughout the season. The team signed veteran scoring combo guard Mo Williams, sharp shooting swing man +Dorell Wright who played last season for the +Philadelphia 76ers, and fifth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, former + University of Kansas Jayhawk Thomas Robinson. Add such an outstanding bench to a starting five that consists of reigning Rookie of the Year +Damian Lillard, a two time All Star in Aldridge, and potential All Star in +Nicolas Batum, the Blazers look to climb out the hole they made in 2012 and steal a few wins away from the Grizzlies thus pulling them even further down the standings. Memphis' post season prospects get even worse as not only the Blazers will come in completely revamped and ready to give them a pounding, but also have to fear the Minnesota Timberwolves who not made a huge splash in the off season just acquiring veteran shooting guard and scorer Kevin Martin along with a talented swing man in +Corey Brewer, but also will return with their team healthy and intact come opening tip off. Both +Kevin Love, who had earned himself a reputation as not only one of the premier scorers but also one of the premier rebounders in the league, and third year point guard and potential All Star +Ricky Rubio are healthy and cleared to play for the pre season. They will joined by the newly signed Nikola Pekovic, the center who carried the Wolves while Love was nursing his wounds on the sidelines as he led the team in scoring, rebounds and blocked shots thus giving the Wolves a rather imposing front court to say the least. Join those three with returning players such as the high flying acrobatic +Chase Buddinger, all purpose swing man off the bench Dante Cunningham, the pint sized sharpshooting JJ Barea, and the second overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft, Derrick Williams, the Wolves will also make the situation tighter for the Grizzlies as the season wears on. From the way things look right now, Memphis might not even make the playoffs with Houston all but ready to run over them for second place in the Southwest Division, but also having two very young, talented and hungry teams behind them looking to devour them--talk about being in between a ROCK and a HARD PLACE!! To worsen matters, the Grizzlies did little or anything to upgrade their roster for the upcoming season other than picking up center Kosta Koufos to back up their All Star center in Marc Gasol and signing a washed up and over the hill Mike Miller, whom the +Miami HEAT released using the league's "amnesty clause." In his three seasons in Miami, Miller was essentially a non factor as old age and his numerous injuries have stripped away whatever athleticism and playing ability that he still has and upon signing him, the Grizzlies touted him as the team's answer in the perimeter. Miller's presence, or lack there of, will certainly not help a Grizzlies team that ranked DEAD LAST in the league in three point field goal percentage nor does it improve the fact that they have no real threat from the perimeter to balance the strong post presence provided by the beefy tandem of Zach Randoplh and Marc Gasol. Last season Randolph led the team in scoring and rebounds per game, but at the age of 33 he is not getting any younger and the older he gets, the less chance he will be able to perform at the same level. Watch him and Gasol carry even more of a burden that last season as the Grizzlies have virtually have no one else on that lineup to help stretch the floor as their back court players neither have the capability to come up big nor do they give opponents much of a fear factor coming into the season. That is what the Grizzlies had in +Rudy Gay --a guy who made opponents thinks twice to crowd the paint by either making them pay on the perimeter or take it to them to the basket; sadly, however, the Grizzlies did not see that when they shipped him off to the +Toronto Raptors for a bunch of used and run down spare parts. At 33 years old, Tayshaun Prince will never fill in the void that Rudy Gay left as he has already reached his peak and can no longer provide the huge scoring punch that he once gave while playing for the +Detroit Pistons during their glory years. With the team that they have now who has an inability to score on the outside despite having a solid presence in the paint, it is doubtful that they will reach fifty games, let alone return to the post season with all the stronger competition they will face. The may still remain one of the league's best defensive team especially when it come it protecting the rim and forcing turnovers; however, it's pretty use to have such strengths on the defensive end without having the ability to convert on the other side of the court. With the Grizzlies' dependence on two slow big men to generate a bulk of the team's offensive production, expect a slow plodding Memphis attack with few opportunities to push the ball for easy scorers which will in turn potentially doom the Grizzlies out of playoff contention. |
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Sunday, June 23, 2013
SDH Presents the 2013 End of Season NBA's Worst to First: 17. Utah Jazz
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Overall
Win/Loss Record (At Season’s End): 43-39,
third place Northwest Division
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17
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At
Season’s End:
17
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Team
Statistics and League Rank (At Season’s End)
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Individual
Statistical Leaders (At Season’s End)
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Taking a Look Back at the Season that Once Was . . .
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SDH Player of the Year:
Enes Kanter 
Here was a young guy that had little if any basketball experience and was expected to be quite a gamble after being selected third overall in the 2011 NBA Draft. However, Turkish born big man Enes Kanter, at the tender age of 20 years old, proved to be quite the solid investment after posting quite an impressive regular season. After posting rather insignificant numbers his rookie year, Kanter came into this season stronger and more confident showing all who doubted he would amount to anything wrong. In a little over 15 minutes per game, Kanter came of the bench to average close to eight points, six boards, and a blocked shot per game while leading the team in field goal percentage as well. It certainly makes Jazz fans eager to see what he will do for an encore as he has yet to reach his full potential and at such a young age and with his incredible mix of size, strength, athleticism and skills, Kanter's ceiling appears to be almost limitless.
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Analysis:
Throughout the 2013 Season, the Utah Jazz had been treading water as it maintained a winning record throughout the season and looked as if they would make its second straight playoff appearance in the post Jerry Sloan. Unfortunately, after a rough stretch which saw the Jazz win just three of fifteen games, they lost any chances of making the playoffs as their key rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets swooped right past them. Now the Jazz has to live with the onerous distinction of being the only team in the league that finished with a over .500 record and be forced to watch the playoffs on the sidelines and wait the this summer's NBA Draft. It almost seems unjust considering that the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks, who both finish with .500 and under records, yet were still able to qualify for their respective playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, while Utah, who in all accounts, greatly outperformed those two teams and were forced to sit the post season out. Sadly, that is the fate of a team that has the unfortunate luck to be stuck in the ultra competitive and far stronger Western Conference and now the Jazz's front office enter the off season with a very difficult decision--do they either keep the team together and hope for the best next season or do they simply tear the team down and look to rebuild. Right now the team is in quite a very precarious position as they are stuck in the middle between being a team that is not good enough to make the playoffs, yet not bad enough to earn them a good chance of winning the draft lottery. The team is also in a very good position to tear the team down and start over as they have three expiring contracts worth in the excess of 32$ million coming off of the books and a deal worth around 8$ million going into its last season which it can easy buy out totaling the savings and salary cap space to a cool $40 million. Unfortunately, they may be forced to keep those players as Utah has never been considered a desirable locale for prospective free agents and will not be able to attract the talent needed to bring the Jazz back into playoff contention; however, if the Jazz do decide to resign their free agents, it will most likely be stuck with the same team that try as it might, will not be any better than a marginal playoff team at best. Although Utah does boast one of the deepest treasure troves of young talent in the NBA, would it be wise to through these lambs to the wolves for a fan base that has been used to winning for close to thirty years. Either way, it does look good for the Jazz who have to choose between remaining to float around in mediocrity with the team it has or simply tear the sucker down and look forward to a long and painful rebuilding period where it will be uncertain that they will EVER return to the post season. And as for the players who are up for free agency, although they are quite talented and impressive in their own right, none of them can really be considered as neither marquee name material or players that the team can invest long term into the future. Throughout his career, Al Jefferson has proven to be one of the most talented and consistent men in the league able to put up 20 point and 10 rebound nights on most occasions; however, even at his best he was not able to carry the team to the post season and has never shown himself to be franchise player material. Paul Milsap, who like Jefferson, will also be looking for a big payday as he has shown himself to be one of the best power forwards in the league; however, after seeing his numbers drop slightly over the last couple of year, he seems to have reached his ceiling and does not look as if he will get any better. The same goes for Mo Williams, who at thirty years of age, has probably seen his best basketball pass by and is in no ways the prototype point guard that the Jazz need to move forward into the future as Williams has been often regarded as more of shoot first "combo-guard" more than the more traditional facilitator that the Jazz need him to be. All three of those players would find it more in their best interests to look for greener pastures and part ways with the Jazz as they will most likely be stuck in the same rut if they continue to remain in Utah which might even prove to be detrimental to the team's long term future. Plus it will certainly be better for the young players who have been patiently waiting in the wings for their chance to be handed the reins of the team if the Jazz kindly show Williams, Jefferson and Milsap the door. Both Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter have proved themselves to be more than capable big men who can start on any team in the NBA and have both recently turned 21 years old; however, is it fair to put the weight of the world upon the shoulders of two young men who by all accounts, would be in their senior year had they been in college? Some may consider such a prospect as a disaster waiting to happen as they will be plenty of pressure to perform as they face an extremely proud and very particular fan base that is used to the best and heaven forbid, of either one or both of those prized gems fall to injury, the Jazz will no longer have a backup plan. The only player in that young talented roster filled with some many X factors who can be truly seen as a sure thing is Gordon Hayward who has shown numerous time that he has not only the ability, but also the poise, focus and maturity to provide a consistent source of leadership for this team; however, at the tender age of 23, just like Kanter and Favors, is it too much to put such high expectations on such a young player? Although the fans love their team, Salt Lake City fans are one of the hardest crowds in the league as they not only expect excellence on the court but also off the court as well expecting these young twenty somethings to be morally upstanding citizens at the same time--quite the difficult high wire act for young men who have recently just attained their independence as adults. Either choice they make, the Utah Jazz will still still be looking to be heading to the lottery once again--the only difference being how high or how low they will be headed in the draft. At least if they decide to take a chance and face the long hard road towards rebuilding, the Jazz will at least have a greater chance to attain the number one pick, or at the very least land in the top five; however, if they do not, they can find themselves narrowly missing the playoffs yet again and being stuck at the bottom of the lottery teams with a low thirteenth or fourteenth pick. Certainly it would make better sense to choose the first option as it provides the Jazz to find a star quality player in the top five rather than in the bottom 14th to 16th spots; however, for the coaching staff and front office, it is certainly not a desirable prospect as they will most likely be the first to go if things start to backfire. Thus to maintain any sense of job security, both head coach Ty Corbin and GM Dennis Lindsey will find it in their best interest to keep the status quot as long as possible even if it means that doing so will shackle the team to years of mediocrity. So it will definitely be interesting what will happen in the next few months as it will determine what direction the team will take not only the next season, but potentially the next five or six upcoming as well and hopefully they will make the right choice and not settle for the easy way out. |
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Monday, April 8, 2013
SDH Presents the NBA's Worst to First for January and and February: 17. Los Angeles Lakers
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Overall
Win/Loss Record (as of February 28th) : 29-30 (third place, Pacific Division)
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18
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This Month:
17
|
Team
Statistics and League Rank (as of February 28th)
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Individual
Statistical Leaders (as of February 28th)
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Worst Player
of the Month: Kobe Bryant
 Placing Kobe Bryant as the worst of the month does not have to do with his overall performance, which has been short of stellar, but more has to do with an incident that diminished his character as a person and his upstanding professional image. In a move that can be considered as selfish and childish Bryant decided to simply "mail it" in one game choosing not to shoot the ball, instead choose to force passes that lead to numerous turnovers. According to numerous sources, Bryant's out of character play was seen by many as a response of a internal spat with teammate Dwight Howard and basically an F-You to his teammates, fans and the media that criticized him for dominating the ball on offense. Such immature and irresponsible behavior is unbecoming a player of Kobe Bryant's stature--one who has earned a reputation as being one of the fiercest competitors in the NBA along with one of the most classiest players in professional sports as well. And he did this during a time when his team needed his leadership the most--at a time where his team was struggling to crawl back into playoff contention and needed as many wins that they can possibly get. Fortunately for both Kobe and the Lakers, they ended up to win the game, if only by a small margin (which made him look like even more of a jerk); however, committing such a callous and childish move has severely marred what has otherwise been a stellar season for the 16 years, five time NBA Champion and future Hal of Famer. |
First Player
of the Month: Earl Clark
 At the beginning of the regular season, Earl Clark was considered nothing more than a throw in in the massive multi-player trade that brought Dwight Howard to the Lakers; however, now, he has become one of the few brights spots on what fans of the purple and gold would consider a most forgettable season. This 6'10" 25 year old swingman started the season only being used sparingly but once he got the opportunity to get quality minutes, he took full advantage of it. Starting in place of the often injured Pau Gasol, Earl Clark shined bright as he drastically bumped his numbers way upfrom just 0.8 points per game to a whopping 10.5 per game while shooting an unconscious .476 from the field, with .379 of them coming from beyond the arc during January and February. Clark also made his presence felt on the boards and the defensive end as well averaging close to eight rebounds along with one steal and one blocked shot per game. He may not win any awards once the season ends, but Clark's inspired play has not only certainly made him a favorite in the eyes of his home fans, but also will earned recognition as one of the true feel good stories of the 2012/2013 NBA Season. |
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Analysis:
They may have finished February one game under .500 and a ways behind in the Western Conference standings; nonetheless, with more than a month left until the season ends, the Los Angeles Lakers will not only make the playoffs, but also make plenty of noise upon arriving to the post season. After playing the first couple of months rather listless and disjointed, lacking any real focus whatsoever, the Lakers seemed to have finally woken up and have started to play the way that many of their fans have hoped and prayed that they would finally do. Offensively the Lakers have been burning on all cylinders as the team has finally began to produce the way that many had projected. The second unit, which had been an Achilles heel last season, has been quite spectacular as the season has worn on quickly and quietly holding up an aging and hobbling Lakers starting lineup. Currently five of the team's bench players average around close to eight points, 4 boards, amd one assist per game each giving the team possibly one of the deepest and most versitile teams in the league right now.
Players who has been once written off as washed up has-beens now have bounced back from their rather lackluster starts and have become key players once again for the purple and gold. The most notable of these players have been the aging front court tandem of 36 year old Antawn Jamison, 33 year old Metta World Peace and 32 year old Pau Gasol. A season ago, many would have believed that the man formerly known as Ron Artest's best basketball days were all but gone after three rather lacklusters season since signing onto the Lakers; however, he has completely flipped the script coming into this season as he has posted his best numbers as a Laker averaging close to 13 points per game along with leading the team in average steals per game. Antawn Jamison, a player that has lost much of his explosiveness due to his advancing age and diminishing abilities led many to think that ot was an absolute mistake for the team to sign up; however, he has certainly silenced any doubters as he leads the second unit in scoring with 9.3 points per game while providing solid backup minutes at the both the small and power forward position. And finally, after all the drama and speculation on whether or not he would remain a Laker by the trade deadline, Pau Gasol has finally gotten out of his slump and has started to resembles the player who helped to bring the Lakers to three straight NBA Finals winning two of them. In addition to a reemerging front court, Los Angeles has also seen a virtual resurrection in their backcourt as well with the two players that were meant to spell both Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash for a short time have also undergone an epiphany. 32 year old Steve Blake has been considered by many a Laker fan as an overall disappointment since arriving to Los Angeles three years ago, but he now has seemed to finally come out of his two year long shooting slump and has provided the Lake Show with instant perimeter offense shooting a blistering .421 from the three point line. Jodie Meeks, who had started for the Philadelphia 76ers for much last season, showed how much of valuable asset he could be despite his rather small stature. Meeks has also has also some up big at times for L.A as he currently rest second on the team's bench in scoring averaging about 8.0 per game, but also shoot from beyond the arc at a rather impressive .363 clip. Add along the steady improvement and continual development of the young and athletically raw big man Jordan Hill, the Lakers altogether have a team with a roster that can literally go ten deep in any given situation making them a VERY DANGEROUS team going into the final stretch of the regular season. Sure, many have harshly criticized the Lakers' poor, if not absent, effort and presence on the defensive end; however, on the flip side they have still managed to outscore and beat their opponents regardless. For a team that has one of the oldest rosters in the league, the Lakers have certainly not playing like an aging team as they have gone toe to toe, and basket for basket with teams that were suppsed to be FAR younger and WAY more athletic than Los Angeles has ever been. In the months of January and February, the Lakers have scored 100 or more points in all but five games shooting at a rather impressive clip as well. Although they have not been able to stop the their opponents from scoring allowing them to scoring 100 points and shoot over .450 on their, but neither can their opponents stop them on their offensive end. In terms of offensive firepower and production, the Lakers rank among the best in the league in scoring and field goal percentage despite the age and declining abilities of the team's roster and top it all off, they are also one efficient teams in that regard as well. Currently the last two spots in the West are currently being held by the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets with rather comfortable margins, but as time will show, that gap is far from being a permanent fixture. Neither team can be considered of being models of consistency, especially on the defensive end where both team have struggled to stop their opponents from shooting better. Houston has been in the same situation before, having a good healthy lead coming into the playoffs only to come falling apart and the end. The same goes for the Utah Jazz, who can credit their record more to good luck rather than actual performance as can be seen by the field goals that they allow their opponents to hit on them. With such inferior competition, one can not only pencil in the lakers in the playoffs, but possibly making some noise once opening tip off of the playoff begins. |
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