Lakers Tank Thread

[Ogaju]

and the tanking begins as Lakers trade their best player to Houston for scrubs and Houston's 2017 first round pick.

[hpantazo]

Why, did they trade DeAngelo Russell or Ingram? Or even Zubac or Randle?

Lou Williams is a bench chucker, they were fortunate DiAntoni collects chuckers and they got a 1st rounder for him.

[Ogaju]

Williams was their best player, are you kidding. Watch them get the #1 pick in the draft. The fix has already begun.

[tazzmaniac]

Nothing fixed about it.  They're tanking to try to keep their pick this year so they won't lose their 2019 1st to the Magic.  2nd worst record gives them nearly 56% chance to keep their pick.  They will probably trade Young as well. 

[Boris Badenov]

They should be in tank mode. Any decision a Lakers GM makes that doesn't maximize the chance of keeping that top-3 pick is a bad decision.

Not that we should care. None of those decisions will change the lottery odds from our perspective, no matter how bad the Lakers are for the rest of the year. And at this point, seeing another Hinkie move flame out would be amusing and make life in our division easier.

[tazzmaniac]

They should be in tank mode. Any decision a Lakers GM makes that doesn't maximize the chance of keeping that top-3 pick is a bad decision.

Not that we should care. None of those decisions will change the lottery odds from our perspective, no matter how bad the Lakers are for the rest of the year. And at this point, seeing another Hinkie move flame out would be amusing and make life in our division easier.

If the Sixers don't get the Lakers pick this year, they get it unprotected next year.  So hardly a flame out. 

[Boris Badenov]

They should be in tank mode. Any decision a Lakers GM makes that doesn't maximize the chance of keeping that top-3 pick is a bad decision.

Not that we should care. None of those decisions will change the lottery odds from our perspective, no matter how bad the Lakers are for the rest of the year. And at this point, seeing another Hinkie move flame out would be amusing and make life in our division easier.

If the Sixers don't get the Lakers pick this year, they get it unprotected next year.  So hardly a flame out.

Well yeah, but by next year Magic will have them in the playoff hunt. Right?

Maybe flame out was a bit too much then.

[spikelovetheCelts]

They should be in tank mode. Any decision a Lakers GM makes that doesn't maximize the chance of keeping that top-3 pick is a bad decision.

Not that we should care. None of those decisions will change the lottery odds from our perspective, no matter how bad the Lakers are for the rest of the year. And at this point, seeing another Hinkie move flame out would be amusing and make life in our division easier.

If the Sixers don't get the Lakers pick this year, they get it unprotected next year.  So hardly a flame out.

Well yeah, but by next year Magic will have them in the playoff hunt. Right?

Maybe flame out was a bit too much then.

The Lakers are not going to make the playoffs next year. PG may becoming.

[Green-Bananas]

For those who said no matter what the Lakers do, they can't change the odds of our pick.

They are only 6 losses behind the Nets.

Nets have 20 games left, with 7 possible wins against the Knicks, Magic, and Sixers who they play twice and the Suns once. Bulls and Pistons could drop a game also.

We know the Celtics (2 games) would never hurt their own odds

Lakers have 18 games remaining, with potential of 4 wins. between the Sixers, Suns, Kings, and Timberwolves.

Last game against Warriors could be a spoiler if GS is resting players?

I think this might get closer then we all suspected.

[tazzmaniac]

For those who said no matter what the Lakers do, they can't change the odds of our pick.

They are only 6 losses behind the Nets.

Nets have 20 games left, with 7 possible wins against the Knicks, Magic, and Sixers who they play twice and the Suns once. Bulls and Pistons could drop a game also.

We know the Celtics (2 games) would never hurt their own odds

Lakers have 18 games remaining, with potential of 4 wins. between the Sixers, Suns, Kings, and Timberwolves.

Last game against Warriors could be a spoiler if GS is resting players?

I think this might get closer then we all suspected.

It is wins that matter.  The Nets have 11 wins and the Lakers have 19 wins.  Assuming the Lakers lose all their remaining games, the Nets would have to win 8 of their 20 remaining games just to end up in a tie with the Lakers. 

[slamtheking]

For those who said no matter what the Lakers do, they can't change the odds of our pick.

They are only 6 losses behind the Nets.

Nets have 20 games left, with 7 possible wins against the Knicks, Magic, and Sixers who they play twice and the Suns once. Bulls and Pistons could drop a game also.

We know the Celtics (2 games) would never hurt their own odds

Lakers have 18 games remaining, with potential of 4 wins. between the Sixers, Suns, Kings, and
Timberwolves.

Last game against Warriors could be a spoiler if GS is resting players?

I think this might get closer then we all suspected.

As of right now:
Lakers: 19-45  -- 18 games left
Nets: 11-51 -- 20 games left
I commented on someone else's "chicken little" panic in another thread so let's see if repeating some common sense will help eliminate some panic.
The difference in losses is meaningless when comparing a race to the bottom.  it's wins that matter because they're harder to come by.  Even if the Lakers lost all 18 of their remaining games (let that sink in for a moment - 18 consecutive losses) the Nets would still have to win 8 games to just tie them.  That's 8-12 to finish the season for a team that has only won 11 games out of 62.   Every Laker win adds to those ridiculous odds of the Nets not finishing with the worst record.

Panicking over the Lakers is foolish and a waste of time.  Nets will have the best odds going into the lottery.  worry over whether that pick will end up number one after the lottery -- those are the odds to be more concerned about.

[Moranis]

I think it would be funny if the Lakers tanked their way to a bottom 2 record only for them to lose the lottery and finish in 4th or 5th and have to give the pick to the Sixers.  It would be even funnier if the Sixers were one of the teams that jumped them (though I wouldn't want the Sixers to add two more top 4 picks). 

[jambr380]

I think it would be funny if the Lakers tanked their way to a bottom 2 record only for them to lose the lottery and finish in 4th or 5th and have to give the pick to the Sixers.  It would be even funnier if the Sixers were one of the teams that jumped them (though I wouldn't want the Sixers to add two more top 4 picks).

It's certainly not impossible. There is like a 45% chance that the pick lands at 4 or 5 for the team finishing 2nd to last. I certainly hope they lose it this year, even to our division rival. They have had enough chances at top talent.

[slamtheking]

I think it would be funny if the Lakers tanked their way to a bottom 2 record only for them to lose the lottery and finish in 4th or 5th and have to give the pick to the Sixers.  It would be even funnier if the Sixers were one of the teams that jumped them (though I wouldn't want the Sixers to add two more top 4 picks).

It's certainly not impossible. There is like a 45% chance that the pick lands at 4 or 5 for the team finishing 2nd to last. I certainly hope they lose it this year, even to our division rival. They have had enough chances at top talent.

if ever there was a time I could wish a pick to just be voided, this would be that time.  screw both the Lakers and Sixers.

[fairweatherfan]

I think it would be funny if the Lakers tanked their way to a bottom 2 record only for them to lose the lottery and finish in 4th or 5th and have to give the pick to the Sixers.  It would be even funnier if the Sixers were one of the teams that jumped them (though I wouldn't want the Sixers to add two more top 4 picks).

Sixers have swap rights with Sacramento too, which right now has a solid 15% shot at a top 3 pick, with most outcomes paying out for Philly. Pretty good position to go into the lottery.