8 straight losses to teams with winning records. my bad. the only teams they can beat are powder puffs.
think anybody wants to play that Denver team in rd 1? Sure, they don't defend, but the ability to score 150 any given night will have all the playoff coaches on edge.
Golden State holds off Lakers at L.A. Now the current standings: 1. Hornets....... -- 2. Lakers........ -- 3. Suns.......... 0.5 4. Jazz........... 2.5 5. Rockets...... 1.0 6. Spurs......... 1.0 7. Mavericks.... 4.0 8. Warriors...... 4.5 9. Nuggets...... 6.0 The first 6 teams now appear to be safely in. Now a 3 team race for the final 2 spots. Still 6 teams with a shot for the #1 seed.
Denver plays Memphis next (they cannot lost that one). Then they play Dallas and Golden State at home the next 2 games. We shall know whether or not Denver is part of the playoff picture after this 3 game stretch. They pretty much need to win all 3.
The Lakers will struggle against teams that get up and down the court until Gasol and Bynum get back. They just dont have the inside scoring threat in the triangle and cant get on the boards like they used to to stop teams in transition. Not to mention they will struggle in the half court too. They saved the season by completely overachieving between Bynum's injury and the Gasol acquisition but have come back to Earth and need to hold on for a week or so. They really have four injured centers and two guys that have bodies of small forwards playing center right now.
I trust the Lakers doctors to do the right thing, but I really think Bynum not playing again this season may be the right thing to do, unless he can come back during the season and play for a little bit. If they throw him into the mix in the playoffs, the Lakers will be 1 and done, regardless who they play (see: Phoenix and Dallas' 2-3 week hiccups after their big roster change).
Thats true and they know it which is why he is scheduled to come back in less than two weeks now. But it has been mentioned if he can not do that successfully shutting it down may be the answer, and I think it is. No way he can come back in the playoffs and they can win the championship.
isn't it just so crazy how with most teams having 11-13 games left that NO ONE has clinched their playoff spot yet? Granted, in 10 days or so, 6-7 teams will be sealed, that's still amazing.
Lakers already down 12 to the Warriors early in the 2nd Warriors could pull with 3.5 games of the Lakers in that 8th spot
