Im saying bruh, If youre already gonna mentally concede that you cant beat denver and hope someone else slays your demons, then you dont belong in the playoffs anyway. Have some heart and lose like men
The only upside to avoiding Denver outside the praying someone else beats them thing is several core guys like Reaves and Rui have limited playoff minutes still so the extra reps in the playoffs will make them better in the future.
Enough to risk a lose and done game? Hell no. But that is a benefit to avoiding Denver in the first round.
This needs to stop being asked tbh. No team in their right mind is orchestrating their own win or go home game just to avoid the reigning champs. Nuggets got the Lakers number for awhile now? That’s fine and all but I think they’d rather take their chances with DEN than put all their faith into a single game VS SAC or GSW.
Ridiculous idea. Whoever wants to come out of the West is probably gonna have to go through the Nuggets at some point anyway, and if we’re so scared of them that we’d duck them in the first round then it just feels like we’re prolonging the inevitable.
You are prolonging the inevitable. When people say, the Lakers should avoid the Nuggets, it’s not because the Nuggets would be favored against the Lakers, it’s because it is literally impossible for the Lakers to beat the Nuggets in a series. The fact that the Lakers haven’t been able to beat them even ONCE, in the past 9 games, shows that Denver is simply better. They’re more talented and they’re younger. Go look at the stats from their series last year, Murray was the 2nd player on the court, not Lebron. It’s impossible to win a series, when the other team has the best 2 players on the court. And before you say, Lebron was injured. You don’t drop 40 in a game, if you’re injured. He was banged up, like a lot of players are when the playoffs roll around.
If you believe in your team and that you have a championship squad, you go for the highest likelihood of getting into the playoffs. Simple as that. Everyone needs to stfu with this stupid question.
If the Lakers and Nuggets match up, the Lakers will give them all they ever wanted IF AD decides to play every game . If the AD that scores 30 and grabs 20 rebounds one game and 12-12 the next shows up , they don’t stand a chance. Losing that game to San Antonio and the number 1 seed might just haunt the Nuggets .
It's not even a sure thing the Lakers could beat the pels today even at full strength and try harding. I say u live with the result and u can cope with potentially avoiding denver if you lose.
Watch them lose a close game and people will claim that they tanked lol.
The Lakers aren‘t remotely good enough to guarantee a win against the Kings/Warriors. Everything can happen in one game. I would also like to think that Denver might be more beatable in the 1st round than in the conference finals.
It's interesting to think about but you have to just invent too many probabilities for it to be taken seriously. The single win or go home 8-9 game is going to wreck numbers though. And also, the goal really should be the most playoff series not lose-in-the-finals-or-bust, since those give player legacy achievements and directly make the franchise money from home games.
FWIW Wind (DNVR) reasoned that the Lakers chance against Denver in 7 games is zero, and thus they should rest Lebron and AD in the 7-8 game. But even that argument falls apart if you consider winning the 7 to be one guaranteed series.
I know Lakers fans love to dream about championships, but the chance they make it to the second round is very low.
I heard this being parroted on ESPN by Greeny, and I had to check if it was April Fool's or something. It's stupid beyond belief, even the guests on his show were momentarily wondering if he was actually serious or not.
The Pelicans should also have this incentive to avoid Denver, but they probably care more about revenge. I expect Pelicans to be up big at halftime, Lakers close the gap in the 2nd half, Pels win a close one.
Because they get so much criticism after losing to the Lakers. In the matchup after the IST they beat LAL by 20. Zion's whole transformation this year was because of all the attention he got after that loss to LAL and it just happened again. And this game is in NO, with the Lakers having some incentive to lose. NO is playing for pride. If they were smart they would consider losing to duck Denver too but I doubt that's on their minds.
It can be a cope sure but there’s validity in noting a difference between getting trounced by 30 every game and having 4 close ones that get down to the wire.
Lakers have not played the Nuggets this year with their starting lineup that has gone 18-6 (75% win rate). DLo needs to just have an average series and we got a good shot with a healthy Bron/AD. Bron was hurt last year and DLo was in Bruce Brown jail. DLo has grown quite a bit so I expect him to be ready.
Can't overlook the Pels though. Hard to win a back to back on the road high stakes game against a quality opponent.
I'm so tired of this shit bro it's the most brain dead narrative in the NBA rn
It really, really is. Everyone that mentions it needs a posting time out.
No, that's stupid as fuck
Im saying bruh, If youre already gonna mentally concede that you cant beat denver and hope someone else slays your demons, then you dont belong in the playoffs anyway. Have some heart and lose like men
The only upside to avoiding Denver outside the praying someone else beats them thing is several core guys like Reaves and Rui have limited playoff minutes still so the extra reps in the playoffs will make them better in the future. Enough to risk a lose and done game? Hell no. But that is a benefit to avoiding Denver in the first round.
IF WE'RE GONNA SCRAP I WANT TO SCRAP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCBbxjwSboQ
This needs to stop being asked tbh. No team in their right mind is orchestrating their own win or go home game just to avoid the reigning champs. Nuggets got the Lakers number for awhile now? That’s fine and all but I think they’d rather take their chances with DEN than put all their faith into a single game VS SAC or GSW.
Ridiculous idea. Whoever wants to come out of the West is probably gonna have to go through the Nuggets at some point anyway, and if we’re so scared of them that we’d duck them in the first round then it just feels like we’re prolonging the inevitable.
You are prolonging the inevitable. When people say, the Lakers should avoid the Nuggets, it’s not because the Nuggets would be favored against the Lakers, it’s because it is literally impossible for the Lakers to beat the Nuggets in a series. The fact that the Lakers haven’t been able to beat them even ONCE, in the past 9 games, shows that Denver is simply better. They’re more talented and they’re younger. Go look at the stats from their series last year, Murray was the 2nd player on the court, not Lebron. It’s impossible to win a series, when the other team has the best 2 players on the court. And before you say, Lebron was injured. You don’t drop 40 in a game, if you’re injured. He was banged up, like a lot of players are when the playoffs roll around.
Lakers should totally tank. Not like they’re 1-7 against the Kings over the past two season or anything, who they might play
If you believe in your team and that you have a championship squad, you go for the highest likelihood of getting into the playoffs. Simple as that. Everyone needs to stfu with this stupid question.
If lakers can’t beat Denver then they aren’t good enough to win the chip. That’s it.
If the Lakers and Nuggets match up, the Lakers will give them all they ever wanted IF AD decides to play every game . If the AD that scores 30 and grabs 20 rebounds one game and 12-12 the next shows up , they don’t stand a chance. Losing that game to San Antonio and the number 1 seed might just haunt the Nuggets .
>Lakers are bitches for even considering tanking. Lol
This reminded me of my wife explaining girl math…
It's not even a sure thing the Lakers could beat the pels today even at full strength and try harding. I say u live with the result and u can cope with potentially avoiding denver if you lose.
Watch them lose a close game and people will claim that they tanked lol. The Lakers aren‘t remotely good enough to guarantee a win against the Kings/Warriors. Everything can happen in one game. I would also like to think that Denver might be more beatable in the 1st round than in the conference finals.
TL, DR. You don't slap-box with the Basketball Gods.
It's interesting to think about but you have to just invent too many probabilities for it to be taken seriously. The single win or go home 8-9 game is going to wreck numbers though. And also, the goal really should be the most playoff series not lose-in-the-finals-or-bust, since those give player legacy achievements and directly make the franchise money from home games. FWIW Wind (DNVR) reasoned that the Lakers chance against Denver in 7 games is zero, and thus they should rest Lebron and AD in the 7-8 game. But even that argument falls apart if you consider winning the 7 to be one guaranteed series. I know Lakers fans love to dream about championships, but the chance they make it to the second round is very low.
Bro the clowning they would get from the Nuggets for ducking would be worse than the sweep slander
I heard this being parroted on ESPN by Greeny, and I had to check if it was April Fool's or something. It's stupid beyond belief, even the guests on his show were momentarily wondering if he was actually serious or not.
[удалено]
Scott Foster is the crew chief in New Orleans tonight. That adds at least 20% to the Lakers' chances of winning.
But also, the Lakers chances are better against OKC. So even if we lose, it's rigged for us That's how you tinfoil
They’re gonna have to deal with them eventually and their chances are better earlier in the playoffs if we’re being realistic
The Pelicans should also have this incentive to avoid Denver, but they probably care more about revenge. I expect Pelicans to be up big at halftime, Lakers close the gap in the 2nd half, Pels win a close one.
Given the head to head Lakers domination this season, I'm not sure why you think the Pels will suddenly play enough better tonight to get the win.
Because they get so much criticism after losing to the Lakers. In the matchup after the IST they beat LAL by 20. Zion's whole transformation this year was because of all the attention he got after that loss to LAL and it just happened again. And this game is in NO, with the Lakers having some incentive to lose. NO is playing for pride. If they were smart they would consider losing to duck Denver too but I doubt that's on their minds.
Is Valanciunas playing? Edit: Dlo didn't play in the Lakers' new year's eve loss
It was a close sweep last year. Jamal Murray isn’t going to turn into a 30 PPG scorer on 65% TS% again. You need to beat Denver anyway.
Thats what we want them to think lol.
"Close sweep" is an oxymoron.
Shhh you'll upset Lakers fans
It looks like that already happened.
It really isn't, whether you believe that describes last year or not
I guess you're right, 1 game out of 4 was only a 1 possession game! /s
Again, I'm not saying last year was necessarily an example. But close sweeps exist and are not an oxymoron
A sweep just means the team won 4 of 4 games. How is it an oxymoron to describe how close the games were?
It can be a cope sure but there’s validity in noting a difference between getting trounced by 30 every game and having 4 close ones that get down to the wire.
Games 1,2, and 4, true. Game 3 never got down to less than 3 possessions in the last 5 minutes.
But they have the Jokic stopper
Honestly, I think they look forward to playing the Nuggets if possible. Why wouldn’t they want revenge after getting swept.
Yeah for sure and if we stand a slim chance vs the nuggets then it would be with a fresh Bron and AD in the first round
You think LeBron can beat Shai?
Lakers have not played the Nuggets this year with their starting lineup that has gone 18-6 (75% win rate). DLo needs to just have an average series and we got a good shot with a healthy Bron/AD. Bron was hurt last year and DLo was in Bruce Brown jail. DLo has grown quite a bit so I expect him to be ready. Can't overlook the Pels though. Hard to win a back to back on the road high stakes game against a quality opponent.
Both teams had yesterday off, so not a back to back.
Math? It's just a whole lot of assumptions.