Tag: Lakers

2021-2022 NBA Season predictions

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Here are my NBA awards and playoff bracket predictions

League MVP: There are many options for MVP such as Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. But my pick this year is none other than Stephen Curry from the Golden State Warriors. Curry lead the league in scoring last year along with averaging 5 boards and 5 assists. He should’ve taken home the award last year but the Warriors missed the playoffs by game which was the biggest knock on his 2020-2021 campaign. This year the Warriors will most likely have a high seed in the west due to incoming rookies Mose Moody and Johnathan Kuminga providing much needed help off the bench; and most importantly the return of all-star shooting guard, and co-splash bro Klay Thompson. Thompson will provide much needed assistance to the Warriors back court. Klay Thompson with bring out the best of Stephen Curry in this upcoming season.

Rookie of the Year: Rookie of the Year is an easy pick; Jalen Green out of Houston. Green will get to play both the 1 and 2 guard positions for the Rockets this year allowing him to have the ball in his hands for most of the game. Having the ball in his hands not only gives him the free range to create his own shot it also allows for him to be a playmaker. Houston with out a doubt will find themselves in the bottom of the western conference but at least they have a franchise player in Jalen Green.

Most Improved Player of the Year: The player who’s game that will elevate the most will be Michael Porter Jr. Porter Jr recently signed a 5 year max-extension worth up to $207 million; not only will he have to prove he is worth a two hundred million dollar contract he will also have to prove that he can be a leader on this Denver Nugget team. The Nuggets will be without point guard Jamal Murray this year so Porter Jr will have the opportunity to take more shots and elevate to an all-star wing he was projected to be coming out of the University of Missouri.

Defensive Player of the Year: This year’s DPOY will be Anthony Davis. Anthony Davis, or AD for short, should’ve taken home the award in the 2019-2020 season. Davis has a chip on his shoulder coming into the 2021-2022 season, AD missed most of last year due to injury and was given the nickname “Anthony Day-To-Day Davis” via the ruthless nba followers on Twitter. AD will not only remind everyone the type of player he is, he will surpass everyone’s expectations for him. I believe this year will be AD’s career year due to the fact that the Lakers added another Hall of Fame playmaker to their roster in Russell Westbrook, brought back legendary point guard Rajon Rondo, and have some guy named LeBron James as well. Davis’s defense will be a key part in the Lakers hunt for their 18th title.

6th Man of the Year: This award will go to Jordan Clarkson out of Utah. It’s his award to lose and nobody is as consistent as Clarkson when coming off the bench. There’s not much to say for JC as he knows his role on the Jazz; fucking score the basketball. And he does, he does it very well so he’ll find himself adding another 6th Man of the Year trophy to his award case.

Coach of the Year: What team/coach fits the NBA’s narrative for the 2021-2022 season. I like Nate McMillan from Atlanta.

1st Team All-NBA:

G: Stephen Curry

G: Luka Doncic

F: LeBron James

F: Kevin Durant

C: Anthony Davis

2nd Team All-NBA:

G: James Harden

G: Devin Booker

F: Paul George

F: Giannis Antetokounmpo

C: Joel Embiid

3rd Team All-NBA:

G: Damian Lillard

G: Russell Westbrook

F: Jimmy Butler

F: Jayson Tatum

C: Karl Anthony-Towns

1st Team All-Rookie

G: Cade Cunningham

G: Jalen Green

G: Jalen Suggs

F: Evan Mobley

F: Scottie Barnes

2nd Team All-Rookie

G: Josh Giddey

G: James Bouknight

G/F: Josh Christopher

F: Jalen Johnson

C: Luka Garza

1st Team All-Defense

G: Matisse Thybulle

G: Ben Simmons

F: Giannas Antetokounmpo

F: Anthony Davis

C: Rudy Gobert

2nd Team All-Defense

G: Lonzo Ball

G: Jrue Holiday

F: Paul George

F: Draymond Green

C: Myles Turner

Western Conference playoff seeding:

  1. Lakers
  2. Suns
  3. Nuggets
  4. Warriors
  5. Mavericks
  6. Jazz
  7. Trail Blazers
  8. Clippers
  9. Grizzlies
  10. Kings
  11. Pelicans
  12. Timberwolves
  13. Rockets
  14. Spurs
  15. Thunder

Eastern Conference playoff seeding:

  1. Nets
  2. Bucks
  3. Heat
  4. 76ers
  5. Hawks
  6. Bulls
  7. Celtics
  8. Knicks
  9. Hornets
  10. Raptors
  11. Wizards
  12. Pacers
  13. Cavaliers
  14. Pistons
  15. Magic

Western Conference Finals:

Lakers vs Suns; Lakers in 5

Eastern Conference Finals:

Nets vs Heat; Nets in 7

NBA Finals:

Lakers vs Nets; Lakers in 6

Finals MVP:

LeBron James

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Photo from: theundefeated.com

Yeah So That Didn’t Go Well

smackyjackjackLeave a comment

So my last blog, “The End”, was basically about how all the Lakers needed to do was just lose their next game and everything would be okay.

Well, they even screwed that up.

Not only did the Lakers lose, but they did it in a terrible fashion.

About 20 minutes into the game, Howard fouled out, probably intentionally. Now, being a loser in a professional sport comes with the expectation that you won’t be a baby and that you’ll lose with some sort of dignity.

Well, Howard screwed that up.

After fouling out and leaving his team to basically be a bunch of dying fish trying to make their way to some kind of water, he got into an argument with the ONE person he shouldn’t have.

No it wasn’t D’Antoni, and it wasn’t Jerry Buss’ kids either. It was Mitch Kupchak. Yes, that’s right, after intentionally leaving the court during a playoff game, the little punk Howard got into an argument with the Lakers’ General Manager.

There isn’t really a whole lot for me to say about that, other than let’s just hope he can clean up his act this summer, or that was a LOT of money down the drain.

The End

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As this article in the LATimes said, the Lakers’ season cannot end soon enough.

They couldn’t be more right. Plagued by injuries and drama, the Lakers have utterly failed at having a good season.

Probably the most hyped season in recent Laker history has turned out to be just an utter failure. In last night’s loss to the Spurs, the Lakers showed that if they don’t get their stuff together this summer, they may not have a great future in basketball.

With Kobe out, things don’t look too great. He might not  ever come back, which would be catastrophic for the Lakers. However, knowing Kobe, I’m sure he will. At least for one more season.

Luckily, Dwight Howard is looking like he’s going to stay in LA for at least one more season. This gives the Lakers something to build off of. If at least nothing else.

However, one thing is definitely for sure, the next game cannot be over soon enough. It’s one last humiliation that the Lakers are going to have to face before they can restart.

Yes. Yes you did.

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“We just messed up royally,” Mike D’antoni said about last night’s loss to the Wizards.

And yes, you all definitely did.

It’s not that I’m upset that they lost to such a low-seeded team, it’s that they lost to such a low-seeded team this late in the year. It’s kind of important for the Lakers to be winning right now, as it’s their last chance to get into the playoffs.

While we’re on the subject, the playoffs have become kind of a joke this year for the Lakers. If they make the playoffs, that’s when I’ll be done. Just making the playoffs would be like winning the championship (which is sad when you have four all-stars on your lineup).

Like I’ve said before, I’m blaming this catastrophic loss on whoever has been picking the coaches. I guarantee you that if Phil Jackson was coaching this team, they would be on a stupid win streak, and not the Heat.

But I still hold fast to my beliefs that the Lakers will make the playoffs. Utah just lost again, so I think we’ll get the 8th seed. But, after that, playing the Spurs won’t be too much fun.

Looking Up

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F.I.N.A.L.L.Y.

The Lakers are actually starting to look like a team. Or rather, the team they were supposed to be at the beginning of the year. I hate to be too optimistic, like I was after Christmas, but this team looks like they could actually make the playoffs.

Today, the Lakers actually beat one of the top seeded teams: the Thunder. Now, granted that the Thunder were just coming off of a six game road trip, Westbrook shot 6-22 from the field, and Durant was just 10 for 26, the Lakers still pulled off an impressive win.

Kobe, stunning his critics, got 14 assists, 9 rebounds and 21 points. He’s still the MVP. I said it. In fact, the Lakers had six players in double digits for points (not counting Howard. Because he only had eight points.)

Howard has actually been proving nerds wrong all year. He proved that Superman’s weakness is NOT kryptonite, but it is, in fact, shooting the ball from the free throw line. Howard has not been showing up to everyone’s expectations. He’s been acting like a little baby because he hasn’t been getting as many touches as everyone else. Well, actually, he does get as many touches, but he just messes them up when he does get them.

But, as badly as Howard is playing, a playoff appearance by the Lakers seems very possible now. Plus, with Rondo out anywhere from the rest of the year to two more seasons, things are looking up for Laker fans.

Lakers: Proving it IS in fact possible to lose with this team

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Kobe, Nash, Howard, World Peace, Gasol.

What could go wrong with such a winning lineup?

Well, apparently, a lot. The Lakers proved today that it is possible to lose with a team so star studded as this. In fact, they can make it look easy.

You have to admit, today’s game was almost comically bad. Howard got kicked out before the half, Kobe hitting TEN for THIRTY-TWO shots, and Gasol flopping his lanky arms around the rim every play in a feeble attempt to make the ball go in.
FLOP
I honestly don’t know what’s going on with the Lakers. The talent is obviously there. Is it the age factor? Is it that no one on the team can play together? Is it that D’Antoni’s  mustache has cast a spell over the entire team? The latter seems quite possible.
What is he hiding under there?

Whatever it is, the Lakers need to figure it out, and fast. They’re falling dangerously close to not making it to the playoffs, with an even more dangerous schedule ahead. I say dangerous with my tounge-in-cheek because we did just lose to the Raptors. The TORONTO Raptors. Canada is not notoriously great at basketball.

Los Lakers!

smackyjackjackLeave a comment

Well, I’ve made it a little bit without blogging about the Lakers. But, it’s time to end the streak of silence and do a quick summary of the season so far.

Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Pau Gasol, Metta World Peace…what could go wrong?

Well, a lot.

Nash has fractured his leg and no one knows when he’s coming back.

Dwight Howard has the power to be the best center in the league and, to his benefit, he certainly is sometimes. BUT! He definitely has some off nights. In our last game against Memphis, Dwight only had 7 points a 4 rebounds. Hrrrm.

Kobe’s still Kobe. Anyone trying to doubt that needs to look at the list of the league’s highest scorers.

And finally Gasol. Oh Gasol, you fickle, fickle man. As terribly as he’s been playing recently, I still think he should still be kept on the team. There are a lot of trading rumors, but I think they’re a waste of time. He’ll smarten up when Nash comes back.

So, having said all of that, the Lakers still have a losing record (.467). This is 15 games in too. Sure, a lot of that was to do with Mike Brown, but D’Antoni still has to prove himself to L.A. We’ll see how the season pans out. The very first game of the year I predicted that the Lakers would go to the finals and win in six against the Heat. Well, now I’m not so sure. Kobe needs to lead some of the younger players and show a bit more charisma. But so does D’Antoni. Hopefully the team starts to win some games, because I’m not comfortable with the only sport team I follow having a losing record.

Prom Season…The Perfect Prom Couple

backinphillyLeave a comment

This year, the prom theme is famous couples and this just BEGS to be taken out of context.

I’ve heard a lot of ideas thrown around. I’ve heard Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez. I’ve heard Barbie and Ken. For God’s sake, my girlfriend tried to get me to agree to a Tom Brady and Gisele matchup (Hell no).

There’s a lot of wild celebrity couples out there.

However, you know that old saying that no couple in the world is perfect, no matter how in love they are?

I BEG TO DIFFER!!!

I know of one particular couple in popular culture that is nothing short of perfect.

Sadly, they had a very devastating breakup. But, while they were together for years, they were not only life partners, but best friends. They were a perfect team, as two partners are meant to be. They were such a beautiful couple that I won’t even insult them by using their names.

Well, I mean unless you really want to know.

Do ya?

Are you sure?

Well ok.

HAHAHAHAHA!!!! Just playing with you guys.

Probably the most dysfunctional couple in the history of the planet, Kobe and Shaq had their ups and downs. Judging by this picture, Shaq is having Kobe up, but he’s just begging to be put down. (see what I did there?)

Happy prom season to all. Also, to all who celebrate, enjoy the Easter weekend!

Mike Brown

smackyjackjack1 Comment

Mike Brown. Why would the Lakers pick Mike Brown to be the new head coach?

Mike Brown, LeBron James

Well, it’s either one of several things. Firstly, Mike Brown could be the best coach of all time, but no one has realized it yet. Coaching the Cavilers has not helped his reputation as a great coach, but now that he is at the Lakers, that might change. Maybe he could make the team better again, better than they were with Phil Jackson. This is pretty unlikely.

It could also have been a decision that fit with a much larger plan. Jerry West has just been signed to become an executive board member to the Golden State Warriors. This could mean that West is using the Warriors as a farm team, and that he is planning something to help the Lakers. The decision to enlist Mike Brown as a coach could have something to do with this as well.

I still think that the Lakers should have picked Brian Shaw to be the head coach. He has worked with Jackson, and is still young. He even played with some of the older players. But who knows, the Lakers could be planning something big.

Is it over?

smackyjackjackLeave a comment

The Lakers. What happened? This is one of the only years that I have had doubts about the Lakers. Well, after the last game, those doubts were confirmed.  Usually, when the Lakers lose, it’s because of a lack of energy. This time, it was because of a lack of talent.

Now I cannot really speak for the last game, because I did not see it. From what I heard, the team did, in fact, play hard. The Mavericks were just better than them.

And I hate to say that, but Dallas is just straight out better than the Lakers. Kobe (oh God am I really about to say this?) is getting old, Bynum is very inconsistent, and Gasol cannot stay focused. It will all be decided tomorrow, but I doubt we can come back from a 3-0 series. If we don’t, then Marc Gasol will be the last Gasol standing.

The Lakers are going to have to get it together if they want to have a good season next year. Magic Johnson recently said that the team has to be completely rearranged. We need new people, as well as getting a new coach.

Finally, what a way for Coach to go out. Last game was the only time I have ever seen him lose his cool. He was so frustrated with Gasol, that he was pounding on his chest. But hey, as long as Boston or Miami don’t win, I’m fine with anything.