Who would you rate ahead of them?

The Lakers should be in the hunt with a number of other teams for the last 2-3 playoff spots. The Lakers terrible season in 04-05 can be put down to 3 main factors in my mind :

1) They didn't play any D all season. Not a lick.

2) A change in coaches with a total change in systems mid-season for a team already struggling to find itself.

3) Injurys to Kobe & Odom. The free fall started as soon as Odom went down with a shoulder injury and never got back.

Without these three factors the Lakers would have been a .500 club and perhaps a chance to make the playoffs in the 7th or 8th spot.

Factors 1 & 2 will instantly become better for the Lakers now that Phil is back. He doesn't play anyone who doesn't play D and runs a stable team (same system for 15+ plus years)

Factor 3 is up the basketball gods.

The only concern I have about the Lakers 2-1 start is does Kobe have to have a sensational game for the Lakers to win?

Definately, If they can get 50 points a game out of Kobe and Odom, and 30 out of Smush Parker, Mihm, Kwame. Don't forget they have a healthy Devean George coming off the bench, Luke Walton still to come back, and Brian Cook chipping in. Before you ask who Smush Parker have a look at his numbers.

They will be better defensively purely because of Phil Jackson, Kwame Brown is basically useless but there is still a glimmer of hope he can be a 13 and 8 guy with a 20 and 10 night on rare occassions.

The final thing to remember is love him or hate him Kobe is the guy out of the whole NBA you want to have the ball down the stretch to make big plays. With the amount of games going to OT this season already a player like Kobe is invaluable and could win you 5 games off his on back in the final 2 minutes.

Lakers, nup don't rate them at all this season and I don't think they will make the playoffs.

Smush and Kobe are lighting it up at the moment. Kobe has to constantly score 35+ for the Lakers to have a chance. Over 82 games... big ask.

Kwame BROWN is awful for a No 1 pick. Washington STOLE Butler and co from the Lakers for BROWN.

There is no way I rate the Wolves as better than the Lakers. Wolves as a squad totally stink it up. Individually, well KG is a basketball freak and that's about all they have.

In the West I'd rate Spurs, Houston, Dallas, Memphis, Sac-Town, Denver, Suns, Clippers and Warriors better than the Lakers.

TR...at this point I won't argue about the Wizards stealing Butler, but the 'co" part was Chucky Atkins, who the Lakers would have been happy to trade for a sack of beans.

Jas, yeah I'll give you that one... Atkins was a throw-in..... I think your over-rating a sack of beans...

TR, i wouldnt even rate Sacramento.....they are playing aweful basketball......i wouldnt be surprised if Stojakovic asks for a trade soon

Kwame is playing poor.....but you gotta remember, he has never player the Triangle Offense before....and is still young

He will come.....and if he dont....what did we lose......Butler
& Chucky

And Smush is playing much better than Atkins at the moment

Kwame is poor playing ball full stop regardless of which offence they run. If players like Longley and Wennington (and others) can run the triangle and do well then so should Kwame. Only excuse tolerated... no talent... b b b bust

How can you not rate a starting five of Bibby, Wells, Stoj, Reef and Miller and their bench aint bad with Skinner, Hart, Corliss, Martin and Thomas.

We are talking game 4 of 82, and I'll say that Sac will have a better record at the end of the season than the Lakers. Stoj is in a serious funk and won't ask for a trade, but he'll get traded, he becomes a unrestricted free agent next season, so they'll trade him so they get something in return. and no I ain't a Sac fan, but they'll come good. The Maloofs have too much money for them not to be good.

In all honesty, for the Lakers to get anywhere this season they are going to have to get Odom some help on the boards. Sorry, but when your SF is the leading rebounder on the team then it ain't right. Against the Hawks he got 11 next best Brown with 5. It's the Hawks, their tall timber sucks and the Lakers go outrebounded by them 32 - 40. That's a whipping on the boards.

Really liking Smush at the moment, 17 ppg, 4 assist and 4 boards. Nice numbers for a journeyman...

Look up 'Smush Parker' in google image search and browse through the first few pages....the guy has some serious hops!

They couldn't beat the weakened Suns with Kobe Bryant scoring what was it 39 points? Take Kobe out and they would run dead last. IF they make the playoffs which i doubt ... then Kobe will have had a record season for scoring.

I hope they do, but i cant see it!

When's Kobe going to hit a three? Would have been handy against the Sixers y'day! :-) LOL

Thats funny DJ.......He was avging 34ppg without hitting 3's and now you want him to make them.....LOL

Do you want him to Avg 40+ a game

Well Fezlington he is going to have to if the Lakers are going to make the playoffs.