Poll: Will The Lakers Make The Playoffs?
When the 1-4 Lakers fired Mike Brown, it was hard to imagine the season getting much worse in Los Angeles. But nearly 30 games later, despite playing a reasonable schedule, with more home than road games, the Lakers are still three games under .500, at 15-18. Los Angeles currently sits 3.5 games back of the 20-16 Nuggets and Trail Blazers for the Western Conference's final two playoff spots.
As Ric Bucher of the 95.7 The Game points out (via Sulia), we may be nearing a tipping point, where the idea of the Lakers making the postseason is more far-fetched than the idea that they won't. After all, if Denver's and Portland's current pace of 46 wins represents the price of admission to the postseason in the West, the Lakers would have to go 31-18 the rest of the way to get there. For a team that's currently without Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard, and Jordan Hill, that could be a very tall order.
Still, as Zach Lowe of Grantland writes, the Lakers have had a borderline top-five offense and the NBA's eighth-best point differential, which suggests some potential for a turnaround. And it's not as if they'd have to pass a collection of juggernauts in the Western Conference standings. The Timberwolves are banged up, the Jazz have played sub-.500 ball, and two of the teams currently in the top eight, the Rockets and Trail Blazers, are young and fairly unproven.
One thing is clear: The Lakers can no longer be considered a playoff lock. And if the team does crack the top eight, it figures to face a team like the Thunder, Clippers, or Spurs in the first round, without homecourt advantage. What do you think? Will the Lakers make a second-half run and appear in the postseason, or will the injuries and the slow start be too much to overcome?
Will the Lakers make the playoffs?
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No 51% (575)
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Yes 49% (550)
Total votes: 1,125
Pacific Notes: Lakers, Cousins, Virginia Beach
Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard both deny a report that they engaged in a "heated exchange" after a loss last week, notes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times. They and coach Mike D'Antoni had some fun with it, though, posing for a photo of a mock duel between the two superstars that Bryant posted on his new Twitter account. It might be considered gallows humor for the Lakers, who sit at 15-18, but at least they're a step up from the Kings, who are 13-21 and have endured their share of reports about locker room dissent, too. Here's the latest on a pair of intriguing, if not winning, teams.
- Dan Fegan, the new agent for DeMarcus Cousins, met with Kings GM Geoff Petrie today, but Fegan didn't ask that his client be traded, USA Today's Sam Amick reports (Twitter links). The Kings continue to insist they're not interested in any Cousins swap.
- Today was the deadline that Virginia Beach mayor Will Sessoms set for securing an arena deal, but an announcement of whether the funding has been secured won't come until tomorrow, writes Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee. The mid-Atlantic city is rumored to be in pursuit of the Kings.
- Despite a rash of injuries to their big men, the Lakers have no immediate plans for the roster spot they opened up by waiving Darius Johnson-Odom today, tweets HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler, who points out the free space gives them added flexibility in case they make a trade down the line.
- Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com poses five key questions for the Lakers, and believes that if the team isn't right around .500 come February, there will be significant changes to the roster.
- Zach Lowe of Grantland.com ponders the implications of the once-unthinkable prospect of the Lakers missing the playoffs this year.
Lakers Waive Darius Johnson-Odom
The Lakers have waived Darius Johnson-Odom, the team announced today in a press release. Johnson-Odom was one of two Lakers on non-guaranteed deals, along with Robert Sacre. Given the injury woes plaguing the team's frontcourt, Sacre's job appears safe.
Johnson-Odom, 23, was drafted 55th overall in last June's draft, with a pick L.A. acquired from the Mavericks in exchange for cash. The Marquette product didn't see much action for the Lakers, failing to score his first NBA point in four games (six total minutes).
The move opens up a roster spot for the Lakers, which may be useful — with Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, and Jordan Hill all ailing, the club could decide to bring in a big man on a 10-day contract. For now though, the move is just about today's guarantee deadline, rather than clearing a spot for another player, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Western Notes: Lakers, White, Nowitzki, Wolves
Things aren't getting any easier in Lakerland, where Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, and Jordan Hill have all been sidelined with injuries. Howard suffered a torn labrum, Gasol has a concussion, and Hill is dealing with a hip issue, meaning the Lakers' frontcourt looks awfully thin in the short-term. While Robert Sacre looks forward to more playing time and we wait to see if the Lakers add another body, let's round up a few more notes out of the Western Conference….
- The Lakers haven't reached out to free agent big man Kenyon Martin, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com wonder if the Lakers should consider trading Howard.
- The Rockets are prepared to chalk up 2012/13 as a lost season for Royce White and attempt to reach some sort of agreement with the rookie forward in the offseason, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Zillgitt and TNT's David Aldridge have the latest details on White, including his desire for the NBA and the Rockets to sign a document detailing his wishes for the mental health protocol that the team believes would be in violation of the CBA.
- Despite recent comments by Dirk Nowitzki questioning the Mavericks' approach to building the roster, owner Mark Cuban tells Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com that Dallas won't be altering that approach. "If you only knew the things [Dirk] has said to me during recent seasons about our team," Cuban joked. "I'm glad I didn't listen."
- Nowitzki stressed to reporters today, including Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, that he never said he wanted to be traded.
- The Timberwolves have kicked the tires on Sam Young, who was released by the Pacers this weekend, but he's unlikely to land in Minnesota, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Young is currently out with an ankle injury.
- It would be a surprise if the Timberwolves don't move Derrick Williams at the trade deadline, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
Pacific Notes: Cousins, Lakers, Gasol, Suns
A pair of Celtics roster moves yesterday led to some speculation that the team was clearing room for a bigger deal, but according to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link), Jarvis Varnado and Kris Joseph were destined to be cut regardless, since the C's didn't want to pay the luxury tax on those deals. That means, as we heard yesterday from Sam Amick of USA Today, that the Celtics likely aren't close to any sort of deal for DeMarcus Cousins or anyone else. Here are a few more Monday morning links on Cousins and a handful of other Pacific Division topics:
- Bucher notes that it still seems as if Cousins isn't available, but if that stance changes, the Kings may want to try to package him with a bad salary or two.
- Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reiterates (via Twitter) that there's "no chance" of Cousins being dealt to the Celtics.
- According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard got into a "heated exchange" after a loss on New Year's Day. However, multiple reporters, including Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com (Sulia link) and Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link), say there's nothing to the story.
- Whether or not the two Lakers stars were involved in any sort of altercation, Howard believes the team needs to improve its chemistry on and off the court, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes.
- Acknowledging that he has been disappointed with the Lakers' performance so far this season, GM Mitch Kupchak suggested that establishing Pau Gasol's role is a top priority. "I think Pau continues to struggle to figure out how he's going to play with his group," Kupchak said, according to Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times. "Our coaches are struggling as well. We're not going to succeed as a team until we figure that out."
- The Suns have no untouchable players and will likely be very open to participating in trades as February's deadline approaches, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
Odds & Ends: Guaranteed Contracts, Nowitzki, Lakers
Tomorrow at 5PM EST marks a significant deadline in the NBA, as players who are currently on non-guaranteed contracts kept after that point will have their deals guaranteed for the rest of the season. While the official deadline for contracts to become fully guaranteed is listed as January 10, ESPN's Marc Stein pointed out yesterday that teams who decide to release a player on a non-guaranteed contract will have to do so by tomorrow in order for them to clear waivers by Thursday. We've seen quite a handful of teams release some of their non-guaranteed pacts today, and with less than 24 hours left to go, there could be more of those types of transactions to come. With that in mind, you can find tonight's miscellaneous links from around the NBA here:
- Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune talks about the need for Minnesota's Derrick Williams to step up and contribute with Kevin Love sidelined by a hand injury.
- Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas notes Dirk Nowitzki's feelings of uncertainty with the direction of the Mavericks' franchise and expressed thoughts on whether or not he should be traded. After acknowledging the team's failed attempt of luring Deron Williams or Dwight Howard, Nowitzki didn't seem too enthused about Dallas' chances of adding a marquee name of that caliber in the near future.
- HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler thinks that Lakers' rookies Robert Sacre and Darius Johnson-Odom could be the next in line to be waived in order to avoid paying more luxury tax on their deals. He also thinks that Johnson-Odom would be more likely to be released than Sacre (Twitter links).
- Michael Lee of The Washington Post wrote that tonight's matchup with the Heat and tomorrow's game against the Thunder are critical for Wizards guards Garrett Temple and Shelvin Mack, who are both currently on non-guaranteed contracts.
- During an interview on NBC's Chris Mannix Show, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports said that there is a very good chance that the Grizzlies move Rudy Gay or one of their high-salaried contracts by the February trade deadline. Also, he does not believe Royce White will ever play in the NBA (Twitter links).
- Mark Deeks of ShamSports tweets that it's not unusual for teams to waive a player before their contract becomes guaranteed before subsequently re-signing him for the rest of the season.
- After last night's win at the Target Center, Trail Blazers swingman Nicolas Batum admitted that he drew some motivation from wanting to prove to the Timberwolves and their fans that he was worth the offer sheet that Minnesota presented to him last summer (Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com reports).
Lakers Rumors: Dwight Howard, Trades, Pau Gasol
The Nuggets, whom the Lakers face tonight, possess what L.A. couldn't have imagined wanting when the season began: the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Still, the 15-17 Lakers wouldn't mind trading places with Denver, which is 19-16 and two and a half games in front of L.A. for eighth place in the West. While we continue to await a turnaround for the purple and gold, here's more on the Lakers.
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel implores Dwight Howard to commit to the Lakers rather than further tarnish his image with more waffling about his next destination. Schmitz, who believes the extra year the Lakers can add to his deal will ultimately motivate Howard to stay, thinks the Mavericks could be in play for him this summer, but isn't sold on the idea that the big man would consider the Hawks.
- "It seems inevitable" the Lakers will make a trade, tweets HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler. Still, no Pau Gasol deal is jumping out there for the team, as all the offers for Gasol that Kyler has heard would represent a downgrade for L.A. (Twitter links). In any case, the team isn't as panicked as the media portrays, Kyler tweets.
- Kyler believes the Raptors and Rockets are the teams most willing to make a worthwhile offer for Gasol, with the Celtics a close third.
- Kobe Bryant tells Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times that the Lakers would be best served by having the ball in the hands of Gasol and Steve Nash.
Odds & Ends: Lakers, Rose, DeQuan Jones
It's a 10-game night in the NBA, and the best game might be the last one to tip off, as the Warriors and Clippers square off for the second time in four days. The teams, who occupy the top two spots in the Pacific Division, will also meet January 21st, so it's a taste of playoff-level familiarity for untested Golden State. Here's more from around the Association.
- Mark Heisler, writing for The New York Times, reveals that part of the reason the Lakers hired Mike D'Antoni instead of Phil Jackson was because the front office was concerned the triangle offense would minimize Steve Nash's effect on the offense.
- People who've seen Derrick Rose work out believe he's almost ready to return, but the Bulls front office and coaching staff have different opinions on when the star point guard will be back on the court, as Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News writes.
- The Magic can place DeQuan Jones on waivers by Monday afternoon and avoid paying him his full rookie minimum salary this season, but as Josh Robbins affirms via Twitter, it's unlikely the team will do that with the 6'8" small forward who rejoined the team's starting lineup this week.
- With another bumper crop of prospects on the way, including point guard Andrew Harrison, No. 3 on the Draft Express 2014 mock, and twin brother Aaron Harrison, 13th on that list, next year's University of Kentucky team is already drawing plenty of interest from NBA scouts. Some teams will assign scouts to Lexington for the entire season, notes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter links).
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside engages Mike James in a Q&A after the 37-year-old guard signed this week with the Texas Legends of the D-League in hopes of getting a call-up from the Mavericks.
D-League Notes: Sacre, De Colo
Today's D-League assignments and recalls..
- The Lakers have re-assigned Robert Sacre to the Los Angeles D-Fenders, tweets Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Sacre was just recalled from the affiliate last month.
- The Spurs announced that they have recalled Nando De Colo from the D-League. The guard's second stint with the Austin Toros lasted less than 24 hours as he was assigned Friday afternoon. The 25-year-old has seen 11.9 minutes per contest for the Spurs and averaged 3.9 PPG this season.
Pacific Notes: Kings, Cousins, Lee, Gasol
Last night, the Clippers donned their whites and made themselves right at home in their 107-102 victory over the Lakers. Kobe Bryant gave the Lakers 38 points but a team effort from the Clippers – bolstered by Chris Paul's 30 points and 13 dimes – ultimately won out. Here's today's look at the Pacific Division..
- DeMarcus Cousins' 31 points and 20 boards in Friday night's road win over the Raptors puts the exclamation point on the Kings' current preference to hold on to him, writes Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld. The Mavericks are interested in Cousins and Brigham theorizes that Dallas could offer some combination of Darren Collison, Chris Kaman, Rodrigue Beaubois, and Jae Crowder. All of those players, except for Crowder, are on expiring contracts.
- David Lee no longer feels pressure to play up to his six-year, $80MM deal and as a result, finds himself as an All-Star candidate this season, writes Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group. Lee is averaging 20.2 PPG with 11.1 RPG so far this season.
- Brian Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) opines that the Lakers have to figure things out with Pau Gasol and integrate him into the system as his trade value isn't exactly at its peak right now. After last night's game, Gasol told reporters that he won't be requesting a trade after being left on the bench for most of the final frame.