Future 30 for 30 show-Lakers failed to retain top 2 pick?

[tamaraw08]

Just re watched that awesome 30 for 30 show breaking down how Orlando lost Shaq to the Lakers.
I cringe to think a few years from now how the Lakers would fail to at least be competitive because they lost a chance to get any of the top 3 players of the 2017 draft. As Fultz, Ball and Jackson would become vital stars for their respective teams.
2022, Lakers still languishing in the bottom while Sixers, Suns etc have become contenders...
April 1,2017, Lakers just lost another game securing their place as the 2nd worst team, enhancing their chances in protecting that coveted pick.
The next day they beat Memphis.
Meanwhile Suns just shut down their best player and racked up 12 straight losses, overtaking the Lakers.
Then the "great upset win" at San Antonio....
April 7,.at last, Suns won, if only the Lakers would lose all their remainder games, they will have solid chance to be the 2nd worst, 56% of retaining the pick insteadof 48%

then Luke just decided to put his best players in the "crucial"4th quarter and come from behind to beat the Kings (they were behind by about 5 points under 6 minutes). Suns hold the tie breaker so if they ended tied...
I am not saying Luke should have told his players not to play hard but I see a combo of Robinson,Black, Metta,Brewer and Ennis not winning even if they try....
Summer 2018
Free agents like Paul George saw how bad the Lakers that summer elected to join Minnesotta (or Miami) bec of their enormous potential.

[crisoner]

I am sooooooo f*cking frustrating with this franchise right now.
4 straight wins to knock them selves (up?) to the 3rd worst record.
WHY??????

I heard our chances our 46% to keep our pick right now.

I understand D-Lo wanting to win it for his grandma but come on. This puts the franchise in the worst possible shape heading in the future. Can't stand when I hear other Laker fans saying NO to tanking.

LONG VIEW PEOPLE!!!!

[bladefd]

I was cringing last 4 games.

That win in Memphis changed everything. Lakers were playing hard to win it at any cost for reasons unknown.. Meanwhile, the Suns have been intentionally full out tanking for last 12-13 games. Even then, Suns were a full game ahead of us, but the win in Memphis brought them only half game ahead. Then we won again in San Antonio, which brought Suns past us to 2nd worst seed since we have the tiebreaker.

There was still a chance of regaining the #2 worst record, but we decide to enter "MUST WIN AT ANY COST" mode vs Sacramento and Twolves.. Where was this in December and January when we still had a shot at playoffs? I'm being bit unfair, but I felt we took too many games off when it mattered. Now that we have everything to lose in draft and absolutely nothing to gain from adding to the win column, we are playing hard and shooting ourselves in the foot.

Look at phoenix - they were purposely losing, but when they regained the 2nd worst record, they started winning again. It makes me sick how obvious their tanking was. They remind me literally of 76ers last few years doing things purposely to lose, such as benching guys playing well, trading away players, and just odd rotations to ensure they lose starting from the executives.

Well, it's too late now. There is 0 chance of regaining the 2nd best probability.. Have fun Phoenix.

[bladefd]

"A random draw would take place, finally, if the Lakers and Suns finished with identical records, with the winner inheriting the better pre-lottery odds."
-ESPN power rankings

That means we can still tie record up with Suns and have a chance with a draw.. Of course, we would have to lose our last 2 remaining games, and Suns would have to beat Sacramento in their final game tomorrow.. Still a chance.. It is so damn easy to lose. There is absolutely nothing to gain from wins 26 and 27.

[tamaraw08]

I was cringing last 4 games.

That win in Memphis changed everything. Lakers were playing hard to win it at any cost for reasons unknown.. Meanwhile, the Suns have been intentionally full out tanking for last 12-13 games. Even then, Suns were a full game ahead of us, but the win in Memphis brought them only half game ahead. Then we won again in San Antonio, which brought Suns past us to 2nd worst seed since we have the tiebreaker.

There was still a chance of regaining the #2 worst record, but we decide to enter "MUST WIN AT ANY COST" mode vs Sacramento and Twolves.. Where was this in December and January when we still had a shot at playoffs? I'm being bit unfair, but I felt we took too many games off when it mattered. Now that we have everything to lose in draft and absolutely nothing to gain from adding to the win column, we are playing hard and shooting ourselves in the foot.

Look at phoenix - they were purposely losing, but when they regained the 2nd worst record, they started winning again. It makes me sick how obvious their tanking was. They remind me literally of 76ers last few years doing things purposely to lose, such as benching guys playing well, trading away players, and just odd rotations to ensure they lose starting from the executives.

Well, it's too late now. There is 0 chance of regaining the 2nd best probability.. Have fun Phoenix.

It's not just losing the top 2 pick, it's actually the possibility of not even getting ANY lottery pick at all for the next 2 years that scares the hell out of me.
At this point, I don't even care if it's ball or Fultz or even Jackson, just give me anybody who can help, plus next year!
Win at all cost now and why not a few months back? I am sorry, I put a lot of blame on Luke Walton, as you really can't tell the players to stop playing hard.. There was no innovations at all esp when they were so bad on defense since December. Didn't even try to create zone defenses or full court press etc, and now that you established being the 2nd worst team, he stuck to his old guns will the future is on the line, he had to put back his best players at crunch time to .....enhance your chances of losing 2 lottery picks? I hate tanking before too but come on, this team is really bad right now and desperately need help.

[SoCalMike]

^^ yeah that's what crisoner said too.. "I heard our chances our 46% to keep our pick right now."

I don't understand the thinking either. They decide the team will tank, and then they play hard to win some absolutely meaningless games in which the other teams really did not care to win or lose. So what lesson did they get out of it? To me, the priority given the stage of the season and their record should have been to optimize their chance to get a top 3 pick.

That pick could have been used to secure a player or used as a trade piece to get someone through the trade market.

46% to keep their pick is a very risky gamble.

[bladefd]

Hope for the best is all we can do. We still have the Houston pick - I don't know who we would get at pick 28, but it is a deep draft. We got Nance Jr towards the end of 2015 draft so there is still talent down there..

It's not all about the draft btw. One good thing we have going is Magic is the team president so that will be big for recruiting free-agents. We just have to develop what we have - there can be no tanking next season. We should target 40 wins next season and make the team appealing for Paul George or whoever.

I'm just not sure what to do with Deng and Mozgov contracts.. Just horrendous deals that will hurt us for years.. Only if there was an amnesty clause from recent cba negotiations ...

We are screwed with their deals bc nobody will trade for them. I would trade Jordan Clarkson if we can unload Deng or Mozzie, but I don't see it happening. Deng can be good backup as a SF/PF, but Mozgov is not useful as a backup center for the money he is getting paid. We have Zubac, Black, Nance Jr, Robinson, and even Randle can give you a limited few minutes at C. Mozgov is unnecessary and expendable.