Game Thread: Los Angeles Lakers (8-10) @ New Orleans Hornets (5-11)

[Kibner]

I think we push for an 8th seed THIS year if we have AD and Gordon for at least 75 games.

I felt the same but I predicted about 33 wins before the season started because I knew we wouldn't be lucky enough to stay healthy.

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[kclaboy504]

Where did I said we wouldn't? I said contend. 8th seed is not contending. If we had Gordon AD GV ryno and Lopez healthy the entire season THIS YEAR I think we would be 6th seed.

8th seed is big strides for this regime tho. I just want to see continued improvement year after year. We should not be the bobcats lol. Only reaso their gm is still there is he is his own boss alas jerry jones status

[kclaboy504]

This isn't me talking out both sides of my mouth, forewarning, but something worried me about Rivers from day one. I don't know if it was because I learned of the potential nepotism that went into his selection, that his game looks so flaky at Duke, or what. But now I push him because I have to. It's in my nature.

Also, hindsight is 20/20. Real easy to say right now who we should've drafted to get more production at this point. But that's what a project player is. You select now for dividends down the line. No telling when or even if we'll reap the benefits. Just gotta keep watching.

I agree

[JJackisangry]

thank you. Thats all I have been saying and what I said I was expecting in the beginning of the year. I understand nobody saw the freight train hit eg's knee in the offseason. Just a disappointment man. I ama die hard tho and I will always support this team win,lose or draw. I will also talk **** about the people in charge when I get pissed.

would you rather draft kendal marshall? Hes a poor mans greveis vazquez... I think Rivers will improve big time next season. He should just forget about defense and work strictly on offense lol. Defense can come later. Id rather him be good at one thing than nothing at all.

[kclaboy504]

We should of got bledsoe in that cp3 trade!!!!!!! That was bs and they know it. The clips played hard ball with us and got us to bite.

[kclaboy504]

would you rather draft kendal marshall? Hes a poor mans greveis vazquez... I think Rivers will improve big time next season. He should just forget about defense and work strictly on offense lol. Defense can come later. Id rather him be good at one thing than nothing at all.

absolutely not lol...I would of loved to hear meyers leonard name get called at 10. Even jeremy lamb or pj3

[Eman5805]

We should of got bledsoe in that cp3 trade!!!!!!! That was bs and they know it. The clips played hard ball with us and got us to bite.

I'm 99.9% sure it was said we wanted him in the deal but the Clips wanted their cake and to consume it too.

[WhoDatPelican]

Didnt Lamb get sent to the D League?

EDIT: yep he did http://sports.yahoo.com/news/oklahom...8808--nba.html

[kclaboy504]

I would love to have sully coming off the bench for ad.

[JJackisangry]

We should of got bledsoe in that cp3 trade!!!!!!! That was bs and they know it. The clips played hard ball with us and got us to bite.

Yeah that was stupid. I dont think we would have gotten AD though. Things will work out. Im just upset that EG and davis havent played much. I really wanted a playoff push.

[kclaboy504]

Didnt Lamb get sent to the D League?

he is on the thunder tho. Cant expect to get any min on that stacked team. Especially at the 2

[kclaboy504]

I love watching odom struggle,looking all fat running up n down the court!!!! hahahaha bum

[kclaboy504]

I'm 99.9% sure it was said we wanted him in the deal but the Clips wanted their cake and to consume it too.

yes we did

[JJackisangry]

absolutely not lol...I would of loved to hear meyers leonard name get called at 10. Even jeremy lamb or pj3

And i would have been fine with either. But there was no lilliard or drummond like we had hoped... You take what you can get and rivers was better than some of the guys i thought were going to be picked.

[luckyman]

Rivers just needs to get bigger. His game will be driving to the rim for a while. I hold out faint hope they fix his shot mechanics at some point, but he'll be good with added weight without it.

I do recall Dwayne Wade didn't make his mark in the league until he met, and trounced, Baron Davis and the Hornets in the 1st round of the playoffs rookie season.

[kclaboy504]

been good talking hornets bball with you guys. Good night guys.

[Teal Lantern]

Rivers doesn't need D-League. He needs to start taking what's there instead of forcing everything. He had a wide open 3 then a wide open jumper and passed no them both. Game still isn't coming natural too him. But then he does a ball fake, drives, and kicks to a wide open shooter in Vasquez that has knocked down 3s before. Hard for me to say he doesn't belong. But he is VERY, VERY, VERY inconsistent.

Good insight. This season, despite how it might feel to him or look to us as fans, can still be a valuable opportunity for Rivers. He can play worry-free and simply learn to see the pro court as it is. Monty can work on these green tendencies and Rivers will hopefully be ready when pressure time eventually arrives.

[Snarly]

I do recall Dwayne Wade didn't make his mark in the league until he met, and trounced, Baron Davis and the Hornets in the 1st round of the playoffs rookie season.

This is incorrect as Wade as very good in his rookie year. Had a couple signature games prior to the playoffs. That 1st round cemented himself as a star.

[Pelicans78]

Takes have already taken away Rivers' driving ability because he doesn't shoot well. Until he improves that, it won't matter how well he can drive.

[Pelicans78]

And Rivers isn't as explosive or strong as Wade. He is younger than when Wade came into the league. About 2 years younger.

[luckyman]

This is incorrect as Wade as very good in his rookie year. Had a couple signature games prior to the playoffs. That 1st round cemented himself as a star.

He also had a rising 4th year star to play with in Lamar Odom for the 61 games he played that year. Not to mention starter minutes. I say again, that playoff series is where you knew who Dwayne Wade was. Is this incorrect? He averaged 16 points for that season.

Yet, there has only been 17 games played this year for Rivers. Also like Rivers, in Wade's rookie season he only shot 53 three pointers. Less than one attempt per game and only made 16 of them. That's .26 made 3s per game played.

Not saying they will take the exact same track in their careers, but some similarities are there. Give it time.

[Snarly]

He also had a rising 4th year star to play with in Lamar Odom for the 61 games he played that year. Not to mention starter minutes. I say again, that playoff series is where you knew who Dwayne Wade was. Is this incorrect? He averaged 16 points for that season.

Yet, there has only been 17 games played this year for Rivers. Also like Rivers, in Wade's rookie season he only shot 53 three pointers. Less than one attempt per game and only made 16 of them. That's .26 made 3s per game played.

Not saying they will take the exact same track in their careers, but the similarities are there. Give it time.

I knew who he was due to his Marquette Tourney run and his draft status which a lot of people considered him the 3rd best player in that draft. People who actually pay any attention to teams outside of the city knew who he was and knew how good he was. He was over shadowed due to Lebron/Melo and Darko(hot topic) at the time.

Most NBA fans knew who he was when he went on a tear for a couple of 30+ point games in his rookie year. You can continue to try to compare Wade to Rivers all you want but it doesn't make sense at all. Wade on his worst day is better than Rivers even if Wade can't shoot behind the arc.

[Vinny6420]

Third quarters are the best for us

[luckyman]

I knew who he was due to his Marquette Tourney run and his draft status which a lot of people considered him the 3rd best player in that draft. People who actually pay any attention to teams outside of the city knew who he was and knew how good he was. He was over shadowed due to Lebron/Melo and Darko(hot topic) at the time.

Most NBA fans knew who he was when he went on a tear for a couple of 30+ point games in his rookie year. You can continue to try to compare Wade to Rivers all you want but it doesn't make sense at all. Wade on his worst day is better than Rivers even if Wade can't shoot behind the arc.

Actuallu the point with the shooting is Wade TODAY is a decent shooter now, when he was NOT back then. See the picture? Is it developing? Also, nobody knew or supposed Wade would become the NBA player he is today. To say MOST NBA fans saw that coming is proposterous. He was considered a good player with great potential, but not great at that time.

To say a player chosen 10th in a deep draft won't be this or do that 17 games into their NBA career, as a light weight 20 year old, while comparing them to an NBA veteran needs no response. Just look at it like the train wreck that it is.

[Snarly]

Actuallu the point with the shooting is Wade TODAY is a decent shooter now, when he was NOT back then. See the picture? Is it developing? Also, nobody knew or supposed Wade would become the NBA player he is today. To say MOST NBA fans saw that coming is proposterous. He was considered a good player with great potential, but not great at that time.

To say a player chosen 10th in a deep draft won't be this or do that 17 games into their NBA career, as a light weight 20 year old, while comparing them to an NBA veteran needs no response. Just look at it like the train wreck that it is.

Unfortunately for you, I was talking about Wade as a rookie. Wade was always been head and shoulder better than Rivers at every level.... even in college. The one thing Wade does that has always followed him as a player is the ability to finishing around the basket weather it's after contact or without contact. He has always been a high percentage finisher even as a freshman. Rivers on the other hand has always been a poor finisher even back when he was playing at Duke.

Talking about Rivers jumpshot is kind of pointless becuase his problem is finishing with or without contact near the basket. He just has poor touch.