From: kompella@cs.ucsd.edu (Vachaspathi Kompella)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro
Subject: Re: Lakers 61-21, NOT!!!!
Date: 13 Oct 92 19:15:01 GMT
Organization: CSE Dept., UC San Diego


In article <jjonsson.168@alexandria.lib.utah.edu>, jjonsson@alexandria.lib.utah.edu writes:

|> How many times does Portland play the Lakers? Four or five? That's how many 
|> games Portland's going to win `off the Lakers.'

Your young men will dream dreams.

|> >Utah (if Stockton's back) - they don't lose at home, do they? two games
|> Ditto Utah. Training Camp started last Friday, and Stock is in great shape!

Utah is a streaky team.  They are just beginning to have a clue as to how to play
as a team.  That's why they are dangerous.  People underestimate them.  But to say
that they will beat the Lakers 4 of 4, well, all I can say is, wise up!

|> >San Antonio - can't say, but they have the potential to steal a game from them
|> >Seattle - dangerous, very likely one game, poss. two (Good thing the Akeem deal fell through)
|> >Clippers - Again, new coach (relatively), and some major personnel changes, ah well, let's
|> >           give them a game
|> >Golden State - Give them a game (not a strong team, in my opinion, last year was freaky)
|> >Sacramento - hah! take your begging bowl somewhere else
|> >Houston - I'd say naaah!
|> >Dallas - nope
|> >Minnesota - I'm waiting for when they trade away Laettner before I make a judgment :)
|> >Denver - no
|> >Lakers - they could shoot themselves in the foot several times, blow easy games, etc. let's
|> >         call it 5 times
|> 
|> 
|> I think these estimates are too low. I also think that the following eastern 

That's why I put in the 5 games for the Lakers losing the ones they should have put away.

|> teams can beat the Lakers twice: Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Boston, and 
|> perhaps Charlotte. (If Mourning signs.) Face it, no matter what kind of lift 
|> Magic gives them, it's not going to be enough to overcome the fact that the 
|> Lakers are an aging, slowfooted, streaky team. 

Fortunately, time stood still for the rest of the league.  You call LA a slowfoot team!
Give me a break.  The team was over-worked because of injuries, and to top that, they
had a coach who believed in slow-down basketball.  So watch out for the remaissance of
Showtime fast break basketball.  You can't play this style if you don't have a bench to
back you up, can you?

|> 
|> Predictions for the Western Conference:
|> 
|> 	Utah 59-23

You gotta be joking!

|> 	Portland 58-24

Ah, come on!  Don't you think they can do better than that?

|> 	Phoenix 52-30
|> 	Golden State 50-32
|> 	LA Clippers 48-34
|> 	Seattle 48-34
|> 	Houston 45-37
|> 	LA Lakers 45-37

Oh, I see.  Despite Magic coming back, despite the fact that they now have all their
players healthy so that they won't be overloading the rest, they are going to do worse
than last year.  Yeah, right!  And worse yet, you say they will tie for 7th spot with
Houston?!?!?!?!?!  Man, oh, man!

|> 
|> Playoff predictions: Utah 3-1 over LAL

Can you believe this?  I think if you think that Houston can take two games off the
Trailblazers (see below), then this must be a typo!

|> 		     Portland 3-2 over Houston

Way off!  Portland should kill Houston.  Where's the Houston team going to find
the firepower to win 2 games?  I'm disappointed in your reading of Portland.

|> 		     Seattle 3-2 over Phoenix

Ooh!  Interesting!  Seattle over the much-hyped Suns, but the Suns will be 4 games ahead
in the regular season.

|> 		     Golden State 3-2 over LAC

I'd say it will go the other way.  LAC 3-2 over Golden State.

|> 
|> 		     Utah 4-1 over Seattle

No point discussing this one.

|> 		     Portland 4-2 over Golden State

Or this one.

|> 	
|> 		     Utah 4-3 over Portland.

Well, you show me your bias, and I'll show you mine.  Of course, 61-21 is a bit (:)) of
hopeful thinking, but fans are allowed that (see your posting above for more on fan
license).  The hyperbole was to underline the fact that while everyone writes off the
Lakers, they are going to do more than crawl into last place in the playoffs.  I (with
my bionic eyes) can see the Lakers up in the top four easily, and there's going to be
a real fight for the top 4 spots.

|> Jeff Jonsson

-Vach
------------------------
Lakers all the way!  For more on the power of positive thinking :), see:
    Peale, Norman Vincent, 1898-
    The amazing results of positive thinking.
    Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Prentice-Hall [1959]
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro