Lakers Talk: Lakers-Pelicans Play-In | Reviewing the Regular Season | Potential Postseason Matchups

Tune in to Lakers Talk with Allen Sliwa on ESPN LA now!

[@LN-Lifer]

Even if we lose in five games to Denver, I'm actually going to feel like we went even further this year

[@LN-Lifer]

Anyone who thinks the Lakers should lose on purpose has no idea what it means to be a Lakers fan That said... If they do lose and by some miracle we beat Sac or GS there's no reason we can't celebrate that break

[@vincemeghrouni7805]

Totally agree.

[@Stephen32-zs7jm]

A few of the callers sounded like scared Denver or Joker fans...I don't think Denver fans want to play the Lakers in the first round

[@jokoturoh]

Trust me, they do want the Lakers because they know they can out coach us and out-perform us. They've been doing it consistently since 2021. On top of that - they're much better than they were the last time we beat them in the playoffs which was bubble season. I think Darvin has to get away from the smaller lineups and go big. Not a significant change either. Just swap Rui for Hayes in the starting Lineup. Not to demote Rui either, simply as a body to throw at Jokic. It's bbq chicken for Jokic but the point is to get AD back to the 4 position and let him roam on defense and create offensively from that position instead of the 5 against Jokic. We employed that strategy with great success in 2020. We had McGee start at 5 in the first half and Dwight Howard finish games at that position leaving AD at the 4. He'd play 5 only in our small ball lineups. And we were violently effective even on terrible shooting nights because we controlled the paint and pace regardless of who we faced. We're severely undersized in bigs now, but I'd get AD back at the 4. Different look than any of these teams have seen in 4 years. Let's go back to that please. I know Darvin won't do it, but it will give us the best chance to win.

[@Stephen32-zs7jm]

@@jokoturoh Stop saying "us"you not a Laker fan😂...and never trust anybody that says"trust me"

[@melvincuaresma-SW]

@@Stephen32-zs7jm I trust you! Denver had to play a short handed laker team all season and no one bats an eye on that, they made every game close! With Dinwiddie, Max Christie, Vanderbilt, Cam Reddish and Gabe Vincent healthy they can beat Denver now!

[@jokoturoh]

@@Stephen32-zs7jm Say it with your chest online. Keep that same energy

[@jokoturoh]

@@Stephen32-zs7jm I'll never stop saying us. This one hurt. Series isn't made off this yet but it would've been a huge statement to get one in their house. Darvin's got to get away from the small lineups. We keep doing the same stuff against Denver and it doesn't work. Stop putting Rui on Jokic like it's an answer! He's not effective as a starter in this particular matchup. Let him bring some of that offensive fire-power off the bench and give Hayes more PT so AD doesn't have to get in foul trouble and wear himself out playing 37 minutes a night at the 5. Time to defend our house now, though. We need to stop rolling out the same, tired, schemes of last year. Switch it up.

[@HERKIMER_]

THIS LAKER TALENT IS AT WORST A 4-5 SEED_____THATS HOW MUCH THE COACHING STAFF COST US.

[@LN-Lifer]

If we do lose to New Orleans, I wonder how many people are going to think we did it on purpose?

[@LN-Lifer]

Pelicans gonna come hard? Or do they want to avoid Denver?

[@Momo-py7dv]

SLI, say Niggutz one more time

[@psh4273]

Lets hope one of the bench players score atleast 15pts and healthy AD

[@ManuelMeda-po2pm]

Who the heck is Funches?

[@jj7genesis]

How about New Orleans wants to avoid Denver too?

[@thenbaplayoffs2020]

The lowest seed to win a championship is the 95 #6 seed Rockets...Lakers prolly won't win championship - so why not go for revenge vs Nuggets...4 reasons 1 We play much faster than last year (Jokic could wear out in track meet - Malone doesn't care about his players...he played Jokic into exhaustion last year vs Lakers) 2 Murray's knee might give out again (happened very recently), especially if we play fast 3 No Bruce Brown (he was unreal) 4 Murray played lights out all 4 games - let's see the non allstar do it again

[@robertreinecker9007]

Love the comment. I feel like if DLo plays like an all star for 4 games, we can win it.

[@Toddpeekence]

What is it with these guys?

[@r.mhaych5021]

I think we will beat the nuggets in round 1. We will jump them early. Murray just came back they won’t have things fully rolling yet. If we face em head on and beat them round 1 imagine the confidence we’ll have moving forward.

[@WJGSix]

With all this talk of ducking the Nuggets by media and fans, if the lakers lose, they'll be accused of ducking/tanking. Lakers need to win and live with their fate.

[@vincemeghrouni7805]

Exactly. Lakers duck a team? I would rather lose than duck.

[@LN-Lifer]

Damn I don't want to avoid Denver but that sure does suck that even if we do beat them, we have to play the Clippers or the Mavericks Well actually I'm saying damn because that means we will have to play the Mavericks

[@Stephen32-zs7jm]

If we beat the Nuggets we play the winner of Twolvs and Suns

[@jeremyjazwinski6349]

late again Slee. Echo park is calling

[@Ucgr8_photography]

All yall saying avoid Denver has a Loser mentality

[@jj7genesis]

Dham will naturally lose a game. 😂

[@aqustks]

Laker fans that think we should avoid Denver have never played competive basketball. As a player, you don't duck other teams! Bring them on!!!!! If we lose, we lose. At least we go out fighting. Go tell a boxer to intentionally lose.

[@vincemeghrouni7805]

Right on. You play to win. Anything else is corruption that will eat your soul and make you ashamed of yourself and your teammates. It is not the Laker way. Can you imagine Magic Johnson walking into the locker room and saying, "Boys, it's losin' time."

[@giovanniherrera12]

Trying to lose to the pelicans just to avoid Denver is a weak move and is the complete opposite of what mamba mentality is about. I would rather go up against Denver now with some honor than try that weak shit.

[@vincemeghrouni7805]

Couldn’t agree more. Play to win, period.

[@michaelserrano4686]

The media is hyping this up not the Lakers.

[@aqustks]

Bring on Denver!

[@vincemeghrouni7805]

@@aqustks That's the spirit!

[@LN-Lifer]

28:30 John, you are a coward You have no right to be a Lakers fan dude And just the fact that you brought up. Bill Belichick proves that! Oh my God! Tell me you're not for real? You may as well go root for the Celtics dude

[@robertshirley3422]

Allen, I don't give the Lakers much of a chance in this year's playoffs. With all the young talent and upcomer teams like OKC, Minnesota, Sacramento, in addition to Denver. But maybe this will wake up Jeannie finally, and stop routing so much in financial resources towards a 40- year old Lebron. Allen, your standards are really slipping if you consider 12 games over .500 and 8th place to not be a bad year!! Of course, you're a relatively new fan. I'm used to the Lakers dynasties where 60 wins was commonplace. What were the Celtics..some 40 games over .500?? They are a stacked team. For such a storied franchise as the Lakers, if you review our record going back to Jeannie's first year (2013-2014), it's a pretty dismal decade!! If we don't make wholesale changes soon, like this summer, were just going to continue barely getting by and choking on the fumes of all these young stacked teams. Raise your expectations, Allen!!

[@LeGoatJames111]

I give them a great shot to win bc there’s literally no one except Denver that beats this team 4 out 7. It’s the same thing like last year

[@blue_diamond_gem]

I can see the Fakers throw a game because they are scared of Denver.

[@nickwarren7854]

We ain't scared of them frauds 🤡

[@vincemeghrouni7805]

What you are seeing is in your spamagination.