Phil Jackson: No Chance The Lakers Win 70
After we posed the question, “Can the Lakers Win 70 Games?” last week, the majority of responses we got thought the feat was unattainable. Apparently Phil Jackson, the architect behind the Chicago Bulls’ record-setting 72-10 campaign in 1995-96, thinks so too.
“I don’t think there’s any chance that we’re going to get anywhere close to 70 wins,” he said. “I’m not going to say that we can’t win 60, but I don’t think that there’s a chance [at 70] — and that’s if everything goes well health-wise. Traveling in the West is just too difficult. Changing time zones, it just makes it very difficult to be consistent night in and night out on the road.”
For a Lakers squad that just lost their second game of the year the other night, I think the Zen Master is just trying to take the pressure off his squad. 60+ wins should secure a top-seed in the weakened West this season, and allow the Lake Show the best opportunity to make it back to the ’Chip. Nonetheless, if I were Kobe, I’d take this personally.
Do you agree with Jackson? How many games do you think the Lakers can win?
Source: Los Angeles Times
December 4th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Richard Wellner says:
He’s just saying this to take the pressure off. I think they have more of a chance now than before. Good job, Phil!
December 4th, 2008 at 10:53 am
Scott says:
I agree that he’s been through this before, a few times actually, and he knows that aside from Kobe, the rest of the Lakers may not be all that ready for that HUGE spotlight that comes with a possible 70win season, and he’s simply taking the pressure off of them as best he can. Hate him or love him, Phil talks to the media for a reason when he does.
December 4th, 2008 at 10:55 am
YOUNGFED says:
70
December 4th, 2008 at 10:55 am
RJ says:
this is probably another one of those mind games that he uses to motivate his team…
December 4th, 2008 at 10:56 am
izzy says:
Its a win-win for the lakes either way isnt it?
If some players feel the pressure of a 70 win season, then they are relieved the coach doesnt see this as a viable goal. Kobe or the other guys that are mentally strong will use it as motivation.
Either way, smart coaching.
December 4th, 2008 at 10:57 am
fallinup says:
This is what they call the Zen master mind game. Although I do agree with Phil, he’s saying it so his team tries to prove him wrong.
Phil’s mindset this season is to have the best record. They will.
No more than 65 wins though. Other than @IND, @PHI, and @WAS this week. They haven’t really had a tough schedule yet.
December 4th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Jeffco says:
80-2
nah for reals tho
i think we should top at 67
December 4th, 2008 at 10:59 am
fallinup says:
And I meant this week as being they’ve only had a 3 game road trip so far. Wait until the end of January, start of Feb.
December 4th, 2008 at 11:00 am
it aint easy being green says:
60 give or take a few
December 4th, 2008 at 11:09 am
Richard Wellner says:
Honestly, what’s the big deal with 70 wins anyway?
It’s a long, drawn-out season. What matters at the end is the ‘chip, as you Dime people put it.
“70 and 12 ain’t a thing without the ring” – John Salley or Luc Longley circa 1998
December 4th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Mamba says:
I think what Phil knows, as well as the rest of those guys is that the Chip comes first,
70 wins would be great, but it doesnt mean anything, regular season numbers normally mean little, look what happened to Dallas a few years back,
Having said that I think that loss to Indiana really stung the other night, it wasnt that they ran into a better team, they just lost control of the game, and if there is one thing that Phil and Kobe thrive on its being in control
I believe the Lake boys are re-focused – Kobe came out strong last night in front of his hometown fans, now its just time to carry that over the next few games,
Bottom Line: I see them getting between 62-68 wins,
Judgement Day comes Dec. 25th when those arrogant clowns from Boston come back to Hollywood
December 4th, 2008 at 11:21 am
JA says:
What’s with Bynum talking up how the Lakers can’t rebound without him, then showing up last night and only grabbing 3 boards in 30 mins of play.
December 4th, 2008 at 11:27 am
JCARR says:
AGREE hes saying it from past experience. Its not jacksons goal anymore as he already accomplished it.
They will win 67.
December 4th, 2008 at 11:27 am
LakeShow84 says:
I love Phil.. Smart man..
At least we have room for error.. if he said we should win 70 some of our youngsters would implode.. Hes smart but i cant stand the media.. we’re not even at the halfway point.. Like Mamba said look at Dallas.. what was their winning streaks that year that no team (not even those 70 win bulls) had had in the same season? and they didnt crack 70..
Give it time.. But i honestly believe we will do it within the next 2-3 years.. Wait until Bynum Blossoms and Kobe gets surgery.. and maybe trade off Lamar for something nice..
December 4th, 2008 at 11:30 am
busterjonez says:
Beat on the Road:
Denver
Dallas
New Orleans (second night of back to back on the road)
PHX
At Home:
Portland
Houston
Denver
Dallas
Not the easiest group of teams to beat… especially while integrating two “new” players into the rotation (Ariza/Bynum).
December 4th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Michorizo says:
You can’t lose to Indiana.
December 4th, 2008 at 11:37 am
karizmatic says:
I think they can win 65. 70 is not out of the range of possibility though, but that would really mean Kobe would have to get on his high horse and take it as a personal challenge not to let his team lose any more games than they have to. No more last second losses where they blow leads like they did against the Pacers.
December 4th, 2008 at 11:37 am
busterjonez says:
16- Boston did
December 4th, 2008 at 11:37 am
YOUNGFED says:
@15
lost to the Pistons, this is the year of the ring baby.
December 4th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Tbeezy says:
This is the Zen Master being the Zen Master. As a Lakers fan i am hyped about trying for 73 and 9 (one better than the Bulls), but i don’t think it will happen. If healthy i think we’ll get 65+ wins.
December 4th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Big V says:
What the hell is wrong with this guy?
Taking a couple of Buddhism classes doesn’t make this turd a Zen master.
December 4th, 2008 at 11:52 am
Richard Wellner says:
Big V,
He is a Zen master compared to the rest of this pea-brain league. So yes, taking a few Buddhism classes does make him a master- relatively speaking.
December 4th, 2008 at 11:54 am
MadSammyboy says:
Oh, man… I get so sick of people knocking themselves out over the Lakers. When they opened the season at 7-0, all the media outlets were talking about whether they’d break the 15-0 start record. THEY WEREN’T EVEN HALFWAY THERE, AND PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT! Nobody was talking about Atlanta doing it, even though they were 6-0 – it was all about the Lakers.
Now, we’re a little better than 20% of the way through the season, and here we go with the 70-win talk. I know, it’s one of the things people look for every year, blah, blah, blah… but I’m so sick of the Lakers being all over everything. Uh… you know, Boston’s 18-2… I don’t hear HALF the buzz about BOSTON winning 70 as I do about the Lakers doing it.
We get it: they’re a really, really good team. They’re also overrated, and they haven’t won a dang thing yet.
*Sigh*… sorry for yellin’.
December 4th, 2008 at 11:59 am
rlf says:
if you would read ‘right’ you would know that kobe also responded to that. saying that it was tough to do and almost impossible, because of the same reasons phil gave.
get with the program
December 4th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
yoda says:
ive read somewhere that bulls had one advantage over these days teams. back then bulls had 2 expansion teams in league, raptors to beat 4 times, and grizzlys. now, i can’t remeber were grizzlys in east or west, but thats at least 6 easy wins. with being in central of usa, like phill said, bulls had better conditions to achieve what they did.
December 4th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Kermit the Washington says:
@ Big V:
I don’t think Phil’s taken any “Buddhism Classes” lol…
He’s come to be known as the “Zen Master” because he’s been studying Zen for a long time and incorporates it in EVERYTHING.
And just in case you go “Zen is the name of a Buddhist school”, that’s not the Zen we’re talking about.
December 4th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
jace says:
they are THAT good. and as far as chemistry goes, it never looked better on this team. but im going to say 68 or 69.
phil is right tho. hes a motivation master. not only is it true, but this takes off pressure while motivating at the same time.
December 4th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
DTC says:
If we land the first seed and home court advantage throughout the playoffs, AND go into the playoffs with a nice rhythm, I don’t care if they do it on 55 wins
December 4th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Richard Wellner says:
As a practicing Mahayana Buddhist, I can tell you for sure that Phil Jackson is awesome.
December 4th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
isotope says:
POLL QUESTION OF THE DAY:
Would you rather have a coach that wants you to prove him wrong or a coach that believes you can do more than you think you can do?
December 4th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Richard Wellner says:
I love latinas. Put on channel 16 if you’re in the tri-state area!
December 4th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
George W Kush Sr says:
He’s playing games and fucking witht the team, this is a lil challenge for them, which he’ll always say wasn’t his intent unless they do win 70 games.
December 4th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
doc says:
Everything Phil says is for a reason.He knows what hes doing one way or the other.But I think they top out at 66-16.
December 4th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Big V says:
@ Kermit,
You obviously have no idea what you’re talking about, so I’m just going to leave that one alone.
@ Richard,
I respectfully disagree.
December 4th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
A,R. says:
As awesome as that’d be I’d rather them not make it there. Something in me makes me think they’d get a lil to cocky during the playoffs. We all remember what happened to the Mavericks a few years ago. I hope for 60 plus because they’re capable of it but breaking the record might not be so great in the long run.
Its still Lakers in June tho!