Amid the Trade-Rumor Tornado, an Actual Game
by DexterFishmore on Feb 18, 2010 9:30 AM PST
in Game Previews
136 comments
And it's a tasty, must-see game at that. Visiting Staples tonight are the Boston Celtics, ancient enemies of the Lakers and forever the object of our loathing. Perhaps you're familiar with their work? We saw them up close back on January 31 in a grinding battle that the Lakers won 90-89. Kobe Bryant, though he had a poor game overall, hit this shot to put the Lakers ahead with 7.3 seconds left, and then Ray Allen missed a potential game-winner as the clock ran out. Hee hee! My favorite part was when the Lakers won.
Kobe, from the looks of it, is unlikely to play tonight. His left ankle just isn't there yet. The Lakers don't play again until next Tuesday in Memphis, so assuming he returns for that one (and there's no guarantee of that) he'll have enjoyed a full 18 days of rest. I suspect the Celtics aren't taking tremendous comfort from Kobe's probable absence, as the Lakers have proven they can beat blue-chip opponents without him, and the Celts have vulnerabilities of their own.
Since falling to the Lakers in Boston, the Celtics have gone 4-2. Don't be deceived into thinking they've become awesome again. Three of those wins were at the expense of the league's underclass (Washington, New Jersey and Sacramento), and Orlando, the only elite team they've faced in this stretch, whacked them at the TD Garden. Their main struggle has been on offense: for three straight games now, they've failed to score a point per possession.
At this point they've actually slipped to fourth in the Eastern Conference standings, which has sent President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge shopping for upgrades. There was gossip about moving Ray Allen, but that petered out before the All-Star break. More currently, they've been in discussions with the Knicks about picking up Nate Robinson, supposedly in return for Eddie House. By the time you're reading this, that deal might've become official. On Tuesday and Wednesday the Knicks held Nate out of games because of "flu-like symptoms" that I'm told are legit, so even if the trade to Boston goes down, I wouldn't expect to see him in action tonight.
As for X's and O's, you know what the Celts are about. We've seen this crew plenty over the last couple years. As always, it starts with trying to contain Rajon Rondo and keeping him from his preferred spots, which the Lakers have never done especially well. Shannon Brown will get a lot of minutes tonight. We've seen him put up some great offensive numbers with Kobe on the shelf, and no doubt he won't be shy about finding his shot tonight. He'll also need to log plenty of time on Rondo Detail, as will Jordan Farmar, lest Derek Fisher get overexposed on D.
I'm not so concerned about Paul Pierce, as guarding him is the role Ron Artest was born to play. Also, Pierce is playing with a sore left foot. Insert wheelchair joke here!
As a whole, the Lakers have been showing some fantastic team defense while Kobe's been out. I know I've been on about this a lot ever since the Portland game, but it's really worth emphasizing. Here, for the past four games, are the points per possession allowed by the Lakers, along with their opponents' season averages for the sake of comparison.
|
Opponent |
Lakers' PPP Allowed |
Opponent Season Average |
|
Portland |
0.98 |
1.11 |
|
San Antonio |
0.97 |
1.10 |
|
Utah |
0.87 |
1.09 |
|
Golden State |
0.91 |
1.07 |
That's some primo shit right there. Against a wheezing Boston offense, another lockdown performance could be in the cards.
When the Lakers have the ball, Andrew Bynum should be the tip of the spear. In the first meeting between these teams he looked great, putting up 19 on a very solid 59% True Shooting. Make the Celtics stop him first, and then watch and wait as other options open up. I'm a bit worried that Shannon's 27 points against Golden State will have him thinking and acting like Allen Iverson. The Lakers need some offense from him. They don't need him hoisting a bunch of long, contested twos.
It promises to be a kickass Thursday night in the Association. In addition to all the trade news to chew on, Cavs-Nuggets at 5:00 Cali time makes for a very watchable undercard. We hope you'll join us for the fun.
|
Lakers |
Celtics |
|
|
RECORD |
42-13 |
33-18 |
|
NET POINTS PER GAME |
+6.8 (2) |
+5.0 (4) |
|
PACE |
93.6 (8) |
91.6 (22) |
|
OFFENSIVE RATING |
109.2 (9) |
107.0 (14) |
|
Turnover Rate (Off.) |
12.1% (2) |
15.2% (30) |
|
FTA/FGA (Off.) |
0.28 (26) |
0.34 (7) |
|
Free-Throw % |
77.2 (12) |
74.5 (19) |
|
3PT FGA/FGA (Off.) |
0.22 (11) |
0.24 (9) |
|
3PT% (Off.) |
34.7 (16) |
34.8 (15) |
|
Effective FG% (Off.) |
49.9 (15) |
52.3 (3) |
|
True Shooting% (Off.) |
54.0 (14) |
56.7 (3) |
|
Off Rebounding Rate |
27.2% (10) |
23.1% (28) |
|
DEFENSIVE RATING |
102.0 (2) |
101.6 (1) |
|
Turnover Rate (Def.) |
13.4% (17) |
15.1% (2) |
|
FTA/FGA (Def.) |
0.26 (1) |
0.32 (22) |
|
Effective FG% (Def.) |
47.6 (3) |
47.8 (5) |
|
3PT FGA/FGA (Def.) |
0.22 (20) |
0.21 (8) |
|
3PT% (Def.) |
31.7 (1) |
34.0 (7) |
|
True Shooting% (Def.) |
51.5 (1) |
52.4 (6) |
|
Def Rebounding Rate |
74.7% (6) |
73.9% (15) |
Numbers in parentheses indicate league rank. All numbers courtesy of Basketball Reference and HoopData.
Follow Dex on Twitter here.
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typo – 5:00 Cali time*
1) containing rondo is our #1 defensive priority. set the tone in the first half.
2) offensively: big guys need to have solid all-around games. i’m calling bynum goes for 22/13, gasol nets 15 points and grabs 15 boards, and odom is his usual self, at least on the glass.
3) great point with the shannon/AI comparison. i’m curious to see how he’ll respond after his career night.
nate should help the celts. interesting, on the rumor mill it was rumored that the lakers were inquiring about nate robinson. i don’t think we need him.
Love the classic skyhook photo
Kareem going over The Chief. Look at the absolute calm in his eyes. I miss him, and hope he is doing well.
I wish Kobe was playing
I wish KG was 100%
I wish Bynum was 100%
It’s not the same Celtics as before, so a close win would be a “eh” reaction, for me at least. I want a double digit victory tonight. Play hard fellas.
Well let me welcome everybody to the wild wild west. A state that's untouchable like Elliot Ness.
I Like The Way Things Are Progressing
I am happy to see Kobe resting it up, so he’ll be able to hit it hard in the home stretch. I think a match up against Boston is just what the rest of the team needs to remind us of just how deep the Lakers are. We tend to fall victim to haters claims of “It’s just Kobe jacking up a ton of shots with some okay help around him” mentality, which is totally off-base. A win tonight may not be as sweet to some because of injuries, but for me a win against any Celtics team is awesome.
our goal
should be to keep boston under a 39 point victory. i got boston by 15 right now
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low standards, eh
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
by Gil Meriken on Feb 18, 2010 11:01 AM PST up reply actions
Are you kidding?
With Kobe in the lineup:
@ Portland: 98-107
@ San Antonio: 85-105
vs Golden State: 124-118
Without Kobe:
@ Portland: 99-82
vs San Antonio: 101-89
vs Golden State: 104-94
And this game is in LA. You still have the better chance of winning.
those teams have serious roster issues to put it nicely
and i dont take pride in beating any of those teams. kobe better come back more than 100 percent or this game will be a preview of the cavs 4 game sweep of LA in the finals
YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE BOARD YES!
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Wave Ocean is a Cavs fan...
"If you want to find the dumbest guy in the room just find the first guy to tell you how smart he is." - JG
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Feb 18, 2010 1:39 PM PST up reply actions
ooooh
that’s what I get for not minding my business..lol
"If you want to find the dumbest guy in the room just find the first guy to tell you how smart he is." - JG
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Feb 18, 2010 2:24 PM PST up reply actions
cavs 4 game sweep of LA in the finals
Czheck, relaaaax…breathe. Come back…come back to us…you’re drifting very, very close to CelticFan levels.
"I don’t dance too much." --Mike Holmgren
by johnnyphoenix on Feb 18, 2010 2:20 PM PST up reply actions
Can we trade czheck to the Clippers for one of their fans and future fan considerations?
The Laker wont get swept by anybody but the Showtime Lakers
Kobe isnt good, he's just better than your favorite player
by EmmCeee on Feb 18, 2010 2:30 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
hahahaha niice one!
Kobe: "If you’re afraid to fail, then you’re probably going to fail," he says, laughing. "You know what I mean? Fuck it."
So our eternal rivals from Ireland or is it Scotland are in town (yes I'm talking about the Celtics)
For some reason despite the absence of my boy KB24 I still see us winning the game by at least 6 points.
Does anyone think T-Mac on the Lakers would be a good fit and who would we need to give up to get him?
You would dare try to carpetbag McGrady?
That guy has playoff failure written all over him. With him, even getting out of the first round would be much harder than without him.
the last time I checked he was a part of a TEAM
so it wasn’t he who lost but the TEAM.
If you told me that inhis years in Toronto, Orlando, and Houston he performed WAY BELOW HIS AVERAGE then I could understand the blame of him never making it past the first round.
it was the same tag people gave Kobe in 2006-2007 but the question is wasn’t KB24 giving it his all?
It’s the same thing with guys like T-Mac and even Kevin Garnett. These guys played outta their skins but for lack of a team had limited post season success.
That's not what I meant
It’s not about his team or how well he plays. It’s supernatural. It’s bad fortune. It’s an evil spell. Tracy McGrady played for a team that blew 3-1 series lead and another team that lost a series after winning the first two games on the road.
When that happens, it’s not a question about anything within the team’s control. It’s a curse.
I dont mind them getting Jamison in fact i'm happy because when they dont win
there will be no more excuses for the Lebron nuthuggers who scream " he doesn’t have a team like Kobe does".
i can’t wait.
I’m suuure you’re real happy. Positively thrilled, I’m guessing
"I don’t dance too much." --Mike Holmgren
by johnnyphoenix on Feb 18, 2010 1:21 PM PST up reply actions
That's a flip-flop
I remember people insisting that the Lakers outdo the Cavs in terms of talent level.
Gasol had playoff failure written all over him also....and well with the Lakers he made it to 2 straight Finals
Kobe isnt good, he's just better than your favorite player
This game should be interesting
Anyways, its funny how basically the whole country (cept for SoCal) is writting us off as far as our chances to win the title again. I guess you cant blame them though, since most of the U.S. hates the Lakers and big trades are sexy and they’ll all wanna hop on the bandwagon.
Anyways, its funny how basically the whole country (cept for SoCal) is writting us off as far as our chances to win the title again
Didn’t we discuss this all ready desecrator? Don’t try and start pulling the ’everyone’s writing us off, we’re just the underdog’s now, we’ll try our best and see if we can shock the world,’ motivation.. ..NIIICE try there. Forget it.
You’re still #1, still the evil empire at this point. lol
"I don’t dance too much." --Mike Holmgren
by johnnyphoenix on Feb 18, 2010 1:23 PM PST up reply actions
Current Vegas Odds to Win Title
Lakers – 7/5
Cavs – 8/5
Celtics – 6/1
Magic – 6/1
Nuggets – 8/1
Twitter feed: @dexterfishmore
by DexterFishmore on Feb 18, 2010 1:40 PM PST up reply actions
did they update this after the Jamison trade??
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
i like it that they are writing us off
we play better with adversity :)
it’ll be that much sweeter to prove them wrong.
if only KG could get healthy and boston finds it’s game again….
I doubt we will see Nate Robinson tonight
because his contract is a base year compensation , it makes the trade much more complicated. The Celts don’t seem to have the right combination of players to make this happen. The Knicks just acquired Mcgrady with a complicated trade with Houston and the Kings. Maybe some of those pieces will help this deal. But as of now Robinson is still a Knick.. If anyone can explain the BYC better than I , go for it . I won’t be insulted.
i have to say after really looking at the Jamison trade
we Laker fans should be shaking right now. He can guard LO which they werent able to do before the trade. He can spread the floor and drag Pau outside which is bad. Shaq already cancels out Bynum so that takes one of our bigs out of the series. If Shaq gets tired, they’ll just bring Big Z in who gave us all sorts of trouble. Not to mention we have absolutely no answer for Mo Williams. Oh, and they have that guy named Lebron who’s supposed to be okay. Hate to say it, but we are no longer the favs the win the title. Defending champions or not, that was LAST YEARS team. Cavs will also get homecourt which is huge in the Finals. Well, at least we brought a championship back to LA after a tough 7 yr drought. Savor it folks, cuz it looks like Lebron is ruling the league for the next 10 yrs. :(
did you just drink something?
The 2000 Trailblazers was a WAY scarier team and it was the same thing for the 2002 Kings but did either of these teams win? Nope reason being the games are decided on the court and not in the minds of biased L-east coast writers who hate Kobe and slurp LBJ’s nuts all the time.
I can’t wait to win it this yearjust to see what they will write
i agree with you about all that
but this time/situation is not the case. we lost to the cavs 2 times in heartbreaking 2008 nba finals fashion. we barely beat the magic, we have no good wins over elite teams. and the thing that scares me the most is that we squeak by some of the worst teams. last year we would have 20 point leads on ANY team
and the worst part is we knew we had to make a deal and now we are stuck with quite possibly the worst bench in the nba
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Z is gone
rumor is that Washington will buy him out and he can return to the Cavs. But Dallas is planning on making a play for him and there is a waiting period before he can return. Jameson is another past his prime small forward. He is too small to guard Gasol and is a liability on defense anyway. Jameson will be to the Cavs as Jefferson is to the Spurs, a non factor. If they had gotten Amare, that would have been a big problem.
i have to say after really looking at the Jamison trade - I dont buy it
You remember lakers had Shaq, Kobe, Malone, Gary and more and more….
Sometimes is sounds great in Paper on court is different.
Lakers bring their best only when they are do or die situation.
All the way Lakers!!!!!!
Sometimes is sounds great in Paper on court is different.
Well, I suppose. But that’s a rather weak hope to rely on.
"I don’t dance too much." --Mike Holmgren
by johnnyphoenix on Feb 18, 2010 1:25 PM PST up reply actions
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Is that it? No deal? WTF! So Mitch would rather have Ammo rot away on the bench? I still think the Lakers can beat the Cavs. But I wish they would have gotten a player…But I am 100% sure they tried to do something considering they have the highest payroll in the league and in the organization’s history. Dam It!
"If you want to find the dumbest guy in the room just find the first guy to tell you how smart he is." - JG
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Feb 18, 2010 12:03 PM PST reply actions
yup thats how i feel
but i would have sworn alot more and thrown everybody under the bus. kobe should have gotten his finger fixed this offseason….
we can hope some vet gets bought out and comes over but thats just as unlikely.
the trade deadline is up i know NY and BOS had a tentive deal but does that mean they can go past the trade deadline to deal nate? i would really like to see nate not go to boston if possible
YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE BOARD YES!
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i feel your pain
We needed to do something to keep up in the arms race. like when everyone was scrambling to do something to counter the Pau deal. Dallas gets Butler, Portland, gets Camby, Cleveland gets Jamison (damn! that one hurts) And we come up with nada.
We needed to do something to keep up in the arms race.
I don’t necessarily view the Lakers as having to ‘keep up.’ I think some of the trades narrowed the gap, but that doesn’t mean the Lakers aren’t still necessarily the best team overall. Of course if they thought they could get better for minimal loss, sure, why not? But out any of the contending teams out there…the Lakers probably have the most reason to stand pat. Dallas and Portland still don NOT have enough firepower to beat the Lakers in a series, and regardless of regular season games I definitely felt Cleveland still needed some help. That aside, the Lakers/Cavs comparison is still way, way off. I’m not gonna simply assume the Cavs have punched their ticket to the finals.
I guess I still view the best team as the defending champ, who remain essentially intact. Until someone knocks them off, they’re still number #1. Sure, maybe there are points where one team is playing better at any particular point during the regular season…but again, I make the distinction between that and best team overall.
"I don’t dance too much." --Mike Holmgren
by johnnyphoenix on Feb 18, 2010 1:36 PM PST up reply actions
I still think the Lakers can beat the Cavs.
Of course they ‘can’ beat the Cavs…
"I don’t dance too much." --Mike Holmgren
by johnnyphoenix on Feb 18, 2010 1:25 PM PST up reply actions
if you ask a lot of Laker fans they will say the opposite
or at least a lot of their faith and hope in the Lakers has been bruised. Just look at the other fan posts and any other post for that matter.
"If you want to find the dumbest guy in the room just find the first guy to tell you how smart he is." - JG
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Feb 18, 2010 1:41 PM PST up reply actions
if you ask a lot of Laker fans they will say the opposite
Yes. I’m sure that’s juuust what you guys would like us to believe. It’s a trap, I tell you. lol
Anyways, if the matchup should come to pass, I can’t see any other logic other than ‘should be interesting, and most likely will go the distance’ Other than that…well…I think that’s about where it is.
"I don’t dance too much." --Mike Holmgren
by johnnyphoenix on Feb 18, 2010 2:09 PM PST up reply actions
if the game comes down to clutch shots the Lakers will win
I bet you. Lebron has proved about 2 times that he can carry a team past a playoff match up meanwhile Kobe and Fish have been doing it for years. In a tie game with a minute left the Lakers will pull it out on any court.
"If you want to find the dumbest guy in the room just find the first guy to tell you how smart he is." - JG
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Feb 18, 2010 2:27 PM PST up reply actions
AREN'T YOU GUYS WORRIED.....
Paul Pierce is one of the greatest shooters in the history of the NBA. According to himself anyway. lol
worried
is an understatement. this is the first time i have really ever debated watching a lakers game its usually a no brainer. i really dont want to see the destruction thats left after they celebrate in our building.
hopefully bynum and gasol actually survive the game and dont die from fear
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did you forget to take your meds today??
theyre the effing defending champs… they have no reason to fear anyone…
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
The Celtics are not even going to make it to the Finals. Go to the Celtics Blog and
their fans are really worried. They won’t admit it but they know that there window is closed. Not just because of the Cavs trade but because other teams are becoming stronger and meanwhile they added nate….hardly a piece to call a major “put them over the top” type of move. I’m not even worried about the Cavs. Especially if they don’t get Ilgauskas back.
"If you want to find the dumbest guy in the room just find the first guy to tell you how smart he is." - JG
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Feb 18, 2010 12:19 PM PST up reply actions
not if mark cuban has something to say about it
if there is any owner i feared with his money is him. I was afraid he went after LO last year.
"If you want to find the dumbest guy in the room just find the first guy to tell you how smart he is." - JG
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Feb 18, 2010 1:43 PM PST up reply actions
that song "love lockdown" keeps playing in my head
that’s what Ron is going to do to Pierce.
Perkins = below average center above average thug
Garnet is a shell of his former self
Same for Ray Allen
If you keep Rhondo out of the paint, he can’t shoot
Wallace thinks he is Radmonovich
I just hope the Lakers aren’t looking past this team with a tough game in Memphis coming up.
by keefer on Feb 18, 2010 12:25 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
a back court of bryant and wade would be a beautiful thing. if wade were disgruntled, lakers could’ve offered Bynum, Brown (or Farmar), Odom, 2 future 1st round picks.
ummmmm not really, it is not a smart thing to trade half of the team just for a
better than average player. Hell, I would not trade even those many players for Kobe. Look at this like this:
Bynum:16 ppg
Brown: 8 ppg
Odom: 9 ppg
2 future first round picks: Potential to be the next Michael Jordan
For Wade? 28 ppg]
Not Me!
No deals at all....we're stuck with Fisher and ammo smh
#%# ^&($%#& &%(%%&%#%!! !#!!%!%#
Well i guess ima hafta watch game after game of Fisher gettin torched by any and every pg we face in the playoffs…Hope against all hope we make it to the finals and then pray that their pg doesnt breakdown our D and leave wide open shots for everyone else on the team…..!#$^!#!$^$@ i think ima go and watch some old showtime Lakers to get my spirits up
Kobe isnt good, he's just better than your favorite player
The Raptors tried to trade for Sasha and Powell
The Raptors attempted to solidify Chris Bosh’s future in Toronto by trading Marcus Banks and Patrick O’Bryant for Sasha Vujacic and Josh Powell, according to ESPN’s Ric Bucher.
Powell is one of Bosh’s best friends, according to the report.
http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap/
"If you want to find the dumbest guy in the room just find the first guy to tell you how smart he is." - JG
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Feb 18, 2010 2:29 PM PST reply actions
lame trade idea
sure we get rid of sasha, but Patrick O’Bryant and Marcus Banks are by no means “upgrades”
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
Really? That trade wouldn't have kept Bosh in Toronto. lol. Anyway, I would've done that trade.
Marcus Banks is the only one that is worthwhile. The Lakers would be getting their defensive upgrade at the point guard position for pennies.
Powell will keep bosh in Toronto
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
Why is everyone so worried...
All these teams made deals to catch up to us. Jamison hasn’t even played a game yet and everyone is calling the Cavs the favs. I don’t care if the media doesn’t think the Lakers will win the title. I believe we have the best team. Not making a deal automatically makes us lower in the title race? None of the rumors involving the Lakers sounded so fantastic that we had to do it. The Kirk Hinrich deal would have probably been good but any midseason trade is a gamble. Why gamble when we have a sure thing with the Lakers. Mitch knows what he’s doing. They will be fine. Stop worrying; it hurts your health. ;)
personally I don't care what the Cavs did but i think it has to do with
how convincingly the Cavs have beaten the Lakers this year and because Jamison on paper looks better it’s freakin some people out. I understand it because I felt the same way about Orlando last year but this team has proven to be able to fight through adversity.
"If you want to find the dumbest guy in the room just find the first guy to tell you how smart he is." - JG
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Feb 18, 2010 2:41 PM PST up reply actions
Maybe it's just me...
but I don’t get the sudden panic-city happening here. With the exception of Ariza/Artest, this is the SAME TEAM that just won a championship. Ok, so some other teams just made some changes/upgrades, but WHY does that suddenly mean that we are now lacking in some way? Are we a perfect team? No. Do we have flaws? Of course, because our team is comprised of HUMAN BEINGS. Sure, it would be great to have made some dazzling trade of our own, but I don’t think anyone here really expected that. It would be great if Kobe was 100% right NOW, it would be amazing if Bynum had never been injured, and it would be swell if Sasha had his shot back already and if Fish was 5 years younger, but didn’t those same people take care of business (however less than stellar, it was still DONE) with Kobe out?
I mean seriously people, it’s not like at the deadline we turned into the Nets for christsakes!
people still don't realize the positive impact the Artest / Ariza swap had on this team's title chances
Even with the massive upgrades to the Mavs, Spurs, Nuggs, Cavs, etc the Lakers are STILL the favorites.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
i have a hard time believing that Kobe won't be out there tonight. and yes...celtic nation
is very concerned about this team and the window being shut, locked and sealed shut
by celticinorlando on Feb 18, 2010 2:40 PM PST reply actions
welcome...i know I seen you here before.
Personally I wish the Lakers faced the Celtics to avenge what happened two years ago.
"If you want to find the dumbest guy in the room just find the first guy to tell you how smart he is." - JG
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Feb 18, 2010 2:43 PM PST up reply actions
thanks. very impressive the wins you have had without kobe. and honestly, gasol and bynum concern
me much more than kobe does. perkins has been bad lately and bynum was huge in the first game. i am just hoping boston can keep it close tonight. this celtics team is quite frustrating. they continue to blow double digit second half leads only to lose late. starters are not getting it done. fear is age and injuries are catching them. anyway…cheers and good luck tonight
by celticinorlando on Feb 18, 2010 2:49 PM PST up reply actions
whoa... a nice celtics fan...
probably because you’re in orlando lol
Kobe: "If you’re afraid to fail, then you’re probably going to fail," he says, laughing. "You know what I mean? Fuck it."
actually relocated to ohio from orlando 1.5 years ago...cav fans are horrible to deal with on a
daily basis!! and now with jamison….awful
by celticinorlando on Feb 18, 2010 3:32 PM PST up reply actions
I agree with you
Cavs fans are MOSTLY bandwagoners, because of Bron… But there are exceptions to this rule.
Is Nate Robinson suiting up tonight?
Prob not
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
Orlando is the deepest TEAM in the league. Howard, Gortat and Bass Cancel out Shaq, Z and Powe
They can still play the same defense that beat Cleveland last year. The matchups are a little different cuz of Hedo, the same laws still apply to beating Cleveland.
by GRICE on Feb 18, 2010 3:11 PM PST reply actions
not if Ilgauskas goes back to Cleveland...
"If you want to find the dumbest guy in the room just find the first guy to tell you how smart he is." - JG
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Feb 18, 2010 3:28 PM PST up reply actions
Orlando is still deeper
Their tenth and eleventh men are Marcin Gortat and Brandon Bass. Problem has been integrating all that talent.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
They don't Gortat enough. I saw them imploy Howard and Gortat on the floor at the same time.
That is their best defensive frontcourt alignment. I think SVG used that frontcourt against the Celtics in their last meeting.
Brandon Bass can be used more often if SVG didn’t love the three so much.
I personally think a lot of this would balance out
If SVG would cave in and play Lewis at the three. Gives Anderson and Bass consistent minutes, helps negate some bad parts of that wing rotation, and (usually) gives Lewis an advantageous matchup at the three. Probably won’t happen though.
And yeah, the Gortat-Howard lineup is pretty effective defensively. Can’t say I’d be comfortable with it for long stretches until Howard develops a jumper though.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
Gortat is starting to step out to 15 feet with the jumper too. I guess he and Howard have
been working on that part of their games.
the carter trade hasnt worked out well for them
VC has been just awful of late
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
His February stats
22.1 ppg on 51.8% shooting, 56.7% from three, disagree with you.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
in January
he was shooting 28% from the field or something close to that though
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
Yes, but he was playing with a shoulder injury
This month’s stats are pretty indicative that this isn’t the case and you said “of late.”
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
I heard a rumor we might acquire some guard
named Kobe Bryant at some point this year. I hope so, I heard that guy is awesome, but it’s hard to ever find any coverage of the guy. I guess since we are on a 4 game win streak, bringing this guy in will lead us straight to the top (as long as he doesn’t disrupt the chemestry or take any minutes from the Machine).
No more raining on Bruins Nation's rainy parade, they took their ball and went home.
will be a real good game...
I wouldn’t be suprised if we don’t come out on though.
No Mamba
"Champions aren't made in the gym. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision."
- Muhammad Ali
"Words of wisdom is nothing but foolishness to the unwise"
run run run run run
that’s how the Lakers will beat the Celtics tonight.
If they run it’s very possible that they get a win. That’s how they won in Utah. Play hard, naggy defense, force some turnovers or bad shots, and RUN the floor with LO, Brown, Gasol, and Farmar
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
“We have to trust that he’s looking at the long picture here,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said of Bryant. “That’s good enough for us, because it’s the long picture we’re looking at, too. I think it’s reasonable that he’s doing this (sitting out).”
http://www.dailynews.com/ci_14423461?source=rss
"There is no substitute for hustle and if you don't hustle there will be a substitute." -Tex Winter
Ron’s been saying all the right things ever since he got here.
"We’ve got a really good team. But with Kobe, we’re one of the all-time great teams – because he’s one of the all-time great players," Artest said. "We need Kobe back, but he’s got to get healthy first and foremost."http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview;ylt=AjUt_1gnLd9XCzGNr.aSUm8vLYF?gid=2010021813
"There is no substitute for hustle and if you don't hustle there will be a substitute." -Tex Winter
I'm glad kobe is trying to let his ankle/tendon get to 100%
though, if this drags on too long, i might be a little concerned. hopefully he doesn’t become like chris paul this year or garnett last year knock on wood
He never guardds the other teams' best
that’s just a myth.
I hope people realize that Melo IS guarding James and he’s slowed him down too
This is one of the few times you will actually see me cheering for Denver
I hope all the naysayers and L-east coast writers that called the Western Conference ‘powder puff creamy teams’ take not and see how the supposed physical Cavaliers get pushed around by Denver.
I’m still so PISSED at that comment that I avoid all things basketball related on ESPN except for the actual game.
Numbaz 1st quarter
Denver 31 – Cleveland 21
eeewwwwwwww
I’m taking the Nugs too though
No more raining on Bruins Nation's rainy parade, they took their ball and went home.
damn its pretty amazing that Shaq still requies a double team
This is where having jamison is really gonna help. You have to double Shaq and most team’s are prolly gonna double off of Jamison since he’s statistically the worst 3pt shooter of their other starters, but he can still shoot it well. Thats what scares me. Come to think of it, its not even Jamison thats gonna make the biggest difference for them, its fuckn Shaq!
I'm glad the Lakers aren't playing Denver tonight
because I’d make “cancer” a drinking-game trigger, and then a bunch of people would call me a dick.
Twitter feed: @dexterfishmore
so fuckn cold Dex
have fun burning in hell and sucking Satan’s dick.
by desecrator09 on Feb 18, 2010 5:53 PM PST up reply actions
My Mother has Breast Cancer, it's hard. I only wish Coach Karl and his family the best going forward. Beat it George!
by GRICE on Feb 18, 2010 5:51 PM PST reply actions
Throat and neck
Twitter feed: @dexterfishmore
by DexterFishmore on Feb 18, 2010 5:55 PM PST up reply actions
Ehhhh, not sure
Sounds like it, but I don’t really know.
Twitter feed: @dexterfishmore
by DexterFishmore on Feb 18, 2010 5:56 PM PST up reply actions
You're not a dick, just extremely sarcastic. I dig that vibe. No one call him a dick
by GRICE on Feb 18, 2010 5:53 PM PST reply actions
Obviously I wish George Karl the best
I just doubt he wants the TNT guys mentioning it every seven minutes. I wouldn’t.
Twitter feed: @dexterfishmore
by DexterFishmore on Feb 18, 2010 5:54 PM PST up reply actions
Treatable. I wish Doctor's could stop using that word. It won't stop people from crying or saying 'oh shit I have it.'
by GRICE on Feb 18, 2010 5:57 PM PST reply actions
Lol. Listening to the TNT halftime crew, you'd think they Lebron James fan. They were
discussing how Lebron was defending Anthony, but failed to mention vice-versa.
I freaking hate Charles....
that fat ass is annoying…
he changes his mind about everyone every second…
he’s a dumb ass…
he thinks he has credibility to criticize on what makes a “good” player or who is the “best” player in the league…
he has the attention span of a jelly doughnut
Kobe: "If you’re afraid to fail, then you’re probably going to fail," he says, laughing. "You know what I mean? Fuck it."
I'll have to put soap in my mouth for saying this:
go nuggets, eww
The PuertoRican Kid
by Kobe:The Legend on Feb 18, 2010 6:43 PM PST reply actions
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