So, what now? Calming down might be a good start
by Saurav A. Das on Apr 26, 2010 12:30 PM PDT
in Editorial
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PrintDamn, that was an ugly loss.
Now, let's examine the reasons: Our bigs are freakin babies who let people four inches shorter outrebound them by double figures; our outside shooters have long since gouged out their eyes at the sight of Ammo; the refs are taking money from Clay Bennett; Kobe's getting old and useless and should be traded for Darren Collison while we still have the chance; we should have shipped Drew's injury-prone ass out for Kidd when we had the chance; Pau is a pussy, and we should have kept Marc and Kwame instead; Mitch Kupchak is an idiot; Phil is senile and should be replaced with Byron Scott ASAP; Lamar needs to go into candy rehab; our bench is the worst in NBA history; Voodoo Gods have cursed us with injuries; our team is older than the Celtics; we have lazy players; Kobe accidentally stepped on Brian Shaw's two-thousand-dollar Armani loafers; etc, etc... Did I get everything? (Seriously, tell me if I missed something. I wouldn't want to feel I wasn't doing my job.)
So, what's the conclusion of all these comments/fanposts thrown up in five minutes of alcohol-fueled desperation? The Lakers are going to lose in the first round, they'll be lucky to make it to seven games, this is the beginning of a long, slow, painful decline, Kobe's gonna retire, Brian Shaw is gonna kill us all... etc, etc. Sound about right?
Of course, that's only one side of the story, and what kind of writer would I be if I only examined one perspective? Click on for the other.
The other wing is preaching of how the Lakers are just so much better than the Thunder, how we're not gonna lose another game, how we're going to blow them out from here on out. Little or no reasoning is provided, it's just based on a gut feeling. This is fine, except many members of this wing are speaking in a tone that gives off the impression that they're implying the other group are stupid for even entertaining the notion the Lakers might lose, and even going as far as to ridicule people for trying to examine why the Lakers lost Games Three and Four. Confidence is fine, but some room for rational thought must be allowed. In fact, such overconfidence often suggests subconscious insecurity beneath the surface.
Basically, between these two groups, anarchy rules. Now, I'm not necessarily referring to Silver Screen and Roll, here, I'm just making more of a general statement about the state of Lakerdom around now. There are obviously level-headed fans amongst this, probably the majority, but a trait of level-headed fans is that they stay quiet. A good strategy, but not necessarily one that one must comply to, if they do not wish.
All that's asked is that you stay relatively calm, and are prepared to listen to and understand the viewpoints of others. Now, you folks have been pretty good on this note, but this is just a bit of an advance warning, in case we happen to go down in a series and shit hits the fan.
Onto the actual Lakers. Sure that last loss was the ugliest they'd faced since Game 6 in '08. But how did they bounce back from that fateful day? They dominated near every single meaningful matchup since, and went on to win the title. Sure their attitude nowadays does not mirror that of last year, but actions speak louder than words. Sure their actions have been doing little talking of late, but it is impossible to predict the future.
That's the crux of the matter. No matter what you think might happen, whichever school of thought you subscribe to, there's a good chance you're going to be wrong. And you have to bear that in mind whilst making predictions and labeling them as 'certainties'.
The Lakers' current level and style of play is pretty bafflingly atrocious, and they're tied 2-2. But, give Oklahoma credit. They've got a good team that is outhustling the Lakers to everything (hence their having series advantages in fast-break points, rebounds, blocks and steals). Sure, their crowd probably is scaring their refs into giving OKC the benefit of the whistle; kudos to the crowd. All-in-all, OKC is actually one of the better teams in the playoffs, certainly far better than the Bulls the Cavs have dropped a game to, or the Heat the Celtics have dropped a game to.
More worrying is the fact that the Lakers have said that they've been trying to turn it on, to get that attitude and swagger back, but it just hasn't translated to wins; and now their attitude is pretty.. stoned. Well, our worrying about it isn't going to change that, now, is it?
Now, let me draw some parallels with the last two NBA champions. The '09 Lakers vs. Rockets series. Remember that? 7 games. Random atrocious Laker efforts. Three losses against a team missing its two best players for the majority of the series. Hell, Los Angeles even lost Game One at home. A far from dominating performance. But they went on to win the title. And Kobe credited the wake-up-call of hard basketball from the Rockets as part of what got them ready for Finals-style basketball.
And the Celtics, those very same that beat us by 38 on our own home court. How did they get far enough to beat us by 38? Through two seven-game series with the likes of the Hawks and Cavaliers (neither of which back then was anywhere near a true contender) in the opening rounds. These series far from gave the Celtics the aura of invincibility their fans would have wanted. Hell, it even had many talking heads and ESPN pundits writing off the Celtics, and saying that the Lakers, with their far more dominant playoff performances to date, would take the Celtics in 5 or 6 without trouble. How'd that turn out, ey?
Of course, these are only two examples, and there are doubtless countless others with the exact opposite endings. I'm not saying that these two make it certain the Lakers will advance and win it all, or even highly likely, I'm just saying that the possibility is still there, backed up by very recent historic evidence. It could go either way.
The main root of all these worries is that the Lakers have not been anywhere near dominant throughout this series, and by extension, this season. Deep down, every fan wants dominant victories by their team to reassure them. Unfortunately, dominant victories don't come often. Since the '96 Bulls, no team has been truly dominant all season long, and even they had their issues. Hell, looking at the last bunch of champions, many of them did not win it all due to dominance, but simply due to luck and chance.
The Lakers were dealing with a half-strength Bynum last Finals, and had they not had HCA they would have likely lost. However, the one team that did have HCA against them was knocked out the round before; and they were only knocked out due to unlucky matchups. In 08, one may present a rather strong argument that if the Lakers had a healthy Bynum and Ariza, they would have beaten the Celtics and won it all. The Miami Heat, in 06, only won it all due to a superhuman performance by Wade (possibly with the help of whistles, but that's neither here nor there). The Spurs and Cavs may not have formed the '07 Finals if not for the #1-seed Dallas facing an atrocious matchup with the 'We Believe' Golden State Warriors.
Essentially, it's rare that the team who wins it all is the team pegged to win it all in October. Or January. Or April. It's not even a certainty at the start of June. Why? Because it's not the most dominant team that wins it all, it's simply the last man standing.
Thus, all the Lakers need do is survive. Take it one game at a time, survive each series, and see what awaits them the next.
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first, you are so right
<Thus, all the Lakers need do is survive. Take it one game at a time, survive each series, and see what awaits them the next. >
As a crazy lakers fan, i am so calm right now that i cannot believe it myself…
My head tells me that we going to lose this series, but my lakers for life heart tells me that they still have a fight in them…
It used to be that the Lakers would lose a game and comeback with a huge win.
I used to believe that the Lakers needed to lose a game to win a game, because the best teams always comeback for the Win and ultimately a Series Win. Now, I believe the Lakers are struggling to get a win.
Besides the injuries to Kobe, there is no excuse for not scoring or for the starters to get 15+ points.
The Artest has lost any effect or advantage that he was supposed to bring to LA. He can defend but his shooting is nasty… The Lakers need to get RonRon open for some shots, like Kobe did for Ariza.
Kobe: "If you’re afraid to fail, then you’re probably going to fail," he says, laughing. "You know what I mean? Fuck it."
Ron Ron .....
Is OPEN for shots…..but as he is shooting the 3 ball so shitty use the WIDE open lane to hit closer shots or drive it to the hoop and get the foul! THEN when he is getting easier buckets the rim will look bigger for them wide open 3’s of his he isnt knockin down~!
I don't do it for your thanks, I do it because I had a calling, but I do love the support you give me and my Soldiers.
by Sarge Clemins on Apr 26, 2010 9:28 AM PDT up reply actions
Yes, Kupchak is an idiot.....
..because he has not made a single move to improve this team at least since the Pau trade. And Drew should have been moved for Bosch….. if that ever was a possibility. Kobe is getting old, but if he had some consistent, dependable help, he could continue for a few years without anyone noticing. Our bigs do need to toughen up and Pau IS a pussy, but I’m still happy to have him here. He just needs an enforcer to play alongside. Think Thompson, Rambis, Malone, anyone along those lines. And finally, our bench may not be the worst in NBA history, but they should run for cover if those rankings ever do come out.
I stopped reading at "Bosch"...
Just being honest…
The Lakers aren’t in need of any hardware or appliances…
I stand corrected.
I like both Bosch AND Bosh. Humble apologies.
cool response.
now start being nicer to my Lakers or I’ll cut you. They’re all I’ve got dammit
Ha ha! Nothing like NYC subtlety.
As far as the Lakers go are you sure that Brian Grant, Jumaine Jones, Medvedenko, Brian Cook and Tierre Brown weren’t a little bit worse than this bench?
You gotta be kidding!
Those guys are all world compared to this bunch…..but that is a hell of a try.
The frontcourt isn't the issue and Bosh was never available
That he didn’t turn Morrison into some sort of productive bench or backcourt player is far more relevant at the moment.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
That Kupchak didn't trade*
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
Bosh May not have been available...
..but that was a rumor at the time. You are right about Morrison. I don’t know what is wrong with him, but it is hard to imagine that he could not have been developed into a guy who can come in every now and again and hit some of those shots Artest keeps missing. Wouldn’t mind Radmanovic right now.
Err, I meant he didn't trade Morrison for a more productive player
I had zero expectations for him besides garbage time hilarity. He’ll be playing abroad on some random team next year.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
Only Mitch Kupchak..
…would give up someone worth a damn for poor Ammo.
He's an expiring contract
It didn’t matter who he is — so long as he’s not a corpse, his contract had value. The free agent frenzy of 2010 is just around the corner.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
Just be glad we arent Nuggets fans right now.
our series it tied 2-2. the Thunder did what they were supposed to do and win both their game sat home, just like we did. If the home team wins all the games in this series……. guess what, we win. I dont see the Thunder beating us at home.
It could be a lot worse. Look at the Mavs and nuggets. The west is stacked this year. IMO, anybody in the west could make it to the finals.
"I work my ass off every day in practice. How many other guys can say the same thing? Not many. I'm fighting against becoming soft. That's the worse thing you can say to a basketball player." - Dennis Rodman
Exactly
Is there any “contender” in the West that we would really want to trade places with? Not Denver, facing a 3-1 deficit with another game at Utah and a rapidly depleting energy reserve. Not Dallas, facing a 3-1 deficit and giving Dirk next to nothing with regard to assistance. Not Phoenix, who’ve watched what looked like an easy cruise to the next round become a competitive series with the return of Roy.
Considering, who would you rather be?
The Lakers biggest problem
is 3-pt shooting. Once again Kobe is our only real outside threat on any given night with no one being able to hit a three and they have made us pay by extremely limiting his production in the paint with a slew of blocks, contested shots, and non-calls. Our inside threats have done nothing for all we tote them around as the best big man duo in the game. They’re getting outrebounded, outworked, and hell I’m just waiting for them to get outscored one game so we can stop this whole just throw it inside business. Until the offense is hitting on all cylinders, meaning the 3-ball hits somewhere near average at least, the bigs will continue to be hounded in the paint and Kobe will continue to have to work way too hard to score each basket. We’ve won without fast break points before because we limit the number of fast breaks. All of these long rebs where the Thunder run on them are killing the team. I don’t expect Ron and Kobe and Fisher to keep up with them and neither should you, but I do expect Farmar and Brown and Odom to give them fits when they come in since they’re our fast group. Brown who was great in transition earlier hasn’t really been himself with people who can match his speed and Farmar seems hell-bent on proving that we picked the wrong player in the wrong year from UCLA. A lot has had to go wrong for them to beat us including a 50-ft disparity. 50! Even with all of these advantages they’ve had on us as far as execution and will and energy the only blowout of this series. We just have to hit average, AVERAGE from 3, without the reb disparity and the fast breaks we allow them to get back in the game with, and the complexion of this series is different.
This is who they are
This is similar to how the team underperformed last year during the playoffs. They played very poorly on the road against the Rockets and then went on the win the championship. This is not to say that this year will be the same cause the Lakers are clearly older and slower. I still think if they can squeak out this series they have a good chance of defeating the Jazz, Spurs or Suns so keep your fingers crossed. What I believe is the serious problem with this team is not this year but next and two years from now. I think the biggest mistake was to give KB that huge extension! I mean how in the world is this team going to improve when they’ve given one aging, out of his prime player so much. This team needs to get a quick, all-star caliber PG for next season and I think if Phil retires they need to retire the stagnant old man triangle offense with him. The Lakers shot themselves in the foot financially, in my opinion, by giving KB $90 million extension when he wont be worth it after next season. Lamar is useless also. Trade him and Bynum in a package to get an Chris Paul type point guard and this team will be running and exciting.
LOL. Is there a way to 'Unrec' a post?
No? Okay.
Walks away quietly
HAHAHA!!
Faith.... a fan's biggest downfall
by desecrator09 on Apr 26, 2010 1:11 PM PDT up reply actions
ur name
describes the offense you want to run as well as the offense that has never won any meaningful games.
its an idea
get the team to run some more fastbreaks like the phoenix suns. That could help partially address our scoring woes. I think last game we had only 2 fastbreak points or something ridiculously low like that while the Thunder had 24. I know we arent a very young team, but its something definitely worth trying with the bench. When the Thunder score, catch them off guard and gun it towards the other side of the court or give them a taste of their own medicine and gun it as soon as we chase down a long rebound, rather than slowly walking it up across midcourt.
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
Have you seen Phoenix this postseason?
I rest my case.
Seriously, though, this is not a 'bad' idea for the bench and the bench oftentimes Tries to do this.
They do it unsuccessfully and the game gets out of control quick; they do it successfully and it turns an 8 point lead to a 15 point lead and a timeout for the opposing team.
Its dangerous, exciting, and deadly all at the same time, like sex with a stripper… just sayin’
yes there are risks
buts its still worth trying a few times, considering the potential payoff. Maybe when we have a lead and want to build on it.
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
Absolutely not....
have you not seen our fastbreak this series? wow talk about poor passes, even worse finishes at the hoop.
the simple solution
is to not have fisher or artest on the finishing end of fastbreak….
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
Kobe has been off on the break as well
considering he can’t exactly dunk with efficiency right now its not so bad.
he's not saying just for the bench
he’s talking about scrapping the triangle altogether and make that our style of play.
You know that part in Superman Returns
where Lex Luthor yells “WRONG!!” right in Lois Lane’s face?
Yeah. That.
this is the only thing which I agree with in this statement
I think the biggest mistake was to give KB that huge extension! I mean how in the world is this team going to improve when they’ve given one aging, out of his prime player so much. This team needs to get a quick, all-star caliber PG for next season
we did give him waaaay too much money. The chances that he would leave for New York are extremely low. Im sure he wouldnt have taken much offense to it if they said they were trying to save space to acquire a legitimate starting point guard in the offseason and/or make improvements to the bench. Kobe wants to win more championships and he and the rest of the team all must make sacrifices for this to be possible. A large contract like his could hurt our chances of making those types of essential moves.
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
We're already capped out
It’s a bit pointless at this juncture. Our big worry will be if the new CBA eliminates the MLE.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
That is the nature of the beast.
You don’t want to drag out negotiations with the team’s best player just to save a few dollars. That’s a public relations nightmare.
Kobe’s contract isn’t hindering the Lakers ability to go out and get good players. Stop signing scrubs to extensions when they’re having contract year performances.
tomorrow's winner wins series
If the Lakers can bounce back from their Saturday humiliation and win game 5, it won’t matter what happens in OKC game 6. There is no way the Thunder will win a game 7 in LA.
Big if; There is a big difference between this series and the 08 Houston series. OKC is a better team, not only talent wise but their ability to keep their composure and bounce back from adversity is impressive. They have a young franchise player in Durant that is going to be one of the game’s best. Kobe is not himself and I don’t think he can physically turn it on as he has in the past. But I still think the Lakers have the talent and veteran leadership to pull this one out. All of the top 4 seeds in the West are either tied or behind in their series right now. The playoffs are a marathon and not a sprint. we will see who is left standing in the end.
the problem with this statement
The playoffs are a marathon and not a sprint. we will see who is left standing in the end.
is that the Lakers are not suited to survive a marathon. Too many nagging injuries. Their best hope is to sprint and rest. If they can’t do that, their bodies might fail them.
With 35-year-old Derek Fisher trying to guard him, Westbrook got easier penetration than a porn star
- Kriegel
Yea... because the best thing to do when you need to get a little wind during a big race, is sprint as Fast as you can!
I mean… a marathon, and any other long term event is definitely not served best by ‘sprinting,’ ever. Unless that sprint is given the last quarter mile or the last game or the last lap of said event. Games 3 and 4 of the first round are nothing resembling final legs. I’m sorry, but I do not understand your logic.
you took it too literally. we're talking about basketball
The more game the lakers play, the higher the chance of getting injured/ re-injured and the higher the toll on their bodies. The quicker they finish a series, the less chance of injury and they have the chance to nurse some injuries and rest. It’s as simple as that. Yes, it makes sense to pace yourself in the playoffs because it is a grind but the lakers should avoid doing so if possible because i don’t think they can physically handle the continuous grind in their current condition.
With 35-year-old Derek Fisher trying to guard him, Westbrook got easier penetration than a porn star
- Kriegel
The other wing is preaching of how the Lakers are just so much better than the Thunder, how we’re not gonna lose another game, how we’re gonna blow them out from here on out. Little or no reasoning is provided, it’s just based on a gut feeling. This is fine, except many members of this wing are speaking in a tone such that gives off the impression that they’re implying the other group are stupid for even entertaining the notion the Lakers might lose, and even going as far as to ridicule people for trying to examine why the Lakers lost game 1 and 2. Confidence is fine, but some room for rational thought must be allowed. In fact, such overconfidence often suggests subconscious insecurity beneath the surface.
I bet you got that impression from this post that I made: http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2010/4/24/1442943/lakers-vs-thunder-postgame-report
I just thought there was a little too much negativity from people right after the game saying “we would be lucky to get to game 7” or we are gonna to lose the series considering that we still have homecourt advantage. But yeah it was a bit too radical and baseless. I think the only good time for those kinda negative posts is when we are actually on the brink of elimination. I know on Denver Stiffs they started a movement called “Quitters People United” to spoof the “Melo’s people of Utah” commercial after they fell into a 3-1 hole yesterday. That was kinda funny. But lets hope that doesnt happen or Im gonna be depressed for the next few weeks.
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
That Melo's people of Utah ad was already in bad taste before the Nuggets fell behind,
and now that they’re down 3-1, it just looks ridiculous.
If the Lakers are to end there run for another title in the first round, Artest would get a F for his final grade. Artest has not had a good defensive game against Durant since the opening game. Yeah he is forcing Durant to shot under his 48% from the season, but he is still finding ways to energize his team, doing other things to help his team win. To me he is a better defender then Ariza, but they lose so much offense with him in. I know they are a better defesive team this year, but don’t see much of a big difference, but I do see a huge difference in there offense. Odem must think that because of Artest’s bad shooting, that he should be the one to step out and take unessecary long range shots, but can you blame the guy. They need to do something to make the Thunders pay for double teaming Gasol and Andrew. This dosen’t excuse Gasol and Andrews effort on the board’s.Both guys should be ashame of giving up so many rebound’s, which leads to the Thunders second chance and fast break points. Kobe needs to stay aggresive and froce the refs to call fouls both ways. His shot is not falling and dose not look like it will improve until he takes the summer off.(that means no freakin world championship, Lakers come first). Gasol has been the only bright spot on this team for the last three or two months (other then giving up offensive rebounds)….
by late night show on Apr 26, 2010 1:07 PM PDT reply actions
Lots of questions...
Is it normal that I don’t think Kobe can be Kobe with that cast on his index finger? I’ve been thinking that for a long time now, so is it ok to worry about that now and officially say it is effing up his shot (I know some people think Kobe is the Messiah and science/logic/facts/common sense don’t apply to him)? And also… when Pau is your best spot up shooter, is that bad?
Did anyone see the fuckin rebound when Pau and another Laker got out-rebounded by a thunder player on the ground? That is just ridiculous. Are they going win the series? I really believe that they are. But they are playing like they don’t deserve to win. We can complain about the refs all we want but this team’s effort is horrible. Injuries is one thing but to not play with some pride and heart is really an upsetting thing to watch.
"If you want to find the dumbest guy in the room just find the first guy to tell you how smart he is." - JG
The fact that the Lakers have played to such a high level even through the injuries is a testament to their skill, abilities, and resiliency. - 99bc99
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Apr 26, 2010 2:38 PM PDT reply actions
These are the times I wish we had a 'healthy' Kobe Bryant.
I would pay to have even last year’s version with just 9 fingers to work with.
I give credit to OKC but I think most of our struggles has to do with KB24’s injury which is clearly hampering his ability to ‘take over’ a game effectively, and it’s this feeling that leaves me with a sense of dread as to whether we can successfully defend our title with Kobe having just 8 fingers.
If only Kobe would’ve just taken the time off during the season and healed up properly instead of playing.
As I type i’m already imagining the worst case scenario in which I have to cheer for either Dallas or Orlando to win the title.
I just hope our guys can figure out the mental and physical problems FLIP THE DAMN SWITCH and turn on the supernova because i’m not liking this one bit.
The thought of Cleveland winning and ESPN salivating on LBJ’s nuts is not something I could bear to see.
I don't think Kobe's fingers are the problem, clearly it's his legs.
His shots aren’t falling, he isn’t playing physically enough, or been getting the angles he usually does to draw fouls and the younger legged OKC players are getting the jump on him a bit.
Kobe, after you guys are done in June, please TAKE THE SUMMER OFF!
yeah
but his fingers cause him not to be able to grip the ball as usual. He has 1 dunk throughout this entire series and that was with his left hand. on a wide open lane after a steal right by the basket. He can get up there to dunk, he just can’t finish. Was the problem when Fish tried to give him an alley-oop. He was up but then he thought twice about finishing with his current condition
argh
the NBA should make some kind of a database where you can go back and watch older games. Older games from the 80s and 90s would be good, but perhaps recently played playoff games (such as the game on saturday) and we can see places where things went south. Sometimes when you watch the game live, you get side tracked by on deficiency in your team, you forget about the other issues such as turnovers, rebounding, etc.
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
If Tony Parker can go to the bench why can't Fisher?
It’s done wonders for San Antonio. Whatever the logic it seems that coach Pop feels that Parker coming off the bench would be for the better of the team. Then why not let Fish come off the bench?
"If you want to find the dumbest guy in the room just find the first guy to tell you how smart he is." - JG
The fact that the Lakers have played to such a high level even through the injuries is a testament to their skill, abilities, and resiliency. - 99bc99
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Apr 26, 2010 3:15 PM PDT reply actions
I don't remember which article
but it said fish told Phil to take him out the first time that he doesn’t box out the right way on Westbrook. He even openly admitted to not being able to truly guard Westbrook. Once again don’t remember which article it was in, but it was in the credits.
Celtics never beat us by 38 on our home court
they beat us by 39 (131-92) on THEIR home court in Game 6 of the 2008 NBA finals
“And the Celtics, those very same that beat us by 38 on our own home court.”
Kobe: "I'll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it's sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot."
You know, even more aggravating than the Lakers' play
is the Phoenix Suns. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I cannot stand the way they are playing. That team is in the freaking postseason, and look how they are playing. How did they earn the 3rd seed and the best offense in the NBA and yet the Blazers are making them look completely inept on both offense and defense?
Wait, are you still talking about the Suns?
Sorry I thought I was reading a recap of Game 4 of the Lakers game. (sarcasm)
The Suns-Blazers seems to be a match up of one overrated team playing an underrated one. They seem to be meeting in the middle and making it a close series. Brandon Roy going taking a page form Paul Pierce’s handbook of miracles has helped motivate the Blazers too.
As for the Suns, anyone who thinks these guys are a defense team is fooling themselves. They looked good the last month or so of the season because their schedule was one cream puff after the other with a few gimpy WC powers mixed in to make their SOS look better than it was. The Phoenix style of play hasn’t changed and won’t carry them much further than in recent years.
Plus Portland is a better team than they appear. To his credit Camby has brought some veteran experience and it has made a difference.
Either way, neither team is getting far this year.
common Lakers! lets not panic yet. its two out of three right now and both teams held serve like they are SUPPOSED to. Hell, even the Bucks got two games on their home courts. This is why we get the number 1 seed during the season. For situations like this! We’ll get this game, but I am not going to say anything about game six at the raucous Ford Center. But if game seven ends up at Staples, its Kobe time!
by Fan of the Game on Apr 26, 2010 11:40 PM PDT reply actions
The lakers
Will win the next two games, they will win in 6 games and advance into the next round
but I am pissed that mitch didn’t add another player this year at the trade deadline
the cavs got Jamison for nothing
I’m sure we couldve gotten him for mbenga, AMMO, and vujacic
the wizards wouldve probably waived all of them. and we wouldve been set
this year definetely has been scary, but it’s not like we won the championship
3 years ago, we are the reigning champs, everyone except fish are In. Their
prime and I know this team will come through again for the repeat
they will beat the magic in 6 games
they will split the first 4, then take the final 2 and win in Orlando again
Lakers 2010 Champions , I damn sure believe
lakers are 2 good teams
that’s why they can’t find an identity. Gasol, Odom, Artest, Fisher and Brown is the triangle team. Kobe, Odom, Walton, Bynum and Farmar is the everything goes through Kobe team. Phil should bring Kobe off the bench, along with Bynum. That should force Gasol to bring the best every night instead of waiting for Kobe. Kobe’s team is the more traditional inside outside combination.
If Phil wants to take my advice, please do. Just win.
Saurav great article!
loved it all.
So, what’s the conclusion of all these comments/fanposts thrown up in five minutes of alcohol-fueled desperation? The Lakers are going to lose in the first round, they’ll be lucky to make it to seven games, this is the beginning of a long, slow, painful decline, Kobe’s gonna retire, Brian Shaw is gonna kill us all… etc, etc. Sound about right?
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Great men are never without flaws, but neither are they without magnificent traits that caused them to rise to such heights.
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