The Los Angeles Lakers Thread

[Zog]

I don't blame you for being worried, but personally I am still very scared of the Lakers. Kobe will never go down without a fight and they are still the Champs until someone beats them.

No reason to be scared of the Lakers.

Last year I was scared of the Lakers. I wasn't scared of the Magic last year, but I never thought we could beat the Lakers in a 7 game series. This year, we have the pieces to beat anyone, anywhere, no matter how well they're playing.

The Lakers' talent level is scary, yes. But the Lakers AS A TEAM are not scary.

 

[Gimme Some Mo]

Lakers are playing the Thunder in the 1st round.

LA went 3-1 vs OKC this year but lost the last meeting by 16.

If Bynum is out, I can see OKC making it a decent series, but losing in 6 or 7.

If Bynum plays and is even 50% effective, I can't see OKC competing at all with their lack of quality bigs to battle Pau and Bynum.

 

[chrisrich91]

I have a feeling this Thunder/Lakers first round will be reminiscent of the 2006 Cavs who couldn't overcome the Pistons just yet with their budding superstar, but started to seem like they were about ready to take over...

 

[Zog]

Lakers are playing the Thunder in the 1st round.

LA went 3-1 vs OKC this year but lost the last meeting by 16.

If Bynum is out, I can see OKC making it a decent series, but losing in 6 or 7.

If Bynum plays and is even 50% effective, I can't see OKC competing at all with their lack of quality bigs to battle Pau and Bynum.

Agreed. With Bynum, Thunder have no shot. No Bynum, I like their chances if they canr steal game 1.

Sefalosha on Kobe. Assortment of bigs (Kristic, Collison, Ibaka) on Gasol, Green on Odom. Those are the three most important matchups if Bynum is out for the opposing team, and the Thunder have them covered pretty well.

Offensively, if Durant can still score efficiently against Artest, then the Thunder should be ok. The Lakers might have to put Kobe on Westbrook, as he will just abuse Fisher.

Again, steal game 1 and maybe they have a chance.

 

[wuck]

Better for Laker haters that they drew OKC in the first round, rather than a Portland team without a healthy Roy.

OKC will at least play hard, even though they've had trouble closing recent games. Whatever team draws Portland will likely get some extra rest before the 2nd round, although the injured Blazers are true overachievers.

I think we'll start to see in the playoffs whether the Lakers can finally get things together. I reserve the right to worry a lot about them if they start to focus, even though their bench is bad and is that much worse when Bynum is sitting.

 

[GoGetta]

Fuck. I wouldnt mind a LA-OKC series if Kristic was playing and bynum was out.. but kristic is out and bynum is playing.

there way to big for okc.

spurs wouldve been a great series.

 

[Heej]

When we win it all this year, we better not have someone like Joey Buss say the acceptance speech:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbOkrbhAgEI

I laughed so hard watching, and PJ's face is just priceless.

 

[Spencer Hawes]

I don't blame you for being worried, but personally I am still very scared of the Lakers. Kobe will never go down without a fight and they are still the Champs until someone beats them.

Kobe gave up vs the Suns in the playoffs a few years back. :chuckles:

 

[BA_CavsFan]

I think the Lakers are still as big of a threat as they were last year - it's just that this year they aren't the unanimous favorite to come out of the west. Dallas, Phoenix, Denver, Utah, and even San Antonio could prevent the Lakers from repeating. We'd almost be hypocrites saying the Lakers were done because they also have their starting center injured. But I guess that just shows how much deeper the Cavs are compared the them.

 

[Silky Smooth]

I was watching E:60 and Philly fans are my second favorite(Cavs fans being 1st) because they want to rip Kobe a new asshole. I love it!!!

 

[CHIMOCHIS]

I think the Lakers are still as big of a threat as they were last year - it's just that this year they aren't the unanimous favorite to come out of the west. Dallas, Phoenix, Denver, Utah, and even San Antonio could prevent the Lakers from repeating. We'd almost be hypocrites saying the Lakers were done because they also have their starting center injured. But I guess that just shows how much deeper the Cavs are compared the them.

Exactly, lakers will still get to the finals. Bynum makes that team go

 

[Triumph36]

Lakers are playing the Thunder in the 1st round.

LA went 3-1 vs OKC this year but lost the last meeting by 16.

If Bynum is out, I can see OKC making it a decent series, but losing in 6 or 7.

If Bynum plays and is even 50% effective, I can't see OKC competing at all with their lack of quality bigs to battle Pau and Bynum.

And 2 of LA's wins were by 3 points. OKC is going to pull the upset obv.

But really, I'd be happy if they took it to 6 or 7. The more games LA plays the better Not gonna happen without a better inside presence though IMO.

FWIW - On Monday, Bynum ran on an altered-gravity treadmill for 20 min and was pain-free. Wonder how much he'll do the rest of the week....really don't want to see him play in the first round.

 

[Absinthe]

Kobe seems to be getting a free pass on playing injured and I don't agree with it. The most logical thing for him to do was to have surgery on his finger, let it heal, and come back 100%. The Lakers might have slipped to the second or third seed, but seeding is irrelevant when Kobe is healthy. Instead, he decided to play through the injury and has really put his team in a lot of jeopardy. They have the number one seed, but they're hobbling into the playoffs with injuries while they've been playing some thoroughly mediocre basketball. No one is going to tell Kobe, "I don't care if you are injured---you CAN'T sit." What he did is selfish and he is hurting his team. His shooting continues to be unimpressive and that isn't going to magically change in the playoffs. I don't understand why he didn't sit, get healthy, and go into the playoffs with something to prove.

 

[Clinton91]

Kobe seems to be getting a free pass on playing injured and I don't agree with it. The most logical thing for him to do was to have surgery on his finger, let it heal, and come back 100%. The Lakers might have slipped to the second or third seed, but seeding is irrelevant when Kobe is healthy. Instead, he decided to play through the injury and has really put his team in a lot of jeopardy. They have the number one seed, but they're hobbling into the playoffs with injuries while they've been playing some thoroughly mediocre basketball. No one is going to tell Kobe, "I don't care if you are injured---you CAN'T sit." What he did is selfish and he is hurting his team. His shooting continues to be unimpressive and that isn't going to magically change in the playoffs. I don't understand why he didn't sit, get healthy, and go into the playoffs with something to prove.

Who cares, his finger can fucking fall off for all I care.

 

[Imadogg]

Worst 1st seed in the conference 57 win season ever.

Here's to showing up in the playoffs.