thegrahamcrackr said:
To be honest, this Lakers team is a bad team.
What Phil has done with the talent is amazing. Anyone who thought that Brown was the best coach in the NBA should look at their different situations.
Brown might have a team from hell, but there is a ton of talent on there. He couldn't even sniff the playoffs in the East. Jackson got this team to the playoffs, then got them playing together against the Suns in this series.
That's right. Phil Jackson has done a wonderful job with that team, and he has them playing their best basketball at the right time. That's not a shot at Mike D'Antoni. I honestly think he's doing the best that could be expected considering the hand he's been dealt this season.
I also love to take shots at Larry Brown, so I definitely agree with you regarding the job he's done with the New York Knicks. I'm sure he would say that it's because these spoiled athletes don't respond to his coaching. That's probably true, but it's part of being a good coach to get them to respond. He was challenged, and he ended up with the worst team in the NBA. I love it.
Back to Jackson... while I do agree that he's done a very good job with the Lakers this year I refuse to give him too much credit for his game plan against the Phoenix Suns. If the Lakers didn't do it this would they would need their heads examined. Everybody and their mom knows how to beat this team, especially with no Kurt Thomas and/or Amare Stoudemire.
As for the referees in that game yesterday, I don't have the big problem with any one particular call or no call at the end of the game. I don't think the referee was in position to see the fouls at the end of overtime. Diaw did try to call timeout, but it was like a split second before Nash was tied up. I actually think nationally the same mistake twice by dribbling himself into that corner.
I still refuse to believe it's some secret mandate by David Stern and the league that dictates how the game is called. I just think the referees make mistakes. They reward the aggressive play, and at the end of the game it takes more to get a foul call. I didn't think any one call or no call at the very end of regulation or overtime was that bad. It was a cumulative effect where there were several questionable or controversial plays, and they all seemed to go in the Lakers favor.
Joe
