Do the Lakers scare you

[slinslin]

Yes, and I've outlined why. You all underestimate how difficult it was to guard that Suns team last year which ran an offense that could be called "chicken with its head cut off" and ran it perfectly.

You realize that the Suns are better offensively this year? By almost 3 points per game?

Give me a break the only reason the Lakers made it a series aside from the poor officiating in game 2 and 3 was that the Suns missed ALL of their big man allowing the Lakers to dominate in the paint.

 

[jenna2891]

Calls don't decide ballgames. Players do.

headlines don't sell papes. newsies sell papes.


i'm more worried about dallas than la, but that's not to say the lakers are to be taken lightly.

so, for tonight, go lakers!

Spoiler

wow, i just died a little inside from saying that.

 

[D-Dogg]

You realize that the Suns are better offensively this year? By almost 3 points per game?

Yes. And I still stand by what I said. It is infinitely harder to defend "chicken decapitation" offense than traditional offense. I like the matchups better against traditional offense.

 

[D-Dogg]

Second of all, that blatand bad calls in game 2 were the ONLY reason the Lakers didn't go down 0-2 and made it this series. If you try to dispute that call when Walton fouled Nash and stepped out of bounds I can't help you..

That was game 4, and it put us up 3-1. It would have been tied otherwise.

And you know what, that call didn't end the game. Kobe made two great shots after that to win it, or it STILL would have been a suns win.

I posted this then:

The way I see it was you had a couple of questionable calls by the refs. Kobe made two amazing shots.

The refs aren't known for being good shooters. We may have been given an opportunity to do something, but we actually DID something.

Kobe misses one of those two shots, and the series is tied.

Players win games. Calls do not. Players lose games. Calls do not.

 

[devilalum]

Of course I'm afraid of what Kobe might do to my daughter but she is only 4 and we never let her out of our sight.

 

[F-Dog]

smack forum

 

[Gaddabout]

Uh, it was last year that we pushed the Suns to 7 games when most of you were clamoring for a sweep. It was last year that we Lakers fans talked about liking the Lakers/Suns matchup for the very same reasons you just put as a positive for the Suns. Kobe enjoys being chained to a philosophy that wins games, whatever it may need to be.

What concerns me is not that the Suns like to run and that would hurt us (it always does) but that they have improved in the half-court set this season. When the playoffs come, and the half court set dominates it comes down to execution. It is a fantastic matchup.

Our matchup problems with the Suns come only when we try to go small ball with your team and run with them (as we did in every regular season game last year with the Suns). When we slow tempo and make it half-court, I like the matchups.

Like I said, you can slow it down and take your best player out of rhythm, but it will cause problems with the Suns offense. You can make the Suns work harder than they're used to for points.

But the fact remains the only way to beat the Suns is to play disciplined and run at your best spots ... and do this without getting caught up in the Suns' pace. You're not going to accomplish this with Smush Parker on the floor.

I could see another 7-game series, but I still don't think the Lakers have the horses to beat the Suns. You need a Shawn Marion type, like Dallas and Josh Howard, a wing or guard who can get some cheap points and play the undercard to Kobe.

 

[PHX 32]

no

 

[D-Dogg]

Like I said, you can slow it down and take your best player out of rhythm, but it will cause problems with the Suns offense. You can make the Suns work harder than they're used to for points.

But the fact remains the only way to beat the Suns is to play disciplined and run at your best spots ... and do this without getting caught up in the Suns' pace. You're not going to accomplish this with Smush Parker on the floor.

I could see another 7-game series, but I still don't think the Lakers have the horses to beat the Suns. You need a Shawn Marion type, like Dallas and Josh Howard, a wing or guard who can get some cheap points and play the undercard to Kobe.

Good point about Smush Parker. He begs to be caught up in that pace (took some amazingly quick shots last night).

I hope that if that happens, Farmar will have progressed enough to be cool under pressure and relive Smush and slow the tempo. However he still showcases rookie-itis too often. Phil is playing him for a reason though, and I think Phil is a genius with his eye always on the playoffs.

Nice reply...thank you.

 

[slinslin]

And you know what, that call didn't end the game. Kobe made two great shots after that to win it, or it STILL would have been a suns win.

Players win games. Calls do not. Players lose games. Calls do not.

Rofl, without those calls the Lakers would have NEVER had the ball.

 

[Chaplin]

You have summed it up perfectly. Yes, I completely believe that. You may have been one-dimensional last year but flawlessly so. It was a difficult guard because the ball was flying all over (except the post). You now play a more traditional offense, and though you do it very well it isn't as confusing or mindnumbing as the offense you ran last year. I'm more afraid of that type of team than your current one. You are the same in record and scoring, but different in execution. I prefer the current difference, as an opponent.

But you won't run anything us out of anywhere. You have to control the tempo to do that, and the gameplan will not allow it. Caveat here, this is in regards to playoff strategy only; Phil does whatever he wants in the regular season and will probably try to smallball the Suns in the reg season for playoff experience if/when it is needed if we meet post season.

We don't meet for months in the regular season, so its moot right now. And I don't expect us to beat you in the regular season either (we'll probably split). But if we meet in the playoffs, it will be a war.

Your logic is completely flawed. We are a BETTER team this year than last. Not only with Amare, but with our shooting as well. LB is a better player. James Jones is actually shooting a lot better as well (since the leather ball came back).

How is it moot if you are so adamant at that prediction when there is NO evidence to support your point. In fact, the only evidence that DOES exist is the complete opposite of your argument!

 

[D-Dogg]

Rofl, without those calls the Lakers would have NEVER had the ball.

ROFL, why didn't you play defense? Didn't you have to lose a jump ball too?

Yes, the call may have given an opportunity but there was still a lot of execution left. The first game of that series Tim Thomas fouled Kobe when he tried to cut the lead to two points...no-call and TT admitted he fouled him. Lakers lost. That's what happens.

The game didn't end on that call...there were chances to secure a Suns victory right after it.

The only way I'd agree with you would be if that were the ONLY bad call made in the entire game. But it wasn't...calls in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th were all important. You didn't lose that game on a call. You lost that game because the call was missed and the Lakers executed on two straight plays and the Suns defense didn't.

 

[msdundee]

In the grand scheme of things, the way things went in Game 4 served a purpose. Nothing -- absolutely nothing -- could have been more motivating for the Suns. So in the end, it was all good.

 

[D-Dogg]

How is it moot if you are so adamant at that prediction when there is NO evidence to support your point. In fact, the only evidence that DOES exist is the complete opposite of your argument!

It is moot because we don't meet until the end of the year.

It isn't a prediction, either. It is an opinion, and I believe it. We'll see how it goes down if it happens. Current scoring stats don't really affect the way a game is played between two teams over a series.

Your offense is great, and strong. But it can be slowed down. All I am saying is I think it is easier to slow down a traditional offense than one like was ran last season. You may score more now, but they come in a different gameflow. I don't see Amare busting a bunch of three pointers. I like the gameflow and how the Lakers would matchup against it better than the gameflow without Amare in there. Just because you are a better team and score more points doesn't mean the matchups improve. There is more to basketball than statistics.

 

[elindholm]

I make a distinction between missed foul calls -- which are normal and always come down to the officials' so-called "judgment" -- and obvious objective transgressions like handling the ball while standing out of bounds.

But whatever, Laker fans. You can continue to believe that last year's teams really were closely matched.

Yes, the call may have given an opportunity but there was still a lot of execution left.

I really don't understand this logic. Basically you're saying that the Suns need to keep winning the game over and over, through each succession of blown calls, in order to have earned the win. If the officials keep giving the Lakers enough chances until finally they convert one, that proves they are the better team, according to you. Bizarre.

It's like having two golfers, with only one of them getting to hit the same approach shot over and over until he finally gets it to within three feet, and then claiming that he "still had to make the putt."

 

[jbeecham]

That was game 4, and it put us up 3-1. It would have been tied otherwise.

And you know what, that call didn't end the game. Kobe made two great shots after that to win it, or it STILL would have been a suns win.

Players win games. Calls do not. Players lose games. Calls do not.

Kobe wouldn't have had the chance to make those plays without the refs blatantly blowing those calls. I was mainly referring to game 4 in my reference to horrible officiating. there were bad calls in other games of the series, but game 4 was digusting. The fan outlash and incredible amount of proof of blantantly bad officiating in game 4 seemed to force the refs to call the game better in 5 through 7 and the Suns won all 3.

 

[justAndy]

ugh - I get a disturbed, nauseous feeling when I see posts from Cardinal fans who are inexplicably also Laker fans.
Not disputing the actual opinions, just wondering "why? how?".
Shouldn't they be Raider fans?
Or Ram fans?

 

[D-Dogg]

I really don't understand this logic. Basically you're saying that the Suns need to keep winning the game over and over, through each succession of blown calls, in order to have earned the win. If the officials keep giving the Lakers enough chances until finally they convert one, that proves they are the better team, according to you. Bizarre

You had one blown call. One. The foot on the line. Now you are manufacturing successive blown calls?

 

[D-Dogg]

Kobe wouldn't have had the chance to make those plays without the refs blatantly blowing those calls. I was mainly referring to game 4 in my reference to horrible officiating. there were bad calls in other games of the series, but game 4 was digusting. The fan outlash and incredible amount of proof of blantantly bad officiating in game 4 seemed to force the refs to call the game better in 5 through 7 and the Suns won all 3.

So the games that the suns won were well officiated, but the ones the Lakers won were terribly called.

Ok, gotcha.

 

[Chaplin]

You had one blown call. One. The foot on the line. Now you are manufacturing successive blown calls?

LOL

 

[Chaz]

Not scared of the Lakers but they are much better this year and playing well. I have been very impressed with their improvement so far.


Last year the Suns didn't really show up with playoff intensity until the second half of game 4 so that series was much closer than the teams were.

Anyone that thinks the Lakers were the better team in the playoffs need only to explain game 7.

 

[elindholm]

You had one blown call. One. The foot on the line. Now you are manufacturing successive blown calls?

Actually, no, there were at least two. There was a blatant traveling violation (several steps) down the stretch, but I don't remember the details.

But it wouldn't matter if there were 50 blown calls, all clearly in the Lakers' favor, because according to you, "players win games." Or, if that's no longer your stance, then how many critical calls should a team be required to overcome in order to earn the victory? What's the magic number?

So the games that the suns won were well officiated, but the ones the Lakers won were terribly called.

Of course. Are you denying large-market bias exists? Surely you can't be that naive. The Suns had to overcome a skewed playing field in order to win that series. They did, and that is to their credit, but it in no way means that the series was fought on square terms.

 

[D-Dogg]

Actually, no, there were at least two. There was a blatant traveling violation (several steps) down the stretch, but I don't remember the details.

But it wouldn't matter if there were 50 blown calls, all clearly in the Lakers' favor, because according to you, "players win games." Or, if that's no longer your stance, then how many critical calls should a team be required to overcome in order to earn the victory? What's the magic number?

So the games that the suns won were well officiated, but the ones the Lakers won were terribly called.

Of course. Are you denying large-market bias exists? Surely you can't be that naive. The Suns had to overcome a skewed playing field in order to win that series. They did, and that is to their credit, but it in no way means that the series was fought on square terms.

I remember in one of the games Tim Thomas dribbled the ball with two hands at once, like a 2 year old, and it wasn't called.

So you really, really want to stick by the "the games the suns won were well officiated and the ones the lakers won were terribly officiated?"

Talk about naive. That's some homerific myopia at play.

 

[jbeecham]

So the games that the suns won were well officiated, but the ones the Lakers won were terribly called.

Ok, gotcha.

I didn't say they were well officiated, just more fair than the previous games. There were still blown calls that both sides complained about, but there weren't blatant game changing missed calls.

 

[elindholm]

Talk about naive. That's some homerific myopia at play.

Scoreboard.



Childish, isn't it? Now you know how Suns fans have felt for years.