Do the Lakers scare you

[D-Dogg]

Scoreboard.



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

That made me laugh, literally, out loud. Touche.


If it makes you feel better, recently Lakers.com had a poll of who was the Lakers' biggest rival (Boston, Sacramento, Utah, San Antone, Suns)

Suns won handily, like 48 percent of the vote. 80K voters.

You don't become a rival by hanging around a team, you become a rival by beating them. You've done something that the Kings failed to do, and that's make Lakerfans take you seriously.

 

[LakeShowMan]

Why all the arguing over a series that happened 6 months ago. Both teams are totally different and IMO better.

My only hope is that both teams are completely healthy come playoff time and may the best team win.

With all that said, any Suns fan that doesn't think that a completely healthy Laker team will be capable of playing with their team come playoff time is in for a rude awakening, in my opinion.

 

[Mainstreet]

It's not a fallback, it is a fact of life. You play through the calls, good and bad. And I disagree with your point...it is highly likely that Tim Thomas doesn't make that shot and the series is over.

Replay it again with the same squads and the Lakers still have a fantastic gameplan and Phil outcoaches D'Antoni. You want to throw variables out there, maybe Smush doesn't choke in three straight games this time.

The Suns fans underestimated the Lakers based on the style of the regular season matchups where the Lakers countered with small ball lineups and got beat. Countless times I posted that the playoff gameplan would be different, and the times we employed it in the regular season it was successful against the Suns. The series was what it was not because the Suns were "off" but because they were matched up against a successful gameplan designed specifically to take them out, and it was executed well for a majority of the series. It came close. Both teams learned from it and if you notice the way the Lakers are playing this year they are showing that they learned from the experience.

The only way replaying it would lead to a significant change for the Suns would be if the Suns got to keep the memories of what happened, and the Lakers didn't. It's a silly argument.

Just keep thinking the Suns are lucky to win close ball games. Good teams win close ball games. I look at the Laker series in the playoffs last year as the Suns had to win game 4 twice. Enough said.

Also let's not forget that Kobe decided not to play his best in the deciding game. I think the Lakers would have had a chance if Kobe had decided to show up. Yes, players do lose ball games. The Suns made the plays when they needed to in the playoffs, the Lakers did not.

 

[D-Dogg]

Just keep thinking the Suns are lucky to win close ball games. Good teams win close ball games. I look at the Laker series in the playoffs last year as the Suns had to win game 4 twice. Enough said.

Also let's not forget that Kobe decided not to play his best in the deciding game. I think the Lakers would have had a chance if Kobe had decided to show up. Yes, players do lose ball games. The Suns made the plays when they needed to in the playoffs, the Lakers did not.

I don't think they were lucky. One of the things the Lakers sucked at last year was winning close games...they never did. They are this year and I am very happy because you are right, good teams win close games.

The lakers as a whole didn't show up for that game 7. Tim Thomas put the suns in OT in game 6 and the Suns controlled from there on out. He made a big play.

The Suns made the plays when they needed to in the playoffs, the Lakers did not

I could not agree with you more.

 

[jbeecham]

Why all the arguing over a series that happened 6 months ago. Both teams are totally different and IMO better.

My only hope is that both teams are completely healthy come playoff time and may the best team win.

With all that said, any Suns fan that doesn't think that a completely healthy Laker team will be capable of playing with their team come playoff time is in for a rude awakening, in my opinion.

I completely agree. If both teams are healthy and meet in the playoffs then it's going to be a dogfight. Last year doesn't matter, these are different teams with improved players (Amare, Kurt Thomas for the Suns; Brown, Bynum etc for the Lakers). I like what Phil Jackson does by playing his end of bench guys during the season and preparing them in case he needs them in the playoffs. D'Antoni is more concerned about winning games now, even if it means wearing out his top 8 guys because he doesn't trust 9-12 to play in significant minutes (they haven't earned the trust when they have played).

 

[Chaplin]

Why all the arguing over a series that happened 6 months ago. Both teams are totally different and IMO better.

My only hope is that both teams are completely healthy come playoff time and may the best team win.

With all that said, any Suns fan that doesn't think that a completely healthy Laker team will be capable of playing with their team come playoff time is in for a rude awakening, in my opinion.

LSM, nobody said that the Lakers couldn't play with the Suns. I do firmly believe, however, that the Lakers cannot beat us in a 7-game series. There are probably only 3 or 4 teams that can actually say that--the other 25? You could probably handle them.

 

[Skkorpion]

Let's see who is healthy in April. Then I'll start worrying.

 

[Nash]

haha. did anyone notice Bryant show some love for Bynum now? It happened with around 2:00 to go in the first half against the Mavs. He gave Bynum a mouthful, in fact a pretty colorful mouthful (from my limited lip reading skills).

yeah he is a great teammate.

 

[D-Dogg]

haha. did anyone notice Bryant show some love for Bynum now? It happened with around 2:00 to go in the first half against the Mavs. He gave Bynum a mouthful, in fact a pretty colorful mouthful (from my limited lip reading skills).

yeah he is a great teammate.

And how great of a teammate was Jordan when he punched his players in the face?

 

[D-Dogg]

And by the way, I would have been happy to see him punch him in the face. Getting outrebounded like that is unacceptable unless you have a vagina.

 

[schwalbhimself]

lakers are *******

<>

 

[slinslin]

What I am enjoying most is that the Lakers are giving up MORE Points per game than we do, serves them right after reading so often how we suck on defense because we give up over 100 not taking into consideration that we score over 110.

 

[D-Dogg]

What I am enjoying most is that the Lakers are giving up MORE Points per game than we do, serves them right after reading so often how we suck on defense because we give up over 100 not taking into consideration that we score over 110.

I've been complaining about the Lakers defense and rebounding all season. They are scoring 8 points more a game this year, but allowing about 4 points more from last season. (Last I checked, the Lakers and Suns were both allowing 102 per game).

Their defense has been poor, especially in crunch time, and extremely inconsistent rebounding...especially offensive boards which push that point total up. Rebounding is the achilles heel of this team, and with Lamar out it is amplified.

Nothing frustrates me more than getting outrebounded, especially like we did tonight.

 

[Bufalay]

ddogg,

I am wondering why, as a laker fan, you have 10,000 posts on a phoenix suns board.

just curious.

 

[panfolk]

ddogg,

I am wondering why, as a laker fan, you have 10,000 posts on a phoenix suns board.

just curious.

the Cardinals I'm guessing...

 

[jbeecham]

What scares me right now is that Dallas is on their 3rd big winning streak of the season and they don't play a top opponent until they play us on March 14. They do play Chicago, Orlando, Houston & Cleveland a couple of times and the Lakers on March 11th, but they could be on a 27 game winning streak going into the game against us. They'll probably have a letdown eventually, but they've got a very favorable schedule over the next 2 months.

 

[Errntknght]

I'd say that Dallas is our number one concern and while the Spurs aren't doing well now, we still have to demonstrate that we can beat them. The Lakers are doing surprisingly well without Odom and Kwame and they figure to improve between now and the playoffs because their young guys are getting lots of playing time - and they're all getting more time with PJ's triangle. I think they'll be significantly better this year than last, assuming Odom comes back and returns to form. Their bench will be a lot more help, especially Bynum and Farmar - and they fit in just where help is most likely to be needed. Heck, Radman could get hot like he recently did against the Spurs - he's been anything but dependable but he could swing the tide in a game or two.
Fortunately the Suns are better than last year and improving as well but it will a heck of a series if it comes to pass - as of today, the Lakers are in the 1-4-5-8 bracket with the Mavs so we probably wouldn't face them at all if that were to hold up. Of course, they're only one game behind the Spurs and one game ahead of Houston so its still wide open which bracket they'll wind up in.

 

[CardNots]

Really, I'm just happy having so many good teams in the West. It is great to have the SUNs and Lakers near the top. Makes for great games during the regular season. Wouldn't want it any other way.

I worry about any team we play.

 

[BC867]

The Lakers are a good team. They are NOT a championship contender, however.

That said, no team "scares" me against the Suns, not even Dallas. I look forward to great games between the two teams--but I still believe we are the better and more talented team.

Last night against the Lakers, the Mavs starting front court had rebound totals of 11, 10 and 10.

The rest of the team added another 22. And Dallas outrebounded L.A. 53 to 28. 53 to 28!

The two leading scorers in the game were in the Dallas frontcourt.

Take note, Suns. A frontcourt oriented team represents strength, especially as you get closer to the post-season.

And Dallas went with a 9-man rotation. Not 7. Not 8.

It's why the Mavs are, and will be, the team to beat in the West.

 

[D-Dogg]

ddogg,

I am wondering why, as a laker fan, you have 10,000 posts on a phoenix suns board.

just curious.

I probably have 100 posts on this board. You do know this is decidedly a Cardinals forum, with that board having three times as many posts as the Suns board? P&R and Everything Else are close to the number of posts on the Suns board.

I happen to be that odd mix of Cardinals fan and Lakers fan.

 

[D-Dogg]

Last night against the Lakers, the Mavs starting front court had rebound totals of 11, 10 and 10.

The rest of the team added another 22. And Dallas outrebounded L.A. 53 to 28. 53 to 28!

The two leading scorers in the game were in the Dallas frontcourt.

Take note, Suns. A frontcourt oriented team represents strength, especially as you get closer to the post-season.

And Dallas went with a 9-man rotation. Not 7. Not 8.

It's why the Mavs are, and will be, the team to beat in the West.

Last year I feared the Spurs, the Suns and the Mavs, in that order. And there was a gap between the Suns and Mavs.

I'm not liking this Mavs team I see this year...they are good defensively, good rebounding and at the level Dirk is playing they are clearly the team to beat.

I've said on here that I don't mind the Lakers/Suns matchup or the Lakers/Spurs. I think Phil has solid gameplans to play both clubs. At this point, I don't think that Phil has a playoff gameplan for Dallas, especially with their rebounding. They have outrebounded the Lakers in every game, even the one we won. That bodes very ill in a playoff matchup.

For the first time, I can say I want no part of Dallas in the playoffs (I used to want to play them as they were soft). I prefer to meet with the Spurs.

 

[CardNots]

Last year I feared the Spurs, the Suns and the Mavs, in that order. And there was a gap between the Suns and Mavs.

I'm not liking this Mavs team I see this year...they are good defensively, good rebounding and at the level Dirk is playing they are clearly the team to beat.

I've said on here that I don't mind the Lakers/Suns matchup or the Lakers/Spurs. I think Phil has solid gameplans to play both clubs. At this point, I don't think that Phil has a playoff gameplan for Dallas, especially with their rebounding. They have outrebounded the Lakers in every game, even the one we won. That bodes very ill in a playoff matchup.

For the first time, I can say I want no part of Dallas in the playoffs (I used to want to play them as they were soft). I prefer to meet with the Spurs.

I hear what you are saying but I'm not sure the Mavs will want a matchup with a healthy Laker team. Don't you have some key people out? I understand the game is played with the people on the court but I always worry when the SUNs are playing a team with a great coach ala Jackson and Sloan. From a coaching aspect the Mavs don't scare me much.

 

[Skumbag]

i want them all... i do not want to leave the playoffs w/o proving to everyone that the suns have an elite ball club. whether or not we win, that's a different story...

...but at least i can tell my kids that i watched the most entertaining basketball team since the harlem globetrotters

 

[D-Dogg]

I hear what you are saying but I'm not sure the Mavs will want a matchup with a healthy Laker team. Don't you have some key people out? I understand the game is played with the people on the court but I always worry when the SUNs are playing a team with a great coach ala Jackson and Sloan. From a coaching aspect the Mavs don't scare me much.

Healthy it would be a better matchup, but we haven't played the Mavs with Lamar this season at all in three meetings, and just once with Kwame. I would think the matchup would be better, but Howard, Terry, Stackhouse and Dirk are tough guards especially when hitting shots like they are right now. Rebounding is KEY to beating that Mavs team, and it is a weak spot for the Lakers at the moment. I don't think Phil has a gameplan for them (although I liked Farmar on Terry, he played him well.)

I wouldn't disregard Avery though...he has really put a stamp on this team and I think he's a good coach. He's no Phil or Sloan, but he's good.

The West is just so damn TOUGH.

 

[Covert Rain]

The Lakers just don't scare me at all. I mean with Amare and Kurt in the playoffs, the Lakers can't push us around in the middle like they did last year. As long as the game isn't tied with Kobe having the last shot every single game....the "Laker" can't beat us in a 7 game series.

The team that still worries me the most is Dallas. It seems like every time the Suns do something well....Dallas says I can do it too. Dallas is on it's second big streak as well as the Suns. These teams are both so good. Obviously Dallas is worried about the Suns because they keep looking to improve the team through trades. It will be the ultimate showdown should these teams meet the playoffs.