How are the Lakers "the team to beat"?

[Ode to Ocho]

I'm gonna have to disagree with you there. The Rockets had that "inside out" offense perfected w/Smith,Elie and Cassell on the perimeter.......and they had 3 legitamite shot-blockers up front w/Hakeem,Thorpe and Horry.
I don't recall who was favored but IMO Houston was the all-around better team.

6th seed playing the 1 seed, Magic demolished Houston in about every statistical category. Magic had two All-NBA players. Deeper team all around. Houston just had the better player in Hakeem. And I know for a fact that Orlando was favored to win that series.

 

[Darth Llama]

You're delusional no offense.

Stopped reading there. What is it about the term "no offense" that people think they can say anything they want as long as they say "no offense" afterward? I tried to be civil to you, you're obviously incapable of such thing, so we're done here.

 

[Joe L]

You're delusional no offense. This is basketball where one player can impose his will and win a series by himself. Phil was completely outcoached in game 7 2000 WCF and it wasn't until Kobe/Shaq stopped running the triangle that that the 'Lakers' team finally woke up.



Compare the talent Phil has had to Larry Brown. Exactly. Phil has coached the 3 best players in the NBA in their primes, in succession.

As for you 2nd round team to three straight titles, another laffo. The team Phil coached where Kobe/Shaq won 3 straight titles was completely different than the ones from years past. Jerry West is the one who trimmed the fat off that allowing Kobe to be the true 2nd option. Not to mention, Kobe was older. Pretty ridiculous to think that coach would have won with the Del Harris teams. Just look at Phil Jackson's history with playing young guys. Exactly. He would have been giving Eddie Jones more minutes than Kobe as well.

Let me just more eyes at Phil, taking a 'projected 7-8 seed'. Which is completely stupid considering the Lakers were 30 and 19 last season before injuries destroyed him. Bynum was a completely different player. Oh yeah Pau Gasol. Yup, all Phil.

Phil is a good coach, who doesn't emphasize defense becaue of the insane talent he has been privlidged to coach. At the end of the day, coaches aren't nearly as big a factor when it comes to winning as the players. Thats a fact. This is a game of 5 on 5, where the players play both ends of the court, 90% of the game. Talent wins out.

The point is, a two huge hand fulls of coaches would have won with that talent.

Great post!

 

[nowagimp]

I'm gonna have to disagree with you there. The Rockets had that "inside out" offense perfected w/Smith,Elie and Cassell on the perimeter.......and they had 3 legitamite shot-blockers up front w/Hakeem,Thorpe and Horry.
I don't recall who was favored but IMO Houston was the all-around better team.

Nah, I disagree, they looked evenly matched. The magic had the best PG in the NBA at that time(penny), shaq, horace grant, nick anderson, dennis scott, and shaq. the rockets had a young cassel, cba'ers mario ellie and maxwell, and "I cant guard anybody" kenny smith. Almost nobody wanted those rocket guards on their team. Thorpe was NOT a shot blocker, averaged 0.4 blocks a game for his career, and horry averaged 1.2 blocks that year, less than shawn marion did for the suns. Hakeem was a monster though, and he did eat shaq up on offense and shaq had trouble with him on defense. As I recall shaq kept getting the offensive fouls called on him, limiting his effectiveness. If shaq could have avoided the offensive fouls, it might have been different.

 

[cobbler]

That just supports your immense ignorance. Wasn't the same team. Post-Kobe Bryant breakout season.

Ohhhhh, so it wasn't ALL Shaq? Kobe actually had something to do with the sucess? Go figure. According to all the haters here, Shaq could have won playing alongside 4 paper bags. Nice of you to give credit where it is due. To deny PJ's coaching skills is immensely more ignorant than anything i have said here. Look at the Laker bench mob this year. Late 2nd round picks developed over a few years and now contributing in a major way.

Didn't the Bulls win one when Jordan took his gambling hiatus as well?

 

[S_Nash]

They would've, but Scottie Pippen wouldn't relinquish his 'crunch time shooter' position....