How are the Lakers "the team to beat"?

[D-Dogg]

What would the Kobe fans do if he went to the Bucks? A great number would follow I suspect.

I'd wish him well, but I'm a Laker fan first and foremost. I'd hope we got something good in the deal and didn't let him walk for free, and enjoy the rebuilding process.

 

[D-Dogg]

You put yourself and other Laker fans on a pedestal. You know Laker fans aren't immune to being band wagoners either, right?

Nope, not in the least. In fact, the bandwagoners for the Lakers are out in force, are annoying as hell and several of them are in the media.

 

[Chaplin]

Nope, not in the least. In fact, the bandwagoners for the Lakers are out in force, are annoying as hell and several of them are in the media.

Hell, 95% of the writers for ESPN.com are all Laker band wagoners.

 

[D-Dogg]

Hell, 95% of the writers for ESPN.com are all Laker band wagoners.

At the beginning of the season, 95% of them were Laker haters. The media is generally just a bunch of bandwagon momentum riders.

 

[Nash2Amare]

Why?

Pau's impeccable playoff record and experience












0-12 rofl

 

[TheHopToad]

I'm pretty worried (as in scared) about this Laker team. With the addition of Gasol, they are a very good team, without Bynum. If he comes back even close to what he was before the injury, they have to be the favorite to get to the Finals from the West.

Of course they would then get swept by Boston, because the Celtics own the Lakers.

 

[Andrew]

I find it amusing you come here and post your opinion like its the know-all. I am quite a rare breed, I follow Shaq but I have legitamately become a Suns fan (I don't care what you say), truth is I have liked the Suns for years now just never admitted it.

And just to make things clear. I have hated the Lakers since they decided to go with a ballhog and ego maniac instead of the most dominating center in our era. Kobe broke up a dynasty and I will never forgive him for that, thats why I hate the Lakers. My hatred is legit and it has been since Kobe pretty much lost the 04 finals himself.

Go all out and call me whatever you want, but look yourself in the mirror and honestly ask yourself if the Lakers chose O'Neal over Bryant, would you still root for the Lakers?

You don't know me and never will, so please hold your criticism for someone you know, and quite talking about me like you're trying to belittle me.

 

[D-Dogg]

since Kobe pretty much lost the 04 finals himself.

Only in a Shaqfan's eyes...I think Shaq getting completely owned by the smaller Ben Wallace and the engine of the team, Malone, being injured had a damn lot to do with it.

Go all out and call me whatever you want, but look yourself in the mirror and honestly ask yourself if the Lakers chose O'Neal over Bryant, would you still root for the Lakers?

Without a question. I've been a Laker fan all of my 34 years. Why would I switch loyalties because one of a long line of great players left? Name on the front, not the name on the back.

 

[French Fries]

I will never understand floating from team to team. I don't get that? What do you do when Shaq retires? Latch onto someone else? That's as bad IMO as the women I used to work with who suddenly became Green Bay fans and self proclaimed experts because they thought Farve was cute, or people who latch on to the team who wins the championship and have the balls to talk trash like they've earned anything. All of my teams (1 in each sport) sucked for years, I dealt w/ the trash talk, no big deal.. but, when 2 out of 3 (Suns being the exception so far) won it all, it was satisfying, in some way it felt earned. To each their own I guess...

for people who grew up in other countries, sticking to one player is VERY common (probably because we don't have an NBA franchise in our country). if there were an asian team in the NBA then i'll probably be a fan of that team hardcore. to answer your question, when shaq retires, yes, pick another one (i already picked oden actually). fans of nba cities might look on us like we don't have loyalty or something like that, but it's not like we only stick though good times...

anyway, it's freedom of choice, not just because we're born or raised in an nba city (nothing wrong with that by the way)

 

[Andrew]

Shaq put up the numbers he could when he GOT the ball. Malone was a big factor, but wasn't the reason they lost. Seriously, in the last 2 games Kobe took it upon himself to win so he could be called "the man" and a team beat him, not the Lakers.

Keep telling yourself that, you might publically say your a Laker fan and stuff, but when its all said and done it will be Lakers and whoever has Kobe with whoever has Kobe ultimately getting your fandom.

I actually find it quite amusing you were probably all for Shaq when in LA but as soon as he left and took the Lakers' ability to win a playoff series with him, you were like screw him. When in fact, Kobe was the main reason Shaq wanted to leave.

 

[Andrew]

And...if you've been a Lakers fan for so long.

Why have you been a member here since 2003?

Just stop it. My thread caused no harm and it was a legit question. You coming in here and not answering the question I asked and getting personal defeats the whole purpose of this freaking thread. I mean really, why should I care what a Lakers fan who comes to a Suns board more than a Lakers board thinks about me?

 

[arwillan]

the answer to this thread is simple they're not.

the spurs are THE team to beat, bar-none. until someone beats them in a 7 game series, they are the best.

 

[Nash2Amare]

Only in a Shaqfan's eyes...I think Shaq getting completely owned by the smaller Ben Wallace and the engine of the team, Malone, being injured had a damn lot to do with it.

And the fact Kobe put up a brick wall that series.

 

[Andrew]

thanks for answering the question this thread was about, appreciate it. I really do...

 

[D-Dogg]

And...if you've been a Lakers fan for so long.

Why have you been a member here since 2003?

The larger portion of this message board is dedicated to the Arizona Cardinals, which I happen to be a fan of an a season ticket holder for. That's why I post on this board.

A very, very small portion of my posts are in this forum.


Who were you on LakersGround and/or LakersTalk?

 

[Andrew]

I didn't frequently go to the Lakers site or forum, hell I didn't even know about a Lakers fan forum until 04.

 

[D-Dogg]

And the fact Kobe put up a brick wall that series.

Kobe didn't shoot well, that's true. Dude said singlehandedly though, and the only thing that Kobe did singlehandedly was win the second game in OT. His poor shooting, Shaq being dominated by Wallace, the role players refusal to show up, Malone's injury and Payton's hatred of the triangle translated into one hell of a debacle in the finals.

Of course though, it was only because of Kobe. Because after all, he had nothing to do with their three wins but everything to do with their one loss. Or so the story goes.

 

[arwillan]

thanks for answering the question this thread was about, appreciate it. I really do...

not a problem. i hate when my threads drift away as well

 

[Andrew]

Um, how did game 2 get to ot? Shaq? I vividly remember Luke Walton feeding the big guy for what was quite a dunk at the end of regulation.

 

[D-Dogg]

Um, how did game 2 get to ot? Shaq? I vividly remember Luke Walton feeding the big guy for what was quite a dunk at the end of regulation.

Of course you vividly remember it. But it didn't happen that way. That was the last points of the overtime, making it 99-91.

Getting it to OT was a sick shot by Kobe...a three.

Bryant buried a tying 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left in regulation, then took complete control of overtime as the Lakers scrambled for an emotional 99-91 victory over the Pistons that evened the NBA Finals at one game each.

Again showing his outstanding clutch tendencies, Bryant scored 14 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as he pulled the Lakers from the brink of facing an obstacle no team had ever overcome.

Los Angeles was seconds from dropping the first two games at home, and no team ever has won the title after doing that.

With time running out on Los Angeles, Bryant took a dribble step backward and let fly a 3-pointer over Richard Hamilton that splashed through, tying the game at 89-89 and sending the STAPLES Center into pandemonium.

"I felt like Richard was pretty close," Bryant said. "I felt like he was playing good defense. I felt like he was pressuring me. He knew I wanted to go for the three and stayed up close to me."

"We always believe that Kobe can make miracle shots, even when things are not going well for him," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said.

In overtime, Bryant blew past the deflated Pistons, feeding Shaquille O'Neal for a dunk, making a tough drive and tossing in a running banker. O'Neal's dunk off a lob from unlikely hero Luke Walton sealed it at 99-91 with 1:22 to go.

http://www.nba.com/games/20040608/DETLAL/recap.html


Oh, and I'm not the one pretending one of the 1-2 punch was singlehandedly responsible for the loss. Shaq and Kobe worked fantastically together, and NOBODY has gotten him the ball as well as Kobe has. Wade? Ha! Bynum gets to reap the benefits of Kobe learning how to play with a big man.

 

[Andrew]

Sorry I couldn't remember what 5 or so years ago, and I am not sad enough to go google it to prove a point. All I know is Shaq made a dunk to seal the win.

Kobe, especially in the last 2 games, shot every chance he got. Shaq wanted the ball and barely got it from Kobe and that is my main point.

I am done arguing with you because you are what in your 30s? And I am not even 21 that says a whole lot about somebody.

I am done with this thread until it gets back on topic.

 

[SirStefan32]

I would still say that San Antonio is the team to beat in the west, but the Lakers are very close.

Reason #1- Kobe Bryant. He is easily the best player in the NBA right now. There is NOTHING that Bryant can't do.

Reason #2- Phil Jackson. One of the best coaches to ever coach in the NBA.

Reason #3- Frontcourt of Bynum, Gasol, and Odom. That frontcourt is simply amazing. Bynum is still young, but he is one of the most talented centers since Hakeem, Gasol is one of the best PFs in the league. Odom is a match-up nightmare, one of the most versaile players in the game.

Reason #4- rest of the team- Fisher, Radmanovic, Vujacic, Turriaf and Walton are all solid players. Not great, but very solid.

I hate them as much as the next guy, but they are an amazing team.

 

[elindholm]

For some reason, I will attempt a serious answer to this question.

Historically, championship teams have needed several things:

1. A player who is among the very best in the game, ideally the single best player in the world. Of the four title front-runners (in my opinion, the Lakers, Spurs, Celtics, and Suns), the Suns come up short here. Nash and Stoudemire are both great, but neither is in the same class as Bryant, Duncan, or Garnett -- and, to be honest, I think most serious basketball fans would have to concede that Bryant is in a class by himself. Nash used to be among the most elite, but he is starting to fade just a bit.

2. At least one key player with championship experience, or at least Finals experience. Here it's the Celtics who come up short. The Lakers have Bryant and Fisher, the Spurs have their whole team, and the Suns have O'Neal.

3. A coach who has demonstrated the ability to keep his players focused during the long, mentally challenging postseason run. This edge goes to the Lakers and Spurs.

4. A contingent of second-tier stars who will be able to step up to the challenge more often than not. The Celtics and Spurs have three stars each. The Suns have somewhere between two and four, depending on how O'Neal and Hill play, although to call either of them a "star" at this stage of their careers would be a stretch. The Lakers also have between two and four, but I'd have to rate Bynum and Odom above O'Neal and Hill.

5. A supporting cast of secondary players who are prepared to inflict major damage when the opposition eases up on them. The Celtics have nothing here, and the Spurs are down to probably just Finley. How the Lakers' supporting cast shakes out remains to be seen, but Fisher, at least, is someone who has to be taken seriously. The Suns have Bell, Barbosa, and Diaw, all of whom are huge question marks at this point.

6. Either a large market or the right kind of image to get the better of the officiating. The Lakers have always had this and always will. The Spurs have carefully cultivated a delicate balance of flopping and whining that gives them an edge with the officials. The Celtics and Suns are unproven here, but O'Neal should help the Suns.

7. Great team hunger and/or heart. This is the only category in which the Suns may have the edge. O'Neal and Nash both need a title, desperately, to cement their legacies. Bryant is as hungry as they come, but I have doubts about the Gasol/Odom/Bynum trio. The Spurs have never won back-to-back titles and don't exactly seem poised to break that pattern this year. As for the Celtics, it's not clear to me how much Pierce and Allen really want it -- but I suspect it's not that much.

So the Lakers are among the leaders in each category, except possibly the last one. That's pretty impressive. I sure wouldn't take them on an even-money bet right now, because there is too much that can happen between now and June. But if you had to pick one team to raise the trophy this summer, the Lakers would probably be it.

Sad, but true.

 

[Ode to Ocho]

Kobe didn't shoot well, that's true. Dude said singlehandedly though, and the only thing that Kobe did singlehandedly was win the second game in OT. His poor shooting, Shaq being dominated by Wallace, the role players refusal to show up, Malone's injury and Payton's hatred of the triangle translated into one hell of a debacle in the finals.

Of course though, it was only because of Kobe. Because after all, he had nothing to do with their three wins but everything to do with their one loss. Or so the story goes.

Slava Medvedenko started game 5. Thats all that needs to be said.

 

[jandaman]

2 reason why the Lakers are a contender next to Spurs.

[1] They are big, deep front court that has shooters and inside presense. Can rebound and defend the interior.

[2] They have a very good perimeter lineup who thrives in this triangle, can hit long range and penetrate.


They don't have any issues if you look at it, except maybe Bynum coming back and disrupting Gasol and Odom's roles.


But he can be a finisher with this lineu and focus on rebounds and defense. Foul trouble? You have servicable players in Turiaf and Radmanovic.