Lakers Vs. Suns (Pre-Game Hype)

[Cheesebeef]

how do you spell free-fall? I spell it L-A-K-E-R-S - good lord, ayone see that collasal choke job tonight against the Clips? Nice to see the rest of them team couldn't do anything once Kobe started missing everything in sight. I wonder if that's cuase they suck or because they were actually shocked when they actually started seeing the ball in the fourth?

regardless, it's not even a lock that the Lakers make the playoffs at this point with two tough road games left and, I guess, one winnable home game left.

It was funny though hearing the MVP chants from the myopics in Staples for a guy who might not even lead his team to the playoffs.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

It's a sad state of affairs in Tinseltown if Luke Walton is your second best player and you're not named the Clippers.

Mitch Kupchak for GM of the Year! Right D-Dogg?

 

[Cheesebeef]

It's a sad state of affairs in Tinseltown if Luke Walton is your second best player and you're not named the Clippers.

Mitch Kupchak for GM of the Year! Right D-Dogg?

Suns fans can only hope Kupcake has a long and illustrious career ahead of him as the man who continues to turn Laker yellow brown!

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Suns fans can only hope Kupcake has a long and illustrious career ahead of him as the man who continues to turn Laker yellow brown!

The guy is probably worse than Rod Graves. Rod at least got handed the keys to a broken down Pinto and couldn't find a way to get it up and running. Kupchak got a Ferrari in two of the best players in the NBA and one of the best hoops coaches in the sport's history and is currently putting around in a used Honda Civic.

Sadly, I could see Bryan Colangelo going there in a few years. He's always struck me as a LA type of guy and you know he'd love sticking it to Sarver.

 

[D-Dogg]

It's a sad state of affairs in Tinseltown if Luke Walton is your second best player and you're not named the Clippers.

Mitch Kupchak for GM of the Year! Right D-Dogg?

Good lord one track, I never said he was the best GM around, just that he isn't as horrible as nearsighted Laker fans think. Bynum, farmar in the 20s, Luke in the second and Turiaf in the second are all good picks. FFS, you act like a laker fan.

 

[D-Dogg]

I wonder if that's cuase they suck or because they were actually shocked when they actually started seeing the ball in the fourth?

Everytime you start to make a good point you jab in some garbage like that. The Lakers offense and defense was looking great until late in the 4th (the 7 minute mark from where then on Kobe missed every shot (and bad shots at that) he took. Kobe was passing and shooting just fine the first three quarters. Phil should have rested him; I have no clue why he didn't...he usually gives him a 2nd quarter rest.

I'm not even surprised by that game dude...this team is playing by far their worst of the season...terribly inconsistent and can't close out leads. I already called them losing out.

For God's sake, they play SACRAMENTO in ARCO the last game of the year...you don't think that would be the biggest game in Cowtown in ages if they had the chance to knock the Lakers out of the playoffs? At this point, I'm seriously hoping on that .5% chance at Durant. Seriously.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Good lord one track, I never said he was the best GM around, just that he isn't as horrible as nearsighted Laker fans think. Bynum, farmar in the 20s, Luke in the second and Turiaf in the second are all good picks. FFS, you act like a laker fan.

Luke and Ronny look like they solid 2nd round picks, but putting Farmar and Bynum in that list is wishful thinking at this point - Farmar hasn't done anything and Bynum is an unmotivated slacker who could go the way of enoit Benjamin for all we know.

 

[D-Dogg]

Luke and Ronny look like they solid 2nd round picks, but putting Farmar and Bynum in that list is wishful thinking at this point - Farmar hasn't done anything and Bynum is an unmotivated slacker who could go the way of enoit Benjamin for all we know.

I will agree with you on Bynum...inside (and now outside, I guess) I am terrified about his mental makeup for the NBA. He's very soft, he's very weak-willed and though he shows flashes of brilliance from time to time he also shows flashes of ambivalence too often. He's talented, but needs to "get his stinkin head right." I do have to constantly remind myself that he's 19, but I never felt I had to do that with 19 year old Kobe...I found myself saying "wow, and he's only 19." With that said, taking the chance on Bynum there was a pretty ballsy move by Kupchak and I liked it...still do.


All of those fears I mentioned with Bynum, well I see NONE of that in Farmar...I love him and his game and see him as a very important piece of the team in the future. He has great leadership abilities, sees the court well, can shoot (should improve) can play D, passes well and has a cool confidence about him at what, 20 years old? His ankles are a bit weak and that might be a career long issue, but the guy has earned Phil's respect and that's tough for rookies to do. Last year's tourney, Jordan was the only guy to show up in the Championship game...young and likes the big stage...he's a Lakers kind of guy.

The odds are higher for Bynum to bust, even with the superb coaching he's getting, than Farmar and I base that simply on internal motivation and desire. At 26 (I think that was the pick) Jordan Farmar was a steal, IMO.

 

[D-Dogg]

I was just looking at Kobe's stats his first season, and Farmar's this season. Thought it interesting..

Caveat! I am in no way saying Farmar will turn into a Kobe because that is moronic. I am also not saying that he will improve at that rate...doubtful. Kobe is incredibly driven, and if Farmar has a quarter of the drive of Kobe he'll have very good improvement.

I only looked at this to see what the comparison was since I knew Kobe had about the same amount of burn as Farmar in his rookie year...I was a little surprised at the numbers for both.

Kobe:

• 15.5 Minutes
• .417 FG%
• .375 3PT%
• .819 FT%
• 1.9 Reb
• 1.3 Assists
• 0.7 Steals
• 0.3 blocks
• 1.58 Turnovers
• 1.40 Fouls
• 7.6 Points Per Game

Farmar

• 15.0 minutes
• .420 FG%
• .326 3PT%
• .722 FT%
• 1.7 Reb
• 1.9 Assists
• 0.6 Steals
• 0.1 Blocks
• 1.03 Turnovers
• 1.00 Fouls
• 4.4 Points per game

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Kobe:

• 15.5 Minutes
• .417 FG%
• .375 3PT%
• .819 FT%
• 1.9 Reb
• 1.3 Assists
• 0.7 Steals
• 0.3 blocks
• 1.58 Turnovers
• 1.40 Fouls
• 7.6 Points Per Game

Farmar

• 15.0 minutes
• .420 FG%
• .326 3PT%
• .722 FT%
• 1.7 Reb
• 1.9 Assists
• 0.6 Steals
• 0.1 Blocks
• 1.03 Turnovers
• 1.00 Fouls
• 4.4 Points per game

Interesting to say the least.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Interesting to say the least.

i think you meant "not even the least bit interesting."

i know d caveated the post by saying he doesn't see the same trajectory, blah, blah, blah, but showing these stats side-by-side does nothing. the players play different positions, are different sizes, have different potential. similarity of numbers means nothing. least of all pointing their respective competitiveness and ability in the nba.

do i think jordan's a bust to be? naw. i think he'll be a good roleplayer. i don't even think he'll be a consistent starter.

interesting comments on bynum though. i never thought about all that b/c i gave him the "he's only 19" pass, but you're right, generally you've got the drive or you don't. and more often than not big guys don't (why that is, i don't know, maybe it's b/c everythings always come easy to them based purely on their size). and now that the topic is raised, i don't see the burning drive and desire with bynum. just a seemingly nice kid in a huge body with athleticism that he rarely taps into. interesting indeed . . .

 

[F-Dog]

Yes, most, but prominent counterexamples are easy to find: Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, O'Neal, Barkley. Among current (or recent) franchise-level "building blocks," you have McGrady, Kidd, and Brand, along with second-tier arguables like Arenas, Carter, Joe Johnson, or Boozer.

Wilt, Kareem and Shaq were the ones that came immediately to my mind. Of course, on the other end they're balanced by Jordan, Magic, Bird, Bill Russell...

Obviously, the less value a player has, the easier it is for him to move. If Durant turns out to be "only" as good as McGrady or Carmelo Anthony, you have to figure he'll be eminently available at some point down the line.

I was specifically thinking of Ralph Sampson, who was so highly touted that he inspired campaigns of "lose one more for 7-foot-4." He's quite a while ago, and I suspect there are others more recent, but I concede that I can't think of them at the moment. Jay Williams, maybe, who was supposed to be the second coming of Kidd.

In the same line as Sampson, Bill Walton must have been a top-level draft prospect.

Still, if the main obstacle to Durant dominating the league is a possible proclivity for injuries, I'll take my chances.

 

[azirish]

I was amazed at the Laker meltdown last night. Now if they had a great coach like Phil Jackson, but wait....

The Lakers had no ball movement and had now answer when Kobe was getting double teamed. I just hope the Suns players didn't watch the game or they will lose all interest in playing hard.