Since when did this become a toss-up series?

[fordronken]

It's starting to be considered "going out on a limb" to pick the Suns to win the series. What the Hell is going on here? The Suns have absolutely owned the Lakers all year, except when they were missing their starting backcourt(and arguably center and power forward, but that's irrelevant for the playoffs). Since when can the Lakers keep the Suns below 110 points? Since when can the Lakers score 110 points. People's argument is "they have Kobe". Don't we have two top ten MVP candidates and the reigning MVP? People's argument is that the Lakers have been surging and the Suns have sucked. Well, yeah. When you lock up the 2 seed a month in advance it's tough to stay sharp. It's also tough to stay sharp when you're resting your best players. But didn't we still win our last two games by a combined 40-something points?

How are the Suns becoming underdogs in this series? Did this become NBA Jam all of a sudden? Serioiusly. What the Hell is going on here?

 

[ASUCHRIS]

It's starting to be considered "going out on a limb" to pick the Suns to win the series. What the Hell is going on here? The Suns have absolutely owned the Lakers all year, except when they were missing their starting backcourt(and arguably center and power forward, but that's irrelevant for the playoffs). Since when can the Lakers keep the Suns below 110 points? Since when can the Lakers score 110 points. People's argument is "they have Kobe". Don't we have two top ten MVP candidates and the reigning MVP? People's argument is that the Lakers have been surging and the Suns have sucked. Well, yeah. When you lock up the 2 seed a month in advance it's tough to stay sharp. It's also tough to stay sharp when you're resting your best players. But didn't we still win our last two games by a combined 40-something points?

How are the Suns becoming underdogs in this series? Did this become NBA Jam all of a sudden? Serioiusly. What the Hell is going on here?

What excitement is there unless people convince themselves of some chance of upset? I mean, theoretically, it's possible that the Lakers win the series, but highly unlikely. I think we'll take it in five.

 

[golfcardfan]

I think all this talk pisses us off and we sweep!!!! Prove em' wrong again Suns show them why we are #2 seed!!!!

 

[Chaplin]

Anybody who says media bias doesn't exist is incredibly naive. What is going on now just proves it.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

We got the prime spot on Sunday because Kobe is playing, and they want to hype the series as much as possible to bring all the attention they can.

Suns in 6.

Mike

 

[nothin' but net]

LA is a much bigger market. Part of it is hype, but part of it is writers pandering to the bigger market. Also, the Shaq/Kobe/Phil love-hate triangle story has been a media darling on and off. If Raja Bell goes off for 40 points in is a non-story. If he does it on Kobe, it would be big news of a rising feud.

LA is closer to Hollywood. There is more drama there. Maybe Hollywood has gotten to their heads and they think the underdog always wins. They are kinda playing both sides of the argument. For years it was that they were the defending champs, they had the best record and an upset wasn't possible. Now that they are on that side of the fence it is suddenly possible. Just not bloody likely.

It is so Hollywood, that I wouldn't be surprised to see Joan and Melissa Rivers out front greeting all of the courtside Hollywood stars.

I can just see Joan prance up to Nickelson...
"Ladies and Gentlemen hold on to your hats. Arriving now is none other than Jack Nickelson. Jack, please tell me who you are wearing."

Jack replies, "Who the hell do you think I am wearing. The same damn thing everyone is wearing. Do you think the "Bryant" written on the back is for Lane Bryant? It's a Kobe Jersey. Do they even make jerseys for all of the other no-name punks on the team? Besides, how did you know it was me. I thought these sunglasses would be a good disguise."

 

[boisesuns]

I think the media needs to make the Lakers look better, while somehow ignoring the fact that they came close to missing the playoffs again.

The fact that the name on their jersey has some history to it, somehow makes a bad team with one great player legit.

 

[moviebuff316]

Phil Jackson even acknowledged that Lakers have been handled by the Suns all year. I thinks its funny that people are picking the lakers to beat the suns.

 

[D-Dogg]

Since all you Suns fans began underestimating the Lakers, and the Suns tried to align themselves to face LA in round one.

 

[D-Dogg]

If Raja Bell goes off for 40 points in is a non-story.

Is Raja even capable of this? I don't know much about him other than he's an egotistical ***** and the latest in a round of self-proclaimed Kobe stoppers.

Is 40 point games something he has done?

 

[jbeecham]

Raja's career high is 31pts vs Seattle this season and he had probably about 20 games where he's scored 20+. Is he capable of scoring 40??? I'd say no simply because the Suns share the ball too much. They do look for the hot hand, but everyone is so willing to make the extra pass that it's rare for anyone on the Suns to score 35+.

 

[Chaplin]

Is Raja even capable of this? I don't know much about him other than he's an egotistical ***** and the latest in a round of self-proclaimed Kobe stoppers.

What proof do you have of any of this?

He was probably only providing a theoretical...

 

[jbeecham]

I don't think he's ever called himself a Kobe Stopper either. He's said in numerous interviews after Laker games that Kobe is going to get his points every night and all he tries to do is stay with him and make him take tough shots to get those points. Raja does play physical defense and he's always got his body on you so he gets under a lot of guys skins so I can see where you'd think he's an a-hole. If he wasn't on the Suns then a lot of Suns fans wouldn't like him (like Bowen, Artest, etc).

Raja has been called a Manu Ginobili stopper, but that was by Manu himself when he called his agent to complain that the Suns signed Raja (Manu & Raja have the same agent).

 

[Tank]

Since all you Suns fans began underestimating the Lakers

Of course, because the Fans actually play the game... How could we have forgotten that?

 

[Chaplin]

Since all you Suns fans began underestimating the Lakers, and the Suns tried to align themselves to face LA in round one.

It's either we underestimate the Lakers or you overestimate the Lakers--it's the same difference no matter what.

 

[sly fly]

I'd love to see PHX drop 48 on the Lakers in the 1st qtr.

Let the Laker's feed off the myopia. PHX will simply use it to prove everybody wrong (again). Just like the regular season.

The ONLY way LA has a chance is if PHX can't hit the 3, and gets them into a half-court slugfest.

 

[D-Dogg]

I don't think he's ever called himself a Kobe Stopper either. He's said in numerous interviews after Laker games that Kobe is going to get his points every night and all he tries to do is stay with him and make him take tough shots to get those points. Raja does play physical defense and he's always got his body on you so he gets under a lot of guys skins so I can see where you'd think he's an a-hole. If he wasn't on the Suns then a lot of Suns fans wouldn't like him (like Bowen, Artest, etc).

Raja has been called a Manu Ginobili stopper, but that was by Manu himself when he called his agent to complain that the Suns signed Raja (Manu & Raja have the same agent).

Sorry...should be a media-proclaimed Kobe stopper..not self proclaimed.

He is in the mold of Bowen/Artest...not nearly as skilled nor does he get away with as much hacking, but a good physical defender. Nice that you recognize he'd be disliked by Suns fans if he were on another team.

 

[Chaplin]

Sorry...should be a media-proclaimed Kobe stopper..not self proclaimed.

He is in the mold of Bowen/Artest...not nearly as skilled nor does he get away with as much hacking, but a good physical defender. Nice that you recognize he'd be disliked by Suns fans if he were on another team.

When did the media claim him to be a "Kobe stopper"? Just by the position he plays, he'd definitely guard Kobe, but a lot of the time it is Shawn Marion that guards Kobe, not Raja.

 

[D-Dogg]

It's either we underestimate the Lakers or you overestimate the Lakers--it's the same difference no matter what.

It's really a happy medium....the truth probably lies somewhere between us.

 

[nowagimp]

WCF

Remember these names at ESPN:

BJ Armstrong
Bill Simmons
Greg Anthony
Ken Shouler

They all have picked the Lakers to make it to the WCF.

Ten writers have the suns in the WCF, losing to either the Mavs or Spurs.

Greg Anthony also picked Lamar Odom as the "breakout star" of the NBA playoffs, which I thought was interesting. We shall have to revisit these predictions later.

DARKHORSE CHAMPION
On another note, suprisingly, the suns are the #1 choice (4 of 16 writers) for the darkhorse NBA champion(presuming Pistons or Spurs dont win). The odds werent given.

stein
Hollinger
Ford
Karabell

The Mavs got 3/16 votes as darkhorse;

Brucher
Neal
Brussard

the Lakers 1/16 as darkhorse.

Bill Simmons

Well its obvious to me from this and the MVP thread, that Bill Simmons is in love with Kobe, wants to have his children. Dont lead him on too strong Bill, you could get #!*&#!

Greg Anthony picks the Nets as darkhorse

BJ Armstrong picks the Heat as Darkhorse

 

[D-Dogg]

When did the media claim him to be a "Kobe stopper"? Just by the position he plays, he'd definitely guard Kobe, but a lot of the time it is Shawn Marion that guards Kobe, not Raja.

I've read and heard it many times...how Raja "gets in Kobe's head" and how he's the Phoenix Kobe stopper.

Albeit, there is a lot of garbage spewed on the radio by people like Bob Kemp, so I guess you can take those types of comments with a grain of salt.

 

[D-Dogg]

Well its obvious to me from this and the MVP thread, that Bill Simmons is in love with Kobe, wants to have his children. Dont lead him on too strong Bill, you could get #!*&#!

Simmons is a bonifide Laker hater...a Celtic fan from birth.

Frankly, I'm SHOCKED at the things he's been saying about the Lakers recently. He must believe these things, because otherwise he'd NEVER say them.

 

[Chaplin]

I've read and heard it many times...how Raja "gets in Kobe's head" and how he's the Phoenix Kobe stopper.

Albeit, there is a lot of garbage spewed on the radio by people like Bob Kemp, so I guess you can take those types of comments with a grain of salt.

Good point. The same thing applies tenfold here in LA.

 

[Chaplin]

Simmons is a bonifide Laker hater...a Celtic fan from birth.

Frankly, I'm SHOCKED at the things he's been saying about the Lakers recently. He must believe these things, because otherwise he'd NEVER say them.

Also, don't underestimate his liking of the Clippers--which makes his Laker-love even more strange. But his conclusions have been pretty out-of-whack recently.

 

[D-Dogg]

Of course, because the Fans actually play the game... How could we have forgotten that?

Way to ignore what I posted directly after that!!!