The 2007-08 Los Angeles Lakers thread

[Darth Llama]

Spurs win and Dallas win puts the following teams in the same half of the bracket:

Suns
Spurs

Dallas
Nooch


And puts these teams in the other half:

Lakers
Nuggets

Utah
Houston


Thus, the Lakers would have a straight line to the WCF over teams it matches up really well against, then meet only one of the teams it has a tougher time with in the Spurs, Suns, Dallas could come out and possibly the Nooch who the Lakers also match up well against.

Suns likely beat the Spurs, then face the Nooch likely, who they struggle with.

A Laker/Nooch WCF means bring on the Celtics.


That's the easy road.

Thanks for breaking it down for me. I quit following the potential matchups a couple weeks ago when I realized that it was going to change every day until today. Looks like things are working in our favor, the Spurs are up big, lets just hope they hold on.

 

[D-Dogg]

I am shocked things are breaking the way they are.

It's making me want to think ridiculous "team of destiny" type claptrap, so I'm just shoving that back in my head lest it consume me.

 

[Darth Llama]

I don't think there is an "easy" road for anyone this year, but things are looking favorable. We will still have to get past some tough teams, and we'll have to face Boston or Detroit for the title if we get that far, so nothing easy there.

That being said, having the #1 seed seems advantageous this year indeed.

 

[Cheesebeef]

i see you guys waltzing to the WCF, giving you a 50-50 shot to win it if SA or the Suns are there, and a 100% shot to win it if it's anyone else. Then, if you play the Celtics, you go down in an ugly 5. That's my call.

 

[Renz]

I am shocked things are breaking the way they are.

It's making me want to think ridiculous "team of destiny" type claptrap, so I'm just shoving that back in my head lest it consume me.

Yep. Every meaningful game went the Lakers' way tonight. Feeling good going into the playoffs.

 

[Darth Llama]

Wow.. Suns vs. Spurs in the 1st round.. that's HUGE!!

That's going to be so entertaining, I can't wait for that one.

Bummer for Utah, they lost home court in their series, that could pretty much kill them off. Everyone's fighting for the right to play the Celtics..

What a year!

 

[D-Dogg]

i see you guys waltzing to the WCF, giving you a 50-50 shot to win it if SA or the Suns are there, and a 100% shot to win it if it's anyone else. Then, if you play the Celtics, you go down in an ugly 5. That's my call.

I wouldn't argue with that call at all.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I wouldn't argue with that call at all.

and as a Laker fan, I'd be pretty stoked with that considering the injuries you guys have suffered this year. Back in the Finals with a young team who will only improve only 4 years after the meltdown of a previous Dynasty? God I hate the Lakers.

 

[Mulli]

And the Bulls could have put the kybash on all this, but decided to hold on to Lual Deng.

 

[Renz]

And the Bulls could have put the kybash on all this, but decided to hold on to Lual Deng.

I wonder if John Paxson is having any second thoughts about that?

 

[dreamcastrocks]

With NO and Dallas playing each other, and Dallas really playing well last night, maybe Dallas will surprise me and beat them.

Spurs, Dallas LA is much better than
Spurs, NO, LA.

 

[abomb]

I woke up this morning and the first thought in my head was "how are we going to beat the Celtics?".

 

[D-Dogg]

I woke up this morning and the first thought in my head was "how are we going to beat the Celtics?".

Not to get ahead of ourselves, but the only way that is going to happen is if Bynum is back and getting 15-20 solid minutes a game.

And since the Finals aren't until sometime around November, that's not so crazy to think might happen.

 

[Renz]

MVP ballots have to be mailed in today. With the Lakers winning the West and going 5-1 down the stretch, while N.O. went 2-4, I think that tips the scales to KB.

:fingerscrossed:

 

[abomb]

MVP ballots have to be mailed in today. With the Lakers winning the West and going 5-1 down the stretch, while N.O. went 2-4, I think that tips the scales to KB.

:fingerscrossed:

I dont see it. The abject hate for KB around the league is blinding.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

MVP ballots have to be mailed in today. With the Lakers winning the West and going 5-1 down the stretch, while N.O. went 2-4, I think that tips the scales to KB.

:fingerscrossed:

I dont see it. The abject hate for KB around the league is blinding.

Kobe wins this year, by a bigger margin that Dirk beat Nash last year. (125 points)

You want in on this action?

 

[Mulli]

Kobe wins this year, by a bigger margin that Dirk beat Nash last year. (125 points)

You want in on this action?

Even if Jellybean Sandwich wins, people won't really mean it. :tears:

 

[abomb]

Kobe wins this year, by a bigger margin that Dirk beat Nash last year. (125 points)

You want in on this action?

DCR gets Kobe at 1:1
abomb gets Field at 1:1

$500 ASFN

 

[dreamcastrocks]

done.

 

[D-Dogg]

I dont see it. The abject hate for KB around the league is blinding.

You are wrong on this one.

He's grabbing tons of first place votes. LG has a thread tracking those with known votes who have said/published their ballot.

Kobe comfortably in front.

 

[D-Dogg]

Voters and their links

Full ballots listed:
Ric Bucher - (1) Kobe, (2) CP3, (3) LBJ, (4) Tim Duncan, (5) KG (tentative, as of 4/1)
Marc Stein - (1) Kobe, (2) CP3, (3) KG, (4) LBJ, (5) Manu
Jan Hubbard - (1) Kobe, (2) CP3, (3) KG, (4) LBJ, (5) Tim Duncan
Chris McCosky - (1) Kobe, (2) CP3, (3) LBJ, (4) KG, (5) Amare
David Moore - (1) Kobe, (2) CP3, (3) KG, (4) LBJ, (5) Amare
Jack McCallum - (1) Kobe, (2) CP3, (3) LBJ, (4) KG, (5) Amare
Marty Burns - (1) KG, (2) Kobe, (3) CP3, (4) LBJ, (5) Tim Duncan
Ian Thomsen - (1) Kobe, (2) KG, (3) CP3, (4) LBJ, (5) Dwight Howard
Sam Smith - (1) Kobe, (2) KG, (3) CP3, (4) Steve Nash, (5) LBJ
Michael Wilbon - (1) Kobe, (2) CP3, (3) KG, (4)T-Mac, (5) LBJ, (6) Amare - ??? (not included yet)
Kevin Ding - (1) Kobe, (2) LBJ, (3) CP3, (4) KG, (5) Dirk

Mentioned top MVP vote only (not included in above tally, but just add 10 pts for each mention):
Chris Broussard - Kobe
Stan McNeal - Kobe

Note - Please try to keep the discussions to a minimum in this thread, just post articles of votes. Post discussions and thoughts in the official ALL MVP TALK HERE thread.

Given:
1st place vote - 10 pts
2nd place vote - 7 pts
3rd place vote - 5 pts
4th place vote - 3 pts
5th place vote - 1 pt

This trend will continue. Tailpipe, abomb.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Easiest $500 I've made yet.

It's good to see Amare getting a few votes.

Next year for Amare.

 

[abomb]

Good ESPN interview with the young Lakers (with video);

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=granderson/080417&sportCat=nba

 

[D-Dogg]

Good ESPN interview with the young Lakers (with video);

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=granderson/080417&sportCat=nba

Other than them still removing an element of the Kobe quote that gives context to the entire point of it:

"Andrew Bynum? What the f---?" Kobe Bryant reportedly said on tape last spring. "Are you kidding me? Andrew Bynum? F------ ship his ass out."

Kobe also said in that string of fbombs:

"we're talking about Jason Kidd"

It effing pisses me off that it is always portrayed this way, as if Kobe just wanted Drew gone on a whim, and not what was being conveyed (albeit in a meathead way) which was "you are asking about a guy with "potential" vs. a hall of fame point guard...effing ship the non-proven guy out."

Then gobblers come along parroting ESPN about how evil Kobe is, when it wasn't evil or bad teammate per se, it was greedy and pissed off player. Significant difference.

 

[abomb]

I cant get the video to load, but it sounds cool.