San Antonio = getting old. Lakers can beat them with a full squad.
Anybody can beat the Spurs. The question is can they beat the Spurs four games out of seven in the playoffs? That's a different story.
That said, the Spurs haven't looked all that sharp this year. They're about to go on the rodeo road trip, which is usually what gets them to kick into gear, then they really pick it up after the all-star break, but still, some of the play thus far has been downright passive.
Of course, I was worried about the Spurs' first-half performance last season, and they ended up OK.
Mavs, Lakers, and maybe the Suns are all capable of taking the Spurs in a 7 game series. Lakers have enough history to back this up.
Ya think Magic and Kareem are gonna make a comeback??
D-Fish 4-2 series win.
Also twice (?) in the regular last year. They match up very well against the Spurs.
The NBA is goona go OOUTSIDE next year w/ a Phoenix game....
Playin outside like what Hockey did recently is a very good look.
Darkhorses - Dallas & Toronto
Turkolu is Orlando's "best" player right now.
Detroits bench is crazy
Kwame has KOBE's confidence. I saw KOBE look for him plenty of times in the Spurs game. Brown has to play/fill in while Bynum is out. KOBE Knows this, and he cant fuck w/ his confidence. He being a leader and makin Brown step the fuck up.
Kwame has KOBE's confidence. I saw KOBE look for him plenty of times in the Spurs game. Brown has to play/fill in while Bynum is out. KOBE Knows this, and he cant fuck w/ his confidence. He being a leader and makin Brown step the fuck up.
The problem with that is you still can't count on Kwame finishing right in front of the basket. 50% of the time he'll blow a layup and/or dunk. His hands are suspect as well. Him getting hurt was one of the best things that could've happened to the Lakers because it opened things up for Bynum.
stone hands (ston handz) noun. A term used to describe the hands of a player who has extreme difficulty -- note the emphasis on extreme -- catching a basketball, dribbling a basketball, passing a basketball, and finishing layups. In some radical cases, the player can't even dunk effectively. The dunk, of course, being a shot that's successfully converted something like 100 percent of the time. Let me put it another way: The only reason you would ever hand this person your baby is if you didn't want that baby anymore. Also, you probably shouldn't let him carry the grocery bag with the eggs and bread in it.
Remember when I was defending Kwame Brown as an important part of the early Laker's success last season? Well, I still think he was. For a second he really was balling, contributing with his low post moves and blocking shots. But then he got hurt this season. And his minutes decreased because Bynum was emerging.
He's obviously not the same player he was from a year ago. He's not doing simple things like boxing out (Erick Dampier had 5 offensive rebounds), BUT I did notice Phil using him more as a role player. On several occasions, he caught the ball at the elbow and threw some sharp passes to Luke Walton who was going backdoor.
It's easy to blame Kwame or make him the laughing stock of the league, especially for his recent performance. But let's be fair. Not many players have had to face the pressures of being the #1 overall pick and playing alongside arguably the game's most fiery personalities, i.e. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
So how does Bynum do it? He's agile and has great hands, which complements KB's inclinations to run around with the rock for extended periods of time and dump it off for an easy bucket. And he's just as competitive and headstrong as Bryant, so he doesn't just get scared and stand around.
Kwame would be more effective on a team where less is expected from him. LA expects a lot. Think C-Webb in Sacramento where he shared the rock with other unselfish players. He should probably work on that jumper from the elbow, where Webber made a living.
Guess who else's numbers on the Lakers is down? Luke Walton and Lamar Odom. A crucial part of that early Lakers' run last season....
Another thing I've noticed is that Fisher is actually much more of a scorer than a facilitator. He's best when he gets open threes, rather than trying to create his own shots; which he seems to be doing more frequently these days.
Basketball is really such a complex sport though, where team chemistry can easily be thrown off with the addition of new players, locker room tensions, and personal ambitions....okay, i'll stop ranting.....
George is just another Mhuresan dudes. Eaton maybe. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, I'm just saying.
Hey Yooch, life gets tough when the road swings through Texas, eh? Last night's game was real entertaining though. The Lakers battled hard in the fourth with a lineup of: Farmar/Vujacic/Kobe/Turiaf/Mbenga (wtf?) Devin Harris made some big plays at the end.
Overall, I think the Mavs decision to entrust Devin w/ the 1 spot is paying off. He's improving as the season goes on. I think the Harris/Jones/Josh/Dirk/Damps starting 5 is the one.
i don't even want to think about it. [i]"Tonight on Inside the NBA with Ahmad Rashad, the tale of a wayward son, and his reunion with his estranged father-figue" *cue chris webber crying and hugging an indifferent Don Nelson*
Guess who else's numbers on the Lakers is down? Luke Walton and Lamar Odom. A crucial part of that early Lakers' run last season....
Another thing I've noticed is that Fisher is actually much more of a scorer than a facilitator. He's best when he gets open threes, rather than trying to create his own shots; which he seems to be doing more frequently these days.
Basketball is really such a complex sport though, where team chemistry can easily be thrown off with the addition of new players, locker room tensions, and personal ambitions....okay, i'll stop ranting.....
Fisher was never really a playmaker. That's not needed with the triangle anyway. He defends and is a spot up shooter. That's what he's there for. You try to make him be a playmaker and it's all bad. Believe me, he tried to do it for a season with the Warriors and the results were not pretty.
Guess who else's numbers on the Lakers is down? Luke Walton and Lamar Odom. A crucial part of that early Lakers' run last season....
Another thing I've noticed is that Fisher is actually much more of a scorer than a facilitator. He's best when he gets open threes, rather than trying to create his own shots; which he seems to be doing more frequently these days.
Basketball is really such a complex sport though, where team chemistry can easily be thrown off with the addition of new players, locker room tensions, and personal ambitions....okay, i'll stop ranting.....
Fisher was never really a playmaker. That's not needed with the triangle anyway. He defends and is a spot up shooter. That's what he's there for. You try to make him be a playmaker and it's all bad. Believe me, he tried to do it for a season with the Warriors and the results were not pretty.
Yes, you are correct. He makes plays, but isn't necessarily a facilitator.
Comments
D-Fish 4-2 series win.
Also twice (?) in the regular last year. They match up very well against the Spurs.
This is Nash's 4th year in Phoenix...
SUNS WIN IT ALL
That is coincidentally JimBeam and David Stern's wet dream as well.
Dude, did you forget what Stern did to PHX last year in the playoffs! Saying! Maybe Stern got so much hate mail he is trying to atone for his sins.
The NBA is goona go OOUTSIDE next year w/ a Phoenix game....
Playin outside like what Hockey did recently is a very good look.
Darkhorses - Dallas & Toronto
Turkolu is Orlando's "best" player right now.
Detroits bench is crazy
Kwame has KOBE's confidence. I saw KOBE look for him plenty of times in the Spurs game. Brown has to play/fill in while Bynum is out. KOBE Knows this, and he cant fuck w/ his confidence. He being a leader and makin Brown step the fuck up.
Trade McGrady.
I wanna see the Dubs vs the Suns in the playoffs.
That will pretty much be the greatest series of all time if it happens, trust me.
The problem with that is you still can't count on Kwame finishing right in front of the basket. 50% of the time he'll blow a layup and/or dunk. His hands are suspect as well. Him getting hurt was one of the best things that could've happened to the Lakers because it opened things up for Bynum.
basketbawfull is a funny web site
Only a 5-second violation on Minnesota at the very end saved the C's asses.
That, and Kendrick Perkins. Again.
I like being 34-8 or whatever, but I do miss Al Jefferson
He's obviously not the same player he was from a year ago. He's not doing simple things like boxing out (Erick Dampier had 5 offensive rebounds), BUT I did notice Phil using him more as a role player. On several occasions, he caught the ball at the elbow and threw some sharp passes to Luke Walton who was going backdoor.
It's easy to blame Kwame or make him the laughing stock of the league, especially for his recent performance. But let's be fair. Not many players have had to face the pressures of being the #1 overall pick and playing alongside arguably the game's most fiery personalities, i.e. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
So how does Bynum do it? He's agile and has great hands, which complements KB's inclinations to run around with the rock for extended periods of time and dump it off for an easy bucket. And he's just as competitive and headstrong as Bryant, so he doesn't just get scared and stand around.
Kwame would be more effective on a team where less is expected from him. LA expects a lot. Think C-Webb in Sacramento where he shared the rock with other unselfish players. He should probably work on that jumper from the elbow, where Webber made a living.
Another thing I've noticed is that Fisher is actually much more of a scorer than a facilitator. He's best when he gets open threes, rather than trying to create his own shots; which he seems to be doing more frequently these days.
Basketball is really such a complex sport though, where team chemistry can easily be thrown off with the addition of new players, locker room tensions, and personal ambitions....okay, i'll stop ranting.....
I sure hope PHX drafts him, OMG
Hey Yooch, life gets tough when the road swings through Texas, eh? Last night's game was real entertaining though. The Lakers battled hard in the fourth with a lineup of: Farmar/Vujacic/Kobe/Turiaf/Mbenga (wtf?) Devin Harris made some big plays at the end.
Overall, I think the Mavs decision to entrust Devin w/ the 1 spot is paying off. He's improving as the season goes on. I think the Harris/Jones/Josh/Dirk/Damps starting 5 is the one.
Can he even play in the uptempo system now?
Off the bench for the playoffs?
nightmares.
Tell me the NBA wouldnt juice the hell out of this reunion story if it happens.
[i]"Tonight on Inside the NBA with Ahmad Rashad, the tale of a wayward son, and his reunion with his estranged father-figue" *cue chris webber crying and hugging an indifferent Don Nelson*
Fisher was never really a playmaker. That's not needed with the triangle anyway. He defends and is a spot up shooter. That's what he's there for. You try to make him be a playmaker and it's all bad. Believe me, he tried to do it for a season with the Warriors and the results were not pretty.
Yes, you are correct. He makes plays, but isn't necessarily a facilitator.
holy cow
NEVERMIND, HEDO WAS UBER CLUTCH!!!! HOLY COW!!!