bla bla bla here we go again, idiots who have never watched basketball, dwade or lebron james will say the heat will not be that good. if you have watched basketball at all in the last 5-7 years you are smart enough to know that the heat will be hell on wheels. ofcourse they have to go prove it on the court, but so does everyone else. its a new year, the lakers have to prove they are still the best in the west. props to riley for standing up for his team.
Riley did a great job, no doubt about it. However, superstars are supposed to beat one another, not join one another. Salary cap is for that purpose. Sacrificing money to play together defeats that purpose. It's not unselfish, but insecure.
Riley been doing this level of tampering for years. He did it to sign Juwon Howard - The league blocked it. Riley learned from that and manuevered around their block this time. Riley is always trying to compile a superteam. Honestly . . . I think he will supplant the coach mid season No matter what he wins with this team . . . Phil Jax will be seens as superior coach to me Rocket River
how can riley not even acknowledge that the way his BIG THREE paraded this whole decision is part of the reason it's been met with such a lack of enthusiasm?
Riley is reminding his guys what folks have said. He wants his team to have an edge, mental focus. Most of what he said is spot on true--but that is not why he said it. Everything he is saying is very calculated--challenging his superstars to be resilient. And they will be focused and devastating, barring injury. Hell, with Lebron and one of Bosh or Wade with the cast they got they are a 60-65 win team. With no major injuries ever league mark is a jeopardy. I look forward to seeing them kick the crap out of everybody, except when they play Houston & Phoenix. I really don't think the Lakers have a great chance either. It isn't like the Lakers didn't have dogfights the last 2 years against teams that won't compare in athleticism, stamina (Heat stars are young to in their prime) and match-up problems like these Heat will bring.
It's not whining it's crowing. He's assembled his team and now he's serving notice to the league. Notice how while the firestorm was happening Riley kept his mouth shut? First he wasn't yet in a position to talk about his team since they had key pieces missing. Second he didn't want to jeopardize any negotiations. Now the season is approaching, he has his horses and it's time to start working them. He said this **** for a purpose... to start motivating his guys to kick ass. Riley knows what he's doing. He couldn't care less what others in the league are saying. These statements are for his own troops heading into camp. Riley is a chessmaster. He knew how much heat the guys would take. I wouldn't me surprised if he purposefully didn't prepare Lebron or Bosh both of whom are too stupid to have anticipated the fallout of The Decision just so they'd both get beat up by the media and have more fuel for the season.
He forgot these guys, particularly LeBron and Wade, count on refs to make a living. It can easily backfire if refs don't like "decision". And I am not sure Stern embraced this idea either.
I think you mean: Wade/Miller/James/Bosh/Ilgauskas vs. Fisher/Kobe/Artest/Gasol/Bynum Probably the Heat have a better line-up on paper, but the Lakers have the chemistry from years of playing together. The Laker's bench is better though.
Like Ray Lewis said the other day about the Jets, they have a great team, but they havent won anything yet. Ray Lewis and the Ravens defense already have won a ring.
The Ravens defense that won the Super Bowl is long gone besides Ray Lewis and he isn't 1/2 the player now that he was then. Totally irrelevant notion. What the Ravens do this year will have zero to do with happened 10 seasons ago. In 2008, the Celtics hadn't won a title in 22 years and finished 24-58 the previous season. Their new-fangled Big 3 "hadn't done anything" but went on to dominate the season and win an NBA title. Every season is a new season. Whether it's the Lakers or Heat, past seasons don't count. Whoever wins it all will have to beat everyone standing in their way.
I'm not disagreeing with you about Jackson being the better coach, but it's not like Jackson hasn't also picked his spots. His first coaching job was leading the team that had the greatest player in league history. When that player retired for good, he took a year off, then joined the team that had the most dominant player in the league. When Shaq left LA, Phil retired again before returning to coach the best player in the league again, after a year of complete disappointment had somewhat humbled that player. And of course, if not for Pau Gasol being dropped in his lap, Phil almost certainly would not have his last two championships.
