like i have been saying, manu cannot play more than 35 min consistently. after playing a starter role for a few games, he has run out of gas. they better hope he can do something really soon.
In case you are looking for a live stream, here's the link: http://www.tnt.tv/sports/nba/playoffs08_live/# If you can read lips, you probably could verify if Kobe's affair is true or not from Paula.
what do kobe and gasol have to do to get a free throw? they've been fouled 4 or 5 times (kobe got hit pretty good on that last drive) and not gotten a single foul called for them or any ft's. someone reaches and slaps gasol almost every time he gets a step.
Did anyone else throw up in their mouth a little during the NBA finals promo where it showed all the dynasties of the past (Boston, NY, Chicago...) and they got to SA and they showed those four banners with the radio call "and the pride of the great lone star state, are NBA champions once again"... We seriously need a pair of trophies, like now.
wow the lakers are the deepest offensive team i have seen in a while, from their starting 5 all the way to their bench. this is ridiculous how everyone of them is a legit scorer.
man will our bench ever be as good as the lakers' bench? they have actually outscore teams with kobe on the bench.
and they can defend and rebound. They were my team to win it all when I thought Bynum would be back during the regular season but I don't think they need him to win it all.
I don't know if someone already said this but this would make a great finals scenario: Lakers and Pistons rematch of 2004 finals where Kobe Phil and Fisher can avenge the only Finals loss for Phil that thwarted his 10th ring and also getting their 4th title under the Kobe/Shaq era. After that the Kobe/Shaq era was essentially over. It would be a good understory.
I'd rather the Pistons win it again. I actually like their style of play and their work ethic. Big names but none that really stand out. I know Sheed has always been one of those debatable all time greats if he went out with that mentality but Sheed is what he is and thats still a damn good player. Same thing with all of them. Just a very balanced team that plays impressive honest defense not reliant on flopping. Again they're also a team I don't think has a reputation for being floppers on offense either. They just come across as a very humble team that knows they belong and acts like it.
You folks who were so certain the Spurs would win this series: 1 Do you still feel that way? 2 Did you think the Lakers were WORSE than the Hornets (who took the Spurs to 7 games)? 3 Did you pick the Spurs based on your feelings immediately after they won game 7 in New Orleans? Be honest. Just curious, especially on questions 2 & 3. I can't see how anyone could analyze the Lakers and Hornets and not see the Lakers were better. I also can't understand how game 7 in New Orleans gave anyone confidence in the Spurs. They were awful in the 4th quarter and only pulled it out because Paul, West & Peja all gagged the final 10 minutes of the game.
I would like the Lakers to win that finals rematch cause they haven't won it in awhile and not annoying as much, and I also think this Pistons era of the Sheed/Billups/Prince/Hamilton nucleus is the NBA's version of the Buffalo Bills, even though this Pistons team has won 1 title. I'd like for them to keep that rep lol. But either way is cool with me. Celtics in the finals just doesn't interest me.
Obviously we will see. But analytically, the Lakers are better than the Hornets. They are more mature, have a much better coach, a vastly superior bench (by a country mile) and the best player in the NBA. I meant to ask these types of questions between series after seeing so many pick the Spurs. The bottom line question: If it took the Spurs 7 games to put the Hornets away, why would someone be very confident they would beat the Lakers? I don't get it because if the Hornets had pulled out game 7, I bet the ratio would have been 75%/25% picking the Lakers over the Hornets. Maybe I'm wrong.
Other than Kobe and Fisher how do you call that team mature. The Spurs have plenty of guys who have been there before. I am not saying spurs will win, but I am not going to give Lakers the edge.
The Lakers are a different animal then the Hornets. Hornets are a great team, but they had alot of key players that were one dimensional that when the Spurs keyed on them and made sure they didn't get off, it made it harder for CP3 and West to carry the load. Guys like Peja, Morris Peterson, and Chandler were kept in check for latter part of the series and especially in the 7th game. Lakers however, have too many multi dimensional players and Odom is benefiting from the mismatches because no one really matches up with him, Duncan guards Gasol so either the SF or the C guards Odom, which favors Odom. Also Lakers bench > Hornets bench by a wide margin. And that will be the difference as the Spurs bench is weak. You can always give the Spurs a benefit of the doubt cause they've done it before, but this time their weaknesses are the Lakers strengths and can't hide those anymore. Plus blowing that big lead in game 1 was a huge mental letdown, even for a veteran team like them, cause they know they have to scratch and claw for everything in this series.
When you give the best closer in the game a little bit of help, he'll damn make sure he gets the job done. Gasol, Odom and co. have had their moments in the playoffs so far but Kobe has been on top of his game throughout the postseason. This series is over. All we have to do is win one game there. The defending champions are not gonna fold. Laker fans like myself have tremendous respect for them but they look too sluggish and just a step slower in keeping up with us. They'll give us everything they got in San Antonio, feeding off the crowd. But the Lakers are the best road team in the playoffs so far and they will win one game in San Antonio and wrap this up in game 5 at LA
