Just like all the people who said Ming would suck, check back on LA after the all star break. They already have the hoax on Dallas and SA, so if the only other team they would have to face are the Kings, I would still put my money on the Lakers. When healthy against any team in the league, the Lakers still have 2 of the top 5 players in the league on the same team on the court at the same time. No other team can say that and thats where the advantage is. We'll open this thread back up in March.
i certainly agree that they can pull themselves out of the hole...but after a while you can't keep saying, "it's still early." they're going to have to run off a pretty fair number of games...the season isn't infinite. and yes...they have those 2 players...but that alone won't get it done...and if their supporting cast is dealing with diminished skills from age or apathy, then this team is going nowhere fast.
The NBA season is very long, and L.A. is what? 2 games out of the 8th, 5 games out of the 4th seed. They have plenty of time to get serious. The big question is will they have anything left for the playoffs. Remember the 94-95 Rockets started season 9-0 before they started goofing around. All the goofing around (Dream's anemia and what not) allowed the Rockets be fresh for the postseason. If Shaq and Kobe have to huff and puff in the second half just to make the playoffs, they'll be ripe for taking in the playoffs.
What a train wreck waiting to happen, LOL! They're are basically imploding from within. "At certain moments, they ain't been (good)," Horry said. "And if the two big dogs want some fresh meat around, that's their prerogative. But the rest of us, we're going to do what we need to do to make the team better." "Hell, if it was up to me, I'd trade both of them. Send one to Memphis and one to Utah," Horry said with a laugh. Classic!
actually Phil told Horry to say that...because he's smarter than everyone else...and they're going to intentionally tank the season so he can teach them more about zen
Definitely. WITHOUT A DOUBT. Phil needs to play Rush and Murray. Fox just can't get it done on the offensive end, while Fisher just flat out sucks in every aspect imaginable.
I think LA could give Sacramento trouble in the playoffs but this is only because I watched last years series between them and Bibby was the only player who wanted to shoot in a close game on the whole Sac team. The rest of them were tentative. Until Sac gets over the hump...
the lakers do suck....key stat tonight.... kobe 29 shots shaq 13 shots what the hell is up with that? geez...give the big guy the ball!
They aren't playing good defense. A lot of its that Shaq is so slow on the defensive end now, but a lot of it is that their perimeter players just don't seem to want to play defense, especially rotations - they suck at that this year. But they'll turn it around and probably get into the playoffs comfortably - and I would really, really not want the Rockets to play them.
I am not buying the Lakers slow start that has continued all the way until now. I still think they will win the title this season. The Lakers always have these regular season problems, but in the end, everything will end up being all right, and the Lakers will dominate come the playoffs. If the Lakers play the Kings in the first round, I would be surprised if the Lakers didn't win it. I am not counting them out.
After getting blown out v NJ tonight, it's starting to get desperate. I saw them v Minnesottaand they were woeful. ESPN wrote an article that said they needed to basically win 62% of their games from last week to get to 44 wins, which got Utah the 8th seed last year. Given that it's likely to be about 47 this year...and given that they have lost two more games since that article and will likely lose in Philly, they will need to come home about 65%. Their role players have all peaked. Shaw, Fox, Fisher all look terrible and Horry looks bored. Shaq is overweight. Kobe, to be truthful, is not the player we all thought. He's still an elite player, but he hasn't lifted them up and carried them like McGrady and Garnett do. Shaq has been back 10 games, even unfit, that still gives Bryant a 20 and 10 center...which Garnett etc I am sure would LOVE to have. Factor in that all teams will have injuries between now and April...and that they 100% can't afford to drop any more games due to an injury run... I'd say they are gone for this season.
The Lakers have never been below .500 this late into the season. They've never been out of the playoffs this late in the season. They've never looked so old, slow, and vulnerable. Any problems the Lakers have had in past years greatly pale in comparison to this year's. If the Kings play the Lakers, I'd take the Kings to sweep, or to drop one game. The Lakers had almost every variable for them last year. They got 27 free throws in the fourth quarter of an elimination game. Stojakovic missed basically the whole series, and the Kings lacked a consistent outside scoring threat. Webber played one of the worst series of his life in the fourth quarter. The Lakers hit all sorts of clutch shots. The Kings couldn't hit a free throw. With almost every sort of variable out there favoring LA, they barely squeaked by in overtime of a 7th game. Match them up again, and it probably won't be as close. BTW, I thought the Lakers won the title when they beat the Mavs, according to some of you...
I won't be surprised to see the Lakers go for the lottery-bound. They don't seem to be interested in winning games. Shaq is twice as slow as he used to be.
If the Lakers don't make some sort of change, it looks like Cat will be 1 for 4 in his predictions regarding the Lakers.
I want to play the Lakers in the playoffs. I don't know that we can beat them, but I think it's not impossible. And how sweet would it be to have Yao Ming push Shaq out of the playoff race? And, even if we lose, playing against Shaq in the playoffs is just about the best training Yao can get.
