Kings need Peja; since he's out the rest of this week, they need some help from the Spurs. Lakers in 6.
Kings in 7. I'm not a fan of either team, but the Lakers would've been eliminated before this series had they not played teams that had no clue how to play in the fourth quarter. Shaq can be contained right now, Kobe is struggling from the field, and the Laker role players aren't hitting threes with the same proficiency as they were a season ago. The chemistry is also a far cry from last season. The Kings need another leader besides Chris Webber, but I'm hoping Bibby continues to field that role. Like I've said before, I'm not a huge fan of the Kings either, but luck has a way of balancing out, and the Lakers are fortunate right now not to either be eliminated or down 3-2 going to a game 6.
I have been saying since the Bibby trade the Kings have a good chance, I am not changing now. If Peja can't play that is bad though--the Kings need at least a split this weekend w/o him. If they win 2 w/o him the Lakers are in BIG trouble. I don't think any of Phil J championship teams have ever been down 2 games or trailed 3-2 or 3-1, the lone exception may have been one of those Knick-Bulls series where the Knicks choked and Micheal didn't. Anyway, crucial weekend, either team losing 2 means big trouble. (Normally I would say the Lakers could lose the 1st 2 on Sacs home court and be OK, but with Shaq's inuries and Sacs depth I don't think think they benefit from a long drug out and physical series). I am going to route for the Nets regardless, I think all the teams left are beatable, and only Boston doesn't have a legit threat.
My wish is that the Kings will win.....HOWEVER, if anyone really thinks the Kings will beat the Lakers, they are dillusional and need to be on medication. Lakers in 6 (and that's being generous towards Sac.) Man I hate the Lakers.
It's still a lot better than winning 28 games and going to the lottery for a third straight year. My wish is that the Kings will win.....HOWEVER, if anyone really thinks the Kings will beat the Lakers, they are dillusional and need to be on medication. My personal take is that anyone who thinks the Kings can't beat the Lakers is delusional. Remember, there's a difference in can't and won't-- I'm not saying predictions of LA winning are terribly wrong. They stand a quality chance of winning. But, anyone who thinks the Lakers will roll over the Kings isn't watching the same games I am. This team is extremely beatable, and should've been defeated in the last round, if SA could've had any fourth quarter production at all. As I've said since Game 1 of the playoffs, you can't expect LA just to "flip the switch" and find everything cured. It takes weeks and/or months to develop the chemistry that made them so great last year. LA can beat the Kings, but I seriously doubt you see any domination.
The Lakers have only lost 2 playoff games in the last 2 years, and 19 of you think they'll lose 4 games in the next 2 weeks? It ain't happenin'...
Hey Cat, wanna bet 20 bucks? Sure, I know the Kings can beat the Lakers, they've done it before in the regular season. But it simply will not happen in a seven game playoff series. I'll be surprised if Sacramento wins two games in the series. Shaq may be slower, but LA has plenty of weapons, waves of them, that can pick up offensive slack. They play such great team defense too. Believe me, I WANT Sacramento to put them out. But they can't. They don't have it on the defensive end as a cohesive team.
Yes, they can. Witness the 4th quarters of the series vs San Antonio. They put it on cruise control the first three quarters, staying close - then just crushed the Spurs in the 4th. They can flip the switch, they will flip the switch, and just like the Spurs, the Kings will fold like a house of cards during the 4th quarter.
Do people not remember how close the Lakers came to losing to the Blazers 2 years ago or how close the Spurs games were. The Kings are a better overall team and far more potent than the Spurs--it will be too late for the Lakers if they just try to play in the 4th because they will get down by 20 playing like that. HoopT--I'll bet you even money the Kings win 2 or more games. I think they have a good chance to win the series, but winning 2 games is a nobrainer. I agree with Cat here, to not realize this reflects tunnel vision and groupthink. The Lakers are vulnearable and haven't faced their toughest competition yet. I smelled a Laker walk against the Spurs yet it was tougher than I thought, I smell a really tough 6 or 7 game series with Sac and believe either team can win. This is NOT last years Laker team.
Do you remember a few weeks ago when Sac had a hard time beating the Utah Jazz. Sac doesn't have a chance against LA. Depth does not win championships, superstars do. Name the last championship team that didn't have a superstar on it. LA has 2 (arguably the best 2 in the league), Sac has none unless you count cry baby Chris Webber (maybe top 10).
Do you not remember the Kings getting swept last year? I remember last year, it was the Spurs that was going to put the Lakers in their place with their outside shooting. They were afterall one of the best shooting teams last year, yet they somehow managed to miss wide open shot after wide open shot... These Kings will tense up and not hit the wide open shots that they did against Dallas. Chris Webber will play like a wuss, and this series will be about as boring as the last Lakers-Spurs series was...
Here is the reason i like the Lakers in six. Because the Kings play the role of the Knicks (during Phil Jackson's first three titles in Chicago) The Bulls beat the Knicks in the first round in 91, semis in 92 and conf finals in 93. Just a historical perspective.
The Lakers played good basketball in the fourth quarter, but hardly great. The reason for those losses was the Spurs offensive ineptitude, which had very little to do with the Laker defense. The Kings have many more offensive weapons to create from the perimeter.
