[Round 1] Lakers vs. Suns

The Suns are playing completely out of sync and at the Lakers' pace. The Lakers are a better defensive team and they're showing it so far. The Suns' complete lack of a go-to guy on the offensive end that can break down defenses and/or score over them is showing. They depend entirely on Nash's ability to get them wideopen jumpers and a lack of an adequate defensive strategy by the opposing coach.

Looks like the Zen Master made some adjustments, I like how the Lakers are playing this game, it's wholly in their favor and they're frustrating the "built-for-the-season" Pheonix Suns.

It's funny how people constantly make fun of the Lakers cast of players, because everyone next to Kobe is playing VERY well and fulfilling their roles...Oh, and Odom is a fantastic player.

 

Three things to say:

1. Can't find a reason why you guys hate Kobe so much, I think he's better than most of the NBA players in the league.

2. Phil Jackson is just the zen master at this game, trade JVD+all the bench players for Phil would make the Rockets a Championship contender next year for sure.

3. The sun sux, even if they win this series, there's no way they will pass Spurs or Dallas.

 

Three things to say:

1. Reggietodd and yan_yao are huge kobe fan

2. Phil Jackson indeed is the best adjustment coach in the league.

3. Kobe's teammates dont suck at all. Those keep on blaming lakers success on the role players dunno much about basketball....

 

No one in their right mind can deny that he's one of -- if not the -- best players in the league. That however doesn't mean people have to like him. I think most basketball fans have a problem with Kobe the person and not the player. The player is a great talent and something to watch.

Phil has earned everything he has now. Yes he had great players, but those great players had to have his guidance and coaching to get them over the 'hump', whatever that may've been (mental, philosophical, system, of another team).

He is and will likely remain the best coach in history of the league.

The Suns don't "suck", I just don't think they're built for the playoffs where the game slows down and teams are able to make adjustments to them, the game gets physical, the defense tightens, and the need of a reliable inside presence comes to surface; they're a perfect season team.

Of all the teams with above 55 wins in the league, the Suns are by far the most beatable. That's why it should come as no surprise if the Lakers defeat them, it certainly wouldn't be a surprise for me.

With Odom and other 'unlikely' characters stepping up for the Lakers and they're playing more like a team, they have a 50-50 chance of winning this series. One thing I will say for sure is that Kobe's teammates have been undeservingly bashed and given too little credit. These are NOT "crappy, no talent" players. They're just young, but there is a lot of potential there and they do show flashes of what they could become (Kwame, Smush, and others). Odom is fantastic. As I predicted, Marion is fading and Odom is flourishing. He is playing the role of Scottie Pippen on this Lakers team now, making excellent passes, rebounding, playing D, defending, and showing his versatility on the offensive end.

You can't say that about the Mavs or the Spurs, those are two thoroughly solid teams.

 

the lakers insistence on going to kwame so much has me pretty much befuddled.

i know they wanna get everyone involved, but i'd rather kobe shoot halfcourters than let kwame post up. i don't care how bad the mismatch is. he got that 3 point play late in the half, but he's blown a point blank layup, dropped a pass from odom for a turnover, had a 3 second violation, gotten stripped on a spin, and traveled. so he's about 1 for 4 on plays i've seen and has 2 other turnovers in trying to get him the ball. it's just not worth it. work with him on the pick and roll if you must (that's where he got that dunk), but posting him up is just wasting possessions left and right. every possession kwame posts up instead of anyone else doing something should make the suns feel good. he can play a little pick and roll, he can rebound, and helps pretty well on defense, but stop posting him up, he isn't there yet.

it's basically the only blemish on an otherwise great gameplan and great execution (except for smush falling down on his own earlier and then at the end of the half turning the chance to go up 19 into a layup for the suns b/c he completely blows a behind the back dribble and turns it over).

being the eternal pessimist, i'm thinking the suns come out blazing and end up winning by 7 or 8, but it'd be nice to make this a series.

all i can say is the lakers better win this series if kobe is going to be getting everyone involved. the main reason to watch the lakers is to see kobe go crazy and we're not even getting to see him be average in terms of scoring. perhaps a good strategy (if they win), but bad tv.

 

The sun is suck compare to other solid team, the sun are pretender.

 

that might seem true, but last year they got to the conference finals and even beat dallas mostly without joe johnson. they lost to the champs (it was 4-1 but the games were fairly competitive, they just lost at the end).

 

LOL! It's absolutely laughable watching the Suns being forced to play in a set offense...they just can't do it! They panick and throw the ball away.

This team ain't nothing but a bunch of jump-shooters...which is all the more amazing that they won 60 games. But as I said, they're built for the season. The Detroits, Miamis, Spurs, and Rockets (if they ever get healthy and play some games together to get some chemistry going during the season) are built for the playoffs.

 

Umm...there was this guy that you might have forgotten that was scoring 40ppg on every team in the playoffs and simply torching opponents...his name was Amare something I think, he played Center/PF and scored almost 80% of his points in the paint.

If that was not an inside presence, I don't know what is...

 

i just don't understand the reluctance to let kobe take over. this is why people bag on the lakers role players (at least offensively). smush may as well be on phoenix's payroll, walton throws up an airball, kwame can't do anything without being spoonfed an opportunity. and yet either kobe is deciding or being told to get them involved and it does nothing.

actually, it's not getting them involved that's stupid. it's letting them initiate that's stupid. when kobe feeds the post to anyone other than odom, that's a wasted possession. when a perimeter player other than odom initiates, it's a wasted possession. in the first half, kobe was forcing the issue and then making the pass to get guys the shot. that works. b/c it generates easy shots. letting the other guys do stuff results in leads shrinking to 8 in no time at all. it's just stupid. kobe has to start driving or shooting or something. sitting back and watching these guys suck is just throwing away a golden opportunity at stealing one.

 

The Lakers need to tighten up their defense like earlier in the game, don't let Pheonix run up and down in transition, that's how they kill you.

As for Shawn Marion, that guy is the definition of a "second fiddle".

EDIT: WTF! The Suns exploded, the Lakers abandoned their earlier game plan, Phil needs to take control here.

On a sidenote, man can we use an extremely versatile guy like Odom on the Rockets or what.

 

LOL! I love how these national TV announcers/commentators always marvel at "the degree of difficulty" of shots taken by the likes of Kobe and T-Mac...there is a reason these guys are superstar franchise players and eventual Hall of Famers (assuming they remain healthy, of course).

These two guys specifically have proven that they can make 40% of those "extremely difficult shots", while others wouldn't dare to take them in the first place. It's what makes them unique.

 

Well... The Suns are back in it.

 

So, are you hinting that Tmac is on the same level as Kobe? Come on, don't fool yourself.

 

Watching the game on streamtvnow.com (which might i add is so cool. I'm paying $5 a month to watch live nba games. I'm gonna cancel my $70/month foxtel subscription because they've only shown one playoff game so far)

Kobe's killin. Marion could never carry a team on his own, he needs a solid PG to feed him the rock.

 

Is this legal? Do the have the rights to air those games?