They deserve their own thread. Some observations: The Pau Gasol trade reminds me of the Rasheed Wallace trade in 2004. It should key the Lakers run to a championship. They have all the ingredients they need: A Kobe: The cold-blooded, fearless superstar who's will to win is second to none. He knows he's top dog and is secure enough that he can defer to & trust other players and conserve his energy. What a change from last summer's ranting and raving to now. Kobe is very glad he didn't get what he asked for. B Fish: The veteran backcourt mate who is a tough as nails defender, a clutch shooter and who knows how to play off the superstar. C Pau: A versatile and very talented swing player in who has found his comfort zone. Pau is not a first-tier superstar and that's why he failed in Memphis. You cannot build a team around him. He is a great 2nd or 3rd fiddle who is intelligent, passes well and is GREAT at playing off the ball. Pau licks his chops every game because of the easy looks Kobe gives him. Of course, Pau has no problem taking things into his own hands when needed, but Kobe's presence decreases the pressure on him. D Odom: Another versatile and very talented swing player who has found his comfort zone as a 3rd or 4th fiddle. Expectations wear Odom down. Now he can go with the flow, fill in the gaps and not be forced to create offense when he doesn't feel like it. Those games where he's feeling it are a bonus, not a necessity. E A bench with the guts to keep taking it to the other team. Vujacic has improved so much I don't recognize him. This guy was a total chump his first couple of years before finally showing a pulse last season. His improvement in shooting and confidence this season is the equivalent of a free agent acquisition. He is what we want Steve Novak to be. Vujacic makes me think maybe Novak just needs another year. Farmar's improvement has also blown me away. It was obvious last season PJ just didn't trust him. He eventually had to because of Smush Parker's meltdown. Farmar is a completely different player now. His hustle is inspiring. Turiaf is Turiaf. I'll let a hard core Lakers fan explain why Luke Walton is so bad now. I can't remember one good game I've seen him play this season. F A Hall of Fame coach that has this team in complete control. I admit to thinking the wheels were falling off PJ last season. His relationship with the players really broke down last season after the injuries hit. This year, PJ has proven his is still a top-shelf coach. G Bynum: I left him at the end for a reason. I think the Lakers can win it all without him at full strength. If he comes back, is in form for the playoffs and the Lakers are relatively healthy, they will win the championship. Late in tense playoffs games, the Lakers defense and their toughness & variety on offense will carry them to wins. This is the team the Rockets DO NOT want to face in the 1st round if we make the playoffs. I mean no disrespect to the defending champion Spurs, but they don't measure up to the Lakers. The Lakers are younger, faster, deeper and more athletic. I heard a guy on the radio today say that there will be no favorites in the WC playoffs, that "anything can happen". Nonsense! After 82 games, the cream will be at the top and I bet 3/4 or all 4 of the top seeds win in the 1st round.
ugh. they have their own thread Hurry up and reserve your spot on the Lakers Bandwagon! Space is Limited!
Next year... Can you believe how well Kobe shot tonight? No way there is anything wrong with his fingers. And if there is then keep that ligament torn.
Ooops. I've proven many times over that I'm not a Lakers-lover. But watching their first 3-4 games with Pau is all it took to convince me they were favorites.
LOL! Dude. It's not like it was an old thread either. It is on the first page and you even posted on it. In fact you even had the same first lines about Wallace in it.
Why would a non-Lakers lover watch 'their first 3-4 games with Pau'? I for some reason associate you with being a Lakers fan from your posts, but maybe I'm getting you mixed up with some other poster. Your OP, however, was so gushing it made me throw up in my mouth a little.
You better grab a towel before you read this: I watched the first half of the Mavs/Hornets game because of Jason Kidd. I'll be watching the next 2-3 Mavs games to see how Kidd fits in. Blech! Even typing that made me gag.
No, I'm fairly sure that A_3PO isn't a Lakers fan. You're stuck w/ the Pacers aren't you? This is my first game watching the Lakers w/ Gasol. It seemed like he got quite a few 'easy' shots, which I doubt he'd get against us. Was the Suns defense slacking, or is the triangle and Gasol creating those opportunities. I'm trying to avoid the knee-jerk 'OMG THE SEASON IS OVER LAKER ARE R 2 GUD!11!!' attitude.
Pau has gotten a lot of easy shots against every team since going to LA. This game was typical. The NBA has never been this easy for him. Part of it is Kobe; part of it is because of the ball movement and slashing (the triangle).
Right now, all Pao needs to do is watch Kobe/playmaker for 5 seconds, hover near the rim and throw up his arms. Instant bailout if Kobe's in trouble.
