Nene is a athletic freak of sorts. I remmeber he had the best time from end to end than anyone. He's has really good gifts, he just needs to stay healthy. Once again, neither team has a guy in the post that needs to touch the ball 75% of the time.
I'm probably in the minority, but I think the Nuggets were ripe to give up the game in the 4th quarter. The Lakers closed the gap with Kobe off the floor and had it at 10 with 7 minutes left. But the Lakers didn't have the energy to make a legit closing run because game 3 took too much out of them. Once the Nuggets figured that out, they relaxed and took control. The final score doesn't reflect how tight this game really was. This series is going 7. You have to favor the Lakers at home on Wednesday and I don't see them coming back to Denver and finishing it in game 6. The Nuggets will need Melo to drop 30+ points in game 5 to have a good chance. The Lakers need Odom, Ariza and at least one PG to show up or they could be in trouble. The Nuggets are their own worst enemies. It's hard to root for them, even against the Lakers. I would despise them if it weren't for Chauncey.
what's the point of people whining that there's a lakers/cavs conspiracy on every call on a rockets message board? probably none, but people do it since there's a game thread. the nuggets are the team that needs the game uglied up with free throws for everything and the refs are giving it to them every single game. that's pretty obvious.
Man, these Nuggets suck. When I expected a double digit Gm 3 win of these Nuggets and bet my house on them, they lost. After I lost my house, they won by double digit in Gm 4.
the lakers were terrible all night and had no chance. if vujacic and farmar and walton and odom and fisher and brown and ariza aren't going to make any outside shots and they can't grab a defensive board they're not going to turn it on suddenly. plus there were just too many free throws for both teams for any sort of come back. once billups took that terrible 3 but it went in to make it 13 the game was over. virtually every role player has regressed from last year and it's pretty much just kobe and gasol trying to carry the team and unlike the rockets, none of the role players are hustlers who are going to help you on defense or play like they have any IQ. they have to be hitting their shots to be good and they refuse to right now.
i would actually say that the bench last year if anything all over achieved. no one on that laker bench including Odom is consistent in any sort of way. Last year they all played way over theirs collective heads. Its a bit odd considering that their bench got more talented with the addition of Odom coming off the bench. I actually think two minor roster changers are hurting the lakers right now: a) letting turiaf go: granted there was no way they would be able to realistically match the money that GS threw at him but Turiaf was that high energy guy that relied more on hustle than talent (though he was talented) and played every game like his last (and remember he had a heart condition that threatened his NBA career early on). Right now whats the one thing missing from the lakers? energy and hustle, kobe is tough nosed player who plays hard but he isnt a all out hustle/energy guy. Almost every team in the playoffs have them....the cavs have varejao, wallace...the nuggets have andersen...the magic have pietrus and gortat. A minor change but it had an impact on that team b)trading vlad radmonovic: ok so they got morrison who so far is a complete NBA bust (how was this guy drafted above Roy again? Way to go MJ!) and shannon brown who has been a pretty good bench guy for the lakers and as I mentioned above I feel is the most consistent bench player for the lakers (though Odom is by far the best). But here is the case Rad played with the starters last season he was another big body 6'10 who played well offensively. He spread the floor really well and gave space for Gasol in the post. Even with bynum and gasol out there he can space the floor better than ariza (though ariza is shooting the 3ball well this playoffs he is historically a bad 3 pt shooter and he is getting some wide open looks as defenses are playing off of him) Rad is more known as a shooter and he would make defenses play more honest. Also it creates some stability in the back court rotation. Brown is playing so well that its cutting into Farmar and Vujacic's minutes and I always felt that both Farmar and Vujacic are guys who perform well when they have a set role and minutes. Both Farmar and Vujacic have seen their minutes change from game to game thanks to Brown unlike last year. (On a side note due to this I would expect the Lakers to try to move either Farmar or Vujacic next year if they resign Brown) I would say Phil should just literally just not have one of the two play (probably Farmar since Vujacic has the size to play the 2 spot as well) and play Brown more and have more set roles but I dont think that would bode well for the benched player and locker room chemistry While there are other factors that can fall into the lakers poor bench, bynum playing terrible etc. I think those two are the two major reasons why
Why does everyone act like the Lakers have such a great supporting cast out side of Kobe? Other than Gasol and sometimes Odom, these other clowns are complete stiffs. I guess the brilliance of Phil Jackson makes these scrubs appear like good role players, I don't get it when people talk about the lakers bench and the lakers depth.
Because they won an *ssload of games. . . when you winning. . they great when they start getting punched in the mouth well . . now they are scrubs maybe. . . follow me here . . but MAYBE . . .the other team has something to do with them looking like scrubs Rocket River
Because Gasol is better than the 2nd player from most other teams, and Odom is better than the 3rd player from most other teams. The only reason the depth looks so shoddy now is because Bynum isn't playing well (I think he still isn't over his injury, similar to when Yao came back against the Jazz), which forces Odom to get more minutes with the starters and not the bench. Also Fisher, a usually deadeye shooter, has turned to garbage this postseason. You can say the same for Sasha. Ariza has been balling though. Compare their support to the Cavs or Magic though and you will see that they have more depth. Denver may be another story, but it's not exactly like you need all the best talent when you have arguably the games best player and closer. Having two guys at the top of their positions on the same team gives you a big advantage...which is why I was laughing at everyone saying we would be dumb to gut the team to get CP3.
Some excerpts from the postgame interviews: Apparently THIS is why your knee and elbow blatantly elbowed our very own Shane Battier. Yes, coach. I feel your pain. Usually its YOUR team that gives the cheapshots. I wish the reporter had asked a follow up question -- "Would you consider Derek Fisher leveling Luis Scola sportsmanlike?" Perception is reality, right? My gut tells me the Lakers are gonna lose this series. For all you sports fans out there who like to cheer for REAL teams that don't b**** and moan when they don't catch all the breaks, lets hope I'm right.
I don't know if it was mentioned, but that dunk in the first quarter by Dhantay Jones was ridiculous. it was damn near vince carter like
I only watched second half and mostly 4th Q. I prefer the Nuggets to win - but I am liking them less and less - antics etc. I have to wonder and ask in regards to the 4Q - when LA was behind - why Kobe, Gasol and Ariza were sitting on the bench. I don't think I saw Ariza play the 4Q - or much the 3Q? Foul problems? It seemed like when LA needed to be making the effort to get even and pull ahead - their best players were on the bench. Granted, KB and PG need to rest - but I felt something weird going on there - was LAL's first string that tired?
