The Official NBA 2009-2010 Season Thread!

SVbeagador:

Matthew:

This team reminds me way too much of the 2003-2004 squad: in other words, unquestionably the most talented team, but good luck knowing when that team will show up.

They are not the most talented. Fisher can't compete with top guards, Odom and Gasol lack the talent to play physical, Kobe lacks the team play talent, sasha sucks, Andrew forgot how to rebound . . . maybe the most overrated team.

At least . . . if we think they suck how can we be disappointed if they lose

The Lakers don't suck. If they would've sucked, they wouldn't have gotten to this point. They will win this series, and have a fair chance at winning the NBA title, but this was just a horrible game as was the last one. I'll admit that, but this team will pick it up in Denver.

SVbeagador:

JamesMiranda:

SVbeagador:

Matthew:

This team reminds me way too much of the 2003-2004 squad: in other words, unquestionably the most talented team, but good luck knowing when that team will show up.

They are not the most talented. Fisher can't compete with top guards, Odom and Gasol lack the talent to play physical, Kobe lacks the team play talent, sasha sucks, Andrew forgot how to rebound . . . maybe the most overrated team.

At least . . . if we think they suck how can we be disappointed if they lose

The Lakers don't suck. If they would've sucked, they wouldn't have gotten to this point. They will win this series, and have a fair chance at winning the NBA title, but this was just a horrible game as was the last one. I'll admit that, but this team will pick it up in Denver.

Overrated.

The most overrated player in the history of the NBA: Kobe Bean Bryant!

Well, now at least I know what I keep hearing roll around in here . . . . . . You've lost your marbles...

Overrated does not mean Kobe is bad. It means he has many issues that go overlooked. Such as, inability to consistently get his team involved. And, although he can go 1 on 5 . . . the result is that instead of making the shot the odds are he will miss the shot or have a turnover. He D is also highly overrated. He slacks off the guy he is guarding way too often. In addition, it seems he has a hard time keeping his team motivated. Sure, he is great. But, until he wins a Championship without SHAQ (which might never occur) - he is overrated!

Wow. Talk about up and down ...

That was a tough game, that's for sure, but I was almost happier with this game than game 1, because we actually got a performance out of Pau, who looked good for most of the game. The refs were actually calling fouls made against us in the first few quarters and we just let it slip away at the end. That game easily could have gone the other way. There are certainly some players I'm upset with ... Odom, Sasha, Walton, Bynum ... but you can't fire on all pistons in every game. Denver is a good team with a rising superstar, a frontline of physical, 'bangers and a veteran, playoff-tested PG. They are no pushover.

The real test for the Lakers is in games 3 and 4. I see us winning game 3 and all of this negative press returns to positive.

Well, now we have to come out and play hard in game 4. Win or lose. . . they just need to play hard. Hitting free throws will also help.

JamesMiranda:

Still the same ol' overrated Lakers, eh Beags?

WTF? Go back and look at these threads and you will see I have been behind the Lakers for a long time. My posts were mostly joking because I'm so annoyed on how soft they play at times.

I'm not sure if they are the most "talented" team. That is, Fisher is playing horrible at many times. He cannot stay with guards on D and makes horrible decisions at critical times with the ball. He is a solid player, but maybe more of a solid bench player. Kobe still stays off his player too much.

Sasha - my god, sit the guy already.

Hit your free throws - that's a talent.

Play hard on D and on the boards.

I really hope the Lakers win this series and the championship. I think they can IF they don't take games/quarters off. Any non-blind Laker fan should agree. What pisses me off about the Lakers is the same things that pissed me off last year and why they did not the championship even if they might have been more talented. Yet, don't be blind and think I root against them or I was not watching the game dying whenever Denver had the lead and jumping through the roof when the Lakers took the lead! Yet, they still played soft way too much in game 3. They need to be a physical team and not get pushed around because I don't only want them to beat Denver, but I want them to beat whoever they play in the finals.

Rebounding, rebounding rebounding! What is the heck is wrong with the Lakers. They get outrebounded by 18. It's like they don't want to win.

And, talk about overrated - Phil Jackson. How the heck does he have Odom, Bryant and Gasol all on the bench early in the 4th, when the team is already down.

If they play hard and lose, then fine. But, to get pushed around and not fight to win, it is frustrating.

I agree with Beags the most on his assessment of the Lakers, with some exceptions. Koby Bean Bryant is the best player on the planet and the fact that he has this group of soft euro inspried stiffs in the conference finals, is testament to his greatness. He does attempt to get his teammates involved but the stiffs (sasha,fisher,walton and odom) cant consistently make shots to take the pressure off Kobe. This whole "making your teammates better" crap only works if you have teammates who are knockdown shooters, not bricklayers like the lot that align the Lakers bench. Phil Jackson is stealing money from "Ole Doc Buss" by not playing Bynum more and with his weird substitution patterns that leaving me wanting to throw my shoe thru my Plasma......

Matthew:

Lakers up 3-2, even though, strangely, it doesn't seem like it.

You got that right.

Not that I follow the NBA much, but I got a huge kick out of story in the Denver Post that accuses the Lakers of buying the refs. Of course, it was full of unnamed sources, but I wonder what kind of punishment will come from the offices of David "Big Tony" Stern about airing the league's obvious officiating problem?

LAKERS BACK IN THE FINALS, BABY!!

JamesMiranda:

Yes sir! I have a much better feeling about the Lakers going against the Celtics this time.

Same here. Though it's still a coin toss on who will win it. It's going to be very interesting; based on the hype, history, and strength of the two teams, this is probably at least the best Finals matchup in at least 12 years.

ocmike24:

I'm firmly convinced that the first team to score more than the other 4 times will win.

Yea, I think that's how it works. Who ya got?

Matthew:

Congratulations on your new stint as basketball analyst on ESPN!

With that kind of thinking, he could be the lead guy on BBTN.