The 2007-08 NBA season will see a major shift in the balance of power in the PacificDivision. Over the last three years, the LAKERS-SUNS matchup has turned into an extremely bitter rivalry not only for the players and coaches but also for the thousands of loyal fans that support these two tough teams.
After keeping serious tabs on these two teams over the summer, one thing is obvious to me. The LAKERS are vastly improving both on offense and defense and gaining more confidence by the second, while the SUNS look like their same old predictable selves and are getting more brittle and more frustrated as each passing day comes. Let's begin with the LAKERS.
As I've been saying all along, THE LAKERS ASSAULT IS COMING. In fact, it's already happening.
I know it's early and people will say that the Lakers' recent one-sided victories against Phoenix (119-98) and Utah (119-109) came at the expense of their opponents' second night of back-to-back games. But do you expect me to believe that these professional athletes this early in the season will have weary legs? Give me a break. Back-to-back games in the first week of the season should not be an excuse. Players are in shape and they should be more pumped up to play, especially with Phoenix playing in their home opener and Utah having to travel only 1 hour to get to Los Angeles from Oakland. The Lakers were flat out better and it is a major sign of things to come.
As for the KOBE BRYANT saga, we are not trading Kobe. We never will. Kobe for the unproven and hyped-up Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, and a throw-in? What a joke of a proposal. The Bulls are 0-3 and the reason is because they have no superstar. I feel bad for the Chicago Bulls because they should have gone after Pau Gasol this summer. Instead you have Chicago fans chanting KOBE-KOBE-KOBE in their own stadium in front of their own players after a loss to the lowly Milwaukee Bucks. How sad it is, the reality of it all.
Kobe wants to be a Laker for life and that's a fact. He's said it before. The only reason the rumors kept flying out of the bird cage was because Jerry Buss said he would entertain offers. It surely doesn't mean he will trade him or that Kobe would waive his no-trade clause. In fact, Bryant has never came close to even hinting at waiving the no-trade clause. Even Buss has repeatedly said that the Lakers are going to build a contender with KOBE as the cornerstone of the Laker franchise. In due time the role players will prove themselves worthy enough to satisfy Bryant's unrelenting will to win and when the time is right Kobe will announce his desire to remain with the Lakers the rest of his career. Then Phil will extend his contract and we will all say to ourselves that we knew it all along.
It has been obvious since the summer, when I was repeatedly backing up the entire Laker organization, that we were never going to trade Bryant. Why in the world would it make business sense for the Buss family to give up the best player in the game after we went 26-13 last year and defeated all the NBA's elite teams at least once (2 out of 3 against the World Champion Spurs and 2 out of 3 against West Finals participant Utah) before the injuries hit? And why would Kobe want to start over with another team with no guarantee that the other team would have better role players than what he's got here in Los Angeles. After all, the Lakers would basically look to gut another team's roster in exchange for Kobe. So that automatically means L.A.'s trading partner would have to forfeit their top two or three players. Kobe wouldn't want that and neither would Dallas, Chicago, or Detroit. The Pistons, for example, still have their nucleus intact and are still highly competitive in the East so it would not make good business sense for Joe Dumars to Rip it all apart just to get the league's top scorer.
I have maintained for many months that L.A. should not break up their roster to bring in old All-Stars like Jermaine O'Neal and/or Jason Kidd (with all due respect to their greatness). Why not? Because...
1) the new players you bring in will have to learn the triangle and start from scratch, thereby throwing away all chemistry that was developed over the last three years with the original nucleus, 2) O'Neal and Kidd are both on the downside of their careers and there is no guarantee that either will make the Lakers better than what they are now, and 3) In Los Angeles, we build for dynasties and long-term success. We don't go out there and rent aging superstars who are in the final one or two years of their contracts in HOPES that we get to the FINALS, much like Phoenix (Grant Hill), Dallas (Eddie Jones), Miami (RickyDavis), and Detroit (Chris Webber) do. It is no surprise that all of the aforementioned players have never appeared in the NBA FINALS. They have a history of mediocrity and that's exactly what they will bring to their respective teams - a mediocre attitude that will rub off on their teammates.
Moreover, we are not trading Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum or anyone else not named Brian Cook.
We have size. We have athleticism. We can run-n-gun. We can play half-court. We have the best player and coach in the game. We have wingmen, slashers, guys who can post up. We have role players who bring a ton of energy off the bench. The players have a renewed defensive fervor about themselves. We have veteran presence. And above all, we have youth and balance, and we are starting to develop and maintain the work ethic that is needed to become champions. All of this is on KOBE's shoulders as the leader and he knows it and accepts it. That's why he's the greatest of his era.
This team is so scary, that only people who really know basketball know what I'm talking about. Everyone else who can deny this are simply hating.
The Lakers can play with any team in this league. Utah is tough but they have no one to contain Bynum and we have a tremendous size advantage. San Antonio handled Utah last year in the West FInals because of these same two factors: Domination down low and the Jazz had nobody to stop Duncan. The only team that will give the Lakers fits in the West are San Antonio, Houston or perhaps Denver because all three teams have legitimate centers. The rest of the teams are cakewalk if the Lakers can continue to play EVERY GAME like they did the last two. It starts with TOTAL TEAM EFFORT and I strongly believe the Lakers have finally gotten it.
I feel terrible for the entire state of Arizona right now because Suns fans can slowly feel in their hearts what is coming. I'm sure they're already saying, "Uh-oh." Hey, at least you guys still have the SUN DEVILS.
The way Phoenix looked in their first three games lets me know this...
1) Nothing has changed for the better. The SMURFS' lack of size will absolutely KILL them this year (they have been outrebounded in all three games by sorry Seattle, the Lakers, and the undermanned Cleveland Cavs who were missing one of their top rebounders in Varejao)
2) Amare Stoudemire's lingering knee problems will spell doom for the Suns if they persist throughout the year. If Bynum, Ronny Turiaf, and Kwame Brown can rough him up and limit him to 7 points and 1 rebound, imagine what the rest of the West can do to this overhyped new version of Antonio McDyess. Phoenix should have traded him for KG but there is a reason why the Boston Celtics have all the history and Phoenix doesn't - the upper management in Boston has more moxie to take risks than Phoenix's shot-callers do.
3) Mike D'Antoni is not as good as everyone thinks he is. Phil Jackson is already in his head, and the simple fact he makes a big deal about that silly timeout for which Phil had a very legit reason for calling, lets me know he has his own insecurities about his own team. Take the loss like a man D'Antoni and quit crying like Adelman and C-Webb were doing when the Lakers kept shoving it against the Kings' you-know-what back in the day. You haven't won squat, and I'm sure you haven't earned that respect from Jackson the way he admires and reveres Jerry Sloan, Gregg Popovich, and Pat Riley.
4) If Steve Nash ends up having to carry the load offensively, then expect the Suns to lose in the first round because come May Nash's back will be all but done, and Amare's legs will be worn out, and the rest of the Suns players will have zero confidence once they realize they can't hangwith the bigger teams (Houston, Utah, Lakers, Dallas, Denver, NewOrleans) who can play a half-court game and run-n-gun when the situation calls for it. And we already know that D'Antoni play his starters 40 minutes a game and never uses his bench (he's already done so the first three games) so the Suns may be in for a long season. And what if Grant Hill ends up getting hurt? Now what?
5) The signing of Hill, although beneficial for them, was the wrong move. It will limit the productivity, shots, and minutes of guys like Raja Bell and Leandro Barbosa, two very key elements in their past success. And Hill's below average long-range shooting does not make him a great fit for this system either.
6) The Suns' poor upper management decision makers should have realized that in the Western Conference, you need tough big men who can hold the paint in order to contend. Why do you think Kurt Thomas skipped town? Because he knew that Phoenix is not as good as everyone thinks they are and he didn't want to shorten his career by playing an up-tempo no-defense style the rest of his life. And Thomas knew better, considering he played for the big, bad, and tough New York Knicks in his heyday and knowing what it takes to contend, Thomas made a very intelligent business move and went to a young team who could value from his services. Phoenix should have gone after C-Webb, Jamaal Magloire, or even PJ Brown to get stronger inside but they didn't, and that's why they'll never make it to the FINALS.
7) The Suns are one-dimensional. It's way too obvious and with most of the teams employing an up-tempo style, it will be even harder for the Suns to win close games because not only do they lack beef up front, they also WASTE POSSESSIONS with their style of play jacking up shots left and right with no post game. Like I've been saying for years, they are predictable and will continue to be as long as they have Nash and Stoudemire.
It's early in the season, but many things are becoming clear in the Pacific Division. And nothing is as exciting as the drama that unfolds every time the Suns and Lakers hit the floor.
Dizzle I gotta admit, every time a true Laker fan, and someone who unlike Dusty actually watches the games, makes a case for the team as is with Kobe I can't help but agree. If he doesn't overreact this year when the Lakers hit that inevitable dry spell that all teams hit, and he doesn't do anymore radio shows threatening to ditch the squad, I think we can be in for a very nice year.
I'm not sure we can top the Suns this year, but believe me, I think we're not too far away from that point. From last year to this year the Suns have gotten worse, whereas the young talent on the Lakers is maturing and therefore is making the Lakers better.
Bynum maturity is become clear with every passing game, and it still boggles my mind that anyone can call this kid lazy or uninspired. Do they not see the way his body has developed? That's all hard work right there.
Here's the things that are worrying me:
1. I'm not sure Kobe can stay stable when the team hits a dry spell.
2. Ronny and Bynum are REALLY foul prone. I'd really love to see them develop their D which would help them stay on the court for longer periods of time.
3. Kwame should be coming off the bench, but the fact that he isn't is a testament to the fact that Drew isn't ready defensively.
LAKERFAN19: You have excellent points regarding your concerns this season and I will attempt to address them to the best of my knowledge.
1) "I'm not sure Kobe can stay stable when the team hits a dry spell."
I'm not sure either, but I'm willing to bet my dollars that if the the rest of his teammates can prove to him that they can maintain the EFFORT and CONSISTENCY for a prolonged time, then KOBE will have the trust in his young team to recover when they hit that inevitable dry spell (long road trip). This is why I like the acquisition of D-Fish so much. During those difficult times, Fish provides that second voice and that peace of mind to allow Kobe to maintain his sanity and his composure.
2)"Ronny and Bynum are REALLY foul prone."
Yes they are, but they will learn to curb their fouling propensity as time goes by. Ronny and Andrew are very fundamentally skilled players who know the game. This trait will allow them to improve defensivley and once Lamar comes back, Turiaf and Bynum will be the first big men off the bench and once the rotation is set and players have settled into their roles, we will see an even more balanced unit. As they players get better defensively thru the season, they will also get better mentally which will lead to better decisions on the defensive end. As far as Mihm is concerned, there may be no hope for him because he's always been foul prone his entire career.
3)"Kwame should be coming off the bench, but the fact that he isn't is a testament to the fact that Drew isn't ready defensively."
lot of starting time this year for the simple fact that Buss is paying Kwame $9 mil for one more year and he has to get his money's worth, while Bynum continues to improve his defense.
Moreover, starting Brown for now will be good for his confidence and it is great to see Bynum willingly accepting his role as first big man off the pine. Brown needs every ounce of confidence in order to be effective and starting him is the best way to generate that. Phil is smart. Look at the Utah game... Bynum was the one playing in the end because we all know Andrew can be more of a factor against the better teams.
They will split the time at center, with Bynum getting more minutes as he continues to improve. Kwame will be Kwame, which means 20 minutes a game of solid defense, bobbled passes, the occasional offensive rebound and put-back slam, missed free throws galore, but a big body nonetheless to throw in there against the likes of Yao, Duncan, Gasol, Stoudemire, etc. I really can't complain because now we have major options that other teams wish they had.
Then next year when Brown's contract expires, Bynum becomes the full-time starter and he will get paid a higher contract. We might resign Brown for three years 10 million simply for his defense and with Brown having a smaller contract than Bynum, Phil now has the justification to throw him into the pine.
All in all, I am hoping that Brian Cook is dealt this year so we can have Crittenton available every game and free up some salary which we will end up giving to Andrew in the future.
I have to admit that the Lakers have looked good, Kobe gives them a chance to win every game, this team still needs one more player...maybe Artest or something along those lines and I'm sure Kobe would keep his head on...Artest for Odom and that makes you alot better team and throw in Bynum for Miller....I like that trade both ways, what up J-Dizz!
Last edited by vearlthepearl on November 5th at 7:30 PM.
I completely agree, this team has only been together for 2 seasons and when we were healthy last year, we were beating all of the top teams. People will hate and say, “well the Lakers started off good last season too, and then they fell apart.” Well haters, check this! Our young players have experience now and are no longer intimidated, Vlad Rad’s hand is not broken any more so he can actually hit a three, Bynum is becoming a monster and is only getting better, Fisher is a super huge improvement in leadership, but the main reason I can say with confidence that we will win our division is DEFENCE!
Kobe is leading the defensive onslaught, this is as fierce as I have ever seen him on D, we are 5 deep on good defensive guards, and four deep in good defensive big men. Rotating these guys will ware out Nash, Novitzki, Duncan, Parker and any other Superstar.
But wait, that’s not all… Check this! Let’s say we don’t win it all…. Next season, Kwame Brown’s contract will expire and we might be able to sign one of the following free agents.
Jermaine Oneal Can Opt out Next year (Showed interest in Lakers)
Shawn Marion Can Opt out Next year (Showed interest in Lakers)
Ron Artest Can Opt out Next year (Showed interest in Lakers) (Can be hired for 10 mil or less.
Guilbert Arenas Can Opt out Next year
Alan Iverson Can Opt out Next year
Baron Davis Can Opt out Next Year (Showed interest in Lakers)
Elton Brand Can Opt out Next year
Corey Magette Can Opt out Next Year (Can be aquired for 10 mil or less)
Gordon and Deng from the bulls have not signed a c
Last edited by MagicoDonJuan on November 5th at 7:56 PM.
VEARLTHEPEARL: I always like hearing from you, my favorite Sactown fan.
I like the idea of Artest in purple and gold but not at the expense of losing Odom. A third team will probably have to enter the mix if the Lakers want a shot at landing Artest.
As far as Bynum for Miller is concerned, I have one thing to say...LOL!! It will never happen. Expect Bynum to be a Laker for at least the next five years.
Honestly, I really see Artest going to a team like Cleveland (Lebron needs help) for someone like Drew Gooden or Anderson Varejao or perhaps a team like Dallas, who has the pieces to make an attractive offer to Sacramento.
Phil has expressed in the past that he's wanted someone like Artest but if the Lakers continue to win and click on all cylinders, why fix something that ain't even broke?
MAGICDONJUAN: Couldn't have said it any better than that.
I agree with everything you said 100%.
Out of your list of free agents... in the event we don't resign Kwame and supposing we get rid of Cook's salary, I would like to see Jermaine O'Neal become a Laker or possibly Shawn Marion considering that we would be losing two forwards.
I don't know Dizzle, I've always been a little weary of JO. He shines bright in the East against weak competition at the PF spot, and his FG% ain't there for a big man. Plus dude is injury prone. That's why I was never big on trading for him. If we can get him for Kwame style money I'm cool with it, but he's not a piece that I feel we HAVE to have.
What's up with Ron Ron? Last season dude totally lost whatever mojo he had going for him in Indiana. Didn't even get the All D team nod.
lakersfan....Ron Artest will be an animal when he gets off this suspension, he was hurt all season last year and the man has something to prove....plus us Kings fans are hoping to rebuild for the future and looking to trade him, whats up with Ron-Ron you will soon see either he becomes really good at basketball again or a mass murderer! Also in a contract year!
Btw Dizzle, how about this boy Critt? I'm telling you, given some playing time he'll be a star. Agile, has that natural poise, feel for the game...I REALLY like this guy.
lol...Blowing alot of hot air pretty early diz. It's ok to have faith in your team but you can't crown them after just 3 games. Amare was the only Sun to play every regular season game last year. After a sucessful summer he had a clean out done on his knee. He was too anxious to get back and play that he has some minor swelling, thats all. Nash is playing fewer minutes which will help come the playoffs. Grant is getting use to playing with other talent and the rest of the team is getting use to him. Barbosa has bruised ribs and Diaw has 2 sprained ankles. Thomas didn't leave, the Suns released him for cap money (8 million) and got Skinner for 1 million.
Phil in D'Antoni's head? Yeah, I guess the playoffs prove that.
Let me borrow your style of posting for a minute.
The Suns own the Lakers. Game 2 of a 82 game season don't mean ####. Everything you spoutted off about the Suns and the Lakers last year proved to be wrong. I don't expect anything different this year.
Laker Fans will Praise Dizzle for writting this... Laker Haters will call Dizzle an ####...
There is truth to both... Well not Dizzle being an ####...but the Lakers could go either way.....
They seem to have a lot better team chemestry this year... and yes they did had a GREAT start to the year last year before the injuries... US as laker fans forget that......
But on the flip side... the Lakers immaturity comes out as a team it boggs down our capabilities...
Kwame.. Needs to learn how to catch the ball and shoot (Under the basket)
Odem..Needs to be more aggressive whent the Lakers need him too be...
ALL THE PG's need to protect the ball and make smart passing...
Kobe needs too keep doing what he's always done.. Screw the haters.....
BYNUM.. is the piece too the whole puzzle...Not Kobe... Yes of coarse Kobe is the man will be the man and has too be the man...
But Bynum has too step out this year... Centers around the league are soft for the most part.... and if Bynum has his year.. The skies the limit!.
GO LAKERS! and Screw Laker Haters.... Jump off a cliff!.... No wait.. don't jump.. We need somebody to talk smack too when our team beats yours!....
You hit ht e nail on the head, Lakers are looking better while the suns are collapsing. The real thing making th elakers BETTER is the fact that team chemistry is higher (More passing, running the floor) and finally letting the point guards bring down the ball. The key is Derrick Fisher, if not for him, the Lakers would not be running the floor beter then last year, as his experiance & leadership points out to people on & off the floor where people need to be. IT ONLY GETS BETTER WHEN ODOM COMES BACK!
Suns are just a bunch of undersized speedsters that will never win a championship caue run & gun always runs you out of steam in the long run.
My budy gave Nash the NIckname, THE ROACH, cause he never goes away, hes basically all they have, and dont be surprised if the lakers pickup MARION next year or trade in JAN for cook either!
Wow - while some of your points seem legit, and some of your guess-work actually could turn out to be true, a lot of it is just . . . off. Nevermind that you've completely blocked out the visits for "one shining moment" by the Mailman and the Glove; or that you actually believe the Lakers front court is a true powerhouse (really? you would prefer Bynum, Turiaf, and Brown over the likes of Utah's Boozer, Okur, and Collins - or the frontcourts of Houston, or Denver or San Antonio, or . . .).
My real issue with your blog is that we're three games into the season . . . and you've got it all figured out?! You're actually pointing out things that have happened during these first few games and stating how it's all gonna roll? Really?! You should sell everything you own, right now, and bet it with the bookies . . . in fact, we all should, because you've figured it all out . . . after three games.
Well, after the first three games last year, Dallas still hadn't won yet, just before it went on to win more games during the season than any other team in the league, and just before it came out flat in round one of the playoffs and got bounced. Meanwhile, San Antonio peaked perfectly, sqeaked by the Suns (in a series that will be forever questioned), and everyone else just pretended to have a shot at winning it all.
I'm glad you based a whole season on one game. Phoenix always starts slow. The way they play takes timing and it usually takes a few games to get it. We'll see about the lakers. Wait till Odom comes back and screws the offense up with his non-stop dribbling and 10 missed layups a game. The Lakers are a talented team and everybody blames Kobe's selfish play for their problems winning. But watching them play now. Maybe Odom's the problem. They really move the ball without his non-stop dribbling.
Last edited by Favre81 on November 6th at 8:54 AM.
What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
Sure they may win the Pacific this year, but the fact that they're not winning anything past that is pretty much a done deal. Ya'll let your best post defender walk away, good luck dealing with the Spurs with Skinner. What are you gonna do against Duncan? Put Amare on him? Skinner? Lmao...Maybe you should just put Steve Nash on Duncan and save yourselves the humilation of your bigs getting burned.
The Suns window isn't closing, it's officially closed. The Pacific Division is their only shot at winning anything this year. The fact that they won't take the title this year is about as definite as the fact that the Lakers won't win it. Hell, forget Dallas and San Antonio, I'm not sure you can survive a series with the Jazz. Deron Williams would murder Steve Nash's flaky D. Nash is getting older by the minute, Amare is having knee problems three games into the season, Grant Hill is a chemistry killer and completely the odd man out on this team, and your third best player in Shawn Marion doesn't wanna be there. Dizzle nailed it when he said that the addition of Hill is messing with Barbosa's development, cuz it is and it will continue to. Hill was never a good shooter, and he's too fragile and slow to really run the team with Nash on the bench, so how in the hell do you plan to get by the powerhouse teams of the West with this squad? Ya'll were better two seasons ago with no real post presence when the team buckled down and showed heart with Diaw playing the center position than you are now with Amare.
ter than the Lakers comebacks...". Ah, how many titles have you won in the last three years? Oh wait...same as us. Ten years? Oh wait...not same as us. You haven't even made a finals appearance with Nash as the man, and we haven't made one with Kobe as the man. At least we're sucking after three years of taking championships, ya'll haven't and will continue to not win diddly squat.
Last edited by lakersfan19 on November 6th at 9:59 AM.
Yeah, he said he wants to be a Laker for life in the same interview that he said he’d play on Mars before he’d play for the Lakers again.
You also forgot to mention another team that rents aging superstars: the San Antonio Spurs (Michael Finley and Robert Horry if you consider him a star). How’d that turn out?
I would also think that with “the best player and coach in the game” you could secure better than a 7 seed, but that’s just my opinion…
The Suns have always been out rebounded and everyone was crowing about Amare’s knees last year (point #1 and #2), but they managed pretty well. And Boston didn’t trade any superstars from their team. I don’t see them trading expiring contracts and young guys that may have potential as being a huge risk. Amare is one of the top 3 centers in the league. Trading him, especially given how he recovered from the microfracture surgery, would have been risky (especially at his age).
Ok, in your point #3 you spoke critically of D’Antoni playing guys for 40 minutes a game and then in your next point you said that signing Hill was a bad idea cause it would cut guys minutes down. So which point are you arguing, cause you can’t argue both?
As for point #6, you said that Kurt Thomas “skipped town.” Umm…he was traded. As in, the team moved him. Do you understand how trades work?
And you are right in point #7 that the Suns are predictable, but they’ve made no secret of their game plant the past 3 years and they have still been able to score 110 points a game so it doesn’t seem as if it matters. As for them wasting possessions with th
As for them wasting possessions with their style of play where they “jack up shots” all the time, they kind of led the league in fg% and 3pt% (they did it the year before too as well as leading in points per game and free throw percentage).
Ok, those are my thoughts. Keep up the blog writing and remember that many people are reading these and they’re going to look for holes in your arguments so make sure that you’re arguing from fact and not from opinion. Take it easy man.
Dang LakersFAn, if Suns fans crack you up, you must really be laughing at your fellow Lakers fans. Let’s see, Amare is having injury problems, well he played in 82 games last year and will probably still play in more games this year than Lamar Odom has the past two years combined. As for Nash “getting older by the minute,” that’s deep. I have a theory that we’re all getting older by the minute. Good insight. And Grant Hill is a chemistry killer?! Based on what? You know what makes a chemistry killer, players that don’t pass the ball. Sound like anyone you know? And you’re right, Marion is a little too full of himself and doesn’t want to be in Phoenix. That stinks. Still, I’d rather have my 3rd best player not wanting to be there than my best. Just a thought…
If the Lakers play well together they could end up 50-32. The lakers been playing together already for three years they should get the hang of this triangle offense sh#$ already.Bynum has to prove a point if he wants to stick around for the second half of the season.
Primetime, I like you. You have more brains than most stupid Kobe humpers who I have to deal with on a daily basis. Alright let’s get into this piece by piece…
Kobe’s status as a Laker will be up in the air all season, Lamar Odom HAS been injured way too much, and Kobe CAN kill chemistry like something vicious. None of that changes what I said about the Suns though. Grant Hill IS a chemistry killer on the Suns based on the fact that his style doesn’t mesh whatsoever with the way the Suns play. Being a Suns fan you know that chemistry drives your team. When one guy is hitting his shots, then another guy starts hitting his, then a third guy starts hitting his. With Hill, the team is running with momentum on their side, pass to Hill on the wing who lines up for the three that’d get the fans on their feet roaring and the guy puts up a brick. Boom, air outta the building. They didn’t need him, and all he’s doing stunting the development of someone like Barbosa who actually fits into the Suns system (and is a pretty damn huge part of their future in the post-Nash era) by wasting space on that roster. You guys had one glaring weakness in guarding Duncan that you addressed by getting Kurt Thomas. Then, when all you needed to do to keep yourselves competitive was keep the big man, ya’ll let him walk. Come on now, Skinner? Do you really expect him to guard Duncan? You didn’t NEED Grant Hill, but you NEEDED Kurt Thomas.
As far as Grant Hill, he’s not a three point shooter and he’s not physically capable of running the offense when Nash is off the court so what’s his use? He’d have been better served on a team like the Spurs that’d mask his weaknesses instead of bringing them in plain view.
As far as my Nash is getting older by the minute thing, you know what I mean. Seriously, how many years does he have left? And the Suns are throwing all their eggs in his basket because honestly, post-injury Amare isn’t a number one team option anymore. In that playoff series pre-injury (three years ago?) where he MURDERED the Spurs I saw a guy who would be a beast in the West for many years to come, but the beast was tamed post-surgery regardless of how many games he played last year. Top three center in the league? When he’s healthy, maybe, but given the center pool in the NBA that’s not saying much. He won’t be able to carry the squad post-Nash, and that’s something I’m confident of.
Finally, like I said, the Suns haven’t sniffed the Finals in a longer timespan than the Lakers so I wouldn’t be getting too cocky. I truly believe your window for a championship is closed (granted ours hasn’t opened yet post-Shaq) and that ya’ll won’t get much further this year than you have in past years. Ya’ll are the Kings of like five years ago in the C-Webb, Bibby, Adelman era. Close, but no dice.
Last edited by lakersfan19 on November 6th at 10:56 AM.
bravo dizzle this is great i tottaly agree i was tryng to communicate the same points that any other team would have to gut there rosters just to get kobe and then he would be in the same situation and the only 2 players that are supposidly on his level (lebron james,and dwayne wade) are not going anywhere so they would not be able to trade superstar for superstar. i also think that this team will do very well because they have made no dramatic changes and have been together for 2 years so the chemistry is there and apperantly so are the role players the bench has been outstanding in the last 2 games.. and as for the haters who say wat happenes when they hit a dry spell and the bench is in a slump! WE STILL HAVE KOBE BRYANT! DO I HAVE TO REMIND YOU HE DROPPED 81! im sure he can handle the scoring load for a few games that the bench is in a slump simply because he handled the scoring load the last two years!! so i think this team will do just fine!
Ah I asked what would happened with Kobe when we hit a dry spell, and that doesn't make me a hater, that makes me smarter than you.
You know, like that dry spell they hit last season when the injuries were piling on? You know, when the Lakers barely stumbled their way into the playoffs? Yeah, that dry spell. Kobe didn't seem to carry them to too many wins at that point...
Kobe's already proven himself to be emotionally unstable in the past, so I don't think it's far fetched to wonder if he's psyche can handle a dry spell that almost all teams face during the season.
J-Dizzle
If the Lakers are to withstand the onslaught of a long an arduous season. Then not only will the veterans on the team have to step up. But so too will the young guys if they're to show anything tangible at all. And that includes the likes of Turiaf, Brown and others. This team shouldn't not be about it being a one man band. But that's how it appears to the outside world on the surface. And it hasn't helped with the lack of communication and disrespect being shown by all the parties concerned.
LOL! 2007 is a new season and so far the Lakers are up 1 to ZERO.
Now if you want to pull up previous seasons, lets just look at the trophy cases and rings. I thought not!
Now for all of those who say Phoenix is so good, How on Earth does a "great" team get down by 33 POINTS to a team they supposedly "own"?
Now, Im not tooting the Lakers horn, although I am a hardcore fan, but there is NO excuse for getting worked that bad ON YOUR FLOOR for your HOME OPENER!
Then having D'antoni whine over to Phil shows how bad it hurt. Come on, everytime you see Dantoni, he is whining or complaining to an official, then walks away with that sarcastic smile that he didnt get his own way.
I am not saying the Lakers will win a ring this year, let alone their division, but as a fan, I like what I see now. And to see them run teams that are supposed to be "great" and have their fans writing here hating on the Lakers only makes it that much better.
LAKERSFAN19: Like you said, I would get Jermaine O'Neal for Kwame Brown-type money but I would definitely not trade Odom or Bynum for him because he is declining. This year will be most evident as far as O'Neal's decline is concerned. If we lose both Kwame and Cook, I would love for Jermaine to take a huge paycut to play for L.A. and be Andrew's backup next year.
I like Artest but I am not willing to break up our nucleus to get him.
As far as J-Crit is concerned, this guy will be a future star in this league. As I mentioned in my blog during the preseason and after watching him in the summer pro league, I began to envision him becoming the next coming of Baron Davis. The guy is quick, can shoot and handle the rock, penetrate at will a la Tony Parker, and sees the floor as well as any young PG out there. And what makes him even more valuable to the Lakers is the fact he can play both guard spots.
PUMPDUDE: Yes I know it's early and you're right, teams are just barely getting used to each other.
And you can go on and rant about all your injury excuses but the fact of the matter is, your Suns lack of size and depth is going to prevent them from advancing far into the playoffs. Even Tim Legler and your own Jalen Rose attested to this on NBA Fastbreak last night.
If you are thinking that this year won't be any different, think again.
I pointed out the obvious about the Suns in this blog. Accept it. Your team is undersized and weak save for Nash and Marion.
And I am not crowning the Lakers just yet. But all of you critics who were calling me an #### when I ranked LA eighth in my preseason power rankings are now starting to realize what I've known since 2006 and to everyone's surprise, a healthy and maturing Lakers team is showing that they can be a heavy contender in the West.
The Suns shoot more than 37% your singing a different tune...What a typical pompous Laker fan...It better to sit there and look stupid, Than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.Look deep inside yourself and ask ...."Would I have written these things before that game?" But what else could you expect from arrogant-for no reason fans. For three years you've been our ####es. It does add to the excitement though for you Yankee fans er Laker fans.
Last edited by Mickey67 on November 6th at 1:50 PM.
CORRIGAN: Yes sir, three games in and I'm pointing it all out for all of you to debate.
Just like three games in and all of the experts are already crowning San Antonio to repeat or Phoenix to win it all or Boston to go to the Finals.
First and foremost, I'm a Laker fan who attends 20+ games a year, watches practice film of the Lakers, saw part of their training camp in Hawaii, attended their summer pro league in Vegas, and I've followed the evolution of this team over the last three years with so much attention to detail it puts executive assistants to shame.
"really? you would prefer Bynum, Turiaf, and Brown over the likes of Utah's Boozer, Okur, and Collins - or the frontcourts of Houston, or Denver or San Antonio, or . "
And yes I would prefer Bynum, Turiaf, and Brown over Utah's frontcourt because...
1) We took 2 out of 3 against Utah last year with the same big men who had less experience
2) These three players have more size and toughness than Utah's trio- we proved it again on Sunday
3) Our three big men are younger, have more potential, and are better suited to the Laker system than any of Utah's, Houston's, Denver's or San Antonio's. A big man in the triangle needs to be an excellent mid-range shooter (remember Longley, Horace Grant, etc?) and an adept passer, which Kwame, Turiaf, and Bynum all are.
4) Camby would stink in the triangle, that's why the Lakers didn't make an offer this summer. Yao would be too slow to react to all the movement going on in the triangle. Boozer is tough but lacks size in the West (that's why San Antonio beat
Last edited by J-DIZZLE on November 6th at 1:52 PM.
Utah last year). Duncan is the only one who could excel in the triangle but we all know he is a Spur for life and that he probably only has 5 years left in his tank.
With all of that being said, ANDREW BYNUM is the next monster in this league next to Dwight Howard and Greg Oden, making the Lakers a prime candidate to overtake Phoenix, San Antonio, and Dallas in the West.
All you skeptics keep bringing up last year. You're all the same, complain about the present blame it on the past.
Wake up CORRIGAN. This is a new year, with new faces on new teams and new coaches and new injuries.
If you want to bring up last year, then what on earth do you have to say about the Lakers' 26-13 start before all the injuries hit (we beat Utah, Houston, Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas, Denver, should I keep going?) and how they are starting out this year?
You're a hater. Period. Give the Lakers some credit because anyone who knows and who's played basketball at a competitive level will say that the Lakers are showcasing arguably the best team ball in the NBA right now.
Last edited by J-DIZZLE on November 6th at 1:56 PM.
Three seasons we've been your ####es? You freaking rejects haven't even made a finals appearence. You wanna talk about past seasons, but then try to act like you don't wanna talk history when we bring up all the rings the Lakers own.
The Suns shoot more than 37% and we sing a different tune? No #### But they didn't, so we don't. If the Spurs didn't win the title last season they wouldn't get a trophy either. So what? They did, so they got one. The Suns did shoot a low #### percentage, so hence the blog. Not too complicated...
FAVRE81: "Maybe Odom's the problem. They really move the ball without his non-stop dribbling."
You are so wrong on this one. If you've paid any attention to the Lakers at all the last couple years, most would say that the Lakers actually moved the ball better with Luke and Odom in the lineup while Kobe was hurt the beginning of last year.
Phoenix always starts slow, that's just an excuse. They also end the season slow, that's why they always get bounced out despite all that so-called talent.
The things that handicap the Suns are so evident and that's why I pointed all of them out. It's just hard for you Suns fans to accept the obvious reality because of your own insecurities as fans who expected a championship but fell short of the FINALS three years in a row. I guarantee if PHIL JACKSON was your coach, you would have won a title last year.
AORR11: "incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul. "
Thank you for your confession. Now say 10 Hail-Mary's and 5 Our Father's and you shall be saved.
SUNSFAN24: Wake up Suns fan. Last season was last season. You guys had Jalen Rose, Kurt Thomas, and Marc Iavaroni, who employed a sense of toughness in your squad (if you don't remember Iavaroni was a key member of those tough Utah squads in the 80's that always gave LA a run for their money).
Do you think those losses won't affect you? plus the fact Amare's knee is acting up again, plus the fact Nash's back isn't getting any younger, plus the fact you have no center, plus the fact the rest of the West is much improved from last year, plus the fact playoff teams like New Orleans and the Lakers are now healthy again?
Keep going back to last year and the year before and how good you guys were just like all you Suns fans. I really feel b
