- The Boston Celtics did what they were supposed to do at home, which is dominate an eighth seeded team. The Atlanta Hawks did what they were supposed to do in Game 7 on the road, which is play like an eighth seeded team...
- How will Gang Green gang up on Lebron James? Or do they even need to? Early prediction is Celtics in six, with James averaging close to 40 in the series...
- But I won't be surprised if Boston suffers an early exit if Cleveland's role players play their role to perfection. In the Name of the King, the Knights of the Brown Table will be expected to battle for their lives. Ok, maybe it's not life and death. But it's the NBA Playoffs, where there is only one...
- Just like I thought, the Detroit Pistons' big backcourt of Chauncey Billips and Richard Hamilton manhandled tiny Jameer Nelson and inadequate but game Maurice Evans in their 91-72 blowout of the Orlando Magic. This will set the tone for the series...
- If Orlando can't pick up the pace and force a running game, Detroit will control the tempo, keep the scores low, keep it physical, and will keep on frustrating center Dwight Howard. At this point, the young and inexperienced Howard will not have the moxie to will his team to recover. Superman is looking more like Superboy and thus the Pistons should close it out in five...
- I keep saying to the skeptics, don't sleep on the Pistons...
- Byron Scott is one hell of a coach. His team came prepared for battle and took it to future Hall-of-Famer Tim Duncan like no other opponent has done to him before. Props to the former L.A. Lakers shooting guard, who came up with a genius strategy to hold Duncan to five points and three boards, Brian Skinner numbers...
- Duncan looked like Shaquille O'Neal out there on Saturday night. Slow and tired with no lift and contstantly getting burned on defense. With Duncan also missing his free throws a la Shaq, the only thing missing was the Hack-a-Tim. But I'm sure Scott won't employ that tactic anytime soon...
- We did see the Hack-a-Chandler for a quick second, which came to everybody's surprise. Since Popovich loves doing it so much, I'm beginning to think we should start calling the Hack-a-Shaq, Pop's Special Recipe...
- And be sure to check out the latest hit on television. It's called...
YOUNG GUNS: The Assault Continues
Starring Kobe Bryant as William H. Bonney aka Mamba the Kid
Pau Gasol as Doc Scurlock
Lamar Odom as Chavez
Andrew Bynum as Richard "D!CK" Brewer
Sasha "Vidal Sasoon" Vujacic as Dirty Steve Stephens
and introducing Luke Walton as Charley Bowdre
with Phil Jackson as John Tunstall, Mamba the Kid's teacher and mentor
This is how the West will be won - the old fashioned way, with all the gunslingers taking over your town.
Glad you posted. Here I am itching to discuss the game, and the only Laker blog up is posted by the man who commented above me.
You know what I'm noticing about these Lakers? They're finding ways to win. They get absolutely punked on the glass, but they still win. The Jazz play a hard nosed style that the Lakers aren't used to, but they still win.
At the end of the season, the Western top seed was up for grabs, the Lakers found a way to win.
That's what wins you championships, finding ways to win, and I'm glad the Lakers are able to continue to find ways to win games.
What's up Ms. DODSON: I wouldn't say that it was a totally bad quarter. Just poor recognition in boxing out the defenders and getting rebounding position.
I think this is a result of the long layoff. We were a step behind on the intensity level. But it shows you how good we are. We still won despite coming with our B-game.
When you can find ways to win when your team plays it's B game, it means that your best player really is the MVP.
KOBE is such a huge threat out there that opposing teams focus on him so much it opens up the other players to do their thing.
People think that in order to make your teammates better it has to show in the form of assists. They're wrong. Kobe makes his teammates better because he is the biggest threat to teams to come around since Jordan.
Lakers in 4 against the Jazz; Spurs in 7 against the Hornets or Hornets in 6, but Lakers in 5. Lakers in 6 in the Final against the Cavs.
We got beat on the boards because the Jazz shot 95 times and only made 3o something baskets, 25 offensive boards means 25 misses, plus the Lakers 30 defensive boards. 55 shots miss. Nobody shot 50% on the Jazz, except Milsip 2-4. Kobe, Gasol , Vujacic all shot 50%, 45% as a team. The Jazz score less then 100 points, so the Lakers played defense and excuted their offense. The Jazz offense is out of wack because of good Laker defense and a solid offense. Lakers will sweep this series because the Jazz wont have enough offense to with hold the Lakers.
Hornets or Spurs, match ups, will be even but Kobe will out shine Paul or Ginobli. With Paul he will prove that he is the true MVP and the Spurs will be taken apart in how a championship team should be, just out played.
Cavs will get past the Celts because the King will rise again in the East, and pasting the Pistons once again. Kobe vs. Labron in the final, priceless. Series goes to six to sale tickets. Lakers 2008 NBA Champions, bet on it.
REVERENDRHYTHM: Yes they are, but the Hornets are looking better.
UNDERAGE: Thanks again for the nice compliment. Lakers will get the win. If not four, then five game for sure. It will not go six versus Utah.
SOCALF4N: Here's an idea that may put an end to the Hack-a-Shaq strategy.
If a player intentially fouls another player who doesn't have the ball simply to put that player on the line, the player not only gets two free throws but his team also gets the ball back. At that point, what is the opposing team going to do? Keep fouling? If they do that, the other team continues to retain possession of the ball.
Similar to a breakaway foul, where the player gets two foul shots plus the ball.
FREDIESAC: Nice analysis as to why the Lakers got burnt on the rebounding.
I can only expect the Lakers defense to get better from here on out.
I like your confidence with Lebron and the Cavs. It would simply be amazing if CLE can beat both DET and BOS. If it happens, I will finally believe in the greatness of Lebron James.
And it would be an excellend matchup in the FINALS if it were CLE and LA. The Lakers have struggled against the Cavs over the last three years.
UC IRVINE graduate and proud to be an ANTEATER. My claim to fame is having played against the likes of Tayshaun and Tommie Prince, Jacque Vaughn, and Charles O'Bannon, plus getting dunked on by Schea Cotton in a CIF second round match in the nineties.
WIDELY KNOWN on FOX as one of the most biased LAKER HOMERS in blog history, highly criticized for hating on the PHOENIX SUNS fan base, and has been told on more than one occasion that LAMAR ODOM isn't worth the suit he's wearing.
Believe that "excellence is not an act but a habit."
Believe that the things you do and the things you don't do, they all send a message.
Believe that in order to know the world one must first know thyself.
And believe that it's the journey not the destination.
Finally, as the great Bruce Lee once said, "Man - he is constantly growing and when he is bound by a set pattern of ideas or way of doing things, that's when he stops growing."
This is the Way of the Dragon. Embrace it.
YOUNG GUNS: The Assault Continues
