May 15th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
I Think I Need a Thread About Lakers-Rockets
I’m a bit behind the curve here, but wonder what people make of the Lakers-Rockets series? Mostly I think it bodes very, very, very ill for LA’s ability to defeat more offensively potent teams like Denver and Cleveland. The Lakers will almost certainly win this series, since Houston’s ability to score enough points seems dangerous dependent on Aaron Brooks scoring at a volume that there’s no evidence he can consistently deliver. But a championship-caliber team ought to be able to render the rotation Houston is currently fielding totally impotent on offense. And the Lakers can’t.
84 Responses to “I Think I Need a Thread About Lakers-Rockets”
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May 15th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
I think “almost certainly” is too strong a phrase for a team as flawed as the Lakers to win one game. What’s almost certain, like 90-95 percent. The Lakers are the better team, but that probably means 60 percent tops. Go Rockets!
May 15th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Also, Odom injured his back in Game 4. Bynum is not 100% after his knee injury. Walton is recovering from an ankle injury.
I certainly pick LAL to defeat Houston in game 7, but I would lean to Denver in the conference finals.
Houston’s success is truly a credit to their coach, Rick Adelman, and to their fans. And to the toughness of their veteran leaders, Artest and Battier.
May 15th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Well, one thing about it is that it is a reminder of two truisms of the NBA Playoffs:
1. Home court advantage matters A LOT.
2. Teams that make the playoffs are generally decent, and decent teams tend to be extremely motivated after a blowout loss or a key injury.
May 15th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Because Phil Jackson likes big point guards, and doesn’t much mind if they’re slower than drying paint, the bane his teams has been the small, quick guard. Parker ate the Lakers up recently, and the immortal Tyrone Lue gave the second set of Bulls real problems, as I recall. And there have been many, many others, including, now, Aaron Brooks.
But neither DEN or CLE presents that problem. Even Fisher can stay in front of Billups. Mo isn’t that quick, either. The Lakers might lose to CLE, but not because of anything revealed by this series.
May 15th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
I think it means Houston is the early favorite to win it all next year. Imagine the team that played last night plus Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady! They don’t even need to go out to make a major acquisition. And I say this as a Nuggets fan.
May 15th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Though the Lakers’ defense has been poor, and perhaps the Battier-Kobe duel slightly overhyped, I don’t think enough can be said about the intellegence of the gameplan that the Rockets have had in this series. Watching how Kobe defends Battier, how Scola antagonizes Gasol, how Artest gets under the skin of just about everybody, well, it’s a strong recipe for an upset. Denver, for all their strengths, will likely wind up shooting it out against the Lakers; and an improperly defended Lakers team is dangerous no matter the caliber of opponent.
Another thing that has come into relief in this series is the lack of solid PG play from the Lakers. You wonder why Aaron Brooks is going for surprising numbers? It’s because no one on the Lakers who has the speed to stay in front of him can be trusted to take care of the ball. If the Lakers do win Game 7 they are going to have to come up with an answer for Billups fast.
May 15th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
It’s probably a bit unfair, but I’ve taken the results of this series to mean that people consistently overestimate the extent to which “superstars” are “necessary” for the success of any given team. Put another way, maybe players coming off the bench on any given NBA team are only slightly less talented than the starters, rather than in a completely different tier of talent. A motivated and energetic team playing well together is much more valuable than one or two big names trying to carry everything. Then again, maybe the Lakers just suck.
May 15th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
I can’t believe that this wasn’t the first comment, but the Lakers are soft. Just like last year’s Finals, they are suspect against aggressive, physical teams with quick point guards.
And when I say soft, I don’t include Kobe, but Gasol, Bynum, Vujacic, etc. are all soft.
May 15th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Phil has left a lot to be desired in this series and has clearly been out-coached. Why stubbornly keep starting Fish when he clearly can’t stay in front of Brooks? Why not demand that the team go inside to start the game to Bynum/Gasol when their biggest guy is about 6-6? Why guard Hayes at all when he can’t shoot a lick (even from the free throw line)? The Laker players have not performed with consistent energy. But this series is close mostly because of Phil.
May 15th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
How quickly people forget last year’s Celtics team:
First Round: taken to 7 games by the Hawks
Second Round: taken to 7 games by Cleveland
Third Round: taken to 6 games by Detroit.
Final Round: taken to 6 games by Lakers
Prima facie, that did not look like it was an easy road, so post-season adversities isn’t by itself a concern for ability to win it all.
By most objective measures, the Lakers are the better team, so I expect them to win game 7.
May 15th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
The problem with this logic is this: at this point the Rockets don’t need to have Aaron Brooks score consistently, they just need one more good game out of him. If Aaron Brooks only does this 33% of the time…then it means that in a 7 game series the Rockets will probably lose, but if it gets to game 7 the Rockets have a 33% chance of winning.
May 15th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Yeah. I’m really impressed with how Morey has drafted and signed guys who play so well together. Carl Landry (2nd round) is a beast, Von Wafer (2nd round, D-League) can really score and Brooks was a steal getting drafted in the twenties. Scola was a really nice pick-up. That’s just great GM work.
If the Lakers win, I don’t think they’ll have as much trouble with Denver. The Nuggets’ defense is pretty good, but they foul more than the Rockets and Dahntay Jones isn’t nearly the defender Battier is. Chauncey isn’t that quick, so Fisher should be able to do a respectable job guarding him.
Whoever wins the West will lose to Cleveland, though.
May 15th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
By most objective measures, the Lakers are the better team, so I expect them to win game 7.
Lakers are more marketable too. And that’s the number one factor to consider.
May 15th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
May I point out that your humble servant Freddie has been saying for a long while now, in this space, that Andrew Bynum’s reputation is entirely undeserved, and that he’s never done anything to make people think he’s this budding All-Star? Even during the times when people were raving about him, his numbers were pedestrian. And now in this playoffs he’s been exposed for the half-decent center he is.
May 15th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
As someone who’s watched all of the series (even when it was painful) I think it’s clear not only that the Lakers have been outcoached, but they’ve been out-hustled. From their first loss at home they were remarkably complacent — offering anodyne sound bytes to the extent that there’s no real problem. Jackson seemed to feel the same way, but since game two he’s been trying to get much more creative. Last night they played ten guys, Houston basically six. That says volumes about game planning.
Anytime a team with that much talent has to put game seven on the line with a team that has lost its two big name players, it’s a bad sign. Generally speaking, I don’t think “heart” means much in pro sports. But it sure seems like Houston has something to prove, and the Lakers are taking seven games to figure that out. Despite home court (which has a tepid crowd anyway–did you see when they asked Cameron Diaz what’s working for the Lakers?), I’d give Lakers only a six in ten chance on Sunday.
May 15th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
“The Lakers will almost certainly win this series.”
“Almost certainly”? Seriously? They’ve played six games, and split them, and it’s almost certain that the Lakers will win? Either you know something we don’t, or your definition of “certainty” is different from what we use here on planet Earth.
May 15th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
even if they get past the rockets – which they will probably do – folks are forgetting their lakers’ history.
remember that the last time chauncey played the lakers in the playoffs – with fisher playing significant time, along with payton and kobe in the backcourt – mr. big shot more than lived up to his nickname and was named the finals mvp.
if fisher is good enough to stop chauncey, he surely didn’t show it in that series. and while fisher has slowed noticably since then, chauncey is probably quicker than he’s been in 5 years or so, as a result of losing about 10-15 before the start of this season.
the lakers are in real trouble, and if the rockets had been healthy, the rockets would have been the team that delivered that message.
messrs. billups, melo and k-mart will be the bearers of the bad news for whining phil.
May 15th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
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May 15th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
As someone who follows the Pistons, I think its dubious that Fisher will do much better with Billups. In Detroit, Billups had a history of success against the Lakers — in both the regular season and the playoffs. A number of people thought Jason Kidd would have an easier time defending Billups than Parker too. I don’t think the facts bore that out.
The Lakers have real problems defending any good point guard.
May 15th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
“How quickly people forget last year’s Celtics team:
First Round: taken to 7 games by the Hawks
Second Round: taken to 7 games by Cleveland
Third Round: taken to 6 games by Detroit.
Final Round: taken to 6 games by Lakers”
The difference is that the Lakers have now lost 2 of 3 to a Rockets team without McGrady AND without Yao. I’d even give LA a pass on losing game 4 because undermanned teams can play over-their-heads in response. But after destroying Houston in game 5, to come out and lose so decisively again is a 1000 foot tall, flashing neon sign that spells out WARNING.
Mike
May 15th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
remember that the last time chauncey played the lakers in the playoffs
You mean when the Lakers imploded b/c of the all-but-open warfare between their two best players? Yeah, I remember that.
May 15th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
You mean when the Lakers imploded b/c of the all-but-open warfare between their two best players? Yeah, I remember that.
yea, and the fact that chauncey was raining 3 bombs on their heads and the fact that they couldn’t guard him had a lot to do with the fact that they finally imploded.
they were favored heavily, going into that series. no one, not even pistons’ fans – which i count myself as – gave them much of a chance.
the lakers had always been a soap opera. it’s los angeles.
but coming up against a team and a player – chauncey – that they couldn’t handle certainly made it more likely their petty squabbles would turn into major headaches.
May 15th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
My prediction on the pre-playoffs predictions thread: “Houston over LA in round 2 (after beating Portland in round 1).”
I’m still feeling pretty good about my prediction, even given Yao’s injury. Somehow, Kobe’s supporting cast has been getting steadily worse – they shot 12 for 42 last night! And to think that many (including me) were saying at the beginning of the season that they had a great bench. So wrong. And of course the Rockets still are excellent at limiting Kobe – he had 32 points last night, but on 11-27 shooting.
(Of course, I also predicted Chelsea over Barca and Arse over ManU, so…)
May 15th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
This post has a weird premise – that you would think that the Lakers, who have a decent but not great defense, would be able to make a better showing against a team like the Rockets who have an offense that is truly quite bad, lacking Yao.
But really, the Lakers D has done fine against the Rockets offense. The Rockets are, after all, a team of professional basketball players. There’s no reason they shouldn’t be able to shoot 45% against a decent defense. That’s exactly what they are doing.
What’s surprising and troubling (for Lakers fans anyway) is how easily the supposedly great Lakers offense has been handled by the Houston D. Houston’s perimeter defense is excellent, and their interior D is very good, but they aren’t an all-time great defensive team by any stretch.
Denver is going to get punished by the Lakers, should the Lakers advance – that series isn’t likely to go six games. But the Lakers are looking less and less likely to be able to hang with any of the remaining East teams. If they can’t outscore the Rockets, a team with a bad offense and a very good D, they won’t look too good against the Cavs, a very good offense and a great D, or the Magic, a decent offense with a spectacular D. They could beat the Celtics, but so can the Cavs.
May 15th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
I think the Lakers will win Sunday, but only because they have home court. I also think people are underestimating how good these Rockets are — not just “scrappy,” or “plays well as a team,” but actually good. Brooks, Battier, Scola, these are very good NBA players. You give them a superstar (or two) and that’s a championship level team.
I also think Brooks is exposing what’s always been the Lakers’ big weakness: Derek Fisher is not an NBA-caliber starting point guard.
Also, Freddie, I think the jury’s still out on Bynum. He remains a potentially great center — size, length, athleticism, a good touch around the basket. And his numbers before he was hurt this year were hardly “pedestrian.” He’s obviously not 100 percent healthy, or if he is, he’s not comfortable out there after missing so much time.
May 15th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
the lakers had always been a soap opera. it’s los angeles
After the season, they traded Shaq and Kobe threatened to walk. To the Clippers. That’s the year that both the Spurs and the Wolves had a better record than the Lakers. And then, once again, they seemed to turn it on in the playoffs. And then they fell apart.
All credit to the Pistons, though: that was a smart, tough team, and that’s exactly the sort of team that could beat those combustible Lakers. (See the Spurs.)
My prediction on the pre-playoffs predictions thread: “Houston over LA in round 2 (after beating Portland in round 1).”
I just read that thread. Damn you to hell, Al.
May 15th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
The Lakers this year are the softest 65-win team I’ve ever seen, and definitely the weakest finals-caliber Lakers team I’ve seen in my 30 or so years of following the team. If they make it to the finals I have no idea how they intend to win it. Their biggest problem, imho, is the softness of the front line. At some point a month or so ago I thought to myself, “thank god the Lakers have Lamar Odom,” and immediately recognized how ridiculous that sounded, but it’s totally true! When he gets inspired they’re a different team.
May 15th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
, I think the jury’s still out on Bynum. He remains a potentially great center — size, length, athleticism, a good touch around the basket.
Yeah, he’s still the future of the Lakers. What other player his age would you rather have? Durant? Please.
May 15th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
I think it means Houston is the early favorite to win it all next year. Imagine the team that played last night plus Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady! They don’t even need to go out to make a major acquisition. And I say this as a Nuggets fan.
The problem Houston faces is that adding those two might not make them any better and may actually screw things up. In part it depends on how McGrady reforms his game in light of his recent knee surgery. Considering the state of his body (after all the myriad injuries he has sustained) it seems safe to say that he will have to reorient his game around his basketball IQ, rather than athleticism. If he can learn how to thrive within his potentially limited athletic capabilities, going forward, then he can add to the Rockets. Even if he could return to full strength, of course, it is an open question of what exactly you have in McGrady – a fine player, but not a superstar of the upper echelon.
Yao faces a similar problem: his body is just not right. He’s had the last four seasons or so truncated by lower body injuries, playing 77, 55, 48, and 57 games. It seems increasingly likely that the most you can really expect from him is in that range–if you get lucky, his full strength games will overlap with, say, the second half of the season and the playoffs. But you have to get lucky for that.
That said, even if the Rockets were to conclude that a backup plan would be wise, one in which they attempt to move one or the other, I’m not sure they could. McGrady, I believe, does have an expiring contract; if they could move him for a couple of solid role players and/or a nice number two option, in exchange for a load of free money in this bad economy, then they should seriously look into that. Perhaps their best hope would be for Toronto to panic and offer up Chris Bosh in exchange for McGrady’s Expiring Contract, Carl Landry, and a draft pick or two. Then when (and it is when) Yao goes down they still have some offense that can come from up front, rather than having to rely upon jump shots.
May 15th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
their interior D is very good, but they aren’t an all-time great defensive team by any stretch
If by that you mean for the ages, sure. But for the current NBA, they may be the best — they’ve got two of the top five rated defensive guys in the league. W/O Yao in the middle it’s a little dicier, but still…
May 15th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
McGrady, I believe, does have an expiring contract; if they could move him for a couple of solid role players and/or a nice number two option, in exchange for a load of free money in this bad economy, then they should seriously look into that.
He’s got one more year, but he won’t be able to play for the first portion of it, and I don’t think ANYONE would take a chance on him. Why would they? I think McGrady’s years are over — I just don’t seem him fitting back into this team, emotionally or physically (and I don’t think he’ll ever accept being a bit part roleplayer). W/o Olympics in the off season, I think Yao will be back strong next year (wishful thinking, perhaps).
May 15th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
i’ve spent the whole season wondering what i was missing when people raved about the lakers, who, as several people have already noted in this thread, didn’t look to me any considerably different from the team that lost in the finals last year.
and regardless of what happens in game 7, i have every expectation at this point that denver will roll right through them (indeed, i’m pretty convinced at this point that denver is going to roll through to the title).
May 15th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Having the Rockets’ top guys out may make it more difficult for the Lakers to defend them. The Lakers probably game planned for defending the top guys and don’t have a plan for defending against a more balanced team. (I don’t follow basketball very closely, but it seems like the Lakers have had trouble against balanced teams.)
I think the Lakers will probably win this series, but it’s hard to see them winning the championship, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t make the Finals.
Who would have home court in the Finals?
May 15th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
I think pretty much every team in the league would rather have Durant than Bynum. You’ve got to be kidding me.
May 15th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
i did mean to mention, as a resident old-timer, that the closest i can remember to the rockets situation here is when kansas city, under cotton fitzsimmons, lost its starting back court of phil ford and otis birdsong and replaced them with ernie grunfeld and scottie wedman, slowed the game down, and still pulled off a giant second-round upset of phoenix before falling to houston in the conference finals (1980-81).
May 15th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Yeah, he’s still the future of the Lakers. What other player his age would you rather have?
Durant, in a heartbeat.
Durant? Please.
Thank you?
May 15th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
howard, I respect your opinions. Tell me, what makes you think the Nuggets can beat Cleveland?
May 15th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
RE: McGrady – He’s injured. But is he? I mean, if he suited up, could he run up and down the court for one game – or a series?
May 15th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
I think pretty much every team in the league would rather have Durant than Bynum. You’ve got to be kidding me.
All eight pounds of him? There’s a reason Phil said he’d start a team with D Howard rather than LBJ (that still strikes me as crazy) and Jerry West said (IIRC) he’d draft Shaq over LBJ (maybe it was Kobe). Big men don’t sell shoes, but they do win. Durant will be a nice sideshow for OKC. And, hey, Iverson got to the Finals once, so who knows?
May 15th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Three other ways to put it:
1. Who’s the next center you want after Dwight and (maybe) Yao?
2. Kevin Pritchard–and whatever you think of his decision, he isn’t an idiot–wanted Oden over Durant, as did most of the league. He says–reasonably, it seems to me–that the jury remains out. Oden’s the same age as Bynum; would anyone take Oden over Bynum?
3. I like PER a little two much, but Bynum’s PER for the last two years looks a lot like Dwight’s. Twenty-three(as compared to nineteen) at 20, twenty (as compared to twenty one) at 21.
May 15th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Yeah you take a dominant big man over a dominant wing player. You don’t take a potentially injury-prone borderline all star big man over a superstar wing player.
May 15th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
too many steves, you’re probably being too generous, but my reasons are: a.) it is a tribute to lebron james’ greatness that an otherwise decent team certainly has a very realistic shot at winning it all, and i have no desire to understate james’ greatness, but i think that the nuggets have a better roster; b.) having a better roster by itself wouldn’t mean much if denver weren’t playing at peak performance right now, and you can count me among those who think rick pitino turned out to be absolutely right when he made billups his first pick way back when; c.) and i think the kind of style that denver is playing is well-suited to matching up with cleveland.
May 15th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
SCMT, you’re looking at Bynum with purple and gold colored glasses. He is, so far, a nice player. But the best young player in the league? I don’t think so. He’s not even that young any more – he’s 21 right now. And he’s not that much better than Greg Oden or Brook Lopez (to take two centers who are younger than him), despite the fact that he’s got two more years of NBA experience. I’d certainly take Durant or Derrick Rose over him, both of whom are more than a year younger.
May 15th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
1. Who’s the next center you want after Dwight and (maybe) Yao?
Al Jefferson. And Pau (if you count him as a center).
May 15th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
re: Bynum/Durant, Bynum is a *potentially* dominant center, and Durant is already a dominant wing player. It’s not like we’re arguing Durant vs young Shaq here. I’m high on Bynum, too, but if you’d take him over Durant, you’re nuts.
And howard, I see your point, and I agree that Cleveland’s roster is underwhelming. But they’re playing incredible team defense, they’re getting the absolute most out of their often-limited talent, and yes, I think LeBron is good enough to win it with a bunch of scrubs, if they’re clicking the way Cleveland is. I’m almost scared to see what LeBron brings in the Finals. If he’s matched up against Melo, he could make Melo cry.
I really don’t know who I like in the West. Houston-L.A. could go either way, Denver-Houston could go either way, and Denver-L.A. could go either way. Of all the teams in the West, I actually think Houston might give the Cavs the most trouble, but they’re also the least likely to get to the Finals.
May 15th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Bynum is one year and two major knee injuries older than Durant. His first two years in the league were weak and he’s been injury plagued since then.
Two points: 1) Anyone who still takes Oden over Durant is either lying, kidding themselves, or trying to protect his rep after making a horrible draft decision.
2) I reviewed Bynum’s stats more closely and they are impressive and he can anchor a defense but Durant has the potential to be a much better player than Dirk Nowitzki and that’s saying a whole lot. Bynum strikes me as a 20 and 13 guy. Durant a 30 and 10 guy. Sign me up for the latter.
May 15th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
too many steves, to extend my point on billups, cleveland is playing excellent team defense, but they are pretty new at playing excellent team defense, whereas billups is an old hand at dissecting excellent team defense….
May 15th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
If it’s a Lakers-Cavs finals, and LeBron outplays Kobe on both ends of the court (as he’s certain to do), I predict that exactly zero percent of the “Kobe is the best player in the world” dead-enders will change their minds.
May 15th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Al, admit that the first thing you think when you see either Durant or Lisa Leslie is the same: “I wonder if she’s single?”
May 15th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
I think the Nuggets have enough front court strength to disrupt Gasol’s post game and that Billups will torch the Laker point guards. With Carmelo potentially outdueling Kobe and J.R. Smith bringing torrents of scoring, I’m not really sure how anyone can write off the Nuggets against the Lakers. I think the series will be competitive, but the Nuggets have a great shot. The knock on the Nuggets has always been their complete lack of focus, but these guys look ready to destroy the competition right now.
Cleveland are collectively much greater than the sum of their parts because of their commitment to defense and unselfish play on offense. Sure, if you go line by line down their roster, they look weak compared to the other top teams, but that is not the correct way to look at it. And let’s not forget how much better LeBron is than anyone left in the playoffs.
May 15th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
1. Who’s the next center you want after Dwight and (maybe) Yao?
Biedrins!
May 15th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Bynum is a *potentially* dominant center, and Durant is already a dominant wing player.
Durant’s PER at twenty (this year): 21. Bynum’s at the same age: 23. (That’s a little–maybe a lot–misleading, as (IIRC) Durant’s second half was much, much better than his first. But the Durant Brigade is out of control. They won 23 games.)
May 15th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Yeah you take a dominant big man over a dominant wing player.
I would take Jordan, Bird, or LeBron over virtually any other player in NBA history.
May 15th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Al, admit that the first thing you think when you see either Durant or Lisa Leslie is the same: “I wonder if she’s single?”
I’m not sure your point, SCMT, but Lisa Leslie ain’t ugly (although I’d take Candace Parker any day).
May 15th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
3. I like PER a little two much, but Bynum’s PER for the last two years looks a lot like Dwight’s. Twenty-three(as compared to nineteen) at 20, twenty (as compared to twenty one) at 21.
In other words, Bynum regressed signficantly from age 20 to 21.
Brook Lopez’s PER in his first year in the league: 18. Andrew Bynum’s PER in his first year in the league: 7.
May 15th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
I would take Jordan, Bird, or LeBron over virtually any other player in NBA history.
I think the fact that you grouped those three together is probably its own refutation.
May 15th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Andrew Bynum’s PER in his first year in the league: 7.
I blame Kobe.
May 15th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
A former Washington Deadskin coach, George Allen said it best. Talent doesn’t win games, character wins games. The problem is that the Lakers may be the most talented team in the NBA but so far they appear to lack character. In basketball, character is evidenced by the willingness to play defense, which is where the Lakers come up short.
Here, we see the difference between Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. Mr. Jordan was able, by the force of his personality to get the other players on the Bulls to play at their best. Thus far, Mr. Bryant appears to be unable, for whatever reason, to do the same for the Lakers.
May 15th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
I’m not sure your point, SCMT, but Lisa Leslie ain’t ugly
Agree entirely. Why else would you want to know if she was single? I just meant that she and Durant share a dress size. He weighs EIGHT POUNDS!
May 15th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
I think the series demonstrates that God shares my opinion of Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher.
May 15th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
Bemoaning Durant’s weight is kinda silly. A good physical trainer can get anyone with the time and money to gain 20 pounds of muscle. Hell look at how skinny McGrady was when he came into the league. Plus, guys tend to get bigger as they hit their mid 20s. Point out a single perimeter player in the history of the NBA who failed to reach his potential because he wasn’t strong enough.
Also why are people acting as though L.A. is more talented than Denver?
I’ll give you Kobe over Melo (though Kobe has definitely lost a step).
But then we have Billups over Gassol, and Nene over Odom. Hell, right now I’d take Birdman over Bynum.
Finally, can someone tell me why Sasha Vujacik still gets an NBA paycheck?
May 15th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Denver fan here.
People who have jumped on the Nuggets bandwagon are missing a few things. First, they matched up well against both Dallas and the talent depleted Hornets. So they look great right now.
They will have a much tougher time against the Lakers. Denver plays harder on defense than they have the last few seasons but they don’t really have a good defensive team save for Chris ‘birdman’ Anderson. Martin has made himself into a better than average defender but has a penchant for getting into foul trouble and Nene is strong but slightly undersized which will show against LA.
On the wings they are light years behind what the Rockets bring (and what is giving LA so much trouble). ‘Melo still has a tendency to get low by bending at the waist instead of the knees and still doesn’t have the mindset of a top defender; Jones is a grit defender more than a talent guy; Billups is savvy but still old; JR Smith still needs to learn to move his feet instead of hands; Anthony Carter? Please.
The NBA is about match-ups and, I think, Denver will have trouble against the Lakers on that front.
May 15th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
A good physical trainer can get anyone with the time and money to gain 20 pounds of muscle.
Time, money, and a comfort with needles, anyway.
JR Smith still needs to learn to move his feet instead of hands;
As a Laker supporter, JR Smith scares the hell out me.
May 15th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
As a Lakers fan, it gives me a nervous feeling to see everybody talking about a LA/Denver matchup as if it’s a fait accompli.
May 15th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
M #38 said: RE: McGrady – He’s injured. But is he? I mean, if he suited up, could he run up and down the court for one game – or a series?
Is this a joke? McGrady had microfracture knee surgery in February. Also, my friend said he saw McGrady doing rehab in Chicago a couple days ago. That’s why he wasn’t on the sideline for Game 6.
May 15th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
As a Laker supporter, JR Smith scares the hell out me.
It’s a beautiful thing when he gets hot. Close contest between he and Josh Smith for most talent to realize in the L.
May 15th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
If Kobe takes 27 shots and has 3 assists like he did in game 6 the Rockets have a chance in game 7.
If Kobe takes 15 shots and has 8 or 9 assists the Lakers win game 7 by 20.
Ball-hogs wreck basketball teams. They impair a team’s will to play defense. It holds true at all levels of basketball, from a pick-up game at the Y to the pinnacles of the sport.
May 15th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
JR Smith still needs to learn to move his feet instead of hands
JR Smith still needs to learn that they don’t give you extra points for taking 3s from 5 feet beyond the line.
May 15th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
“I think the Lakers will win Sunday, but only because they have home court. I also think people are underestimating how good these Rockets are — not just “scrappy,” or “plays well as a team,” but actually good. Brooks, Battier, Scola, these are very good NBA players. You give them a superstar (or two) and that’s a championship level team.”
I’ve been saying it’s Iverson to Houston next year since February…
—–
“And howard, I see your point, and I agree that Cleveland’s roster is underwhelming. But they’re playing incredible team defense, they’re getting the absolute most out of their often-limited talent, and yes, I think LeBron is good enough to win it with a bunch of scrubs”
The over/under on the most number of games Cleveland will need to win any series this year is 5.5.
This playoffs isn’t even funny. Everyone else is playing for second best.
—–
“As a Laker supporter, JR Smith scares the hell out me.”
He should.
Dude killed a man this past summer and walked. You can’t touch Young Rich.
During the Denver hejira, J.R. was the only player I really bonded with other than Eddie Najara. Smith is a stone cold assassin. He makes Ben Gordon look like a kindergarten kid.
May 15th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
ORL/BOS game 7 is much more compelling than HOU/LAL game 7.
It’ll be close, but Dwight’s kingdom for want of a Jameer Nelson…
May 15th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
This is why they PLAY the games.
May 15th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
The thing that’s been striking to me watching the Rockets is thinking how if they Rockets had McGrady, there would have been this great “duel” between McGrady and Kobe and the Rockets would have gotten bounced in five games. Everyone would be talking about how McGrady carried an overmatched Rockets team.
Anybody who said, in the offseason, that the Rockets were better off without McGrady would have been treated to lots of clucking about how they must not have watched his heroic performance in the conference semis against Kobe and the Lakers.
Instead we get treated to a lot of wondrous imaginings by Rockets enthusiasts about how great the Rockets will be next year, when they get back the player who’s led them to so many disappointing finishes, and when their perennially injured center is healthy.
Basketball is fun.
May 15th, 2009 at 9:46 pm
I’ve been saying it’s Iverson to Houston next year since February…
Oh yeah, put Iverson, McGrady and Artest on the same team and have ‘em share the ball, that will work out.
I’m sorry, man, Iverson’s done. You can blame the Pistons for using him wrong — and I see your point — but he’s the one who chose to bitch and moan and basically give up when the team asked him to play a complementary role. At this stage in his career, that’s the best role he’s going to get.
May 15th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
Can’t wait to watch “Kobe Bryant: Doin’ Work.” How much did he pay Spike Lee, anyhow? Spike will enjoy spending that money to secure his season tickets for the LeBron era in New York. Oh, the irony…
May 16th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
It’s hard to imagine the Lakers losing to Houston in a game 7. A better team will win a home game 7 most of the time. Even if on a neutral court it was only 60/40, for a game 7 I think that increases to at least 80/20. The Lakers supporting cast does need to produce something, though. Their performance wanes at inopportune moments. I guess you could blame that on Kobe for providing the wrong kind of inspiration. But for whatever the reason, they’re the type that can look really good during the regular season when they’re draining their wide open 3s, but you get to the playoffs they start struggling. And their inability to defend fast point guards is a liability when their offense is struggling because they just can’t lock down a team with a decent PG. Ten years ago, Phil’s obsession with tall point guards made sense. In today’s NBA, it’s simply idiotic. Ten years ago, even 5 years ago he may have been the best coach in the NBA, all things considered. But he’s old and old men tend to be inflexible. His failure to shift his opinion on the value of a faster point guard will severely impair the chances for a Laker’s title for the 3rd time this season.
May 16th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
“Oh yeah, put Iverson, McGrady and Artest on the same team and have ‘em share the ball, that will work out.”
I’m assuming McGrady is toast. And Artest’s contract is up.
Morey is a numbers guy and Adelman is a creative offensive mind. They’ll appreciate what Iverson brings even if no one else does. And the one thing holding back Houston from title contention is the lack of a playmaker.
I keep saying it’ll be Iverson to Houston next year because it’s the transaction that makes the most sense for both team and player. Maybe it won’t play out that way. But if I were Iverson, I’d want to go to Houston. And if I were Houston, I’d want Iverson.
“I’m sorry, man, Iverson’s done.”
I think he’s done only if he can’t find a suitable situation next year..
Unless something has changed since February, he’s still got some game left.
May 16th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
It’s pretty clear that 99% of the people posting Nuggets over Lakers messages have no hands on experience playing or evaluating high level basketball and talent.
The Nuggets have about half the defensive intensity and scrap that the Rockets have. The Nuggets game plan will be to try to outscore the Lakers which will be their undoing. Shannon Brown will fit in nicely as a backup to defend Billups and while Billups will best him he will prove up to the task. A duel b/t Kobe and Carmelo is no duel at all. And those that seem to think JR Smith is Vinnie Johnson reincarnate need to check their Nuggets-colored glasses.
In short, Houston’s defensive tenacity and toughness is what is troubling the Lakers. The Nuggets posses no such temperament.
k1
May 16th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Morey is a numbers guy and Adelman is a creative offensive mind. They’ll appreciate what Iverson brings even if no one else does. And the one thing holding back Houston from title contention is the lack of a playmaker.
Morey is a number guy, which means that he’ll roll the dice and not sign Iverson, figuring he can get at least 1/2 the production for 1/10th the price out of Brooks (and likely 3/4 the production for 1/5 the price out of Brooks and Lowry).
May 16th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
“Morey is a number guy, which means that he’ll roll the dice and not sign Iverson, figuring he can get at least 1/2 the production for 1/10th the price out of Brooks (and likely 3/4 the production for 1/5 the price out of Brooks and Lowry).”
Iverson’s money days are over. If he plays next year, he’ll be playing for scale.
And you can’t get playmaking out of Brooks. Or Lowry.
The Rockets are a title-worthy team of elite role-players and Yao who need some playmaking help. Iverson is a perfect fit for them, and they’re a perfect fit for Iverson.
Morey will likely know he needs Iverson. And Adelman can likely get what he needs out of Iverson.
May 16th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
I can’t imagine why you would give any minutes to Iverson that could go to Brooks or Lowry. And in what sense is Iverson “a perfect fit” for a team that’s all about steady, non-risky team defense and playing the percentages on offense? I’m sure they’d rather have a Battier corner 3 than an AI off-balance 20-footer.
May 16th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
“I can’t imagine why you would give any minutes to Iverson that could go to Brooks or Lowry. And in what sense is Iverson “a perfect fit” for a team that’s all about steady, non-risky team defense and playing the percentages on offense? I’m sure they’d rather have a Battier corner 3 than an AI off-balance 20-footer.”
As Mark Jackson would say, you’re better than this, too many steves.
You ought to know what playmaking (aka shot-creation) is. It’s what Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson (to a lesser degree) have been able to provide at points in their careers. It’s what Tracy McGrady provided for the Rockets before he got prematurely old. It’s what Paul Pierce has been able to use to (likely) get a weak Celtics roster to the Conference Finals – where do you think those open Glen Davis looks come from?
You need a guy like Iverson to produce the open Battier corner 3 with regularity. You ought to know that by now.
May 17th, 2009 at 12:46 am
Petey…it’s hard to talk hoops with casual fans, I don’t recommend trying.
The comment regarding Battier vs Iverson shows such casualness.
THERE IS NOT ONE COACH ALIVE WHO, GIVEN A CHOICE, WOULD TAKE BATTIER OVER IVERSON, EVEN AT THIS POINT IN THEIR RESPECTIVE CAREERS. IVERSON, sans attitude, IS A STUD AND A SCORER AND CREATER WHOSE SKILL IS UNMATCHED.
Say what you will about his personality and team focus, but the guy can flat out play.
May 17th, 2009 at 8:40 am
“THERE IS NOT ONE COACH ALIVE WHO, GIVEN A CHOICE, WOULD TAKE BATTIER OVER IVERSON”
Well, given that Iverson has only a little bit of gas left in the tank, I might take Battier over Iverson. Elite perimeter defenders who can knock down the open ‘3′ like Battier are highly valuable. I actually thought Bruce Bowen was the Spurs’ most valuable player in their ‘07 Finals victory over the Cavs.
Of course, if Iverson were Battier’s age, then you are correct that it would be no contest.
That said, Iverson is a perfect fit for Houston precisely because Houston already has a full complement of elite role-players and Yao. All they are lacking is a playmaker to put the thing over the top.
May 17th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
That’s also the year of 0.3 Game 6 that Derek Fisher tore the hearts out of us Spurs fans (who’s slow clock-finger time man blew it)
We had that series, and would have beat the Pistons had it not been for that bologna.