It is an odd numbered year.....

[Ocotillo]

Things started out a little slow this year with Manu on the shelf and the Spurs stumbling out of the starting gate. Heck, Ghost even called for tanking the season! Well, I guess that didn't deserve an exclamation point since it was Ghost.

Despite ups and downs and struggles this season, the Spurs find themselves the second seed in the Western conference. Second even though Manu has been out a lot of this season. Second even though Tony Parker turned an ankle and missed some games. Second even though Pop held the Big Three out against Denver who was/is breathing down their necks. Second even though Tim Duncan has had a sore knee all year that resulted in him going on IR for a couple of games.

Bruce Bowen, our (insert top offensive performer on opposing team's name here) stopper, has had his minutes cut way back. Michael Finley is double dipping by collecting both minutes and a social security check. As alluded to in the previous paragraph, the Big Three are getting dings here and there. George Hill is looking good for a late round draft pick but also has "rookie" moments.

Now the Spurs have picked up an injured Drew Gooden. On paper he looks like a no brainer for the price. One thing I am curious about from those who know the game better than I, it was said Scola would not be a good fit for the Spurs because they needed to be in the same area of the court and would be in each others way and have defenders able to help more because of the proximity. Will Gooden and Duncan coexist being on the floor at the same time? Shouldn't he be Duncan's back up and not Bonner's?

Despite the troubles this season and the frustrating losses to various opponents this year, the Spurs look like the most viable candidate to challenge last years Western Conference champs. I think they are.

None of the other teams in the West can outlast the Spurs in a seven game series. All of this is moot though if Manu does not come back healthy. Without Manu, we are falling short even with Gooden. So it comes down to health. If any of the big three get hurt or if Gooden is not full speed during the play offs, we won't go all the way.

I hope Bynum get's healthy and is back on their roster by the play offs. I want both teams at full strength when they face each other. I like our chances in that scenario. :toast

[mabrignani]

fuck bynum, stay injured

[Ocotillo]

Nah, I hate given the other guys something to whine about (kind of like we do about Manu being hurt last year). Beat their best....

[urunobili]

fuck bynum, stay injured

:nope

that's not the way dude... Laker fans wish the same of Manu dude...

[024]

spurs have not addressed the gasol/bynum frontcourt of the lakers. gooden brings help offensively but does nothing to improve spurs defense.

[honestfool84]

spurs have not addressed the gasol/bynum frontcourt of the lakers. gooden brings help offensively but does nothing to improve spurs defense.



:lol

they have just addressed that issue; gooden IS that answer.

[honestfool84]

*at least i think so.

[rascal]

I am so sick of the odd number year BS. Anything you can hold on to believe the Spurs will win, what a joke.

[honestfool84]

I am so sick of the odd number year BS. Anything you can hold on to believe the Spurs will win, what a joke.


i don't believe it, but it's yet to be proven (spurs winning in an even year), so why don't you just :stfu?

[024]

:lol

they have just addressed that issue; gooden IS that answer.

lakers are still the favorites even now the spurs have gooden. he does not improve the spurs defense which is what wins championships. the gap is no longer that wide though.

[peskypesky]

lakers are still the favorites even now the spurs have gooden. he does not improve the spurs defense which is what wins championships. the gap is no longer that wide though.

of course he improves the defense. are you dense? first, he is a much better rebounder than Bonner, Oberto and Thomas...and rebounding is part of defense. second, he's faster than Bonner, Oberto and Thomas, so when we have to match up against a team with fast big men, he's going to be able to defend better than those guys. no one is saying he's marcus camby or mutumbo in his prime, but you have to be a hater to not see that he adds a big, fast, strong body to our frontcourt on both ends of the court.

sure, he'll have to learn the defensive schemes fairly quickly...and he has shown some defensive lapses in the past....but you have to compare him to Oberto, Thomas and Bonner, none of whom would be a starter on any other NBA team.

in any case, the games that lie ahead will show who's right about Gooden. Me and the Spurs FO, or you.

[DeadlyDynasty]

nah...the jets made the playoffs every other year (evens) for awhile, but that ended this past year w/ Favre. The Drew Gooden signing is a good one, but you still lack the guns to take LA down in a 7-gamer

[Showtime24 LAKERS]

fuck bynum, stay injured

You know damn well if bynum's back the spurs are done!

[024]

of course he improves the defense. are you dense? first, he is a much better rebounder than Bonner, Oberto and Thomas...and rebounding is part of defense. second, he's faster than Bonner, Oberto and Thomas, so when we have to match up against a team with fast big men, he's going to be able to defend better than those guys. no one is saying he's marcus camby or mutumbo in his prime, but you have to be a hater to not see that he adds a big, fast, strong body to our frontcourt on both ends of the court.

sure, he'll have to learn the defensive schemes fairly quickly...and he has shown some defensive lapses in the past....but you have to compare him to Oberto, Thomas and Bonner, none of whom would be a starter on any other NBA team.

in any case, the games that lie ahead will show who's right about Gooden. Me and the Spurs FO, or you.
:lol i think you need to read my previous posts before you mindlessly call me a gooden hater. to say gooden's defense will be better than thomas's is laughable. thomas will be the key against stopping either bynum or gasol, not gooden.

[Ditty]

You know damn well if bynum's back the spurs are done!

well we did beat yall earlier this year with him

:rolleyes

[DrHouse]

well we did beat yall earlier this year with him

:rolleyes

It was a 1pt win because of a fluke Fisher foul at the end of the game with the Lakers playing the tail-end of a b2b game without 3 of their rotation players. Nothing to get excited about IMHO.

When the two teams faced off a week later with both rested and at full strength the Lakers beat the Spurs handily.

You have to take Gooden's stats with a grain of salt because he played for a horrible CHI team with absolutely no size whatsoever. He won't be able to put up the same numbers in SAS. Gooden is coming back from an injury and hasn't played in some time. I'd temper expectations if I were a Spur fan, even at full strength he is not the defensive player that Kurt THomas is. What he gives you is someone that can board reasonably well and help out offensively by being able to hit the midrange jumper. I would not say he is a meaningful upgrade over Thomas or Bonner, who I think is playing incredibly well this sesason.

Frontcourt depth is never a bad thing to have. Gooden can only help the Spurs, however sizeable that may be.

[Ditty]

It was a 1pt win because of a fluke Fisher foul at the end of the game with the Lakers playing the tail-end of a b2b game without 3 of their rotation players. Nothing to get excited about IMHO.

When the two teams faced off a week later with both rested and at full strength the Lakers beat the Spurs handily.

You have to take Gooden's stats with a grain of salt because he played for a horrible CHI team with absolutely no size whatsoever. He won't be able to put up the same numbers in SAS. Gooden is coming back from an injury and hasn't played in some time. I'd temper expectations if I were a Spur fan, even at full strength he is not the defensive player that Kurt THomas is. What he gives you is someone that can board reasonably well and help out offensively by being able to hit the midrange jumper. I would not say he is a meaningful upgrade over Thomas or Bonner, who I think is playing incredibly well this sesason.

Frontcourt depth is never a bad thing to have. Gooden can only help the Spurs, however sizeable that may be.

yah but im pretty sure we were leading the whole game and leasing by double digits and the lakers hit a couple of lucky shots when we were about to blow the game wide open..see the game again yourself if you dont believe me

the second game was really competive the first half then pop made some bad decisions espicailly to call the game off down by 13 points in the 4th quarter o well its even so far this year ill be at the game next week like i was at the begging of the season and we will win once again

[TheSpursFNRule]

Did you become a Spur fan this year? You do know that the Lakers curb stomped the Spurs without Bynum and Ariza last year, and Manu played.:lol

Curb stomping is having pretty much every game go down the wire including a game deciding call that the NBA ruled should have been a foul(Brent Barrys shot).

Choose your words wisely. You Laker fans should learn something from last year. Nothing is guaranteed. Your getting way way way ahead of yourself.

[Brutalis]

Fighting with a stupid Laker fan makes everyone forget who was the stupid one. Laker fan or you for doing it. Let em play in fantasy world.

[DrHouse]

yah but im pretty sure we were leading the whole game and leasing by double digits and the lakers hit a couple of lucky shots when we were about to blow the game wide open..see the game again yourself if you dont believe me

the second game was really competive the first half then pop made some bad decisions espicailly to call the game off down by 13 points in the 4th quarter o well its even so far this year ill be at the game next week like i was at the begging of the season and we will win once again

You don't get trophies for leading 3 quarters of a game. Phil Jackson's strategy against the Spurs is to basically let them shoot as much as they want from outside knowing that in the 4th their legs will tire and their shots will stop falling. And you know what.....it seems to have worked pretty well over the years. It's not really a surprise to me that the Lakers came to life in the 4th, they do that all the time.

[hater]

It was a 1pt win because of a fluke Fisher foul at the end of the game with the Lakers playing the tail-end of a b2b game without 3 of their rotation players. Nothing to get excited about IMHO.


LMAO Lakerfan calling fluke shots.

Lakers entire 2004 championship run was based on fluke/illegal Fisher "catch and shoot" :rolleyes shot