Question for Laker fans

[bostonguy]

You guys should finish the season with a better record over the Celts barring a monumental collapse. Here is a question I have. Say you guys finish with a better record over everyone but the Cavs...would you have doubts against them in a 7 game series due to not having homecourt against them? Im saying this assuming Bynum returns and stays healthy. I know homecourt has been the Lakers goal but would you guys feel like the Lakers MUST have HCA in the finals against the Cavs to be champions? Im curious in what you guys have to say about this.

[sook]

Umm the Cavs? Don't you mean the Celtics? How the fuck did Boston squeak out with the win tonight missing like 6 or 7 key players?

Boston will repeat this year unless the spurs have something to say about it

[bostonguy]

Umm the Cavs? Don't you mean the Celtics? How the fuck did Boston squeak out with the win tonight missing like 6 or 7 key players?

Boston will repeat this year unless the spurs have something to say about it

We are banged up at the moment but even at full strength, letting Posey walk is going to really bite this team in the ass in the postseason.

[sook]

fuck posey nobody needs his broke ass

[IronMexican]

Cavs don't scare me one bit. As long as they have it over Boston, I am happy.

[lefty]

That's if the Lakers get to the Finals.............



Oops. what did I do?

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

letting Posey walk is going to really bite this team in the ass in the postseason.

this I agree with. They got lucky tonight, but they've been missing that deadly clutch shooter who's always in the right place at the right time all season. His defense they've replaced, his clutch shooting is irreplaceable.

[RedsLakers24]

Im not really scare of Clev, Boston scares the shit outta me, they are too good when healthy and give lakers problem, its just Matchup problems

[Ghazi]

this I agree with. They got lucky tonight, but they've been missing that deadly clutch shooter who's always in the right place at the right time all season. His defense they've replaced, his clutch shooting is irreplaceable.


Raaaaayyyy ALLEEEEENN

EDDDDDD HOUUUUSe

pauuuuuul pierce for THREEEEE

[lefty]

Raaaaayyyy ALLEEEEENN

EDDDDDD HOUUUUSe

pauuuuuul pierce for THREEEEE

Not as good as Posey in crunch time though

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

Raaaaayyyy ALLEEEEENN

EDDDDDD HOUUUUSe

pauuuuuul pierce for THREEEEE

House is garbage so I'll just ignore him.


and Pierce and Allen will always have an eye on them offensively, the clutch shooting from Posey as the 4th option is what made him special for them.

[iggypop123]

we gave cleveland their only home loss with bynum out and kobe throwing up. i have no concern over their home court. we already won there

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

we gave cleveland their only home loss with bynum out and kobe throwing up. i have no concern over their home court. we already won there

Yup, and with a healthy Ben Wallace. Imagine what the offensive rebounding would have been like if he was out.

[Pelicans78]

I wish we would have traded Posey back to Boston before the deadline. He really isn't that great. Doesn't play hard every night. Streaky shooter. Defense is overrated and shouldn't get more than 20 minutes a night. Signing him for 4 years was brutal. Maybe he will be better in the playoffs because he isn't do much for now.

[Ghazi]

Blame the refs for rigging the 2006 Finals.

The appeal of a player with 2 rings in 3 years on 2 different teams was just too much for the Hornets incompetent FO.

Of course the 1st ring is illegit though.

[Allanon]

Not worried about the Cavs. Boston still worries me.

[Def Rowe]

Not worried about the Cavs. Boston still worries me.

[Tradition]

With or without HCA, the Celts would be by far the toughest finals matchup for the Lakers. The Cavs are a nice solid team but they would be a much easier foe with or without HCA. Lakers would take them down in 5-6 games and the series would never be in doubt for LA.

[manufor3]

Blame the refs for rigging the 2006 Finals.

The appeal of a player with 2 rings in 3 years on 2 different teams was just too much for the Hornets incompetent FO.

Of course the 1st ring is illegit though.

you have to bring that in every conversation?

[adidas11]

I'm not sure.

Cleveland is definitely a better team than they were the previous season. I would feel a lot more comfortable with HCA against them in a playoff series.

That being said, I would think the Lakers to still have an advantage in a series against them, with or without HCA. So I would be confident going into that series.

I'm honestly more concerned with having HCA against Boston and Orlando.

[Allanon]

I'm honestly more concerned with having HCA against Boston and Orlando.

Orlando's the only team that scares me to death...with or without Bynum.

[IronMexican]

Boston scares me shitless. Orlando's shots usually stop falling in the PO's. I am probably as worries by Cleveland as I am by Orlando. But Boston, still, scares me shitless.

[turiaf for president]

boston > cavs.

i dont think we need HCA against the cavs. NBA is all about match ups. lakers match up very well against the cavs. kobe will post up delonte. when lebrons on him, he can let pau abuse sideshow bob. on D, lakers can throw kobe and ariza at lebron. and while lebron is pretty much unstoppable, both kobe and ariza can do as good a job as any other duo on keeping lebron in front of them.

[bostonguy]

No offense man, but where the fuck have you been all season. We man handled the CAVS in both games. There is no fear of the Cavs. And I would say we did pretty good against the Celtics too by sweepeing the series, so if there is any team that should be afraid... IT WONT BE THE LAKERS AND THEIR FANS.

No offense taken. It's just that this has been a goal of the Lakers all season long and I am curious to see how they will feel along with their fans confident wise if the Cavs finish with the best record overall. Laker Fans and players have been talking about earning HCA throughout all season long that it is making me wonder what happens if they dont get it?


I personally think that if Bynum returns and can stay healthy, it wont matter. In other words...health will determine if there is a championship parade on Figueroa in downtown Los Angeles.

[Killakobe81]

bOston spurs and maybe healthy Utah only teams that worry me ...

[JoeTait75]

Orlando's the only team that scares me to death...with or without Bynum.

Funny you say that. Orlando is the only team in the East that scares me. No doubt in my mind Cleveland beats the Celtics with HCA. None at all. The Magic, on the other hand...

[Lakers999]

the cavs worry me alot due to the fatc they have the best defense league right now....

if we go head to head against them its all about LO and Bynum and the bench showing up...

[bostonguy]

Funny you say that. Orlando is the only team in the East that scares me. No doubt in my mind Cleveland beats the Celtics with HCA. None at all. The Magic, on the other hand...

Im glad the Cavs will probably have HCA assuming our teams meet each other in the ECF. I want us to have to win at the Quicken Loans arena. I dont mind you not liking the Celts but if you think the Magic would be a tougher draw for the Cavs than the Celts, you are kidding yourself.

[JoeTait75]

Im glad the Cavs will probably have HCA assuming our teams meet each other in the ECF. I want us to have to win at the Quicken Loans arena. I dont mind you not liking the Celts but if you think the Magic would be a tougher draw for the Cavs than the Celts, you are kidding yourself.

It's not that I don't like the C's (well, I don't, naturally) or don't respect them. The simple fact is that, while the Cavaliers have at least owned Boston at the Q, they've had trouble beating Orlando anywhere the last couple of years. They match up really, really well with our style of defense because they shoot so well. From what I've gathered, Cleveland's coaching staff feels the same way- not necessarily that they match up well with Boston, but that they don't match up well with Orlando.

Also, I just don't see this team losing two years in a row to Boston, especially with HCA. No disrespect; I just don't see it. I'm not saying they're going to be cotton candy or anything like that- I just have total confidence that this team will close the deal against Boston this time around. But Orlando is a wild card.

[DrHouse]

I still am not fully convinced that CLE will beat BOS, with or without HCA.

[bostonguy]

It's not that I don't like the C's (well, I don't, naturally) or don't respect them. The simple fact is that, while the Cavaliers have at least owned Boston at the Q, they've had trouble beating Orlando anywhere the last couple of years. They match up really, really well with our style of defense because they shoot so well. From what I've gathered, Cleveland's coaching staff feels the same way- not necessarily that they match up well with Boston, but that they don't match up well with Orlando.

Also, I just don't see this team losing two years in a row to Boston, especially with HCA. No disrespect; I just don't see it. I'm not saying they're going to be cotton candy or anything like that- I just have total confidence that this team will close the deal against Boston this time around. But Orlando is a wild card.

I dont care if you are confident in your team. You should be but it is going to take 6-7 games to beat the Celts. Hell you havent proven you can win in bean town so this is going the full 7 again unless a road team can actually win. Thing is if you make it to the finals, I dont like your chances at all against the Lakers. Hell I dont like Bostons either.

[JoeTait75]

I still am not fully convinced that CLE will beat BOS, with or without HCA.

Of course you aren't, Gregory. But why wouldn't I be? Frankly, the Cavaliers came a hell of a lot closer to knocking off Boston last year than the Lake Show did, and that was with a 45-win team a couple of months off a massive roster re-shuffling. I don't know why I wouldn't be confident.

[JoeTait75]

I dont care if you are confident in your team.

Fair enough.


You should be but it is going to take 6-7 games to beat the Celts.

No doubt. It'll be a dogfight if it happens.


Hell you havent proven you can win in bean town so this is going the full 7 again unless a road team can actually win.

Can't dispute that either. But I will say the Cavaliers have come a lot closer to winning in Boston than the Celtics have to winning in Cleveland the last couple of years.


Thing is if you make it to the finals, I dont like your chances at all against the Lakers. Hell I dont like Bostons either.

I don't particularly like our chances either. I'm hoping the Lake Show get knocked off in the West, although I seriously doubt that's going to happen.

[JoeTait75]

Because Boston is the better team.

Not this year they aren't. The only team better than Cleveland is your Lake Show.

[Ghazi]

Lakers are too soft.

[JoeTait75]

The Cavs are really an easy team to guard. Just force their bigs to shoot. The Lakers exposed that twice this year.

They're 57-13, I guess they're not that easy to guard. Just because a team the caliber of the Lake Show can do it, doesn't mean anyone else can, at least not for four games out of seven.

[Ghazi]

Mavs in 6. Lakers are too soft.

[ginobili's bald spot]

Cleveland will definitely beat Boston. People need to get over the fact that this Celtics team isn't as good as last year and the Cavs will have home court where they don't lose (except to us).

[2Cleva]

As been said - its all about matchups.

Cleveland's D is so good because the tempo they play at combined with the team of big men they have who can rebound and protect the basket. Problem for them against LA is they don't have the team firepower and every big of LA trumps the big men of Cleveland. The real killer is the lack of their on-ball pressure. They don't slow LA down from running the tri at all. In both games, LA was running through their sets at ease against the Cavs, getting the ball in the paint at will - no matter who it was.

Boston is Boston is because they can muck and slow a game up and still have plenty of firepower to beat LA in those sets.

[DeadlyDynasty]

+1 to this thread...good points by everyone. Like many others Laker fans have already said, I fear Boston more than any other potential finals opponent--because of matchups. If we were to have HCA over Orlando I wouldn't be worried--they are good, but rely primarily on jumpshots. Cleveland just doesn't matchup well with LA--the Lakers would have a significant frontcourt advantage. All that being said, if LA can just manage to finish w/ a better record than Boston then, barring an injury, I feel confident LA will bring home #10 (franchise's 15th).
The East is tricky b/c it's a round-robin of interesting matchups. Cleveland matches up with Boston well, but not Orlando. Boston, on the other hand, owns Orlando but can't win in Cleveland. The Cavs getting HCA in the East is huge b/c they avoid the 2nd-rd dog-fight with Orlando or Boston, and most likely will have their hardest opponent (Orlando) eliminated. In the West, it's the Lakers. Portland and Utah could give LA problems, but they'll never win on the road. San Antonio doesn't have the guns or the numbers to beat LA 4/7 times. I see an LA-Cleveland Finals. This might sound weird, but w/ the format the way it is I would pick LA to beat Cleveland 4-1 w/o HCA and 4-2 with it.

[Purple & Gold]

For me Boston and Orlando are the most dangerous against the Lakers because of matchups. Those would both be good series. Cleveland just doesn't matchup well against the Lakers. No inside presence. You gotta bang inside if you wanna beat the Lakers.