djohn2oo8
05-13-2010, 08:03 AM
The scent of disrespect must have hitched a ride on the Los Angeles-to-Phoenix jet stream. No one at Suns practice Wednesday was surprised by the heavy favoritism of the Lakers in the Western Conference finals.
The latest came from Bill Plaschke, a Los Angeles Times columnist and ESPN personality who wrote Monday after the Lakers swept Utah that "the Phoenix Suns have no chance."Ouch."We love comments like that," Suns guard Jason Richardson said. "We invite comments like that." Since you asked . . .
None of this is coming from the Lakers, by the way. It's from everywhere else, including a vocal LA fan base and much of the national media, which is convinced the Lakers are too big and too talented to bow to the Suns. Against the Jazz, "the Lakers were everything the Suns are not," wrote Plaschke.
"Joe Blachke?" Channing Frye asked. No, Bill Plaschke, a talented writer and longtime friend. Doesn't mean I can't use his words as bait.
The Lakers played big. Even with Andrew Bynum tied behind their back, they played big. Phil Jackson whistle big. Lamar Odom smile big.
Phoenix is not big. Amar'e Stoudemire averaged 20 points and nine rebounds against the Lakers this season, but he has little banging help inside.
"It's Stoudemire and Frye ... is it Frye?" (Ron) Artest asked.
"It's all good," Frye said. "I don't care what anybody says ever. If it was up to everybody, we wouldn't even be in the playoffs. . . . They can say whatever they want. They still got to play us and he's gonna know my name by the end of the series."
You know (the Suns) were watching (Monday's Game 4 victory over Utah). But their star Steve (http://spurstalk.com/forums/#) Nash could only witness it on television with one eye shut. I saw it in person with 19,000 surprised fans screaming. Trust me, little dude, it was harsher than it looked.[/color]
"I'm not sure what he means," Nash said. "Little dude? I didn't even see the game. I was doing something with my girls and then I actually fell asleep at 7 because I didn't sleep when I got home from San Antonio.
"We've been counted out since last year. I don't know how my teammates feel but to me, I'm oblivious to it, really. . . . I don't really have time to think about what other people's opinions are."
On to Phoenix, where the competition will be more furious, but the outcome will be the same. Lakers in five.
"People were saying the same thing going into the San Antonio series," Grant Hill said. "Some were even saying the same thing going into Portland. I think we kind of like it. We kind of like the fact that we're underdogs. . . . That kind of motivates us.
"So thank you, Bill."
Yeah, not much strength there, it will basically be Stoudemire matched against Gasol, Odom and the rested knee of Bynum, and it won't even be close. Monday was about muscle, and for all their newfound tenacity, the Suns still don't have that muscle.
"Everybody has the right to their opinion," Stoudemire said.
"We just have to stay focused on what our goals are. It doesn't bother me at all. I tell you what it does. It allows us to focus in on what we have to do better and makes us want to win that much more."
Before watching the Lakers take the court against the Utah Jazz for the fourth game of a 3-0 playoff series Monday, I figured the ensuing Western Conference finals would be a regular Nash pit.
I figured wrong. The Phoenix Suns have no chance.
"We have a lot of respect for them and their history," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. "But you've got to understand. We don't have fear of anyone."Touche.This series is going to be fun.It is tipoff yet?
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/2010/05/12/20100512phoenix-suns-los-angeles-lakers-favored.html#ixzz0noX6LcsT
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/2010/05/12/20100512phoenix-suns-los-angeles-lakers-favored.html#ixzz0noWni8ld
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The latest came from Bill Plaschke, a Los Angeles Times columnist and ESPN personality who wrote Monday after the Lakers swept Utah that "the Phoenix Suns have no chance."Ouch."We love comments like that," Suns guard Jason Richardson said. "We invite comments like that." Since you asked . . .
None of this is coming from the Lakers, by the way. It's from everywhere else, including a vocal LA fan base and much of the national media, which is convinced the Lakers are too big and too talented to bow to the Suns. Against the Jazz, "the Lakers were everything the Suns are not," wrote Plaschke.
"Joe Blachke?" Channing Frye asked. No, Bill Plaschke, a talented writer and longtime friend. Doesn't mean I can't use his words as bait.
The Lakers played big. Even with Andrew Bynum tied behind their back, they played big. Phil Jackson whistle big. Lamar Odom smile big.
Phoenix is not big. Amar'e Stoudemire averaged 20 points and nine rebounds against the Lakers this season, but he has little banging help inside.
"It's Stoudemire and Frye ... is it Frye?" (Ron) Artest asked.
"It's all good," Frye said. "I don't care what anybody says ever. If it was up to everybody, we wouldn't even be in the playoffs. . . . They can say whatever they want. They still got to play us and he's gonna know my name by the end of the series."
You know (the Suns) were watching (Monday's Game 4 victory over Utah). But their star Steve (http://spurstalk.com/forums/#) Nash could only witness it on television with one eye shut. I saw it in person with 19,000 surprised fans screaming. Trust me, little dude, it was harsher than it looked.[/color]
"I'm not sure what he means," Nash said. "Little dude? I didn't even see the game. I was doing something with my girls and then I actually fell asleep at 7 because I didn't sleep when I got home from San Antonio.
"We've been counted out since last year. I don't know how my teammates feel but to me, I'm oblivious to it, really. . . . I don't really have time to think about what other people's opinions are."
On to Phoenix, where the competition will be more furious, but the outcome will be the same. Lakers in five.
"People were saying the same thing going into the San Antonio series," Grant Hill said. "Some were even saying the same thing going into Portland. I think we kind of like it. We kind of like the fact that we're underdogs. . . . That kind of motivates us.
"So thank you, Bill."
Yeah, not much strength there, it will basically be Stoudemire matched against Gasol, Odom and the rested knee of Bynum, and it won't even be close. Monday was about muscle, and for all their newfound tenacity, the Suns still don't have that muscle.
"Everybody has the right to their opinion," Stoudemire said.
"We just have to stay focused on what our goals are. It doesn't bother me at all. I tell you what it does. It allows us to focus in on what we have to do better and makes us want to win that much more."
Before watching the Lakers take the court against the Utah Jazz for the fourth game of a 3-0 playoff series Monday, I figured the ensuing Western Conference finals would be a regular Nash pit.
I figured wrong. The Phoenix Suns have no chance.
"We have a lot of respect for them and their history," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. "But you've got to understand. We don't have fear of anyone."Touche.This series is going to be fun.It is tipoff yet?
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/2010/05/12/20100512phoenix-suns-los-angeles-lakers-favored.html#ixzz0noX6LcsT
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/2010/05/12/20100512phoenix-suns-los-angeles-lakers-favored.html#ixzz0noWni8ld
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