The Laker Threat

[HeroSquad]

As it stands, the Spurs and Lakers would square off in the WCSF should they both win their first round match-ups (which I think they will). Now, a lot of people have talked about how the Lakers' enormous front-court is sure to spell the end of the Spurs' championship run should it in fact play out as I've predicted.


I'm not so sure.


Granted, the Lakers have arguably the best frontcourt in the NBA with Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum manning the paint. But behind these two guys is a veritable list of nobodies--Josh McRoberts, Troy Murphy, and Jordan Hill. That's probably why these guys don't get much playing time in the regular season. Pau Gasol, who is a seasoned 31 years old, has played the 6th most minutes in the NBA; Andrew Bynum, who, granted, is still young, is 29th in minutes played.


Keep in mind, however, that Bynum has been plagued with injury throughout his career, and his health this season is the exception, not the norm. He's never played more than 65 games in a season and has never averaged more than 30 minutes a game prior to this year, where he's right around 36 minutes. I'm not saying an injury is inevitable, but given the condensed season and the grueling playoff schedule , where he'll likely bang bodies with the other (bigger) Gasol in what I expect to be a 7-game series with the Grizzlies, it's worth keeping in mind.


But the possibility of injury is present for every team, so the Lakers are not unique in this regard. But the danger of fatigue looms large over Laker-land. As I said, Gasol and Bynum are 6th and 29th, respectively, in the league in minutes played. Number 2 on that list (and only 20 minutes behind leader, Dwight Howard) is none other than the Black Mamba himself, Kobe Bryant, all 33 years of him. For the months of February and March, Kobe has shot an abysmal 40% while averaging 23 shots a game. Is it fatigue? I wouldn't rule it out.


To put this in perspective, the highest Spurs on most-minutes-played list is Tony Parker at 55 and Tim Duncan at 109.


The big rotation players for the Lakers are all wings (MWP, Matt Barnes) and if there's one thing the Spurs of have plenty of, it's wings (don't tell Dejuan or Boris, though). Yes, the Lakers are winning, but it's not coming easy and the tension is mounting. The April 11th match-up with the hopefully full-strength Spurs will go a long way in testing my theory. But I think with the incredible depth and versatility the Spurs have at their disposal and their high octane offense that's capable of running up and down the floor, it wouldn't be a huge shock to see the Sun's formula finally work should we end up playing the Lakers.


All this depends on how much you buy into the effect a condensed season will have on teams. I could be overestimating this effect, but I'd like to think that it will play a factor somehow. And considering Pop's conscious efforts to limit minutes for the Big 3, it seems like he thinks so too.

[celldweller]

The Lakers are done.

[lefty]

Threat ?

[Splits]

3 for 21.

About the chances the Lakers have at beating the Spurs, if they can get out of the first round. Lakers have a 3-deep bench, they will be exhausted and broken by the time the playoffs arrive. Kobe is 34 and playing 39 minutes a game, and played every game so far.

[HeroSquad]

Threat ?

I don't know about you, but any team with Kobe, Gasol, and Bynum have to be considered somewhat of a threat. But for now, I'll concede to you the question mark.

[maverick1948]

If you look at the month of March, the Lakers are not winning games with any domination of the teams they are playing. In fact, they are 11-6 with a slightly over a +2 pt differential. Kobe just went 0--15 to start against the Hornets. Sure he made the winning basket, but 3-21 will not get it done against the Spurs offense. Going with 8 players for a close game against the bottom team in the West, well, let's just say that is sad.

Lakers are toast..

[Man In Black]

If Bean continues to shoot at below 40% while taking a lion's share of his team's shots means they're looking at getting a future ass-kicking in the playoffs.

[HeroSquad]

Curious, if they stay seeded where they are as of today:
Spurs are a #2 Lakers are a #3.
Spurs beat the #7 and Lakers beat the #6
2nd round the #2 faces the #3.

So...how do they meet in the WCF again?

Now, if the Spurs get the #1 and the LAL gets #2 or #3, then they can meet in the WCF, should they win their 2nd round series or if the Lakers drop to #4 and beat #1 OKC and Spurs stay at #2 or drop to #3 and they win...then well...then they can meet in the WCF.
But let's not be premature.

Besides, if Bean continues to shoot at below 40% while taking a lion's share of his team's shots means they're looking at getting a future ass-kicking in the playoffs.

Yeah, the S gets lost in the acronym, but I think I put WCSF. But you're right, they meet in the Western Conference Semi-Finals.

[Man In Black]

I saw that after the fact....but yeah....Bean plays like that....Ass-Kicking will ensue.

[therealtruth]

3 for 21.

About the chances the Lakers have at beating the Spurs, if they can get out of the first round. Lakers have a 3-deep bench, they will be exhausted and broken by the time the playoffs arrive. Kobe is 34 and playing 39 minutes a game, and played every game so far.

Jordan played 39 minutes a game at 34 though Kobe does have more mileage at the same point.

[HeroSquad]

Jordan played 39 minutes a game at 34 though Kobe does have more mileage at the same point.

But I think we can all agree that Kobe is no Jordan. And I don't think it's that close either.

[roycrikside]

Lakers have a lot tougher schedule coming up than the Clips. Pretty good chance Clips pass them. Really, it's not a given that OKC will hold on to #1 either. Spurs-Lakers could just as easily be a 1-4 matchup as a 2-3. If Spurs do hold on to #2 though, I don't think Lakers will be waiting for them.

[DeadlyDynasty]

So much fear in this thread:lol

[TheSkeptic]

So much fear in this thread:lol

Mike. Brown.

There's no reason to be scared.

[Obstructed_View]

The only real Laker threat, that they trade more of their clutch players to Western conference contenders, is passed for this year. Though, to be truthful, their current most clutch player, Metta World Peace, isn't likely to have any trade value to them in the offseason.

[therealtruth]

Mike. Brown.

There's no reason to be scared.

He lost to the Magic and Celtics even though the Cavs were the best team in the NBA those years.

[ElNono]

:sleep

[TheSkeptic]

He lost to the Magic and Celtics even though the Cavs were the best team in the NBA those years.

Then you understand why I'm so confident he'll find a way to torpedo his team out of the playoffs.

:lol

[lefty]

I don't know about you, but any team with Kobe, Gasol, and Bynum have to be considered somewhat of a threat. But for now, I'll concede to you the question mark.
There lies the problem for Los Angeles

Take Kobe out of your equation and they are actually a better team

[Duncan2177]

Lakers a threat? :lol

[HeroSquad]

Lakers a threat? :lol

I get the feeling that you only read the title.

[Wild Cobra Kai]

Their offense is SO bad, that if their defense weren't what it is, they'd be in the lottery.

Their bench is also trash.

[Obstructed_View]

Their offense is SO bad, that if their defense weren't what it is, they'd be in the lottery.

Conversely, their defense is so good that if Kobe would learn not to shoot the ball so much, they'd be instant contenders.

[Rummpd]

Lakers may not be playing their best ball but they are a still a threat to anyone until the final whistle stops for them in a season - they still have three of the top 20 players in the game and improved PG - to discount them is sublime especially since their coach knows Pop's system.

[DeadlyDynasty]

Hell hath frozen over if Rummpd is the voice of reason

[Wild Cobra Kai]

Lakers may not be playing their best ball but they are a still a threat to anyone until the final whistle stops for them in a season - they still have three of the top 20 players in the game and improved PG - to discount them is sublime especially since their coach knows Pop's system.

:lol:rollin Brown knew our system in 2007 too, and got broomed for his trouble.

This is the worst Laker team since the summer of Shaq and Kobe happened in 1996.

[swaggerjackson]

I am not super scared of the lakers, but after last years playoffs I would rather not go up against a team with such a huge starting frontcourt. Also writing off this team is much like writing off the Spurs. I am very weary to write off a team with two talented seven footers in their starting lineup, Kobe Bryant, and the experience this team has. While I think we would pull it out. I would much rather the Spurs somehow steal the number one spot. Then we get Houston/Denver first the Clippers second round. This to me is a much more favorable path. But there is still a lot of basketball to be played.

[pgardn]

The only real Laker threat, that they trade more of their clutch players to Western conference contenders, is passed for this year. Though, to be truthful, their current most clutch player, Metta World Peace, isn't likely to have any trade value to them in the offseason.

This is a joke I hope.

[Rummpd]

:lol:rollin Brown knew our system in 2007 too, and got broomed for his trouble.

This is the worst Laker team since the summer of Shaq and Kobe happened in 1996.



:lol Yeh I am sure Kobe would rather have some of those motley squads before Gasol arrived and Bynum developed?

[Spurs da champs]

He lost to the Magic and Celtics even though the Cavs were the best team in the NBA those years.

Yes it's his fault that Mo Williams was a choker & LeBron was a 1 man team...:rolleyes Dude is shit tho at making adjustments & that was particularly evident in the Celtic series before LeBron left even tho he quit.

[Wild Cobra Kai]

:lol Yeh I am sure Kobe would rather have some of those motley squads before Gasol arrived and Bynum developed?

Top to bottom, those squads weren't any worse. The current squad has 3 reaaaally good players, maybe 2-3 NBA rotation caliber players, and the rest are borderline NBA/d-leaguer players. No Laker squad in recent history has fallen off so badly after player #4 or 5.

I have been following the NBA since the early 80s, and this may be the worst offense I have ever seen in LA. It's really that bad.

[Solid D]

The upcoming 3-games series with the Lakers over a 9 day period will tell us a lot. Like it is with Chicago and Derrick Rose, the Lakers have the Kobe factor to close out close games. The way the Spurs perform in 4th quarters has been exceptional this season. It should be fun to watch, but the Lakers are still a tough matchup for the Spurs.

[DeadlyDynasty]

This is a joke I hope.

Knowing him, trust me it's not

[LoneStarState'sPride]

Spurs will run their ass right out of the building AND the parking lot if they meet up in the WCSF.

[Obstructed_View]

This is a joke I hope.

It's a joke that any Lakers player is called clutch, but Artest is the last one to make a big play in a meaningful way in the playoffs.

[Spurs da champs]

The upcoming 3-games series with the Lakers over a 9 day period will tell us a lot. Like it is with Chicago and Derrick Rose, the Lakers have the Kobe factor to close out close games. The way the Spurs perform in 4th quarters has been exceptional this season. It should be fun to watch, but the Lakers are still a tough matchup for the Spurs.

Yes it is, but honestly this all depends on Pop & how comfortable he is giving Splitter minutes with Tim, but based on his utter lack of intelligence & just plain ignorance I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't play him at all with Tim.

[ElNono]

The upcoming 3-games series with the Lakers over a 9 day period will tell us a lot. Like it is with Chicago and Derrick Rose, the Lakers have the Kobe factor to close out close games. The way the Spurs perform in 4th quarters has been exceptional this season. It should be fun to watch, but the Lakers are still a tough matchup for the Spurs.

I think some of them are back to back... I expect Pop to rest a few guys, at least in the game @ Staples...

[therealtruth]

I think some of them are back to back... I expect Pop to rest a few guys, at least in the game @ Staples...

It would be a good chance to get a playoff warmup and test playoff rotations. The team is certainly not going to get better from just playing non-playoff teams.

[Spurs da champs]

It would be a good chance to get a playoff warmup and test playoff rotations. The team is certainly not going to get better from just playing non-playoff teams.

Pop just loves to waive the white flag.:rolleyes

[ElNono]

It would be a good chance to get a playoff warmup and test playoff rotations. The team is certainly not going to get better from just playing non-playoff teams.

The game at Staples is the middle game of a back to back to back, 10 days away from the end of the season. And you know how emotional some of these games get. After what happened with Phoenix last season, and provided the Spurs keep the comfortable lead they have over seed #3, I can see where Pop would just rest them.

The other two games are @ golden state and @ sacto... both winnable games.

[Spurs da champs]

The other two games are @ golden state and @ sacto... both winnable games.

Those are the real meaningless games tho, Pop rested Manu, Tim & Tony on 1st day of back to back @Staples against the Lakers (that year a potential match up in PO's at the time) then he played them in a pointless game against a shitty Phoenix team & Manu ended up breaking his arm.

[ElNono]

Those are the real meaningless games tho, Pop rested Manu, Tim & Tony on 1st day of back to back @Staples against the Lakers (that year a potential match up in PO's at the time) then he played them in a pointless game against a shitty Phoenix team & Manu ended up breaking his arm.

Regular season games are meaningless at this stage, other than seeding.

You can draw enough conclusions about LA when we play them twice at home.

[Johnny RIngo]

We should be worrying about coming out of the regular season injury-free. We talked all kinds of shit last year and then china-doll Ginobili had his yearly injury that kept him out of the playoffs. Everybody's looking fine so far but I'm not holding my breath.

[GrandeDavid]

Mike Brown is the coach and the Lakers are old(er). The Lakers can't beat the Spurs.

[ElNono]

MEM, OKC tapping that ass at home :lol

[ElNono]

:lol 5-4 since Sessions arrived
:lol savior

[sventhedog]

show mike brown a photo of lebron and he'll stop calling plays and hide in the locker.

[bus driver]

with the lakers in a slump, i wonder if the tshirt fans will be out at the att center for the games :lmao

[SenorSpur]

The only key element to remember about this is - the Fakers are currently imploding from within. They're rebelling against Kobe's shot-happy ways and Bynum and Bryant are seemingly about to stage an internal mutiny against head coach Mike Brown. The
Fakers are not long for these playoffs.

[maverick1948]

Pop will go after the two home games, forget the one in LA. He will most likely rest one of the big 3 each night like he did on the other b2b2b. Tony rests in the 1st game, Manu the second, and Timmy the 3rd.

The thing we need to win the next 5 games, @Cleve, @Boston, New Orleans, Utah and @Utah. Winning those 5 games would leave us 11 games to win 5 more to force the Lakers to win every game they have left. And we all know that aint gonna happen.

[callo1]

I'm not worried. While they have an advantage in the front court, the Spurs bench will destroy theirs, not to mention Kobe freezing out their bigs...The Spurs are too deep for the Lakers.

[callo1]

The Lakers whooped yo asses back then even when Shaq and Kobe were feuding :lol

Different teams...and you seem to have forgotten '03 when the Spurs beat them down in LA.

Spurs are too deep for the Lakers.

[SenorSpur]

Yes, and somebody also forgot about the Fakers most recent playoff performance - a 4-game sweep at the hands of the eventual NBA Champion Mavs.

No one in their right mind would write-off the Fakers, however let's not sit here and act like they were the near-invincible bunch from the 3-peat team of the last decade either.

[pgardn]

It's a joke that any Lakers player is called clutch, but Artest is the last one to make a big play in a meaningful way in the playoffs.

Game 7 with Celts. Artest fouls Ray Allen (he cant shoot FT's) with a little less that 2 minutes to go to get the Celts within a basket. The foul makes absolutely no sense, pure stupidity. Neither team is shooting well but they are playing decent D. Allen makes both.

Forgotten because Kobe and Gasol dominated the boards with Perkins gone. Artest single handedly in one moment of sheer idiocy keeps the Celts in the game.

Now he is insane, I will give you that.

[TD 21]

Yes, and somebody also forgot about the Fakers most recent playoff performance - a 4-game sweep at the hands of the eventual NBA Champion Mavs.

No one in their right mind would write-off the Fakers, however let's not sit here and act like they were the near-invincible bunch from the 3-peat team of the last decade either.

I wrote them off before the season began, as far as being a legit contender. There's only four teams capable of winning the championship and they're not one of them. It's not just the obvious personnel issues, it's the lack of chemistry. That team clearly doesn't like each other and clearly doesn't respect their coach. I can't think of a championship team in recent memory that you could say that about. And then there's the simple fact that they can't win easily. It's always a grind. That's another characteristic that you don't find in championship teams.

This team reminds me a lot of the '08 Spurs. They're too old to sustain anything and don't have enough depth or versatility. That team still had three of the best players in the league too, but it was obvious well in advance of the playoffs that their aura and mystique were gone and that they were not going to win the championship. And they didn't lack chemistry or have a problem with their coach. They also defended much better than this Lakers team. That's the thing, the Lakers offense isn't just anemic, but their defense, while fairly good, isn't nearly good enough to compensate for that.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

The only key element to remember about this is - the Fakers are currently imploding from within. They're rebelling against Kobe's shot-happy ways and Bynum and Bryant are seemingly about to stage an internal mutiny against head coach Mike Brown. The
Fakers are not long for these playoffs.

Not to mention that they are as deep as the kiddie pool.

Long gone are the days of Odom, Farmar, Barnes and Brown coming off the bench.

Gasol has taken a step back, kobe shoots more jumpshots then ever, and Jackson is no longer around with the respect to get them all to buy in.

The new rules in terms of the cap is going to make it harder to just spend out of the ass. Better hope Sessions continues to shoot ten points above his career averages.

i get that the hype won't stop but thats all it is.