Why can't the Lakers beat OKC?

[tlongII]

Is it because they're too old?

[Ashy Larry]

probably ...... OKC is killin' fools. That's why San Antone has a great chance of coming out of the West ........

[LkrFan]

New offense. Inept coach. New starting PG that needs time to gel with new teammates.

Don't crown them just yet. They've peaked. This is the best they can play. The Lakers are far from a finished product. All of the scrubs that contributed to them blowing leads (like they have all year) will have the best seats in the house.

I actually hope we play OKC. I look forward to it tbh.

[Giuseppe]

Perkins has surfaced in a similar vein as he did in MA..

[DJB]

I actually hope we play OKC. I look forward to it tbh.

Sure you do.

[LkrFan]

Sure you do.

Why not? It took WB playing out of his mind to beat us a few days ago and Kobe going 7-25. I'm willing to go out on a limb and say neither happens again. IIRC, Kobe has shut WB down before in a playoff setting - sending them to the fishing tree of woe. The other night MB didn't put Kobe on WB but a few times.

Porkins can't handle Bynum no more either. And once Sessions is given the green light I expect WB to have to play a two-way game instead of just gunning.

LA won't be denied this year. You heard it here first. :king

[ElNono]

Lakers ending up with the 8th seed is not out of the question, tbh...

I'm just afraid it would be a short series and give OKC a lot of rest...

[LkrFan]

Lakers ending up with the 8th seed is not out of the question, tbh...

I'm just afraid it would be a short series and give OKC a lot of rest...

:lol

[DeadlyDynasty]

Why can't Portland stay healthy?

[ElNono]

Why can't Portland stay healthy?

Good question, IMO...

[NewcastleKEG]

Thunder are the best 1-3 position team in the league & it's the Lakers biggest weakness

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Athleticism is a big part of it, especially on the perimeter. It's possible that Sessions can help out a bit with that issue, on both ends of the court. I don't know much about him defensively but keeping the ball moving and making smart decisions is critical in limiting the fast break points. A team like the Thunder (especially a guys like Westbrook) gets a few fastbreak buckets and can suddenly find a rhythm and just roll over teams. That's can happen really quick when you've got guys like Kobe and Artest out there who can be ball stoppers on offense. They start overdribbling, the Thunder D can key on them and the result is either a turnover or a forced long jumper, which results in long rebounds and opportunities to get out and run.

[wanggi]

"Why can't the Lakers beat OKC?"

Because OKC can beat them.

[m>s]

just hope kobe exceeds MJ in career-total scores the soonest he can laker fans, then he'll probably shoot/brick a bit less and the lakers will get back on track imho

[Giuseppe]

just hope kobe exceeds MJ in career-total scores the soonest he can laker fans, then he'll probably shoot/brick a bit less and the lakers will get back on track imho

He ain't headin' for MJ. He's targeted Kareem. Everybody else will fall by the wayside at default.

[midnightpulp]

New offense. Inept coach. New starting PG that needs time to gel with new teammates.

Don't crown them just yet. They've peaked. This is the best they can play. The Lakers are far from a finished product. All of the scrubs that contributed to them blowing leads (like they have all year) will have the best seats in the house.

I actually hope we play OKC. I look forward to it tbh.

Do you ever stop being a fuckin' homer?

They'll slaughter you.

[LkrFan]

Do you ever stop being a fuckin' homer?

They'll slaughter you.

Didn't Miami supposed to win it all last year? What happened? That's why you play the games. I ain't crowning shit. You can, but I won't.

[LakaFan]

LkrFan my nigga

[Banzai]

Jazz tapping dat ass

[NewcastleKEG]

Didn't Miami supposed to win it all last year? What happened? That's why you play the games. I ain't crowning shit. You can, but I won't.
Heat were together less than a year, didn't have the best record in their own conference & long losing streaks during the season

[LkrFan]

Heat were together less than a year, didn't have the best record in their own conference & long losing streaks during the season

...and Magic won a ring as a rookie. KG/RA/PP were together for less than a year. In both scenarios your hypothesis is rendered invalid.

Being together less than a year should be a Non-issue.

[wanggi]

Why can't the Lakers beat OKC?

Because there is MSP wanna set a record for himself.

[ClippersDynasty]

:lol spurfan

Spurs haven't done shit since 2007, what makes them think they're gonna do a damn thing in the playoffs? Shit even in 07 they faced the weakest teams in the WCF and Finals the league has seen in those spots in a long ass time. Clippers gonna spank that ass in the second round, if you can even get there this year SA :lol

[lefty]

Bump




Good question OP





TBH

[mavsfan1000]

Bad matchup. Perkins always does well against aggressive Centers. Durant could hide guarding World Peace and save his energy on offense. Westbrook didn't have to defend a quality player. The Spurs will not be a good matchup for the Thunder though. I expect them to win a close series.

[InK]

:lol spurfan

Spurs haven't done shit since 2007, what makes them think they're gonna do a damn thing in the playoffs? Shit even in 07 they faced the weakest teams in the WCF and Finals the league has seen in those spots in a long ass time. Clippers gonna spank that ass in the second round, if you can even get there this year SA :lol

Very well said.

[lefty]

:lol spurfan

Spurs haven't done shit since 2007, what makes them think they're gonna do a damn thing in the playoffs? Shit even in 07 they faced the weakest teams in the WCF and Finals the league has seen in those spots in a long ass time. Clippers gonna spank that ass in the second round, if you can even get there this year SA :lol
:rollin

[boutons_deux]

In the West, a Full Eclipse

OKLAHOMA CITY

No team does failure with quite the flair and the anguish of the Los Angeles Lakers. Their torment seems deeper, their freakouts freakier, the recriminations more explosive. When they lose, they lose spectacularly.

The final buzzer had not yet sounded on the Lakers' season Monday night when the panicky flares from distraught fans began to fly on Twitter.

"Lakers Bigs: Too full? Too rich? Too weak? Too lazy?"exclaimed Ice Cube, the rapper turned actor, pointing at Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum for the Lakers' playoff flameout against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Ice Cube's sentiment seemed to be shared by vast swaths of Lakers fans, who alternately demanded radical roster purges (Trade Gasol! Trade Bynum!) or a coaching change (Fire Mike Brown!), never mind that Brown just arrived and Phil Jackson isn't likely coming back.

Amid the angst and the agitation, one calm, reassuring voice emerged, from a most unlikely source:

"I'm sure we'll figure it out. We always have, and I'm sure we will again."

That was Kobe Bryant - serious but smiling, defiant but relaxed - broadcasting confidence from the postgame podium. In his seven minutes at the microphone, Bryant proclaimed his longevity ("I'm not fading into the shadows"), withheld criticism of his teammates and expressed absolute faith in the Lakers' front office.

"Mitch has really done a phenomenal job, for the past decade, building title teams pretty quickly," Bryant said, referring to General Manager Mitch Kupchak. "We just have to do it again."

It was a remarkably Zen moment for a famously fiery and impatient superstar. It was even more remarkable given Bryant's age (33), his shrinking window for winning a sixth title and his history of postseason meltdowns.

...

http://mobile.nytimes.com/article?a=953538&f=27

[KD4MVP]

Why not? It took WB playing out of his mind to beat us a few days ago and Kobe going 7-25. I'm willing to go out on a limb and say neither happens again. IIRC, Kobe has shut WB down before in a playoff setting - sending them to the fishing tree of woe. The other night MB didn't put Kobe on WB but a few times.

Porkins can't handle Bynum no more either. And once Sessions is given the green light I expect WB to have to play a two-way game instead of just gunning.

LA won't be denied this year. You heard it here first. :king

:rollin

[KD4MVP]

Simply put, OKC matches up extremely well with LA.

- No one on LA can check RW except Kobe.

- Thabo guards Kobe as good as anyone in the league.

- Metta is a good defender, butDurant is too good.

- Ibaka is just as long as Gasol, and can give him trouble.

- Perkins is arguably the best low-post defender in the league, he guards Bynum very well.

They are built to beat LAL.

[Giuseppe]

Simply put, OKC matches up extremely well with LA.

- No one on LA can check RW except Kobe.

- Thabo guards Kobe as good as anyone in the league.

- Metta is a good defender, butDurant is too good.

- Ibaka is just as long as Gasol, and can give him trouble.

- Perkins is arguably the best low-post defender in the league, he guards Bynum very well.

They are built to beat LAL.

Unless you win the last game played this month you're in last place with 28 other teams.