Jackson confident about playoffs, Spurs included

[Rummpd]

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2006/03/21/bryant_jackson_are_men_on_a_mission/?page=1


Jackson is confident and talking relative smack about first round matchups.

LAL is good enough to go 4-2 if Kobe gets hot, but no more IMO and Odom plays out of his mind. That being said I think they could test the Mavs and perhaps win a couple of games from the Suns if all should out right for them.

Discuss

[td4mvp21]

It would be foolish for a seventh or eighth seed to underestimate the Spurs, Mavs, and Suns.

[TwoHandJam]

:sleep

[exstatic]

4-2 is a pipe dream. I'm torn between wanting SA to wipe the floor with LA, and not wanting to read Phil's nasty little digs in the fishwrap every day during the series.

Fuck it. Bring it on, Lakeshow. You need to be reminded what time it is. Hint: the words "Kobe" or "Lakers" figure nowhere in the answer.

[Rummpd]

I agree the probable is a sweep or 4-1. but Kobe could go off and get the calls and Odom could win another game. Still Spurs prevail.

[yeahone]

haha

[1Parker1]

Lakers would win one game AT MOST against the Spurs in the first round. Kobe could very well average 40, 5, and 6 for the entire series.........they'd still lose. There isn't one player outside of Kobe who's a serious threat (Odom is way to inconsistent). Mihm is injured, Kwame Brown? Joke. Luke Walton? Joke. Devean George? Looks like a joke. Lakers have no one.

Only way Lakers have a chance to win the first round is if Kobe scores 81 points for 4 games.

[Rummpd]

Never underestimate a true superstar and a great coach as the potential opponent with a more energetic Odom - don't kid yourselves LAL could put a scare into Spurs with a early win or something like that.

Spurs would prevail but LAL to me is better than their record in potential.

[1Parker1]

^Like I said, Kobe can win one game by himself. He can score 40, 50 whatever points against the Spurs...bottom line is they have no one else to step up and score the rest. Odom will do it occasionally, but even with Odom + Kobe can't combine score 85+ points for 4 games.

[ShoogarBear]

Right now the Lakers are the #7 seed, which would put them against Phoenix in the first round and keep them away from the Spurs and Mavs until the WCF. That's probably not a bad place for them to be.

I doubt they can catch Memphis and the highly coveted #6 seed.

[1Parker1]

^^Lakers would get swept by the Suns. I actually think they match up better against the Spurs or even Mavs and would have a chance to win at least ONE game. :lol

[CubanMustGo]

Typical PhilJ babble.

[yeahone]

phil must realsie the game we lost was from a back to back

[Fabbs]

Phildo is phishing.

Don't even bother with the bait. :sleep

[aaronstampler]

I would love to play LA in the first round. We'd beat the hell out of them, and it would go a max of 5 games. But I could very easily see us take it in 4 straight, as Kobe gets more and more frustrated and distrustful of his teammates. It could easily be as bad of a beat down as '99 was, if Duncan and Gino were feeling good.

No matter what happens, Spurs fans need to understand nothing will ever get that smug little smirk off Phil Jackson's face. The guy has 9 rings and makes 10 mil a year for basically having courtside seats next to Jack Nickolson and watching Kobe jack 40 shots a night. I think the only way anything Pop could ever get under his skin is he were to have a go at Jeannie and show Phil the pictures.

[Rummpd]

Actually what really counts now is losses and Kings less than LAL and I expect it to stay that way and NOK finally got back in the hunt.

IMO 7 seed is Kings and 8 is still a toss up - love to see the NOK beat out the LAL.

[TOP_MODEL_M]

I hate Phil Jackson and his arrogance.Still remember his comments about our 2003 title.He's a great couch but I'll never respect him.
About the playoffs, the one team I don't want the Spurs to face in the first round is Sacto.However, we're the champions and neither Lakers or Kings or Jazz should scare us.The only team that can beat us in a 7 game series is Detroit.And vice versa.

[Jimcs50]

What do you want Phil to say??? That his team will be beaten in rd 1???

:rolleyes


The team that I want to avoid is the team that I picked to win the Pacific Division, the Sacto Kings. They never lose at home, at least not since Jan., so it follows that they would be a tough first rd matchup for anyone, sine they get 3 games at home.

I want either Oklahoma City or LA, but LA will not be an easy series. I see SA winning 4-1, but it will be a tough 4 wins. I think the Spurs can sweep Okl City-NO, just because of their inexperience as a franchise in the playoffs, but you know their crowd will be frothing at the mouth.:)

[cs100]

Phil can not get into the heads of the Spurs or Pop. Media does not phase them. Remember when Spurs won the finals last year and Mike Turico asked Duncan if he feels vindicated with all the media calling him out. Tim answered that he never pays attention to that stuff.

Phil is also trying to motivate his team. They don't stand a chance if they play us. They might, just might, win one game. But that's it.

[pache100]

I hate Phil Jackson ... He's a great couch

http://i1.tinypic.com/s16gar.gif

[pache100]

What do you want Phil to say??? That his team will be beaten in rd 1??? :rolleyes

How 'bout just keeping his pie-hole shut for once? That would make me deliriously happy.

[boutons_]

The Lakers have obviously made a lot of progress since November, and very probably that's due to Phil's coaching, and his/Kobe's confidence. Beating the Spurs and Pistons in one week in March, even on 2nd of B2Bs, the Lakers got a good shot of confidence. They will run out of talent in the playoffs, but they could be troublesome.

But I'd rather see the Hornets steal 8th seed, just to give the NO people something to be proud of and cheer about. 7th months after Katrina, NO and its people are still fucked every which way.

[WalterBenitez]

A californian resident told me you lose your IQ BBall every day you spend there, but I thought it was sth temporary (Just kidding) :D

Come on Phil, do not understimate big western boys, I don't see LAL defeating Mavs, Suns or Spurs ... even with Kobe in his hottest series ...

[pache100]

Come on Phil, do not understimate big western boys, I don't see LAL defeating Mavs, Suns or Spurs ... even with Kobe in his hottest series ...

Prezackly! Who GAF about Kobe? Let him go. Let him score another 81 points, who cares? If you shut everyone else on the team down, they will not win.

[Jimcs50]

How 'bout just keeping his pie-hole shut for once? That would make me deliriously happy.

Fuckyou, you fat prick.

Were you even involved with this topic???

[pache100]

Fuckyou, you fat prick.

Were you even involved with this topic???

WTF???? I didn't realize it was a private matter. Didn't know comments about Phil Jackson were restricted to a privileged few. Excuse the hell out of me.

[SpursWoman]

Fuckyou, you fat prick.

Were you even involved with this topic???



Uh, Jim? She did say your pie-hole, she was referring to Phil's. :fro

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Asked about Bryant's situation with the officials, Jackson said, ''I don't think there is anything, and the more attention you draw to it, the worse it becomes. So it's better to shut up and swallow your pride."


:lmao
1. If Phil practiced what he preached the world would be a very quiet place.
2. An army of starving whales couldn't swallow all of Kobe's pride.

[JamStone]

I actually think the Western Conference playoffs will be very competitive right from the start in the first round. I think both the Lakers and the Kings could put in a scare into any of the top seeds. And, if Denver wasn't a top 3 seed, I think they would do some damage as a low seed, but it looks like they should be set as the division winner in the NW.

Kobe in the playoffs is scary. Now, he likely won't be able to carry his team past the Suns, Spurs, or Mavs, but I don't think it's a sweep with any of them, and I think Kobe can win more than one game just by himself. Kobe could beat the Mavs by himself multiple games in a series.

It will be very interesting to see ... if the Lakers are able to win enough games to remain a playoff team.

[JamStone]

Lakers last 13 games of the season:

-10 of the 13 are HOME games.

-7 of the 13 are against (as of today) playoff teams

-4 of the 13 are against TOP 4 seed playoff teams

-2 back-to-back sets


Lakers should be able to hold off New Orleans and Utah for one of the final two playoff spots. And, it is unlikely that the Lakers move up much higher than the 7th seed. So, odds are that the Lakers face either the Spurs or Suns.

[Jimcs50]

Uh, Jim? She did say your pie-hole, she was referring to Phil's. :fro

Oh, my bad.

Sorry, pasche 100, I thought you were talking to me, since you quoted me.

:oops

Thanks for clearing that up, SW.:)

[ShoogarBear]

Sorry, pasche 100, I thought you were talking to me,

Keeping your pie-hole shut ain't such a bad idea, either. :)

[Jimcs50]

Keeping your pie-hole shut ain't such a bad idea, either. :)

Oh, and pache 100 is a girl too? Now I really feel bad. :oops

[pache100]

Oh, my bad.

Sorry, pasche 100, I thought you were talking to me, since you quoted me.

:oops

Thanks for clearing that up, SW.:)

Not a problem, Jimcs50. Consider it in the past. We will never speak of it again. :spin

And, I am a girl...well, I used to be a girl...now I'm an old lady. :lol


Keeping your pie-hole shut ain't such a bad idea, either. :)
:nope

[Sportman]

Playing agaisnt the lakers with kobe inside is always a difficult match, i dont really care phil jackson, because he doesnt play, i am only concerned about kobe. Either He can win you alone or he can improve his teammates like WALTON :oops , for that reason if i were pop i will try to avoid lakers. Nevertheless, as people always say, "if you want to be the CHAMPION, you must win all of them"

[nkdlunch]

Phil, the lakers havent even clinched a playoffs spot yet. :rolleyes concentrate on that first