Didn't the Lakers win it this year with only Fish and Kobe having previous rings? You guys were also pretty much also-rans a/o 2007, so it wasn't 5 years, either.
And I think you counted wrong:
TD 4
Tony 3
Manu 3
Finley 1
Bonner 1
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Shastafarian - I said they were contenders originally. I laugh at being favorites.
exstatic - the year prior, LA at least went to the Finals, losing in 6. Picking them as favorites going into last year would mean believing they could win 2 more playoff games then they did the year before - hardly a stretch.
But SA with HCA got dumped in Round 1 by a team that got stomped the next round. From that to favorites? Did they get LeBron? Kobe? A top 20 player? Hell, the only All-Star they added was McDyess and that was nearly 10 years ago.
Bonner? OK - we'll count him too. LOL.
SA added two players with Finals experience at positions of need: post and wing.
Uh, and it's about Western Conference favorites. You went from first round out to WC champs in 1 year with less overall roster improvement. Gasol was nice, but he was one player at one position.
Gasol was a current All-Star and had led teams to the playoffs by himself.
If SA was offerred Gasol for Jefferson and Dyess they do that move faster that Pop's hair turns white.
And that was in a situation where no other WC contender significantly improved and LA wasn't fighting Father Time and injuries.
They added a top 5 shooting guard to the mix... you might remember him... a guy by the name of Emanuel "Manu" Ginobili... Wait? Wasn't this guy partly responsible for gaining them homecourt advantage in the first place..???
Your argument would be validated if Ginobili had played in that series loss against Dallas.
As for why anybody would think they were WC favorites (or at least on par with your Lakers) well.... Duncan has healed from his quad-tendonosis and will be entering the season at what used to be his playing weight (240 LBS) prior to his knee surgery in 2000.
And Parker has shown no signs of slowing down... he has statistically bettered himself every single year he's been in the league...
To top it off... the Spurs gained a top 20 wing player in RJ. A caliber veteran 4 in Dice. And a marked improvement in the backup PG position (GHill) that will allow our deadliest shooter (Mason) to play where he plays best... off the ball at the 2.
Anything Blair, Bonner, Finley, Ratliff, Mahinmi, or Haislip contribute at that point will be considered pure gravy...
A healthy Manu? What's next, Sasquatch at the 5 next to Duncan? The Loch Ness Monster as the Kobe-stopper off the bench?
but for the lakers time is nothing
they arent bound by polarity, time or space
Not sure about that. Dice has a better rebounding rate than Gasol, and while his scoring is not as good, RJ will more than make up for that. That hypothetical trade would also leave the cupboard bare on wing scoring for SA. I'll take the depth and extra scoring with RJ and Dice. You guys keep Gasol. You'll need him when Bynum goes down again this year.
The Laker fans are so scared they are trolling preseason threads :lmao
I guess you're easily amused. You're like the typical laker lemming repeating the same old tired mantra over and over in hopes that it comes true.
1) last year we were easily bounced from our 1st round series with the ponies because Manu did not play. It's looking like we have him back and he's healthy. We now have Jefferson and a very good second year player in George Hill to spell him and we don't have to use Manu as much during the regular season. And please do yourself a favor and don't forget we still have Roger Mason who can spot up shoot with the best of 'em and can score in bunches. Last year because the ponies could play Tim one on one, Roger didn't get those looks. He will this year.
2)Duncan was 60-70% at best. There were 65 year old men lapping him out on the running track. If you took your blinders off you'd know he wasn't the Duncan of old for a legitimate reason. This year he's healthy and he's back.
3)And we had rice paper thin bench. We had no other impact players. This year we added some very nice impact and role players like Dice, Blair Beast, Theo and Haislip (who I think can make Odom work hard and will diminish his effectiveness IMO) I didn't say he was on Odoms level, but he's athletic enough to cause Odom to work on both sides of the ball.
4)You've already counted your chickens before they hatched. Classic blunder. Somehow you've predetermined that psycho, I mean Artest is going to come in and the chemistry fairy is going to sprinkle him with bubble gum and lollipops. Yeah right! We don't know for a fact that he will come in and add to team chemistry and make the lakers better, BUT NEITHER DO YOU HOMERS.
5)You blinders-aided homers just can't seem to accept that losing Arriza is in reality a down grade. He is a very good defensive player and was dependable with the long ball. You refuse to accept that Ron-Ron has lost a step; several actually on the defensive side and that he's a chucker and will take all kinds of crazy shots. Makes me think that you don't watch a lot of NBA especially other teams other then the lakers. If you had and if you had been paying attention, you'd know that Artest wasn't even close to being the best defensive player on the rockets. I think most reasonable and logical thinking people think that Arriza makes your team better rather then Ron-Ron, who happens to be getting by on his old reputation.
I personally still think that the lakers are still the team to beat, but it's not out of the realm of possibility, it's not crazy talk and shouldn't amuse you that in all actuality the Spurs are the best team. For now the lakers get the paper championship because they are the defending champions and not because you, I or anybody thinks they're the best team. We'll need to play the season out to determine that.
? youre not helping the cause man, youre just making spurs fans look like whiny twats who dont know shitQuote:
2)Duncan was 60-70% at best. There were 65 year old men lapping him out on the running track. If you took your blinders off you'd know he wasn't the Duncan of old for a legitimate reason. This year he's healthy and he's back.
60%? you cant be serious sixty percent?
so i guess if he was healthy he would have averaged like 38 points and 19 rebounds for the season?
duncan was hurt not injured doctor, and he was hurt in 08, 07, 06, 05
you could make up fake percentages for every player and you just look like youre making excuses
manu was injured not tim
hey well if were way out of line here, why is it sports fucking illustrated put us above your crack head team im guessing all those professional nba analyst dont know what the hell theyre talking about either, you bitch
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...ngs/index.html
i guess we wont be getting a reply?
If Tim wasn't freaking injured, well he wasn't completely healthy, dolt. Don't you remember that by mid season last year he was diagnosed with chronic knee tendinosis. From that point on both his performance and time on the court declined. I know he was not 100,90 or even 80%. Tim would have had an even bigger impact had he been healthy. Did you even watch the games?
Where'd you get your medical degree because you sure are trying to make it look like you know what you're talking about. Comes across like your talking out your ass as usual.
+1
SI echoes everything posted on this board so far. We looked like crap in the playoffs due to a not 100% Timmy and banged up Manu (plus our bench was shite). We filled the gaps during the offseason but ultimatley we need our boys to be healthy and we've got a @#%^ing good shot. If Crazy Ron shows up in LA instead of Well Behaved Ron... then the door is wide open. We can write the same thing over and over about 30 ways. October can't get here soon enough.
i never said he was 100%, no center, well into his thirties with chronic ailments, after 82 games is
hey why not 50% then?
dont make excuses
its bad enough we have to apologize for manus fragile ass now we're making excuses for tim and saying he was 60%
however bad or good manu or tim plays next playoffs i guarantee you one will be less than "100%"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LMwD7vddyA
This video illustrates how much Duncan has lost in his ability to jump.
He had no spring in his knees to get up high enough around the rim. And his lateral movement was severely limited.
If that was Timmy D of 3 years ago or if he wasn't injured or hurt...that put back goes in unconstested + and 1.
If you some of you twats didn't watch the games last year, this video explains some of what I was talking about. If you don't understand it or if it's too far over your head, get your buddy to explain it to you.
he looks more like 28-35% in that video
did i just teach you a new word "twat"?