No, wouldnt need one, he is still good enough to slow Kobe down, but you wouldnt know anything about defense being a Suns fan, now would you?Quote:
Originally Posted by da_suns_fan__
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No, wouldnt need one, he is still good enough to slow Kobe down, but you wouldnt know anything about defense being a Suns fan, now would you?Quote:
Originally Posted by da_suns_fan__
James White!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mardigan
Actually, these days Raja Bell does a much better job on Kobe than Bruce Bowen.
With the nugs winning tonight maybe the Spurs-Lakers series might not be a lock after all.
if we are seeded # 3 and take the Lakers, we'll face the winner between Houston & Utah in the 2nd round rather than Suns or Dallas, right?
Fine with me. Let us just enjoy watching those two(Suns & Dallas along with their fine owners Sarver & Cuban), battle each other for the WC finals. :D
it will take 6-7 games but we can beat the Lakers. I just want a Dallas/Suns match-up in the playoffs and see how they maintain their composure. Those two are the hungriest teams, IMO.
Spurs have won 3, current Detroit team w/ 1, Miami w/ 1. Lakers 3. :D
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Originally Posted by milkyway21
lol
no
we'd face phoenix without hca
Lakers in the first round is scary because Lamar is rebounding the hell out of the ball - averaging something like 14-15 rebounds in the last couple weeks.
my biggest worry about the LAL matchup is not so much lamar, or even kobe
it's phil jackson
there is no coach in the league who knows how to exploit another team's weakness better than PJ. Pushing the suns to 7 games last year was incredible.
So yeah, bring on the nuggets for the love of god
same in the yr 2005.Quote:
Originally Posted by Amuseddaysleeper
Quote:
Originally Posted by milkyway21
except
2005 spurs >>> 2007 spurs
and 2007 suns > 2005 suns
plus after goin through all that shit we get to face the best dallas team yet
And a Phil team beating a Pop team twice is all that more impressive? :lolQuote:
Originally Posted by The Truth #6
Quote:
Originally Posted by Buddy Holly
uhhh
of the 4 times spurs and lakers have faced each other in the PJ era, PJ has 3 series wins to one (2001, 2002, 2004)
I'd say that's pretty damn impressive
I agree...Quote:
Originally Posted by Amuseddaysleeper
What, Pop might get out coached for the second straight year? :lol
Last year Pop had a crisis of confidence against Avery Johnson, scrapped Spurs ball and pulled small ball outta his ass.
What's he gonna do this year against PJ's master manipulations and Kobe's superhuman court histrionics?
Lakers are a nightmare first round matchup.
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Originally Posted by Capt Bringdown
Don't get me wrong, I think we'll win the series, but with Pop's questionable coaching antics since the dallas series this year, and PJ's wacky psychological antics, this series is gonna be much much tougher than simply anticipating kobe going off for 40 points each game (yes, even with bowen on him).
Whereas, even though the nuggs have AI and Melo, I think Karl is too much of an idiot to get past rd 1 with this squad.
There's 1 1/2 game seperation between nuggs and lakers so lets see how this all folds out
The Lakers are a tough matchup for us. I see us winning in 6 brutally see-sawing and heartwrenching games. Our only real edge over them is experience.
The entire road to the championship will be grinding this year, however far we go.
May the best team win... :toast ...and may we be the best team! :spin
PS Go Nuggets!
Lakers would be a tough series...possibly 6 games. Not good if the Spurs have to play the Suns in the next round...they'll be tired while the Mavs will be rested after beating the Nuggets easily in 5. And don't even get me started on how easy the Mavs will have it the first round against the Clipps....easily a sweep.
Spurs really blew it when they lost to Indy on Sunday. They could have had that 2nd seed and a much easier time with the Nuggets as well as HCA against a much scarier Suns team than the one they faced in 2005. I don't see the Spurs getting past the Suns.
Oh and Bruce Bowen is a great defender...but with the way Kobe is playing this season, I think he'll have a very difficult time containing him. And Odom and Walton can be a handful. Spurs can beat the Lakers because they have 2 players who can completely exploit the Lakers with the current matchups; Lakers have no answer for Tony Parker or Tim Duncan.
I've said it before...this is the Suns year to get to the Finals and possibly win it all. Spurs exit in the 2nd round...they have the talent, but I don't think Pop is doing a good job utilizing it this year as he has in years past.
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Originally Posted by Testing
The Spurs threw the game at Indy because they want to play the Lakers.
At least I do.
I'd love to see Kobe crying on the bench again.
I think if and when San Antonio faces off with Kobe and the Zenmaster...
I'm probably gonna be holding my breath until the series is finished. That's how nervous Kobe and Phil make me.
Just because...they're 2/3rds of the team that abused Tim Duncan. Then again, Tim got his vindication.
So it'll kind of be preferred if we make Kobe and Phil cry again, which is still in our favor.
But yeah, I don't think you can fall asleep on this team. Who knows what the zenmaster could exploit from "stay the course", Pop.
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Originally Posted by ManuTim_best of Fwiendz
Fellow Spurs fans. The Spurs big 3 are mightier than ONE Jordan wannabe. The rest of the Lakers are no match for the Spurs' supporting cast. Please don't give them more respect than they deserve.
Hell no I think the 05 Suns were much better than these Suns today.
More respect than they deserve? :lol You guys are so full of yourselves. The spurs do not match up to the lakers and Pop will have to go small. We all know how that works for you. Lakers can take the Spurs out in the first and that's not unrealistic.Quote:
Originally Posted by DarrinS
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailyd...ilydime-070404
Updated: April 4, 2007, 12:01 PM ETWho's the brightest darkhorse?By Greg Anthony
ESPN.com
Answering a few questions after the Denver Nuggets took a 111-105 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in a pairing of two teams that could stun the NBA by springing first-round playoff upsets . . .
Between the Nuggets and Lakers, which is the better dark horse candidate to upset a higher seed in the playoffs?
I would say the Lakers from this standpoint -- they have more of an identity. Phil Jackson's been back there for a few years now, the core of the team has been together and they forced a seventh game in last year's playoffs. And the bottom line is you have Kobe Bryant. As good as Allen Iverson is, he's not Kobe, who could end up averaging 45 for a series.
The Lakers are not doing themselves any favor holding on to the 6 spot and a date with the Spurs. Wouldn't the No. 7 spot now held by the Nuggets (vs. Suns) be more sensible?
No. The thing to remember about a young team like the Lakers is the more you win, the more confidence you have. It's more important for you to have that success then worry about winning matchups. The Lakers are not that good enough that they can fall into a lower seed and then expect to turn it on.
But wouldn't the Lakers have more to prove against the Suns, whom they took to seven games last year?
That also works to Phoenix's advantage. The Suns might not have taken them as seriously last year as they would this time around. From the Lakers' standpoint, you want to go back into the playoffs in a groove. With Lamar Odom back and Kwame Brown playing well -- now you're talking about a team that can be dangerous.
What do they need to improve on?
This is the one of the worst defensive jobs that I've seen a Phil Jackson team display. Sometimes a team thinks it's playing hard, and doesn't realize that it can be playing harder. But when the playoffs come, you know they're going to be playing better defensively because they'll have a chance to prepare.
Denver's staggering down the stretch, with a playoff spot not completely assured. What's its biggest problem?
They turn the ball over too much. People talk about an inability to defend, but it's the turnovers. I talked to George Karl the other day about this. We talked about how hard it is to be that good defensively when teams can get easy baskets off turnovers, and they come at inopportune times. And remember, this is a team working in new guards like Steve Blake, J.R. Smith and Iverson. That's a lot of new parts added to the fray.
Who would the Nuggets prefer, the Suns or Spurs?
A tough road either way, but at least with the Suns they don't have to impose their will to play uptempo. That's how Denver wants to play. I don't know if they have the discipline defensively to slow down Phoenix.
So the Lakers could get the Spurs. That's not easy.
San Antonio's the team I would be most leery of in the Western Conference. Dallas and Phoenix haven't won a championship. This team has. That means a lot. Francisco Elson and Fabricio Oberto have played well the past month, with great intangibles, not so much in things that show in the stats.
If either dark horse candidate, the Nuggets or Lakers, is playing well, we should put the brooms away, right?
Yes. If both teams come into the postseason focused both mentally and emotionally, they're going to make it difficult. Both are capable of winning at least two games in a series.
ESPN analyst Greg Anthony can be seen on NBA Shootaround Wednesday at 7 ET, before the ESPN doubleheader of Bulls/Pistons (7:30 ET) and Kings/Nuggets (10 ET). All questions above posed by ESPN.com editor Andrew Ayres.
Kobe hit 39, Lamar had a triple double, and Lakers lose, on the road, where they're only 15 -21.
They lost their starting center last night also. He left early in the 2nd and never returned. Camby went nuts after that but the Lakers still almost pulled it out. He's important to the lakers to advance in the playoffs.Quote:
Originally Posted by boutons_
P.S. The spurs always brings out the best in the Lakers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lakeshow1