Thank you, now please stop posting regarding the Lakers...clearly you don't know what you're talking about...good takes though...gold.
They're young but have much more experience now...2 years ago is a long time in an NBA career. What was a bunch of young guns has matured into a team. When Ariza returns to bolster the bench with his defense, good things are going to happen.
The beauty of this year's close Western race is that that the young Lakers bench is getting a of alot experience winning in games that count. This isn't the Playoffs but they sure feel like it.
Then why the are you posting in this thread? ing moron.
last season's bench over this season's bench? Are you kidding me?
Last year's bench- Finley, (we all know he's more of a bench player and Manu's more of a starter anyway) Vaughn, Horry, Barry, Bonner, Elson, Udrih, and Ely.
This year's bench- Finley, Vaughn, Horry, Barry, Bonner, Stoudamire, Thomas, and Udoka.
Now ask ANY Spurs fan and they'll tell you having Stoudamire, Thomas and Udoka this year is a of an upgrade on our bench from last year, anyone can see that.
I'm not puttin down the Lakers because I honestly believe theyre the Spurs compe ion this year with the Mavs and Suns sucking so much, I think it will come down to the Spurs/Lakers WCF matchup.
All this Laker talk is just making me sick.
Yes, the Lakers have enough talent, but so did the Suns in 2005 and 2007, so did the Mavs in the last few years, but that doesn't translate to a championship.
Breaking down the Lakers:
Strengths:
Huge frontcourt - all 3 guys can score and create.
Kobe Bryant - involving his teammates, can score on anyone, can create.
Phil Jackson - one of the best coaches of all time, can handle egos, can make adjustments on the fly.
Bench - supposedly strong, can give enough production.
Weaknesses:
Defense - Gasol never defended in his life, Odom is on/off, Bynum is weak defensively.
Veteran leadership - Fisher provides quite a bit here, and so does Bryant to some extent, but the other guys are not known to be the strongest minds in basketball.
Bench - inexperienced.
Dead wrong. He has the best eFG% stat against opposing centers in the league. 2.1 bpg, 10rpb, all in under 30mpg. He is a very strong defensive player.
The article might have been right a few weeks ago. But with the addition of Kurt Thomas and resigning of Barry. Spurs have best bench period. Not to mention all the championship and playoff experience in that bench.
the Lakers bench is way more scary that the Spurs bench.
Kurt Thomas does not look that great out there. He is noticeably slower this year and will be good for 6 hard fouls. He's no miracle worker. Barry has also torn the same calf muscle twice, no telling if he'll do it again or how effective he will be knowing he could easily tear it the same way again.
Even with that Spurs bench has what it takes. And we don't need Thomas to be a miracle worker. I am hopeful Barry returns and he is quickly able to get back into the rotation and play like the way he was just before injury. I know as a Laker fan you want to see teh worst happen, well as a Spur fan I want to see the best happen. It can go really way, we'll just have to see.
I agree even with all the injuries and health issues I'd still take the Spur's bench in the playoffs. Experience, calmness under pressure, and the ability to execute properly are FAR more important in the playoffs than individual talent. This will be the Lakers biggest hurdle, other than Bynum coming back, this season and also the reason why I don't think we will win it all.
I can't tell you how frustrating it is to see Lamar Odom make the same dumb mistakes in the clutch time and time again. Leaving his man to double team Kidd, who was inside the 3pt line, giving Dirk a wide open game tying 3 pointer. He did the same thing in DET and we ended up losing that game. He failed to secure a rebound against the Suns in the '05 playoffs and we ended up losing that series. I want this guy the off my team ASAP.
Really? Bynum has an on / off court difference for the Lakers in eFG% allowed of 47.6 vs. 48%, a difference of 0.4%. While this is an improvement, consider that his backups are Kwame Brown, Pau Gasol (on court when Bynum is hurt) and Turiaf, this is hardly anything to gloat over, and definitely not anywhere close to a very strong defensive player.
And since when has blocks and rebounds become the benchmark of a defensive player? Perhaps you are one of those who would vote a Marcus Camby in as the DPoY.
I didn't know Jackie Butler was that intimidating.
This year's bench (with ages when the playoffs start) - Finley(35), Vaughn(33), Horry(37), Barry(36), Bonner(28), [B]Stoudamire(34), Thomas(35), and Udoka(30).
Starting to look like mostly the "NBA old timers game" out there.
Seriously, the Spurs have a very good (old, experienced) bench and the Lakers have a very good (young, inexperienced) bench. Only the playoffs will tell how each bench does. Guessing how one or the other bench will do in the playoffs at this point is kind of silly.
Lets just hope both teams make it to and through the playoffs injury free/all healed up - I really think the Spurs and the Lakers are the best 2 teams right now and would be an interesting match up in the playoffs.
(Even as a die hard Lakers fan) I think the Spurs have the edge because of playoff experience (I also think that despite all the dissen', Dallas has a pretty good team too and are close behind the Spurs and Lakers at this point in time).
P.S. I don't think the Lakers will win the west in the playoffs this year (only because of inexperience, although I hope I'm wrong), but by next season (if they can stay relatively injury free) they will be scary good (and the window will begin to close on the Spurs because of age issues).
Dude has a scary face. So intimidating that Rick Adelman waived him before the season even started.
That rude. Since when did they start calling the spurs "none"
I like the Lakers bench, they look completely different from what they were last year. If they can keep their intensity up in the playoffs they are going to do some damage. Of course playoffs will be the time that will show if their bench is for real or not.
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