Burns: Western Conference Rankings (SI.com)

[wisnub]

40 points in Finals

[tmtcsc]

the Lakers are clearly the best team in the West going into the season..they were the best last year and they add Bynum..there's no way they aren't #1..like The Game said, Josh Powell almost replaces Turiaf..regardless, Turiaf wasn't going to get big minutes with Bynum returning anyways..

The Lakers are clearly the best team in the West ? They still have only 2 players on their entire roster with Rings.


Last year the Lakers, Spurs and Hornets finished with identical records or pretty damn close.

The Hornets picked up Posey which was a nice move and the Lakers lost Turiaf and resigned Sasha. They will have to hope Bynum improves quickly from his injury and gets back on track to getting better as a player.

The Spurs dropped or lost 2 of their oldest players, signed a solid, young FA in Mason and retained 2 key vets in Finley and Thomas. They will also be adding a young big to the rotation with Mahinmi. I'm not sure if he's good enough or ready just yet, but he'll be a young body to throw out on the floor.

[Sean Cagney]

Yes they are better than your sorry spurs fat

And we are and obviously have better for years than your sorry azz damn Suns you fukkin idiot.... Why do you continue to talk trash to Spurs fans as if your team has been a battle for ours or beat us? Your team is trash, get over it Shaq killed it.......

[lefty]

WTF????

Hornets will be better than Lakers next season:

- good experience from last year' series vs Spurs

- added Posey

[Kai]

WTF????

Hornets will be better than Lakers next season:

- good experience from last year' series vs Spurs

- added Posey

The Lakers are still young, most of their team besides Kobe, Odom and maybe 1 or two others had never even been out of the first round. They have gained just as much experience as the Hornets. Wait, nevermind. They've gained more thanks to you guys beating them in the 3rd round while the Lakers cruised to the finals.

Also, they've added Bynum.
Bynum >>> Posey

[rj215]

Burns needs to put the crack pipe down. No way the Jazz are better than the Spurs. Boozer suuuuuucks. He's lucky he has D. Will to carry his sorry ass.

[m33p0]

To their aging core the Spurs...

There's that word again.

[The_Game]

What do you mean what did the Spurs do ? We got younger and we added a solid FA in Mason to help the scoring from the bench and to help Manu get some extra rest.

Parker / Hill / Vaughn
Manu / Mason / Finley
Bowen / Udoka / That dude from Summer League
K. Thomas / Oberto / Mhinmi
Tim Duncan / Bonner


As long as Duncan, Parker and Manu are healthy, we'll compete for the le.
We added some nice pieces and I'm sure we'll be solid again.

The Lakers were exposed as the buch of cupcakes they really are (except for Kobe).


We also retained Kurt Thomas who will be a better contributor with a full season under his belt.

What did the Lakers do ? Yes, Bynum will be back but we still don't know how fast he'll get his game together. WE LOST BECAUSE MANU WAS INJURED. That's it. The Lakers are trash and the Celtics proved that. The most impressive series the Lakers won was against the Jazz. We weren't nearly good enough to overcome having our leading scorer not be able to play his best. Bynum would have helped but his new found fame and hype is silly. He's still a big, young dude with lots of upside.

just because we got younger doesn't mean we added anything decent. Mason is not an impact player at all...wow getting 9 points per game on a trash team..big freaking deal. the guy is a bum.

the manu excuse is a load of bull, seems people like you were fine when we beat the suns when amare got suspended..guess that didn't matter yet this manu injury does. you can't blame injury, thats manu's style...he is never going to be healthly and the fact the lakers were without bynum and ariza against us means you can't use the injury excuse at all.

lakers aren't trash they are the best team in the west PERIOD...and may well win the le this year with more experience under their belt and a healthly bynum and ariza.

[tmtcsc]

just because we got younger doesn't mean we added anything decent. Mason is not an impact player at all...wow getting 9 points per game on a trash team..big freaking deal. the guy is a bum.

the manu excuse is a load of bull, seems people like you were fine when we beat the suns when amare got suspended..guess that didn't matter yet this manu injury does. you can't blame injury, thats manu's style...he is never going to be healthly and the fact the lakers were without bynum and ariza against us means you can't use the injury excuse at all.

lakers aren't trash they are the best team in the west PERIOD...and may well win the le this year with more experience under their belt and a healthly bynum and ariza.

Stop saying "we" you silly Faker fan. Your team sux ass and is finished. I can't believe I'm even replying to your crap at this point. Someone fix this joker's Fav. Team and avatar please. Damn, I feel like a rookie for even trying to enter into a discussion with you.

Go play on Lakersground and GTFOOH. Your Fakers suck and got humiliated. Mason will be a solid addition to this team that can make shots and defend. His addition will help preserve Manu's minutes. Damn, I can't wait until a healthy Manu slaps your sorry team around.

Gasol is soft as tissue and Odom is a mental midget. The Spurs will be back but it wont be the Lakers weak challenging us, it'll come from a real team like the Hornets. Bynum....that's funny. We own Phoenix too, or did you miss that ? Amare or no Amare.

[The_Game]

Stop saying "we" you silly Faker fan. Your team sux ass and is finished. I can't believe I'm even replying to your crap at this point. Someone fix this joker's Fav. Team and avatar please. Damn, I feel like a rookie for even trying to enter into a discussion with you.

Go play on Lakersground and GTFOOH. Your Fakers suck and got humiliated. Mason will be a solid addition to this team that can make shots and defend. His addition will help preserve Manu's minutes. Damn, I can't wait until a healthy Manu slaps your sorry team around.

Gasol is soft as tissue and Odom is a mental midget. The Spurs will be back but it wont be the Lakers weak challenging us, it'll come from a real team like the Hornets. Bynum....that's funny. We own Phoenix too, or did you miss that ? Amare or no Amare.

How old are you? 10? seriously your lack of basketball knowledge is funny. You can't debate so you use the childish "lakers suck" Gasol is soft" blah blah blah...infact I'm sure you would say this crap about any team that you know are clearly better than the Spurs.

stop posting on the internet unless you actually learn how to talk basketball...right now you are in denial and come off as very clueless..which you are.

[tmtcsc]

You're a clueless little child. Who else would claim to be a Spurs fan by saying "we" all the while posting negative garbage and weak takes as a true Faker fan?

Your basketball knowledge is limited to the same homerism you have accused others of. Don't give me your " I almost made it to the Final 8 in NCAA" crap and lies either. You are a Laker fraud. And yes, I kept it simple so you could understand. Spurs GOOD, lakers BAD.

The Lakers beat us with their geritol, legend team in 04, fair and square and without a question of who wanted it more. Fisher's shot was not the reason the Spurs lost.

This past year, we had a team IF HEALTHY (Don't even mention the Bynum BS again. Its not even close to Ginobili's injuries that rendered him ineffective. The Lakers made up for Bynum's loss with Gasol.) that should have represented the West.

Dallas' team in '06 was much more of a concern than this Lakers wannabe squad. The Lakers are a 1 man show..still. Odom, Gasol or Bynum won't change that. The Lakers deserved to be embarassed like they were by the Celtics.

You either win it all or you don't. It's first place and everyone else. So, if you want to take something good from your Laker's getting busted in the mouth, go ahead. But you won't beat the Spurs again with a healthy Manu.

Mason is not an impact player at all...wow getting 9 points per game on a trash team..big freaking deal. the guy is a bum.

That's some real basketball knowledge you gave us. Player A scores 9 points a game off the bench for a trash team, there for he is a bum. You need to learn the game before you come in here with your weak bull .

[spursfan09]

The Jazz and Rockets are not better.

Once again to the same people pronouncing the Rockets great.

Two words


Tracy

McGrady.

Yeah exactly and what about Yao also. Since when has been so healthy to play a whole season?

I guess these rankings are based on what looks good on paper, and not what teams have done in the pass.

[coachmac87]

You're a clueless little child. Who else would claim to be a Spurs fan by saying "we" all the while posting negative garbage and weak takes as a true Faker fan?

Your basketball knowledge is limited to the same homerism you have accused others of. Don't give me your " I almost made it to the Final 8 in NCAA" crap and lies either. You are a Laker fraud. And yes, I kept it simple so you could understand. Spurs GOOD, lakers BAD.

The Lakers beat us with their geritol, legend team in 04, fair and square and without a question of who wanted it more. Fisher's shot was not the reason the Spurs lost.

This past year, we had a team IF HEALTHY (Don't even mention the Bynum BS again. Its not even close to Ginobili's injuries that rendered him ineffective. The Lakers made up for Bynum's loss with Gasol.) that should have represented the West.

Dallas' team in '06 was much more of a concern than this Lakers wannabe squad. The Lakers are a 1 man show..still. Odom, Gasol or Bynum won't change that. The Lakers deserved to be embarassed like they were by the Celtics.

You either win it all or you don't. It's first place and everyone else. So, if you want to take something good from your Laker's getting busted in the mouth, go ahead. But you won't beat the Spurs again with a healthy Manu.

Mason is not an impact player at all...wow getting 9 points per game on a trash team..big freaking deal. the guy is a bum.

That's some real basketball knowledge you gave us. Player A scores 9 points a game off the bench for a trash team, there for he is a bum. You need to learn the game before you come in here with your weak bull .

i have a little problem with you saying the spurs didnt lose that series because of fishers shot.....Didnt we make an awesome comeback to top it off with what would have been one of the best playoff shots ever(duncan over shaq) if fish didnt make his. Seriously, how can any team bounce back after something like that? Especially when you have to go back to LA and deal with the BS there....

[tmtcsc]

i have a little problem with you saying the spurs didnt lose that series because of fishers shot.....Didnt we make an awesome comeback to top it off with what would have been one of the best playoff shots ever(duncan over shaq) if fish didnt make his. Seriously, how can any team bounce back after something like that? Especially when you have to go back to LA and deal with the BS there....

Sadly, Game 5 did end with one of the greatest playoff shots ever.
You made 2 points that reinforce the way I feel.

Point 1:We were at home in game 5, after losing 2 consecutive games to LA and got in to a deep hole. We should have never been in a position to have to come back. We came out unfocused and with little energy. Once the Spurs decided to play, it was too late. Tim made a great shot but Fisher should have never even gotten the ball.

Point 2: We still could have responded like a Champion and won 1 road game against them in Game 6. Instead, we didn't bring it. After proving we had what it took to beat them, we rolled up into a ball when they hit us back in the mouth and laid down.

Sorry, I just don't agree with that particular team being Championship worthy.

Last year, it was just the opposite. The best team in the West besides the Spurs may have been the Hornets. The represented a much a more difficult match-up problem than the Lakers. My point is, if we play the Lakers in round 2, we win and then we probably suc b to the Hornets in the Finals.
Manu gave everything he had and was done after game 3 of the WCF.

He has become a huge part of what we do and was our leading scorer. Because he tried to compete so hard and do what he can, he forced things on the court which resulted in bad turnovers and sloppy play.

I don't harbor any bad feelings toward him. He gave everything he had.

[screw_ston713]

Yeah exactly and what about Yao also. Since when has been so healthy to play a whole season?

I guess these rankings are based on what looks good on paper, and not what teams have done in the pass.

Last year with Yao not even with the team for majority of the 2nd half of the season the Rockets in one of the toughest years in the west, won 55 games. Spurs fans are really over sensitive. Everyone has their own predictions of how the west will stack up.

[screw_ston713]

So much Homerism. The predictions are for how teams will finish in the regular season. They are not including playoffs. Spurs bringing back basically the same squad from last year while adding some minor additions. Everyone see the compe ion getting more tough except the spurs fans. Sit up in this lil forum in denial with all ya homerism blinding your eyes.

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

It's a Spurs forum, what do you expect?

If you want people to drool over the injury prone rockets, then head to a Rockets board

[Bartleby]

Funny thing is most of the posts from Spurs fans in this thread agree with where the Spurs are on this list, and several say they should be lower!

Houston fan needs to get over his own insecurities about his team.

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

Funny thing is most of the posts from Spurs fans in this thread agree with where the Spurs are on this list, and several say they should be lower!

Houston fan needs to get over his own insecurities about his team.

Seriously, they just need to accept their team is nothing but first round fodder. Trust me, it is much easier when you accept that fact

I don't even expect the Nuggets to make the playoffs this season AND that means i won't be ticked if they miss out

[screw_ston713]

Every analyst, every beat writer etc in their rankings, rank the Rockets above Spurs. To say the Rockets by adding artest to a consistant 50 win ball club with injuries and all dosnt move them up the pecking order is hate.

[screw_ston713]

i see threads popping up every day with spurs fans just excited to sign anybody who can dribble the ball. Lame

[screw_ston713]

How many 1st rounds did Boston win prior to winning it all after getting kg and allen???

[screw_ston713]

How many 1st rounds did K.G win in his entire career before going to Boston???? Once.... all that 1st round exit garbage means nothing

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

screw_ston really loves this thread.

[screw_ston713]

People want to knock tracy and Yao for doing what few stars can do which is take a team of nbdl quality players to the playoffs. Take your pick Luther Head, Chuck Hayes, Mutombo, Mike Harris, Rafer Alston, Steve Novak, Take your pick. This is the last squad any star would want to play with.