Best opponent to punk the Lakers in Round 1

[DeadlyDynasty]

Ahead of you in Gm 1 by 20 pts late 3rd qtr last year before PopaCement took Bruce Bowen off Kobme and ordered the Stand n Veg offense.

Then he stuck with 60% GNob until finally installing Barry in Gm 5. Barry lit it up and the Lakers were a bull non call on Derek Swisher from losing another game.

Lakers are very beatable. Eliminate Poppy vs Phil and I'd make it a tossup or even favor the Spurs roster.

As for the reg season wins, suck out at Boston by one point. I do give the Lakers much props for beating Boston, Cle, Hou and Spurs all together.

yeah and if Horry's 3 would've dropped in Game 5 of the 2003 WCSF then we would've closed you out in Game 6 and won #4 in a row...but guess what? it didn't happen. Enough of the woulda coulda shouldas. The history book reads LA 4, SA 1

[Xylus]

Probably a million more until you justify your response. LA has DOMINATED THE WEST THIS YEAR, and has lost only 1 home game all year to a WC team (NO)...please explain why you feel any of the other 7-8 teams in the west playoff race have a shot at knocking them off. Don't just come with conjecture and hypotheticals--what empirical evidence have you seen this year gives any indication that such an upset is possible (barring injury)?

Fair enough. I've stated since the beginning of the season that the Spurs are the most capable of taking the Lakers down. They might be the underdogs in that series, but they're a team that historically steps it up in the playoffs. Assuming Manu comes back and stays moderately healthy throughout the postseason, a Spurs-Lakers matchup will be a dogfight.

I think the Jazz have the ability to give LA trouble, as well. There's a team who isn't afraid of anyone. If they can somehow manage to steal a game on the road, that would be a tough matchup for the Lakers. They have a stacked lineup with strong players occupying positions in which the Lakers are weak (particularly PG and C).

I don't think the Suns would win a series against LA this year, but our team is such a strong offensive juggernaut that a team who doesn't play lockdown D (the Lakers, for example) would have a lot of trouble containing them.

The other teams in the West could have varying levels of success. Houston is strong enough defensively to cause problems, New Orleans has proven that they can win in LA, Portland is an extremely strong home team who would love nothing more than to upset a team like LA.

It won't be a breeze like you're suggesting.

[Spursfan092120]

Probably a million more until you justify your response. LA has DOMINATED THE WEST THIS YEAR, and has lost only 1 home game all year to a WC team (NO)...please explain why you feel any of the other 7-8 teams in the west playoff race have a shot at knocking them off. Don't just come with conjecture and hypotheticals--what empirical evidence have you seen this year gives any indication that such an upset is possible (barring injury)?

Yes..the Lakers are dominating...Yes..they are a great team. But the playoffs is a new season. They are definitely the favorites, but we've seen the favorites go down before (ie the Mavericks at 67-15). It can be done. Favorites? Yes. Unbeatable? No. You get a healthy Manu Ginobili on the Spurs, and anything is possible.

[DeadlyDynasty]

Fair enough. I've stated since the beginning of the season that the Spurs are the most capable of taking the Lakers down. They might be the underdogs in that series, but they're a team that historically steps it up in the playoffs. Assuming Manu comes back and stays moderately healthy throughout the postseason, a Spurs-Lakers matchup will be a dogfight.

I think the Jazz have the ability to give LA trouble, as well. There's a team who isn't afraid of anyone. If they can somehow manage to steal a game on the road, that would be a tough matchup for the Lakers. They have a stacked lineup with strong players occupying positions in which the Lakers are weak (particularly PG and C).

I don't think the Suns would win a series against LA this year, but our team is such a strong offensive juggernaut that a team who doesn't play lockdown D (the Lakers, for example) would have a lot of trouble containing them.

The other teams in the West could have varying levels of success. Houston is strong enough defensively to cause problems, New Orleans has proven that they can win in LA, Portland is an extremely strong home team who would love nothing more than to upset a team like LA.

It won't be a breeze like you're suggesting.

I'm not saying it'll be a breeze. The Spurs matchup terribly with the Lakers. Portland and Utah are talented and deep, but wildly inconsistent and downright embarrassing on the road. Plus, why does everyone overrate the Laker-Utah matchup as a "close battle." We gave them 2 of their only four losses at home last year, and the 2 games they won in the playoffs were in the last minute. This year, LA has handled them while Utah squeaked out another last-minute victory at home. Also, Carlos Boozer has his worst games against LA. New Orleans is scrappy, but they are too soft--no team with jumpshooting David West as their 2nd option will ever win. Houston has shown they can't handle us and Dallas is, well...Dallas. I agree, the Lakers will not have an easy path to the playoffs--but to suggest that one of those teams is going to beat LA 4/7 times is ludicrous right now

[DeadlyDynasty]

Yes..the Lakers are dominating...Yes..they are a great team. But the playoffs is a new season. They are definitely the favorites, but we've seen the favorites go down before (ie the Mavericks at 67-15). It can be done. Favorites? Yes. Unbeatable? No. You get a healthy Manu Ginobili on the Spurs, and anything is possible.

Of course, hard to argue there.

But would people please stop bringing up the goddamn 2007 Mavericks? It's apples and oranges. The Lakers don't have a "golden state" opponent--no one has shown they can be more than a minor pain in the ass to LA so far. Golden State was successful against them in the regular season and the playoffs. Plus, it WAS Dallas afterall

[dirk4mvp]

I wonder is this bandwagon stick still gonna talk all this when his team sucks again?

[dirk4mvp]

Rhetorical question, I know.

[DeadlyDynasty]

I wonder is this bandwagon stick still gonna talk all this when his team sucks again?

omg, how very ing original of you johnny

When my team sucks again? Two non-playoff years since 1975...GTFO

[DeadlyDynasty]

Rhetorical question, I know.

exactly, cause we pretty much never suck...Dallas, on the other hand is back to where their fans are used to them being: irrelevant.

[dirk4mvp]

omg, how very ing original of you johnny

When my team sucks again? Two non-playoff years since 1975...GTFO

The ole history card. How very ing original of you

It's quite easy to go back into suck mode, all it takes is another sissy fit from Kobe.

[DeadlyDynasty]

The ole history card. How very ing original of you

It's quite easy to go back into suck mode, all it takes is another sissy fit from Kobe.

14 rings, got

[DeadlyDynasty]

The ole history card. How very ing original of you

It's quite easy to go back into suck mode, all it takes is another sissy fit from Kobe.

we can go with recent history if you want: LA: 56-14 Dallas: 42-28
LA 3-0 vs. Dallas this season.

this is like fishing w/ dynamite

[dirk4mvp]

14 rings, got

Do you think Obama will be assassinated if he rides through Dallas in a drop top Lincoln?

[dirk4mvp]

we can go with recent history if you want: LA: 56-14 Dallas: 42-28
LA 3-0 vs. Dallas this season.

this is like fishing w/ dynamite

That has a lot to do with nothing.

[DeadlyDynasty]

Do you think Obama will be assassinated if he rides through Dallas in a drop top Lincoln?

only if there's a triangulation of fire like last time

[dirk4mvp]

only if there's a triangulation of fire like last time

Just throwing out a little history to even it out. I sure hope not, he's a pretty swell guy although his ncaa bracket blowed balls.

[TheMACHINE]

oh gawd...Dallas should just stay in 8th place so we can find out the outcome.

[DeadlyDynasty]

Just throwing out a little history to even it out. I sure hope not, he's a pretty swell guy although his ncaa bracket blowed balls.

probably not as bad as mine. I stupidly picked Washington as my Final Four sleeper pick. Still have 3/4 alive tho w/ Pitt, Louisville, and Syracuse. Have Pitt winning it all over Louisville. you Purdue

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

I wonder what injured player Sasha will guard this year in the playoffs and then all the Sasha lovers (aka in the closet s) will rave about how good his defense is on a player playing on one leg.

[ezau]

This might be premature, but there's no team in the West that can knock out the Lakers in the 1st round. However, any team can give the Lakers and that would pave the way for other teams to give the knockout blow in the succeeding rounds. I suppose the Suns can match up very well against LA and UTAH has all the tools to give the Lakers fits.

[monosylab1k]

you make a lot of lame nicknames.

rofl!

[BUMP]

i'm not even kidding when i say that i can easily see the Mavs win this series. when they are motivated they are an Elite team in this league and can beat anybody. It won't be an easy series but they can definitely do it.

the Spurs owned us forever and when we matched up against them a few years ago, nobody gave us a chance