Shaq and a legit 2 guard to Dallas.
Seems to me all the teams that can beat them are in the east.
1. Cavs, get Lebron a star sidekick?
2. Boston, get KG back?
3. Orlando, FT lessons.
...
Denver, a shrink? More time practicing inbound passes.
Perhaps Houston can be tweaked.
Who else can be upgraded to compete?
Spurs: a frontcourt
Mavs: a rabbit's foot
Suns: a clue
and a pg...that's the Lakers kryptonite right now (even though Fish came up clutch) Kidd is too old an unathletic to expose LA's biggest weakness
I actually think Dallas will be pretty good next year if Cuban buys Shaq.
Rockets can definitely be tweaked to get by the Lakers. Portland can beat the Lakers if they trade for LeBron or DWade.
Cavs are too flawed at the Big position and PG position to tweak...they need a roster blow up to beat the Lakers.
Orlando doesn't need any changes other than Jameer being healthy. But they're facing the FA of Turkoglu.
Boston has already lost the magic, getting KG back won't make a difference cuz they know they can't beat a younger, bigger Lakers team.
Mavericks always have potential, they just need the right moves to bring chemistry to the team.
Spurs need a Big man for Duncan and a big/long athletic 3.
Get Lebron 2 star sidekicks, so they can become a big 3.
the spurs will need dwight howard and kevin durant.
or maybe lebron and al jefferson.
hey maybe we can trade ime udoka for one of them like the lakers did.
Cavs: get taller guards and a legit post presence
Magic: a PF, move Rashard to SF, Hedo to SG, and keep Jameer at PG...a tough PF would make them insane IMO.
Celtics: Health, someone to replace Posey
Spurs: Health, a bench, and a legit bigman next to Duncan
Nuggets: not gonna happen...
Mavs: a C, PG, and SG
Houston: health (surprise, surprise)...I would love to see this Houston team fully healthy for at least one playoff run, I think they'd be insane.
Portland: get a PG and a C
Phoenix: who knows, but I'd love to see them back in the playoffs, they are entertaining.
not that much..you guys are really overrating the Lakers, this wasn't the 2001 Lakers, it was an inconsistent team that had weak compe ion..
Boston: health..they would have probably won the le this year had their best player been playing..
Orlando: health and experience..a healthy Jameer Nelson probably wins them this series..there's no way LA would be able to keep up with him, considering that their weakness is the PG position..
Cleveland: upgrade in the frontcourt, and/or a consistent guy that can help Lebron(a Vince Carter type)..
San Antonio: a big man next to Duncan, and some youth for role players..
Denver: a new coach is needed, but they still wouldn't win..they're way too dumb..
Portland: a PG and experience..that's it..they don't need a C, because they're C is the same as LA's..
Houston: health, although that might be impossible..they would have won that series if healthy..
I think Ariza and Bynum are only gonna get better over the next few years. Look how much Trevor improved in this year alone. Would also love to see shannon brown back and getting the start above Fish.
To the rest of the NBA:
If you want to beat L.A, don't play Jameer![]()
LA has the potential to be much better, but we'll have to see what happens with Odom/Ariza/Brown, and we'll see if Bynum can stay healthy..you have no argument from me about LA's potential..
health and that the lakers arent healthy. i guess im over simplifying it but thats about it
I don't think many teams have what it takes to displace him.
It would take something like LA giving up Gasol or Bynum and Ariza. Or Pho giving up Amare and Richardson. Or Spurs giving up Duncan and a good young player (about the only way it could be possible at all and I still doubt it). Maybe portland could put something together.
Hire more medical staff, as a lack of health to all other contenders (LeBrons may or may not count) is reasons 1, 2, and 3 for LA winning a championship this year.
Not only that, LA didn't play even one team that wasn't missing a major piece all postseason. Indeed, those fearing LA need only look at how much trouble their obviously lesser due to injuries, inexperienced compe ion gave them throughout the playoffs and observe how easily exposed their weaknesses are even by teams missing key players.
It is quite obvious to the NBA knowledgable how utterly unimpressive LA's run this postseason was, but not to the OP.
Last edited by z0sa; 06-12-2009 at 01:07 PM.
I also forgot to note, alot of this is academic as most teams won't do anything next season. For the most part, most teams are just going to ride it out to wait for the 2010 LeBron/Wade/Bosh/Amare/Dirk/Yao sweepstakes.
They're all waiting for summer 2010 to make the big moves.
There are only 3rd tier stars available this summer, guys like Boozer and Lamar Odom. Would you sign Boozer or Lamar and throw away your chance at Dwayne Wade?
Look at all those NBA team salaries with contracts ending in 2010 like it's armageddon or something. You can tell that NBA GM's have a serious hard-on for 2010.
Last edited by Allanon; 06-12-2009 at 01:14 PM.
Carmelo was clearly injured all series.
Nelson was missing for 4 months, barely making it back in time to ruin the fragile chemistry of the young, inexperienced Magic. Injuries helped your team out in every way imaginable this postseason.Who did the Magic miss?
A healthy Jameer having played all postseason would spell doom for LA. Instead, just the opposite happens. Any smart Lakerfan wanted Jameer returning for the Finals, regular season stats be damned.
A healthy KG in Boston, we all know Boston would have murdered the Lakers again.
A healthy Manu would have made way more noise out west.
A healthy Houston team would've had a great chance to beat LA.
But I digress. I don't care about what could have happened, enjoy your 2009* le. Just don't act like your run was impressive, there was ever any real contenders besides LA by the time the postseason began, or that Kobe achieved some sort of unmatchable greatness. In fact, Kobe's performance this postseason detracts from his legacy IMO.
Last edited by z0sa; 06-12-2009 at 01:36 PM.
carmelo was injured? according to who?
Injuries happen every year dip . We had them last year and we didn't win. This year we got relatively healthy at the right time and we won. Welcome to the world of sports. I'm sure you were shedding a tear when Ariza and Bynum were hurt last year right?
Spursfans like you give the rest a bad name. You make excuses and rationalize no matter what happens. Grow a sack and take your L like a man.
"Ginobili's bald spot (favorite team: LA)" calling me a dip . yo, every one thinks you're a mentally challenged bandwagoning hater before they read a single post.
Ariza and Bynum don't even belong in the same sentence as KG or Manu or Yao/TMac/Mutombo or Carmelo Anthony, Jameer Nelson even.We had them last year and we didn't win.
More like every other contender got relatively unhealthy.This year we got relatively healthy at the right time and we won.
Indeed, this wide world of sports shall remember 2009 as the Year of Injuries to Every Contender, or the Year of the Easiest Playoff Road of All-Time.Welcome to the world of sports.
I was shedding "tears" over Manu, I could give a about your no namers.I'm sure you were shedding a tear when Ariza and Bynum were hurt last year right?
Spurfan has always and will always be >>> Lakerfan in terms of knowledge of the game, lack of bandwagon riders and overall common decency.Spursfans like you give the rest a bad name.
So just because you cannot accept my opinion - that your le means absolutely nothing - I'm making excuses. You just know what I'm saying is true. Every NBA fan knows it.You make excuses and rationalize no matter what happens.
The Spurs haven't been playing for some time now. I owed my 'mffl' buddy a case of brew for that loss. So in a way, you could say I took your advice some 6 weeks before you gave me it.Grow a sack and take your L like a man.
Last edited by z0sa; 06-12-2009 at 02:25 PM.
Boston: A little luck
Spurs: A fountain of youth
Mavericks: A backbone and a new fanbase
Suns: A new owner
Denver: A Frontcourt
Cleveland: An actual "supporting cast"
Detroit: Chauncey Billups
So the Lakers didnt win last year because of injuries?!!!!
Who was injured? Bynum?!!!
The dude who's averaging 6.0 points and 4.3 rebounds in the finals?
The dude whos averaging 6.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in the playoffs?
The dude who the announcers joke "makes the Lakers better when he subs out"?
Kwame Brown 2.0?
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