2009-10 preview: Lakers vs. rest of West's best

[bostonguy]

is there a reason. they made it to the WCF last year and had a good chacne to win. it's virtually the same team with even more upside now.

They are a team who base their play off of emotion. When adversity hits, they crumble. George Karl being their head coach doesn't help those matters. Melo is a damn good player but he isn't a leader. They also lost Klieza/Jones and didn't really improve their team all that much after losing those 2. They made it to the WCF due to playing 2 non-athletic teams in New Orleans and Dallas. They competed well with LA until game 6 when they got waxed by 27 points on their home floor. Unless they get a new coach and smarter players, they aren't winning anything.

[xellos88330]

They lost 4-2, ming. They never put it all out there because they were afraid of coming up short, so they short stroked it, came up the requisite light and ipso facto could then live with it. That was their strategy. Puny & weak. Sacramento did the same thing earlier this decade. It's the human condition at it's basest point. & both times Jackson took 'em to the corn field.

2 of the Lakers wins were decided by 2 or less possessions. It is a lot closer than the series numbers. It could have easily been 4-2 the other way if the Nuggets hit 1 more shot in game 1 and 2 shots in game 3.

[Culburn369]

They are a team who base their play off of emotion. When adversity hits, they crumble. George Karl being their head coach doesn't help those matters.

Word.

[Culburn369]

2 of the Lakers wins were decided by 2 or less possessions. It is a lot closer than the series numbers. It could have easily been 4-2 the other way if the Nuggets hit 1 more shot in game 1 and 2 shots in game 3.

That's the luxury of a postmortem of a series, x.

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

Also lol at Artest beign the best defensive wingman in the NBA.

+1

Wasn't even the best defensive wing on his team last year.

[bostonguy]

2 of the Lakers wins were decided by 2 or less possessions. It is a lot closer than the series numbers. It could have easily been 4-2 the other way if the Nuggets hit 1 more shot in game 1 and 2 shots in game 3.

It sure "could have" been the other way around but it wasn't. Nuggets being a team that folds under pressure is a huge reason for that. Game 6 was more than enough proof that the Nuggets were good enough to compete but not beat the Lakers in a 7 game series.

[Culburn369]

+1

Wasn't even the best defensive wing on his team last year.

Perhaps, but, you couldn't get a soul (including us Lakers people) to cite that until he went to L.A..

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

2 of the Lakers wins were decided by 2 or less possessions. It is a lot closer than the series numbers. It could have easily been 4-2 the other way if the Nuggets hit 1 more shot in game 1 and 2 shots in game 3.

Shoulda woulda coulda.

The Lakers also got better over the offseason, Denver made the mistake so many teams make by remaining content with their team. Denver's ceiling is a 4-5 seed 2nd round exit this year.

[Spursmania]

if J.R. Smith shows more maturity and improvement this season like he did last season, Denver can take it all. the media has it so that SA and LA are a notch above the rest, but Denver is right there with them this year.

Meh...

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

Perhaps, but, you couldn't get a soul (including us Lakers people) to cite that until he went to L.A..

It was pretty clear to me. If he was the best defensive wing in the NBA, he would have been guarding Kobe, not Battier.

[Culburn369]

It was pretty clear to me. If he was the best defensive wing in the NBA, he would have been guarding Kobe, not Battier.

That's my point. If you genuinely held that opinion/belief you'd a cited it. If you did, then go get it.

Otherwise, yer just shinin' my shoes, squirt.