LMAO Lakers

[TheMACHINE]

ima go on lakersground and use the "Own Kobe" line and probably get banned. lol

[badfish22]

Coach takes a jab at power forward

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- In the Lakers' last two losses, a three-point overtime loss in Miami on Thursday and a five-point loss in Dallas 10 days ago, production from Los Angeles' three-time All-Star Pau Gasol was con uously absent.

Gasol, who is averaging 17.0 points and 11.1 rebounds this season, averaged 10.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in the two losses while playing his normal amount of minutes (33.5 minutes in the two games as opposed to his season average of 36.6).

"I really don't like to talk about that aspect of a person's game ... other than the fact that he's been weak and sickly," coach Phil Jackson said before the Lakers played the Bobcats on Friday, setting up the delivery of the jab with a pregnant pause.

When asked to clarify, Jackson said that Gasol has been feeling "under the weather" and he will have to monitor his 7-foot power forward's playing time.

"I'll start to work the bench a little more and see if I can't spell some minutes for these guys," Jackson said.

After Thursday's loss, Jackson reserved judgment on Gasol, simply saying, "He just had a tough night tonight." Gasol, while stretching out on the Time Warner Cable Arena court before the game, acknowledged that he has been affected by a cold.

When informed about Jackson's comments, Gasol frowned and said, "That's funny.



Is this an issue?

[TheMACHINE]

itll be an issue if Pau gasol doesnt stop playing like an oversized vagina

[TheMACHINE]

John Ireland was saying on the radio today that Kobe showed up the arena to practice jumpers at 3:00. He was surprised that after the loss to Miami, more players, especially the younger ones, didn't show up.

[picc84]

Yes he does. Lakers are CLEARLY the most talented team.

Kobe/Pau/Artest/Bynum/Odom = Stacked

guys keep saying this, as if repeating it over and over makes it true. i guess once you get name recognition, thats all some fans need.

and nevermind the rest of the ty players, what does depth matter anyway?

[DPG21920]

You are a quite the ridiculous person if you are being serious when you try and argue the Lakers are not stacked.

Everyone in the basketball world says it, but I guess Picc84 from SpursTalk knows best.

[Muser]

A cold? Weak excuse.

[picc84]

Well, ideally Farmar is better with the second unit. He seems to play well with Bynum and Shannon Brown. But Phil Jackson in this day, age and his lifetime will never start a younger player over two veterans (Fish and Farmar). I know I have severely criticized Kobe but I have also been neutral sometimes, give credit where its due, but right now I think Kobe is having a negative impact in his team. While his game winner against Memphis and great shooting game in Miami was a joy to watch from an entertainment aspect, the Lakers as a whole suffers when Kobe plays too much ISO. The offense is dry, the players loses rhythm watching Kobe dribble and shoot. By the time Kobe starts playing the role of a facilitator, they are cold and stagnant.

Farmar is actually better with the first unit. He together with Kobe, Artest, Odom, and Gasol represents our best statistical unit by a wide margin, both offensively and defensively. Unfortunately, Jackson doesn't play this unit because he's a stubborn arrogant prick.

Ive always said this but I know im going to get flamed, but the Lakers will be unbeatable and may very well replicate the Lakers 2001 NBA Playoff record of 15-1 if Kobe makes a huge adjustment and sacrifice scoring opportunities. Kobe at around 18 FGA/ 24 ppg, 7 Apg while exerting much more energy on defense would make this Laker team the run away NBA champion for this year and next.

He shot 21 times last night. And only that because things were getting out of hand. No one else showed up. Its not always Kobe's fault.

[ElNono]

Zen master starting with the subtle jabs... next up: Writing a book about Gasoft being a vajeje

[picc84]

You are a quite the ridiculous person if you are being serious when you try and argue the Lakers are not stacked.

Everyone in the basketball world says it, but I guess Picc84 from SpursTalk knows best.

I didnt say they aren't stacked. I said they arent the MOST stacked/talented team in the league. Which is true. Because having a recognized name is a great way to become overrated. DPG2920 knows this well, it seems.

Now shout "Bynum/Gasol/Odom/Artest/Kobe" again like it proves anything.

[DPG21920]

Farmar is actually better with the first unit. He together with Kobe, Artest, Odom, and Gasol represents our best statistical unit by a wide margin, both offensively and defensively. Unfortunately, Jackson doesn't play this unit because he's a stubborn arrogant prick.





He shot 21 times last night. And only that because things were getting out of hand. No one else showed up. Its not always Kobe's fault.

I remember Laker fan ripping me a new one when I said Farmar > Brown at pg.

[SierraHotel]

Isn't it ironic that Charlotte drafted Kobe, and they still own him?

Kobe was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets>New Orleans Hornets. Did you see Farmar try to blame Pau after the first half ended. Farmar= head.

[picc84]

I remember Laker fan ripping me a new one when I said Farmar > Brown at pg.

On any given night either of them is better than the other. What maintains is that they both play much better than Fisher 99% of the time, but both play much less minutes than Fisher 99% of the time.

[DPG21920]

I didnt say they aren't stacked. I said they arent the MOST stacked/talented team in the league. Which is true. Because having a recognized name is a great way to become overrated. DPG2920 knows this well, it seems.

Yeah, it is not the widespread consensus amongst the basketball pundits that the Lakers have the most talented team.

They are the most stacked team which is why they have the second best record in the league despite dealing with some injuries in the toughest conference.

What kind of logic are you using? Having a recognized name is a great way to become overrated? Other teams don't have recognizable names? How come they aren't overrated?

[DPG21920]

On any given night either of them is better than the other. What maintains is that they both play much better than Fisher 99% of the time, but both play much less minutes than Fisher 99% of the time.

I still maintain the Farmar is the better point guard and player. Brown on any given night might be a better fit in that system, but overall, he is not the player Farmar is.

[picc84]

Yeah, it is not the widespread consensus amongst the basketball pundits that the Lakers have the most talented team.

Maybe it was at the beginning of the season. Trades have happened. Players have regressed and others have gotten better. Things have changed. If you find anyone parroting that nonsense now, its out of habit and because LA is the defending champions, which is what most people reference when they say LA is the team to beat, not their clearly superior cast of talent.

They are the most stacked team which is why they have the second best record in the league despite dealing with some injuries in the toughest conference.

Who hasn't dealt with injuries?

What kind of logic are you using? Having a recognized name is a great way to become overrated? Other teams don't have recognizable names? How come they aren't overrated?

Yes, names can make you overrated. Its why you parrot names of LA players when they really aren't as good as you think they are. Other teams have similar talent, more toughness, and more depth. The LA is clearly best argument is old and tired.

[DPG21920]

Maybe it was at the beginning of the season. Trades have happened. Players have regressed and others have gotten better. Things have changed. If you find anyone parroting that nonsense now, its out of habit and because LA is the defending champions, which is what most people reference when they say LA is the team to beat, not their clearly superior cast of talent.

No, they say that because not only is LA the defending champ, but they are still coasting to the second best record in the league. If they weren't stacked and clearly the best team, no one would risk looking like idiots throwing themselves all over the Lakers. They have a superior cast any way you slice it.

Who would you say has a better cast?

Who hasn't dealt with injuries?

Yes, but who else has dealt with injuries and is still able to coast to the best record in the most difficult conference?

Yes, names can make you overrated. Its why you parrot names of LA players when they really aren't as good as you think they are. Other teams have similar talent and more depth. The LA is clearly best argument is old and tired.

So why aren't these other teams with the same type of recognizable names overrated?

[picc84]

I still maintain the Farmar is the better point guard and player. Brown on any given night might be a better fit in that system, but overall, he is not the player Farmar is.

Farmar is certainly the more offensively talented player, that goes without question.

But like our other argument in this thread, having more offensive talent than someone else does not necessarily mean you are a better basketball player.

[JoeTait75]

Are the Lakers clearly the best team in the league? Really?

I mean, Kobe is obviously a transcendent player, an all-time great. Pau is an elite-level player at his position, even if he has been a little up-and-down this year.

But Artest's best years are behind him. Bynum is an enigma. And at this point I don't think Fisher is even an average player at his position.

And the L.A. bench isn't even in the same zip code as Dallas's, or Cleveland's or Orlando's, to name a few.

They're a good team, they're the defending Champion and they deserve respect for that. But I am far from convinced they're on a different level than everyone else. They have their flaws, to be sure.

Also, why is it that when the Lakers get beat, when they have stretches in which they play bad basketball, they're "coasting?" Like they can just turn it on at will? I don't buy that at all.

[picc84]

No, they say that because not only is LA the defending champ, but they are still coasting to the second best record in the league.

By the skin of their teeth. If not for luck and Kobe heroics, we could easily be the 3 seed right now.

Who would you say has a better cast?

Dallas, Cleveland, Orlando, Denver, all of them have SIMILAR talent, complimented by better depth 1-12 and more toughness. Things very much relevant to how "stacked" a team is.

So why aren't these other teams with the same type of recognizable names overrated?

Winning a championship does that. Its why James Posey got that huge contract with New Orleans and hasn't lived up it. Its why Trevor Ariza got that huge contract with Houston and is now getting death threats from Rockets fans. Its why Andrew Bynum was praised after the le last year when he averaged 6 points and almost as many fouls as rebounds per game in the playoffs.

[DPG21920]

They certainly have their flaws, but their problems are ones that every other team would love to have. That does not change the fact they have the most talent where it matters and that is in their short rotations. In the playoffs, benches are somewhat limited.

Name another team that has more talent. The Cavs are the only team that you can argue is better and it is not because of talent, it is because of chemistry.

Coasting, at least how I am using it, refers not to them turning it "on or off". It refers to them having some problems, yet easily leading the best conference in basketball.

[picc84]

Are the Lakers clearly the best team in the league? Really?

I mean, Kobe is obviously a transcendent player, an all-time great. Pau is an elite-level player at his position, even if he has been a little up-and-down this year.

But Artest's best years are behind him. Bynum is an enigma. And at this point I don't think Fisher is even an average player at his position.

And the L.A. bench isn't even in the same zip code as Dallas's, or Cleveland's or Orlando's, to name a few.

They're a good team, they're the defending Champion and they deserve respect for that. But I am far from convinced they're on a different level than everyone else. They have their flaws, to be sure.

Also, why is it that when the Lakers get beat, when they have stretches in which they play bad basketball, they're "coasting?" Like they can just turn it on at will? I don't buy that at all.

GodDAMNIT why can a Cavs fan comprehend this but not a Spurs fan?

[JoeTait75]

Coasting, at least how I am using it, refers not to them turning it "on or off". It refers to them having some problems, yet easily leading the best conference in basketball.

Playing in the "best conference" is mitigated by the ridiculous amount of home games they've played AND the fact that Kobe has bailed them out in a ton of close games. If anything, L.A.'s schedule has been pretty damned friendly up until fairly recently.

[DPG21920]

Playing in the "best conference" is mitigated by the ridiculous amount of home games they've played AND the fact that Kobe has bailed them out in a ton of close games. If anything, L.A.'s schedule has been pretty damned friendly up until fairly recently.

Uh no. So if they end up winning the conference, again, what will you say? They still play against better compe ion than the Cavs.

Lebron has not bailed the Cavs out of 25 point holes all year?

[DPG21920]

Who cares about the bench? Spurs have the best bench in the league and where does that get them? The bench comes into play but it is about the best 8 players on the team.

Who cares if Artest's best days are behind him and if Bynum is an enigma? Shaq's best days aren't behind him? Big Z's? Jamison's? Mo William's?

Bynum is still young and talented and tall and Artest (even though I don't like him) still helps that team.

I would be willing to bet if you swapped out Bynum/Pau/Artest/Odom with Anderson/Shaq/Jamison/West the Cavs would certainly be upgraded in talent.