The Thunder are completely raping the Lakers. They are outhustling and outshooting LA. However, I think part of that has to do with the home cookin the Thunder is getting. It is hard for the Lakers to be aggressive cause the refs are relentless with the whistles over every tiny bit of contact. I want the Thunder to obliterate the Lakers, but I hate when the refs make everything so one sided.
That being said, Artest cant make a shot and Kobe isnt even trying to shoot. On defense, they are leaving Durant wide open quite often and Westbrook is just completely breaking down whatever D the Lakers are trying to muster.
son you are correct. when the refs swtich to the lakers when they are home this forum will explode. then when it switches back in game 6 people will call it fair and post LMAO threads. when its game 7 and its back to favoring the lakers people will explode again
Maybe this is Sterns way of telling Phil, the Mavs and Phx to shut up. Cry about the officials and prepare to go fishing. This way Stern doesn't have to fine or suspend anyone, but still gets the same effect.
Lakers have edge in frustration, age and size. That is it right now. I dont know if okc can win in la but there ozzing confidence rite about now.
the Artest trade is looking like a mistake at this point. he's playing Durant well, but it think Ariza could've done that, while hitting a higher %.
it wasnt really a trade, they switched teams via free agency. but it might as well have been a trade
the Lakers won the Championship with Ariza and had chemistry...they should have just paid him and kept the chemistry.
You still don't get it, mingus: It was Odom & Artest, OR Ariza. Buss made the correct choice.
& they'd a lost Odom & Artest.
Ariza was no great shakes this season. He was aimless.
The real mistake was locking up money in Walton and Vujacic, if not for them they coulda resigned Ariza and signed Artest.
Atleast they Artest for five years. He is a young man, he will develop.
Ariza was no better than Walton & Vuj this season.
Lars, yer sitting in the loser's field right now. You've no room, sonny.
Yeah but in the right role he was key, you know this. An Ariza Artest combo woulda been perfect at SF.
Nonsense. They went after Artest because he was linked to Odom. They gave Odom Artest instead of more money.
But, then they lose Odom & Artest and have only Ariza. Ariza helped the Rockets to not make the playoffs.
The speed of the Thunder is beating the size of LA.
But seriously, LA isn't suddenly a much better team with Ariza instead of Artest. Their problems go beyond which role player is better.
Walton almost breaks his back and his team mates just sit and yawn.
That's not what im saying. If they didn't have so much money locked up in Vaj and Walton, they would have been able to keep Ariza AND sign Artest, enabling them to keep odom.
Ariza's agent ed them over..either way, I was extremely happy when Artest replaced him, and I still am..Artest may be a better player, but he makes the Lakers slow and kills their athleticism..
TBH though, Ariza shooting 47% from 3s in the playoffs was a massive anomaly and they probably couldn't have replaced that with any available "defensive stopper"..Artest could be shooting a lot better though, he kills their spacing..
As for the calls, I agree OKC got the home-biased benefit of the calls, but people need to understand that the Lakers get a ton of calls just by the officials allowing Artest to defend the way he does..he literally hugs and handchecks his defender on every play and gets away with most of it..if you take that away from him, he's an above average/average defender IMO..
The Lakers obviously have major problems either way though..no spacing/shooting, Kobe looks vulnerable, no bench at all, poor PG play..
Their problems may be micro (OKC), or, they may be macro. We'll have to advance to prove the query. I honestly think it's OKC. We'd have the same problems with Denver. We need to advance and get to Utah & San Antoinio is that order.
We'll for Christ's sakes, Duncan, that's a 2-3 years hindsight.
Well yeah, but this entire thread is hindsight
Lakaluva'S thoughts here :
http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthre...=150658&page=4
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