Reply With QuoteOkie dokie smokey...we'll see.
The Lakers are now better, but they still won’t beat the Spurs.
Ok, this sounds like a total Spurs-homer take, but before you jump on me for this viewpoint, hear the Chopper out.
The Lakers have upgraded the marquee of their roster tremendously with the additions of future hall-of-famers Gary Payton and Karl Malone.
You can’t argue with that.
But have they done enough to beat the Spurs?
I say no, and here’s why:
1.* * * * Tony Parker will continue to get better. He bested Gary Payton two years ago when he was a rookie in the playoffs against Seattle. Since then, Tony has earned a championship ring, and gained two valuable years of NBA experience, and is a mature 21. Tony’s speed kills the Lakers, and I think a 35 year-old Glove is going to be hard-pressed to match up with a now-veteran, 21-year-old Tony Parker. Usually, a quality NBA player begins to mature in his third season. Tony will be no exception. I think you’ll see a Tony Parker who plays better, and with more focus than ever.
2. * * * * The Lakers have not signed the answer to Tim Duncan. Tim found his groove going up strong against Shaq in this year’s playoffs. Shaq couldn’t stop Tim, and we all know that Karl Malone is Tim’s b!tch. A healthy Shaq might do better against Tim, but I’m not going to bet the farm on Shaq getting THAT much healthier this off-season. Malik Rose, too, always plays well against both Karl Malone and Shaq, and that won’t change. In a seven game series I’d take Duncan/Rose/Willis/Brown over Shaq/Malone.
3.* * * * Manu Ginobili. He’s the X-factor. The Lakers had no one who could match his energy in the playoffs this past season. Bruce Bowen wears Kobe out during a game, leaving Kobe with nothing left in the tank to match Ginobili’s activity late in a contest. Kobe getting less touches won’t help either, as I believe Kobe heats up late in games because he is allowed to take every shot. The new-look Lakers won’t afford Kobe as many looks as in the past, which could potentially cause him to go cold – shooters have to have the ball in their hands. Bowen will continue to blanket Kobe, but who will cover Manu?
4. * * * * The Lakers moves have been made. They’ll do some tweaking, but I don’t anticipate any more significant changes. The Spurs can look at the Lakers lineup, and add players to reinforce their weaknesses as they see fit. The Spurs even have the option of waiting to make a move after the season begins. They can add a player or two now, evaluate their how the team is coming together, and pull the trigger on another deal after the season begins. Pop has always successfully tailored his roster to matchup with the strongest team in the West. He built the Spurs to beat Utah a few years ago, and then to stop LA, so believe that Pop will bring in key guys who are capable of matching up with this new Laker lineup.
5.* * * * The Spurs are now significantly younger and faster than are the Lakers and are only going to get better. Despite being the defending champs, San Antonio will be the underdogs again this season, which is a great position to be in. The Spurs might very well be the first defending championship team in the NBA to maintain its nucleus of talent, yet enter the season as the underdogs. As the NBA champs you couldn’t ask for more than to be able to fly under the radar and be underestimated by your opponents. The Lakers moves have guaranteed they’ll be the team to beat, and that the Spurs will be hungry to prove themselves once again come playoff time next year.
The Spurs will beat the Lakers in the playoffs again this coming season, my friends.
Write it down now.
Okie dokie smokey...we'll see.
You will ALL see
Spurs with TD and friends are The Champs until proven otherwise. It's the Lakers that have something to prove.
LA will be denied again. But TD needs help downlow and 3pt shooters to make them pay.
I'm wit ya Chief. Nowz letz go down the boozer!
Booyakasha!
Way to bring it Chopper Style, Chopper.
Spurs fans love to think the world is over.
The truth is the Spurs just won the Championship and they have a lot of capspace to improve.
Good Times.
who thought the spurs would have won it all this year?
I think it could be a blessing that kidd did not sign
one of theses players would have seen less minutes
sj ,manu ,bowen and parker
manu just needs to find ways to score. carnac has sound he has all the fundenmental skills. He can give the spurs 10 points a game that would help.
I hereby declare the new moniker for LA to be:
The Los Angeles Lakers, "On-Paper Champions"
"On-paper", will now become the most over-used word for the next year.
Not too many believers in here I guess.
Is it THAT bad for the defending champs?
Is all hope lost?
Should the Spurs even play next season, or just concede the le to LA now?
Where have all the believers gone?
Believe.
2
Give me Kandi & Odom and I will KNOW.....
As for now, I still believe.
I agree in my heart with everything he said. My whole issue is how annoying it'll be hearing everyone from Walton to the ESPN beat writers jerk themselves over the Lakers this season. It'll be annoying alright, but I suppose it'll make this repeat championship that much sweeter.
im with the Chopper and TimvPimp!they both know how to keep thier heads when those all around them are losing theres. Its in no means over people, its only just begun. None of these moves means until Playoffs 2004.
Yes, the press will be insufferable this year. Repeating will be almost as sweet as watching Dave leave as a champion.
Preach it, brother. No reason not to be positive. We're a great franchise, and our organization has a track record of making the most out of bleak situations. The results will still be outstanding this time, especially since we have so much cap flexibility.
There are still some very talented players out there. Besides, this year we will have 1.5 superstars on our team - Tim and Tony. In 2004-2005, Parker will move up from half of a superstar to a full-fledged superstar. Take my word for it.
In two years or less, just about everyone will be glad we didn't sign Kidd.
That's what I'll be rooting for, but I got a feeling LA has the potential to be almost like -allas on offense, with 4 guys or more getting 20 points in the same game.
-allas: Nash, Nowitzki, Finley, Van Exel...
LA: Kobe, Shaq, *Gee Pee, *El Bow
Malone is a definite offensive upgrade for Samaki Walker. And Payton is a great offensive and defensive upgrade over Derek Fisher. Last season, we were kind of counting on being able to shut down those two positions + small forward, while settling for Smaq and Showbe getting near their averages in points, if not shooting percentages.
Now they have that same kind of explosiveness that -allas has as far as offensive production. And on defense, Payton and Kolby double-teams and traps could prove to unrattle opposing ball-handlers, kind of like Jordan-Pippen used to.
One of the unknown's is Snaq's health. What if he comes back in good enough condition to be more active on defense? What if he and *Gee Pee are able to guard the pick-n-roll as a result? One of their previous weaknesses was that Fisher never did make the right choice guarding the pick-n-roll and Shackmu would never come out on the picks. If they improve that, it could be the edge they need.
They might wind up being what -allas never could be: a high-scoring explosive team that plays great D.
The Lakers even with this lineup would seem still to have problems with the Spurs' athleticism.
And even if the Lakers do win in 2004 somehowdon't forget this is just a one-year cameo for GP and Mailman.
:evil
The Spurs will be back, to the chagrin of media everywhere but Texas, France, and Argentina.
And maybe Slovenia....wherever that might be these days. I don't recognize any world maps any more. Seems like there were a lot less countries back in the 60's.The Spurs will be back, to the chagrin of media everywhere but Texas, France, and Argentina.
jr
:brotha
WHY THE **** NOT?
:spam
Go on ED
And don't forget Sacramento, which I was reminded of yesterday by two lovely ladies from Sacramento whom I met in Brazil.
I believe the most talented team on paper hsa not won in years
THAT's what I'm talking about fellas! Believe.
No need to jump. This party's just getting started!
Most people intuitively saw there was potential harm to adding Jason Kidd. Add Kidd, lose Parker. . .probably would have happened. I feel like Parker is going to be one of the key pieces to building a dynasty. LA's success is going to be short-lived. They've bought themselves one year of success, no guarantee of a championship, but a definite guarantee of a serious rebuilding a year or two from now.
Spurs management can't panic, because there is a great thing going on here.
The Spurs' players may not have as big of reputations as Payton and Malone, but Stephen Jackson, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili were all key contributors to a championship team. Can either Payton or Malone say that? F' NO!
As SolidD alluded to, championships aren't won on paper. This group of Spurs has proven they can actually do it.
I DO BELIEVE!
Spurs play the best team basketball along with Sac, but the Spurs are younger and have won the le.
It will be tough, but we can compete, and we do VERY WELL playing the underdog.
And, the media will always root against us no matter what we do. They'll find excuses for every success we have. That doesn't worry me.
L.A. will always be their favorite no matter what. Just accept it.
I believe we can beat this one year Laker juggernaut!
Afterwhich, they'll be worse off, bc they'll still need a PF, and will have even less cash for it next time.
I totally believe we will win the championship next year. We have an AWESOME team with GREAT role players who know their role and play it VERY well.
Lakers have a bunch of franchise players who, despite what they are saying now, will have to face the reality of playing support to Shaq and Kobe and being the 3rd and 4th option when they have to get on the court.
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