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I'll bet he's already done several articles about what's wrong with the Lakers. After the season's over, he'll be able to write about how prescient he was regardless of how far the Laker go.
Nothing more than a "Homer Article" from an Orange County homer writer. The fact that LA fans (Lakersground.net) don't talk about the Spurs at all says it all........they be scared less!
I'll bet he's already done several articles about what's wrong with the Lakers. After the season's over, he'll be able to write about how prescient he was regardless of how far the Laker go.
They also don't talk about the Timberwolves...nice logic
Timberwolves 10-32, Spurs 35-6 dumb ass.They also don't talk about the Timberwolves...nice logic
Spurs age, lol lakers average age is older, and the average age of players getting minutes is older. Author dismissed, enjoy the remainder of the regular season lake fans.
didn't read the article but i assume it's about the spurs not being true threats. i agree, the spurs are playing well but whether they can play championship ball is still a big question mark. they are going to need defense and a big will really have to step up his play for the spurs to have a chance at the lakers.
The Lakers are not a bad team, but this season the Spurs are better.
The crux of the matter is this: do regular season results predict the playoffs accurately?
Of course it's going to be fans of the team with the best record who say yes, and other fans who say no. All wishful thinking on both sides, which again is all there really is to being a fan.
I think all those fans over in L.A. are playing the defensive after all the "uh-oh's" the TMZ crew over on ESPN is throwing at them.
Jesus Christ you're dense...your logic is flawed/reversed. If you think a team is good and can compete with yours, you talk about them. No one talks about teams that pose no threat, comprende?
The regular season is just an 82-game preseason, especially since pretty much all the teams make the playoffs.
The Celtics started last season 23-5 and went 27-27 the rest of the way. How'd they do?
The Lakers started 28-6 and went 29-19 the rest of the way (including losing 7 of their final 11 games). The Lakers ended up closing all 3 WC series out on the road too.
Like Capt. Bringdown said, they don't call it the 2nd season for nothing...
ing brilliant.
Well said.
^^ yup. TD 21 ftw.
So...your presence on this board is proof that you view the Spurs as a threat, right?
Yup...I think LAL is stronger and much better built for postseason basketball, but the Spurs are still a threat. They'd be insanely dangerous if they integrated Splitter into the game for some extended minutes, giving him valuable experience before the playoffs. Better to have a quasi-polished Center than a neutered one--especially against the Lakers.
Whatever "so called" Laker fan who likes to spend his time posting in a Spurs forum.
Last edited by celldweller; 01-18-2011 at 10:42 PM.
I know the conventional wisdom is that the game slows down in the playoffs and that running teams tend to fail (mid-decade Suns, of course). However, it can't be lack of rest preventing teams from running, because the playoffs have no back-to-backs.
It seems to me the only real difference between the regular season and playoffs is the ability to game-plan for a single opponent and the resulting adjustment/counter-adjustment chess match. Pop is obviously one of the best in the league in that department (though behind Phil imo), so when you say "built for postseason basketball", it can't mean just size. What does it mean, in your opinion?
And why would Splitter help so much? McDyess has been great, while Blair and Bonner are solid bench-level bigs. Plus, players in their first year with the Spurs have a history of under-performing in the playoffs; perhaps Neal is as far as Pop is willing to go.
i've stated from the beginning that Tiago would have to have a similar impact as Perkins does for the Celtics in order for the Spurs to threat the Lakers. still hasn't happened. i'm pissed. we've got a nice lead on everyone out West. no reason he shouldn't be getting groomed for when he will have to play. and he will have to play at some point. it would only make the Spurs better in the long run to give Splitter some more burn. Even Sean has mentioned in the broadcasts that he thinks Splitter has to play in order for the Spurs to contend. that's what i still think.
Splitter would help tremendously because he flat out excels more than Duncan in a number of areas that usually contribute to solid interior defense, lateral quickness being the key area.
Duncan's interior defense has markedly diminished and a lot of it has to do with a lack of lateral quickness.
U still here, bro?
Solid post.
It means a number of things, imo.
Size is a big part of it to be honest...and not one-dimensional Joel Anthony size.
When the game slow downs and you're playing halfcourt ball it's invaluable to have multiple guys capable of high% shots. Odom, Bynum, and Gasol give LAL an advantage that few other teams have. The Lakers don't rely on 3 point shooting to save them either(not saying SAS does, just saying).
Rebounding is also key in the playoffs--rebounding won us Game 7 of the Finals. I'm not sure what their regular season numbers are (not that I put a lot of stock in them), but I'd venture to say LAL is top 5 in boards and rebounding differential. Defensive fg% (especially 3pt %) is also key in the playoffs. Despite nonchalant play so far, I believe LAL is up their in both as well. Their intensity in those areas will only get better come playoff time--a safe assumption cause we see it every year they win.
The Spurs have definitely improved their bench and have reliable outside shooters, but the basket tends to get smaller in the playoffs. I remember San Antonio was #1 in 3pt fg% in 2001 (by a decent margin too iirc), but they shot 29% from there in the conference finals.
SA also lacks a lockdown defender (no, George Hill is not one), and Tim (although still effective on D), is not the defensive anchor he once was.
A little convoluted, but that's my general idea of playoff ball.
Forgot about the Splitter part. Splitter is needed for more than fouls (which is pretty much what Pop is using him for). If he can get minutes and build his confidence, he might be a decent offensive option--wouldn't it be nice to have another big that could make LA's bigs work on the defensive end?
The thing about SA and shooting 3s, it's not as though we are looking to shoot the 3 more necessarily. The only star player actively looking to shoot the 3 more is Ginobili.
Other than that, SA simply takes the shots that are given. If you are given a wide open 3 that's the simply the shot you take. The fact that the spurs are shooting more of them is a testament to their phenomenal passing, to be honest. Spurs field goal / assist ratios have been consistently high all season. We're moving the ball well and getting wide open shots. A lot of them happen to be 3s, but that doesn't mean we're actively looking to be a 3 point shooting team. It's simply what the defense has been giving us.
And Splitter's offense is better than most spurs fans give him credit for. He hasn't been given minutes or enough touches to ever fully gain a rhythm. That said, he's clearly making the most of his minutes. He shoots 50% from the field (4 PPG) and he has a very respectable PER for a rookie.
He also surprisingly gets fouled quite a bit when trying to make a post move. His hook shot is downright ugly, there's no questioning that, but that's not the entirety of his offensive game, and even with that ugly ineffective hook he still maintains 50% shooting from the field with extremely limited touches.
"Sore kneed" Tim Duncan.. That sounded very "sour graped" by the idiot writer. If Duncan who has played every game this season is "Sore kneed", what is Andrew Bynum?
Laker beat writers are so dumb.
No team goes up to a 35-6 record purely due to luck. And being healthy is part-good fortune and part- good work, atleast in the Spurs' case, who have managed the minutes of their players so effectively.
We will see in the post-season. I am holding to my prediction that I made in this forum early season - the Spurs are winning No 5. Midseason results have been eerily according to predictions - Spurs for le, Popovich for COY, Kevin Love for MIP, Blake Griffin for ROY (and Lebron not far away from MVP). But it is just midseason.
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