The Lakers are in trouble...

[LkrFan]

Nah, we're straight. PJ doesn't push his teams to go all out during the RS. We do just enough to get a pretty high seed while PJ tweaks lineups and put players in positions that are out of their comfort zone. He will willingly sacrifice a loss here and there to teach his teams which helps tremendously in the playoffs. If the chance at HCA throughout the playoffs presents itself he will let his guys go for it. We've won rings as a #1 overall seed, but we've also lost rings as well with the #1 seed. What matters to PJ is team chemistry and the health of his players.

That being said, we might start off slow due to Kobe not being Kobe yet and Bynum being out. However, we've improved exponentially defensively the last couple of years, and we're still an elite rebounding team. That won't change even with Bynum out. LO starts in his place and still is an elite rebounder. LO can can ignite a fast break, is a pretty good defender and a gifted passer. Then within the last couple of years we've replaced defensive matadors like Vlad Rad and Luke with players like Ariza, Artest, and now Barnes. Ariza is gone, but we now have Artest and Barnes to augment Kobe on the perimeter. That's great for the Lakers because 15 of the top 20 scorers are perimeter players (16 if you count _irk). So Bynum's absence won't hurt us as bad as most people think.

For all of the teams that are a threat to us, we have a little something something for them all. For perimeter oriented teams, we have Artest, Kobe, Barnes, Brown, LO (for Bosh) and Blake (an underrated pesky defender) to go to war with against them. For teams with a potent inside game, we still have Gasol, Bynum, LO, and now Theo Ratliff. Neither of these teams have both a potent 2-way perimeter game and a potent 2-way inside game. The Lakers do.

PJ is known for throwing out weird lineups, not calling time outs, and slowly tightening his rotations as the playoffs near so that his teams are ready for the 2nd season. I don't see that really changing. We have a true PG leading our 2nd unit now in Blake - so don't expect too many 15-20 point Laker leads turning into close wins or a loss like years past.

Bottom line is the Lakers are still the team to beat. That's why GMs have voted that we will 3peat. I tend to agree with them.

[LkrFan]

Nah, we're straight. PJ doesn't push his teams to go all out during the RS. We do just enough to get a pretty high seed while PJ tweaks lineups and put players in positions that are out of their comfort zone. He will willingly sacrifice a loss here and there to teach his teams which helps tremendously in the playoffs. If the chance at HCA throughout the playoffs presents itself he will let his guys go for it. We've won rings as a #1 overall seed, but we've also lost rings as well with the #1 seed. What matters to PJ is team chemistry and the health of his players.

That being said, we might start off slow due to Kobe not being Kobe yet and Bynum being out. However, we've improved exponentially defensively the last couple of years, and we're still an elite rebounding team. That won't change even with Bynum out. LO starts in his place and still is an elite rebounder. LO can can ignite a fast break, is a pretty good defender and a gifted passer. Then within the last couple of years we've replaced defensive matadors like Vlad Rad and Luke with players like Ariza, Artest, and now Barnes. Ariza is gone, but we now have Artest and Barnes to augment Kobe on the perimeter. That's great for the Lakers because 15 of the top 20 scorers are perimeter players (16 if you count _irk). So Bynum's absence won't hurt us as bad as most people think.

For all of the teams that are a threat to us, we have a little something something for them all. For perimeter oriented teams, we have Artest, Kobe, Barnes, Brown, LO (for Bosh) and Blake (an underrated pesky defender) to go to war with against them. For teams with a potent inside game, we still have Gasol, Bynum, LO, and now Theo Ratliff. Neither of these teams have both a potent 2-way perimeter game and a potent 2-way inside game. The Lakers do.

PJ is known for throwing out weird lineups, not calling time outs, and slowly tightening his rotations as the playoffs near so that his teams are ready for the 2nd season. I don't see that really changing. We have a true PG leading our 2nd unit now in Blake - so don't expect too many 15-20 point Laker leads turning into close wins or a loss like years past.

Bottom line is the Lakers are still the team to beat. That's why GMs have voted that we will 3peat. I tend to agree with them.

[Giuseppe]

Good to see Darrin, down off his high-horse, into the with everybody else. Venti went earlier in the week, and now D.

Is anyone left of tiffany?

[Nathan89]

If being stacked with talent is bad, then the lakers are in trouble.

[Nahtanoj]

If being stacked with talent is bad, then the lakers are in trouble.

So if the Lakers are in trouble, the other 29 teams are knee deep in ?

[LkrFan]

So if the Lakers are in trouble, the other 29 teams are knee deep in ?

[Giuseppe]

& here I'm thinkin' Darrin is high & mighty (like Jammie used to be before Kori gave him that f'in Award). I'm tiptoein' around him, quiet as a little mouse, not wanting to pull on his cape. Turns out he's a ing goofy er like the rest of us.

me.

[TheGreatest23]

When you are a chamionship team and drop Jordan Farmar, DJ Mbenga, and Adam Morrison....then add Matt Barnes, Steve Blake and Theo Ratliff, i think things will be alright. lol

But if MJ was on the team, the bench wouldnt matter.

[Man In Black]

and Blake (an underrated pesky defender)

Basically means, once he started wearing Forum Blue & Gold, he could play some semblance of defense. To others, he's slightly better than Fisher the Turnstile.

He ain't underrated at all, he's not a good individual defender. He tries but really, why give him any credit? He hasn't earned any. This statement ranks up there with Kwame Brown can be a premium big. We all know his only value was his contract which allowed Heisley to get heisted.

[Killakobe81]

Mehhh ...not worried. We will be best in West and have top 3 overall in record in NBA ...
Orlando and Miami will fight hard for HCA ...let them. I just want health. Yes, in the NBA FINALs last year home court helped ...but we also won at Boston. If we can win there, Miami's new bandwagon home advantage doesnt mean . If we play the Heat and lose to them in an NBA finals HCA probably mattered little, it means the Heat jelled faster than some imagined. I just want Kobe, Artest, Lamar, Pau, Barnes, Blake, Bynum, and Brown healthy for the playoffs ... that is core of this team.

[Giuseppe]

It was that schedule last season that enabled us to get home court. Stern gave it to us, and then we went out and executed it. Bryant also had that load of last second shots for wins as well.

The road ain't the death knell it was 25 years ago, but, it still somewhere that should be avoided. I cringe at the thought of going to Boston, or, Miami for the first two, especially Boston. That won't work, healthy or not. Too much to chance. Too much hanky panky.

[ezau]

I agree with the statement that the Lakers will somewhat struggle because of injuries early in the season. For the first time in four years, they will not be the top-seeded team in the West.

However, even without HCA, the Lakers are still capable of winning against Western teams on the road.

[Leonard Curse]

I want Demarcus Cousins to play for the Pistons! I want the oil to stop gushing into the gulf! I want a President who has leadership skills during a crisis! I want Chauncey Billups to find the fountain of youth (he's starting to look old)! I want school funding! What do you want to rub the genie for?

i want the last great president back for the united states of america john F kennedy !! not these ing puppets/tools "obama" "bush" "palin=next" who worship satan by sacraficing kids(war) in the desert!!! i want my fellow brothers to wake up and quit being in denia grow some ing balls and start a REVOUTION!!!!

[Leonard Curse]

So if the Lakers are in trouble, the other 29 teams are knee deep in ?

what a moron

[Koolaid_Man]

Only a dumbazz pistons fan with no hope for his own team would start a thread like this

I see you 41... I been watching you post for awhile...you seem alright man...You rep the Mavs and that's cool but you don't seem like a Mavs Fan like the Mavs Krew...Keep repping lil homie..

Kool will bestow upon you the coveted preach on award:

[LeHeat_Dynasty]

Darrin, I agree with the premise of your thread, but I honestly believe no one in the Western Conference Division can eliminate the Lakers, specially not the OKC Thunder who in my opinion has been vastly overrated by sports fans across the nation. The problem however starts when they face either the Miami Heat or even Boston Celtics. While the upgrade to the PG position was necessary and the addition of another defensive minded swing player to take a lot more load off from Kobe's knees was a smart investment, the bigger issue is their frontcourt depth.



Like I've said before, the Lakers biggest obstacle for their three peat championship aspirations is Andrew Bynum's health who is having another knee related injury for the fourth consecutive year. When Bynum goes, the bulk of those extensive minutes will be shared between Pau Gasol and Theo Ratliff. While Gasol is one of the games best low post players, Theo's value unfortunately mirrors that of DJ Mbenga, only older, much much older by NBA standards. I see laker fans overrate Andrew Bynum, but in hindsight, I think its warranted considering the Lakers never won a championship with Bynum.



I know this championship is probably the most important for Kobe's ego as a Laker. His back to back success not to be ignored, the Shaq-Kobe debate continues. Kobe stopping at two automatically puts Shaq and his three peat team success above Kobe's mind.

[Koolaid_Man]

I am not declaring the Los Angeles Lakers dead. When I say they are in trouble I am talking only about winning the NBA Championship. Considering how last season ended, the age of their guards, and the start to the preseason, the Bynum and Bryant injuries, they are due for a slow start. A team in the West is going to have to grab the bull by the horns and exploit that. Oklahoma City is the most likely candidate considering how they play defensively, the talent they have in Kevin Durant, and the general age of their players (will they be hungry?).

The Lakers are due to come back to the pack. Bryant is not healthy, he has a lot of miles on his body, and will need more help to win a Championship than he has ever had before. Ever. This means that players like Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Ron Artest need to play within the scheme and have career seasons.

They cannot have hubris. They must identify they are in trouble at the beginning of the season (not a strength of teams with Bryant on the roster) and solve and adjust early. If they keep the same dynamic as last season, they will not go far.

There's a lot of what-ifs in this post. But the bottom line is the le--the Los Angeles Lakers are in trouble. Trouble from being considered the best team in the NBA, the best team at the end of the season.

I know I know Darrin...they must show humility...fact check...Lakers dealt with injuries all last season...and the year before that and the year before that and we still made it to the big dance....from our horses no less...last year Gasol out first 2 weeks due to hammy.....Kobe missed over 2 weeks and dealt with residual knee issues..Artest Plantar Fasitus...Walton back...Shannon Brown hand...Artest hand....Gasol finger....Phil's knee and hip....Odom had the flu during the finals....Kobe's knee and back....Bynum not ready for Finals due to knee...so your thesis while noble and hopeful is flawed...we've dealt with the injury bug as best as any le contender playing this deep year after year can possible do so..and we still rang...the question you should be asking is how will other teams deal with injuries...we've answered the question they haven't...

If anything the west is a bit weaker and as soon as Melo departs even more...we're stronger and hungrier than any younger team simply because history is at stake....and also burying you haters once and for all time is at stake as well...I for one can't wait for the fighting to begin...

Kool won't let you mofo's post like this and not be held accountable...sorry...

[Giuseppe]

Darrin, I agree with the premise of your thread, but I honestly believe no one in the Western Conference Division can eliminate the Lakers, specially not the OKC Thunder who in my opinion has been vastly overrated by sports fans across the nation. The problem however starts when they face either the Miami Heat or even Boston Celtics. While the upgrade to the PG position was necessary and the addition of another defensive minded swing player to take a lot more load off from Kobe's knees was a smart investment, the bigger issue is their frontcourt depth.



Like I've said before, the Lakers biggest obstacle for their three peat championship aspirations is Andrew Bynum's health who is having another knee related injury for the fourth consecutive year. When Bynum goes, the bulk of those extensive minutes will be shared between Pau Gasol and Theo Ratliff. While Gasol is one of the games best low post players, Theo's value unfortunately mirrors that of DJ Mbenga, only older, much much older by NBA standards. I see laker fans overrate Andrew Bynum, but in hindsight, I think its warranted considering the Lakers never won a championship with Bynum.



I know this championship is probably the most important for Kobe's ego as a Laker. His back to back success not to be ignored, the Shaq-Kobe debate continues. Kobe stopping at two automatically puts Shaq and his three peat team success above Kobe's mind.

Just uncross your fingers & toes, motherf'er.

[Man In Black]

I know I know Darrin...they must show humility...fact check...Lakers dealt with injuries all last season...and the year before that and the year before that and we still made it to the big dance....from our horses no less...last year Gasol out first 2 weeks due to hammy.....Kobe missed over 2 weeks and dealt with residual knee issues..Artest Plantar Fasitus...Walton back...Shannon Brown hand...Artest hand....Gasol finger....Phil's knee and hip....Odom had the flu during the finals....Kobe's knee and back....Bynum not ready for Finals due to knee...so your thesis while noble and hopeful is flawed...we've dealt with the injury bug as best as any le contender playing this deep year after year can possible do so..and we still rang...the question you should be asking is how will other teams deal with injuries...we've answered the question they haven't...

If anything the west is a bit weaker and as soon as Melo departs even more...we're stronger and hungrier than any younger team simply because history is at stake....and also burying you haters once and for all time is at stake as well...I for one can't wait for the fighting to begin...

Kool won't let you mofo's post like this and not be held accountable...sorry...

Like they say in the stock market...Past performance is not a PRECISE indicator of Future performance.

[Cane]

Lakers could very well be looking at an injury plagued season considering their mileage: they've been to the finals the past three years and many of their players have international miles as well. Plus Bynum and Kobe had knee surgeries and Phil's not getting any younger.

Kobe - Went 6-24 in a Game 7 Finals and now has had knee surgery...I only see him declining considering the amount of basketball he's played, surgery, and age.

Lamar Odom - Played a huge role for the undersized Team USA, thats a lot of miles.

Bynum - Seemingly never healthy and probably heals slow in addition to being weak mentally.

Phil Jackson - On his last legs and now he's gotta deal with Matt Barnes in addition to Artest. If it weren't for Kobe, Fisher would've guarded Westbrook the entire first round

Its going to be up to Gasol and the Laker's roleplayers to ante up.

[Giuseppe]

.....a year off from The Skunker, eh? tee, hee.

[Giuseppe]

**Kobe - Went 6-24 in a Game 7 Finals

**denotes 16th NBA World Championship

[Darrin]

**denotes 16th NBA World Championship

That result doesn't guarantee a 17th. If winning the Championship on a bad performance indicated who would win it next year, the NBA would only have one NBA Champion throughout its history.

The Boston Celtics were undersized because of losing Kendrick Perkins. They had problems with energy because of their age. The Boston Celtics couldn't score in the second-through-fourth quarters. The Lakers should've been in a blowout and squeaked out a win. That is not to diminish the accomplishment of back-to-back les, it's just taking an honest look at the opponent to understand how they might fare this upcoming season.

If the Lakers win in 2011 is up for debate. Whether they will be playing their best basketball of this run is not likely.

[Man In Black]

.....a year off from The Skunker, eh? tee, hee.

You sure love talking about Past Tense stuff.
Hey, were you this much of an ass during the 90's when the LAL only went to the Finals once?

[Koolaid_Man]

Like they say in the stock market...Past performance is not a PRECISE indicator of Future performance.

let's extrapolate a bit further shall we...

Let's use the commodities industry as an example. Investors in this industry work year in and out to ensure future performance models are trending upward ...and how do they do this? By implementing a ' slow but steady hand' approach, technological breakthroughs, hiring talented people, and of course cutting deals with foreign govnt's for their precious commodities....same Concept with the Lakers we cut deals...with the league and with players who love the lure of Hollywood and the Pacific Ocean

Seriously Let Kool ask you a question...Do you know why Corporations hire and pay CEO's millions while laying off hundreds if not thousands of lay folk?...you 'prolly' don't...this is where a good college education would have helped you. It's not because they work harder..It's because they believe these CEO's will help increase share value and thus extending the life and viability of the firm.

Same concept with the Lakeshow...injuries ( like stock market ups and downs) are part of the game but we...yes 'WE'...didn't rely on the past 3 seasons success or failure. Like the CEO hire (Phil Jax) ...and the talented staff hire ( Blake, Barnes, Ratliff) We went out and hired some really hard nosed and defensive focused players , thus increasing the value of Laker stock or brand.

But in the Lakers case past performance has actually proved to be a precise indicator of future performance. You can go all the way back to the first Laker le. The history, the glory, the acclaim, all lead us to where we are today...Players having to play in those shadows is nothing but pressure...Pressure to perform and excel. That's why LA has been relevant every decade of the NBA's existence down to this day. When Kobe is done the next Laker great who's already honing is skills in someone's backyard as I type will live under this same shadow. He will look at Kobe's records and les and he'll shoot for the stars...and the Laker fans will welcome him with open arms so as long as he brings the unadulterated goods...

But for now as long as Kobe has the we don't lose mentality and as long as Luva and Cully is holding the banner that NO ONE CLOSES US OUT, things will remain the same. Thus past performance in this case is also a precise indicator of future excellence.

Haters hate on.