Seriously, what the is wrong with the Lakers?

[Trainwreck2100]

The bad teams smell blood in the water and want to take out two years of aggression

[TD 21]

I agree with most of this, but I don't think LA ends up with the #2 seed..they will end up at #3, or even #4 IMO, but probably #3..

I also won't count them out, but their positioning is one of the primary reasons I would be surprised if they win the le..it has only happened a few times in NBA history, where the NBA champion had to go through 3 straight series' without HCA, which is what it appears the Lakers will have to go through during these upcoming playoffs..

Also, like you said, their compe ion is much more difficult this year..the Mavs and Spurs are easily better than any West playoff team the Lakers have encountered since the Gasol trade, and even OKC is just as good as any of those other teams(not better, but just as good IMO)..

If an old LA team with a lot of mileage can go through 3 straight series' without HCA, and win the le, they would have definitely earned their place in history..

I'd be mildly surprised if they end up as the third seed, but very surprised if they end up as the fourth seed. Whether they finish second or third isn't that meaningful, though, because as I alluded to, I think they'll beat the Mavs either way.

Yeah. This is the season where the Lakers can really cement their place in history as an all-time great team. It's like the Spurs in '07. Winning that fourth took them to another level. All of a sudden, dynasty was thrown around.

As an aside, with the way things are shaping up, this could be an all-time playoffs in the making. Potentially, lots of good match-ups. Bulls-Knicks, Thunder-Hornets, Mavs-Lakers, Spurs-Thunder, Celtics-Magic, Heat-Bulls, Spurs-Lakers, Celtics-Heat, Spurs-Celtics. These are all either likely or, at the very least, distinct possibilities.

[JamStone]

4 things I think are at the heart of their issues:

-Ron Artest won a ring, now he's back to a pouting space cadet because he doesn't get enough primary or even secondary touches and he gets a lot of the criticism by Phil Jackson and fans

-Pau Gasol allows Kobe's selfishness and ball dominating ways affect his game. In some ways, it's been good that Pau would defer to Kobe. But this season, that deference has also led to passivity. Needs to be a better balance of staying aggressive while still being able to play with Kobe's ego. I think Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher are the only two players on the Lakers who truly know how to stay aggressive and be able to play with Kobe.

-Fisher is done. Blake is not much better. The point guard position is a huge exploitable disadvantage that teams with above average point guards can very much take advantage of.

-Andrew Bynum is more concerned about his self envisioned impending supers om as the Lakers go-to guy than he is about actually putting in the work and having the right approach so he can actually get there.


Yeah, I know I'm an admitted Kobe apologist and Kobe shares plenty of blame because of his selfishness. And yes he's slowing down. But I see it this way. The past two years, Kobe played a little bit better in terms of trusting his teammates, but not that much better than in other years. He was still an egomaniacal bas who would still go blackhole mamba at a whim. The last two years have been more of a testament to his teammates learning and being able to play with Kobe than Kobe trusting his teammates. Kobe will always be Kobe. Even when his body shuts down, he'll be going mamba in the fourth quarter of a close game. He's still going to be an asshole. What has happened this year is that his teammates are sick of the act or they're just not as good as the last few years.

Counting the Lakers out would be naive. But it's pretty apparent that the Lakers have to work their asses off both physically and mentally as a collective team to get back to where they were the last couple seasons. It will be tough. Not impossible, but they better find a way to fix their issues soon. I don't think there is a "switch" they can turn on for this current Lakers team. They can't get Carmelo, but they might need to do something in terms of making a significant roster change.

[#41 Shoot Em Up]

I'd be mildly surprised if they end up as the third seed, but very surprised if they end up as the fourth seed. Whether they finish second or third isn't that meaningful, though, because as I alluded to, I think they'll beat the Mavs either way.

Yeah. This is the season where the Lakers can really cement their place in history as an all-time great team. It's like the Spurs in '07. Winning that fourth took them to another level. All of a sudden, dynasty was thrown around.

As an aside, with the way things are shaping up, this could be an all-time playoffs in the making. Potentially, lots of good match-ups. Bulls-Knicks, Thunder-Hornets, Mavs-Lakers, Spurs-Thunder, Celtics-Magic, Heat-Bulls, Spurs-Lakers, Celtics-Heat, Spurs-Celtics. These are all either likely or, at the very least, distinct possibilities.

Only the Spurs can beat the Lakers in a 7 game series right?

[mikeschy55]

I think the problem with the Lakers is that Kobe only goes through the motions until playoff time or 4th quarter.... you can say that about a lot of them really, it's just kind of obvious with Kobe sometimes IMO. As long as they have a healthy Kobe/Bynum/Gasol and one the great coaches of all time, they'll always be a contender come playoffs.

[xellos88330]

Only the Spurs can beat the Lakers in a 7 game series right?

From my standpoint, no. As the Lakers currently stand, they could possibly be outed a majority of the playoff bound teams, which includes the Mavs.

[jjktkk]

Only the Spurs can beat the Lakers in a 7 game series right?

The Mavs and Spurs have a shot, a good one imo.

[ezau]

Good points by Harlem, Jamstone, and TD21. The only thing that I disagree with is the idea that the Mavs can't beat this Lakers team. I know that that it's easy to throw that choke smack when you talk about the Mavs, but thinking that they'll fold again this time around is just plain crazy.

The Mavs have the size, quickness, and defensive capabilities to beat any team in the West in a seven-game series. IMHO, the problem that they have is the two-guard position. With the re-rentry of Beaubois into the lineup, the Mavs are gonna be a scary matchup in the playoffs.

[xellos88330]

Good points by Harlem, Jamstone, and TD21. The only thing that I disagree with is the idea that the Mavs can't beat this Lakers team. I know that that it's easy to throw that choke smack when you talk about the Mavs, but thinking that they'll fold again this time around is just plain crazy.

The Mavs have the size, quickness, and defensive capabilities to beat any team in the West in a seven-game series. IMHO, the problem that they have is the two-guard position. With the re-rentry of Beaubois into the lineup, the Mavs are gonna be a scary matchup in the playoffs.

Yea, Beaubois is definitely the speedy guard that can fill it up and cause Blake, Fisher tons of headaches. It all really depends on if he can get in shape and is as good as advertised once he is getting steady minutes.

[#41 Shoot Em Up]

Don't forget a possible Butler cameo come playoff time.

[timtonymanurich]

3 time Finalists and repeat NBA champs get a pass during the regular season. I understand that Spur fan knows nothing about this since his team has never once even made repeat Finals appearances. It's OK, pay attention and learn. The Lakers are not interested in burning themselves out to get a good regular season record. They are confident they can win on the road, and their record over the last 3 years has shown they have every right to be.

Right now the Spurs aren't even on the Laker's radar. They've dispatched your team countless times in the playoffs, the real enemy is Boston and always will be.

Remember this, Phil OWNS Pop.

___________________

Aw.... how CUTE! You think you're making a point! Think again black mamba sucka! Phil doesn't OWN Pop, Joey Crawford BLOWS Phil and Kobe at the same time. Then the likes of Fake Show Fans show up and suck up the residual semen and butt- from Gay-boy Joey and Kobe's latest rape case and pin it on the ho's promiscuity. The only thing the Fakers really DON'T get a way with is despite their winning ways, they are the red-headed-step-child of the NBA. Period. The only ones that like LA are the immediate fans and family members of the bas child that is LA.

Talk about being OWNED.

[DazedAndConfused]

Anyways, I'll let you crickets keep chirping. You will understand come playoff time why Laker fans aren't really all that worried.

[rmt]

Good points by Harlem, Jamstone, and TD21. The only thing that I disagree with is the idea that the Mavs can't beat this Lakers team. I know that that it's easy to throw that choke smack when you talk about the Mavs, but thinking that they'll fold again this time around is just plain crazy.

The Mavs have the size, quickness, and defensive capabilities to beat any team in the West in a seven-game series. IMHO, the problem that they have is the two-guard position. With the re-rentry of Beaubois into the lineup, the Mavs are gonna be a scary matchup in the playoffs.

Agree with this. I do think that the Mavs are a better matchup against LA than Spurs. The have size in the front court and when Roddy comes back, quickness that might give LA trouble. Against the Spurs, the matchup is not bad as SA has a good back court and speed (Parker and Hill). I'm hoping that Dice can do as good a job on Dirk as he did last year.

For us Spurs fans, hopefully Mavs and LA get #2 and #3 seeds and beat each other up in a long, tough series before the Spurs get the winner. But LA is the defending champion and IMO is still the team to beat. Boston's defense is great and they're so deep. SA does not match up well against them at all.

[TD 21]

They don't have a go-to perimeter scorer for a championship caliber team. In recent NBA history, it's proven that, unless you have '94 and '95 Olajuwon or '99 and '03 Duncan, you can't win without that. And no, even if Butler not only miraculously recovers, but get's back to where he was, he's not of the caliber necessary to play that role on a championship team. I'm talking about a scorer/play maker along the lines of Bryant, Ginobili, Wade, Pierce, James, etc.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

I think they are still better than they are playing record-wise. Honestly I'd rather them get knocked off by someone else than play them in the playoffs.

[jjktkk]

Don't forget a possible Butler cameo come playoff time.

I wouldn't get my hopes up of Butler returning to his previous form. Not this year.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Butler would be rusty as if he came back in the playoffs.

[Ashy Larry]

It's the same thing they did last year. Many forget the same questions were asked when they limped into the playoffs going 3-7 and really playing ty. Then it just hit them and once the playoffs started, they really buckled down and focused especially on the road (Clinched in OKC, Utah and PHX)

I won't put too much on it because maybe they're bored, maybe they're getting older or maybe this is the beginning of the end. If so, I can't complain especially in these past three years.

Their perimeter shooting is horrible and even though they know this, they still will shoot missiles from three point range instead of going to their strength which is supposed to be their size. If they limit themselves to ten three pointers per game, they'll be fine.

Defensively, they don't really play until it's needed. They fart around for three quarters, get down fifteen and then decide, let's play defense. They usually correct that once the playoffs have started and every possession count.

And finally, Barnes is missed. Once they can set that eight man rotation meaning more Barnes and less Artest and Walton, they should be prime for at least one more run. And Phil, Shaw, Clemons, Hamlin and the Rifleman will have them ready for the playoffs no matter what the seed is.

[silverblk mystix]

Regular season refs,tbh....

Playoff refs are all Stern henchmen and will always give the lakers a better chance...

[ElNono]

It's the same thing they did last year. Many forget the same questions were asked when they limped into the playoffs going 3-7 and really playing ty.

Come on Larry... this is nothing like last year... They had HCA in the West locked up by the time they started coasting, and Bynum was out at the end too.
This Lakeshow team has been consistently bad against top teams, and even mediocre against middle/bottom of the pack teams. It's been an all-season thing. They've been trying to have that statement game, which most thought it was the Boston win last week, then they went back to dropping turds.

I pretty much agree with HH and Jammie assessments. A lot of you guys didn't like Farmar because he was a selfish chucker, but those quick legs did help to stay in front of top PGs.

We'll see what happens when Barnes comes back.

[Rummpd]

It this enigmatic LAL squad does somehow go onto win the NBA finals I will give them their props as honestly I think their chances are pretty low with 4 teams including two in the West - Spurs and Mavs that are deeper, equally if not more talented 1-10 in the probable playoff rotations, and just as motivated to win the le and both may well have the HCA over the LAL..

[ElNono]

3 time Finalists and repeat NBA champs get a pass during the regular season. I understand that Spur fan knows nothing about this since his team has never once even made repeat Finals appearances.

The Spurs know a thing or two about knocking down three-peat champs and making them cry though...

[TampaDude]

From my standpoint, no. As the Lakers currently stand, they could possibly be outed a majority of the playoff bound teams, which includes the Mavs.

Yup...before the season started, we were all worried about the Lakers in the West, but now it looks like the Mavs are better than the Lakers. I wouldn't be surprised if we have a Mavs-Spurs WCF.

[u4lakers14]

Yeah. This is the season where the Lakers can really cement their place in history as an all-time great team.

ya, to consider the lakers as an "all-time great team" after winning just 16 championships would be crazy.

are you legally re ed, or do you just bootleg it under the radar?

[Cry Havoc]

The Lakers are not interested in burning themselves out to get a good regular season record.

Is that why Kobe played 35+ minutes last night despite being "bone on bone" AND having flu like symptoms?