Jackson has 40-20 vision

[Extra Stout]

40 before 20 isn't exactly an earth-shaking observation. All it says is that championship-caliber teams usually are on pace to win 56 or more games by the two-thirds point of the season.

[Heath Ledger]

You sure Phil Jackson wasn't reminiscing about 420?

[JamStone]

I believe teams that win 16 playoff games before they lose 13 playoff games have a great chance at winning an NBA le. In fact, I'd say a 100% chance.

[LakeShow]

You know, the thing is, my biggest fear from the Lakers isn't Kobe (bowen won't shut him down, but he will make things tougher), or Pau, or Lamar, or the Lakers bench........it's actually Phil Jackson. If there ever was a coach who knew how to exploit any weakness from the opposition, it's PJ.

I think this series will come down to PJ vs. Pop

and sadly, Pop takes an entire game to make an adjustment whereas PJ seems to make them on the fly.

You may very well be correct. Phil is good at making adjustments. He appears to have a team that listens and the Lakers have so many players to make adjustments with, I'm hoping that it will be his finest coaching job yet but Pop is no slouch and it seems like Pop brings out the best in Phil.

[LakeShow]

LOL Phil is the worst at in-game adjustments, Pop is one of the best at it. Funny that you think that way about our coach, his mentality is to let his players play through adversity.

Who are you?????

[LakeShow]

40 before 20 isn't exactly an earth-shaking observation. All it says is that championship-caliber teams usually are on pace to win 56 or more games by the two-thirds point of the season.

No it's not but for Phil Jackson it means a le. His record when he reaches that milestone speaks for itself. He has won a le every time his team has accomplished 40 before 20.

[BonnerDynasty]

With all that -talking Phil has done towards the Spurs ever since 99'...don't expect the Spurs to just bow down to the Flakers.

[td4mvp21]

I don't think anyone thought the Lakers would be the first team to 40 wins in the West this year. Crazy stuff. Didn't they win 42 last year? I thought they would maybe win over 45 if they were lucky.

[LakeShow]

With all that -talking Phil has done towards the Spurs ever since 99'...don't expect the Spurs to just bow down to the Flakers.

I don't think anyone expects that.

[LakeShow]

I don't think anyone thought the Lakers would be the first team to 40 wins in the West this year. Crazy stuff. Didn't they win 42 last year? I thought they would maybe win over 45 if they were lucky.

Yeah but I felt pretty good about this team once they signed Fisher. The lakers biggest weakness was at the point and veteran leadership was sorely missing. The whole at ude of the lakers has changed for the better. They are a close knit unit and I love to see them pulling for each other.

I will say that I never expected this though.

[1Parker1]

"He's the best player in the league; he really is," O'Neal said of Bryant. "I've been saying that since I was playing with him."

Did Shaq really say that? I somehow doubt that....

[LakeShow]

Did Shaq really say that? I somehow doubt that....

Yep he said it!

[gmartin02]

that. I'm sick of the stupid double standard that people have for Dirk, and it's just because he's foreign and white. If Dirk was black and american, people would be blaming the team, not Dirk. All you have to do is look at KG. Dude is the epitome of a choker and a poor leader (showing tons of emotion, screaming loudly after dunks and talking before games does not qualify a player as a good leader.) how can you be a good leader if you never take a big ing shot? Dirk has taken and has made a LOT of big shots, game winners, etc... Garnett has almost no resume in that department. that .

Everyone in the West is just really pissed that the Mavs lost to the Heat in the Finals (there was a good bit of collective choking on the Mavs part) - and Dirk is the scapegoat - I think most of us non-Mavs fans were rooting for the Mavs to win and were pretty disappointed when they didn't.

In game 3 of the finals, how the f**k did Dallas blow a 13 point lead with 6 1/2 minutes to play that would have put them up 3-0 in the series?

Dirks #s in the last 6 1/2 minutes of that game:

1 turnover
3 fouls
0-1 shooting
3-4 free throws (including missing the one that would have tied the game with 3 seconds left)
No matter what way you look at it, that is one of the most monumental chokes in NBA Finals history - that's why people are pissed at Dirk.

[gmartin02]

P.S. From the 6 1/2 minute mark in game 3 through the rest of the series, Dirk shot 20-56 (35.7%) - you can rationalize this any way you want, but that is just a poor performance.

[monosylab1k]

P.S. From the 6 1/2 minute mark in game 3 through the rest of the series, Dirk shot 20-56 (35.7%) - you can rationalize this any way you want, but that is just a poor performance.

How did Magic perform in the 91 Finals? Poor enough to lose in 5!

[ApolloCreed]

How did Magic perform in the 91 Finals? Poor enough to lose in 5!

What a dumbass. How does that fact that Magic lost to the Bulls in 91 mitigate Dirk's choke job?

[ApolloCreed]

I can't believe people are actually comparing Dirks choke job to anyone else.

None of these performances metioned (Magic in 91, Bryant in 04) come close to the collosal nose dive Dirk took in 2006.

[ApolloCreed]

The only thing that comes close is Dirk's perfomance in 2007.

[gmartin02]

How did Magic perform in the 91 Finals? Poor enough to lose in 5!

The Bulls beat up the Lakers pretty good in 1991 - but Magic already had 5 championship rings (and 8 finals appearances) before those finals. Please don't try to compare Dirk to Magic until Dirk has at least 2 or 3 championship rings.

[monosylab1k]

The Bulls beat up the Lakers pretty good in 1991 - but Magic already had 5 championship rings (and 8 finals appearances) before those finals. Please don't try to compare Dirk to Magic until Dirk has at least 2 or 3 championship rings.

I don't care about Dirk. I care about the fact that the Bulls own the Lakers!

[stretch]

Everyone in the West is just really pissed that the Mavs lost to the Heat in the Finals (there was a good bit of collective choking on the Mavs part) - and Dirk is the scapegoat - I think most of us non-Mavs fans were rooting for the Mavs to win and were pretty disappointed when they didn't.

In game 3 of the finals, how the f**k did Dallas blow a 13 point lead with 6 1/2 minutes to play that would have put them up 3-0 in the series?

Dirks #s in the last 6 1/2 minutes of that game:

1 turnover
3 fouls
0-1 shooting
3-4 free throws (including missing the one that would have tied the game with 3 seconds left)
No matter what way you look at it, that is one of the most monumental chokes in NBA Finals history - that's why people are pissed at Dirk.

That was one game. There were plenty of amazing games and huge plays that Dirk had in that series, especially in the final two games. He carried his team in both of those games, only to have stupid plays, and Wade punch him in the stomach to get FT's to send it to OT.

I don't like to complain about the officiating in that series, but that one call right there stole the ing game away. I don't know how the you can punch your defender in the stomach and go to the free throw line. If that is the case, why dont we see more fights and black eyes, since punching gets you FTs? That is the absolute worst and most influential foul call in NBA history.

[stretch]

Yep he said it!

You seem to like to put a lot of stock in what Shaq says. Remember that he also said that Dirk Nowtizki is the second best player in the league.

[DazedAndConfused]

At the end of the day results are the only thing that matters. Kobe has 3 rings, Magic has 5, Dirk has 0. Until he finally wins one he will forever be known in sports as a choker, much like Peyton Manning was before he finally won a superbowl. Is it fair? No, but that's just how it goes with sports.

[monosylab1k]

At the end of the day results are the only thing that matters. Kobe has 3 rings, Magic has 5, Dirk has 0.

And Jordan has six

[DazedAndConfused]

And Jordan has six

And? How does that change the fact that Dirk has 0 and is widely considered a choker by sports fans and analysts around the world?