Curious...LAL Fans, does your team have weaknesses?

[cornbread]

Those "scrubs" were both starters.

Take two starters of any championship team and see how well they fare.

A lot of Spur fans will be eating crow when they see a fully healthy Bynum on the floor, he's a much different player when healthy.

Do the excuses ever end with this guy?

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

The Lakers have one glaring weakness IMHO and that is defense at the PG position. Outside of Shannon Brown they don't really have any quality PG defenders. I hope the Lakers can find a replacement for Fisher in the offseason, or Brown can improve his game enough to get a good chunk of those minutes.

No team is perfect, all championship teams have their flaws. To say the Lakers didn't deserve to win last season is ludicrous, their regular season record proved they were the best team in basketball (at least the best in the WC). And their record against both BOS and CLE was 4-0. It's funny that Spur fans are complaining about injuries to other teams, but when the Lakers had to face the Celtics in '08 without Bynum or Ariza healthy they never once mentioned it.

It takes talent, health, and a little bit of luck to win an NBA championship.

See, now that's a good post from you, House, unlike the garbage you've been throwing out there for the last week. The last line is especially spot on.

Most of the Lakerfan don't come to the Spurs side of the forum, only a few so there won't be many responses from Lakerfan.

Laker fan is pretty honest about weaknesses, often pessimistic even with a loaded roster. Feel free to ask and you'll get more information than you want to know. I've never known a more pessimistic fanbase even when the going's good.

The reality is the Lakers aren't really that good, they shoot some shots, they made some shots. Some were fluke shots, other's were lucky ones.

Some Laker weaknesses I could quickly think of:

1) Defensive PG. Everybody knows you quick little PG's can abuse the Lakers PG. I'm talking to you Aaron Brooks, Jameer Nelson, Tony Parker <insert waterbug PG>

2) Soft Defense. Major problem in 07/08. Inconsistent defense last year.

3) Taking games off.

4) Charlotte Bobcats own the Lakers.

5) John Salmons owns Kobe.

6) Lamar is inconsistent cuz he eats too much kandy.

7) Derek Fisher is a little too buff

8) Machine was broken

9) Farmar's ears are kinda freakish big, as is his ego.

10) More? Just ask or propose a weakness and you'll find a Lakerfan that agrees.

Artest for Ariza.

Ariza was a perfect piece for you guys, and just coming into his own. Kid defended hard, played hard, has finally found his stroke, and makes a lot of intangible plays.

OTOH, Artest is a headcase whose defence is slowly declining, and whose offense consists of a big black hole from which he shoots 40%. Also, do you think Artest is smart enough to learn the Triangle, and disciplined enough to actually play it? Or are the Lakers going to abandon it?

I'm surprised more LA fans aren't worried by Artest. Are you assuming that Phil will be able to handle him just like he did Dennis? IMHO, Dennis was a strange guy, but not a sociopath - I'm pretty sure Artest is a sociopath. Has Phil handled a sociopath before?

[JWest596]

Do the excuses ever end with this guy?

They wouldn't be Laker fans if they didn't have their never ending quiver of excuses, apologies, the covert conspiracies against them, etc.

It's comedy gold.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

They wouldn't be Laker fans if they didn't have their never ending quiver of excuses, apologies, the covert conspiracies against them, etc.

It's comedy gold.

...hang on, your handle is JWest... am I the only one who is confused???

[The_Game]

we do have clear weaknesses but so does everybody else...hense why this new season will be a great one

[LakeShow]

Quick, above average scoring PG's have been the Lakers Achilles heel this entire decade. It has caused problems for the defense in the past and I expect it will again this season BUT the Lakers have won 4 les with this weakness and it is no reason to think that they can not win it again because as someone stated, all teams have weaknesses. I would like the lakers to upgrade that position but it is not an upgrade that is necessary at this time to win back to back les. Phil had stated that he plans on using Lamar more at the point this season. With the signing of Ron Artest, the 3 position is his, so I expect to see Kobe guarding PG's this season. Can you imagine a line up of

Kobe - SG
Odom - PG
Artest - SF
Gasol - PF
Bynum - C

Awesome!

Complacency is the only other weakness. The Lakers seem to get bored with the compe ion during the long regular season.

Anybody who says that Artest is not an upgrade at the 3 is an idiot. Anybody who says Ariza is a big part for the Lakers success is misinformed. Do you know that Ariza only started 23 games for the Lakers in two years? The Lakers won back to back conference les with Rad, Walton and Ariza. 1 conference win was without Ariza. Ron is a big upgrade at that position and his stats says as much. So it's pretty dumb to imply that the lakers will not have success without Ariza. Ariza was a good role player who came into his own in the WCF and Finals this season. He shot well, defended well against Turkuloo, but was torched by Carmelo which forced the Lakers to ask Kobe to try to stop him. The Lakers will not have that problem with Artest. They will also shed the softness label now that Artest is a Lakers. He is by far one of the toughest player in the NBA and his intensity on defense will be contagious with the other Lakers players. The Lakers are indeed stronger this season and will rival the Shaq/Kobe era for best Lakers team of the decade and possibly best Lakers team ever.

That said, I do believe the Spurs have made moves to better compete against the Lakers but they are full of unknowns. They are coming into the season with two declining players in Duncan and McDyess as the only proven players on their front line. You have no idea what those other players will bring in the coming season. RJ is ok but Artest renders him useless. The Lakers championship experience and Kobe Bryant should be enough to get past the Spurs.

As for the Mavs, they have improved but not in the areas needed to beat the lakers. They are still weak in the post, which is a death sentence against the Lakers bigs. As long as their PF plays on the perimeter they will not threaten the Lakers.

I expect this Lakers team to rival the 2001 Championship Lakers playoff run as the most dominating playoff team in NBA History.

[SonOfAGun]

Weakness

They have only one Luke Walton.

[LakeShow]

I dont agree with the pg weakness thing. If fisher stays healthy, Brown and the other guy Farmer can hold it down. Pg is not a big part of the Triangle. I would say Bynum needs to be delt for another running big who can play in the Triangle system.

But Im still shocked LA didnt resign Ariza, He was very very important on the break.....they replace him with a headcase who thinks he the next Steve Kerr.

I agree. The PG position is not a weakness. It's just not a strength for the Lakers. There are only a handfull of PG's in the league that have the ability to be a good scorer and assist man.

Phil really wanted to coach Artest so I believe he really believes that he can coach him. it was Adelman who put into Artest's head that he should be a scorer. I think he'll do just fine.

[Man In Black]

Without Odom...how do you feel now?

[scottspurs]

Watching Kobe and Artest eat each other alive next season is going to be fun.

[Jose Ole]

Thier fans (you would never see this happening in SA):

[4RINGS]

Thier fans (you would never see this happening in SA):

Class-less idiots = True Laker Fans

[Jose Ole]

When you stop to really think about it, its sad that people like this exist. If I were a Laker fan (with class), I would be ashamed. I feel bad for you all, having people like this bring down your orginization. Fans are just as much a part of the game as the players on the court.



More class-less acts:

[DrHouse]

When you stop to really think about it, its sad that people like this exist. If I were a Laker fan (with class), I would be ashamed. I feel bad for you all, having people like this bring down your orginization. Fans are just as much a part of the game as the players on the court.



More class-less acts:

What makes you think we care about what some dumb drunk Mexicans are doing?

[Jose Ole]

What makes you think we care about what some dumb drunk Mexicans are doing?

Becuase those "dumb drunk Mexicans" make your team's fanbase look like and with you attributing that classlessness simply to their culture, it puts you right in line with those typical "dumb drunk Mexicans." I don't care how many les you win, grow the up.

[Solid D]

When you have injuries, you have weaknesses.

[TheManFromAcme]

What makes you think we care about what some dumb drunk Mexicans are doing?

You know Doc, I will get your back on certain issues but your comments regarding dumb, drunk "Mexicans" is intolerable. I am 1/2 Mexican and a Laker fan at that. True, demographically speaking more than likely it was hispanics that did this but to paint us all with one stroke is unjustified. We are talking about L.A. here. L.A. is Mexico, D.F. but in California. Mexican-Americans make up a HUGE portion of the Laker fan base so I'd reconsider your comment.

Not that you would care but I am a bit angered over your comment.
BTW, Spur fan has a valid point. I live here in S.A. and for the most part their fans are well behaved. But I digress, I did see a couple of White-trash, NASCAR watching toothless white crackers wearing a Laker Jersey the other day. ...Get my point?

[SPURSfanINoc]

What makes you think we care about what some dumb drunk Mexicans are doing?

because california has no money and the governator just raised my license renewal fee while money is spent on michael jacksons funeral. i care what drunk mexicans are doing.