Excited for jan 14

[HarlemHeat37]

are some of you guys serious?..

Bynum is an average player..no, that's not an exaggeration at all..he's an average player..he was great defensively in the first few weeks, but he's no longer even close to that right now..he's playing with no energy, he has trouble creating on his own, he's foul prone..he's an average player..

Ariza? yes, he makes a difference..

it's not like the Spurs haven't gotten upgrades neither..we've upgraded at the 1 and the 2..Bonner is much better..

Ginobili isn't going to be completely healthy by the 14th, so that's irrelevant..the difference with a healthy Manu is big though, because we rely on our big 3 more than any other team in the NBA..

we obviously aren't as good as the Lakers..would they be favored to beat us in a series? of course..CAN we beat them? yes, we can..but to say that the Lakers gaining Bynum and Ariza gives them an even bigger edge over us than last year is wrong IMO..it'll be the same as it was going into the series last year..

you obviously have to consider the fact that we blew a 20-point lead in game 1, and a questionable call might have cost us game 4..the series was closer, just like the Lakers-Celtics series was closer..

Lakers are better, but it wouldn't be out of the question for us to beat them in a series..

[mystargtr34]

You're an idiot. Your team has done nothing this season or last to warrant the talking you spew. You're old getting older, going the way of the Suns and Mavs. You're just too dumb to see it.

What have the Lakers done since 2002?

Ill tell you what 'his' team has done since then, won 3 damn championships. Whether your a lottery team, exit in the first round or get your ass whooped by 39 points in game 6 of the Finals, you didnt win the championship, so no one gives a about your team or what you think your team can or will do.

The Celtics are the big dogs in the league right now because they have the 'ship. Until 'your' team wins a championship, STFU about being the best team in the league because your talk is cheap.

[Sissiborgo]

Heat first. Heat beat the Lakers.

Although some people do not think so, but Dwayne Wade is the best player in the NBA this season.

We got the Heat man

[Chieflion]

We got the Heat man

Good. Spurs should just play one game at a time. Look what the Lakers did before they beat the Celtics.

[SmellyFeet]

January 14 is a meaningless game.

Both coaches will go CIA

that's right son, start making up excuses now, it will hurt less when your team gets raped.

[DrHouse]

Wow I would expect Spurs fans of all people to be the most level-headed fans, but you guys are worse than some of the Celtics fans I've met.

First of all there is no way you can say that adding Bynum and Ariza to the Lakers changes nothing. That's the dumbest and most asinine thing I've ever heard.

I take it you all watched the Celtics series.....adding Bynum into the starting lineup allows Pau to guard the weaker and less physical front court player. He improves defensive rebounding and shotblocking around the rim. Ariza coming off the bench is just a disruptive defensive force we have not had at the SF spot in years. He provides all the intangibles that don't show up on stat sheets. These two players alone are very much responsible for the big turnaround in the Laker defense this season.

They are the reason why the Lakers were able to beat the Celtics at their own game. If you honestly believe adding both of these players to the Lakers changes nothing, you're in for a surprise on the 14th.

Spurs fans should be content that their team was able to win 4 les. It's a huge accomplishment. But your era is clearly over. You simply don't have the depth, size, or talent to compete agains the elite teams of the NBA. You've lost to PHX, DEN, DAL, HOU, NOH, ORL.....these are the teams you are going to face in the playoffs. Not the Grizzlies, not the Clippers, or whatever garbage teams there are in the WC.

[DrHouse]

Monday
ESPN Power Rankings
1. Lakers (1) Marc Stein wrote: Throw out a winter trip to Florida that went awry and the Lakers are 10-0 since the Dec. 9 debacle in Sacramento. And so they've reclaimed the league's best record along with the top spot where it matters. (Yes, here.)
NBA.com Power Rankings
1. Lakers (2) John Schumann wrote: Thanks to some upsets in the East and an impressive win over the Blazers, the Lakers are back to having the best record in the league. They're also the most efficient offense for the first time this season. As much as the Pau Gasol trade helped the Lakers last season, the deal they made for Trevor Ariza last November is looking pretty good too.
USA Today Power Rankings
1. Lakers (3) Chris Colston wrote: Portland's McMillan: Lakers are "on a mission."

[Yorae]

Is he bragging a bit too much? Gago to ha. He's acting like the lakers already won the championship.

[Chieflion]

Wow I would expect Spurs fans of all people to be the most level-headed fans, but you guys are worse than some of the Celtics fans I've met.

First of all there is no way you can say that adding Bynum and Ariza to the Lakers changes nothing. That's the dumbest and most asinine thing I've ever heard.

I take it you all watched the Celtics series.....adding Bynum into the starting lineup allows Pau to guard the weaker and less physical front court player. He improves defensive rebounding and shotblocking around the rim. Ariza coming off the bench is just a disruptive defensive force we have not had at the SF spot in years. He provides all the intangibles that don't show up on stat sheets. These two players alone are very much responsible for the big turnaround in the Laker defense this season.

They are the reason why the Lakers were able to beat the Celtics at their own game. If you honestly believe adding both of these players to the Lakers changes nothing, you're in for a surprise on the 14th.

Spurs fans should be content that their team was able to win 4 les. It's a huge accomplishment. But your era is clearly over. You simply don't have the depth, size, or talent to compete agains the elite teams of the NBA. You've lost to PHX, DEN, DAL, HOU, NOH, ORL.....these are the teams you are going to face in the playoffs. Not the Grizzlies, not the Clippers, or whatever garbage teams there are in the WC.

We beat the Suns, Nuggets, Mavericks and the Rockets before. We are bound to lose some games and win some. Am I supposed to write you off after losing to the Kings?

[BlueDog]

Tim, Kurt, Matt, and Anthony, maybe they will have some sort of positive effect on the front court play. I have especially admired Kurt's defensive play this season so far, as well as Matt's rebound and 3-point numbers. I will be glad to see which combinations coach Poppovich uses for this game. It shall be mighty exciting!

P.S. If Tolliver and Bonner are more skilled at post play they will make quite the difference.

[ElNono]

Are you stupid? The Lakers have 14 championships. They don't need to prove anything to anybody.

Really? Last year NBA Finals was meaningless? You don't give a if they win it all or not?

The Lakers still have to prove they can win it all without Shaq... So far, they can't.

[ElNono]

Monday
ESPN Power Rankings
1. Lakers (1) Marc Stein wrote: Throw out a winter trip to Florida that went awry and the Lakers are 10-0 since the Dec. 9 debacle in Sacramento. And so they've reclaimed the league's best record along with the top spot where it matters. (Yes, here.)
NBA.com Power Rankings
1. Lakers (2) John Schumann wrote: Thanks to some upsets in the East and an impressive win over the Blazers, the Lakers are back to having the best record in the league. They're also the most efficient offense for the first time this season. As much as the Pau Gasol trade helped the Lakers last season, the deal they made for Trevor Ariza last November is looking pretty good too.
USA Today Power Rankings
1. Lakers (3) Chris Colston wrote: Portland's McMillan: Lakers are "on a mission."

Do you get an award for 'winning' the Power Rankings?

[ManuTastic]

We are woefully understaffed in the post. It's going to be Tim Duncan against Gasol, Bynum and Odom. Major problemo.

Actually, it'll be Tim against all the above plus defending the rim against Kobe.

We need another big.

[Brazil]

Spurs fans should be content that their team was able to win 4 les. It's a huge accomplishment. But your era is clearly over. You simply don't have the depth, size, or talent to compete agains the elite teams of the NBA. You've lost to PHX, DEN, DAL, HOU, NOH, ORL.....these are the teams you are going to face in the playoffs. Not the Grizzlies, not the Clippers, or whatever garbage teams there are in the WC.

That's the dumbest and most asinine thing I've ever heard.

[carib]

I know that it’s early in the season but here we have the two top teams in the West playing good ball and both are very compe ive, also you have two great coaches that like to play chess matches early in the season. With all of that said I think the flow of January 14, 2009 game comes down to the way Kobe comes out to play.

On the other hand I think Pop should play the newer players real hard in the fourth so that they can get mentally strong for this type of match up come the playoffs, also the big men need to come out real physical and bang with the Lakers big men.

It’s just something about LA and the Spurs match up I look forward to it every year.

[2Cleva]

Actually, it'll be Tim against all the above plus defending the rim against Kobe.

We need another big.

Agreed.

Until the Spurs get a better big man next to Tim than what they have now, they aren't beating LA in a series.

[DPG21920]

Wow I would expect Spurs fans of all people to be the most level-headed fans, but you guys are worse than some of the Celtics fans I've met.

This just confirmed what I thought. You are new.

[DrHouse]

Wow some revisionist history going on here.

2007 WCF

Game 1 - Spurs blow huge double digit lead in the 3rd and 4th quarters. Series changing collapse.

Game 2 - Lakers blow out the Spurs.

Game 3 - Spurs muster up a good fight and show they aren't going to lay down and take it. Win decisively in a blowout.

Game 4 - Lakers come out the gate dominating and it stays that way the entire game save the last few minutes when they almost gave up the lead entirely. This was not a close game, the Lakers dominated for the majority of the game save the last two minutes.

Game 5 - Spurs blow another double digit lead, but this time it was an early lead. The Spurs simply couldn't keep pace with the Lakers as the game went on and they clearly had no gas in the tank to stop Kobe at the end.

Like I said before it was not a blowout win for the Lakers, but a solid and decisive victory. The Lakers were flat out the better team and any idiot who watched the series can see that. The parity between both teams was not what it was in say 2004, the Lakers were clearly playing better basketball.

[DPG21920]

Monday
ESPN Power Rankings
1. Lakers (1) Marc Stein wrote: Throw out a winter trip to Florida that went awry and the Lakers are 10-0 since the Dec. 9 debacle in Sacramento. And so they've reclaimed the league's best record along with the top spot where it matters. (Yes, here.)
NBA.com Power Rankings
1. Lakers (2) John Schumann wrote: Thanks to some upsets in the East and an impressive win over the Blazers, the Lakers are back to having the best record in the league. They're also the most efficient offense for the first time this season. As much as the Pau Gasol trade helped the Lakers last season, the deal they made for Trevor Ariza last November is looking pretty good too.
USA Today Power Rankings
1. Lakers (3) Chris Colston wrote: Portland's McMillan: Lakers are "on a mission."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...x.html?eref=T1

NBA Power Rankings
1

Last Week: 2 Los Angeles Lakers (27-5)
There aren't many causes for concern in Lakerland, but one of them has to be center Andrew Bynum. The Lakers' prodigy hasn't embarrassed himself (he is averaging 11.9 points and 8.3 rebounds), but he hasn't found the groove he was in before his knee injury last season. "He has gone through a lot of games now," coach Phil Jackson told reporters. "I think some of it is power and going through the motions and getting the power [back in his knee]."

[DPG21920]

Lakers Andrew Bynum admits to poor play
Andrew Bynum thought something was wrong with his game. He believed he wasn't playing with the same gusto as he was at this time last season, when he was running and jumping and dunking and rebounding with remarkable success. So, he watched a stack of videos, which confirmed his su ions. Something was wrong. He discovered he wasn't playing with the same gusto as he was at this time last season, when he made a major career breakthrough. "I don't think I'm taking advantage of the opportunities I'm getting," Bynum said before the Lakers played against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night at Staples Center. "I just need to go out there and put more energy to it. "When I watched last year's tapes and this year's tapes, there's a difference you can see pretty clearly." Bynum refused to play the blame game. He said his left kneecap was not the reason for a decline in production. He was averaging 12.2 points and 8.2 rebounds before Sunday's game, down from his 2007-08 averages of 13.1 points and 10.2 rebounds. "I'm not taking easy or not trusting the leg," the 7-foot Bynum said. "It feels fine. It feels like it's good." -- LA Daily News

[DrHouse]

Bynum is playing good enough for the Lakers to beat BOS.

[DPG21920]

Utah coach Jerry Sloan last week was asked about the Lakers, whom his Jazz were about to play, and he gave quite an interesting answer. "They are a terrific team," Sloan said. "They've been fortu nate. They've got gifts, and any time you get gifts that can start for you, that's a tremendous advantage. Give them the credit. They were lucky to be able to get them. Proba bly thrilled to death. And that makes them a very good team." Those "gifts" he was referring to seem to be Derek Fisher and Pau Gasol. Fisher was a huge part of the Jazz's run to the Western Conference finals two years ago. After that season, he asked to be let out of his contract so he could live in a city where his daughter could get better treatment for an eye disorder. Fisher immediately signed with the Lakers (the Cavs and the Cleveland Clinic's renowned Cole Eye Ins ute weren't enough). Apparently there's some raw feelings on the Jazz's side about that one. Then last season, the Grizzlies virtually gave Gasol to the Lakers. The only player Memphis still has from that deal is rookie Marc Gasol, Pau's brother. Months after the trade, Memphis owner Michael Heisley admitted it was a major mistake. -- Cleveland Plain Dealer

[DPG21920]

Bynum is playing good enough for the Lakers to beat BOS.

Just pointing out that people that do this for a living seem to disagree that all is perfect in La La land.

[DPG21920]

I guess you would expect great NBA coaches to be level headed, but they are worse than some of the Boston fans you talk to...

[MarHill]

Wow I would expect Spurs fans of all people to be the most level-headed fans, but you guys are worse than some of the Celtics fans I've met.

First of all there is no way you can say that adding Bynum and Ariza to the Lakers changes nothing. That's the dumbest and most asinine thing I've ever heard.

I take it you all watched the Celtics series.....adding Bynum into the starting lineup allows Pau to guard the weaker and less physical front court player. He improves defensive rebounding and shotblocking around the rim. Ariza coming off the bench is just a disruptive defensive force we have not had at the SF spot in years. He provides all the intangibles that don't show up on stat sheets. These two players alone are very much responsible for the big turnaround in the Laker defense this season.

They are the reason why the Lakers were able to beat the Celtics at their own game. If you honestly believe adding both of these players to the Lakers changes nothing, you're in for a surprise on the 14th.

Spurs fans should be content that their team was able to win 4 les. It's a huge accomplishment. But your era is clearly over. You simply don't have the depth, size, or talent to compete agains the elite teams of the NBA. You've lost to PHX, DEN, DAL, HOU, NOH, ORL.....these are the teams you are going to face in the playoffs. Not the Grizzlies, not the Clippers, or whatever garbage teams there are in the WC.

DrHouse,

You make some good points on your analysis. But you are overstating your case for the Lakers.

First of all, I watched the Lakers-Celtics Xmas Day Game twice. I wanted to see Bynum's impact on that game.

You are right...but saying that him playing center moves Gasol back to his natural position of PF. However, he didn't have much of an impact on that game at all. He had a nice dunk in the first half off of a P/R and a couple of blocks. But Laker fans..are talking like him coming back from his injury he was going to be next next Shaq or Wilt.

He still has a long ways to go and from that game I don't think he has that presence yet that you want from a big time center.

Now, he's 20 or 21 and he's coming off an injury...so it will take time for him.

In that game..it was Gasol who stepped in the last two minutes and helped them win that game. Remember, it was a tie game with 2:05 left. I believe Gasol scored 7 points down the stretch and that was the difference.


Now, to your overanalysis of the Spurs. It amaze me how people criticize who you play on your schedule. The Spurs didn't make their schedule and considering that Tony and Manu were out for most of the first month of the season where teams had a chance to bury the Spurs...they didn't.

And yes they've had a favorable schedule. But if the Spurs had lost those games....then what? The fact they beat Den, Dal, Phx, Mia all on the road after losing to them at home is a nice feat. They are not elite teams...but they are good teams. Also, beating Hou and Utah at home without Tony and Manu were good wins as well. Especially the Houston....being down double digits in the 4th quarter.

Also, you should be savvy enough to know that the Spurs play NOH four times in a season and the Orlando game is coming up on the 11th. So the Spurs will get a chance to avenge those losses from December. Moreover, the teams can play well against one another in regular season and lost to that same team in the postseason. Spurs beat both NOH and PHX in last year playoffs. PHX had beaten the Spurs 3-1 in the regular season series and the Spurs split with NOH 2-2 in the regular season series but the two losses to NOH were blowouts. So, please don't overstate the regular season wins!!!

Lastly, to say that the Spurs' era is over is disrespecting your opponent. In my criticism of your Lakers' analysis has been to your overstatement they are going to walk through the Western Conference and the revisionist history of last year's WCF.

I have never posted they aren't a good team and they don't deserve to be the favorite in the west. They are last year's Western Conference Championships. But you have made a premature analysis and we've just gotten in the third month of the season. We are still a month or so away from the all-star game.

The Spurs greatest acheivement in this era has been their consistency. They have averaged 58 wins in since the 2002-2003 and won three les in that period. The team still has the four main components (Tim, Tony, Manu, and Bruce Bowen) so they still have a legitimate shot as a contender. And to not see that or believe that...is a flat out denial.

Now, the Spurs have made a good free agent signing with Mason and drafted a back-up PG in Hill and both have gotten to play a lot minutes early in the season and that will benefit the team in the long run and also gives the Spurs some depth...something they haven't had awhile. It will payoff huge for them in the playoffs.

Like all teams..the Spurs have some weaknesses particularly on the frontline besides TD. But, the Lakers' weaknesses has been their defense (even though it has gotten better) and their inconsistency of it. Even, Phil Jackson and Kobe have admitted as such. And in the game against the Celtics...their interior defense was exposed with Gasol and Bynum on the floor. Rondo got 2 layups, Garnett got 2 dunks, and Perkins got 2 dunks in that first half. So teams know they can attack the Lakers there.

I appreciated the fact you believe the Lakers are the best in the west and you have every right to post that. But, to discount a team with the championship pedigree that the Spurs have in this era and are on pace to win 54 or 55 games this season and have made a couple of key additions to their team....is not respecting your opponent and the serious challenge they will bring when it comes playoff time.