Charles Barkley: Spurs are the second best team in the West.

[DPG21920]

Order Pizza and wings for delivery dude.

Simple solution FTW.

[Findog]

The point is that he does not hate on Dirk or the Mavs.

I never said that he had an animus towards Dirk/Mavs. I don't have any beef with his opinion that the Spurs will come together and end up as the biggest challenge to LA. I don't think they will, but that's a more than respectable opinion. I just profoundly disagree with his comments about Dirk/Denver. I mean, Dirk put up monster stats against the Nugs. If he had said "Neck Lips and Birdman CAN'T GUARD ME!" instead of "Yeah, they're good players and they make me work for my points," would he have scored a few more points or grabbed a couple more rebounds? The kind of sense does that make? Nugs won that series because they were much better than the Mavs. Dirk was arguably the best player in that series.

He has a ton of respect for Dirk and his game. Charles, despite his flaws, just had a take no prisoners mindset. Like when he trash talked Angola in the Olympics.

I wonder where that take no prisoners mindset was against Chicago in 93 or all those years Philly was going home early.

[monosylab1k]

I'm hungry as . But I don't want to miss any of the Rose Bowl.

Just go get some food. Here's what will happen - Ohio State will look thoroughly unimpressive while Kirk Herbstreit gushes over the athletic ability of Terrell Pryor.

[monosylab1k]

I wonder where that take no prisoners mindset was against Chicago in 93 or all those years Philly was going home early.

Or when he thought he was joining the greatest Big 3 of all time in Houston.

[Thundaluva]

The Rose bowl was supposed to start at 2:30.....it's 3 now, and hasn't started.....wtf?

[mookie_crew]

They're delaying the eventual bloadation of the Suckeyes' chode.

ROFL ROFL

[Thundaluva]

mookie_crew's sig.

[DPG21920]

I never said that he had an animus towards Dirk/Mavs. I don't have any beef with his opinion that the Spurs will come together and end up as the biggest challenge to LA. I don't think they will, but that's a more than respectable opinion. I just profoundly disagree with his comments about Dirk/Denver. I mean, Dirk put up monster stats against the Nugs. If he had said "Neck Lips and Birdman CAN'T GUARD ME!" instead of "Yeah, they're good players and they make me work for my points," would he have scored a few more points or grabbed a couple more rebounds? The kind of sense does that make? Nugs won that series because they were much better than the Mavs. Dirk was arguably the best player in that series.

Dude, like I said, theoretically you are correct. Dirk saying what he did would not make him grab less/more rebounds or score more points. But it is just widely understood that you don't say stuff like that in general. Once again, not a big deal, but Charles was just saying what everyone knows to be true. But Dirk does not really care and he is a pretty humble and honest guy.

I wonder where that take no prisoners mindset was against Chicago in 93 or all those years Philly was going home early.

Brah, that is like saying where was Dirk's close to Kobe's work ethic when he needed to improve his post up and defense when he was bounce by Miami and G.S.

[DPG21920]

Also, just because someone has a mindset does not mean it works out all of the time. Kobe is a killer and he missed the playoffs.

[monosylab1k]

Here's what will happen - Ohio State will look thoroughly unimpressive while Kirk Herbstreit gushes over the athletic ability of Terrell Pryor.

rofl nice prediction dip .

[mookie_crew]

He just can't do things like that, corso!

[monosylab1k]

I didn't necessarily agree with Barkley's comments, or the timing of them, but I do agree with the idea that a big part of the NBA game is having some at ude. Which is basically the point Barkley was really trying to get across.

Dirk too easily allows opposing players to "punk" him. Whether it's Shaq putting an elbow in his grill in the Finals, David West tapping his face, K-Mart putting a flagrant on him, the entire Golden State fiasco.....Dirk just takes getting on while offering no resistance whatsoever. You can't have that type of softness and expect to be a true leader in the NBA.

Obviously Dirk shouldn't go all Ron Artest when an opposing player tries to punk him, but he's gotta show some backbone. Get in the guy's face, call him a mother er, make sure that he knows not to try and pull that again.

And since Dirk is the leader, that type of soft at ude trickles down to the rest of the team. That's why the rest of the team will let snowball on them during games, that's why complete meltdowns happen so often for the Mavs.

[BUMP]

Why is it that SpurFan decides to bask in the glory of a 30 point win over a mediocre team in December and get away with it, but when the Mavs beat an elite team they get the same ol "regular season champions, lol it doesnt mean anything" schtick?

[DPG21920]

I didn't necessarily agree with Barkley's comments, or the timing of them, but I do agree with the idea that a big part of the NBA game is having some at ude. Which is basically the point Barkley was really trying to get across.

Dirk too easily allows opposing players to "punk" him. Whether it's Shaq putting an elbow in his grill in the Finals, David West tapping his face, K-Mart putting a flagrant on him, the entire Golden State fiasco.....Dirk just takes getting on while offering no resistance whatsoever. You can't have that type of softness and expect to be a true leader in the NBA.

Obviously Dirk shouldn't go all Ron Artest when an opposing player tries to punk him, but he's gotta show some backbone. Get in the guy's face, call him a mother er, make sure that he knows not to try and pull that again.

And since Dirk is the leader, that type of soft at ude trickles down to the rest of the team. That's why the rest of the team will let snowball on them during games, that's why complete meltdowns happen so often for the Mavs.

That is what I was trying to say. Dirk just does not have that at ude that other elite players has. It is just not in him.

[TD 21]

lakers dont have artest and nuggets dont have billups so it makes sense in that context

It's funny how the Nuggets have had to do so little for so many to consider them clearly above the Spurs. Clearly, they're not a one hit wonder like the Hornets were, but really what have they done to be considered clearly above the Spurs? Despite being remarkably healthy and flying under the radar last season, they still finished with the same amount of wins as the Spurs, who had a limited roster outside of the injury riddled core and played in the toughest division in basketball.

Now, the Spurs are arguably the deepest team in the league and have been significantly outplaying (I don't want to hear this "easy schedule " from Lakers fans, who spend the first quarter of every season playing virtually every game at home, spaced out, against weak compe ion themselves, yet had no issue anointing or having anyone else anointing them and slobbering over them on a daily basis) the Nuggets for a while now. The Nuggets get one injury and instantly there's a built in excuse. The Spurs core was injury riddled last year and instantly that meant that they were "old and no longer dominant or relevant".

Down the stretch last season, the Nuggets were remarkably hot. They started out this season in similar fashion and looked superior to the Spurs, mostly due to continuity and chemistry. Now that the Spurs are beginning to forge a semblance of chemistry themselves, suddenly the Nuggets don't look so superior all of a sudden. Go back before the injuries to the Spurs core and they were always superior to the Nuggets, yet because of a couple of significant injuries and a remarkably hot stretch, people have the nerve to pretend as if the Nuggets are unquestionably better than the Spurs.

[BUMP]

Now, the Spurs are arguably the deepest team in the league and have been significantly outplaying

(I don't want to hear this "easy schedule " from Lakers fans, who spend the first quarter of every season playing virtually every game at home, spaced out, against weak compe ion themselves, yet had no issue anointing or having anyone else anointing them and slobbering over them on a daily basis)

One is the defending champion, while the other was just first round fodder the prior year.

[TD 21]

One is the defending champion, while the other was just first round fodder the prior year.

DPG has the team stats that show how impressive the Spurs bench has been. It's not at all a stretch to say that the Spurs are the deepest team in the league. It's just not the popular thing to say and in many fans minds that often makes it not credible.

As we're seeing with the Suns this year, never take a brief snap shot of a quality team and presume that that is what they are. If the Suns aren't quite what they were from 05-07, they're certainly a lot better than they showed in '08.

The Spurs were "first round fodder" because two of their three best players were injured, their role players had aged and they were a dying breed in the NBA: a contender NOT paying the luxury tax, meaning when they sustained those injuries, they didn't have the depth to have others fill in adequately.

Call the Lakers superior (as of now) and I won't argue, but don't act like their core has accomplished or proven more than the Spurs core has.

[BadOdor]

Call the Lakers superior (as of now) and I won't argue, but don't act like their core has accomplished or proven more than the Spurs core has.

The lakers went to the finals in the last 2 years, winning the championship last year.

The spurs got thumped in the western conf finals 4-1, and then went on to get thumped by the mavs in the first round last year.

[TD 21]

The lakers went to the finals in the last 2 years, winning the championship last year.

The spurs got thumped in the western conf finals 4-1, and then went on to get thumped by the mavs in the first round last year.

Thank you for the update.

Arguably their second best player was severely hobbled, plus their was an egregious no-call that decided the swing game in the series and effectively ended the series. Once again, just ignore the cir stances that led to them being "thumped" in the first round last year. But I bet if the Lakers had Gasol not playing at all and Bryant playing severely hobbled and went out in the first round this year, then most would constantly bring that up as the primary reason for their premature demise. Why don't the Spurs, team of the decade, get that sort of respect or get a mulligan? Because you don't like or because they're not media darlings is not a suitable answer.

[HarlemHeat37]

When healthy, I'd say we are the 2nd best team in the West..as the stats have shown, our struggles against .500 teams have had a huge part to do with Parker and Ginobili..I highly doubt they continue to struggle considering how good they are, it's more about them coming off injuries and adjusting to the new players IMO..health permitting, I'd say we're #2..

I don't mind any arguments for Dallas or Denver, they're obviously legitimate options as the 2nd best team in the West..they would both have better arguments as being better than the Spurs this year, especially Dallas(Denver is overrated)..

I'd go..

Lakers

Spurs
Mavs
Nuggets


Portland
Utah

[Ice009]

The lakers went to the finals in the last 2 years, winning the championship last year.

The spurs got thumped in the western conf finals 4-1, and then went on to get thumped by the mavs in the first round last year.

Did you watch any of the games?

Game 1 Spurs had a 20 point lead
Game 2 Spurs got blown out
Game 3 Spurs win by 20
Game 4 Spurs should have won and choked it
Game 5 Spurs had a 20 point lead

The series was 4-1, but we did not get thumped. We could have even won it. Maybe with a healthy Manu we finish off all those games we had a 20 point lead in and win the series 4-1. Maybe if we had the legs to finish off the Game 1 after spending almost all night in NO it's a completely different series. The Lakers were definitely not anywhere near as superior as that 4-1 series leads you to believe. Spurs lost the series and a lot of it is on them, not the Lakers flat out beating them.

We lost the series and that is that, but we sure as didn't get thumped.

[HarlemHeat37]

Don't forget the Barry no-call..although that should be expected in Laker games..

[BadOdor]

Did you watch any of the games?

Game 1 Spurs had a 20 point lead
Game 2 Spurs got blown out
Game 3 Spurs win by 20
Game 4 Spurs should have won and choked it
Game 5 Spurs had a 20 point lead

The series was 4-1, but we did not get thumped. We could have even won it. Maybe with a healthy Manu we finish off all those games we had a 20 point lead in and win the series 4-1. Maybe if we had the legs to finish off the Game 1 after spending almost all night in NO it's a completely different series. The Lakers were definitely not anywhere near as superior as that 4-1 series leads you to believe. Spurs lost the series and a lot of it is on them, not the Lakers flat out beating them.

We lost the series and that is that, but we sure as didn't get thumped.

You can have the moral victory argy fan, I don't mind

[BadOdor]

Don't forget the Barry no-call..although that should be expected in Laker games..

Doesn't matter because the ball hit the rim and lakers should have had the ball with a reset shot clock.

But go ahead and cry some more, spur fan

[Ice009]

Doesn't matter because the ball hit the rim and lakers should have had the ball with a reset shot clock.

But go ahead and cry some more, spur fan

I didn't include the Barry foul because the Spurs simply gave that game away. We had it won and did everything we could to hand it to the Lakers with mistakes at the end. Again it was the Spurs fault and nothing to do with the Lakers actually taking the game.