2008 Playoffs Spurs vs Lakers - Who wins ?

[DazedAndConfused]

Trevor Ariza should be back in time for the WCF. He can D up Manu if Kobe gets tired or in foul trouble.

[Warlord23]

Since when have we pinned our hopes on Odom's offensive production? Do you even follow basketball? By bringing in Gasol it means there is LESS pressure for Odom to score. He can go back to what he does best...setting up teammates, rebounding, and sharing the ball.

We have the #3 offense in the league, we get our production from just about everyone. 8 players on the team are now posting career high FG% numbers. We are almost undefeated when Kobe scores under 20 ppg. Offense is the least of our worries, it's the defense that must shore up if we are to contend this year.

I was responding to your idiot fellow Laker fan who claimed that Odom and Manu were a wash.

Poor defense and the lack of cool veteran heads in pressure scenarios are the biggest obstacles for the Lakers when it comes to playing the Spurs.

[Allanon]

I was responding to your idiot fellow Laker fan who claimed that Odom and Manu were a wash.

Poor defense and the lack of cool veteran heads in pressure scenarios are the biggest obstacles for the Lakers when it comes to playing the Spurs.

You're the idiot if you think Manu can guard Odom. And if he doesn't guard Odom, he's the odd man out of the rotation.

[DazedAndConfused]

I was responding to your idiot fellow Laker fan who claimed that Odom and Manu were a wash.

Poor defense and the lack of cool veteran heads in pressure scenarios are the biggest obstacles for the Lakers when it comes to playing the Spurs.

I agree.

[amy020]

SPURS in 6

[Warlord23]

You're the idiot if you think Manu can guard Odom. And if he doesn't guard Odom, he's the odd man out of the rotation.

If Odom were to take smaller defenders into the post and abuse them regiularly, he'd be a 25 PPG scorer. Remember the Spurs-Lakers game when both Duncan and Parker were out, and Manu was the only member of the big 3 out there? Pop smallballed all night, and who did the great Lamar Odom ended up abusing ..... his already poor reputation of being a passive softie.

[rascal]

Yeah i keep hearing that about the Spurs and everytime i do it makes less and less sense. Spurs are boring to watch. What about them makes it boring?? They have a player that runs the floor and slashes to the rim in Tony Parker. They have a player who is amazing to watch when he is HOT in Manu Ginobli, the man can do it all and they have a dominant low post player in Duncan. The only team i hear is quote "Exciting" is the Suns, who as we know play ZERO D every year and get bounced in the playoffs. The Celts and Lakers are not more exciting to watch, they don't have a specific style that is all flash and not at all mechanical. The ratings in the NBA are a leaguewide problem, not a Spurs problem. You can look it up, the only time the ratings have been very good in the post-Jordan Era was when the Lakers were in the finals and i believe they were good when the Knicks and Spurs played. Yes the big markets still bring in more viewers but too many people like to think the public just does not like the Spurs, they are boring. The problem goes deeper than that. Another example was this years all star game. Lowest ratings in history and they have gone down every year that TNT has broadcast it, look at these numbers.

All Star Game Ratings
'08 New Orleans- 4.5/6,334,000
'07 Las Vegas- 5.1/6,843,000
'06 Houston- 5.2/7,070,000
'05 Denver- 6.0/8,082,000
'04 Los Angeles- 6.2/8,190,000
'03 Atlanta- 8.2/10,829,000

The truth is most people find the NBA in general boring, the plummeting ratings year to year prove this.

Agree the ratings are lower now than in the Jordan era because there are so many other options with cable/satelite tv now. But the nba is hoping for a Lakers vs Celtics showdown because they are the bigger market draws.

[DazedAndConfused]

You're the idiot if you think Manu can guard Odom. And if he doesn't guard Odom, he's the odd man out of the rotation.

You know I never thought about that, they are gonna have to stick Manu on Odom if they run with Duncan, Oberto, Manu, Parker, and Bowen.

[Allanon]

If Odom were to take smaller defenders into the post and abuse them regiularly, he'd be a 25 PPG scorer. Remember the Spurs-Lakers game when both Duncan and Parker were out, and Manu was the only member of the big 3 out there? Pop smallballed all night, and who did the great Lamar Odom ended up abusing ..... his already poor reputation of being a passive softie.

That's the old Odom who was the #2 man...as #3/#4, he's averaging something like 18 points. Spurs can no longer afford to do help defense without paying a price.

I think the Spurs have a chance with smallball against that lineup but the smallball has had little success this year.

[DazedAndConfused]

I think that is the biggest problem for the Spurs now. They can't play help defense without leaving someone wide open. They are gonna have to pick their poison and hope they guess right.

[Holt's Cat]

Man, I hope for Laker fan's sake the Lakers beat the Spurs should they meet. The last time the Spurs beat the Lakers in the postseason Kobe raped the help a month later. What a moral quandry Laker fan faced.

[m33p0]

spurs have ime to place on odom if odom is having a good game. in which case, manu may have to guard bryant if both pau and bynum are on the floor. those 2 will have to be handled by 2 bigs unless pop thinks gasol could be contained by a smaller player like finley (not!). however, at the end of the game, spurs need to have tony, manu and duncan to finish it. thomas or oberto will be there if the 2 laker bigs are still in the game. this leaves a choice between ime or bruce for the last spot. this will all depend on the situation whether odom is playing well or not.

however, if only pau or bynum is on the floor, the outlook for the spurs on the defensive end is much better. with that, we can predict pop will instruct the team to go to duncan early and often and have duncan force the action inside to create fouls on bynum and/or gasol. manu and tony may also be instructed to drive as often as possible as well for the same effects mention. if duncan can do that (very few will doubt that he can. such is the beauty of duncan), we may be able to see ime and bruce on the floor at the same time together with tony, manu and tim at the end. bruce will be on bryant, ime on odom.

-disclaimer-
i'm not the coach of the spurs so you can forget about throwing that i threw out earlier

anyway, i think everyone is in agreement..... its gonna be one heck of series.

[Allanon]

spurs have ime to place on odom if odom is having a good game. in which case, manu may have to guard bryant if both pau and bynum are on the floor. those 2 will have to be handled by 2 bigs unless pop thinks gasol could be contained by a smaller player like finley (not!). however, at the end of the game, spurs need to have tony, manu and duncan to finish it. thomas or oberto will be there if the 2 laker bigs are still in the game. this leaves a choice between ime or bruce for the last spot. this will all depend on the situation whether odom is playing well or not.

If you have Ime on Odom, he is even smaller than Manu is, I think he'll have a harder time on Odom.

however, if only pau or bynum is on the floor, the outlook for the spurs on the defensive end is much better. with that, we can predict pop will instruct the team to go to duncan early and often and have duncan force the action inside to create fouls on bynum and/or gasol. manu and tony may also be instructed to drive as often as possible as well for the same effects mention. if duncan can do that (very few will doubt that he can. such is the beauty of duncan), we may be able to see ime and bruce on the floor at the same time together with tony, manu and tim at the end. bruce will be on bryant, ime on odom.

If the Lakers don't play Pau, Bynum, Kobe and Odom together, the playing field is much more even.

anyway, i think everyone is in agreement..... its gonna be one heck of series.

To be honest, I don't want the Spurs and Lakers to matchup. You can laugh at me for being a Laker fan now since I moved here but I grew up a Twin Tower fan in Houston.

I'd much rather see Lakers vs Suns or Suns vs Spurs in the WCF.

[rascal]

The spurs have adopted in the past a slow down offensive scheme with relatively few fast break easy transition points and used the 4 down dump it to Duncan or look for the open perimeter jump shot as top offensive options. That offensive scheme has stuck in most casual fans minds and is boring. The spurs are still not a free open run and gun high energy team and rather play defensive basketball and thats boring for most fans. Not saying that the spurs style is not successful but it is winning ugly.

Manu and parker can take it to the hole at times but generally the spurs lack athleticism as a whole as a team as compared to other teams.


The lakers won with showtime in the Magic years with a run and gun high energy team that was attractive to watch. The spurs during the nba/aba merger Gervin years were a fun run and gun high energy team. The old Hemisphere arena would go crazy.


The nature of the league has changed to more of a defensive league and that has turned into less attractive offensive play as a whole. A high flying dunk off a fast break is better than a walk it up the court, missed perimeter shot while the shot clock is winding down.

If the nba wants to bring back viewers it needs to change some rules to get it closer to how it was in the aba/nba merger days.

[m33p0]

If you have Ime on Odom, he is even smaller than Manu is, I think he'll have a harder time on Odom.

Ime may be smaller than Manu by an inch, but Ime is stronger and heavier. Check out his arms. Ime, in my view, is the Spurs' best defender against small forwards who posts up and the ability to put it on the floor. Ime on Odom, to me, is ideal for the Spurs.

If the Lakers don't play Pau, Bynum, Kobe and Odom together, the playing field is much more even.

Hence, the need for the team to create early fouls on Pau and Bynum by going to Duncan on the post.

[DazedAndConfused]

LOL Allanon nobody really cares about Odom. I love the guy but he is not someone the Spurs need to pay special attention to like Kobe, Pau, and Bynum.

All I know is that right now the Lakers are playing good basketball at a high level. The Spurs are not really close to the way they played last season in the playoffs. Until that changes I won't concede anything to the Spurs just because they won last year.

[m33p0]

Until that changes I won't concede anything to the Spurs just because they won last year.

vis-a-vis

[Strike]

The Spurs are not really close to the way they played last season in the playoffs. Until that changes I won't concede anything to the Spurs just because they won last year.

It's not the playoffs yet. We all know the Spurs step it up come playoff time.

[honestfool84]

match up problems?
hmm.

oberto/thomas on gasol - gasol obviously better, but only averages 16ppg and 8rpg; thomas averages 11 rpg

duncan on bynum - bynum is definitely overated. he won't be any monster against the spurs. duncan = top 3 greatest power forwards EVER; bynum = inexperienced playoff kid. ill give him 8ppg and 6 rpg; duncan goes for 22ppg and 12rpg


bowen or finley on odom - tied; odom goes for 14ppg and 8rpg, but finley goes for 10ppg, and bowen's defense on kobe goes beyond the call of duty.

manu on kobe - kobe will get his points, you can't deny that. he's a MONSTER, but he'll expend so much energy on trying to stop manu from getting HIS that he'll tire out towards the end of the series.

parker on fisher - are you kidding me? parker goes bazooka on fisher..

spurs in five - six if the lakers are lucky.
-David

[MajicMan]

Man, I hope for Laker fan's sake the Lakers beat the Spurs should they meet. The last time the Spurs beat the Lakers in the postseason Kobe raped the help a month later. What a moral quandry Laker fan faced.

Playing the "rape card"? That s old and played out like yo momma. Can you stick to basketball please?

[DazedAndConfused]

When we get this kid back there's gonna be a lot of crow to pass around this place. I hear he is doing jogging exercises in the pool now and will be running on the treadmill in a week and a half. Hopefully we can get him back by mid March.

http://82games.com/CSORT16.HTM
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5_gH72uDLkg

[SouthernFried]

I think that is the biggest problem for the Spurs now. They can't play help defense without leaving someone wide open. They are gonna have to pick their poison and hope they guess right.

I think this is the biggest weakness the Spurs have right now (now that we've hopefully addressed our inside rebounding/defense issue.)

Everytime we try to double someone, other teams have been able to swing the ball to open shooters. It has been extremely sucessful against us. Now, when I see Oberto or Manu running to double someone, people 3 houses down can hear me screaming "NOOOOO!!!!"

I was sorta hoping other teams wouldn't notice this...wishful thinking I guess...pfffffftttttt

[LA24]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5_gH72uDLkg

Damn, that's what we're missing !!! Can't wait until we get Andrew back. People keep saying he's overrated, but me thinks he's way underrated.

[pku47]

Don't forget Oberto! our starter center. I think he'll do a great job against Bynum like the last game in L.A. against Andrew.
Bynum had proved an idiot rookie against Oberto in that game. Do you remember? He was ejected.

Spurs in 6.

I'd like to give all my trust to Fab
He can defend Gasol. They're both top FIBA centers.

[m33p0]

oberto on bynum. case closed.