Lakers:(

[LABengalsFan09]

How could someone like something so great in the Bengals and so putrid in the Lakers....so disturbing to me..... :player: :player:

[chrishcovga]

It's so funny to see LakerHaters. Time to let go of the ego, and admit when someone's pretty darn good. - 4 Finals in 5 years says a lot of the talent and coaching ability present .

* If it was the NFL and somebody went to 4 out of 5 superbowls we'd be calling them a dynasty , so why not give credit where it's due !

as for the Matchups that Kirk hinted to...

1. Shaq vs. Wallace - advantage Shaq. Too big, Too strong, and Wallace has gotten into continual foul trouble against lesser competition. *Larry Brown will do the same thing every other coach has done , throwing a bunch of bum big bodies at him, only to watch Shaq finish with an average of 25 pts. 14 rbs. and 4 blocks per game.

2. Malone vs. Rasheed Wallace - Advantage Malone. - While scoring will probably be even, Wallace is not known as a defender. For a big man, Rasheed has always lacked that killer instinct of being able to play with his back towards the basket. Instead he plays facing the basket like a smaller player looking for Jumpshots instead of dunks etc. Malone is stronger, and will run Wallace up and down the court.

3. Devean George/ Rick Fox vs. Tashaun Prince - Advantage Lakers. Prince who is making a name for himself as a defender will be nullified simply because the Laker offense doesn't ask for the small forward to take a lot of shots ! Fox and George are really nothing more than role players asked to create turnovers and take the occasional open 3 pointer. Considering the fact the lakers live on the "extra-pass" look for George to have a couple of double digit games on Prince.

4. Kobe vs. Rick Hamilton. - Without sounding too obtuse, I'll just say Kobe. Hamilton often likened to a young Reggie Miller doesn't have a great jump shot. He'll look to run Kobe around screen after screen after screen to get his shot, while Kobe can take anyone off the dribble and create his own. Hamilton gets into foul trouble and will continually have to take chances guarding Bryant.

5. Gary Payton vs. Chauncey Billups - Advantage the Glove ! - Payton remains a scoring threat, and is one of the all time defenders in NBA history. Billups looks for more jump shot opportunities while Payton will post, drive to the basket and take the occasional long 3. Billups will spend more time playing defense trying to double Kobe leaving Payton to play his old form in games 1 and 2. Bringing Derrick Fisher in to play defense and spark the offense will have Billups and Lindsay Hunter gasping.

Lakers 4 games to 1. Detroit gets "Gimme' - game" ala NBA referees home court advantage unwritten rules. - But that's just my 2 pennies .

[Barbarian]

im not saying it will be easy but they will win every game...game 3 will be the closest.  sorry bout the name calling, im a bit passionate about my lakers:)

and kirk...im sorry but these playoffs have been pretty damn boring.  Lakers spurs was the best series of the playoffs.  Last few years have been better with the sac/dal lak/sac and lak/san series have been much better than this years series'.  The east playoffs hasnt been good since jordan was around.  

Also to prove a point...Detroit only deserves to be there cuz they are in the east...if they were in teh west they'd be as good as the nuggets...and woulda been bounced in the first round.   And detroit doesnt suck...but they cant match up vs the lakers.

Notice JDitty and Kirk--nobody has been willing to make a wager with me??? All those posters that said the Lakers are going down--put up or shut up.

I'm still saying Lakers either sweep or win in 5.

And I will second that the 'Wolves, Spurs, Mavs, Kings would beat the hell outta the Pistons in a series.

Also, good point on the Pistons not being able to score 80 against the Pacers--and I don't think you can blame that on the Pacers' Defense--The Pistons are a bunch of bricklayers. As a matter of fact, you can hear this at the Palace:

Boing!!!!! Boing!!!!! Boing!!!!!

--That's the sound of the basketball bouncing off the back or front of the rim in Detroit.

So, whoever said that "if it's not a dunk, it's not going in" for Shaq-Daddy, then they obviously need to look at the OOGLY GAME going on for Detroit.

That s**t's ugly.

Also--someone needs to beat the s**t outta Michael Jordan for trading Rip Hamilton. That was defintely a "WHAT THE HELL WAS HE THINKING" Moment in sports.

[kitared]

you laker haters are complete idiots when it comes to basketball. First off, its the East. Detroit would lose in the finals to anyone that the lakers ahve beaten so far...Houston, San Antonio or Minnesota. The east sucks and they have no bigman and no chance. So what they ahve 36 fouls...it never works...ever. wow they put 106 on us...was all 4 of the lakers in the lineup? And btw...regular season means s**t....look at what the lakers did all season and what they are doing now...completely different team. The nets 2 yrs ago was better off than detroit now and they got raped.

Non existent defense??? are u serious or just retarded? We stopped garnett, parker, duncan, etc...need more signs of good defense? Its not the greatest, but effective..cuz quite frankly we dont need great defense when u have great offense. Ben is gonna get chewed up and spit out...and him not being a scorer is going to KILL the pistons. Shaq is going to roam free under the glass on defense...can u say 5 blocks a game at least????

Lakers in 4....pistons suck and u need to wake the f**k up!!!!

JD......one thing we can agree on!!

GO LAKERS!!!

[denverbengal]

How could someone like something so great in the Bengals and so putrid in the Lakers....so disturbing to me.....  :player:   :player:

I hear ya LA. The Lakers are to basketball what the Yankees are to baseball. Now that I think about it...I kind of feel like a Marlins fan right before last year's world series. Nobody's giving my team a chance.

[LABengalsFan09]

JD......one thing we can agree on!!

GO LAKERS!!!

Haaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!

I knew it and have been saying it for years.

Raider fan is Laker fan!

Why do we desoise Laker fan? Because he or she is Raider fan. it is the same person and I have been saying it for years!!

They are all lost in their little world and will run when the seat gets hot and gloat when it's cool. I live in LA and I have witnessed Laker fan in all of his "glory"

Laker fan is an embarrassment to sports, nobody bashes their team more after one loss only to say they are the greatest thing the next night when beating Golden State by six. Ask any Raider fan who their favorite team in the NBA is and they'll say the Lakers.... Raider fan is a thug who resorts to violence after taking a couple to the head, and when they trade their silver and black in for purple and gold jerseys, they're rioting outside of Staples Center win or lose. Pathetic. Raider/ Laker fan is like the little white stuff that accumulates in the corner of your mouth when you get thirsty... I am embarrassed that som of you show up to Dodger games with me wearing LoDuca jerseys when the going is good but nowhere to be found when the team is in trouble. Leave the knives at home and watch a game like a true fan!

War the Dodgers catching fire and playing the Reds for the NL crown (exciting!)

War the Raptors getting healthy and showing some heart during the year and War Marvin Lewis and Co. kicking the crap out of the rest of the league from now on... Jim no need to rack me, I am out!

:player: :player:

[Kirkendall]

The Lakers are to basketball what the Yankees are to baseball.

That's actually not true. Both Malone and Payton took massive paycuts. $1 mil a year? I mean, this has nothing to do with finances. Both of them knew that the Lakers would win with or without them so they decided to ride along. Either way, the Lakers win because of everything other than money. They are nothing like the Yankees or any comparison to high spending teams.

[jditty47]

they are only comparable to the yankees in the fact that they win championships in all decades...does any other team do that in any other sport besides those 2? dont think so.

and not all raider fans are laker fans...only the ones that grew up in LA...but its like that in any other city............

[richmond_mat]

Dam! The pistons are kicking some bootay. Can they do it 3 more times?

[chrishcovga]

NO they Cant !

[denverbengal]

The Lakers are to basketball what the Yankees are to baseball.

That's actually not true. Both Malone and Payton took massive paycuts. $1 mil a year? I mean, this has nothing to do with finances. Both of them knew that the Lakers would win with or without them so they decided to ride along. Either way, the Lakers win because of everything other than money. They are nothing like the Yankees or any comparison to high spending teams.

Salary was not the real motivator behind that comment. I meant more in terms of the same teams winning all the time...perennial favorites vs the team with "no chance of winning," as is the case with the Lakers and Pistons and was with the Yankees and Marlins. They both have been the teams to beat in their leagues for years. Also the big-names that they acquire (A Rod and Shaq were both lured away from other teams for big $$$), the publicity they get nationally (ESPN's perpetual hard-on for both teams), and the fact that they are both very much disliked outside of their respective markets make them similar, maybe if only in my mind.

I admit I assumed that the Lakers' payroll was one of the highest in the league (it's actually #6 at $64.8 mil), but it's still almost $12 mil more than the Pistons was for the 2003-2004 season, and Shaq is the second highest paid player in the league behind KG. http://www.insidehoops.com/nbasalaries.shtml

PHil Jackson's 5-year $30 mil contract makes him the highest paid coach in the league. Money may not be THE determining factor in the Lakers' success, but I wouldn't say that the "Lakers win because of everything other than money." It plays a definite role. I seriously doubt they'd be successful with Utah's $36.5 mil payroll.

As for Payton and Malone, they're there for one reason...they're attempting to buy themselves rings...the price being the amount of the salary cut they both took. They couldn't do it during the pinnacle of their careers, so they're forced to try and do it this way, as their careers are fading. Sure you can argue that they deserve it...they've put in their time...they're future hall of famers. I just don't have much respect for that. That's just my opinion.

[richmond_mat]

im not saying it will be easy but they will win every game...game 3 will be the closest. sorry bout the name calling, im a bit passionate about my lakers:)

And detroit doesnt suck...but they cant match up vs the lakers.

Up for some crow?

They might not have matched up well on paper, but I'd say that they are matching up nicely. Can't say if Detroit can ride it out, but it sure looks like they can.

[Barbarian]

im not saying it will be easy but they will win every game...game 3 will be the closest.  sorry bout the name calling, im a bit passionate about my lakers:)

And detroit doesnt suck...but they cant match up vs the lakers.

Up for some crow?

They might not have matched up well on paper, but I'd say that they are matching up nicely. Can't say if Detroit can ride it out, but it sure looks like they can.

The LA Egos are not playing well as a team. You have Kobe firing up stupid shots--Shaq is still talking trash--and Payton and Malone don't understand their roles.

The Pistons are playing their game and having fun playing it.

I said the Fakers were going to win this series (although I hate both teams). I just think it's priceless seeing that look on Payton and Malone's faces--like someone just kicked their dog.

That's just funny stuff.

In closing, I'll just quote Dan Patrick:

"This NBA Series reminds me of the 1990 World Series......"

Couldn't have said that any better.

[Kirkendall]

Well in the Lakers defense, Shaq is still doing what he normally does. He gets the ball and jams it, however, for some reason, the Lakers stop passing it to him after awhile and they've done that all four games.

Malone has been hurt with that knee that sidelined him earlier in the season and Fisher is having the same problem as Malone. Payton, well, I just don't like him and Walton is committing some stupid fouls.

I agree though, I may have to throw the towel in on the Lakers.. they've looked pretty overwelmed this series.

[richmond_mat]

'And while the Lakers make excuses, the Pistons make hustle plays, and perhaps history.' (NYTimes)

Go Pistons!

[Barbarian]

Well in the Lakers defense, Shaq is still doing what he normally does. He gets the ball and jams it, however, for some reason, the Lakers stop passing it to him after awhile and they've done that all four games.

Malone has been hurt with that knee that sidelined him earlier in the season and Fisher is having the same problem as Malone. Payton, well, I just don't like him and Walton is committing some stupid fouls.

I agree though, I may have to throw the towel in on the Lakers.. they've looked pretty overwelmed this series.

Ugggghhhhh!!!!! What can I say about Gary Payton??? He's kind of Chris Webber-esque isn't he??? That is--at messing up team chemistry???

I was listening to a talk radio show this morning and I thought they brought up a good point about Gary Payton--that he is like how Ron Harper was to the Chicago Bulls--that is a player that they brought in to be a role player. Harper and Payton have some commonalities too--like for instance--being past their primes.

Gary Payton is used to being THE MAN. Plus, he is probably going to the Basketball Hall of Fame. I think this is why he started to complain about LACK OF MINUTES AND LACK OF SHOTS.

However, Gary, know your f**king role dude!!! You are no longer the man. Shaq and Kobe have that role--and it really should only be Shaq being the man on that team.

Someone should ask Mr. Payton if he REALLY WANTS THAT RING AFTER ALL.

I think LA made a mistake at signing Payton. Malone was a good signing. Payton is too selfish. I'll give Payton this though--HE FITS IN REAL GOOD ON THE EGOS.

[richmond_mat]

How much is Jerry West missed?

How about Memphis for the 2007 championship after they sign Kobe and continue an Eastern conference run of titles. That is, after a 3-peet by the boys in detroit. They look tough and are under contract. :player: