NBA Finals - Lakers vs Celtics - Game 1 (SLOW CPUs BEWARE!)

[milesfides]

We need to see a whole lot of Sasha, because he can hit shots without being a liability on defense.

Boston takes away the paint, they want to force jump shots. Similar to San Antonio and Detroit.

We overcame the Spurs defense because Kobe just kept hitting his shots. So did Radman.

However, we got away with playing Radman because his lack of defense wasn't exposed. Ginobili was obviously not himself, and Finley is geriatric, and Bowen is not a major offensive threat.

Against the Celtics, Radman will get killed by any Boston starter not named Rondo. They are ALL very aggressive.

Whether we start Sasha or Turiaf, we need to make sure we maximize defense in our lineups, because the Celtics have exploited and will continue to capitalize on matchups in their favor.

[hermes]

what are yours guys thoughts on rondo, celtic fans think he's going to fly all over the court and cause a lot of problems

but wasn't tony parker supposed to do the same thing, i think fisher should be able to do a good job on rondo

[RocketPower23]

what are yours guys thoughts on rondo, celtic fans think he's going to fly all over the court and cause a lot of problems

but wasn't tony parker supposed to do the same thing, i think fisher should be able to do a good job on rondo

Well the difference would be is that since Parker was really key to the Spurs offense, we put more focus on him, and then we will on Rondo. I think we'll do a fine job on Rondo, we'll make him hit jump shots and we'll clog the lane if he tries to drive. I expect us to trap him at times, so he has so rush with his decision making, and his decision making in general is very shaky. I really wouldn't listen to Boston fans, according to them Rondo will abuse us, Perkins will be the second coming of Shaq in this series and their bench will run circles around ours. Not to mention they believe, our team is soft, our bench is overrated, Allen is a better player then Pau, Lamar is not that good and Kobe is an overrated chucker.

[Big Bird]

^^Celtics fans also think that the Lakers have no one to stop Perkins. Hell if you ask them, every position is a mismatch in their favour, except Kobe being slightly better than Allen (stress - slightly).

The only thing that impresses me about Rondo is his hard nosed D and that's it. He is like a chicken without a head in crunch time and completely forgets how to pass the ball and from what I've seen from can't hit the J with consistency. I'd go out on a limb and say that Fisher is happy that he finally won't have to worry about guarding a good PG (after being paired against Iverson, Williams and Parker who are all inifinitely better players than a second year nobody).

p.s.: sorry for the disrespectful tone, but just reading the C's board is making me nervous.

cheers

edit: oh well, KB8MVP beat me to it and perfectly summarized my thoughts. And a for the humorous input in the last sentences .

[RocketPower23]

^I'd also like to add about Rondo's defense, while it is pretty good, he plays better when the player he is going up against has the ball in his hands. As soon as Fish gets the ball up court and passes it out, he is going to go to his places on the court where he could spot up and shoot. I expect Rondo to get lazy and roam, leaving Fish out there for a jumper. This is a match-up, where I think if we utilize everything on both ends, can really end up in our favor.

[hermes]

ya i think the celtic fans are overrating their players

who do you think perkins is going to guard? odom or gasol?

[hermes]

^I'd also like to add about Rondo's defense, while it is pretty good, he plays better when the player he is going up against has the ball in his hands. As soon as Fish gets the ball up court and passes it out, he is going to go to his places on the court where he could spot up and shoot. I expect Rondo to get lazy and roam, leaving Fish out there for a jumper. This is a match-up, where I think if we utilize everything on both ends, can really end up in our favor.

good point, i hope fisher shoots well this series, we'll need him

[tracey_nice]

I really like the line- up of Fish, Sasha, Kobe, Lamar, and Gasol. Sasha is perfect defender against Ray, especially how is all up in everyones shorts, and I'd rather have Kobe guarding Pierce than Allen; Pierce might be the tougher guard but Allen is the more tiring Guard.

[RocketPower23]

ya i think the celtic fans are overrating their players

who do you think perkins is going to guard? odom or gasol?

Well with what Phil said recently, I'd say LO is going to match up up with him. And while at first this may seem like a mismatch in Boston's series, we'll really have to see how this match-up plays out because if this plays out like Phil is hoping it does, it can really end up helping us. I like putting Lamar there for a few reasons, we're putting our best rebounder in the paint, KG like to hang out on the perimeter, Pau isn't too good of a rebounder, I'd rather have our best rebounder down in the paint, plus Lamar has the ability to take it coast to coast, which we'll really help our running game.

And while the Celtic fans are clamoring about this match-up and how Perkins will "abuse", if this leads to the ball going into Perkins' more often then it usually does, I'd say it's exactly what we want. Let Rondo and Perkins beat us, not KG, Allen or Pierce.

Plus this may allow Lamar to roam. When Pau is guarding Garnett, he will single cover him, but that's only when he is out on the perimeter, the few times that KG decides to go down to the low-block and post up, we'll see Lamar roam a bit and help on KG. I'm really interested in this match-up, we'll see how big of importance coaching is, because that is what it's coming down and if these defensive match-ups where like Phil is expecting them to, does anybody really expect Doc to figure out a way to stop them.

[hermes]

so perkins will guard lamar? that seems like a good thing for the lakers on offense because i don't think perkins can guard odom when he drives, etc

[hermes]

I really like the line- up of Fish, Sasha, Kobe, Lamar, and Gasol. Sasha is perfect defender against Ray, especially how is all up in everyones shorts, and I'd rather have Kobe guarding Pierce than Allen; Pierce might be the tougher guard but Allen is the more tiring Guard.

hasn't pierce caused kobe a lot of problems when kobe has been on him?

[RocketPower23]

so perkins will guard lamar? that seems like a good thing for the lakers on offense because i don't think perkins can guard odom when he drives, etc

Doesn't work like that, just because Lamar might guard Perkins, doesn't mean Perkins will guard Lamar, but knowing Doc, he might just do it. The C's will probably match-up by position and try to play defense against Kobe like the Spurs did. I'll tell you one thing, Kobe will get to the line a lot more this series then he did last series against the Spurs.

[hermes]

ya thats what i figured it wouldn't be smart to have perkins on odom
any team will foul more than the spurs, so kobe should get to the line more

do the lakers need kobe to have a really huge series or is it important for everyone else to get involved or a combination of both

[RocketPower23]

ya thats what i figured it wouldn't be smart to have perkins on odom
any team will foul more than the spurs, so kobe should get to the line more

do the lakers need kobe to have a really huge series or is it important for everyone else to get involved or a combination of both

You have to break down the Celtic's team defense, we do that, things will open up offensively for us and we'll pull ahead. A combination of both is defiantly what we want, I see Celtic fans thinking that Kobe's going to go out there and average 30 shots, that won't happen, Kobe performed way to well this post-season.

[hermes]

i also think that the celtic fans underestimate kobe's ability to get whatever shot he wants in crunch time, like against the spurs

i don't think their team defense can stop him in the 4th if he gets going
and i don't really see any of the celtics that can match that, pierce?

[CITYOFANGELSX3]

IF perkins guards odom, odom should take him out on the wing and drive to the basket every time.

[snaquille oatmeal]

a while ago I posted in the GB that phil might switch Odom to center and Gasol to PF just to mess with Docs mind. I was laughed at the time by Celtics fans because from their point of view that doesn't make sense.

they think that Perkins would bulldose Odom and KG will school Gasol from the out side. the only way this makes sense is if Perkins posts Odom.

from the Lakers point of view this move makes sense because Odom is faster than Perkins at getting in rebounding position and Odom is longer than Perkins and a better rebounder than Perkins.

with the Gasol/KG match up it makes sense because Gasols long arms will bother KG. he will not stop him, but will keep KG respectable and wont let him explode with perimeter shots. this 2 have a history and while KG is playing out of his mind Pau will defenatly make him work harder.

at the other end when they cross defend, Gasols wont be able to dunk on Perkins fatass, but he will be able to launch his weenie shots unpressured because Gasol is way longer than Perkins.

Odom being guarded by KG will have the speed and passing advantage, but KG will keep him respectable.

[hermes]

IF perkins guards odom, odom should take him out on the wing and drive to the basket every time.

how will farmar do in this series, rondo isn't deron williams so he should be able to guard rondo a lot better, but do you think he can play well offensively
i've heard good things about rondo's d

[RJM]

Conspiracy?

I'm watching Classic NBA Basketball week on ESPN Classic Canada...and they're showing two Boston wins. WTF? Those are the only games they're showing this week. Boston wins....this is some bull----

[Don Ford]

Conspiracy?

I'm watching Classic NBA Basketball week on ESPN Classic Canada...and they're showing two Boston wins. WTF? Those are the only games they're showing this week. Boston wins....this is some bull----

Just finished watching game 4 of the '87 series. Pretty awesome watching Magic's baby hook finish off the Celtics. Maybe Kobe will pull out his version of the baby hook just for old times sake.