Lakers vs Miami

[Matt6288]

So do you guys think it will be a Lakers vs Miami finals like everyone else? personally I don't know if Miami will get back there again because it took them 7 games to get past an old injured Boston team. I know we still have to get past OKC but I think the matchups are in our favor now that we have Dwight.

Just wanted to know what everyone else thinks about this really....

[Gek]

I have more questions about us getting past OKC than I do about Miami getting past the rest of the east.

[semi-sentient]

Why wouldn't the Heat get there? The East sucks and has no one to challenge them. The Celtics squandered their last chance of beating that team. Heat actually improved in the off season.... Celtics? Not so much.

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[dockingsched]

i view the celtics taking the heat to 7 games much like how the rockets took the lakers to 7 games. never really in doubt. celtics are a pretender.


and yeah, it think right now all questions should be around lakers vs. thunder.

[Stebo_SSK]

I wouldnt say the Celtics didnt improve. If anything they filled some necessary holes. Courtney Lee will be great for perimeter D and shoots 40 from the 3. Terry at this point is a better overall player than Ray Allen and if Fab Melo picks up the NBA game he could be a serious anchor on D. When it comes down to it if the Celtics are healthy they can still give Miami issues.

[hermes]

i've got the nets as a dark horse in the east

[Gek]

I'm riding that Pacer conestoga wagon all the way to the ECF again this year, but I don't see how they can beat the Heat.

[Matt6288]

I don't see the nets getting there but i could be wrong, it probably will be miami but i don't think they had too much of a challenge to get there last season and if they do then we match up with them the best.

Nash > Chalmers
Kobe > Wade
Metta can defend Letravel
Pau > Battier? Lewis?
Dwight > Bosh (i'm pretty sure they want him playing center)

[Jajwanda]

Would love to have yet another shooter that can defend on the team against Miami. I like Ebanks but I don't like the fact that Miami will take their chances on his shot. Dallas and Miami both have had some exceptional three point shooting the last couple of years that has broken apart zone defenses and hurt help defense. Miami's results against OKC with the floor spread out speaks for itself.

[Vampire Diaries]

I don't see the nets getting there but i could be wrong, it probably will be miami but i don't think they had too much of a challenge to get there last season and if they do then we match up with them the best.

Nash > Chalmers
Kobe < Wade
Metta can't defend LeBron, who is the defending MVP and Finals MVP
Pau < Bosh
Dwight > J. Anthony

Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis, Norris Cole, Mike Miller, Shane Battier, and Udonis Haslem is a better bench than Antawn Jamison, Jordan Hill, Chris Duhon, Steve Blake, Goudelock, EBanks, etc.

I fixed that for you

[Matt6288]

I don't see the nets getting there but i could be wrong, it probably will be miami but i don't think they had too much of a challenge to get there last season and if they do then we match up with them the best.

Nash > Chalmers
Kobe < Wade
Metta can't defend LeBron, who is the defending MVP and Finals MVP
Pau < Bosh
Dwight > J. Anthony

Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis, Norris Cole, Mike Miller, Shane Battier, and Udonis Haslem is a better bench than Antawn Jamison, Jordan Hill, Chris Duhon, Steve Blake, Goudelock, EBanks, etc.

I fixed that for you

Pau < Bosh Hell no
Kobe < Wade Hell no
apparently MWP is a better defender than you give him credit for and you forgot Jodie Meeks who is one of those guys that Miami have to leave open while they double team Nash, Kobe or Howard. I'm perfectly happy having Kobe on wade (no double team needed), MWP on Lebitch (no double team needed but he will end up leading him straight to Dwight or Pau) and obviously Pau is a much better player than Bosh don't even go there lol

[Matt6288]

Would love to have yet another shooter that can defend on the team against Miami. I like Ebanks but I don't like the fact that Miami will take their chances on his shot. Dallas and Miami both have had some exceptional three point shooting the last couple of years that has broken apart zone defenses and hurt help defense. Miami's results against OKC with the floor spread out speaks for itself.

yea 1 more and were set i think, we need guys that you have to leave open so you can double team Kobe or Dwight and you need to have someone help out on Nash but if they don't then I'll be happy because thats an open 3 for Nash on a pick n roll. 1 more shooter that is half decent on defense and were good there i think...

[CodyB_]

Why does it always come down to the individual matchups? History has proven over and over and over again that they don't really matter.

Two big questions come up and they seriously need to be addressed.

Who is going to stop Lebron James?

Who is going to make up for Steve Nash's defensive deficiencies?

Until we address these two things, we'll have great difficulty matching up with the Heat.

[snaquille oatmeal]

where da troll hell did this thread come from

[Matt6288]

I know its not just down to individual match ups but thay have something to do with it, if theres anyone in this league that can make an entire team better its Nash (who we have now) and in my opinion Kobe is still the best (especially with Nash at PG) we still have Pau who I thought everyone knew is better than Bosh lol now we have Dwight (nuf said) and our bench isn't the best but its getting better. I'm not saying were definitely going to win but I like our chances.

[redzealots]

chris bosh historically does well against howard, and the matchups would NOT be favoring the LA by any stretch.


if the two teams meet, the lineups would be

Chris Bosh
Lebron James
Rashard Lewis
Ray allen
D Wade

vs

Howard
Gasol
MWP
Kobe
Nash

chris bosh does well against howard. lebron james would make gasol disappear. Lewis and MWP cancel out each other. kobe cancels out wade. nash is superior to allen.

[Matt6288]

Ok so I think something I think we can all agree on is that it would be a very good finals (as long as the lakers won) lol

[redzealots]

Ok so I think something I think we can all agree on is that it would be a very good finals (as long as the lakers won) lol

well, it would be...

if we get past okc


we have the front court advantage.... although for some reason, gasol becomes gasoft when facing ibaka.

howard >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>perkins
durant>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>mwp
kobe>>>>>>>>>harden
westbrook>>>>>>>>nash



bench = same
coaching = same

[Matt6288]

Ok so I think something I think we can all agree on is that it would be a very good finals (as long as the lakers won) lol

well, it would be...

if we get past okc


we have the front court advantage.... although for some reason, gasol becomes gasoft when facing ibaka.

howard >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>perkins
durant>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>mwp
kobe>>>>>>>>>harden
westbrook>>>>>>>>nash



bench = same
coaching = same

I agree with most of that but i like our advantage with Nash on offense (defensively he obviously hurts us) he's still the best distributer in the league.

[ElXavier407]

Lakers are paper champions, worry about The Thunder 1st before thinking about facing The Heat who have added a couple of nice pieces to an already Championship team..Lakers have Howard and a bunch of stars but all pass their prime..Speed kills & thats something The Laker's don't have like at all..Kobe was getting ate up by Patty Mills in the Olympics...Wtf do you think Wade in his prime is going to do to him? & I respect Kobe a lot, I think he's the 2nd best player after Jordan but he's up there in age with a lot of miles on his body & does not run the floor like he use to..Lakers do have a chance but I still think the young guns speed, skill & will will overwhelm them..Too OLD..The league will try to help though, they want that dream matchup of Lakers vs Heat.