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OT: Lakers are for real

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Hank_Scorpio
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Post#21 » by Hank_Scorpio » Fri Jan 11, 2008 12:43 am

Mak wrote:Still, they will be lucky to get out of the first round, depending on the match up.


I'd take that bet.

As it stands right now, they would be playing Portland in the first round - and even without home court advantage, I take the Lakers in that series. I also think they can beat Dallas, though they have yet to play them this season.

So my feeling is that if they finish anywhere from 3-6, they take the first round. If they finish 1 or 2, which, btw, they are only 1.5 games out of first - I pick them to go to the Finals.

I know that sounds a little crazy, but you can just see with this team that they have finally gotten over the hump - and its a complete team game. For example, last night against New Orleans, they had 5 guys in double figures, plus 2 with 9 points.

The difference maker has been Ariza. Since he started getting a regular spot in the rotation, they are 14-3.
Postbro1 wrote:Obama is right on this.
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Post#22 » by El Presidente » Fri Jan 11, 2008 12:54 am

Air_Surfer wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



yup this kid is turning into a beast


He is what Eddy Curry was supposed to be.
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Post#23 » by Paperclip » Fri Jan 11, 2008 1:03 am

doctaJ_92 wrote:They're good but they're still nowhere close to elite. Bynum is like Howard 2 years ago in that he only gets points off Kobe's passes or offensive boards, he maybe gets 1-2 baskets that comes off his move. Nothing wrong with that, but vs the better defensive teams he struggles and they cant score nearly as well in the paint.


I respectfully disagree. Whenever I follow the lakers and he has one of those "good" games. His low post scoring is legit and not gimmies. He has a nice soft touch. Not sure what games your watching but his low post game is way ahead of what you compare it to.
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Post#24 » by LittleOzzy » Fri Jan 11, 2008 1:22 am

Mak wrote:Still, they will be lucky to get out of the first round, depending on the match up.


That's the thing, and I agree.

They could be stellar all season long but I'm not convinced once the playoffs start that they'll get out of the first round because of the match up they'll end up in.
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Re: OT: Lakers are for real 

Post#25 » by ponder276 » Fri Jan 11, 2008 1:48 am

Hank_Scorpio wrote:-= original quote snipped =-
Bynum is 20
Farmar is 21
Turiaf is 24
Vujacic is 23
Ariza is 22

As for the other teams you mentioned, Portland has the youth, but they lack the experience - plus note that they are 17-3 at home, but 5-10 on the road.

New Orleans is a solid team with some good young talent, but they have no depth - and they aren't exactly a "young team" - their only significant player under 25 is Paul.

And Utah is just simply not as good a team as the Lakers, as their record shows.

Other than Bynum, none of the young players you have listed are anything special. In 2-3 years, I can't see this teaming matching up with Portland, who are currently doing just as well as the Lakers despite being a much younger team, and despite missing possibly their best player. This team has so much talented youth at every position it's almost not fair. Even just looking at players under 25:

5 - Oden is 19, Frye is 24
4 - LMA is 22, Outlaw is 23
3 - Webster is 21
2 - Roy is 23, Rudy Fernandez is 22
1 - Jack is 24, Sergio Rodriguez is 21

I really don't see how the Lakers youth and 30+ year old Kobe are going to compete with this team in 2-3 years.

In NO, Paul is 22, Chandler is 25, West is 27, so in 2-3 years all 3 players should be as good or better than they are right now. By this time, I believe Paul will be a better player than Kobe. Those 3 are a very nice core to build around.

Utah are having a bad year, but they are a very solid young team, who should pull out of the slump. Deron is 23, Boozer is 26, AK47 is 26, Korver is 26, Millsap is 22, Brewer is 22, even Okur, one of their older players, is not that old at 28. Utah should be a much improved team 2-3 years down the line.

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