Friday 03/14/2008 - Game Thread

[JDawg]

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Talent is not defined by how many guys can take it to the hoop. During the laker dynasty, Kobe was the only guy on the team that could take anyone off the dribble regularly. Turns out they were plenty talented.

The lakers are scoring 108ppg on 48% shooting; their offensive system works. They move the ball, and more importantly they move without the ball. That's right, good offball movement is just as important as attacking skills, if not more so. Almost everyone on the team is a good enough passer and shooter to keep the defense off-balance. That's how they're talented.

Strawman argumetn here man. Sorry.

You could take talented players who HAVE dp skills and teach them the triangle and off ball cuts. NOW, you've got the best of both worlds.

Think Golden State type of players. Or Sacramento types. Players with great dp ability like Salmons, Jackson, Ellis, Udrih, etc. You plug them into the system and now you have the best of both worlds.

Shooters, slashers AND Teh ability to move off the ball.

In other words, the laker players ARE NOT talented, they just listen to directions from a coach. NOW IMAGINE a talented player in the same ssytem next to Kobe. hmmmm.....pretty tough eh.

[MrCheerios]

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Strawman argumetn here man. Sorry.

You could take talented players who HAVE dp skills and teach them the triangle and off ball cuts. NOW, you've got the best of both worlds.

Ok, tell me how many of these great versatile players were on the Laker dynasty team. I guess that team wasn't so talented.

[Ballings7]

I think the Lakers have shown with regularity they have noticably effective defense. Before Pau and with Pau. Being a balanced team, and what made, makes them better than Phoenix.

They have players who can defend (to different degrees) and have awareness. Kobe, Sasha, Pau, Ariza (assuming he'll be back and in the rotation), Turiaf, Odom, Farmar, Fisher, Bynum, Walton (not quite individually, though). Radmanovic I haven't payed attention to defensively that much, but have seen adequate defense from him at times.

However, I question how good the Lakers defense will be, even with Bynum, overall.

Also, will Bynum be in well enough shape after missing like 3 months? And then the factor of how long it'll take to mesh with Pau. Which that actually could not take much time at all.

Pau will be sliding over to PF, defending against quicker, more skilled big men. His lateral foot-speed from all that I've gathered isn't respectable.

Then, generally, one thing that gets overlooked quite a bit is the decent amount of youth/inexpereince (minimal or none) they have on the roster. Relating to playoff basketball, and moreso for further into it. The other side of that is, it may not matter, just because of coaching, talent, chemistry.


But, the question being, can the Lakers play like in the regular season, in the playoffs? As a team, I don't know, because of that significant youth (like I said above).

I buy them as title contenders, but can't buy them as title favorites yet (at the top, or top 2).

[Ballings7]

The 76ers continue their solid, impressive play with a good win on the road in Chicago, without Andre Miller (I think)... a bit surprised Chicago lost, though.

Awesome win for Utah in Boston, not only for their confidence on the road, but against the Celtics and getting serious pay back from the loss in Utah.

[Nate505]

Utah's now the only team to win road games in Detroit and Boston...could bode well for confidence if they can manage to get into the Finals.

But that's a long, long, long road to travel first.

Man, Paul and Wiliams put up monster games:

Paul = 27 points, 17 assists, 4 steals, 2 turnovers, 47% shooting, 7-12 from the line

Williams = 32 points, 8 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, 70% shooting, 18-19 from the line

[Tesla]

I think the Lakers have shown with regularity they have noticably effective defense. Before Pau and with Pau. Being a balanced team, and what made, makes them better than Phoenix.

They have players who can defend (to different degrees) and have awareness. Kobe, Sasha, Pau, Ariza (assuming he'll be back and in the rotation), Turiaf, Odom, Farmar, Fisher, Bynum, Walton (not quite individually, though). Radmanovic I haven't payed attention to defensively that much, but have seen adequate defense from him at times.

However, I question how good the Lakers defense will be, even with Bynum, overall.

Also, will Bynum be in well enough shape after missing like 3 months? And then the factor of how long it'll take to mesh with Pau. Which that actually could not take much time at all.

Pau will be sliding over to PF, defending against quicker, more skilled big men. His lateral foot-speed from all that I've gathered isn't respectable.

Then, generally, one thing that gets overlooked quite a bit is the decent amount of youth/inexpereince (minimal or none) they have on the roster. Relating to playoff basketball, and moreso for further into it. The other side of that is, it may not matter, just because of coaching, talent, chemistry.


But, the question being, can the Lakers play like in the regular season, in the playoffs? As a team, I don't know, because of that significant youth (like I said above).

I buy them as title contenders, but can't buy them as title favorites yet (at the top, or top 2).

Spot on. The Lakers this year, are a darkhorse in terms of winning the title, and even making out of the West. They simply are not healthy enough, experienced enough, and not good enough on the defensive end. People putting them as favorites to me has been crazy, since the start of getting Pau. They may be a somewhat a favorite in this offseason b4 next year.