All the bitching here.......

[DEEP3CL]

Weather some of you like it or now the dude is putting things in perspective no matter how you slice it.

[JimMurray]

After game 4, Laker fans have a right to be upset. Especially watching Cleveland carve through the playoffs the way they have. Are they done? Absolutely not, but fans have the right to question the heart of a team that can't put away a Rockets team missing two of their best players in the playoffs.

[YiYaoYue]

Whether Lakers win the title this year or not... The team needs someone like Stephen Jackson. Someone who can create their own shot and willing to shoot... someone who can easily hit open threes... someone who is a good defender.... someone who plays with effort, energy, HEART and can be an emotional second leader to kobe. I'm still going for lakers and believing they can win one this year, but lakers can't keep dodging bullets and other teams will continue to get stronger. Eventually these weaknesses will prevent lakers from winning one they should have won and that could very well be this year.

[picc]

The only other backcourt player who can effectively create his own shot is Farmar. Who Phil refuses to play heavy minutes for some reason.

[YiYaoYue]

The only other backcourt player who can effectively create his own shot is Farmar. Who Phil refuses to play heavy minutes for some reason.

Because his defense isn't as good or consistent as brown. The only reason he is stopping brooks better than fisher or brown is because he can keep up with brooks speed.

Only reason fisher is starting is because he is the 2nd leader to kobe. The sad thing is that fisher is getting too old to keep up with the young talented PGs of this league.

If the team played with more effort on defense in game 4, brooks wouldn't have gotten that many points. It was just a terrible defensive effort. Getting a good PG would be nice, but it will be difficult for lakers to get a PG. Plus the position is already stacked and would have to get rid of 2 PGs.

[picc]

I really don't get it. You guys make it sound as if the Lakers are a lottery team or just got down 0-3 to the Rockets. You easily beat the Jazz and and can still finish the series of in 6 games. Did anyone expect the other teams to bow down, roll out a red carpet and escort the Lakers to the finals?

Yes. The players on the team did. Certainly not us fans, that is why we are so angry and they are still so nonchalant.

Sure the effort was questionable but overall they played a desperate Rockets team, so it happens.

Those things aren't connected. The Rockets playing with desperation does not cause LA to play lazy and arrogant. This game could have easily been won had the players approached it with more intensity and matched the rockets fire. The only reason a yao-less, tmac-less rockets team will ever beat this squad is if they let them. And they let them yesterday. And its sickening.

Some of you are probably still living in 2000-2003 and expecting the Lakers to demolish their opponents.

We are expecting the Lakers to *not* be demolished by an inferior team that lost both of its stars. I would be happy if we beat every team we played by one point. As long as we win.

Another thing you dont get is that this is a problem that laker fans have talked about and dealt with the entire year. This team is consistently complacent and immature, and for fans that are used to a winning culture and tough-minded players, having the opportunity to win a championship and seeing it being squandered by lazy, arrogant players hurts. Ever since this current team was put together they have had the same problems we saw on display yesterday afternoon, and its getting to be enough. Your analysis of our problem is somewhat short-sighted.

One big problem IMO is that Kobe aside no one can really create his own shot---everybody standing around and waiting for something to happen. If you look at other teams they have like 2-3 main guys that can create. Sure Gasol does the occassional post up and Odom the occasional drive but overall they aren't a huge one on one threat IMO. If Kobe doesn't literally play great than you guys are always going to have trouble in games. And I find it funny that Fisher is still manning the point for you guys---the dude couldn't keep up with any good PG back on the Shaq/Kobe Lakers---any good PG would go and torch the Lakers but he is STILL your starting PG!

We have Phil's stubborness and arrogance to thank for that. In his mind, Fish will start hitting everything he shoots and stripping Brooks of the ball any time now, and he will be "proven right" in his zen-master wisdom.

And as such, the team has taken on the attitude of the coach.

But overall it will take a major miracle series by Denver in order to give you guys serious trouble---so instead of bitching and crying all the time, lean back and enjoy what appears to be another finals run and another possible title. You know there aren't too many teams that have gone there for like 5 times in a decade. It could be much worse and you could be waiting a decade for your stinkin team to make the playoffs LOL.

Thats easy for you to say. Our team and players have things at stake that makes it hard to have such a laissez-faire "ah, i'll just enjoy it" attitude. You can lean back and enjoy watching the Knicks because they arent going anywhere and have no pressure to do anything whatsoever, and you know they won't. No offense. There's much more at stake with the Lakers.

[butter17]

Good points knicksick. we're going 2 be alright.

[sgvprelude]

When I see Kobe tossing up a miracle shot...I cringe. When it goes in, I'm amazed. When it doesn't (which is most the time)...I say Kobe you fool.

When I see Gasol dribbling around in the paint....I cringe....because its almost automatic he's going to turn it over.

When I see Fish....well....don't matter what he's doing...I cringe when I see Fish.

When I see Sasha obviously and hopelessly reaching in and getting called for the foul and acting like he didn't do anything...I cringe.

When I see the opponents wide open for a 3 pointer, and the nearest Laker are the ones sitting on the bench....I cringe.

All this bitching and cringing but hell, I still love the Lakers. It's a love hate relationship I tell ya.

[picc]

The only other backcourt player who can effectively create his own shot is Farmar. Who Phil refuses to play heavy minutes for some reason.

Because his defense isn't as good or consistent as brown. The only reason he is stopping brooks better than fisher or brown is because he can keep up with brooks speed.

Only reason fisher is starting is because he is the 2nd leader to kobe. The sad thing is that fisher is getting too old to keep up with the young talented PGs of this league.

If the team played with more effort on defense in game 4, brooks wouldn't have gotten that many points. It was just a terrible defensive effort. Getting a good PG would be nice, but it will be difficult for lakers to get a PG. Plus the position is already stacked and would have to get rid of 2 PGs.

I'd be thrilled if Shannon got to play the majority of the point guard minutes. Either of them are a better choice than Fish at this point, unfortunately.

[moofs]

Stupid **** **** sucking bitch ass **** hair **** piece of **** ****.

OK, I feel better now.

What happened to your spinning LOL avatar?

[Knicksick]

Some got it a little wrong. I never said that you as fans don't have the right to complain or be dissapointed and that you have to put up with whatever your team puts up---I never said that. I was just trying to put things in perspective (like some pointed out) and point out that such games happen even to great teams. If you play 100 games within 6 months or so , games like this happen--to every team.
Boston with a completely healthy team and 3 superstars on top of their games and the best defense since the Ben Wallace Pistons posted a 16-10 record last year in the playoffs. Two 7 game series and two 6 game series. Had 3 blowout losses (one against the Hawks where they were down 15points most of the second half, one 25point loss against Cleveland and one 20point loss against Detroit)---still wound up winning it all.Even a team having such great defense and intense competitors go through horrible games where they don't seem to be 100% intense etc. Go and look up the player's quotes after the 25point blowout loss to Cleveland (where James even shot just 5-16)---Boston was leading the series and came out with little intensity and lost the first quarter 32-13---Cleveland's role players were hitting everything so the game went quickly out of hand and Boston looked pretty bad and unmotivated.


Take Miami in 2006---lost in the first round two games against the Bulls ( one game by 20 points where they looked like utter trash). Had two more big losses in later rounds.

Spurs in 2007 had two blowout losses on their way to their 4th championship.

Just saying that **** like that happens to every team. You guys won 65 games in the regular season and are 71-20 over the course of the whole season---how many "bad,unmotivated" performances can you have possibly endured?Not too many really.

[Knicksick]

LOL---I just looked up and compared the 4 best teams in the NBA(Lakers,Magic,Celtics and Cavs)and also Denver's results throughout the season(as they are often referred to as a tough,intense,competing team since the Billups acquisition).
I loosely defined a blowout loss by a loss of around 15points or more.

Orlando had 5 blowout losses the entire regular season(one by over 30points, 3 20point losses and one 20 point loss)

Boston had 4 blowout losses(two 15point losses, one 30point loss and one 20point loss)

Cleveland (who according to Laker fans display 350% motivation and intensity) had 4 blowout losses(one 30 point loss and two 20point losses)

Denver (the new posterchild in competitiveness etc. had 11 blowout losses after the Billups trade with some horrific losses like :76-104 to Portland,76-114 to Boston,20point loss to Chicago,20point loss to Orlando,20point loss to Atlanta,20point loss to Cleveland)

And now to the Lakers: Poor Laker fans had to endure the shocking,devastating,astonishing,unbelievable,horrific,atrocious,disgusting,outrageous amount of a total of 1(ONE,UNO) 17point loss to Portland during the entire regular season(and now the loss to Houston). What heartless, unmotivated,soft,disgraceful team with a old,senile coach. How does this team dare to lose one game like that?Are they out of their **** mind?**** Pussies---I swear NO ONE else in Los Angeles or the entire planet has ever had such huge attitude problems towards their work.What a disgrace this team must be to Los Angeles----losing ONE out of 82 games like that----by a crashing margin of 17points. You guys need a full rebuild and a team with the right attitude.How dare these pathetic players wear a Lakers jersey with such pathetic attitude.
You should look into trading the entire team----I think the Knicks are going to be very interested in several players---we take that soft sissy Gasol,we also take Lamar Odom in a NY second and since Bynum is looking like a bust you can quickly get rid of him. I'm also hearing that Bryant is having leadership problems---well we gladly take him and hope he finally develops into a half decent leader and human being LOL.

Kidding aside---I wish you guys good luck and am looking forward to a Laker/Cleveland final where the two best players in the game are gonna battle each other.


p.s:Don't forget that you guys are currently playing without your 2nd best player in Andrew Bynum(more or less). Sure his numbers aren't that great but I think most of you will agree that his impact(when healthy) is bigger than that of Gasol.

[picc]

Quite the rant, but your mistake was in erroneously assuming that any team playing with a lack of intensity and focus will be blown out, and if they aren't, there's no problem. False.

There were plenty of games that we won during the season that had Laker fans disgusted over the lackadaisacal effort. You can say that should merely be a testament to the talent of the team, but it also means we have a mental problem that has consistently plagued us since the beginning of the season and it indicates that the team hasn't grown nor learned from their mistakes. The same mistakes they were making last year that cost 24 point leads in the finals.

This isn't a kneejerk reaction to a bad game, knicksick. Its the result of an accumulation of issues that began last June and haven't improved yet.

[Knicksick]

Quite the rant, but your mistake was in erroneously assuming that any team playing with a lack of intensity and focus will be blown out, and if they aren't, there's no problem. False.

There were plenty of games that we won during the season that had Laker fans disgusted over the lackadaisacal effort. You can say that should merely be a testament to the talent of the team, but it also means we have a mental problem that has consistently plagued us since the beginning of the season and it indicates that the team hasn't grown nor learned from their mistakes. The same mistakes they were making last year that cost 24 point leads in the finals.

This isn't a kneejerk reaction to a bad game, knicksick. Its the result of an accumulation of issues that began last June and haven't improved yet.

See picc and that's exactly what I disagree with.
First off let me say that you are in a better position to judge your team obviously so your opinion has more weight than mine. The point I'm trying to make is that all those good teams have a bunch of games where they seem to lack effort. I watched like 20 games of the Lakers and plenty of games of Cleveland or Boston and I honestly didn't see much of a difference. All had a lot of good games and a few weaker efforts in between. I just think that the reason Laker fans perceive the effort way more critical is because you guys are spoiled by the Shaq/Kobe Lakers. And I just tried to encourage you guys to take it easy and enjoy your team a little more.

[KObe Bryant]

If LeBron is stopped also, The Cavs are in bigger and worse trouble. Me, I'm not really that upset at all. Bad games will come and that game 4 is one of them. Game 5 will be the answer of all these bad comments.