It's official: Lakers get to lose to Oklahoma City in first round

http://newsok.com/thunder-will-open-playoffs-with-lakers/article/3453509?custom_click=lead_story_title

This is gonna be a good series IMO.

The veteran champs w/ superstar Kobe Bryant vs An up & coming young playoff team led by superstar Kevin Durant



Lets go Thunder!

L.A. in 5.

tj

I dont think so. La will win but nowhere near that easy. It is a terrible draw for the Lakers.

The Lakers will find a way to win the series, but it might take more out of them then they would like. That is, if OKC can stand up to the pressure of being on the playoff stage with the defending NBA title holders!-I wish the Thunder success, but we all have too many concerns about which Celtic team will show up for the playoffs come Sat. or Sun-MD.

Jeb

First what would you expect form a laker fan? Few would say anything but 5 games. Couple might go to 6 but as many would also say 4.

They can only win one of 4 ways in 4,5,6 or 7 games.

Saying 5 is a bit of middle ground. So being nowhere near that easy only leaves 2 options 6 or 7.

I sort of agree with TJ, 5 seems about right.

6 at the worst.

Let's now forget about Stern's influence too. Will the games be officiated evenly? Should the Lakers lose one of the first 2 then look out in a lot of ways.

Lakers have been here OKC has not! That plays a huge part too.

Guess we shall all see in due time.

beat

beat,

If I didn't think 5 games I wouldn't say 5. Why would you say what do you expect from a Lakers fan and then later agree with me?
There are many more battles to face in the West after OKC. I think LA is happy not to have to play San Antonio.
Hopefully Utah and Phoenix finish in the 4/5 spots because LA has success against them.
Bynum will most likely start the OKC series on the bench and then move into the starting line up in round 2.

TJ

Your first line makes no sense. Where did I say I did NOT agree with you.
Being a little sensitive so it seems. 5 appears to be about right.

Whats the issue? I expect MOST laker fans would pick 5! Never meant to challenge anything. I was actually saying that Jebs statement of "nowhere near that easy" means only 2 other things can happen, 6 or 7 games. Not much wiggle room. Now perhaps he means each game in of itself might not be easy. But if the games are close heading into the last couple minutes the lakers could very well sweep.

What might bother me is if the games are not called evenly and the whole conspiracy things erupts.

As for your last line about Bynum, that is very iffy at best. Seems the guy is just Mr. Bad luck with injuries.

beat

I believe the Lakers will win this one. They've been there, done that. Also, Kobe and Gasol will get all the calls and, as we saw with the game last week, Durant won't get them all (I'm referring to the game where Durant clearly got hacked across the elbow on a 3 at the buzzer and it wasn't called) and he's the only superstar they have. Westbrook is good, but will he really get the calls against Fisher like Gasol will against Krstic? I'm looking forward to seeing Brown vs Harden. Good up-and-coming young bench players going at it.

As we saw with the Celtics last year though, tough early series make for tough later series. Our series against Chicago, with the 3OT game, took away our legs in the Orlando series. If OKC does take LA to 6 or 7, that will make the later series harder for them (especially if Jackson shortens his bench a lot as he usually does). Kobe and Gasol have both logged heavy minutes this season and a game or two off doesn't quite fix that.

bob

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I just don't know why you would throw in the 'What do you expect from a Lakers fan' comment...
Bynum is feeling great and is on pace to rejoin the team this weekend.
LOL at the whole conspiracy theory idea.
Is this going to be another David Stern Kobe vs. LeBron Finals like last year? Oh yeah, LeBron wasn't in the Finals last year.
This is the 3rd year in a row LA has had the best record in the West. Getting to the Finals this year won't be because of Stern/Donaghy/crooked referees...

TJ

Again it is just what I would expect from not only a Laker fan BUT any fan.

Laugh at the conspiracy, but there is pretty good indications it has happened in the past. So don't be too sure about this year either.

Also feeling great and PLAYING on a bum leg are 2 different things.

beat

bobheckler wrote:I believe the Lakers will win this one. They've been there, done that. Also, Kobe and Gasol will get all the calls and, as we saw with the game last week, Durant won't get them all (I'm referring to the game where Durant clearly got hacked across the elbow on a 3 at the buzzer and it wasn't called) and he's the only superstar they have. Westbrook is good, but will he really get the calls against Fisher like Gasol will against Krstic? I'm looking forward to seeing Brown vs Harden. Good up-and-coming young bench players going at it.

As we saw with the Celtics last year though, tough early series make for tough later series. Our series against Chicago, with the 3OT game, took away our legs in the Orlando series. If OKC does take LA to 6 or 7, that will make the later series harder for them (especially if Jackson shortens his bench a lot as he usually does). Kobe and Gasol have both logged heavy minutes this season and a game or two off doesn't quite fix that.

bob

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bob,

Durant gets tons of calls. He easily has shot the most free throws in the NBA this season. Yes, he got robbed last week. That was one bad non-call by one referee. The NBA was embarrassed by that no call.
LA should have a physically easier series against OKC then most other teams.
Gasol hasn't logged heavy minutes. He missed 16 games this year and is averaging .2 more minutes per game then last year.

beat,

Not sure how you are saying that Bynum has a bum leg?
Strained muscles heal. He will have had 4 weeks of rest/rehab before the playoffs start.

From espn.com:
News: Bynum (Achilles) was pain free after running for 20 minutes on a altered-gravity treadmill Monday, ESPN reports.
Spin: Bynum still plans to return to action in time for the first game of the playoffs.

tjmakz wrote:beat,

Not sure how you are saying that Bynum has a bum leg?
Strained muscles heal. He will have had 4 weeks of rest/rehab before the playoffs start.

tj,

An Achilles tendon isn't just a "muscle". If it was, 4 weeks would have been more than enough.

As far as Durant getting the calls that's true, but he's just one guy and that was my point.

bob

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From Bynum:
"The pain is gone," Bynum said. "Now we're on to the strengthening part of it. ... It's been steady [improvement]. A little bit better, a little bit better, a little bit better. It never really took a jump."
"The only thing I'm going to need to get back is timing, but I did the same thing last year and it worked out for us," Bynum said. "It will be tough [assimilating back in the lineup] but it can definitely be done. We're going to be practicing more in the playoffs which is better because you don't get any days off. The whole team is going to be there ... so I should pick it up pretty quick."

Tj

You can strengthen a muscle, a tendon is what it is. And a weak one or sore one only gets "better" with rest. It aint a muscle.
Apples and oranges.

He may not feel any discomfort now, yeah. But running a little is NOT jumping starting stopping cutting ect.

Untill he plays a game PAIN free then we'll be in much better shape to so what condition he is really in.

beat wrote:Tj

You can strengthen a muscle, a tendon is what it is. Andd a week one or sore one only gets "better" with rest. It aint a muscle.
Apples and oranges.

He may not feel any discomfort now, yeah. But running a little is NOT jumping starting stopping cutting ect.

Untill he plays a game PAIN free then we'll be in much better shape to so what condition he is really in.

beat,

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you the one who claims to have first hand experience an achilles?

bob

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Bynum won't have to be great in the first round. OKC's center situation is pathetic. It will be another two weeks before the next round.

Bob

Back when I ran track in HS. I jumped out the back of the bus at a track meet in Syracuse and landed on pavement, something done by every kid on the team but this time when I landed I felt something funny in my right heel. I had no idea what I had done. I could walk but every time i touched my heel it hurt pretty bad. What I thought wasa simple bruse on my heel turned out to be far worse.

After some checking it was determined I strained the achilles. I was done. For 3-4 months I could do basically nothing. It required complete rest. (I still did some things but had to have it wrapped up if i was to even to walk around. I could not let my heel hit the ground so I ended up walking tippy toes so as to take any strain off it. And even 3 months later when I could start to walk "normal" again it still bothered me. All in all it took about 6 months for things to get pretty much back to normal.

Again everyone is different and I'm sure there are different levels of strains but if Bynum's was anything like mine there is not any way on God's green earth he is playing again this year. And if it is a lot "milder" which it appears to be he is just one step, or landing from being done for the season.

There really isn't much of a rehab that I could do when I hurt mine (think it wa 1969 ish.

It IS not a muscle, Ive pulled my hammy 1 time and could still manage some things as long as it was wrapped up tight but this achilles strain was so much more serious.

And I was 5'11' and maybe 145 lbs then so the strain on mine is no where near what a 7' 280 pounder would put on his.

If I was LA i would expect nothing from him and hope like heck for whatever he can give them. And as with any team they are never going to tell us everything.

beat

Bynum said he is pain free so I would imagine that your strain was significantly worse.
He will be playing some in the first series, hopefully 15-20 minutes per game.

i think this series is dangerous for a sleep walking Lakers team. They struggle with fast young teams. I can see six games. But LA.s experience will prevail.

OKC's center position is a joke. LA will slow the pace and give a lot of touches to Gasol.

Looks to me like the Lakers have a tussle on their hands. I think this may be the Lakers biggest test. Pass it and finals bound. The Thunder are young, fast, unafraid and well coached and they put their ears back and bring it all game. I just perused the latimes Lakers section and they are flat worried over there.

17 blocks. 17. 7 for the congo guy...thunder conceded NOTHING without a fight in the paint.