We rootin' for the Lakers or Spurs tonight?

Don't know about the rest of you guys (and gal) but I'd like the Lakers to knock off the Spurs tonight. With the Spurs just starting on a long road trip (and already having lost the first one in Portland) I think there's a good chance we could wind up with the best overall record in the league and have homecourt over everyone (we trail SA by 3 and lead LA by 4). So, in that regard I'd like to see a few more SA losses in the coming weeks. We've got a decent lead on the Lakers and I don't mind if they win this one, even if it means three hours of indigestion wanting them to prevail.

I'm with you, steve.

Steve,

Tough question, but your scenario for best overall record is an interesting point.

I would normally say my two favorite teams are the Celtics and whoever is playing the Lakers, but I hope that either way it's a good game tonight.

Regards

And it goes without saying we want the Magic to knock off the Heat in Orlando tonight. That's also going to be a good game.

i'm with you too, Steve. out of pure self interest, i'd like to see the Lakers pull it out. maybe i'll even see some of the game. (i almost never use LP for anything but Celtics basketball!)

Michael

Spurs kept me sane by beating Phil and his Lakers during our bad stretch.

I am pulling for the Spurs all the way.

jeb wrote:
Spurs kept me sane by beating Phil and his Lakers during our bad stretch.

I am pulling for the Spurs all the way.

all the way to home court advantage ??? that's a puzzler to me, but there ya go.

regards, jeb
Michael

Cant pull for the Lakers over the Spurs...it aint in me.

gonna root for any team playing the lakers unless its miami vs lakers in the finals, in which case i will simply root for the end of the world

jeb wrote:
Cant pull for the Lakers over the Spurs...it aint in me.

think bigger picture, bro.

It's all about #18 and having the best record in the league makes is that much easier.

bob

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You'll have to be Prince Hal to my Hotspur on this one hoss.

Hi,
I don't care about Spurs vs Lakers because I believe that if Celtics' first 10 are healthy come playoff time the HCA won't matter.
As for the other pair - it's Magic: after all I live in Cle

AK

I almost always root against the Lakers, so make it the Spurs for me.

LACELTFAN wrote:I almost always root against the Lakers, so make it the Spurs for me.

If it's "almost always" it should be the Lakers tonight. We want homecourt throughout the playoffs.

jeb wrote:
Cant pull for the Lakers over the Spurs...it aint in me.

Jeb I'm in your boat 100%

I will never ever root for them period, not in my blood, never will be.

beat

just turned on the magic/heat game as i want to see how these two have devoloped recently a moment ago i could have sworn King Nothing travled and doubled before hitting his jumper, it gave his team the 43- 35 lead i think. anyone else notice that?

I have only rooted for the Lakers maybe twice in #% years...so I just can't bring myself to do it...it would be like rooting for the devil, I might root for them after they have been eliminated from making the playoffs so that they pick lower in the draft...that would be it. When was the last time they were eliminated from making the playoffs?

I will never ever root for them period, not in my blood, never will be.

beat, you can't root for them...it's contrary to your name.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy seeing the Lakers lose a heartbreaker tonite.

heartbreaker is right.

Old Man McDyess (considering we have Shaq and KG, I mean this in the nicest possible way) winning this on a tip at the buzzer.

Kobe with a very nice 10 assists. Unfortunately, his shooting stunk. No 3pt shooting from the Lakers last night, a horrendous 2-14.

I was rooting for the Lakers (gag), it's too bad they couldn't pull it out. Now a 3 game losing streak with 2 of those losses to team's they're probably going to have to go through to repeat as champions.

Kupchak's on the phones even as we speak.

bob

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From Laker Nation forum last evening, hilarious!

Photo of Derek Fisher



And Steve Blake



beat

bob,

LA is on a 1 game losing streak.
SA still does not scare me. Only Boston and Miami are the teams that I feel could/would beat LA in the playoffs. SA have been unbelievably healthy (same starting 5 for all 49 games) and they have been shooting the ball great from outside.
I expect Richard Jefferson to come back down to his regular decent shooting, not lights out shooting like he has done this year.
SA does not have a significant inside presence and could struggle with bigger teams in the playoffs.
The one thing they do have which hurts LA is having two guys who have great dribble penetration/kick out to shooter capabilities in Ginobili and Parker. Kobe does a good job at controling one of them, but Fisher and Blake didn't slow them down in the 2nd half.
If Kupchak is on the phone, I would suspect it would be for a fast pg which they have needed for years. I wonder if Houston will be looking to shed some salaries close to the trade deadline since they are the only luxury tax paying team that most likely will not make the playoffs. Shedding $4.5m in salaries this year would result in a savings of about $12m for Houston when you factor in the salary, luxury tax payment, and the luxury tax credit they would get for being under the luxury tax threshold.
Kevin Martin and Kyle Lowry are locked in long term contracts and I can't see Aaron Brooks sitting on the bench for the next 3 years behind Lowry.
That is just my fantasy addition for LA this week...

tj- As much as I hate to say this... I can't really see anyone else emerging from the Western Con but the Lakers. I don't believe the Spurs. Hope I'm wrong.

I guess I'm the lonely voice who thinks the Spurs are legitimate. Yes, I understand that they've been unusually healthy and that they're vulnerable to a team with length inside, but man, they're playing so well together as a unit. All the players know their roles, they play smart, and you're not going to outcoach them. They get 6-10 points a game from role players receiving a pass from a teammate who knows exactly where they'll be and making an open 15-18 footer. Duncan will exert his presence more in the playoffs than he's doing now. Blair has improved, Jefferson is comfortable and confident, plus Hill, Neal, and Bonner are solid. Add all that up with the fact that they play so well together, and I don't see the Lakers beating them unless LA brings their A+ game and sustains it for an entire series. Injuries could change all that, of course, but you can say that about any team.

I think the Spurs are playing the best they've played in years. The two-time champs are the champs until someone beats them, but the Spurs look very, very good.

Outside

Outside wrote:I guess I'm the lonely voice who thinks the Spurs are legitimate. Yes, I understand that they've been unusually healthy and that they're vulnerable to a team with length inside, but man, they're playing so well together as a unit. All the players know their roles, they play smart, and you're not going to outcoach them. They get 6-10 points a game from role players receiving a pass from a teammate who knows exactly where they'll be and making an open 15-18 footer. Duncan will exert his presence more in the playoffs than he's doing now. Blair has improved, Jefferson is comfortable and confident, plus Hill, Neal, and Bonner are solid. Add all that up with the fact that they play so well together, and I don't see the Lakers beating them unless LA brings their A+ game and sustains it for an entire series. Injuries could change all that, of course, but you can say that about any team.

I think the Spurs are playing the best they've played in years. The two-time champs are the champs until someone beats them, but the Spurs look very, very good.

Outside

outside,

I agree. I said on an earlier thread somewhere that I was impressed with the Spurs W-L record, I just hadn't seen enough of them to know how and why. Well, I'm seeing it now. They look a lot like the Celtics. Penetrating starting point guard (theirs shoots better than ours, ours passes better and more than theirs), deadly shooting SG, deadly shooting SF, aging but veteran PF who was once the best in the league at his position. A veteran starting unit that knows each other and knows what they have to do. They have bench depth too.

bob


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Outside

They have a few guys that have never got rings yet and others it's been a few years. Hungry? Looks that way to me.

I agree they are much more formidable than the lakers right now. ANd I stress NOW.

Most teams will go thru a funk somewhere along the line OR have a significant injury or two. SA has had neither, and maybe they will skate by with no injuries too.


I think they understand each other and their roles much like the C's do. No one person takes over and feels he has too (like Kobe). Bunch of very good players whom understnad their roles and go out an play them....and lest I forget they have a darn good coach.Perhaps their schedule was a bit weak so far. Haven't checked it out but even so they have the best record by several games. Can't have been that much softer.

Duncan is playing fewer minutes and is not the focal point nor does he need to be 8 points 8 rebounds last eve. They do not turn the ball over and shoot a high percentage. Not much else you can ask.

But I still think we are better as long as we are healthy.

beat