Do the Spurs have a legit crack at the Lakers

Sam and sky

Good writing! Getting pounded by these hp geeks in san fran. But snuck a quick glance and it's good to have some of the big brains on my thread.

Jeb

jeb65 wrote:MD celt
Thanks for the response! I would love to wipe that smirk off Jacksons face and see the fear and confusion in Odom's eyes and have Sasha throwing towels too.
But I want the Lakers as tired and beat up as we are. And there are so many smart hoop minds on here I am interested in what yall think about this upcoming season all over the league.
Again thanks
Jeb

great researching, writing and storytelling, you two - - a real treat.
for this year's match-ups, the Spurs with a healthy Manu ought to be fierce. but speaking of the Lakers maybe getting as beat up as we may come play-off time, doesn't anyone think that after the scare the Nuggets gave the Lakers last year, when they were saved by Ariza's two steals, that Denver might give LA a run for their money? Or does it look like too much Melo and not enough of anything else to you guys?
BTW, didn't Denver's rookie b/u PG Lawson look good in that last pre-season game ? (if anyone but me saw it ... )

I think the big things between La and Spurs are

1. Tony P. can run down Derek and can drive on Farmar.

2. Can Mcdyess, Ratliff, Bonner or Blair defend both Lamar and Pau. Does Mcdyess have the fuel to stay out for both.

3. Can manu stay healthy.

4. Can G. Hill play back up and be effective against Ron or KoMe.

5. Will Bynum run Duncan down and if he does will Ian Mahinmi stand up for the challenge.

6. Can Blair be effective against Lamar and Pau, with them having more experience and physical strength.

7. Which team will have the advantage from the Artest Jefferson match up.

8. Can L.A.'s bench win with games with only Lamar, Walton and Farmar and maybe Brown contributing from the bench.

9. Can L.A. win with KoMe scoring below twenty.

10. Will he Spurs be able to keep up with the younger Lakers.

These are the top 10 things for either team to win. Whoever controls them wins playoffs or regular season games. And the biggest match is Zen Master vs. Greg.

Good Post sam L !

Thanks Jeb65.

Sam how did you get the chance to see the practices and brigade games and the hair cut. Were you part of the team or something? And great story by the way.

bigpygme,

yeah, i saw it. Denver is still as solid as ever even if they lost Kleiza and the ever-overrated-defender Dhantay Jones. and yes, i saw that game. Lawson did look pretty damn good. lol.

and even with the coming of Billups, we shud note that Melo had his worst shooting year, mainly due to elbow problems (he was on my fantasy team, so i kept watch). He shud be completely healthy now and i think Denver is a very strong contender out west.

Jeb,

Yeah, they used me as the ball. LOL.

Actually, you can read the entire story on my blog (which is free). I've posted the booklet I wrote about that trip (including the all-night party with Havlicek), and it's called "Here Come the World Champions...the Final Chapter in Basketball Camelot." You can find the blog at:
http://samsbostoncelticsfansite.blogspot.com/

I'd be interested to get your reactions to the account. If you have problems accessing it, let me know and I'll work it out another way.

Sam

LilRip wrote:bigpygme,
yeah, i saw it. Denver is still as solid as ever even if they lost Kleiza and the ever-overrated-defender Dhantay Jones. and yes, i saw that game. Lawson did look pretty damn good. lol.

and even with the coming of Billups, we shud note that Melo had his worst shooting year, mainly due to elbow problems (he was on my fantasy team, so i kept watch). He shud be completely healthy now and i think Denver is a very strong contender out west.

sounds like you did definitely keep watch on Denver ! <LOL> so i think healthy Spurs can challenge LA but so can the somewhat underrated Nuggets, who may actually have LA's number more easily ... just a thought.

Sam wrote:Sky,

I never sensed that those Lakers lacked confidence. They seemed really jacked, which made Jerry West's meltdown after the series more comprehensible. I sensed no hint of a "Well we should have been underdogs anyway" mentality. Heck, nearly the entire basketball world felt certain the Lakers would win that series.

So I don't believe lack of confidence beat the Lakers that night. The shock of what happened to them during the first quarter obviously shook them momentarily, as a lesser-known Celtic (Bryant) burned them again and again. Nonetheless, the Lakers came back and trailed by only 3 at the quarter and 7 at the half.

If I had thought they were gray-faced coming out for the beginning of the game, the Celtics looked like corpses emerging from halftime. Then, led by retiree-in-waiting, Sam Jones, they absolutely croaked the home team in the third quarter, building the cushion that the Lakers couldn't quite overcome in the final quarter.

Sam

Sam-

I exclude West from the discussion, b/c like Russ, he's the ultimate competitor, and always believed that he was going to win.

But for everyone else, I think that although they may have felt going into the game that they were going to win, it wasn't the true deeply held confidence that comes from having won it all before. It was more like a false sense of confidence- something on the surface that was easily swept away by the Cs in the opening quarter. I think at that point, a lot of the Lakers, in their heArt of hearts, were saying "Oh no. Here we go again."

But maybe it wasn't confidence- maybe, like the '08 Lakers, it was a lack of mental toughness. Whatever it was, it showed in the 3rd quarter. You're at home in Game 7, you're supposed to run the visiting team out of the building- not the other way around.

Sam wrote:

I actually heard very little talk about the game at the all-night party and during the homeward flight.

Sam

Sam-

When I come to Boston next time I want to hear about that party. That must have been insane.

LilRip wrote:bigpygme,

yeah, i saw it. Denver is still as solid as ever even if they lost Kleiza and the ever-overrated-defender Dhantay Jones. and yes, i saw that game. Lawson did look pretty damn good. lol.

and even with the coming of Billups, we shud note that Melo had his worst shooting year, mainly due to elbow problems (he was on my fantasy team, so i kept watch). He shud be completely healthy now and i think Denver is a very strong contender out west.

As a Laker fan, I'm not sweating Denver at all. At least when it came to the Lakers, Kleiza was a killer. Always had big games for them off the bench when they won. So losing him hurts the Nuggs.

Worse, except for Melo's elbow, everything went right for Denver last year and they had a great year, but I don't see everything going right for them again this year. Nene missed almost no games after missing most of the previous two years. KMart has had a lot of health issues also.

Worst of all, their front line is way undersized vs LA, SA and PDX, and simply cannot hang with those teams when they are all healthy. Denver has no one who can contain Gasol/ Duncan/ Aldridge. When LA started getting the ball to Gasol in game 5 and 6 last year, they put the series away. (The crazy foul differential in the first few games also helped the Nuggs. Probably the worst-officiated series I've ever seen.) I've got Denver in the 4 slot with Dallas close behind, but I'd be shocked if they got out of the second round this year if all the teams are relatively healthy.


PS- Lawson was a steal. It blows me away that GMs so much emphasis on measurements and discount game performance so much. He was dominant in the ACC and during the NCAA's last year.

It reminds me of when Jimmy Johnson was coaching the Cowboys (and they were winning Super Bowls). He was questioned over taking Emmitt Smith in the first round because of his size, to which JJ replied, "I'm not interested in how players preform against measuring tapes. I'm interested in how they perform against actual human beings. I'm looking for playmakers."

Well, we all know how that turned out.

I think of Lawson in the same way. Who cares what his measurements are ? The guy can play. Just like Nate, Jameer Nelson, Aaron Brroks, etc, all of whom were discounted b/c of their size.

SAM L. BILLRKG wrote:I think the big things between La and Spurs are

1. Tony P. can run down Derek and can drive on Farmar. Phil has always schemed for Parker better than any other coach. really helps limit him. it's obviously an advantage for them, and he'll get his points, but it's not as lopsided as it might appear b/c they make him a scorer and cut down his dimes.

2. Can Mcdyess, Ratliff, Bonner or Blair defend both Lamar and Pau. Does Mcdyess have the fuel to stay out for both.

Dyess is a great pickup for them. If everyone's healthy, though, Pau, Bynum, Odom will wear down TD and Dyess. Big drop off to Ratliff and Bonner, although their improved depth, along with RJ, will help them get through the reg season and at least puts them back in the discussion.

3. Can manu stay healthy. If he's not healthy, which is a strong possibility, they have no shot.

4. Can G. Hill play back up and be effective against Ron or KoMe. He's their backup pg. Will be fine in that role.

5. Will Bynum run Duncan down and if he does will Ian Mahinmi stand up for the challenge. Mahinimi is not the answer for them.

6. Can Blair be effective against Lamar and Pau, with them having more experience and physical strength. He's going to have trouble with their length and athleticism. Neither one resembles Hashem Thabeet.

7. Which team will have the advantage from the Artest Jefferson match up. Slight advantage to Spurs if RJ attacks the rim, but he hasn't wanted to do so as much the last few years as he did earlier in his career.

8. Can L.A.'s bench win with games with only Lamar, Walton and Farmar and maybe Brown contributing from the bench. You'll see a lot of Brown this year. He is a real energizer for them and makes things happen. He can play some 2 as well as 1, so he'll get minutes. THey'll be fine w/ that bench.

9. Can L.A. win with KoMe scoring below twenty. If he's taking less than 20 shots they are very, very hard to beat.

10. Will he Spurs be able to keep up with the younger Lakers.

Bottom line, IMO, even if both teams are at full strength, which is a much bigger question for the Spurs than LA given their injury history and age of key guys, the Spurs won't be able to handle the Lakers youth, length and athleticism. But it will be closer than it has been the last two years.

These are the top 10 things for either team to win. Whoever controls them wins playoffs or regular season games. And the biggest match is Zen Master vs. Greg.

I actually think PJ and Pop cancel each other out as they are the two best coaches in the game with Doc a reasonably close 3rd (because of a shorter resume).

[b]

My responses in bold above.

Sky

I think pretty accurate. Ginobli is healthy it's tougher on yall. But let me suggest something to you my new friend. Don't make the mistake of underestimating Tim Duncan. He is the joker in the deck and if he is healthy he will eat yall alive inside. On D most of all. He KNOWS his window is closing. But Sky it aint closed yet and I think Duncan may be in the mvp talk com 3/4 of the season.

Inre Jackson and Parker I will give you that but with a caveat. The Spurs have not been this loaded ever against Phil. Parker is a problem for you all in my opinion.

And Pop is the best coach in the game. You aint gonna like this but it seems to me Phil has lost interest a little bit.

Any way. I really enjoy a smart Laker voice and I am truly glad you are here.

Jeb

TD is my favorite all time non-Laker, and gets much respect from me. He is one guy I could never underestimate.

His health will be key, as he was hurting in the playoffs last year, and with him ineffective and Manu out they had no shot vs Dallas.

Parker is also a load, and has really carried them offensively the last few years.

But they were light years behind the Lakers last year b/c the supporting cast had deteriorated so badly, so all of their upgrades get them back into the top of the West conversation, but when all is said and done, I think LA will prevail in a close series if it's the Spurs. 6 games.

Glad to be here, buddy. Thanks for the kind words.

Sky

Me too on Dunc.

I expect Pop to play things just right with Timmy and I think he will give yall fits and fight with every inch of his giant heart.

If both teams are healthy I reckon the Lakes are just a tad too long and deep.

But Duncan could just rise up and take the series. He is that good. One of the best weve ever had and certainly in the conversation for greatest TEAM player ever.

Jeb

Sam L and Sky,

If you're interested, you can read the whole story by going to my (free) blog. I've posted the entire booklet describing the trip (about 30 pages). I call it "Here Come the World Champions...the Final Chapter in Basketball Camelot."

The URL for the blog: http://samsbostoncelticsfansite.blogspot.com/

If you have trouble accessing it, and I can email it to you.

Sam

jeb65 wrote:Sky

Me too on Dunc.

I expect Pop to play things just right with Timmy and I think he will give yall fits and fight with every inch of his giant heart.

If both teams are healthy I reckon the Lakes are just a tad too long and deep.

But Duncan could just rise up and take the series. He is that good. One of the best weve ever had and certainly in the conversation for greatest TEAM player ever.

Jeb

yep-

Pop will pace those guys during the season. No coach is as willing to take a few Ls during the season to keep his guys healthy. ON the other hand, he did it last year and TD was still banged up at the end and Manu gone, so we'll see. A Spurs- Blazer con semi would be great (experience and savvy vs youth and athleticism) with the winner going up against the purple and gold is what I expect to see. Either one is a tough opponent for LA.


Duncan is the best 4 of all time. All due respect to the Mailman, who is one of my faves, Mchale, who I respected, and to Bill Lambeer, who I am only including as a joke so that we can both laugh at the idea of mentioning him in the same breath as those other guys.

Sam wrote:Sam L and Sky,

If you're interested, you can read the whole story by going to my (free) blog. I've posted the entire booklet describing the trip (about 30 pages). I call it "Here Come the World Champions...the Final Chapter in Basketball Camelot."

The URL for the blog: http://samsbostoncelticsfansite.blogspot.com/

If you have trouble accessing it, and I can email it to you.

Sam

Cool- will check it out.

I still want to hear the details from the party that were not fit to print the next time I'm in Boston, though.

Duncan is the best.

Kevin McHale is second for me.

Laimbeer was a great rebounder and a tremendous shooter and passer. Great ballplayer but not on that level.

Jeb

uuugghhh. I HATE Laimbeer. Such a goon. I hated everyone on those Pistons teams in a way that I never hated the Celtics (ok- except for ML Carr and Ainge- I hated those guys.)

BUt seriously, those Pistons teams had no class. THeir pathetic disappearing act when Jordan's Bulls finally beat them was one of the worst moments in sports.

Just disgraceful.

Sky

We had to play em more and I hated em worse. But Laimbeer could ball.

Jeb

I would run him over if he was walking across Sunset.

Do you remember when the chief decked him and the refs missed it?

Jeb

Sky,

There really aren't any unprintable details. The closest I could come would be to state emphatically that, at what might arguably have been the pinnacle of his personal appeal and basketball career—3,000 miles from home—Havlicek was a model husband and family man.

Sam

[quote="babyskyhook"]

jeb65 wrote:
Duncan is the best 4 of all time. All due respect to the Mailman, who is one of my faves, Mchale, who I respected, and to Bill Lambeer, who I am only including as a joke so that we can both laugh at the idea of mentioning him in the same breath as those other guys.

Thx for the props for McHale, Sky. Stuff like that is why you've gotten wide respect oin this board, along with an even-handed ability to discuss basketball. I was just watching some of McHale's post moves the other night on "The NBA at 50" CD and he was as remarkable as memory serves. Thx too for the Laimbeer joke - i got it ("what's HE doing there?") before you explained it ... and i hated him too. ! Lots !!