lakers and height and the bully factor

Bob and byg

The lakers like the Celtics have simply not gotten it done against realy good teams. Outside the Celtics the Lakers dont have one signature win that I can think of and have folded like an accordian against the nba's best.

The Nuggets are a very good basketball team and big time scary.

Last year at this time in their championship season the Lakes won every big game. Not so much this year.

In regards to Kobe's minutes i think it is reflective of Jackson's entitled arrogance and will be the lakers downfall. It so just epic macking dumb. I have a hard time believing it. I guess the guy SEEMS so bulletproof. So did KG before last year. I dont find the Lakers to be terribly well coached. With the game in the balance last night Sasha was out there jacking up ill advised not close three after three. Phil is so accustomed to Kobe pulling him out of every bad situation beyond Kobe I dont see him doing a lot of coaching and Karl just plum out generaled him last night.

Gyso...I hear you on cleveland. They seem to be finding a way to get it done. But they are not without glaring weakness. Two old slow bigs chief among them. They rely an awful lot on 3's and that crap wont fly in a long playoff series. At this point i see 6 or 7 teams that could win it all but no dominant team. And some really dangerous young teams.

sam

Nene was flat attacking Bynum and got Bynum in serious foul trouble and just generally caused bad problems for the Lakes all game. With Martin , anderson and Nene in the game at once they outrebounded the lakes when it mattered.

I COMPLETELY AGREE with your Gasol observation and last night without Paus, rebounding and assist the lakers would have had god awful numbers in both categories. Kobe like KG is not used to having a body that wont respond. He looked a lot like PP in the Orlando series last year.

Last sprained ankle I had I dont recall 39 harsh minutes of nba ball would have helped it a lot. Kobe (and I dont want this...i truly dont) may well miss the playoffs if Phil don't wise up and rest the guy. I just dont get it. The Lakers could go into the playoffs rested with 53 wins and a great great chance to win it with what they have. Watch Gasol's minutes and they are way up there too.

At this jucture I fear gasol more than Kobe and feel he is what makes the Lakers run.

one more thing. he is a class guy and would never admit this but I bet Gasol is getting frustrated in a Rondo sort of way with his lack of touches and specially with his lack of touches with the game in the balance.

He just destroys the damn defense every time he gets the ball facing the basket. One of the most dangerous guys in the nba.

But it's iso Kobe with four minutes and under every single time. ANd that my friends is coaching.

jeb65 wrote:one more thing. he is a class guy and would never admit this but I bet Gasol is getting frustrated in a Rondo sort of way with his lack of touches and specially with his lack of touches with the game in the balance.

He just destroys the damn defense every time he gets the ball facing the basket. One of the most dangerous guys in the nba.

But it's iso Kobe with four minutes and under every single time. ANd that my friends is coaching.

jeb,

Or "is not coaching", as the case may be.

I think the secret to stopping Gasol (or at least reducing his effectiveness) is to play him the way Cowens played Kareem. Beat him to the blocks and force him to take the ball a foot or two further away from the basket than he would prefer. I agree that if he gets the ball in the low post and is allowed to do what he wants, he's trouble.

bob

Jeb,

btw, I never mentioned this, but I love your avatar. I was just talking about Hunter S. Thompson last night with somebody. I saw Thompson at the Somerville Theater years ago. He did two shows, I saw the early one because it was during the week. He walked out on stage with a bottle of Pinch (you could tell by the distinct shape of the bottle) and proceeded to kill most of it over the next 1 1/2 hours. And that was the early show! It was a great show. I loved that guy. I miss him and George Carlin a lot.

bob

bobheck

Me too. Specialy HST...I think he saw all this crap coming and felt just as ratted out by the "democrats" as everyone else in the money trench we call a government.

I never saw him speak.Being out in san fran you may remember a serious irish bar called the Dover Club. Warren Hinckle drank there a lot. I just missed Thompson there a couple of times. Thompson was still writing for the examiner when I got out to sf. The Dover moved to Valencia street and has never been the same. That place was dangerous...back in the day.

I think in my adulthood I wouldnt really want to meet him unless is was as equals and a situation I could walk away from. alas now I will never know. I was working on a movie in New Orleans when I heard hunter was gone. It was on the "drudge" report. Matt was having a lot of fun with his death...mocking him. I wanted to reach into the radio and choke him.

I think drugs ultimately destroyed Hunter's ability to write. Specialy coke. But man did he write some great books before that. Fear and Loathing on the campaign trail 72 remains one of my very fave books. And Vegas is a masterpiece.

and Bob heck i agree with your gasol solution ...make him catch the ball farther from the hoop. He is willowy. And in a perfect world dont let him face the basket. With his back to the basket he is average at best and does not cripple you with his astute passing.

Again if we can get our act together and get there I think we match up well with the Lakers. As well as anybody. And i personally think Wallace will give Gasol fits.

I am working all day tomorrow and will miss the game. pull em through boys and gals. It's a big one for both teams. Bigger for the celts cause they are at home.

I pick 92 for the contest.

Jeb