New Album & The Beginning of Basketball Season

[steve williams]

I always wondered why the Lakers' depth chart looked the way it did this season. 4 or is it 5 natural point guards? What was the front office thinking? In hindsight it's no wonder Kobe and company were ground to mush over the length of the regular season.

Hat's off to coach D'Antoni

 

[MylesBAstor]

Lakers will probably amnesty Pau Gasol. Maybe Kobe, too.

Sending those two off would save them $50 million in salary plus even more in luxury tax.

One theory has Kobe getting amnestied, sitting out next year to recover and then re-signing with the Lakers the following year. Not likely but food for thought.Best for the Lakers but maybe not Kobe.

IIRC, can only amnesty one player in this CBA.

 

[steve williams]

correct. That's what I also commented on yesterday. Only one

 

[jadis]

Injuries, injuries and injuries. Boy, is that an epidemic or what? Now Westbrook. And guess who hasn't had injuries? The Heat. Even Ray Allen, who was sidelined by foot injuries last season with the C's, is perfectly healthy and is playing like those days in the C's championship season, nailing those 3's with ease these playoffs. Making Rashard Lewis, Mike Miller, and James Jones watch on the bench. What luxury. And those bench warmers are healthy too.

 

[steve williams]

Steph Curry also might miss tonight's game with yet another ankle injury

 

[jadis]

i hope nobody from the knicks, spurs or clippers get injured or we can just hand miami the trophy right now.

 

[WLVCA]

correct. That's what I also commented on yesterday. Only one

Guess that means Pau Gasol will be back with the Lakers.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Knicks about to go up 3-0 on Celts.

 

[jadis]

Knicks about to go up 3-0 on Celts.

they just did. it's all over for the c's. nothing's doin' for them.

hope the knicks can go on to end the reign of the heat in the east. that's all i look forward to.

 

[steve williams]

Well as the Lakers go into the 4th period down 22 points the good news is that they have only 4 more periods before they're out of their 2013 season

 

[jadis]

Well as the Lakers go into the 4th period down 22 points the good news is that they have only 4 more periods before they're out of their 2013 season

So are the Celts. Was there any talk earlier of a Celtics/Lakers Finals?

 

[jadis]

What a thrilling Golden State win. Down to the last shot, and they can take a 3-1 lead at home.

 

[jadis]

big question now is who will pick up the scoring slack for okc due to westbrook's absence. he averaged 24 points in the first 2 games against houston while kd was his usual self with big 20s numbers. could be houston's big chance to tie the series.

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

This season unfortunately belongs to the Heat. Had the Lakers found a way to get Jackson it might have been a compelling NBA Finals with he Heat favorite. This Lakers team was built to compete with the Heat. The idea was to have a coach not a fool on the sideline. micro-buss torpedoed the project, he brought d'Antoni who could not extract anything from the superb cast handled to him and the Lakers went down. Kobe may have to retire and D12 may go somewhere else ... Rebuilding time for the Lakers, something d'Antoni has not proven to be very good at .. His days are numbered. For the Lakers fans it will be what the French call " La Traversee du desert" .. A long drought. The heat will repeat. There is no team able to beat those guys in a seven games and the way they're playing right now, the deal for them is to see if they can become the first team to not lose a game in the Playoffs and the Finals... Might as well skip the Finals and hand them the trophy ...

 

[steve williams]

Unfortunately Jimmie Buss and Mitch Kupchak have already said that they will bring D'Antoni back next year to see how he performs with a healthy team.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Hi

This season unfortunately belongs to the Heat. Had the Lakers found a way to get Jackson it might have been a compelling NBA Finals with he Heat favorite. This Lakers team was built to compete with the Heat. The idea was to have a coach not a fool on the sideline. micro-buss torpedoed the project, he brought d'Antoni who could not extract anything from the superb cast handled to him and the Lakers went down. Kobe may have to retire and D12 may go somewhere else ... Rebuilding time for the Lakers, something d'Antoni has not proven to be very good at .. His days are numbered. For the Lakers fans it will be what the French call " La Traversee du desert" .. A long drought. The heat will repeat. There is no team able to beat those guys in a seven games and the way they're playing right now, the deal for them is to see if they can become the first team to not lose a game in the Playoffs and the Finals... Might as well skip the Finals and hand them the trophy ...

They'll still have to get past the Knicks The Knicks create lots of matchup problems (esp. if Amare comes back for the series and gives them 15 mins) for the Heat, especially with Wade hurting. Kenyon was the best pickup for the Knicks and the Heat won't be getting too many layups.

Biggest issue is who the Knicks will put on Lebron (my guess is Shumpert). But watch out if the Knicks can steal one in Miami. It's going to be a throwback to the old day of the Knicks-Heat.

 

[steve williams]

They'll still have to get past the Knicks The Knicks create lots of matchup problems (esp. if Amare comes back for the series and gives them 15 mins) for the Heat, especially with Wade hurting. Kenyon was the best pickup for the Knicks and the Heat won't be getting too many layups.

Biggest issue is who the Knicks will put on Lebron (my guess is Shumpert). But watch out if the Knicks can steal one in Miami. It's going to be a throwback to the old day of the Knicks-Heat.

One can only wish you to be correct Myles but alas, as Frantz says, you might as well hand the Heat the trophy as they look unbeatable

 

[steve williams]

and to make matters worse.........World Peace says he likely won't play Game 4

 

[MylesBAstor]

With apologies

 

[jadis]

They'll still have to get past the Knicks The Knicks create lots of matchup problems (esp. if Amare comes back for the series and gives them 15 mins) for the Heat, especially with Wade hurting. Kenyon was the best pickup for the Knicks and the Heat won't be getting too many layups.

Biggest issue is who the Knicks will put on Lebron (my guess is Shumpert). But watch out if the Knicks can steal one in Miami. It's going to be a throwback to the old day of the Knicks-Heat.

just like in the days of michael jordan's run on those 2 three-peats, i was rooting hard for the other team as i can't bear a jordan dynasty. so this time, since the c's are in complete disarray, i have no other team in the east to pin that hope in beating the heat other than the knicks, with the pacers a second choice. the knicks have personnel pieces man for man, imo, to match up with the heat. the heat's big advantage is their experience of winning games in playoffs and being a cohesive well-oiled machine and i give a lot of credit to their coaching staff, pat riley included (his input as a former multi-ringed coach is too valuable). in short, the heat is a very consistent team. chandler and new discovery kenyon martin, plus a returning amare can clog the lanes in the mold of the dallas championship team a couple of years a go. no 1 player can defend lebron. and rick carlisle's tactic then was to throw lebron with many defenders and play the mini-zone. celtics were 1 game from knocking off the heat and at home for the kill but had no answer for lebron's 45 game night. it shows lebron has the will now to carry everything in his shoulders and that is yet another advantage they have over anyone. if only melo can have that mind-set. maybe he needs to grow some beard and look tougher. it takes more than player personnel to beat the heat. it takes a fierce and hungry team effort, i hope the knicks can revive those slam bang rivalries with the heat and play tough. otherwise, it will be just like jordan's bulls - it will be destiny for the heat.