Lakers Vs Celtics

[NoraG1]

The Lakers will win like 73-75 games

Here you go again. You are not a Celtics fan. I think you're just a Lakers fan pretending to be a Celtics fan on the blog. Get outta here.

hey, lets give JRG some sympathy here. personally, i think he is a celtics fan, but cursed by a severe case of dyslexia and so he always spells "celtics" as "lakers." 

Why every year someone picks a team to win more then the MJ team that won 72 is ridiculous. Celtics were dominant last year and won 66.

[Edgar]

The Lakers will win like 73-75 games

Here you go again. You are not a Celtics fan. I think you're just a Lakers fan pretending to be a Celtics fan on the blog. Get outta here.

hey, lets give JRG some sympathy here. personally, i think he is a celtics fan, but cursed by a severe case of dyslexia and so he always spells "celtics" as "lakers." 

Why every year someone picks a team to win more then the MJ team that won 72 is ridiculous. Celtics were dominant last year and won 66.

add that lakers are an injurie away (starting 5) of getting 50 tops. those bulls could win 72 if any player not named mj or  sp hurt.

[NoraG1]

It also annoys me how fast the media slobbers over the Lakers. Celtics played like that last year early  and there were all the excuses from the media to avoid giving Celtics a lot of credit. Gets on my nerves.

[guava_wrench]

People were skeptical last year because the Celtics had no past success to build from. That is not the case with the Lakers. the Lakers were in the final last year, and look better this year.

[NoraG1]

People were skeptical last year because the Celtics had no past success to build from. That is not the case with the Lakers. the Lakers were in the final last year, and look better this year.

Maybe but it has been that way since they got Gasol. A;so what has Bynum proved? Yet all of a sudden he is the teams savior.

 In the finals the media made sure to pick the Lakers to win. I guess Celtics will just have to make them look like fools again.

[ACF]

Guys, we have to remember that JR
is only 14 (Isn't that right, JR?)
Let's all chalk this down to the
youthful mistakes we make 

That being said you have to stop
with all the Laker Love, JR. If there
was still the "Taketh away" button
I think you'd have more minus TP's
than posts. Seriously. No, seriously.

[tb727]

Obviously I detest the Lakers as much as anyone on here but I am a bit concerned right now and I hope I'm wrong, but isn't this season looking an awful lot like 1987?  Celtics coming off a dominant year (86 and 08), lose their 6th man (Walton to injuries, Posey to free agency) and the Lakers wind up getting home court and winning the finals?

Like I said I do hope I'm DEAD WRONG on this and I'll admit I was only 9 years old in 1987 and really wasn't as into it as I was starting in 1988, so perhaps someone else can refresh my memory with the 1987 comparison?

[sinbad]

The fact is i could care less about the losses to Indiana and Denver. These were not what i believe to be statement games. Statement games are important because they best resemble a playoff atmosphere where both teams are or should be at their very best. The Celts have had 5 statement games thus far, Detroit 2x, Cleveland, Atlanta, and Houston. 5-0 in these games is making a huge statement.

The Lakers stepped up with games against Houston, Phoenix, and New Orleans. However they laid an egg in their biggest statement game of the year at home against Detroit. This was telling because the Lakers I believe were 4-8 last year against Boston, Detroit, and Cleveland. These were the physical teams that give them problems. The Lakers already proved last year that they could beat the Western teams so what they've done this year is nothing new to me.

The Lakers are 10-1 and they've already peaked. We're 12-2 and can play so much better on offense. You think Pierce will continue to shoot 40% or Ray Allen to continue so shoot under 30% from 3, or KG to shoot at a career low 47%. As these numbers trend upwards, We'll average over 100ppg and our scoring margin will be right where it was last year.

That being said, I think the Lakers will win more games because  they have a slightly deeper bench which helps in the regular season. In the playoffs, when the rotation tightens, the Celtics should have the advantage.

Boston 64-18
Cleveland 59-23
Detroit 56-26
Atlanta/Orlando 50-32

LA Lakers 65-17
Houston 58-24
Utah 53-29
Phoenix 51-31

Keep the faith!

[Sweet17]

The Lakers look tough. And I think too much is made about how they played against us. People who think the Lakers can't play D didn't really follow them last year. They were a very respectable defensive team WITHOUT Bynum. We were able to beat them down and expose some issues but they were very solid during the year.

Don't be fooled into thinking they are some kinda of run and gun Phoenix kinda team..

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/2008.html

They actually had the 5th best defense in the league last year. While individual statistics with regards to defense are supsect TEAM statitsics that account for pace like points per 100 possesions are very solid.

Last year (and I think I said this) all the numbers pointed to the Celtics as being the superior team. This year like it or not the Lakers have all the statistics going there way

Everyone looks at the record but the differential is MUCH more important, IMHO. The C's need to start blowing people out and they need the best home court record. Your unlikely to win a championship if you can't knock the crap out of teams like Indiana.

[LarBrd33]

I think the main thing is that the Lakers won 57 games last year with Bynum playing half the season and Gasol playing the other half.   They went to the finals without a defensive center and defensive focus... and lost to the Celtics in 6 games.

Their points for:  108.6 and points against:  101.3 

This year they have both Bynum and Gasol in the lineup and a new defensive focus.  The season is still really early, but so far...

Their points for:  104.8 and points against:  91.3...   They are allowing 10 less points a game.  Their defense has been vastly improved this season.  And it certainly helps when you take a contender and add a 7 foot 290 pound bigman who adds 10 points, 9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks a game.  Bynum has seemingly put that team over the top.   

Think of how badly the Celtics struggled without Perk in game 5.  Imagine us not playing with Perk for that entire series.  Now realize that Perk is half the player that Bynum is... and you understand why people think the Lakers are a vastly better team this year.

Note:  I already know some homer is going to get their panties in a knot over my Perk/Bynum comparison.   So lets just let that one slide.  I admit that the season is early and "anything can happen".  The Celts are the defending champs so we gotta give our boys the benefit of the doubt.  But I am not going to just sit here in denial and pretend like that Lakers are just a bunch of "softies" who will roll over for the Celtics.  That team is unquestionably better than they were last year.  Meanwhile the Celtic offense has seemed worse.   Is our early season mild slippage and their early season vast improvement enough for the Lakers to makeup the difference from last year?  I dunno... but It definitely scares and sickens me as a Celtic fan. 

[davemonsterband]

The Lakers look tough. And I think too much is made about how they played against us. People who think the Lakers can't play D didn't really follow them last year. They were a very respectable defensive team WITHOUT Bynum. We were able to beat them down and expose some issues but they were very solid during the year.

It surprises me when people say this, don't you think in a 7 game playoff series against the C's, Cle or Det they'll get beat up? They're strong defensively but that doesn't exactly equate to toughness. I definitely think they could be thugged out of a series. And let's not forget, Pau has played 59, 39 and 27 games respectively since '06, Odom misses a good 30 to 40 games every other season. I know we can't assess a team based on injuries, but history's history, maybe they're fixed, hope not.

Also, they haven't beaten a strong defensive teams thus far, NO is good defensively but they only managed to beat them by 7, after them there was Detroit who beat up on them. We're going to have to wait til Xmas day and January to assess these guys I think, it's matador defense out west this season, and I think they'll be ill-prepared to handle the C's again because of it this year. I'm much more worried about Utah come playoff time, against both the Lakers and the C's.

[ACF]

The Lakers lost their second
game in a row, this time falling
103-106 to the Magic.

Link:
http://www.nba.com/games/20081220/LALORL/recap.html

The "Lakers can win 70+" talk
does not seem to be appliable
anymore, does it now? 

On the other hand, if we keep
going like this, we'll be the
ones who win 73 to 75 games.
Do I really believe that?
No, not really. I just know
that Boston is a better team
than the Lakers. Even if we
lose in four days, which, of
course, is NOT happening! 
(That's right, I'm calling it NOW.)

[Dybdal]

So i just watched the Lakers at Magic' and i have to admit they looked better than usual in a team defense perspective but they still have way to big holes in their defense in terms of personel.

It helped to bring Walton into the lineup and put more weight on Kobe to make shots but it dosnt cover the lack luster defense by Bynum and Fisher/Farmar and lack of effort when they get later into the game.

Its going to end in a Celtics win with Bynum in foul trouble, 92-99 Celtics win is my prediction

[ManUp]

4 of the Lakers 5 losses have been to Eastern Conference teams. It seems the rougher style of play that Eastern Conference teams use might be rubbing the Lakers the wrong way. I guess they're still the same baby soft Lakers team of last years finals. Oh my goodness I'm so happy christmas is almost here. I'm just aching for this team to meet the Lakers.

[Bankshot]

The Lakers look tough. And I think too much is made about how they played against us. People who think the Lakers can't play D didn't really follow them last year. They were a very respectable defensive team WITHOUT Bynum. We were able to beat them down and expose some issues but they were very solid during the year.

Don't be fooled into thinking they are some kinda of run and gun Phoenix kinda team..

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/2008.html

They actually had the 5th best defense in the league last year. While individual statistics with regards to defense are supsect TEAM statitsics that account for pace like points per 100 possesions are very solid.

Last year (and I think I said this) all the numbers pointed to the Celtics as being the superior team. This year like it or not the Lakers have all the statistics going there way

Everyone looks at the record but the differential is MUCH more important, IMHO. The C's need to start blowing people out and they need the best home court record. Your unlikely to win a championship if you can't knock the crap out of teams like Indiana.

They're not looking so tough now! Soft as a kitten.