Author Topic: LA Lakers are 08-09 Champs  (Read 10722 times)

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LA Lakers are 08-09 Champs
« on: May 29, 2009, 11:29:24 PM »

Offline PosImpos

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Anybody actually see the Magic or the Cavs beating the Lakers in the Finals?  I don't.

The Magic have an okay chance, I think, but not a great one.  If the Cavs somehow manage the comeback (I think the series ends tomorrow), then they won't have a real chance.

The Lakers are too good.
Never forget the Champs of '08, or the gutsy warriors of '10.

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Re: LA Lakers are 08-09 Champs
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2009, 11:30:52 PM »

Offline Roy Hobbs

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I think either team from the East will beat them.  The Lakers are too soft and inconsistent.  The Nuggets just didn't show up tonight.

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Re: LA Lakers are 08-09 Champs
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2009, 11:35:21 PM »

Offline PosImpos

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I think either team from the East will beat them.  The Lakers are too soft and inconsistent.  The Nuggets just didn't show up tonight.

The Lakers are inconsistent at times but when it matters they show up to win - as they did tonight.

The Magic have a chance but their inexperience and lack of a star who gets star calls at key moments will hamper them, that and not having home court advantage (though they are probably the best road team left in the playoffs).

The Cavs are a team based around one guy, albeit a very great player.  They were very close to being swept by the Magic, and are likely going to lose in 6 games.  Even if they do manage to get to the Finals, I don't see them beating the Lakers even with home court advantage.  The Lakers were the only team to beat Cleveland at home during the regular season (in a meaningful game).  I think a Lakers / Cavs Finals would go to 6 games at most (not to mention that's a Finals matchup I probably wouldn't watch because I couldn't stand the Kobe LeBron hype).

I would like to see the Magic beat the Lakers, but I'm not confident they'll be able to.  I think that would be a good series though.
Never forget the Champs of '08, or the gutsy warriors of '10.

"I know you all wanna win, but you gotta do it TOGETHER!"
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Re: LA Lakers are 08-09 Champs
« Reply #3 on: May 29, 2009, 11:36:58 PM »

Offline wdleehi

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Howard can chew those big up and spit them out. 


Cleveland bigs can toss around those bigs as well. 




Re: LA Lakers are 08-09 Champs
« Reply #4 on: May 29, 2009, 11:47:03 PM »

Offline mahonedog88

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Van Gundy made an excellent point near the end of this game.

He said that if you really think about it, the Lakers should be overwhelming favorites to win the title, regardless of whether they face the Cavs or the Magic.  Because this year's Cavs team and Magic team are nowhere near as good as the Celtics were last year.

If the Cavs complete this improbable comeback, I think the Lakers will win.  If the Magic can finish off Cleveland tomorrow, I actually think it can go either way.

The more I watch these playoffs, the more I'm convinced if KG was healthy, we would've repeated as champs.  We would've beaten Chicago in 5 at the most, maybe even a sweep.  We would've beaten Orlando in 5 or 6 games.  I think we could've pulled out the Cavs series in 7.  And then it's back to a rematch with an inconsistent Lakers team.  *sigh* what could've been.......

Re: LA Lakers are 08-09 Champs
« Reply #5 on: May 29, 2009, 11:47:17 PM »

Offline PosImpos

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Howard can chew those big up and spit them out. 


Cleveland bigs can toss around those bigs as well. 





Gasol and Odom are too good for Cleveland's front court, and LA can negate a lot of what LeBron does with Kobe in the 4th quarter (getting important calls, making big shots etc).
Never forget the Champs of '08, or the gutsy warriors of '10.

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Re: LA Lakers are 08-09 Champs
« Reply #6 on: May 30, 2009, 12:13:06 AM »

Offline libermaniac

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The more I watch these playoffs, the more I'm convinced if KG was healthy, we would've repeated as champs.

I think that's a no-brainer.  All the other teams are inconsistent.  And, the Lakers are not playing nearly as well as they were last year.

Re: LA Lakers are 08-09 Champs
« Reply #7 on: May 30, 2009, 12:17:17 AM »

Offline BigAlTheFuture

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The NBA was just lucky KG was out. I think we would have won it again this year.
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Re: LA Lakers are 08-09 Champs
« Reply #8 on: May 30, 2009, 12:17:53 AM »

Offline PosImpos

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The more I watch these playoffs, the more I'm convinced if KG was healthy, we would've repeated as champs.

I think that's a no-brainer.  All the other teams are inconsistent.  And, the Lakers are not playing nearly as well as they were last year.

I don't know, I agree we would beat them this year if we had last year's team healthy, but I don't think the Lakers are playing worse than last year.  They are getting solid contributions from players like Ariza and Walton and Bynum is healthy - even though his main contribution has been hanging out in the lane and putting his arms up.

As for this year's team, we would have lost to the Lakers in 7 (if not fewer) even if all our players were healthy.  We just didn't have the depth this year.  Not having Posey against the Lakers is big - nobody in our second unit could defend against Odom, Kobe, or even Ariza.  Bynum being healthy also would have further exposed our lack of front court height / length.
Never forget the Champs of '08, or the gutsy warriors of '10.

"I know you all wanna win, but you gotta do it TOGETHER!"
- Doc Rivers

Re: LA Lakers are 08-09 Champs
« Reply #9 on: May 30, 2009, 01:12:20 AM »

Offline Who

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Yes, I think so. They're the overwhelming favourites for the title, especially since Orlando is likely to knock out Cleveland.

The games in the Finals should be closely contested though, I just think LA have that extra bit of talent that will set them apart by the end of the game. I think it'll be an entertaining series with Dwight Howard being the best player on the floor.

Re: LA Lakers are 08-09 Champs
« Reply #10 on: May 30, 2009, 02:44:06 AM »

Offline ACF

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Sooooo...
Should we just give them the title
and get it over with?  ::)



Naah. Sing with me:
GO MAGIC!

Re: LA Lakers are 08-09 Champs
« Reply #11 on: May 30, 2009, 03:29:30 AM »

Offline PosImpos

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Sooooo...
Should we just give them the title
and get it over with?  ::)



Naah. Sing with me:
GO MAGIC!

Trust me, I'm with you.  But this is the Laker's title to lose.
Never forget the Champs of '08, or the gutsy warriors of '10.

"I know you all wanna win, but you gotta do it TOGETHER!"
- Doc Rivers

Re: LA Lakers are 08-09 Champs
« Reply #12 on: May 30, 2009, 04:50:55 AM »

Offline ACF

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Sooooo...
Should we just give them the title
and get it over with?  ::)



Naah. Sing with me:
GO MAGIC!

Trust me, I'm with you.  But this is the Laker's title to lose.

I can see the headlines now:
Andrew Bynum: Difference Maker.
 :D

Re: LA Lakers are 08-09 Champs
« Reply #13 on: May 30, 2009, 05:08:53 AM »

Offline Drucci

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The Magic will win in 6 games if they play the Lakers. Matchup problems, great offensive team, good defense, Dwight Howard, good bench, a defensive stopper (Pietrus)... they have all it takes to beat the Lakers and they showed in the regular season that they were a kind of "nemesis" (2-0). Yeah, I know that regular season results mean nothing but we said the same thing with Orlando and Clevelnd and the Magic is one game away from reaching the Finals while playing against a supposedly better team.

Re: LA Lakers are 08-09 Champs
« Reply #14 on: May 30, 2009, 05:33:26 AM »

Offline ACF

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The Magic will win in 6 games if they play the Lakers. Matchup problems, great offensive team, good defense, Dwight Howard, good bench, a defensive stopper (Pietrus)... they have all it takes to beat the Lakers and they showed in the regular season that they were a kind of "nemesis" (2-0). Yeah, I know that regular season results mean nothing but we said the same thing with Orlando and Clevelnd and the Magic is one game away from reaching the Finals while playing against a supposedly better team.

Good post, TP.