Who's the best team in the league?

[LakerPete]

With all due respect to a Celtic team whose struggles people are overreacting to (again), the Lakers are the best team in the league.

[Marcus13]

The Lakers

[Greenbean]

With all due respect to a Celtic team whose struggles people are overreacting to (again), the Lakers are the best team in the league.

So LakerPete earlier in the year did LA react the same way to the Laker's struggles?

People around here have the conception that LA fans as a whole do not care about their team as much as Boston fans. Obviously I am not talking about you (since you are posting on the rival's site!) but do you think there is any validity to that?

[Mr October]

Record wise, what Boston has done this season with all the injuries is amazing. But I am worried about their health and chemistry with all the new guys. We'll know better what Boston has in 2-3 weeks.

Right now LA has to be the favorites. They are proven, healthy and rolling right now.

[LakerPete]

With all due respect to a Celtic team whose struggles people are overreacting to (again), the Lakers are the best team in the league.

So LakerPete earlier in the year did LA react the same way to the Laker's struggles?

People around here have the conception that LA fans as a whole do not care about their team as much as Boston fans. Obviously I am not talking about you (since you are posting on the rival's site!) but do you think there is any validity to that?

The sky was ABSOLUTELY falling in Laker Land about 6 weeks ago. The anger that was directed toward the players, coaching staff, and front office was very similar to what's going on around here. The only difference is that the anger toward the front office was due to them not doing anything, whereas here it's because they did.

I've never lived in New England or around enough Celtic fans to be able to compare the atmosphere of each. However, I can tell you that there's a perception amongst Laker fans...rightly or wrongly...that Celtic fans are just as "bandwagon" as Laker fans are accused of being, and that Celtic fans have been much more prominent post-KG trade than they were in the 20 years before it. Kobe getting MVP chants the year before in Boston is a bragging right that many Laker fans enjoy. Not because Celtic fans were chanting for him, but because Laker fans had taken the arena over to the point of that happening.

In reality, I think that every fan base is basically the same, especially as it relates to the well-established franchises in the NBA. You have a handful of diehards, and a large portion of people where the intensity of their allegiance is directly tied to how good the team is. And those are usually the most obnoxious ones.

In my opinion, the Celtics are an established entity, regardless of what they do during the regular season. The huge advantage that the Lakers & Celtics have is cohesion. The only team that can match it is the Spurs. And IMO, that's one of the most common threads amongst championship teams. More cohesive teams usually beat more talented ones, which is why I think Boston is still so dangerous.

The Perkins trade baffled me for this reason, as well as his defensive & pick setting abilities, but I don't think a team that's as battle tested as the Celtics are going to be brought down by this deal.

I feel like I know EXACTLY who the Celtics are, and because of that I view them as being the biggest threat to a Laker 3-peat.

[Tai]

Celtics in the East, Lakers in the NBA.

Good day. 

[Onslaught]

Lakers


I'm going to go be sick now.

[TheTruthFot18]

This should be separated into East and West because once the Finals come the top two teams will meet and the ultimate test begins.

To that end, the Celtics (when healthy) are clearly the best team in the East. Although I want to play the Spurs in the finals over LA, I think LA is still the best out west.

Aside from just being a Celtics fan, if you look at the Bulls, Heat, ORL, NY, ATL, who has even close to a legitimate bench. That's why I believe we are the best. That an we got some pg named Rondo      

[LakersFan_33]

With all due respect to a Celtic team whose struggles people are overreacting to (again), the Lakers are the best team in the league.

So LakerPete earlier in the year did LA react the same way to the Laker's struggles?

People around here have the conception that LA fans as a whole do not care about their team as much as Boston fans. Obviously I am not talking about you (since you are posting on the rival's site!) but do you think there is any validity to that?

I agree with what Laker Pete said, but will add this: A lot of the hysteria that was going on was from the media and from ignorant fans. We actually have Max Kellerman (Boxing guy from NY) and Marcellus Wiley (NFL) host a major L.A. radio show, which is pretty pathetic considering that this is a basketball dominated town, and since they know nothing about L.A. sports. Kellerman even said that a recent Lakers series last year went 5 games, and that OKC took us to 7 games. Basically, whoever signs the radio talent here is an idiot.

Anyway, back on subject, I was never concerned about the Lakers. Why? Because I've seen it before - I honestly found it insulting that the media transplants and new fans were panicking, since we've had times where we've struggled huge in the regular season, but have still been able to step our level of play up several levels in the playoffs. I suppose in the same way you guys shouldn't be worried, as well (I've seen the Celtics raise their level of play similarly in the playoffs).

But I do agree with Laker Pete in that the Perkins trade was the wrong move. It was the same situation as Lamar Odom with the Lakers. He, like Perkins, preferred to stay put, and ended up taking a little less money, something that I have no doubt Perkins would have done...and that's where I think Ainge messed up. He didn't think he would re-sign for less, when he would have.

[Bynum4MVP]

Celtics in the East, Lakers in the NBA.

Good day. 

Agree. 

Bulls and Heat are great regular season teams but I don't think they have the cajones for the Playoffs.

I still think it's Lakers/Celtics Finals this year.

[nickagneta]

Lakers right now....but not come the end of June.

[rtifishul]

My brother is a huge Laker fan, (we're from Los Angeles) and he keeps laughing at me because I said the they wouldn't get out of the West.  Right now they look pretty [dang]ed tough to beat.

Right now our Celtics couldn't hold a candle to them, but when Shaquille and Jermaine return, I have no fear that we beat them in seven games.

The reason people like to say the Lakers are favorites is because they have three seven footers. However, they are not tough seven footers. I am eagerly anticipating J.O. reducing Lamar Odom to a pile of sadness with one good hard foul. Kevin Garnett was recovering from injury last year and he still gave Gasol huge problems. Gasol has nightmares about a healthy KG. Lastly, Andrew Bynum will not be "Andrew Bynum" as long as Shaquille O'Neal is on the parquet. Bynum is soft because he was mentored by Kareem, a finesse player. Finesse is not going to stop Shaq. If we face them in the Finals, we'll have to play big man ball.

[housecall]

The Boston Celtics

[screwedupmaniac]

The Lakers until anyone proves otherwise in June...

[OsirusCeltics]

Paul Pierce

But if you're talkin about best team top to bottom, its the Boston Celtics

I don't understand how people can say the Lakers. They're bench is the worst its been since they got Gasol 3 years ago. Its basically the starting 5, with Odom, Blake, Brown, and Barnes. Besides Odom they are always inconsistent and force the starters to play more minutes than they should. It'll surely wear them out in the playoffs

And their big man rotation is only 3 bodies....3! In the 4 and 5 spot, theres only three bigs, and people call that size? How fragile of a lineup is that, if one goes down with an injury its over. While the Celtics have KG, Big Baby, Kristic, Shaq, JO, Murphy. You can even add Jeff Green cause he's basically another Odom