Lakers Defeat Rockets!!!!!

[JR]

I don't know if it's some people lack of knowledge of the game or simply their dislike of Kobe, but I can't do anything but laugh when I read how some actually try to compare the team that Kobe has to put on his shoulder and win a championship with to the ones Michael had and the one Shaq went to.

Let's see the teams Michael won rings with had Scottie (FHF), Rodman (FHF), Robert Horry (FHF) and several others that escapes me.

Shaq's team had D Wade (FHF), ZO (FHF), Gary Payton (FHF) and a few others I can't think of at that moment.

Now how many future hall of famers are on Kobes team helping him win?

That's cause Kobe can't get along with strong personalities. It is well documented. That's why LA has surrounded him with folks he can punk on his team.......but the downside is that those same players also get punked on the court.

It was well documented that Jordan was a mofo in the locker room. The difference is he did his dirt behind closed doors. He also trusted his team mates to take last shots and even though some hated him......they were willing to go all out for that team. Yall seem to forget Pippen was punking out in the beginning and Ho Grant couldn't score to save his life. Those guys developed some toughness. Rodman was already tough we he arrived with the second three peat Bulls. At that point they were just better than everybody else. Those first 3 titles were sheer we got this mentality. The last 3.......the NBA was starting to fall somewhat apart. Houston, Seattle and Utah were the powers in the West. The East only had NY, Miami, and Indiana at that point.

Kobe is a victim of his perceived personality......folks think he is aloof, arrogant and stand offish. He has said he really gets along with these guys on this team and I believe him. But he don't have any kill or be killed team mates. They don't have his instinct and he can't instill it in them like MJ did for his team....not to mention Phil aint trying in my opinion to make these mofos hard. I still remember how Jordan, Pippen and Phil would be all in Toni Kukoc arse when he would have a lapse on the court. That was the only time I saw them rip somebody constantly. LOL. I used to feel sorry for Toni. But it made him harder. Kind of how Garnett made Big Baby cry.....now Big Baby is balling. But see Doc Rivers knows you got to have some hard mofos to win.

 

[JayRob]

Not an excuse, guys. Not against this Rockets team. Lebron hardly has a supporting cast either. Who does he have with him that can be feared? Mo Williams?

Yet the Cavs have been whippin' inferior teams' azzes thoroughly. Lebron could've gotten lax when this last series shifted to Atlanta and dropped game 3. What does Lebron do instead? He puts up 45 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. He increased his output. He willed his team to victory in a situation where they probably could've coasted.

Kobe's supporting cast produced last year up until the NBA finals, but THIS year, they're just coasting.
Remember, Kobe is the ONLY NBA player who didn't get ANY time off due to playing all the way to June, then the Olympics, then the NBA exhibition games all the way til now. No other player in the league can claim this feat. No rest at all for his legs or his injured fingers. Lebron got knocked out and had a month to rest. He also has a supporting cast who don't mind playing defense.
Do we just ignore this?

And how you gone compare lowly Detroit and lowly Atlanta to a team that won 50 games and played in the toughest division?

 

[JayRob]

That's cause Kobe can't get along with strong personalities. It is well documented. That's why LA has surrounded him with folks he can punk on his team.......but the downside is that those same players also get punked on the court.

It was well documented that Jordan was a mofo in the locker room. The difference is he did his dirt behind closed doors. He also trusted his team mates to take last shots and even though some hated him......they were willing to go all out for that team. Yall seem to forget Pippen was punking out in the beginning and Ho Grant couldn't score to save his life. Those guys developed some toughness. Rodman was already tough we he arrived with the second three peat Bulls. At that point they were just better than everybody else. Those first 3 titles were sheer we got this mentality. The last 3.......the NBA was starting to fall somewhat apart. Houston, Seattle and Utah were the powers in the West. The East only had NY, Miami, and Indiana at that point.

Kobe is a victim of his perceived personality......folks think he is aloof, arrogant and stand offish. He has said he really gets along with these guys on this team and I believe him. But he don't have any kill or be killed team mates. They don't have his instinct and he can't instill it in him....not to mention Phil aint trying in my opinion to make these mofos hard. I still remember how Jordan, Pippen and Phil would be all in Toni Kukoc arse when he would have a lapse on the court. That was the only time I saw them rip somebody constantly. LOL. I used to feel sorry for Toni. But it made him harder. Kind of how Garnett made Big Baby cry.....now Big Baby is balling.

JR, it's also documented that Jordan ripped into his teammates on the basketball court too. He had players who wanted to play defense. He didn't have to beg them to. Kukoc was from Europe and he didn't like defense, kinda like Gasol.
Jordan always had an enforcer under the goal whose main job was to rebound and play defense. Kobe doesn't have that luxury. To win the championship, that's almost a must these days. That's Odom's job, but it just ain't in him to play consistent defense. His mind comes and goes.

 

[HBCUs]

Kobe's supporting cast produced last year up until the NBA finals, but THIS year, they're just coasting.
Remember, Kobe is the ONLY NBA player who didn't get ANY time off due to playing all the way to June, then the Olympics, then the NBA exhibition games all the way til now. No other player in the league can claim this feat. No rest at all for his legs or his injured fingers. Lebron got knocked out and had a month to rest. He also has a supporting cast who don't mind playing defense.
Do we just ignore this?

And how you gone compare lowly Detroit and lowly Atlanta to a team that won 50 games and played in the toughest division?

LOL at the Olympics excuse. Kobe isn't in the only guy in the playoffs who's played a lot during the past year, man.


Anyway,

That team that won 50 games is now leaning on Chuck Hayes and Carl Landry for scoring help to Luis Scola on the frontline. (Don't get me wrong, Scola is superior to anything on the Lakers frontline, but I'm just sayin'.) They're also leaning on a 5'10", 2nd year PG for scoring.

Anytime you find yourself running your offense through Ron Artest, you don't have much. Plain and simple.

There is NO EXCUSE for the Top Dog in the west to be in a dog fight with a one legged dog.

 

[97JSULEGEND]

Kobe's supporting cast produced last year up until the NBA finals, but THIS year, they're just coasting.
Remember, Kobe is the ONLY NBA player who didn't get ANY time off due to playing all the way to June, then the Olympics, then the NBA exhibition games all the way til now. No other player in the league can claim this feat. No rest at all for his legs or his injured fingers. Lebron got knocked out and had a month to rest. He also has a supporting cast who don't mind playing defense.
Do we just ignore this?

And how you gone compare lowly Detroit and lowly Atlanta to a team that won 50 games and played in the toughest division?

Jay Carmelo,Dwade,Gasol,Lebron all played till the final day of the olympics so they are just as tired as Kobe.

I still think the Lakers can win it they just have to commit to defense and make better substituions. Sasha sucks, so he should be the last option at guard. Benga needs to come in the picture more as does Josh powell. He can handle Landry and chuck hayes. This ish should be over but somehow Phil is just sitting there. Kobe and co got back into the game and Kobe kept taking it to the hole as it shows he had plenty of FT last night.
Something about that game still don't sit right with me but we lost and now we have the chance of being eliminated. Never should we be in this position.

 

[bluedog]

That's cause Kobe can't get along with strong personalities. It is well documented. That's why LA has surrounded him with folks he can punk on his team.......but the downside is that those same players also get punked on the court.

It was well documented that Jordan was a mofo in the locker room. The difference is he did his dirt behind closed doors. He also trusted his team mates to take last shots and even though some hated him......they were willing to go all out for that team. Yall seem to forget Pippen was punking out in the beginning and Ho Grant couldn't score to save his life. Those guys developed some toughness. Rodman was already tough we he arrived with the second three peat Bulls. At that point they were just better than everybody else. Those first 3 titles were sheer we got this mentality. The last 3.......the NBA was starting to fall somewhat apart. Houston, Seattle and Utah were the powers in the West. The East only had NY, Miami, and Indiana at that point.

Kobe is a victim of his perceived personality......folks think he is aloof, arrogant and stand offish. He has said he really gets along with these guys on this team and I believe him. But he don't have any kill or be killed team mates. They don't have his instinct and he can't instill it in them like MJ did for his team....not to mention Phil aint trying in my opinion to make these mofos hard. I still remember how Jordan, Pippen and Phil would be all in Toni Kukoc arse when he would have a lapse on the court. That was the only time I saw them rip somebody constantly. LOL. I used to feel sorry for Toni. But it made him harder. Kind of how Garnett made Big Baby cry.....now Big Baby is balling. But see Doc Rivers knows you got to have some hard mofos to win.

The only one that had a problem with Kobe was Shaq and that' s because after they won their first ring together Kobe was working to get better and improve his game to create a dynasty while Shaq was getting bigger and lazier (Kobe called him out on it) while not wanting to share the spot light same as he did in Miami.

If you recall Gary Peyton and the others stated out loud they had no problem with Kobe, it's alway been between him and Shaq and the media played it up to the hilt and instead of Phil stepping up like a real coach would have done and handling it he punked out.

 

[Kendrick]

Without getting into childish barbs, you can honestly say that since the Lakers appeared in the Finals in 2005, Kobe Bryant has not been a clutch playoff performer.

Yes, he has put up great numbers in the regular season and even won an MVP, but he has not been able to have those same types of performances come the postseason.

I know the Lakers were not as talented as they are right now, but there is no excuse to lose twice in the playoffs to the Suns. Once with a 3-1 lead and Kobe not showing up for Game 7.

Yes, the Lakers made it to the Finals, but they lost a 24-point lead in Game 4 and lost by 39 in Game 6.

Yes, the Lakers breezed through the regular season and blitzed Utah in the first round, but there is no excuse to play a Game 7 against the Rockets without Yao and T-Mac.

Even though LeBron has not won a championship yet, he has been more impressive than Kobe. He helped lead a Cavs team, with half the talent of the 2009 Lakers to the Finals. Not only that, but he single-handedly beat the defending East champs Pistons by himself.

Granted they lost to the Spurs, but San Antoino was clearly the better team.
Last season they take Boston (Eventual world champs) to Game 7 and have shot to win in the final minute in Boston. Again, the Lakers lose by 39 in Game 6 against Boston.

This season the Cavs have won all eight playoff games by double-digits.
Again, the Lakers are struggling against a Rocket team without their two best players.

Even Boston has more heart than the Lakers.
Without KG and Powe, they have played great ball against a Magic team who is clearly better than Boston.

You can talk about Phil not doing this or how the role players are not performing, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to Kobe. Right now he is not playing like the best closer in the game. In fact, he is blowing a bunch of saves.

Charles Barkley was right. The Lakers are too arrogant.
Who have these Lakers had to go through to win a championship?

Nobody. And we think they are great?

The Bulls had Detroit. The 80s Lakers had Boston. The Pistons had to get past Boston as well. The 2006 Heat had the Pistons.

It looks like the Lakers have to fight themselves to make a return trip to the Finals.