The 2007-08 Los Angeles Lakers thread

[Darth Llama]

It gets even funnier when you consider that the Shaq trade was their answer to us getting Gasol. We make a move that puts us in the leagues elite, and they counter by trading their best perimeter defender for a washed up has been. Yeah, good move there.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Irony: Suns getting Shaq "for the playoffs" and finding themselves on the brink of not even making the playoffs...

 

[Darth Llama]

Oh, and for the record..

With the Spurs loss tonight, we're back in the #1 seed.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

WTG, Nuggets !!

 

[Brian in Mesa]

BTW, does anyone have a pic of Shaq at the Suns game holding up his ring finger?

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/member.php?u=20



BIM

 

[Darth Llama]

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/member.php?u=20



BIM

If we wanted to be real jerks we should all make that our avatar.

 

[Darth Llama]

Encouraging Sign:

Kobe only scores 16, Pau Gasol only scores 10 and the Lakers still destroy the opponent, winning by 37.

Yes, I realize it's the Clippers but still, to score 26 points between those two and still win in a rout shows that other guys on this team can step up and score big time. Usually Kobe goes for at least 26 alone. I'm happy.

 

[Renz]

If we wanted to be real jerks we should all make that our avatar.

 

[Darth Llama]

Absolutely pathetic game today, and one the Lakers deserved to lose. Phoenix does us a favor and beats the Spurs and we lay an egg against the Kings, unreal.

The Laker defense in this game was probably the worst defense I have ever seen an NBA team play. This loss better wake them up, cause this "Coast for 3 3/4 quarters thing" is ********. You don't win games by just showing up for the last 2 min. Awful game.

 

[Renz]

Absolutely pathetic game today, and one the Lakers deserved to lose. Phoenix does us a favor and beats the Spurs and we lay an egg against the Kings, unreal.

The Laker defense in this game was probably the worst defense I have ever seen an NBA team play. This loss better wake them up, cause this "Coast for 3 3/4 quarters thing" is ********. You don't win games by just showing up for the last 2 min. Awful game.

Hopefully, this game will wake them up. They may have been reading too many press clippings lately.

 

[Darth Llama]

Unreal, Suns win one game and their fans are talking smack all over the place. Does anyone in the world over react to a win or loss more then a Suns fan? It's crazy.

When they lose, they scream that they are going to get a lottery pick, when they win, they are going to win it all. Absolutely amazing.

 

[green machine]

Unreal, Suns win one game and their fans are talking smack all over the place. Does anyone in the world over react to a win or loss more then a Suns fan? It's crazy.

When they lose, they scream that they are going to get a lottery pick, when they win, they are going to win it all. Absolutely amazing.

Yeah, Cardinals fans.

 

[Darth Llama]

Yeah, Cardinals fans.

I don't know if I have ever heard Cardinal fans realistically think we were going to win the Super Bowl, but crazier things have happened.

It's not all Suns fans of course, and it's cool they are proud of their team. You're one person I don't put in that group, you seem more rational then most. It's just hilarious how 2 days ago they were lottery bound, and then after they beat the Spurs and the Lakers slip against the Kings, now the Suns are the best team in the world.

We're still half a game up on the Spurs and 3 up on the Suns. There is a lot of season left.

 

[D-Dogg]

Let me tell you something right now...the best possible thing for us happened last night when Kobe missed that shot to win the game. Right before that, Gasol tells him "let's go win this muffer, right now."

Had Kobe made that shot they would have once again been rewarded for playing like Team Lightswitch. Missing it and losing should serve as a wakeup call that they can't play in dresses for three and a half quarters and expect to win.

This stared a while back--Portland game at home during the long streak:

Lakers came out VERY flat and played flat until the 4th, when they really turned it on.

Good to know they can do that...bad to know they know they can do that.

Then this:

Tonights game worries me on the b2b. Lakers can't come out flat like they did at home, coast for 3 quarters then take a 13 point win. Not in the Rose Garden...that place is Laker kryptonite.

And we did...lost that game in the same fashion...couldn't turn it on in the end but a lot was chalked up to the historical issues there.

Sacramento game in Arco...

Man, so far this one is painful to watch. 1st quarter, we have already turned it over 4 times, can't hit a shot, can't rebound, it's ugly.

Despite that, we're only down 3. I don't know how they do it. How is it that the Lakers can play so bad at times, yet stay right in the game? I'm hoping things will pick up, we could use the win.

Now we're getting clobbered. The Lakers look like the 2005 Lakers tonight. It's ugly. We're down 48-35 and showing no signs of life.

So far, the only way I can describe this game by LA is lazy and uninspired. Kings are up by 10 in the 3rd, and beating the Lakers in every single area of the game.

Lakers play 3 and a half quarters of horrible horrible basketball..

Then kick in with some of the best defense I have seen all year. They are on a 14-0 run, and up 7pts with two and a half min left.
Again, I'm stunned.

Man, these guys need to stop sleepwalking through games.
~snip~

Lakers really look out of sync; they have for the last 3-4 games. Hopefully the two days of rest will be good for them.

Darth on the Sac game last night:

This loss better wake them up, cause this "Coast for 3 3/4 quarters thing" is ********. You don't win games by just showing up for the last 2 min. Awful game.

Stu even referenced it in the game, calling them Team Lightswitch. That's what they did back in the prime of the Shaq/Kobe era...seeing what hole they could dig out of...it was maddening. This team isn't that good yet, and certainly not without Bynum or Ariza to play D. You can't light switch without your best interior defender and your best reserve perimeter defender.

Kobe makes that shot, more lightswitch. Maybe this way they can start coming out with a mindset to put the boot on the throat from jump.

BTW, I was pissed that Sasha got a foul called when he was pushed to the ground and into Beno's path. That should have been a no call...

 

[Darth Llama]

Hopefully you're right Donald and this will serve as a wake up call.

I believe the next game is hosting Toronto, I want to see if they'll get up for it, or just say "oh, it's Toronto" and come out flat.

 

[D-Dogg]

Kobe in the AP article on Yahoo:

The final seconds weren’t necessarily the story of the game, Bryant said.

“I think we lost this one from the onset—coming out with the right sense of purpose and execution,” he said. “I think it’s a good wakeup call for us.”

Damn well better be.

 

[phxrising]

now the Suns are the best team in the world.

Just wanted to save your Quote to show even Lakers fans can see the light.

 

[D-Dogg]

We're still half a game up on the Spurs and 3 up on the Suns. There is a lot of season left.

Make that 4 games up...the tiebreaker is a virtual game. They'd have to go 4 games better down the stretch to take the division.

 

[TheHopToad]

Unreal, Suns win one game and their fans are talking smack all over the place. Does anyone in the world over react to a win or loss more then a Suns fan? It's crazy.

When they lose, they scream that they are going to get a lottery pick, when they win, they are going to win it all. Absolutely amazing.

Well, based on yesterday's games, it's quite obvious that the Suns are going to win the title and the Lakers aren't even going to make the playoffs. I mean come on, the Lakers couldn't beat Suckramento at home? The Suns already beat them on both ends of a b2b this year.

Enjoy your 9th seed, Laker fans! Suns all the way!


DISCLAIMER: This post is obvious sarcasm and is not mean to be taken as being a serious opinion, which would be total horsecrap. In reality the Lakers are still a very scary team and this loss is just an off night, which all teams have. Likewise, the Suns still probably aren't going far in the playoffs, despite beating the Spurs in a regular season game.

 

[Assface]

The Lakers are smelly pirate hookers. They should go back to ***** island.

 

[D-Dogg]

Lakers played a weird game tonight...they out-threed the three point shooting Raptors for the 9 point win.

Upcoming: the worst road trip of the rest of the season. The worst 4 game stretch of the rest of the season. If we can come out of that 2-2 I'll be happy, ecstatic at 3-1.

 

[Darth Llama]

Well, based on yesterday's games, it's quite obvious that the Suns are going to win the title and the Lakers aren't even going to make the playoffs. I mean come on, the Lakers couldn't beat Suckramento at home? The Suns already beat them on both ends of a b2b this year.

Enjoy your 9th seed, Laker fans! Suns all the way!


DISCLAIMER: This post is obvious sarcasm and is not mean to be taken as being a serious opinion, which would be total horsecrap. In reality the Lakers are still a very scary team and this loss is just an off night, which all teams have. Likewise, the Suns still probably aren't going far in the playoffs, despite beating the Spurs in a regular season game.

That was great. Perfect example of how people over react to things, well done sir, well done indeed.

For anyone who hasn't seen it yet, Bynum ran today on a treadmill.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3288772

Sounds like he's developing, he's still a ways away, but he's making progress and that's good news for us.

As for the road trip.. wow..

New Orleans on Friday, Houston on Sunday, Dallas on Tuesday, and Utah on Thrusday? Holy god.. wow! That's crazy. I agree 2-2 would be good, 3-1 would really boost my confidence. I tell you one thing though, I really want the Lakers to be the team that ends the Rockets streak. That would be great.

Oh, one more side note. Kobe leads the league in technical fouls with 13. He gets 3 more, he's suspended for one game. He needs to keep his head on straight, we can't afford a game without him.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Lakers played a weird game tonight...they out-threed the three point shooting Raptors for the 9 point win.

Wife and I went to the Suns/Grizzlies game.

I kept looking to the scoreboard for updates on the Lakers' game.

BTW: Even in garbage time - Kwame Brown sucked !!

 

[D-Dogg]

The other thing I wanted to mention is that I sure hope the road challenge and the Phil challenge (now to win 50 before losing 20) get this team hyped up. I'm very concerned with their focus right now...they are looking like a team that is having a hard time getting "up" to play these games.

Last night they were lazy and slow until Phil put Coby Karl in the game in the second...yes, Coby in before garbage time!!! Coby rocked the joint, drilled a three, had a monster block and a couple of boards in 5 minutes of play. We took the lead at that point, and it triggered enough of a momentum boost for us to ride the rest of the game.

As much as I love Coby, it shouldn't take him getting inserted into the game on a lark by Phil to energize this team. They need to fix whatever is wrong, mentally. They are hardly even using the Kobe/Pau pick and roll at all. In fact, I saw it once last night (ended up in two free throws for Pau).

It was nice seeing Pau hit a couple of monster shots down the stretch.

Also, seeing the Kobe to Coby connection was awesome...Kobe got the assist on Coby's three ball.

 

[D-Dogg]

After rookie Coby Karl delivered a strong seven-minute second-quarter stint, Bryant told him at halftime he was proud to share the same first name. …

http://www.ocregister.com/news/lakers-kobe-bryant-1996873-left-game