BleacherReport: Los Angeles Lakers Lose Out: The Reasons They Wont Repeat [for entertainment purposes only]
$Bill
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/283726-los-angeles-lakers-lose-out-the-reasons-they-wont-repeat
Los Angeles Lakers Lose Out: The Reasons They Wont Repeat
by Amin Littlejohn Contributor November 03, 2009
Quite Frankly if it wouldn't have been for a bum knee for KG Kobe and
the Lakers wouldn't have one the title last year.
The one flaw that can no longer be hid since so many other contenders
have added to their respective arsenals is the Lakers only have a 6 man
rotation that can provide points and defense night in night out. Last
year they masked this flaw by having arguably the best starting line
up.
Another important flaw is they lack a Point Guard who can keep up with
faster and quicker guards and Fishers best days are long gone. In the
West where there is a slew of Great Point guards the Lakers seem to be
the only contending team out there without one. I find it amazing they
won a title without one but the Triangle Offense doesnt exactly require
a Great Point Guard.
As the season grows older expect some injuries to some of the members
of the starting line up they have too much pressure on them. They
arent exactly young guns besides Andrew Bynum but most of them are in
impeccable physical condition. As evident with Gasol out from a sore
Hamstring playing in the Finals two years straight was good but also
bad because when you have bums that are young on your bench but cant
give your starters a break you rely heavily on your starting five.
The Frontline is talented an one of the best in the league but they
have no depth on it. I expect them to trade or add a quality veteran
before they enter the playoffs a name that immediately comes to mind is
Kurt Thomas. Also the front line still seems to be a little finesse.
If your going to do battle with any of the other 5 contenders the Cavs,
Spurs, Nuggets, Magic, and Celtics you better be ready to bang down
low. They all added imposing threats to there teams in the offseason
Shaq, Powe, Bass, Rasheed, Blair, Shelden Williams, Antonio Mcdyess.
Everyone i named arent marquee names but that is added beef to bang
with Gasol, Odom, and Bynum.
One BIG problem that almost bit them last year was Complacency. They
say it wont happen because Kobe is hungry and Ron is but is everyone
else hungry. After that ring last year i expect some players to slack
a little. The Lakers are just too talented for there own good they get
bored with the game. Not necessarily Kobe but many times last year i
saw Gasol, Odom, and Bynum get disenchanted with the game when they
werent involved as much on the offensive side and not getting touches.
Ron Artest we all know he is capable to blow at any moment but i dont
expect that to happen at all its just media hype. One thing i think
that could happen is Ron not accepting his role with open arms. He
knows he was brought to LA to be a defensive stopper and take the
pressure off of Kobe of having to guard the best player. He likes to
be involved on the offensive side but he is a ball stopper and on this
Lakers team is probably the fourth or fifth best option.
This could all be just a figment of my imagination and me hoping the
Cavs win a title but these reasons seem pretty valid to me. I expect
the Lakers to make it to the finals again but them winning im still
kind of 50/50.
Jabba
> [Note: Consider the source - this guy can't even spell.]
> This could all be just a figment of my imagination and me hoping the
> Cavs win a title but these reasons seem pretty valid to me. I expect
> the Lakers to make it to the finals again but them winning im still
> kind of 50/50.
Awww, why didn't he mention the Cav thing at the top.
Not very entertaining...
--
jabba
citizen of the empire
Bryant Durrell
$Bill <ne...@SPAMOLAtodbe.com> wrote:
>
>They all added imposing threats to there teams in the offseason
... no. He's filling in acceptably, but no.
--
Bryant Durrell // dur...@innocence.com // dur...@gmail.com
PeterL
>
>
> Los Angeles Lakers Lose Out: The Reasons They Wont Repeat
> by Amin Littlejohn Contributor November 03, 2009
>
> Quite Frankly if it wouldn't have been for a bum knee for KG Kobe and
> the Lakers wouldn't have one the title last year.
No kidding. If it hadn't been the Lakers winning more games than the
other teams they wouldn't have any titles.
Swillabrew
news:hcs70u$1di$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
> [Note: Consider the source - this guy can't even spell.]
>
I like how the internets even the playing field for anyone to have their
shot at being a sports writer, but the shark was definitely jumped some time
ago & this guys is the latest proof.
Go Blazers !
bozak
one the title huh??? :-)
greg brown
"$Bill" <ne...@SPAMOLAtodbe.com> wrote in message
news:hcs70u$1di$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
>
> http://bleacherreport.com/articles/283726-los-angeles-lakers-lose-out-the-reasons-they-wont-repeat
>
> Los Angeles Lakers Lose Out: The Reasons They Wont Repeat
> by Amin Littlejohn Contributor November 03, 2009
>
> Quite Frankly if it wouldn't have been for a bum knee for KG Kobe and
> the Lakers wouldn't have one the title last year.
>
This is something we've heard from C's fans and several NBA "pundits" over
the last 2 seasons. But they all apparently forget, or most likely just
didn't know, that the Celts of the last 2 season, have never once beaten the
Lakers when they had Pau, Bynum, and Ariza in the lineup and playing. There
is just as much "evidence" that indicates the 2008 C's may not have won the
championship if the Lakers had been completely healthy.
Of course, C's fans feel that they are the only ones who are allowed to
blame injuries for losses. If your team loses to them, forget about
injuries, your team isn't just isn't tough enough or some such.
Greg
Gary Collard
If you're going to use injuries, you can't make any stronger case for
Bos should have won in 09 than you can for LAL should have won in
08...it's the exact same argument.
--
Gary Collard
SABR-L Moderator
gmcollard at yahoo dot com
http://twitter.com/LakerGMC
http://sarcastipundit.blogspot.com/
"If Obama�s skin was any thinner, he�d have a reservoir tip on
the top of his head." -- Thorley Winston
Ken Cheng
> greg brown wrote:
> > "$Bill" <n...@SPAMOLAtodbe.com> wrote in message
> >news:hcs70u$1di$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
> >> [Note: Consider the source - this guy can't even spell.]
>
>
> >> Los Angeles Lakers Lose Out: The Reasons They Wont Repeat
> >> by Amin Littlejohn Contributor November 03, 2009
>
> >> Quite Frankly if it wouldn't have been for a bum knee for KG Kobe and
> >> the Lakers wouldn't have one the title last year.
>
> > This is something we've heard from C's fans and several NBA "pundits" over
> > the last 2 seasons. But they all apparently forget, or most likely just
> > didn't know, that the Celts of the last 2 season, have never once beaten the
> > Lakers when they had Pau, Bynum, and Ariza in the lineup and playing. There
> > is just as much "evidence" that indicates the 2008 C's may not have won the
> > championship if the Lakers had been completely healthy.
>
> > Of course, C's fans feel that they are the only ones who are allowed to
> > blame injuries for losses. If your team loses to them, forget about
> > injuries, your team isn't just isn't tough enough or some such.
>
> If you're going to use injuries, you can't make any stronger case for
> Bos should have won in 09 than you can for LAL should have won in
> 08...it's the exact same argument.
Indeed. It can be contended that in every NBA Finals that the Lakers
have lost since 1982 (with the exception of 1984), they might have had
a chance to win if only the team had been healthy:
1983: Worthy injured. I think Michael Cooper might have been a bit
dinged up too, but I don't remember.
1984: OK. No injury excuses for that year. The Lakers just got
outplayed by the better team.
1989: Magic and Scott. Hamstrings. 'Nuff said.
1991: Worthy playing on one leg after twisting his ankle in the
WCF. Later in the series, Scott was hurt too (although Byron had
been playing pretty badly against the Bulls anyway even when healthy).
2004: Malone hurt. Lakers have no viable power forward.
2008: No Bynum. Ariza playing, but not nearly 100%
But injuries are part of the game, so so much for blaming the losses
on the injuries. In some of those Finals, the injuries weren't the
only problem the Lakers had.
Alson Wong
>
> 1983: Worthy injured. I think Michael Cooper might have been a bit
> dinged up too, but I don't remember.
Norm Nixon (separated shoulder) and Bob McAdoo (thigh) were hurt, along with
Worthy (broken leg). The Lakers led at halftime in all four games but ran
out of gas in the fourth quarter in every game.