Can I just say . . .

[Joe Public]

That SA/LA series is why I despise the NBA.

How do you have two 20 point leads in a playoff game and lose not one, but both games?

To a team that has one prime time player. ONE.

Look, Gasol is obviously a good role player, so are some of those other stiffs, and they're probably going to be just enough to win it all this year, which would be nice if it meant much in this watered down NBA, but seriously, what the f**k. Kobe sits on the bench and the other team rips off like a 12-2 run--consistently.

I didn't even wager on this game, I watched less than five minutes of it--which really, I think, is why I'm bitter. Because I'd like to watch the Conference Finals. But I can't. Because they're boring and the basketball is bad.

Granted, I congratulate the Lakers, and Kobe--as much of a jackass as he can be, that guy can absolutely carry a team, and that's a rarity. But the NBA is just so ridiculously frustrating, and I'm barely even the casual fan at this point.

I feel for those who's this sport is what they live for, they must be bald right now from pulling out all their hair and on their sixth TV from all the shoes they've certainly put through their other ones.

Thanks for letting me say that.

Much appreciated.

Go, um, Knicks?

=)

 

[Throwback420]

Phil Jax and Mamba :shake:

 

[MeasyMoney]

lakers is boring basketball? i would understand if you said any team in the east but even thats not true, people consider the east boring or less competitive because they run their offense plays and play more defense as well...but no way is lakers basketball boring even if you are not a fan of them! maybe you would have enjoyed it more if it was the knicks vs the warriors in the finals...but it wont happen buddy :shake:

 

[Throwback420]

yeah LakeShow making some high ratings

 

[brewer]

i dont think the lakers have any stiffs on their team. when benga goes in the game he gives it all he has and he can do some things defensively.

when i think of stiff i think eric dampier. somebody who is making money he has no business making and i have no idea how he got to making it by putting up the shitty numbers he does.

i also dont think someone with a gold medal like pau has, his records he holds in memphis, and his all-star games is just a good role player. i think pau is closer to being a franchise player than a good role player. hes gotta be a top 5 center off my head without doing some list that will get torn to pieces like the one i had with kg not being a top 3 pf. lol. BTW, for all those who laughed at that ...how did josh smith treat mr big time defensive player/top 3 pf in R1?

Back to the heart of your post ... i do find it hard to watch these games. then again when the playoffs have been on since christ died i think anyone would get bored with them unless their superstar player or team was still in it.

 

[Joe Public]

Well the Lakers will always get high ratings based on the bandwagon out here and, no, I suppose they're not boring because they're so frenetic when they play.

Not so much like Golden State, because Golden State is OK with the fact that they're totally out of control. The Lakers like to pretend that they are in control, that they have more of an offense than "Give Kobe the ball and let him sort it out."

Which, oddly enough, isn't much different than Jackson's old offense which was, "Give the ball to Jordan and let him figure it out."

But the basketball isn't good. And even Kobe, as good as he is, is just no Jordan--case in point, that ridiculous shot at the end of Game Four.

But this isn't really an anti-Lakers thing, the Lakers aren't really all that different than the Celtics. And I like KG, but let's be honest, the Celtics aren't really that good of a basketball team.

I'm just blown away how in the Conference Finals--of either conference, we could have a team--any team--that could blow two separate 20 point leads. What sort of third tier Euro league has this nonsense become?

 

[CapTwo]

:smiley_abcs:

 

[Joe Public]

i dont think the lakers have any stiffs on their team.

Well, ask yourself this, could you pass a road-side sobriety test right now? If not, I can completely understand that statement.

I actually want to like Odom, but that guy has Derrick Coleman syndrome. Vlad is a stiff, the only reason Pau isn't a stiff is because he was born with size and basketball talent, but he's trying hard not to let that stand in his way. D-Fish isn't a stiff, I'll give him that. Turiaff (sp?)--yeah, enough said about that guy.

Truly, they will probably even win it all this year, and we'll all look back and talk about how Kobe made these marginal players that much better--which is a total compliment to him, I'm just saying, really? This is what's on the menu in the Conference Finals? Really?

 

[brewer]

radman can shoot the 3 like crazy.

derek fish/sasha/farmar make that triangle they run with kobe/pau work because they can stroke it from 3.

pau and lo work great together on the interior.

imo its beautiful offense.

but again this is coming from someone who grew up watching it and admiring it.

 

[brewer]

if you're an nba player its damn hard to be a stiff imo. nba players are the best athletes in the world. if you've made it this far you have to have eric dampier status for me to classify you a stiff ... overpaid, garbage scorer/rebounder, little to no athletic ability, cant make fts, looks dumbfounded more than he should, etc.

 

[MeasyMoney]

the only reason Pau isn't a stiff is because he was born with size and basketball talent

does this even make sense? you could say that about anyone...jordan and kobe were only good because they were born with size and basketball talent...sounds like you just dont like the lakers buddy...because if celtics play the lakers then that will be a great finals with all the past those two franchises have had, i mean the last few finals were disgustingly boring (cavs vs spurs ! ) and your complaining bout this one!

 

[Joe Public]

you could say that about anyone...jordan and kobe were only good because they were born with size and basketball talent...

Not in the least. Kobe and Jordan, even though they both bother me (for different reasons), they want to be great. They work on their game, they improve and they actively improve others around them. I'm not even convinced Pau tries to improve his own game.

This was Derrick Coleman's big problem, it's the problem with various guys in the league, that they were born gifted and only worked so hard. Like the genius who knows they're a genius and so instead of excelling gets by with 'B's and minimal effort.

Which is still better than most, but hardly what they could be if they really applied themselves.

That's why I don't consider Fisher a stiff. That guy's got heart, he's about the team--he might actually be one of the few Lakers I like.

But again, this isn't about just the Lakers, I mean, the best actual team in the playoffs is probably the Pistons and we may look back on that team and see a lot of really great second tier players, but even they're hard to watch at times.

 

[Sammy Meatballs]

Kobe is the best player in this league, better than Jordan as Jordan played in the Hornacek, stockton, slow unathetlic NBA. Kobe is dominating with real athletes.

lakers defense is the best I have seen in years, they can shut down anyone.

Pau is solid and does enough by passing and his presence.

Odom is the most underrated player in the league- he rebounds, scores, passes, rejects, the guy is like Kobe's Pippen, he is unstoppable.

Farmar is crazy now and unstoppable on the drives and cocky-

Fisher is a rock on D, and good for 5 steals a game-

Vucacic is good from 3, struggled this year, but has attitude

Turiaf is a good rebounder and rejects everyone

Lakers ball is exciting when KObe takes over and wins us money, no one can guard him, comparisons vs that Lebron stiff is funny, that guy is an absolute joke compared to Kobe with his take the ball and run as fast as you can at the defender and draw contact and get fouled- he cannot dribble and score

 

[MeasyMoney]

do you realize you are comparing derrick colemans big retarded ass to pau gasol...and nobody besides pau knows how hard he works

 

[MeasyMoney]

:shake: sammy meatballs

 

[Joe Public]

do you realize you are comparing derrick colemans big retarded ass to pau gasol...and nobody besides pau knows how hard he works

It's fine if you're a Laker fan, I don't have a problem with that, you know, as long as you didn't just wedge yourself into one of the seats on the bandwagon. But you can generally see how hard any player works just by watching a game. And Pau, when he tries, ain't bad. When he doesn't he's reminiscent of Valde Divac on those days when was just counting the minutes until he could get back to the room to fire up a smoke.

 

[MeasyMoney]

haha i understand what your saying...and i have been a lakers fan all my life just like i am a cowboys fan all my life in the nfl...but i get you, nobody pissed me off more than gasol in this last game spurs/lakers...at one point he was 3/11 and just doing more dumb shit...but he is way better than derrick coleman
:shake:

 

[Sammy Meatballs]

Coleman was just fat and not that great at all--

pau at time can be lazy and get out of games vs utah and one game vs Spurs, but overall he is one of the most talented players in the league, with his passing, dunking, low post ability to direct an offemse, rebounding and good defense, DUCNAN did not win any games because of GASOL, in fact Gasol shut him down tonihgt in the 2nd half and did not foul him either

 

[Joe Public]

Coleman was just fat and not that great at all--

Coleman may have been the laziest player with the most potential the league has ever seen. When he wanted to, in his prime, he could take over a game, go for 35 or whatever he wanted. The problem was that he wanted to do that, honestly, like twice a year.

Unreal potential on that guy, though. And some guys are like that, they just want the paycheck and do it because they can. I know it's shocking to think there are those guys in pro sports, but they're out there, just like in any other profession.

 

[divol]

I really don't understand what you are saying. I'm sorry, but if you don't like the Conference Finals, maybe you really not that much in to basketball. There are lots of other sports, maybe they will suit you more. Even the Pistons - Celtics series, in which we can see guys on both teams miss open looks for 5 minutes straight is great to watch do to the energie that the teams bring. I'm sorry, but why on earth, unless you got your money on the game, is not fun to watch a team close a deficit of 20 points and win the game? How can it not be fun? I'm not talking about some boring game, but a 5 - 7 minutes blitz with some great basketball moments that can make or break fan's heart? Based on what you're saying, everybody is a stiff. Kobe is a stiff cause all he does is shoot, pass, take rebound and defends, right? He doesn't wear cheerleaders outfit in T.O so he must be stiff, right? There are role players and there are the stars and the "Pippens". Bryant is fun to watch, simple as that. But look at the passes between Lakers big guys, or the ability of Duncan to see the floor at all times and find the open man in most times he gets double teamed or the three pointers on both teams that can be a dagger in the heart or a pipeline. You got drama, you got show, you got everything. What more can you want? Maybe World Chess tournament will be more thrilling to you...

 

[lifesallover]

Coleman was just fat and not that great at all--

Coleman may have been the laziest player with the most potential the league has ever seen. When he wanted to, in his prime, he could take over a game, go for 35 or whatever he wanted. The problem was that he wanted to do that, honestly, like twice a year.

Unreal potential on that guy, though. And some guys are like that, they just want the paycheck and do it because they can. I know it's shocking to think there are those guys in pro sports, but they're out there, just like in any other profession.

:shake:

Darius Miles a decade before Darius Miles. Such a shame.

Derrick Coleman with the Netsopcorn:

 

[Blue_Chip]

This thread is almost "bad beat" material, but I guess since it pertains only to one sport it fits here.

While I don't agree with you, Joe, I can understand someone not liking the NBA. Why do you attempt to watch the games if you only get frustrated by them? Just watch college hoops if you want to follow basketball.

 

[JumpOnBoard]

wow Joe, I really disagree as well...this Lakers team is the most exciting to watch in the league, and it's not really close..

Pau is def not a role player...the dude is a legit big w/ long arms and works his ass off..he made Timmy work as hard as anyone he's played..

 

[AgainstThePublic]

The NBA is so great. Fixed games, professionals missing ft's and Charles Barkley. It doesn't get any better than that. lol

 

[All In]

I am a die hard Laker fan, and im reading you guys giving pops to people like Vlad Rad and Farmar and Sasha is quite scary. Yes they have made some contributions, but Vlad is the biggest waste of money on the Roster. Sasha and Farmar's D worked on Tony Parker, but we got lucky that we didnt face Chris Paul, because he would have lit both of those guys up. Lakers got Lucky that Spurs fell apart..its as simple as that. The Spurs Role players didnt show up this series. Brent Barry was good, but he basically replaced Manu. Spurs needed Horry or Finley to heat up.

Pau, or Odom individually might not be great players, but combine them with Kobe and you have the best trio in the league right now. I like Farmar for the future, but I can deal with replacing Sasha and Vlad. They take too many bad shots and have put the team in jeopardy several times just to have Kobe bail their asses out. Kobe is the equalizer that corrects the mistakes made by the younger guys, because he is that good. As a laker fan, you never feel you are out of the game until the buzzer sounds. This si the main reason Kobe is the MVP. He doesnt make everyone better, but he corrects the mistakes by making miraculous shots: Popping 3's and taking guys to the hole or by getting to the FT line WHEN IT COUNTS.

If Boston or Det can defend Kobe with no fouls and have 4 regular scorers, the finals will be a whole different issue.

 

[Joe Public]

Why do you attempt to watch the games if you only get frustrated by them? Just watch college hoops if you want to follow basketball.

That's the sad part. That I really do want to love the NBA. But it's just been so painfully hard to do so for, oh, like a decade. It's not that there aren't players I like, but as you say, if you want to watch basketball teams any more, you pretty much need to look to college, preferably ones that aren't being used by a phenom for their one-and-done year.

What's odd is that the perfect counter to this argument is playing out right now in hockey. I'm a Penguins fan, so there should be zero reason for me to compliment the Red Wings or enjoy what they're doing, but you watch that Detroit team and it's really just excellent hockey, on both a team and individual level right now.

Which, to me, is a bit odd because I never really thought Mike Babcock was that great of a coach, I thought he was good, but I had trouble believing anybody other than a Scotty Bowman could do something like what we're seeing out of Detroit.

And when you have great team hockey, or basketball (or whatever) that just makes the great individual performances that much better, because they're coming on top of an already good foundation.

That's what bugs me about the NBA right now. It's that occasionally you'll get a really great performance out of someone like a Kobe (in his case, maybe more than 'occasionally'), but it tends to happen within a larger context of just poor basketball. And, to me, that's frustrating to watch.

Also, I agree with All In, I don't know how Boston's defense will fare, but I think Detroit might actually be able to beat this Laker team simply because they play a team game and they'll likely just shut down everybody else and see if Kobe can go for 60 a night.