Lakers 3/4 of the way to reverse sweep

[IrishHand]

Sorry Clarkmeister - looks like the Lakers have finally decided they want to get that ring for the Mailman and the Glove after all. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Despite their over-publicized disfunctions and issues, we're still talking about arguably the most talented team ever assembled. When they focus and play hard (which I agree they do with a shocking infrequency) there isn't a team out there that can stop them.

Lakers in 6 over the Spurs
Lakers in 6 over the Wolves
Lakers in 5 over whichever patsy the East sends
Lakers in streets of LA with another trophy
[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Six_of_One]

[ QUOTE ]

Lakers in 6 over the Spurs
Lakers in 6 over the Wolves
Lakers in 5 over whichever patsy the East sends
Lakers in streets of LA with another trophy
[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't forget the riots, right in between beating the East and the victory parade. After a year to rest, the fans should really be ready. Besides, this might be the last chance they get for a while.

Hopefully no one will get hurt, but there's nothing like a little destruction of property to show you care.

[daryn]

and somehow none of this changes the fact that the NBA blows.

[IrishHand]

If by 'blows' you mean 'is the greatest pro sport out there', then you are absolutely correct, my friend!

[adios]

I noticed that you didn't post anything under Clarkmeister's original post entilted "Spurs Halfway to Sweep." One might get the impression that you're the prototypical fair weather, band wagon jumpin Lakers fan.

[IrishHand]

I love the haters coming out to play when the sun is shining! Every Laker fan I know (admittedly 99% of them live in greater LA) is a born and bred Laker fan. I've yet to encounter this mass of bandwagon fans that the whiners rant about.

For the record, I made a bet with the aforementioned Clarkmeister before the series even began that my boys would be taking walking away victorious.

[andyfox]

Why are the games so much lower-scoring than they used to be? Is it the zone defenses or something else? I used to love the NBA, but fell asleep during the 74-73 game five "thriller" where, for a while, it looked like both teams would shoot under 50% from the free-throw line. And then San Antonio shot three for twenty-three in the 3rd quarter of game six. No doubt these guys are better athletes than they were in the "good old" days, as they are in every sport, but the games are nowhere near as interesting to me.

[banditbdl]

I think increasing speed and size just leads to quicker close outs on the defensive end and fewer open looks in today's NBA then there used to be. I also think, especially this year, we're seeing how the new defensive rules allow a team to take the ball out of a dominant big man's hands more than they used to. Extra defenders can sag on guys like Shaq, Duncan, and Garnett and really force them to give up the ball today, whereas a few years ago the same moves would have resulted in an illegal defense call. All that said, there is no excuse for not being able to make an open jumper when you get one, the Spurs were embarrassing the other day.