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Lakers/Celtics Game 6 Chat

by


Let’s be honest: This is the game that scares Lakers fans.

We know that the Celtics fans will come and be loud, expecting a coronation. We know that the Celtics themselves will come out and play like this is their game seven. We know it will be physical and the refs are not going to be as much help as we’d like.

We also know every game in this series has been close, and that the Lakers can win — but to do so they will have play their best game of the series.

Usually by this point in a seven-game series there are no secrets, no big matchup changes that can be sprung to turn the tide. And that is largely true coming into this game, although because of injuries and lack of execution there are some things that can be changed up for the Lakers.

On offense, the Lakers need to get to the basket and finish strong — it would be nice if Kobe could do more of that but the Celtics have worked hard to take that part of his game away. Kwame a. had a one suggestion on what to try to get Kobe going:

I think it imperative to play Kobe OFF the ball more. Whether this means cross-screens on the block to give him good post position, or running him off single-doubles on the baseline like Rip Hamilton and Ray Allen, or off the slice cut in the triangle, getting him a head-start to the basket. No matter what, we cannot stick with this top-of-the-key iso, it is asking Boston to flex its defensive prowess.

It is obvious that Odom and Gasol both need to be forces inside, both getting to the rim and on the offensive boards. They were more aggressive in game five but will have to take that to another level tonight.

Defensively, the Lakers need to play off of Paul Pierce more, make sure he doesn’t get to the rim, something coach Anthony Macri talked about at Basketball Prospectus:

The Lakers were largely successful in defending the Spurs’ side pick-and-pop action in the Western Conference Finals. However, their ability to guard high ball-screen action against an offensive player as big, versatile, and strong as Paul Pierce is has been a bugaboo for Los Angeles during this series. If they have any hope of defeating the Celtics, the Lakers must find an effective method of defending this ball-screen action. Because Garnett is such a capable outside shooter, L.A. cannot afford to trap the ball-handler. Their typical soft-hedge and fight over technique has also proven ineffective. Instead, in Games Six and Seven, expect the Lakers to find a way under the screen, daring Pierce to shoot the long jumper off the dribble but preventing him from wreaking havoc in the lane. Again, defense in the NBA is all about making choices, and at this point, with their proverbial “backs against the wall,” the Lakers have little choice but to attempt the high-risk solution.

Pierce is going to hit jumpers, he’s a great player, but fewer jumpers will fall than lay-ups. The Lakers have to force him into help, they have to be smarter on their defensive rotations. The Lakers need to take advantage of when Rondo is in the game by helping off him — but stop doing that on House.

But after five games, this game is going to come down to execution. So far in this series it is the one area the Celtics have outplayed the Lakers consistently — they have done what they wanted to do while the Lakers have seemed to take some mental vacations.

As fans, all we can do is wear our lucky rally cap, hope the Lakers execute tonight and cheer (and not some creepy government-approved cheer but something from the heart). It’s one game at a time still, for us and the team.

May the best team win tonight.


Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Warren Wee Lim says

    Hello Lakers! Its a good sign… its a very hopeful one coz i got the very 1st post in a long long while.

    GO LAKERS !!!

  2. magiclover says

    Celtics do the same thing Utah does only better,foul every time and dare the refs to call it.Grab wrists,hip checks,moving screens,push in the back,hold players away from the ball so others get open.As long as the league lets this happen the games will resemble train wrecks.No fun to watch.

  3. Aaron says

    I was freaking out when I saw The Game 6 Chat up with 2 comments already posted? Did someone already ruin the game for us by not letting Warren post first??

    NOPE!

    I click on the comments and there’s Warren at #1.

    GO LAKERS!

  5. The Fanalyst says

    “1st Post Warren” to the rescue! My friend, you just grabbed us a Game 7 on Thursday! Go Lakers!!!

  6. Sal says

    This from fox sports:

    Celtics coach Doc Rivers expects Ray Allen to play in Game 6 of the NBA finals after the guard skipped the team’s shootaround following his overnight flight from Los Angeles.

    Boston center Kendrick Perkins participated in the workout and is likely to play Tuesday night after missing Game 5 against the Lakers with a shoulder injury.

  9. Ryan O says

    7. Lakers are 4.5 pt underdogs. Vegas has been wrong a lot this series though; Lakers were 9.5 pt favorites at home, and the Celtics were only favored by . That being said, 4.5 pts seems about right for this game.

  10. Ryan O says

    Oops, typo on that last post. second sentences should’ve finished with “Celtics were only favored by 2.5 and 1.5 in games 1 and 2 respectively.”

  11. Warren Wee Lim says

    Sal, Vegas odds has a moneyline of:
    Lakers 1:1.1 / Boston 1:0.4

    In terms of spread, its +4 Lakers.

    Amidst all of this, I am so glad Kurt recognized it. Enough with the basketball hoops juju Kurt, we need luck today! And it starts here.

    PS. What did you name your angel?

  13. Realist says

    I can’t wait to watch the Wizard of Oz tonight starring the Tin Man Gasol and the Cowardly Lion Odom and the Scarecrow Rodmonovich, with Dorothy Kobe and Aunty Em Phil Jackson, who inevitable will skip on down the yellow and purple road to a massive defeat.

    Celtics in an easy one tonight….no doubt.

  14. Warren Wee Lim says

    LOL Kurt. Did I mention mine was Gianna Therese? very Italian and we are not one least bit Italian. Therese is her mom’s name.

  15. This Little Pinky says

    Same deal for Game 5 applies : Just win the game, at all costs. No style points. Just do it.

  16. Aaron says

    1) That government cheer was HYSTERICAL (in addition to creepy, but okay.)

    2) The link to “The Painted Area” had Pierce shooting stats for the reg. season and the finals. He’s shooting 27% on long twos and 32% overall for all 2’s not at the rim.

    Go under screens and contest/face guard the 2 as he goes up!

  17. namotuman says

    @magiclover…i concur. the celtics play a very grabby brand of defense, on the ball and away from it. pierce impedes kb24’s progress alot, almost locking him up in an mma style clinch away from the ball. then we have “did kobe foul pierce on that last steal in the 4th
    Q”……..paaleeeaaase!! lakers will need to overcome a lot tonite, almost a perfect game will be needed…….

  18. inwit says

    The Chinese cheer thing is creepy. The last couple of years the Tennis Masters Cup has been held in Shanghi and the Chinese fans are proportioned pretty evenly between the players (as fans for players they probably never heard of before), with flags from that players country, etc. The effect is of a contrived multicultral celebration and it’s creepy. Very Orwellian.

    Say what you will about Celtic fans, they don’t have THAT problem.

  20. Goo says

    Ref’s tonight are Ed Rush, Salvatore, and Joey Crawford
    The line for the game moved to -5.5 for Boston I believe

    …I swear I don’t gamble

  21. DonWedington says

    I just love the Lakers. I can only hope that we play like we know we can and not like we wish that we could. Show some heart LA! And please hit some open 3’s, yes I am talking to you Sasha.

  22. Anonymous says

    Nothing like an elimination game in enemy territory to bring out the Lakers’ first complete game of the series.

    Come on LA, don’t let the Celtics fans get to you!

  23. inwit says

    Ed Rush kills the Lakers, time after time (or maybe I just notice more on those nights).

    If the Lakers compete hard, play smart and don’t foul too much, they have a real shot. The matchups, and the “chess game” are sometimes overrated – usually the “intangibles” decide big games.

    The Celtics have to really grind to score out of their half-court offense. Pierce is going to score, but if Posey, Rondo and Brown, et al, don’t get easy hoops, the Lakers have a great chance. And, it’s easier to slow them down than it is Pierce. Play Pierce hard but don’t sag off the role players.

    Well, it’s easy to give advice when you are not personally accountable for the outcome ….

  24. Don W. says

    That is so true inwit. If House and Posey are shooting wide open 3’s then we are done. Everything needs to be contested. We have to want it more. Farmar needs to be big off the bench. It’s a lot to ask sure, but they have been doing it all year. It’s needed now more than ever.

  25. Jeremy says

    Lets go Lakers!!! We need to play perfect ball tonight and we can do it… Never say die Lakers!! Force the ball & Force the Action!!

    Lakers in SEVEN!!

  26. Red 5 says

    Do it like you did it when you won it.

    Take the tempo early and stay ahead of the defense–
    settling in on the possession throws off the rhythm
    of ball movement and shooting.

    Challenge in the paint–
    they will be grabbing anyway, profit from it
    follow through for the And One– both hands
    and Make The Free Throws– focus before shooting.

    Get the lead and build on each possession.
    Go for the high percentage
    rather than settle for perimeter shots.

    Breathe.
    ( I’ll do that one too )

    GO LAKERS!

    – 5 –

  27. Sal says

    Tonights game is all about heart. I agree that it will take the Lakers best game to win in Boston tonight.

    I still dont think we have seen Kobe’s best game of the Finals. All series long, Doc Rivers has been saying ‘We need to win a game where Kobe is great,’ and I don’t believe that has happened yet.

    Grind out another tough W tonight, then anything can happen in Game 7.

  29. inwit says

    DON W. – I knew I was forgetting someone (House).

    If the Lakers make them grind out every hoop, and don’t bail them out by sending them to the line, then Boston has a hard time breaking 90 at the pace they like to play.

    We should be able to tell about effort and heart by seeing which team is diving on the floor for loose balls early on.

  30. DMo says

    The Lakers are overdue for a really good team effort–and Kobe is overdue for a classic. The Lakers finally played a presentable 3rd quarter in game 5. The Celtics didn’t look as hungry as they should have. The Lakers have had 2 games to get used to the Boston crowd (and all the smoke from the explosions). I have a good feeling about this game. I think the Lakers are ready to show the world who they really are, and I think Kobe is ready to have his Magic Johnson moment (ie, will his team to victory by making them all play better–not by going MJ and taking over the game).

    GO LAKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  33. BEngvall says

    Is it bad that my dentist is a Laker fan and I have an appointment at 9AM tomorrow?

  34. alex v says

    I don’t know how much it helps the players, but as a fan I draw a certain amount of consolation from the Suns 1-3 playoff comeback against the Lakers a couple of years ago. (It sucked for the Lakers, of course, but it provided a pretty good roadmap for how to get it done.)

    I think Phil Jackson may be making his substitutions based more on the offense than the defense (which is why we don’t see as much of Ariza or Mbenga as we think we want). I’m hoping that Jackson has been maneuvering for the long run all along, saving his best moves for the final games.

    The Lakers have a hard time stopping Pierce, but I don’t think anyone has much luck stopping super-athletic big men when they get on a role (see James, LeBron). It seems like we went through the same thing earlier with “the Lakers can’t stop [insert-western-conference-point-guard-of your-choice]”. And obviously we’d be better with a big defensive presence in the middle (who wouldn’t?), but I think saying an NBA-finals team “can’t play defense” is an overstatement.

    Is it just me, or does it seem like 80% of Rivers’ “brilliance” is a result of choosing to play the guys that aren’t hurt? (Example 1: pulling Rondo because of the bad wheel for a guard who spreads the floor.)

  35. Don W. says

    Alex V- You are right about Doc, but honestly he has more than held his own vs. Phil. It’s going to be more about us than the Celtics I think. We have to take it to them, something we have only done in spurts this series.

  36. drrayeye says

    Lakers, don’t commit the Pierce fallacy.

    In the last game, Pierce scored 38 and the Leprechauns LOST. Garnett struggled and Ray Allen hit a low percentage. Pierce was “bad Kobe”–almost a Celtic answer to Lebron–with a few extra dirty tricks–and the usual consequences.

    After two great playoff games, Pierce got 4 in game 3, being defended by the same guy who is being roasted today. Pierce is very human–sort of an Odom X factor with some great Leprechaun luck so far.

    Kobe says he won’t be the “bad Kobe” everyone is looking for. He’s proven to me more that he deserves the MVP by game 5 play than anything else he has done in the playoffs.

    Boston is sure to at least explore the 3 point shot more in game 6–so a concentration on stopping Pierce could well get the 3 point shooters started for those Leps. Once the Lakers do some damage down low, they may be able to retaliate at the three–but it must come to them and not be forced or the series is over. It is important that the Lakers get a lead–it is always important–but they need to read and respond to Leprechaun games appropriately as well. They could play even or even be behind and still win under some circumstances.

    I wish I could believe that slight adjustments of matchups, psychic will, or mystical individual performances will be the difference, but I doubt that substitution or matchup changes will matter much. At this point, the Lakers are who they are–and that is awfully good. I continue to believe subjectively that when everything is considered, the Lakers are slightly better.

    I think game 6, like many games in this series, still depends on “home cooking.” There was no “home cooking” in games 4 and 5. Fouls were about even. We should see how things are going before the first quarter is over.

    I’m a little optomistic.

  37. BEngvall says

    If you take out Game 1, you can make a case that the Lakers have played better in each successive game.

    Game 2 – Outside of the 4th qtr comeback, the Lakers played HORRIBLE

    Game 3 – Lakers surived without anyone outside Kobe and Sasha scoring in double figures.

    Game 4 – Lakers played well for 30 minutes and like crap for the remaining 18.

    Game 5 – Lakers got their big 3 involved for the 1st time and survived a very strong game from Pierce.

    Game 6 – ???

  38. Jaz says

    It’s not Father’s day, so I won’t be able to yell at my wife, “why can’t they stop the pick and roll??! You should be out there!” and get away with it.

  40. Matt says

    My (supersize) limerick – for a little luck.

    There once was a team dressed in gold,
    They were often exceedingly bold,
    Inconsistent at times,
    But always dropping dimes,
    [Down but now out,
    Not a second of doubt,]
    In the end Boston would fold.

  43. Kurt says

    I’ve already deleted some of “realists” baiting comments. I wouldn’t get too suckered in by him.

  44. LakerFan says

    I think The Lakers are going to win tonight.

    I think the keys to the game is that tHe Lakers must have a good start in the 1st quarter to take out the crowd. Remember in game 2 when the lakers were leading 15-8 then everything went to hell. The lakers need to establish the same lead and be able to maintain it longer than game 2.

    Also Lakers need to stay out of foul trouble. We cant give the Celtics so many freebies becuase they are not a great offensive team and of course they are a great free throw shooting team. We have to make then earn there points.

    Also Kobe needs to have his signature game today of this series. Im talking about 30-35 points, 8-10, rebs, 8-10 asssists. WIth good performances from Gasol and Odom.

    If we can have these three things I believe the Lakers win.

    P.S. If Lakers Are indeed losing by 16-20 pts in the second half and time is running out and the team is not playing good. I would sure like to see Kobe go off and to at least go down swinging unlike that game 7 in the suns series 2 years ago.

  45. Ap says

    What do we think the Lakers are going to do with the Pierce/KG PnR. It seems like they WERE trying to go under the screens, but weren’t getting htem off fast enough for the man covering Pierce to get back over and recover. This left Gasol 30 ft. from the basket shuffling towards the lane as Pierce got by him. If we’re going to do any better, than the cover man must go under the screen.

    I just can’t see Kobe doing it. Unless they DESERT the triangle and go the the only offense that has been working for him (top of the key isos, where he can create going either way to the basket), I don’t see him doing much. The Lakers wont’ go to this, though, as it stagnates everyone else and stops their movement. The Kobe/Pau PnR just isn’t working well because the two defenders are too good, as Garnett is hedging very hard, Pierce is going over and recovering well, and there is good rotation/recovery stopping Pau on the roll. Even when Pau does get it on the roll, he’s been too far away to do any damage.

    I think the only chance we have is that FISHER, FARMAR AND VUJACIC all play good games at the same time–if we can get that, we’ll have a shot. But I have to say, I don’t think we will. Kobe is the only one with the mental toughness in this game, and, unfortunately, there’s nothing he can do about the C’s defense but shoot contested jumpers and get charges.

  46. John S. says

    Good post. Defense the pick and roll or go down in a heap tonight.

    Watch out for Rondo. Don’t think just because he played some of the worst PG play ever that he is done. he is wildly inconsistent, but has been great at home. Stopping Rondo is a must. Just do what the Lakers have been doing.

    I am confident as a C’s fan tonight though. I just don’t think there is a player on the Lakers that can touch PIerce. Kobe is closet, but that’s dangerous because PIerce draws fouls. Also, no Laker big steps up and takes charges. If you don’t do that, Pierce will kill you.

    Imagine Kobe against the Lakers defense?

  47. DMo says

    39- There hasn’t been a “steamroll” yet in this series. I don’t think it’s going to start tonight. We are much more likely to see yet another competitive game decided in the 4th quarter. But, if I had to be on who had a better chance for a rout (again, I don’t think it’s going to happen), I’d go with the Lakers. The Celtics are overplayed, banged up, sat on a tarmac for hours and lost a member of their big 3 for a couple days to a very unfortunate family issue. The Celts know they gave up a golden opportunity to win game 5 and, for the first time, the Lakers showed them they could match their physical play. Nobody expects the Lakers to win, so all the pressure is on Boston. And, I think we’ve seen how Garnett and Rondo respond to pressure in this playoff.

    Again, it should be another squeaker, but I don’t think anyone is “grasping at straws” by being optimistic. I also don’t see how you’re being “realistic” by assuming that we will see a major divergence from what has happened in the first 5 games of this series.

  48. DMo says

    Kurt-

    Your comment came up while I was posting. Didn’t see it. Feel free to delete my last comment if you want this line of argument to end.

  49. Mando says

    Although Im a lakers fan i have to agree with realist… lakers fans all seem to be grasping at straws… the celtics are clearly the better team….

    i dont see why Kurt is so mad at realist… he is essentially pointout what you seem to allude to… the lakers need alot of luck to win this thing. that is all that “grasping at straws means”

  50. Reed says

    I believe.

    Boston is much more banged up than they let on. Having no (or an ineffective) Perkins changes everything, restricting Garnett from roaming and locking down Odom. Pierce has to bounce back on short rest and long travel from heavy minutes and the burden of carrying his team for two straight games. Phil has totally taken Rondo out of the series. Garnett is buckling. LA has raced out to big leads in each of the last 3 games — Boston can’t keep finding the energy to play from behind when they are so injured and reliant on one player. LA’s young players won’t be as fazed by the stage and crowd as they were in games 1-2, when they were major liabilities. The team responded to the most tragic loss in finals history with grit and determination. Kobe. I believe.

  51. chris h says

    mando, I don’t see how you can call yourself a lakers fan and agree with “realist” who is just a cetics fan trolling around trying to start a fight with someone, it’s more his tone and wild statements with no backup that has him getting some of his comments deleted.

  52. Kurt says

    Mando, you didn’t see the comments that never made it up here. The ones that did get through are not that bad (the Oz one at 13 is fairly creative), but the other two were just lame. It is one thing to do what many Celts fans have done during this series and contribute to the conversation with some good thoughts, and another to bait an argument.

  54. LakerFan says

    What do you guys think of my post #44? I would like some feedback good or bad. Thanks

  55. Ap says

    #54

    1. Absolutely, a Celtics crowd is just like a Celtics team–frontrunners. They’ll be absolutely silent and filled with utter and complete (and overblown) doubt if the Lakers run out early.

    2. Sounds like an awesome idea, if we can do it. But none of our interior defenders are savvy enough to get charges instead of fouls…plus they don’t foul hard enough to stop And 1’s.

    3. I’d love for him to do that, but there’s almost no chance he has a game like that in this series. If he would, it would have to be essentially as hot as he was during the “81” game (considering he’s playing a defense that is orders of magnitude better). If he has such a game, nonwithstanding of how Odom/Gasol play, the Lakers win by at least 10.

    I don’t see these things coming together–we’ve been pulling for it to happen, and it just won’t. The only way we win is if Garnett is ice cold from the outside again, we do a WAY better job of defending the Pierce PnR, and Gasol and Odom play aggressively. We haven’t been able to put a whole game together this series, I think a game 5 type win is all we can ask for.

    But a win is a win.

  56. Rico says

    I believe…
    our team is capable of playing excellent for a full game (2 really)…
    we have an excellent coach who will make the right adjustments…
    we have confident role players who will step it up when they are needed (like all friggin game, please?)…
    we have a driven leader who will not let us wilt…
    we have the best player in the game, with the fire in his eye…
    and mostly, that my baby daughter will have a terrific time at the wedding shower, and won’t need to be picked up in the 3rd quarter…

    GO LAKERS!!!

  57. BEngvall says

    Mbenga is a mballer. He can mbang down low with mBoston’s mbigs and should get some mburn tonight.

    -mBill

  58. Brian P. says

    Reed those same thoughts have been cycling through my head…I am trying to keep myself level though. Lets hope the Lakers notice those as well and come out swinging. We need to knock the air out of them this game.

  59. Reed says

    They’ll come out swinging, I have no question. The question is whether they can throw the counter-counter-punch mid-game. This teams has proven that (1) they will not get down by a bad loss; they will come out focused and confident to start the next game (see Boston game 5), and (2) if a team hits them hard to start a game, they will stay poised and hit back (see the two big come from behind Spurs game and Boston game 2). What we have not shown is an ability to respond when we hit a team hard and they take it and hit back (game 4 against Boston). That had never happened to us before, and they completely buckled when Boston threw the massive counter-punch in the third quarter. In game 5, the did better at taking the counter and not losing total control, squeaking out the victory.

  61. drrayeye says

    Hype (some of it already old news) and counterarguments.

    1. “The Lakers haven’t beaten Boston this year”

    contrary evidence: 2 out of three Lakers wins since

    2. “Paul Pierce can’t be stopped”

    contrary evidence: Game 3 stats:

    min fg 3pt ft reb ast stl to pf pt
    Pierce 32 2-14 0-4 2-3 1 5 6 3 1 0 3 5 6

    I said “4” before. I forgot he made 2 free throws

    btw, his game 4 is nothing special either

    12 points plus 8 free throws

    3. “Celtics are better team”

    contrary evidence: Without “home cooking.” it’s all even (games 4-5)

    Looking only at the numbers, the Lakers and the Celtics are a tossup.

    4. “The Lakers have several horrible players who shouldn’t be playing”

    contrary evidence: Every Laker on this team has already proven himself many times this year–made clutch plays–won games.

    It can go bad for anyone.

    Even Jerry West has had games where he couldn’t score. The Showtime Lakers had games when they couldn’t defend. The Lakers have a great team whose members pick each other up. The Laker starters may have not played as well as Paul Pierce individually at his best in this playoffs–nor as badly as Paul Pierce at his worst–yet some have already crowned Pierce the MVP.

    Interesting Leprechaun shenanigans. True Laker fans already know who the MVP is. He doesn’t have to score 45, and if he does, the Lakers will probably lose–just as those Leps did with Pierce’s 38 in game 5.

  62. LakerFan says

    Hey what do you think is the best game the lakers have played collectively since aquiring Gasol? I would like to know so I can watch youtube clips of it.

  65. MarkR says

    Hey, will Phil play Kobe for longer stretches? Or do we expect him to bring in Mihm and stick to his ridiculous rotations? This is do or die and I’d like to believe he’d throw the kitchen sink at the Celtics, but he didn’t in game 5. It disturbs me that these young guys aren’t playing more minutes as the bench has let us down a lot this series.

  67. Chris Mihm says

    So I was watching clips of Paul Pierce on youtube…and I got called for a foul

  68. ddub says

    i see another boston letdown. this will be just like the new england patriots…they were undefeated and lost to the giants….all boston sports teams know how to do is blow it…. i see kobe coming up big tonight with gasol and odom helping out alot…i just hope the bench will step up at time

  70. hansoulfood says

    The odds are probably against us, but I just want a good effort from the Lakers. An all-out game with effort and intensity. I can….*gulp*….suffer the lost better than if they go down like chumps. In the end, if we played with our hearts out, and the Celtics won, I got to tip the hat off to them…..unfortunately.

    Don’t get me wrong though, my motto this entire season, since the beginning of training camp, is MIracles Will Happen!!!! Come on Lakers!!!! Show me what you guys are really made of!

  71. anoni says

    I concur with kwame a.’s assessment that we should work on Kobe off the ball more. Phil’s strategy (or Kobe’s) it seems, is to pile up defenders and work for that open shot (more than likely a 3 point shot). Could the reason Kobe hasn’t attacked the rim as much as we would want be because he’s afraid a leprechaun will re-injure that finger? Because that would be the only logical explanation as to why Kobe isn’t at the free-throw line 90% of the time.

  73. kc says

    52 – i also thought realist’s allude to wizard of oz was pretty creative, but didn’t dorothy destroy the witches? and weren’t the witches green?

    hmm… something to ponder about.

  75. hansoulfood says

    I was wondering, will Kobe and Lamar play the whole game if they can? Ray Allen has played all of game 4 and Pierce have played all of game 5. If the bench doesn’t perform, will Phil let the starters play out the game more? This game is do or die. If the bench is not reliable, the starters need to play. It’s the end of the season, screw confidence for the bench in my opinion.

  76. Texas Rob says

    I haven’t seen Bostons interior passing at all… So lets slide to the lanes and either get the charge or force the non-tested interior pass. MOVE THE FEET!

  77. harold says

    If we win this, I feel good about game 7. The Celtics will be on fumes, Perkins will be a liablility whether or not he’s on the floor, Rondo and Pierce won’t get any better, and their bench will be exposed with increased play time.

    Funny how nothing really has to do with how the Lakers can improve, because honestly our problem is more or less the inability to play 1st quarter ball for the other 3 quarters. Play like the 1st quarter of game 4 and 5, and I don’t care if there are two Paul Pierces on the other team.

    Anyway, if we do win this one (the stars are aligned just right) this may be a dagger Boston will never forget.

  78. Ap says

    I like your idea hasoulfood, but for some reason Phil is strict with his rotations.

    At this point, scrap it, barring foul trouble Odom and Bryant should never get off the court and guys like Walton should never see the court. THis is do or die, you’ve been working your butt off every day for years, and you’re trying to tell me they can’t go out and play a whole game without rest?

  79. Luke says

    I heard that in Vegas you can’t even bet on the Lakers with the points! I don’t know if that means we will win or not but I think it will be a close one!

  80. Goo says

    76, agreed..how about some trapping Pierce on some PR’s as well…Celtics haven’t struck me as a team that can execute pinpoint passing and offensive execution

  81. Kurt says

    The problem with trapping Pierce is that he can pass well enough to KG, who can hit that open midrange if you are not in his face. That is a difficult trap. I think you have to really mix up your coverages, PP is too good to give one look to many times in a row. You have to mix up the coverages. And rotate.

  82. lakerfan101 says

    Great Warren Wee Lim, I am not going to worry about the outcome of the game now, you got the 1st post.
    GO LAKERS…

  83. marrl says

    WE HAVE TO BELIEVE!!!!

    I wana see lots of ball movement and high percentage shots!
    Perkins is back so Odom has to push the ball whenever he gets the rebound and have a 1 man fastbreak. If he doesnt, theres a strong possibility he will struggle in this game.

  85. lakergirl says

    I just want to know why Radman is so uninterested in winning…he just doesnt care…it bugs me

  88. busterjonez says

    It’s been a great year guys, but with the calls like this, it will be impossible to win.

  90. now says

    You have got to be kidding. These “fouls” that PP “draws” are a disgrace to the NBA.

  91. Laker Pauer says

    Paul Pierce slips and head butts Vlad Rad in the chest and it’s a foul on him? Man…

  92. paydawg says

    gasol needs to get better position earlier in the play. otherwise he takes those weenie shots.

  94. Laker Pauer says

    Gasol needs to pound it in. Perkins is hurt and won’t be able to take the contact.

  96. harold says

    Glad we’re leading despite taking 6 less shots and 3 less free throws. Can Kobe remain this hot from downtown? We all know he can’t, so something must be done…

  98. dafish says

    Man locker room and tunnel attendants never got so much airtime than in this series…

  99. paydawg says

    has there been 1 game where a celtic hasn’t gone back to the lockeroom with an injury?

  101. marrl says

    Thats a good start for Luke, lets hope our bench gives this team a spark somehow down the line…

  106. ryan says

    3 good possessions by Garnett. Not necessarily bad defense just good plays by Garnett.

  107. lakergirl says

    I like that Garnett has so much energy and he is giving his all….recipe for getting all tired and passionless at the end….

  108. Anonymous says

    interesting the luke is getting minutes before ariza…i was hoping for a change

  110. los wisedom says

    PUT IN RONNY TURIAF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    GASOL IS STRUGGLING, WE CAN’T WAIT AND MISS THE BEAT ANYMORE.
    TURIAF IS THE VOIDS THE TICKET.

  114. harold says

    I’m looking at the telecast, and it’s not even funny how many X’s are littered close to the Lakers’ basket. They’re getting in the paint at will, just not finishing.

    Really disturbing.

  116. harold says

    The Celtics have 10 more FG attempts.

    4 offensive rebounds and 5 turnover differential explains that fairly well, I guess.

    We’re truly we’re only down 4.

  117. Don W. says

    Gasol is a Zombie out there. What is he waiting for? He is making Rondo look like an All-Star with all of the TO’s. Let’s go already.

  121. harold says

    at least they haven’t ventured into our paint yet.

    How is Pierce looking? the box score says he’s doing too well despite being banged up and having played 48 minutes.

    Thank god he’s missing his threes.

  126. paydawg says

    the boston bench isn’t playing that well….the problem is that the laker bench is HORRIBLE

  127. carlpunk says

    weel let’s hope our lakers can pull it off tonight and steal game 7 as well….hope the machine can help kobe again this time with the exceptional contribution from gasol ang odom too…..go go go lakers!!!!

  129. ryan says

    Not a good start. The Lakers are being sloppy, taking too many 3s and Pau stayed in LA.

  131. harold says

    We’re playing intimidated. Too desperate. This is the 2nd friggin quarter and they’re hoisting threes!

    Argh!!

  133. LakeShowTime says

    What is our offensive plan of attack? I see a lot of dribbling and looking for outside shots. We are getting outscored in the paint by quite a bit…we really need Pau to be an inside presence and make quick decisions. I think he holds the ball too long before making his move.

  134. harold says

    The only positive i can draw from this is that we’re only down 5 after all those turnovers, rebound deficiency, hurried threes and what not.

  135. carlpunk says

    it’s still too early to make judgement lakers are also known to overcome any pressure 🙂

  140. harold says

    Every time i type something positive, it comes back to haunt me. Forgive me, but now i’m only gonna type negative things about the lakers now.

  142. los wisedom says

    house is the x-factor, we need the 3-2, turiaf can protect the basket. take out odom, gasol and turiaf are enough for the 3-2 to work.

  143. adrian says

    its raining 3s.. blanked 3s by lakers, drained 3s by celtics.. coupled with turnovers..

  146. ryan says

    Kobe needs to be aggressive going to the basket. The Celts are in the penalty, he needs to get the Lakers going by getting to the line.

  147. lakeshow says

    its been the theme all series long….offensive rebounds turned into second chance points…..its our kiss of death and we will lose if we dont get it together now!!!

  148. lakerfan101 says

    Just a couple of 3’s to turn the score against us, there is plenty of time.

  149. los wisedom says

    look to just play laker ball and we’ll run it.
    good thing vujacic is getting ready

  150. Scot says

    102 games into the season and we’re still not running the offense or playing transition D.

  151. Kurt says

    To the Celtics fans coming in trying to post baiting, classless comments, I’ll tell you now those have been gone and will be gone as fast as I can get to them. We’re going to keep this civil.

  156. harold says

    Wow.

    Now a closeup of Kobe throwing a fit on his teammates will just about finish the season and make for yet another summer of intrigue.

  161. LakeShowTime says

    Gasol needs to attack Davis every possession!! Don’t wait, make your move immediately…

    Also, can we please take a charge!!?

  163. now says

    Not sure what Celtics fans would be gloating about. I felt more ashamed than cocky after the refs practically handed us the series against Utah.

  175. harold says

    These guys really need to learn where the paint is. They’re in the penalty, and their frontcourt has two fouls each, while Kobe has 3 FT attempts, most of them technicals and not ones he earned.

    Now 13 pt difference isn’t a big deal in this series, it can go either way, but why on earth not take advantage of the other team being in the penalty like Paul Pierce?!

  177. Laker Pauer says

    Is it just me or has all of the coverage been about the Celtics this series? I mean, I’ve seen hardly any specials on the Laker players and even the advertisements have a decidedly Celtic slant. It’s always PP or KG holding the trophy. This whole finals has been a total letdown. Even if we miraculously come back and win, I think this has been a crap series. Ugly basketball, horrible officiating and NBA scandals right around the corner. Pathetic.

  180. gotimelakers says

    i thought we were going to get blown out. but this is still disappointing nevertheless.

  184. LakeShowTime says

    the Celtics really spread us out on defense…its unbelievable how different things look on both sides of the floor…

    holy crap garnett just made a ridiculous shot..

    sigh…CLOSE THE LANE

  187. otbricki says

    175 – When you are up by 20 in an NBA Finals elimination game you have earned a few puff pieces.

  192. harold says

    Maybe we just wanted to get them back for coming back after being 24 pts down.

    We’re down 23, so if we let them score once in the 3rd and storm back, we’ll do them one better.

    yeah.

  194. Don W. says

    We have no heart. The over play every passing angle. Why can’t we just go back door? Why can’t we do anything right?

  195. Lakersfan88 says

    178, it’s fixed. The NBA and it’s advertisers want the Celtics to win. It was probably in the cards ever since they “traded for” (were gifted by McHale) Garnett.

    Although that being said, the Lakers aren’t helping their own cause with a complete failure to execute everything that’s gotten them this far. It’s pretty sad to watch

  197. kc says

    dang… outside open jumpers gotta go in…

    i mean celtics are pretty much lounging around their basket daring lakers to take the jumpers.

    even when we drive it in, it’s literally 4 or 5 players collapsing on one.

  199. gotimelakers says

    definitely a disappointing disappointing ending to a promising season. we just didn’t come play. outclassed in every way.

  202. Hansoulfood says

    Would Chick put this game in the refrigerator yet? Please…a better effort. Play the best damn 24 minutes of ball you guys have EVER played.

  204. Scot says

    I know the Lakers derserve tremendous admiration for the surprisingly wonderful season they gave us, but this is a pathetic embarrassment on every level, every player, every facet of the game. This disgrace has left me speechless. How do you just not show up at all in an NBA Finals elimination game?

  205. Craig W. says

    Now who thinks the Lakers have an all-star coaching staff? All at once now.

    The players are doing poorly, but Phil has stuck to his rotations and refused to adjust to the game. I really hope people roast his *** for the coaching job he has done in this series. The players lost the games, but the coaching staff didn’t put them in the best position to succeed.

  206. harold says

    How can a team, that arguably dominated just about every other team on its path to the finals, be this lackluster in the biggest stage?

    The true NBA finals, at this rate, was between Cleveland and Boston. And if I don’t see a monster half from Kobe, I’m going to say that LeBron is the better player, not Kobe.

    And it’s not going to be close, either.

  208. miko says

    Halftime crew, it’s not that the Celtics are totally dominating. The Lakers are playing supremely sloppy, uninspired ball. That’s the huge factor in their first half meltdown.

  210. los wisedom says

    HUMILITY leads to hard work on defense, up or down in a game. Lakers are not humble enough to work their asses off, no matter the score.

  211. paydawg says

    forget the game..i’m just going to watch the euro 2008 france/italy game on right now

  212. chibi says

    The Lakers are being outhustled, outmaneuvered, and outsmarted. I’m pretty disappointed. The Celtics are the superior team.

  213. penston says

    We may be one “greatest comeback of the week” short. But I continue to watch. Anybody mention JVG going all “pure”? Made me all warm and fuzzy. Way back then.

  214. los wisedom says

    Los Angeles is worth giving ur life for, like Pac said; To live and die in LA!!! The laker players don’t listen.

  215. LakeShowTime says

    Lamar’s defense in the paint is disappointing….as well as Pau. Those 2 guys don’t have the guts to assert themselves or their games.

    I know they are both good, but Boston’s play in the paint shows that we have NO heart or pride right now.

  216. lakeshow says

    i agree with you craig….the laker coaching staff have been as much ‘no shows’ as some of the players…

  219. Joe says

    Pitiful effort from the Lakers. They should all take their jerseys off and fly the hell home. I didnt think they win tonight, but this is just a sad sorry effort on their part. I aint even watching the second half.

  220. Lakersfan88 says

    Don’t knock Phil and the coaching staff…it’s not their fault their players don’t have any heart. Everybody not named Kobe or Derek Fisher didn’t come to play. As much as I’d like to try to be optimistic, Andrew Bynum doesn’t mean a whole lot if your players don’t have the heart to show up in Game 6 of the Finals.

  221. Lakersfan88 says

    That should be “Andrew Bynum coming back next year doesn’t mean a whole lot if your players don’t have the heart to show up in Game 6 of the Finals.”

  222. sven erikson says

    Lakerpauer and lakersfan88 are cracking me up. Lakers fans who think the league is biased…against the Lakers? Now that is hilarious.

    The Lake show is being exposed for what it is tonight. A great, but flawed system. Anybody that likes defense and team basketball should be happy with a Lakers defeat in this series. Until the Lakers learn to play better D and until Kobe learns to play team ball in times of adversity they are going to have a hard time winning it all, let alone winning the West against improving teams like Utah, Portland, Houston, etc. Kobe is the “greatest player on earth” when things are going well, but when things start to go south–like in the Q2 tonight–the guy feels his rep being threatened and starts launching anything and everything, which often just makes things worse

    Despite the likely 4-2 outcome, this series really hasn’t been close. And no the refs aren’t the reason for that…

  223. Valentina says

    As a lakers fan… hate to admit that but the celtics are the better team and deserve to win. It hurts so bad… especially if you are in italy and it’s 4.34 a.m. and you are going to face a tough work day but let me hug all the laker nation and send a sweet kiss to everyone. I’ll be waiting a long year to get our revenge with Drew in the mix.

  225. MannyP says

    Well, it took Boston 3 all stars to bring Kobe down… so don’t pat yourself too hard on the back Boston. Although you will probably win, I can only take solace in the fact that this will be your last title for another 18 years.

  226. robinred says

    Despite the likely 4-2 outcome, this series really hasn’t been close. And no the refs aren’t the reason for that…
    ***
    Take it to Celtics blog. Don’t need that here right now.

  227. harold says

    As disappointed I am about the Lakers, I think the series was actually fairly close.

    Barring that monumental collapse in game 4, it’d be 3-2 the other way and counting the games where both teams almost came back from big deficits, it could’ve been over in 5 games either way.

  228. LakeShowTime says

    …and in reality some of our losses have been very winnable. And right now, Kobe is doing anything but chucking up shots.

  229. DTC says

    The Celtics D is really the best I have seen, maybe ever. But the Lakers are playing with supreme stupidity. That’s what it comes down to. They continue to make the wrong choices on offense AND defense.

  230. robinred says

    As disappointed I am about the Lakers, I think the series was actually fairly close.

    ***

    If they show up for the 2nd half.

  233. junebug says

    paydawg, 7:28PM.

    I totally agree with you. I’m just going to watch the Italy vS France on ESPN2 even though I already watched it this afternoon.

    What a sad effort from the Lakers. From the coaching staff to the players, this is what defines the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers era. Failure after failure in the post season. We blow a 3-1 series lead in 2006, and we blow a 24 point lead in an NBA Finals game. I know I’m being irrational in the heat of the moment, but I’m sick and tired of trying to believe in Kobe when he jacks up jumpshots in the middle of the Celt’s run and does nothing to inspire his teammates to keep fighting. This game is eerily similar to that of Game 7 in 2006 against the Suns.

    We’ll see how we are when Bynum returns. But there was much talk about the Lakers having Phil, Kobe, Fish as people with much championship experience, yet it matters zip on the court. And I really hate the first defense when it comes to these Lakers that they are “young.” Pllleassssee. I wonder how long we’ll keep making that excuse since it’s lease expired last year.

  235. harold says

    At this rate, the C’s will be in the penalty around the 8 minute mark. If we don’t take advantage, I’ll be furious.

  236. DTC says

    I agree that this season has shattered all expectations I had. Even after we got Pau, I never expected us to make the Finals.

    But this series has been an embarrassment of epic proportions.

  237. A-Hole Carolla says

    I just don’t want it to end this way.

    Let’s hope they make a game out of it again.

  239. Kurt says

    I get the need to vent watching this level of performance, but lets keep some level of perspective. This season is not a failure. If back in October I had said the Lakers would make it to the NBA finals and lost in six games I would have been 1) mocked; 2) everyone would have taken that result in a heartbeat.

    Tonight has been frustrating, but that is a long way from year-long failure.

  240. Ap says

    The lakers lack of mental toughness lost this series. Tell me why in EVERY GAME (besides Game 1), the Celtics went on an extended (15+) run during the game, while he Lakers sat idly.

    ALl their players fold. They turn over the ball, they give up, they’re lazy. THis falls squarely on Phil and Kobe. Phil calls a timeout–does he draw up a nice inbounds play to stop the bleeding? No. ANd Kobe….maybe he’s just not good enough, but he should be stopping runs at 10-1 instead of hoisting up bad shots at 20-1. Pathetic.

  241. kc says

    man, maybe it’s just me, but seems like celtics is getting all the lucky bounces around the basket.

    let’s play some d now lakers!

  242. magic days says

    gasol is out of it! he’s just watching the game from on court. body language says that he’s given up.

  243. Ap says

    Plus, we still don’t have an offensive rebound in this game. THats indicative of EFFORT. We lacked it.

  245. junebug says

    I do not mind losing these Finals, because we have almost no chance of coming back.
    But why do we have to get down by 27 in the first place? Does this game mean nothing to these players? I agree that we have made great strides this season, but now that we’re here, is this the best we can do?

  246. Laker Pauer says

    222. I think the Lakers are losing all by themselves. I just don’t understand why all the coverage up to this point has been mostly about the Celtics. The only adds I see are Kevin Garnett screaming and pounding gatorade. I would have liked to see more Lakers media.

  249. kc says

    gasol just looks like he wants to go home.

    not feeling the lakers body languages. they look tired and beat.

  253. Anonymous says

    this is an embarrassment. no defense, terrible shot selection, and just all around lack of effort. boston shooters aren’t even being contested at all. phil was totally outcoached this entire series. i know we’re not even supposed to be here, but now that we are, this just makes me want to throw up.

  255. magic days says

    timeout! get gasol out of the game. he’s not doing anything but turning in the knife.

  256. junebug says

    Rondo has more steals and offensive rebounds than the Lakers’ team as a whole. In an elimination game, this has got to be one of the saddest excuse of a so-called “team” in the history of the NBA Finals.

  257. magic days says

    they are playing like it’s a regular season game where they get blown out and give up. this is a finals elimination game. they need to at least make an effort and attempt to come back to at least redeem their dignity.

  259. harold says

    This was the kind of a game I expected from the Lakers in game 4 and 5.

    Near double-score outing.

    Wow, this has to rank among the biggest collapse ever in the finals, and I think Kobe will have a hard time recovering from this.

    STOP HOISTING 20 FT JUMPERS!

    I’m inclined to motion for the removal of him from the Olympics. Well not really, but something in him is just not wired right since the series against the Spurs.

  264. kc says

    man… it just shows. celtics had tough road to the finals seriously fighting through adversities as they arose. i mean granted, some were unwarranted but still, having gone through those, it shows that they are more ready.

    lakers just had it too easy… everything clicked too easy for the lakers. celtics does look like they have been playing with each other for many seasons.

    hey that layup by kobe might have been the easiest basket lakers had the whole night.

  265. DTC says

    Now the refs are piling it on by calling some phenomenally weak fouls on the Lakers. But seriously, the Lakers haven’t earned ANY sympathy from anyone.

  266. Ap says

    None of your posts make sense los wisedom, the Lakers were brought down by their own mistakes, and their uncanny ability to absolutely quit when the other team is making a run. They turned over the ball like it was their job, got completely outhussled on the boards, and crumbled under the least bit of pressure.

    I’m not upset they lost the series–Celtics were supposed to win the championship from the day they got the Big 3 together, and throughout the entire regular season theyw ere heads and shoulders above everyone else. But the way the Lakers went out has to give you pause–the only worry is we’ll have no idea if these guys learned anything until NEXT YEAR’S postseason, because the regular season doesn’t mean squat when you’re talking about winning championships. I hope they learned from getting flat out outworked and embarrassed in this game.

  271. gotimelakers says

    i hope they lose by 40 so that wholesale changes will be made. this is a fundamentally flawed team with suspect coaching.

    we need to move some pieces and get a legitimate second guy to take the load off kobe. this playoffs has made it clear that pau is a third banana.

    DEPRESSING. VERY DEPRESSING!!

  272. barry g says

    it’s like these guys are playing together for the first time… man, this is painful to watch…

  275. A-Hole Carolla says

    I don’t know how much perspective should be used to look at this. After all, the Pao trade changed all expectations.

    Our toughness and intelligence definitely have to be questioned in the offseason, in terms of whether we make any moves.

    I loved the ride, it was better than I even imagined, and I knew it would be a good one.

    This ending definitely should not be swept under the rug.

  276. magic days says

    i think it’s time for a phil experiment and get the bench in there…anything.

  277. Ap says

    If the Celtics can make a 26-6 run in the matter of 7 minutes, I don’t know why the Lakers can’t.

    Oh, thats right, the Celtics would never bend over and let that happen to them.

  278. LakeShowTime says

    wholesale changes??? we crushed the west and just had terrible match up problems against a team w/ 3 elite players and a host of veterans…

    i want to punch boston in the face right now but come on that is a little unfair

  279. lakerfan101 says

    The old +/- stat is all negatives for us and all positives for them, makes sence huh.

  280. kc says

    is it me or most of these “actual” netflix clients look slightly overweight?

    sorry totally unrelated topic.

  282. Hansoulfood says

    I guess it’s more time this week for my ps3 and MGS4…..I hate this week.

  283. sfJayp says

    i’m feeling kobe, sasha and farmar.

    but mostly kobe.

    i mean… i’d rather have the team play as a team, but since they won’te I’m ok with kobe shooting every time he touches it.

  292. kev says

    What happend? Back to back 3s by House and Posey, and we have not recovered since. No way the Celtics are this good. this reminds me of how good we made the Pistons look in 2004

  293. Laker Pauer says

    282.LOL MGS4 rocks….. It’s the only reason I haven’t slit my wrists this week.

  294. Tony B. says

    This sucks, but it was one hell of a year of Laker basketball. I had a great time watching this team grow into a contender.

  297. Hansoulfood says

    This game seems so surreal to me. It’s like we don’t even belong in the playoffs, let alone the finals. When Denver had their meltdown, it wasn’t even in the same level of disasterous as this game.

  298. barry g says

    does the term “pretty boys” come to anyone else’s mind every so often w/ these lakers? these guys know how to win when they’re allowed to play clean, fluid basketball. they’re gonna have to learn how to win playing rough, disjointed basketball if they’re gonna win a championship…

  299. Hansoulfood says

    At Lakerpauer – Ya without MGS4…I don’t know if I could live this day.

  300. DTC says

    Ok… this is it. I want someone on the Lakers to commit a flagrant the next time a Celtics player waltzes into the lane.

  303. DTC says

    and there it is…. but it’s one of the weakest flagrant fouls in the history of the NBA. Pretty representative of the Lakers’ series really

  306. magic days says

    what is the record for biggest points differential for a finals game is? are we on the verge of making history and breaking another record?

  310. gotimelakers says

    304: kwame and shaq both must be like giddy children on christmas day w/ this.

    there is a lot of weak-willed men on this team. no wonder kobe b*tches them out so much. can you really blame him?

  312. kev says

    Is there a mercy rule? Seriously can’t we just stop this right now and hand over the trophy?

  314. DTC says

    This series has convinced me more than anything else that Phil Jackson has very little ability to coach defense – his team has always been mediocre at best on D unless it had more than 3 all-league defensive players.

    I repeat: the man CANNOT coach defense.

    We need a defensive specialist, PERIOD.

  315. kc says

    don’t mind me this is me just venting.

    should’ve gotten artest when we had the chance.

  318. adrian says

    that’s it guys.. we better stop dissing our team.. the outcome’s already decided.. not today, but during game 4.. it’s been a nice season.. no one expected us to come this far.. we got a very young team, and we’ve got many chances to win a title.. see you all next season!

  320. carlpunk says

    congrats to boston!!!! let’s hope next yeat will be much better for the lakers!!!!

  322. Volren says

    I can’t watch this any more. My first instinct is to go down with the team and take in every last minute regardless of how hopeless it is, but you know what? I’m just can’t do it.

    I’m not going near any site that has anything to do with basketball for the rest of the summer. I’m becoming a basketball hermit until next season.

    I wish I had something more upbeat to say, but I’m practically catatonic right now. Good night. Kurt, I loved the coverage over the entire season, keep up the great work, see you next season.

  323. gotimelakers says

    disgusting. humiliating. unnerving. infuriating. maddening. pathetic. wretched. weak. feeble. dismal. that about covers it.

    between this and game 4, this team will forever live in infamy.

  324. anteater says

    sigh. even tho it’s impossible to catch up, can’t someone just get pissed and just go all out? this is embarrasing..

  326. LakeShowTime says

    RIP 2008.

    See you guys next season, i can’t watch any more. It was a great and surprising year and most of us could not have asked to be in the finals (realistically).

    That said, this game was pure heartless crap. THAT said, we had a pretty good year otherwise. Thanks for making this the only tolerable place to post Laker stuff.

    Peace!

  328. magic days says

    i thought we might lose. i don’t mind that, but i didn’t expect embarassment and depression too.

  329. adrian says

    to 319..

    It really hurts watching this game.. but please don’t compare our team to last year’s Cavs.. We’re a lot better than them, and this Boston team is a lot better than last year’s Spurs..

  331. kc says

    run up the score, so that these young lakers will remember for years to come.

    in any case, enjoy your championship celtics. you have played a beautiful team basketball. at least in the championship series.

    i’m just sad to see lakers didn’t put up a better fight than this. it was disappointing to have witnessed it.

  333. kev says

    I hate the Spurs with a passion, but you have to admit they would have never allowed a beatdown like this in the finals.

  335. Kurt says

    DTC, hate to burst the bubble, but historically Jackson’s teams are good defensively. Those Bulls teams, even the Lakers in the three-pete. The Lakers D was in the top 6 in the league this season before Bynum went down. It really comes down to players at some point.

  336. harold says

    2:20 and a 38 point deficit.

    That’s 140 seconds to erase 38 points, so we need to score once every 3 seconds and stop the Celtics cold to make it happen. Since each basket is worth 2, that’s once every 6 seconds, but since we’ll need to stop the clock, they’ll shoot FTs every time we score.

    I think even if we make halfcourt shots from here on out, we can’t possibly win.

  337. magic days says

    what is the record for highest points in the finals? or by a celtics team finals?

  339. harold says

    I think it was a great season overall IF and only IF it wasn’t the Celtics we lost to.

    Any season ending with a loss against the Celtics can’t be a great season.

    A season to feel optimistic perhaps, but I guess that’s it.

  340. gotimelakers says

    kurt, it really frustrates me that you are such a laker apologist sometimes. phil teaches good systems defense, but is a big fat failure when it comes to making NECESSARY in-game, and game-to-game adjustments.

    the man has been completely pantsed in this series. by doc fricking rivers. sheesh. that is beyond pathetic.

  342. barry g says

    kurt – can a blow out of this magnitude REALLY be all on the player’s shoulders? coaching has a decent amount to do with it, imo…

  349. hertagnism says

    barry g, there was a saying that says “less than 7 points, it’s on the coach; more th an 7 points, it’s on the players”

    The C’s clearly roughed us up, took us out of our ball game. If anything, this was reminiscent of what the Pistons did to Jordan’s Bulls.

    I believe congrats are in order for the Celtics. We’ll see them again next year though. And the result won’t be the same.

  351. RHYbread says

    Depressing series. I guess the problem with overachieving is that you loose sight of where exactly you started.

    Maybe winning the NBA finals was too Hollywood even for the Lakers.

  352. barry g says

    hertagnism,

    point taken. i don’t know, though; throughout this series, just never seemed like the team was prepared to do battle. maybe they were coached enough and just weren’t equipped individually to handle the challenge? in any case, hope our weaknesses get identified and addressed over the summer…

  353. Tony B. says

    Kurt, I just wanted to thank you and the regular posters for making this such a great season.

  354. lakerfan101 says

    Yea, Congrats to the Celtics, see you all next year.
    Thanks Kurt, for the forum for us Laker fans.
    Kurt, what does this forum do during the off season, do you shut down or what?

  355. barry g says

    i second tony b’s comment. kurt and all the regulars – you guys were awesome to read throughout the season, and i look forward to our team’s bright future.

  356. Underbruin says

    352 – It actually becomes a Hannah Montana fansite – we have meetings and everything.

    In all seriousness, thanks to all for a good season, and see you next year.

  357. kc says

    i’ll be honest, the way how this season unfolded, it’s hard for me to be excited for the next season.

    i feel like we’ve come too far just to have such a huge letdown.

    someone mentioned detroit doing to jordan, this reminds me of what the pistons did to the lakers when we had malone and payton.

    so sad. but trying to stay positive.

    thanks for the forum kurt! where do we go from here? hiatus for a few months?

  358. Alex says

    As a Celtics fan for just over 9 years, I think the Lakers with an improved defense could have done much better than this. However, LO disappoints me (thought he should be much better than this); I’ve watched him a lot when he was on the Clippers before.

  359. sfJayp says

    I suppose this is better than losing in the first round.

    Hopefully Bynum is a beast next year and Pau grows some balls.

    We all know the Lakers are held to a higher standard. We had a good growing year. Jordan, practice all summer. Sasha, shoot your J. Kobe, do what you do. This is a stepping stone. Next year, domination.

  361. dafish says

    you know kobe will be hitting the gym tomorrow, and will get pau to hit the gym with him.

  362. anoni says

    This series reminded me a lot of the 2006 choke job against the Phoenix Suns. Phil implemented a strategy that seemed to work and tried to use the same strategy this series–yet both times, the strategy failed. The difference between this series and the first three games of the 06 series, was that the Lakers failed to attack the rim and execute. Heck, the Lakers didn’t do much right. Transition defense and ball movement on the offensive end were the top priorities, and those ended up being their most glaring weaknesses and on the opposite end, Boston’s greatest strengths. That’s how we lost this series.

    Before anyone starts to put the blame on Phil, think twice. You really think subbing MBenga for Mihm would have made a difference?

  363. barry g says

    EVERYONE needs to hit the gym tomorrow. practice defensive rotations until october.

    shoot, i think i’m gonna hit the gym too…

  364. Kurt says

    Guys, thanks for the kind words. This place is a fantastic community because of what all of you bring to it, and that is what makes it fun for me.

    We keep going during the summer. The rate of posts slows a little to three or so a week rather than almost daily, but we talk free agents and team moves, plus a little more general NBA stuff. This summer I’ll also do a lot of Olympics/Team USA coverage and talk.

    Plus, we have to do detailed breakdown of what to do with that #58 pick we have in the draft 🙂

  365. marrl says

    Lakers laid an egg tonight….

    Made me depressed of how they didnt try to fight back like boston did and everyone should respect how they fought in game 4 and unlike LA did today.

    This hurts, but theres much to learn from this.
    Were a young team, and theres definitely lots to look forward to for next year.
    LASTLY, i wanna thank the Lakers for putting up a great season, but just came up short. Nobody expected a season like this and being 2 wins shy isnt too bad…though i wish we could have pulled it off.

    Im already looking forward to next year were we (hopefully) are healthy towards another championship run.

  367. harold says

    I think i need a ‘season in hindsight’ type of post highlighting all the good things that happened.

    If somebody told me at the beginning of the season, that you had two options, one to just see how the team does and another to have the team lose by 39 in game 6 of the NBA finals, I probably would have taken the latter.

    As a team, now we witnessed and experienced first hand what it takes to win a championship and what it takes to compete at the highest level. We probably need a coach dedicated to scouting and team-specific defense as well.

    I’m not sure if i want to tinker with the lineup, we’re at least good enough to get here, and certainly were good enough to win 3 games though we only won 2. Just wish that this 39 pt loss was our first not our fourth, our 24 pt disaster our 2nd not our 3rd.

    Anyway, if we don’t make any rushed trades (thankfully Mitch isn’t one to pull them) we’ll have a balanced team that can match every other team’s style, be it bruising or finesse. Sasha will not find many suitors we can’t match, Farmar will improve, Luke, Mihm and Ariza will recover, and Vlad can’t be any more inconsistent and spaced out as he was this season.

    So there is optimism…

  368. anteater says

    nice post Marrl. I agree with you, but couldn’t put that into words myself.

    Even if the loss seemed inevitable, put some heart into it like Celtics did game 4.

    Once it stops hurting, I will be looking forward to next season!

  369. marrl says

    Oh and thanks Kurt for making a website that lets us Laker fans share our thoughts and opinions.
    Im a little late, but congrats for your new born child.
    Have a good summer everyone!

  370. laughing hard says

    I want to second what has been said here tonight — this site has been a wonderful community this season, and I feel a little proud to be even a small part of it.

    Kurt — you rock.

    We all wish that this series had gone differently, but our guys will be back in force next season, and I, for one, can’t wait.

  371. Rob L. says

    Phil (and Tex) have said that the defense flows from the triangle offense working well. After this finals (and ’04), it is clear to me the Lakers also need a defense that is independent of the offense. The last two finals losses showcased teams that could stymie the triangle. And that also stymied their D. Thus, by only focusing on one side of the game a team could beat the Lakers. I think the term for that is target loading.

    The Lakers need to know how to defend after an offensive miss, when they’re out of position at the start of transition. How to recover and reset quickly on the fly.

  372. dafish says

    BTW guys, my wife, who’s been expecting for about four months now, and I decided while watching the WCF to name our baby Hope.

    God help the kid if its a boy.

  373. A-Hole Carolla says

    I would suspect coaching would be a factor in this too, but I don’t know.

    I don’t see how the same defensive mistakes and horrible offensive strategy could happen over and over and over again.

    I don’t know.

  374. kwame a. says

    Great season, and it was very fun to share it with all the great FBG Laker fans from last summer (and years before) through this June. We will be back, we will be bigger, better and well-tested. Hopefully some of the new faces stick around over the summer. We will debate who our 2nd round draft pick should be, who we should throw the mid-level at, and argue everyday about why Lamar should not (or should) be traded. Cheers to Kurt for making this happen, and a begruding congratulations to the Celts.

  375. chris h says

    one positive to take from playing this deep into the playoffs, we don’t have so long to wait until next season!
    I for one, am really looking forward to training camp, pre-season and 2008/09 NBA basketball, with a healthy team, it will be a fun year and lots to look forward to.
    now, at least I can get some work done.
    thanks Kurt, been a great year, a phemon for sure.
    as you know, I’ve been around here for years and will stay around for the off season and the very good Laker years to come!
    enjoy the baby, get some sleep when you can.
    all the best to you mate.

  376. Paul says

    I’ve been a Laker fan since ’71 and I’m sorry but it’s time to face some harsh realities about this team. All championship teams have common traits.
    1. A talented leader who also makes his teammates better in practice, games, and offseason. See Magic, MJ, Bird
    2. A 48-minute intensity from buzzer to buzzer. The 80s Lakers had no qualms about destroying teams by 40. Don’t get mad at the Celts for pouring it on, that’s their job. It’s the Lakers job to compete.
    3. A starting front court who controls the boards and doesn’t assume the fetal position on basketball’s biggest stage. Yes, I’m throwing Gasol, Odom, and spaceman under the bus. They disappeared!
    4. Don’t make Andrew Bynum’s absence an excuse. Even if he were playing, the Lakers still lose the series. Perhaps it goes 7 but they lose because Boston had a champions focus. Let’s be honest folks this series could’ve easily been 4-0 Boston sweep. All year the Lakers focus has come and gone.
    5. We need a defensive Chaucey Billups type point guard who can at least make Deron Williams, Tony Parker, and yes even the unstoppable Rajon Rondo work hard.
    6. Two or three veteran bench players to balance out the talented but young guys who had a deer in the headlights look.

    I have always loved this team and I always will. I know that they made a great leap forward this year but I’m not satisfied and neither should any passionate Laker fan.

  377. DTC says

    I join all the appreciation for Kurt and this site. I only found it in the playoffs and was so struck by the quality of the discussions and the moderating, unlike the ESPN board which is just… well I won’t go there.

    The pain from this game has not gone away, but I can hardly wait for next season and watching Bynum’s full recovery!

  378. SB says

    Brutal game, obviously, but the future seems bright. If you look at the NBA since the end of the Lakers-Celtics dynasties in the 80’s, virtually every strong team has had to go through at least one, and usually several near-misses before taking the title (examples inlcude the Bad Boys losses to the Celts and Lakers, the Bulls struggles against the Pistons before their run and the Shaq/Kone Lakers losses to the Jazz, Spurs, etc).

    None of the Lakers other than Fisher and Kobe have ever played games near this magnatude before and they were overwhelmed by the moment. Hopefully that will not be the case next year. When you combine that experience with our young bench spending a summer getting better and the hopeful return of Bynum I think there is a decent chance that we’ll look back at this day as a stepping stone to greatness.

    I’ve only recently begun to follow the posts and comments on this site but I’ve been really impressed by the quality and tone here. Thanks to Kurt for providing such a forum.

  379. robinred says

    I want to thank Kurt for all his hard work and thanks to all the other posters.

    Also, props to Craig W, Kurt and others who said that the Lakers should give the young guys a shot. It was a great year.

    Congratulations NBA Champion Boston Celtics.

    That said, coming from a guy who has been a Laker fan since he was 6:

    Phil Jackson should not be given a pass on this game or this series. 131-92 is inexcusable. Losing a 24-point lead at home is inexcusable.

    Wholesale changes? Of course not. A few tweaks–yes, without question, both on the roster and maybe on the staff.

    And, I have said this elsewhere for years but not here: Kobe Bryant is great. He is not the best player in the NBA, and never has been.

    Go 2009 Lakers.

  380. muddywood says

    This season was like eating a fine meal at a 5 star restaurant and them having a soft serve frozen yogurt for desert. Anticlimactic. Soft.
    I’m glad the Lakers got their asses kicked in this manner. If they would’ve played a good game tonight and barely lost they would still think that they were mentally tough enough to win it. They are not.
    This team is soft. There is no interior toughness. There is no NASTINESS. ZERO. And Bynum won’t really change that.
    They clearly were out hustled. They played with not heart.

    I hope this stings really bad.

    Remember 1984.

    That ass whooping lead to 1985….and redemption.

    I pray that they have that kind of pride and work ethic.

  381. Kris L. says

    Thoughts going forward into next season.

    1. with Andrew Bynum back. how is odom gonna handle coming off the bench?

    2. I Expect Kobe’s best basketball ever. (paul pierce pretty much set a fire under kobe during this year. he outplayed and i think the mamba try to return for next season that much better.

    3. maybe we’ll see some sun yue? lol. 6’9” point gaurd… remind you of anyone? okay soo i might be a bit too optimistic but you never know 😉

    4. I wonder who we’ll get for the space cadet. i mean sure he shoots the ball well but everyone on the lakers does that. he’s too much of a defensive liability.

    5.
    Starting lineup –
    PG – Farmar
    SG – Kobe
    SF – the machine
    PF – Gasol
    C – Bynum

    =[

    these next five months are gonna suck!

  382. Andre says

    Pau needs to hit the weights. One of our SF’s will not be with the team next year. That being said, great season, exceeded everyone of my expectations. Will be checking the site frequently this summer, especially when the free agent period opens. Hopefully we can get a nice piece with our MLE.

  383. Pedram says

    Even though we lost in the Finals this was an excellent year. We made it through the the toughest Western conference races ever and were only two games short of a championship. This all despite being one of the youngest teams in the league and having key losses and additions mid-way through the season. The Celtics were built to win this year and they did it. We are going to contend for a title for the next 4-5 years if not more.

    I’m looking forward to next year.

  384. John S. says

    Thank Kurt and guys for letting me come on this boardas a Celtics fan.

    I think the Lakers need to make some moves, but it’s just on the peripherey, nothing major.

    Bynum will help, but you got to get a rugged athletic at small forward. Vlad and Sasha just are too soft and don’t do what’s needed. This is where you got killed.

    Artest would be a great addition. At least he brings some stones to the team. Should start Farmer next year. Everyone else on the bench is terrible IMO.

    Odom? Fools gold. Got to get a rugged SF first, and some inside beef to go with Bynum.

    Take care guys, and congrats on a great season. Well see you xmas day.

  385. Mark says

    It’s all about match-ups and team D. You guys didn’t match up with the Celtics in the regular season or the playoffs. And your D wasn’t that good.

    I was rooting for you – sorry you guys got taken to the cleaners.

    Good luck next year.

  386. DMo says

    The Celtics needed this win more than the Lakers and played like it. But this was a GREAT year to be a Lakers fan, overall:

    The development of Bynum, Farmar, Sasha and Turiaf… Fisher’s return… Kobe’s MVP play and acceptance of his role as a leader… the Ariza trade… the Gasol trade… winning the West in the regular season… beating 3 good teams (including the defending champs) to advance to the Finals… Playing the Celtics for the first time in 21 years and holding their own in 5 of the 6 games.

    I’ll take the 2007-2008 Season over the last 5 seasons in a heartbeat!

    And, as I wrote in a previous comment, this series was a Master Class in Dynasty building. The Lakers weren’t up to the job yet. But next year they will have their starting center back, all of their young players will be a year older and wiser, Gasol will have a full training camp to learn the triangle, Ariza will be healthy and ready to anchor the perimeter defense of the second unit and the entire team will be hungry and ready to take their place as champions for years to come. The future could not be any brighter and the sting of this loss will prove to be a lesson that our boys will not soon forget. With Bynum holding down the middle, the interior defense will improve and the rebounding will go through the roof. Even if we play the exact same Celtic team (cryogenically frozen to preserve the older players) the outcome next year will be totally different.

    Let’s all just pray for health and a speedy recover for Kobe’s (soon to be surgically repaired) hand.

    I still believe!

    GO LAKERS!!!

  387. Pato says

    Kurt, congratulations again for the blog. This is a wonderful site where everybody can share his thougts.

    Right now I’m destroyed about the way we loose this finals. Maybe later when I wake up (it’s 1.55 AM in Argentina and I need some rest cause I’ll be up about 6.30) I can write something coherent…

    I know we desagree about the future of this team (and I’m praying for your theory about the future of this roster but every minute I’m most concerned about the luck of character they showed)…

    I’m not a regular writer but I read everything you and all of the people who made this a “must read site” every day (and I learn from you too).

    See you later… And I’ll be ready to post with my “strange English” during the Olympics if I can wath the games (man, the World Championship in Japan, the Olympics in China… I’ll be a sleepwalker by August).

  389. 91601guy says

    Wholesale changes are NOT needed. If Andrew continues to progress and they can sign a veteran big, the D should be fine.

    Farmar needs to improve, Derek will be 34 and should play less than 30 minutes next year.

    They need to upgrade at the 3. Luke is interesting but just doesn’t contribute enough. Vlad just isn’t consistent enough. Don’t know about Trevor yet. Perhaps a Cook and Evans type trade can be made next year.

    With the Olympics, Kobe’s minutes must be monitored next year. The supporting cast must come through in the first part of the season to keep the Lakers in a good playoff seed position.

    I remember 1984 and 1986. Redemption is sweet. Can’t wait for next year!

  390. marrl says

    Just a last thought….

    San Antonio will be back with there big 3…but need to get younger.
    Dallas is too soft in my opnion…
    Phoenix is getting old but has a bright star in Amare.
    Houston cant get over the hump..(though Yao wasnt there to do anything this year) so ill let them slide..

    Utah could be scary…
    New Orleans has the best PG
    Portland gets Oden and is probably the most talented team other than the lakeshow.
    Overall, the West will be reloaded and ready to dethrone the Western Conference champs…but if healthy, they will repeat in my opinion(depending on how the roster changes in the summer). Looking forward for next year like i said.

    Anyways, sorry, just wanted to already think about next year…cause right now today was a terrible day to cheer for the Lakers.

  391. purpleshoes says

    lakers need to focus on their DEFENSE first and foremost for next year. everytime someone asks phil jackson about the play of the lakers he attributes the poorness to offensive execution.

    i’ve heard many tv analyst talk about how good offense beats good defense any day. they should be more specific, good individual offense beats good individual defense any day yes, kobe can score on any individual defender any day. But the truth is good team defense beats good individual/team offense, and we saw that plainly in this series.

    radmonovic is the worst defender ever.

  392. JONESONTHENBA says

    Celtics win number 17 on the 17th of June with their MVP, #34 (Two times 17) going strong and with the Lakers missing their young stud Andrew Bynum (#17). I should have seen it coming. And by the way, this is Phil Jackson’s 17th year as an NBA head coach.

  393. CTDeLude says

    Whew….that Kobe post game was sure depressing. But he didn’t throw anyone under the bus but you’re sure gonna have people try and make it seem that way.

  394. Ali says

    While I agree that we could make some minor moves to shore up a few things here and there, I’m really more curious about the natural development of our young team. A lot of the young guys (Drew, Farmar, Sasha, etc.) made huge leaps from last year to this year and if they keep at it they can get better. I don’t think any of them have hit their ceiling yet.

    As much as we missed Bynum, I think a healthy Ariza this series really, really moves things along. He’s a guy who will scrap for boards, play good D, and finish around the rim when he’s healthy. I’m interested to see how Drew and Pau play off each other, since it has the potential to be really, really exciting.

    I think what we missed the most in this series were scrappy guys, the guys willing to dive for loose balls, crash the boards hard, play solid D, close out shooters and clean up the garbage around the rim. We really had no one willing to do those tasks, and it showed. Hopefully Drew and Ariza fill those roles nicely next year.

  395. Mark Sigal says

    Such a bummer, but a poetic ending, I think.

    As one of the other posters noted, so much of the defensive edge in the triangle is dependent upon the offense. Kill the triangle and you kill the Lakers. Boston figured this out and plays true team D in terms of closeouts, spacing management and isolation avoidance.

    The riddle for PJ in the off-season is with the the West getting so much better, and Boston and Detroit being strong D types of teams, you need to have a DIFFERENT LOOK for when the opponent is crushing the triangle.

    For all of the talk that PJ made after the Gasol deal about all of the different styles the team could play depending on the opponent, there really was only one look that the Lakers threw out there.

    It’s like the fastball pitcher who needs a second or third killer pitch to be lethal.

    All that said, I was actually pretty serene as the Lakers were getting killed. Why? They go into the offseason with no illusions that another year of the same pitch is good enough to win the championship.

    And you know what, as hard as that truth is, they are pretty darn close to phenomenal if they can figure out the above riddle, and pick up an off-the-bench gamer or two (ala Posey) during the offseason.

    Honestly, I never understood why the Lakers were so heavily favored, as much as I love them and as proud as I am of their accomplishments.

    It is generally a truism that the best D beats the beast offense.

    Nothing should take away from a great year, though, albeit one with a very sour ending.

  396. Ali says

    Also, it would be great if Kurt could refrain from having a kid in the next few years. That should give us a chance at a potential dynasty.

  397. robinred says

    Honestly, I never understood why the Lakers were so heavily favored, as much as I love them and as proud as I am of their accomplishments.

    ***

    Me too. It was a combination of the playoff records, people believing KB was like MJ, and the fact that it was the LAKERS. Another franchise with the same personnel and one-season back story would have been an underdog.

    Bynum and Ariza, are , indeed, the keys to the 2009 team–that and trading Radmanovich for a scrapper.

  398. LakerFan says

    i think we should get rid of the triangle when we need to. Like in this series. The Lakers need to learn how to play another type of offense also we need an enforcer type player on our team to give us some toughness.

  399. Brimshine says

    Congrats to the Boston fans you had the better team this year. It was a great season for the Lakers and the really got hurt by not having a consistent low post game established. I hope both teams stay roughly the same and this could be another matchup for the next couple seasons.

    Except of course dump radmanovic and his god awful salary.

  400. JONESONTHENBA says

    398) It wasn’t the triangle, but the players playing in it the triangle that failed to step up. The triangle got the Lakers through three rounds of the playoffs, but the Lakers forgot how to play ball in the finals.

  401. the other Stephenfarmar says

    congratulations, celtics. damn good year, lakers family. never forget. lakers had better work hard over the offseason, especially ariza, bynum, and farmar, for whom i only have the highest hopes. and if mitch kupchak has weathered criticism and stolidly stood by his moves all this time, he shouldn’t feel pressured to do anything unnecessary this summer. i spent much of the game shooting tennis balls into a wastebasket with my friends. that’s how bad this game was, haha. cheers.

  402. pw says

    Thanks Kurt for this great forum for Laker discussion. Really enjoyed your (and other posters’) posts and the healthy discussions. I look forward to the next season.

    And it’s good that you had the baby this year. Gives the Lakers a good chance at the title next year :).

  403. passerby says

    Congratulations Boston! Congratulations Los Angeles Lakers! It’s really disappointing that we had to see such beating this year but as many here said, redemption is sweet and all things considered, I smell blood next year. Kobe should too. His mentality entering next season hopefully after a domination Olympics will be important. The coaching staff’s concoction of a strong independent defense scheme will be just as important. And the maturing of our youngsters, salutations due, is as important.

    Then we can think about minor tweaking. Andrew will be back and after all he has seen and missed, he should make that Amare kind of comeback — meaning he does eventually come back to former state. A tough backup C and another veteran versatile big man for insurance to complement him and Turiaf should make the likes of Boston back off even at their present age. Ariza will be a joy to watch on both ends. I don’t mind starting him on SF. He just needs more consistency. I want to see him slash. We need a consistent cutter and Lamar hasn’t done enough of that. Kobe needs a cutter and an above-the-rim player so imagine him and Bynum running with Kobe. Hate to say it but I find good reason to shelve or send him elsewhere. He is a gem no doubt but we’ve said that year after year. We need the goods.

    I still have this thing for adding an explosive shooter in our starting lineup. Seeing so many bricks has been too hard to bear. Kobe can hit it. Vujacic looks like a very good sixth man granted he learns how to drive and score inside and make good decisions. Fisher can still anchor that bench. He can still be effective running with the frontline. Farmar has to be more consistent shooting. He has to be tougher and faster. He will run the Lakeshow engine and so he must be up to it.

    Another SF has to go, we need athleticism and strength from the bench. Ambitious but a Josh Smith type can help us either at starting SF or helping out the bench but that’s wishful thinking. We can’t beat other teams with our bench being a perimeter shooting one. We need bangers inside aside from Turiaf.

    I am EXCITED FOR NEXT YEAR. They should come out like Boston this year, eyes on the prize and dynasty in their minds. Oh yes I am pleased to say that things can only be better for the Lakers.

    [edited to remove some trade talk]

  404. the other Stephen says

    oops. my name is not “the other Stephenfarmar.” cut the farmar out hahah.

  405. nomuskles says

    hats off to the green machine who played their butts off and executioned the lakers. oh yeah, i made up a word for that drubbing. executioned. the lakers just didn’t quite have it in this series, or tonight. Second place is the first loser but hopefully we can come away with a positive outlook on this season. shouldn’t be too hard, right? right? hey, where’d the bandwagon go? the lakers need to work this summer individually and we’ll see what happens next year. But seriously, what a much better year this was, compared to the last few.

  408. Chick Fan says

    I’m looking for Chick Hearn broadcasts, especially the radio broadcast from 1985 nba finals game 6.

    any regular season games from the 80s would be great also. I’m always looking to add to my collection, which has hundreds of games.

    Thx

    chick_hearn_3338@yahoo.com

  409. Jon88888 says

    funny how we talk about how Garnett was a gift to the celtics bla bla bla……wat about losing Bynum and miraculously we get Gasol w/out even having to give up anything i mean….the celtics have up A LOT of good young players including Al Jefferson , Ryan Gomes Delonte West among others….wat was given up for Gasol…that being said i guess its cuz gasol is as soft as tissue paper or cottonballs