Go Lakers

[INDalltheway]

I never thought I would say this, but beat those punks... (Really, just beat the shit out of Rasheed Wallace)

[Neuqua]

No way I had Sheed as much as anybody but no way I'd want Malone to piggyback his way to a ring.

[cmp]

I love bitter Pacer fans.

[Ksyrup]

Yes, go Lakers, straight to hell.

[Ksyrup]

Funny, we're the punks, but your guy gets the flagrant foul that costs his team the series. Gotcha.

[LionsFan10]

Wow, let the hostilities begin! I don't want the Lakers to win for one reason and one reason only ... it's f***ing boring to watch. Hopefully the combination of Rasheed & Ben Wallace down low will be enough to contain Shaq, although I doubt they will be able to effectively stop him. What I worry about is the back court, Rip Hamilton is a good player but definitely not on Kobe's level and Kobe will probably light him up regularly. Prince should be able to handle 90 yr old Karl Malone and nobody's worried about Gary Payton, stick Billups on him and leave him be.

I'd let Ben & Rasheed rough up Shaq down low and have Prince run at Kobe every chance he got, because to leave Hamilton alone with Kobe will be murder. I hate to say this to you, because it's obvious you're a Pacers fan and I would be rooting for the Pacers too if they had wound up taking the series. However, Detroit is a much better defensive team then the Pacers, the Pistons are the only team that MIGHT take a game from the Lakers this series. Hopefully the "boring, defensive" basketball that the Pistons played against the Pacers will work against the Lakers, but I'm not holding my breath.

[INDalltheway]

Yes I am bitter, and yes, I really don't care. I bet Artest wishes that his foul was a little bit more flagrant, because that wasn't that bad.

I really think the Pistons can and will beat the Lakers. They match up with them better than any other team with the Wallace's. Still I would rather Karl Malone and Gary Payton get their first rings, than ever see Rasheed Wallace happy.

[miami_fan]

Hmmmm......Whom would I rather not see win a NBA Championship? Malone or Rasheed?

[Schmidty]

I am so happy my guys finally got back to the Finals. I've literally watched every Pistons game this season and last, and haven't missed many in the past 15-16 years. I live and die with this team.

I'd trash talk the Pacers and Artest, but I don't give a shit about them anymore. They're history. It's all about the Lakers now. The Pistons have a great chance, but it'll be very tough.

[ahbrady]

I despise Karl Malone. I hated the Lakers before Payton and Malone, but their additions have made them my second least favorite team. I'm a Red Sox fan, so the Yankees have to be first. I do like Derek Fisher. I wish he could play somewhere else, so I could root for him.

[SackAttack]

I dunno, "least favorite" still has positive connotations, like they're your favorites, but not as much as the Red Sox, say.

Shouldn't that be second most-hated, if we're being accurate, here?

[MikeVick7]

I'm on the Pistons bandwagon and I can't stand the Eastern Conference. But if there's one thing I dislike more than the Eastern Conference...it's the Lakers.

Course all of this coming from a disgruntled Wolves fan...

[MrBug708]

LOL

Lakers play a boring style? 69-65 is the final score? You can call it defense, I call it lousy offense.

Wallace x 2 wont stop Shaq and if they do, Malone will just put in the 18 footers, which will make it pretty easy. Wallace and Co couldn't stop Shaq when he was in Portland, why is it any different? Detroit has two PF's in the post, while the Lakers have two HOF's. Detroit plays good defense, no doubt, but that means they'll lose like 82-71 or abouts. They don't have a "Kobe Stopper" or a catch and shoot player. Indiana had the only chance to beat the Lakers and I think they might have taken it to game 7.

Are we gonna see Mrsbuttercup now?

[pennywisesb]

I can't stand the Lakers, so I am officially jumping on the Detroit bandwagon and hoping they can at least take it to 6 games or something. I just don't want to see a sweep or a 5 game series like every other finals series with the lakers. (this coming from a disgruntled Warrior fan--thats right, the WARRIORS, next year is going to be our year!) ;-)

[cmp]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

LOL

Lakers play a boring style? 69-65 is the final score? You can call it defense, I call it lousy offense.

I'm pretty sure their style of play wasn't called boring. It's the fact that there expected to win and if they do win it will be the 4th time in 5 years which makes it boring. Having the same team win every year isn't terribly exciting.

[ahbrady]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

I dunno, "least favorite" still has positive connotations, like they're your favorites, but not as much as the Red Sox, say.

Shouldn't that be second most-hated, if we're being accurate, here?

Okay, they're my second most-hated.

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by gold101

I'm pretty sure their style of play wasn't called boring. It's the fact that there expected to win and if they do win it will be the 4th time in 5 years which makes it boring. Having the same team win every year isn't terribly exciting.

I think you confuse success with boring. You call Jodan's Bulls boring? Duncan's Spurs boring? Thomas's Pistons? Akeem's rockets?

[pennywisesb]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

I think you confuse success with boring. You call Jodan's Bulls boring? Duncan's Spurs boring? Thomas's Pistons? Akeem's rockets?

Mullin's Warriors? Oh wait a minute.....

[Neuqua]

I have been saying all season long that I think the top 3 teams in the East stand a very good chance at beating any of the Western Conference teams in the Finals this year, and out of the bunch, I've always felt Detroit had the best shot.

They are so incredibly deep, I am jealous. They play great team defense, they hustle and play hard and I would not mind one bit if they won the championship (outside the fact that I hate Rasheed and Pistons fans at FOFC are almost as obnoxious as the Laker ones.)

Shaq is not the same Shaq that he was when he played against those Blazers a few years back so I don't think that's really a fair comparison. He is still however, the difference from the Lakers and the rest of the league. Kobe can score 30pts every game of the series if he wants, but if Shaq does not have a good game, they are extremely vulnerable.

It brings me great joy to see that Malone has gotten very rusty this posteseason. How many easy layups and putbacks has he missed this season? And in the upcoming series, he is going to have go out to the 3pt line extended to keep up with Rasheed, I like that idea on the Pistons side.

Okur is going to be key in this series I think. If he can hit shots from beyond the arc and stretch out the Laker defense, it'll be a huge boon for the Pistons.

I honestly feel that if the Pistons had one consistent 3pt shooter on the team, I might go all the way to say I wouldn't even be shocked if they ended up winning the Finals, but they do not, and so I still see the Lakers taking the series in 6 games.

[MrBug708]

Remember though, Shaq had to go up against the stronger Center he has ever had to face and those Blazers were WAY more talented then most teams in the league. Remember, they were 6 and a half minutes of chokoffs from beaing the Lakers in 2000.

JErmaine O'Neal is the best post player in the East and the closest thing to a center there. Reggie Miller is still the best Clutch and Shoot 3 guy, which is a Laker weakness. Ron Artest can guard Kobe then anyone the Pistons can send at them.

Pacers were the best shot at an Eastern title. Ah well, that's fine with me.

[korme]

i am inspired, today i watched the bulls' 91 championship video over the lake show, and it was great. lets see the pistons knock the lakers off.

learning to fly but i ain't got wings
comin' down is the hardest thing

[MrBug708]

Shorty, you were what, 5? Did you buy the tape?

[Neuqua]

Come on now Bug, I remember people using the same argument with you and the Dodgers in another thread here. Choose one side

[pennywisesb]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Shorty, you were what, 5? Did you buy the tape?

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by Neuqua

Come on now Bug, I remember people using the same argument with you and the Dodgers in another thread here. Choose one side

Dodgers won the pennant in 87 I believe, I dont have any memory of that and I was 5....

[MrBug708]

6 on the other hand....

[LionsFan10]

That's correct, I was not calling the Lakers style of play boring, I was calling the whole thing watching them win every year boring. Jordan's Bulls? Yep, they were boring. I'm not going to count the rest of the teams you said, going back to back is different, but winning four out of five years just takes the fun out of watching any basketball when you know in the end, no matter how good your team plays (unless your a Laker fan, of course) it won't matter because the Lakers will win anyway.

If Kobe goes to jail, or to another team through free agency next year then we might have something to talk about, but right now it's not even worth posting about anymore. Like I said, the Pistons (I felt) matched up against the Lakers the best defensivley with Wallace x2 and Prince to handle the fossil known as Karl Malone (who Jordan made a career out of beating in the NBA Finals), as well as help out on Bryant every chance he gets.

But it won't matter, the Pistons will take one or two games from the Lakers and then it'll be the same ol' celebration all over again, with Shaq's big, goon face all over my T.V with his birdman pose that he does ... God I hate that pose.

[bigdawg2003]

go pistons. fuck shaq and fuck karl malone.

sincerely,
disgruntled spurs/rockets fan

EDIT: I hate those guys so much they each deserve their own obscenity

[pennywisesb]

Really, the only thing that I looked forward to with each Laker championship was Mark Madsen's little dance he would do that looked completely ridiculous....Unfortunately with him going to the Wolves this year, I won't be able to see it and so there is absolutely nothing that I will enjoy watching about another Laker championship.

[kingfc22]

The Pistons are going to have their asses handed to them. Plain and simple. If you can't shoot, you can't score and you certainly are not going to beat Shaq, Kobe and the Lakers.

[korme]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Shorty, you were what, 5? Did you buy the tape?

hey i still remembered the video, i remembered like every part. i used to watch that damn video atleast once a week before going to kindergarten, it's crazy that i still remembered so much of it.

good times..

[MrBug708]

Fair enough. Being in LA, we get to see the local showings of the game, it's always mentioned on ESPN (no doubt a top 15 moment) and it's just one awesome HR.

[Sharpieman]

Yep it's pretty much over. Yet it was pretty much over from the start of the season. Congrats to the Lakers on buying a Championship.

[ice4277]

I am very happy the Pistons have made it to the Finals, and I am definitely enjoying this moment because I don't think there will be many more this season. As much as I hate to say it, I don't think anybody could have touched the Lakers this postseason. Unless something drastic happens like Shaq gets hurt or Kobe can't play due to the court case, I see the Lakers beating the good guys in six.

Next year is the year and Eastern team wins the Finals.

[Vince]

Originally Posted by Sharpieman

Yep it's pretty much over. Yet it was pretty much over from the start of the season. Congrats to the Lakers on buying a Championship.

Not sure how accurate that is...Payton and Malone both took pay cuts to play for the Lakers.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Dodgers won the pennant in 87 I believe, I dont have any memory of that and I was 5....

1988, actually.

[Radii]

First time in my life I've ever rooted for the Pistons is in this postseason. Passing, defense, it's almost like good basketball! And I hate Karl Malone

[sachmo71]

Lakers, you are boring. Win a title if you must, but go away.

[Sharpieman]

Originally Posted by Vince

Not sure how accurate that is...Payton and Malone both took pay cuts to play for the Lakers.

They bought it value wise. The 94 Niners bought they're players at a reduced cost, but it was still buying a championship.

[Ksyrup]

In the age of free agency, isn't pretty much every championship bought to some extent? Those who don't win it all, just purchased the wrong parts.

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

In the age of free agency, isn't pretty much every championship bought to some extent? Those who don't win it all, just purchased the wrong parts.

See Mavericks, Dallas.

[Ksyrup]

I was particularly thinking of the 1993 Dolphins. I think that was the team that amassed 20+ former 1st round picks, and they didn't even make the playoffs. I don't see anyone bitching because they "bought" themselves a mediocre team.

Well, except Kodos.

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

1988, actually.

I thought the pennant was for the NLCS and ALCS, hence the Giants announcer screaming "The Giants win the Pennant, the Giants win the Pennant."

[Sharpieman]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

In the age of free agency, isn't pretty much every championship bought to some extent? Those who don't win it all, just purchased the wrong parts.

I guess you could say that. But considering the fact that the Lakers added 2 HOF's this year, doesn't it seem like it's taken the excitement out of the NBA.

Wow, I almost started laughing when typing excitement and NBA in the same sentence.

[rexallllsc]

Originally Posted by Sharpieman

Yep it's pretty much over. Yet it was pretty much over from the start of the season. Congrats to the Lakers on buying a Championship.

Do you realize how insane that statement is?

http://www.insidehoops.com/nbasalaries.shtml

RANK TEAM TOTAL SALARY
1) New York Knicks $94.5 million
2) Portland Trail Blazers $84.3
3) Dallas Mavericks $78.6
4) Minnesota Timberwolves $72.4
5) Sacramento Kings $69.5
6) Los Angeles Lakers $64.8


The Lakers are FIFTH in the Western Conference in salary.

[LionsFan10]

Nah, they certianly did not "buy" a championship. They just went out and found two guys so desperate for a ring that they were willing to take huge pay cuts just to be on a winning team. Malone had his chances against Jordan's Bulls back in the late '90's and it was Malone himself who gave up the game by letting Jordan strip the ball from him in the post.

It isn't L.A's fault that Orlando let Shaq walk without so much as a draft pick in return, and I don't care who your favorite team is, you would be happy if you had Shaq coming to play in your home stadium. Kobe was a draft pick, so again you can't fault L.A, they made a good pick. Two teams passed on Jordan before the Bulls grabbed him third, and I bet a lot of fans are pretty upset that they wound up with Sam Bowie (I believe he was taken second) instead of his Airness.

So, to me it isn't about the Lakers buying a championship. They just happened to find two guys who were willing to give everything up for their ring, sellouts really. They were going to be HOF players no matter if they had won a championship or not.

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by LionsFan10

Nah, they certianly did not "buy" a championship. They just went out and found two guys so desperate for a ring that they were willing to take huge pay cuts just to be on a winning team. Malone had his chances against Jordan's Bulls back in the late '90's and it was Malone himself who gave up the game by letting Jordan strip the ball from him in the post.

It isn't L.A's fault that Orlando let Shaq walk without so much as a draft pick in return, and I don't care who your favorite team is, you would be happy if you had Shaq coming to play in your home stadium. Kobe was a draft pick, so again you can't fault L.A, they made a good pick. Two teams passed on Jordan before the Bulls grabbed him third, and I bet a lot of fans are pretty upset that they wound up with Sam Bowie (I believe he was taken second) instead of his Airness.

So, to me it isn't about the Lakers buying a championship. They just happened to find two guys who were willing to give everything up for their ring, sellouts really. They were going to be HOF players no matter if they had won a championship or not.

Wow, those are incredible statements. Malone "Gave up" when he was stripped? Everyone in the NBA, HOF'ers included, have had the ball stolen from them.

When Shaq came to LA, it was a huge deal, but it's not like Los Angeles "out bid" anyone. Shaq wanted to be a media Icon and the fact that we had Jerry West still, made it a no brainer. We also didn't draft Kobe Bryant. We traded Vlade Divac, who was expendable with the acquiring of Shaq, for the rights to Kobe Bryant.

People always talk about how players like A-Rod are selfish and want money more then when they win, yet we have hypocrits who call people "sell outs" when they sacrifice over 10 million dollars apiece to play for a title.

Sellouts indeed!

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by Sharpieman

I guess you could say that. But considering the fact that the Lakers added 2 HOF's this year, doesn't it seem like it's taken the excitement out of the NBA.

Wow, I almost started laughing when typing excitement and NBA in the same sentence.

If you don't like the NBA and it's current level, why areyou participating in a thread which you aren't adding anything to? I mean, lots of people don't like the NBA and aren't saying anything. Or is that just part of your NorCal pysche?

[Suicane75]

Lakers will finish with a better record than the Dodgers.........I got nothin.

[MrBug708]

I'm hoping the Dodgers win more then 65 games...