Lakers watching Celtics from afar

[BTB]

Interesting article that every Celtics player should read and keep in mind

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/lakers-celtics-room-2249800-bryant-milwaukee

"Quite honestly," Fisher said, "if we're the best we can be, we'll beat 'em."

Bulletin board material right there

Like I was saying in the other thread, the Lakers are definitely the best team in the West, but Cleveland and Boston are both better in my opinion and the winner of the East is going to give LA a bunch of problems, whoever it ends up being. The reason I say they are better is because although the Lakers defense looks much improved, they haven't faced any teams that will challenge them on both ends the way Cleveland and Boston will. When the going gets tough, only the best teams sustain the defensive intensity and I KNOW Boston and Cleveland can do that (saw it in the ECF last year and both teams are better now then they were then). I don't believe that guys like Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton, etc, can sustain defensive intensity in a playoff atmosphere.

I can't wait til Christmas though, I hope we destroy LA.

[Chip Douglass]

Re: Lakers watching Celtics from afar

The Celtics are in trouble if they need a quote from Derek Fisher to motivate them.

Not that it matters, since Fisher is absolutely right.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: Lakers watching Celtics from afar

Don't know how you got that as bulletin board material. I mean what do you expect him to say, "Oh, if we're at full strength we probably still don't beat them."

Anyway, this part of that article pretty much sums up everything:

Fisher — accurately — pointed out the contrast in psychological motivations for the Celtics and Lakers last June. He said the Celtics viewed it as a "last chance" compared to the Lakers' "first chance."
"That difference is why you saw more hunger (from them) in certain parts of the Finals," Fisher said.
Bryant suggested the Lakers can look in weight-room mirrors this season and still see the Celtics.
"They were stronger than we were: rebounds, fighting for rebounding position, getting second-chance opportunities," Bryant said. "They were moving guys around, just naturally stronger. …That's one of the things that stayed with us after The Finals."
Bryant and Fisher, the Lakers' captains, can talk a lot while ultimately realizing that the Lakers can only do the right things now and prepare for another day in June — nothing more. Not all the Lakers understand this, which is why Vujacic was on the bench to start the fourth quarter Sunday night — even with the Lakers up by 20 – replaced by Bryant in a shake-up statement from Phil Jackson to his young players that their overeagerness won't get them back to the championship round any sooner.
In fact, Jackson has been telling people since October — not that anyone wants to hear it — that the Lakers and Celtics need to be cognizant of how unlikely it is that both teams return to the NBA Finals.
"It's so hard to come back to that same level," Jackson said. "Having been through a number of these situations and seasons, only one time did repeat teams come back in the championship. That was Utah and the Bulls back in '96-97 and '97-98. And before that, Seattle and Washington came back in the late '70s."

I think what Fisher said was spot on. If Boston didn't win it all last season with all of the moves they made, they wouldn't hear the end of it whereas with LA losing, most folks probably would've and have pegged them in the Finals for the next couple of seasons with the roster they currently got(when healthy of course).

I always thought in that Cleveland-Boston series, James Posey's defense played a significant role as it gave Boston a player who defensive intensity matched KG's intensity. Who do they have no that can take Posey's spot in the crunch time in the playoffs? Now if those two meet again, whoever has Home Court WILL win that Series(IF they get that far in the playoffs)

[billmatic]

Re: Lakers watching Celtics from afar

lol @ that being bulletin board material.

[Fiasco West]

Re: Lakers watching Celtics from afar

I actually think the Lakers are better, I think if they had Bynum they would have won that series.

Of course we'll see, but the Lakers look really good this season.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: Lakers watching Celtics from afar

Interesting article that every Celtics player should read and keep in mind

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/lakers-celtics-room-2249800-bryant-milwaukee

Bulletin board material right there

Like I was saying in the other thread, the Lakers are definitely the best team in the West, but Cleveland and Boston are both better in my opinion and the winner of the East is going to give LA a bunch of problems, whoever it ends up being. The reason I say they are better is because although the Lakers defense looks much improved, they haven't faced any teams that will challenge them on both ends the way Cleveland and Boston will. When the going gets tough, only the best teams sustain the defensive intensity and I KNOW Boston and Cleveland can do that (saw it in the ECF last year and both teams are better now then they were then). I don't believe that guys like Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton, etc, can sustain defensive intensity in a playoff atmosphere.

I can't wait til Christmas though, I hope we destroy LA.

That's one opinion. Here's another: Milwaukee has played both Boston and Cleveland twice this season and lost every time. But late Sunday night, Milwaukee center Andrew Bogut said again and again about the Lakers: "They're the best team in the league."

Regardless of what happens Christmas day, it won't mean a damn thing to be quite honest.

[jfsolo]

Re: Lakers watching Celtics from afar

Boston is the best team in the league right now, the Cavs may be second, but its my opinion that the Lakers have the biggest upside. Farmar, Ariza, and Bynum have the potential to improve exponentially during the season and put the Lakers over the top. I'm not sure if Cleveland or Boston can raise their game much higher than it is now. So the questions are, can the Lakers reach their max potential? and can the Cavs and Celts sustain or surpass their current high level of play.

[Jasong7777]

Re: Lakers watching Celtics from afar

I am not sold on the Cavs yet. They have had a pretty easy schedule. The Lakers have too. I guess we will see.

[Chip Douglass]

Re: Lakers watching Celtics from afar

lol @ that being bulletin board material.

LOL, yep.

Saying that a 17-2 team playing at their best could beat the Celtics is obviously blasphemous.

[BTB]

Re: Lakers watching Celtics from afar

I personally think that for a 34 year old Derek Fisher to say in any way shape or form essentially that the Celtics had their chance, their window is closed, and are now going down... that's bulletin board material.

[Flyboy]

Re: Lakers watching Celtics from afar

Maybe the Lakers should focus on the Kings instead.

[Cebby]

Re: Lakers watching Celtics from afar

Some of you guys are way underestimating the impact this will have.

Imagine that there's 17 seconds left in the fourth quarter of game 6 of the finals, the Lakers up 84-81.

Paul Pierce is going to say to himself "you know, we won last year and I was MVP. For the most part, I really don't care, but then Derrick Fisher made those comments in December, so now I'm actually going to attempt to win the game and win another championship!"

If Fisher hadn't have said this, the Celtics were probably going to lose in the first round.

[JBH3]

Re: Lakers watching Celtics from afar

I completely cannot stand the after the fact comments athletes make...like 'if we're the best we can be, we'll beat'em'...Why weren't you the best you can be when you had the opportunity?

Egos man...egos....Don't discredit the Celtics because you 'allowed' yourself to get beat. You lost because you weren't as good.

Comments like that are just stupid, and make the player/team look like a bunch of whiney babies.

I use to think Fish had some class, but not so much anymore.

You should just leave what happened last year alone, and focus on getting to the Finals much less crowning yourselves as the champs - like the Cowgirls.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: Lakers watching Celtics from afar

I completely cannot stand the after the fact comments athletes make...like 'if we're the best we can be, we'll beat'em'...Why weren't you the best you can be when you had the opportunity?

Egos man...egos....Don't discredit the Celtics because you 'allowed' yourself to get beat. You lost because you weren't as good.

Comments like that are just stupid, and make the player/team look like a bunch of whiney babies.

I use to think Fish had some class, but not so much anymore.

You should just leave what happened last year alone, and focus on getting to the Finals much less crowning yourselves as the champs - like the Cowgirls.

You couldn't be more offbase with this. Understand that EVERY Laker 1-15 from last year will tell you, and has been saying all year/offseason that the Celtics were hungrier and better than L.A. last year.

He's talking about THIS year. Fisher and ego is about the biggest oxymoron out there.

[JBH3]

Re: Lakers watching Celtics from afar

You couldn't be more offbase with this. Understand that EVERY Laker 1-15 from last year will tell you, and has been saying all year/offseason that the Celtics were hungrier and better than L.A. last year.

He's talking about THIS year. Fisher and ego is about the biggest oxymoron out there.

I interpreted it to be him speaking on history, rather than the current...and if thats the case...that he is talking about their current team then OK.

I know of Fisher and his leaving his daughters bed side to play in a Jazz game, and he seems like a classy guy.

I just thought he was referring to the 07-08 season, and making references to the Lakers not 'being the best they can be' then...in the Finals... rather than a future matchup.