The Dream Team is down 2-0 after last night. They looked old, slow and confused. San Antonio's whole team is vastly underrated. Duncan is the best player in the league. Parker is the equal of any guard. And Popovitch has done an excellent coaching job. He won one title with Duncan and David Robinson, and another with Duncan and Parker, showing the ability to lead entirely different types of team. Now, will the officials get the "word" from NBA headquarters? I thought they were pretty even-handed last night, which is a rare event for a Lakers playoff game.
Are the Lakers done? God I hope so! Say bye-bye to Kobe at the end of the season, and most likely Phil Jackson. But as long as you have Shaq...
i have to say that after watching last nights game you are correct.. They are done for sure. And it is not for lack of talent ( slow yes, but kobe is one of the best and shaq is still a dominating force )...the reason they are done is because no team ( perhaps sacramento ) will beat the Spurs...Parker is way to fast and is playing one hell of a game. and as Barkley put it..' Duncan is the best player on the planet' ( not exact quote but close )....
I agree with you AAA except the part about Tim Duncan. He's a great player, definitely Hall of Fame. And while he has often been the best in the league, this year (and even possibly last year even tho Tim won the MVP) Kevin Garnett is the better man.
Its not how good you are...its how good you make your team...KG is awesome thats for sure perhaps even better than Duncan on an idividual basis ( i have to check the numbers for that not to sure )...But just ask Dan Marino what good those numbers are without the ultimate prize...KG just this year propelled his team past the first round....perhaps years from now we will look back and see a different picture, but for now the best is TEAM and Player are the Spurs and Duncan......but as always Shaq would be my first pick if i was a coach........
The Lakers haven't been the same ever since Norm Nixon married Debbie Allen. While the Spurs have to be considered the favorites to repeat, I wouldn't count out Larry Legend's Pacers. Very solid.
KG had an awesome season, no doubt and the man can do it all. He would be good if he was 6-3. For a 7 footer to be able to do the things he does is unreal. But Duncan has an almost magical ability to control the game. He did it in college. He does it now. If you gave every NBA GM the chance to pick one player, without any considerations of marketing, fan reaction, etc, I'll bet almost every one of them would pick Duncan.
Shaq may be the most dominating player in the league, but, it's only because of his size. The lazy bastard has NO BASKETBALL skills, NONE!!!! Seen any of those bank shots from 4 feet with mortar dripping off them. BRICKS!!!! If he had 1/2 the skill of Jabbar, Wilt, Lanier, Reed, Parrish, Walton and the list goes on and on, he'd be the greatest player ever. Size alone doesn't make you a good player as evidenced by the Fat Daddy himself. I'll admit I'm a long time Laker fan and sick of this buffoons lazy work ethic. Constant jokes and commercials regarding his lousy free throw shooting. His, "I make 'em when they count" is old and tired. Memo to the idiot wearing #34, when you step to the line, every one counts. Payton just needs to start a fight with Parker to get him thrown out of the games. I think the Lakers would take that trade off as Payton hasn't done squat. I expect the Spurs to win in 5 games. The Lakers take game 3 and lose the next two. My neighbor is a bricklayer/mason, maybe he can get Shaq a summer job because he's been throwing up bricks his entire career. Or maybe an endorsement tie in with a trowel manufacturer. The opportunities are endless. Later, Cracked