How effectively can Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo and (if healthy) Tony Allen keep Kobe Bryant from scoring as readily as he did against Utah and Phoenix?
Can the Lakers consistently stay in front of Rondo, especially in transition?
Will the much more physical nature of the Celtics' post players, and the team's vast defensive superiority over the first three teams the Lakers faced, hamper the effectiveness that Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum have displayed this spring?
If the answers prove: "Very," "No" and "Yes," to those questions, the Celtics will win the series in six games.
If two of those answers favor the Lakers, though, the Lakers could wrap it up as quickly as five games.
--Press-Telegram
I might add, as I will suggest later, one more question:
Does KG elevate his game close to 100%?
Showing posts with label Pau Gasol. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pau Gasol. Show all posts
7.15.2009
Random Drive-Bys (Lakers Edition)
Faker fans weigh in on the state of the team.
Sign Odom already, in order to repeat we need him back, the bench is nothing without him. Oh and remember we have Bynum who is injury prone.
Looks like we may not get to keep Lamar, but at least we have that Playboy Mansion superstar Andrew Bynum. It will be interesting to see when the bum gets hurt this year now that he is on a big contract. Wish LA could trade him for a bag of chips to get rid of that toxic contract.
I could care less if Odom walks. Worst case scenario your core is Bryant, Gasol, Artest. He's not as productive or consistent as Atest so why should the Lakers pay more, a premium on his knowledge of the Triangle? Please, Phil still takes shot at his hoops IQ with respect to the Triangle and he's been in it for 4 years. Goodbye, Lamar.
Sad to say Odom is an asset which never blossomed. He will always be a "what could have been guy" with any team as he is not focused and certainly doesn't play with heart just like wasted talents such as Vince Carter and Chris Webber.
Lakers could even be greater than Bulls (Mike, Scottie and Rodman) with their current line-up (Kobe, Pau, Lamar). But with Lamar just being contented to do barreling offensive fouls instead of developing more moves and use his height, athleticism and a bit of smart outside shots.
Come on Laker fans. Stop hating on Lamar just because he wants what he's worth. Odom isn't worth 10 million yet bynum is worth 12 million plus? Give him his due. Once he signs you will all be loving him again. Calm down.
Bynum is just lost out there. Odom is a key to the teams success. We need him!!! You guys aren't true Laker fans!!
Sign Odom already, in order to repeat we need him back, the bench is nothing without him. Oh and remember we have Bynum who is injury prone.
Looks like we may not get to keep Lamar, but at least we have that Playboy Mansion superstar Andrew Bynum. It will be interesting to see when the bum gets hurt this year now that he is on a big contract. Wish LA could trade him for a bag of chips to get rid of that toxic contract.
I could care less if Odom walks. Worst case scenario your core is Bryant, Gasol, Artest. He's not as productive or consistent as Atest so why should the Lakers pay more, a premium on his knowledge of the Triangle? Please, Phil still takes shot at his hoops IQ with respect to the Triangle and he's been in it for 4 years. Goodbye, Lamar.
Sad to say Odom is an asset which never blossomed. He will always be a "what could have been guy" with any team as he is not focused and certainly doesn't play with heart just like wasted talents such as Vince Carter and Chris Webber.
Lakers could even be greater than Bulls (Mike, Scottie and Rodman) with their current line-up (Kobe, Pau, Lamar). But with Lamar just being contented to do barreling offensive fouls instead of developing more moves and use his height, athleticism and a bit of smart outside shots.
Come on Laker fans. Stop hating on Lamar just because he wants what he's worth. Odom isn't worth 10 million yet bynum is worth 12 million plus? Give him his due. Once he signs you will all be loving him again. Calm down.
Bynum is just lost out there. Odom is a key to the teams success. We need him!!! You guys aren't true Laker fans!!
3.16.2008
Gasoless Bryant Loses Three of Four
KG was the MVP front runner until he got injured and the Celtics went 7-2 during the games he missed. After he came back, suddenly it was as if Garnett had fallen off the face of the earth as far as the MVP discussion was concerned.
The new front runners were LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Chris Paul.
Bryant was thought to be the sentimental choice, since he had yet to win an MVP over his long career. Forget the fact that maybe he didn't deserve one earlier in his career when Shaq was the most dominant player on the planet. Also please ignore that the MVP award is not a lifetime achievement award. All of this bugs the hell out of me. But for now I'll go with it.
Then we move to LeBron. Wow, that dude can fill it up. Forty points here. Fifty points there. The LeBron-as-MVP talk stopped, of course, when the Cavs went on their current two-game losing streak and the King stunk up the joint against the Wizards.
This brings us to Chris Paul, a great player on a good team. Does he deserve to be in the discussion? Perhaps. Without Paul, the Hornets aren't even a .500 team. With him, they are in the hunt for the best record in the West. If the Hornets end up with the best record in the West, he should easily vault ahead of Bryant and James in the MVP race.
Which leaves us with KG.
The case for KG as MVP is well known, if underappreciated. He is the best player on the team with the best record in the NBA. The Celtics have had the league's best record the entire season, and are likely to make it a wire-to-wire job. Garnet is the fuel in his team's tank, and the quarterback of their league-leading defense. KG intimidates opponents, get in their heads, and gets his teammates on the same page, locked and loaded, and ready to play.
Despite what I said about Paul, I have little doubt that Bryant remains the MVP favorite. This puzzles me for a couple of reasons. Before the Lakers acquired Gasol, the Lakers were somewhere near the middle of the pack in the Western Conference. The Celtics had humiliated the purple twice in head-to-head match-ups.
The Lakers then acquire Gasol, go on a rampage against mostly lesser opponents, lose Gasol to injury, and promptly lose three of four.
So in the spirit of Bush 41:
Before Gasol: No winning.
With Gasol: Winning begins.
Without Gasol: Losing resumes
Sounds to me like if there is a Laker that should be in the running for MVP, his name is Gasol, not Bryant.
The new front runners were LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Chris Paul.
Bryant was thought to be the sentimental choice, since he had yet to win an MVP over his long career. Forget the fact that maybe he didn't deserve one earlier in his career when Shaq was the most dominant player on the planet. Also please ignore that the MVP award is not a lifetime achievement award. All of this bugs the hell out of me. But for now I'll go with it.
Then we move to LeBron. Wow, that dude can fill it up. Forty points here. Fifty points there. The LeBron-as-MVP talk stopped, of course, when the Cavs went on their current two-game losing streak and the King stunk up the joint against the Wizards.
This brings us to Chris Paul, a great player on a good team. Does he deserve to be in the discussion? Perhaps. Without Paul, the Hornets aren't even a .500 team. With him, they are in the hunt for the best record in the West. If the Hornets end up with the best record in the West, he should easily vault ahead of Bryant and James in the MVP race.
Which leaves us with KG.
The case for KG as MVP is well known, if underappreciated. He is the best player on the team with the best record in the NBA. The Celtics have had the league's best record the entire season, and are likely to make it a wire-to-wire job. Garnet is the fuel in his team's tank, and the quarterback of their league-leading defense. KG intimidates opponents, get in their heads, and gets his teammates on the same page, locked and loaded, and ready to play.
Despite what I said about Paul, I have little doubt that Bryant remains the MVP favorite. This puzzles me for a couple of reasons. Before the Lakers acquired Gasol, the Lakers were somewhere near the middle of the pack in the Western Conference. The Celtics had humiliated the purple twice in head-to-head match-ups.
The Lakers then acquire Gasol, go on a rampage against mostly lesser opponents, lose Gasol to injury, and promptly lose three of four.
So in the spirit of Bush 41:
Before Gasol: No winning.
With Gasol: Winning begins.
Without Gasol: Losing resumes
Sounds to me like if there is a Laker that should be in the running for MVP, his name is Gasol, not Bryant.
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