Johnny Hotcakes wrote:Keg wrote:A Nash/Gasol/Howard nucleus aint that bad...its a lot better than what Orlando had last year with Howard on the shelf. It might also be better than Chicago without Rose.
Yeah, I've only seen about 5 or 6 Lakers games this year, so I'm going off what is admittedly a very small sample size. Just seems like every time I've watched them this year the offence is completely stagnant, the defence is atrocious, and they just look old. And then Kobe bails them out. Also, I think referring to a Nash/Gasol/Howard nucleus is a tad misleading since Nash looks spent and Howard still looks hurt. They certainly aren't the same players that they have been. Regardless, I assume that you watch a lot more Lakers than I do, so I will defer to your judgment on this one.
I won't try to herd Keg's sheep on this one,
il miglior fabbro. I watch many Lakers games. Most, actually, because out here on the West Side (represent!) we get 'em all. Although I confess to favoring the Clippers and my sentimental favorites outta Golden State.
But the Lakers just are not sharp. It's like taking five or six decent musicians, forcing them in to a studio, and saying "okay, make a brilliant album". And then, when the album sucks, blame the producer.
Half that team may end up in the Hall Of Fame, for all I know, but that doesn't mean they can, or even like, playing together. It's not a happy team. Not a team in their happy place. And some of the shit they pull is flat out dirty and gets tiresome. Perhaps that's a result of expecting wins to come their way simply because, well, they are the Lakers, and those wins just didn't happen automatically because wins just do not happen automatically. I can't even begin to count how many times I've seen them down 20-points in the 3rd this year, mount a semi-comeback to get within 10 and then . . . lose by about 8. And far more often that not, that was Kobe getting frustrated, taking the ball, and putting some points up down the stretch.
Maybe Kobe has to go. He won't. Not on an injury. He'll be back. And this year will also be next year. And . . . Chipper Jones. Mind you, apropos of nothing perhaps, look at the Braves lately.