Hey take it from Kobe now folks, it's a long series and the Lakers know what it takes to go a long series (as Kobe mentioned after the Lakers beat the Wolves). The first 2 games you kind of test each other out, and then break down the individual players and match ups and utilize your strengths to your advantage.

duh!!!!

The Twolves didn't have any strengths other than Hudson. And Flip Saunders would take the man out in the fourth period of each one of the last 3 games that they lost. It was coaching that lost that series against the Lakers. Bad coaching. Oh and inexperience.

What I love about them playing the Spurs is that Shaq is getting the calls on him. FINALLY!!! Elbows to the face, stepping across the free throw line, 3 second violations and traveling. I love it.
But watch, the next game will be a new crew calling it totally the other way and just may when the game for them.

The one thing I didn't like about the game last night was the dirty plays by Horry. There were so many flagrants initiated by that man it was sick. The one that was obvious was called but the one before where he fell on the floor and leaned up to floor check Bowens at the knees to keep him from getting to Kobe's 2nd 3 pointer should have been an ejection. Intentional unsportmanlike crap.
GO KINGS!!!

KCCFT,

Don't really want to debate centers right now but I will say that Shaq is bringing more this year. Better free throw shooting, a new hook shot and he is shooting from further back as well. He is working on his game and getting better.

picasso,

Losing George will hurt the Lakers. They have to move Kobe down to small forward and rework the entire O. Should be interesting.

Fine, then we'll save that debate for another time. I do not feel that Shaq has brought anything unique to the game or has done anything to improve the game by his game. The truly great ones that I mentioned have.

These Are Getting To Be A Common Occurrence
 

Fishing this out of the middle pages (Page 5 this time)... I regret to inform Chiefs Planet that the bandwagon Circle Jerkers will not be here tonight whooping it up... once again.

Hey, stand in and take it like a man, win or lose. I mean, the Iraqi Army put up more of a fight defending their cause than the Circle Jerkers have been. Even the Mavericks interior D is tougher than you guys....

Do I, a die-hard Kings fan, have to say it and rally the Circle Jerkers to come back on a team which is 6-0 over their Dying-sty? That the series is far from over?

The jaws aren't flapping from the Circle Jerkers anymore.... mainly because the scoop is out. The Dying-sty are beatable.

VERY beatable.

In fact, you get past the Big Two and this team has absolutely nothing.

How Cal_Injun can bash "Euros" all day long and now has to rely on Slava Medevenko to help save the Dying-sty? Memo to Cal_Injun: how would "Euros" Peja or Hedo look in Laker gold right now?

The Dying-sty played 10 men tonight; 6 of which who would not make the Kings roster (need I say them?... well, I will: Medevenko, Shaw, Rush, Pargo, Madsen, Walker... and they played a combined 108 minutes, or 108 more minutes than they would playing in Sac-Town)

Now, for the 2nd straight series, Kobe and Shaq have to shoulder the load, 2 vs 8.. and I don't care how young Kobe is or how much healthier Shaq is than last year, in these grueling playoffs, they are close to exhaustion.

Still think they'll pull out this series... although thinking that seems more and more ridiculous with each game I see the Dying-sty play.

If they somehow do, you just watch how the Kings are going to rip their skulls off. Get ready to be whacked. (please copy.... :titus: )

Y'all don't scare me and your Dying-sty doesn't scare the Kings either (or the Spurs for that matter)....

AJKC,

Sure, the Lakers have some injuries, but whoever the GM and owner is of the Lakers deserves to get his butt kicked. Why would you surround Shaq and Kobe with the crap like they've got now? I'm shocked that they've won 3 straight championships with those crappy roll players, for real. I hear all this crap that they are strapped by the salary cap, but give me a break...if the Kings, Mavs, etc, can do it, then the Lakers can. They can afford more talent than they have. Shaq and Kobe won't win it all for them anymore. The Spurs, Kings, etc, have gotten deep (depth) while the Lakers have stood pat...pretty soon, one of the teams I have mentioned may just pass the Lakers by, due to the committment to the status quo. FWIW, I heard a couple of days ago that Phil Jackson has butted heads with the front office because of this. He doesn't want to stand pat.

It's ridiculous. You'd think they'd want to get better. I know they're 3 time champs, but teams are about to pass them by.

I'm a Lakers fan and I'm here.

I've been a Laker fan since I started watching basketball when I was real young.

This is a defeated Lakers team. I said before this game began that LA was in big trouble to a couple of my friends and my prediction held true.

Robert Horry, while he has hit big shots, is completely worthless during these playoffs. He gets manhandeled by Duncan, is afraid to take his trademark 3's, and just makes stupid stupid decisions.

Bowen is doing an incredible job on Kobe (best I've ever seen) and besides Shaq, no players want to step up.

Brian Shaw should not be starting. Rush should be. Shaw just brings nothing to the table besides an occasional 3.

Cody is right. The GM and the owner are the reasons that the Lakers won't repeat again this year. The last three years, the Lakers have been lucky not to have been bitten by the injury bug during the playoffs, but this year is different and the lack of talent outside Shaq and Kobe is really glaring.

If they do lose this series, hopefully the only good thing that comes out of it is it lights a match under the front offices ass. There are some good power forwards available in FA this year. (Juwan Howard, PJ Brown, Karl Malone). I'm pretty certain that LA can lure one of those guys there for the mid-level exception.

You will see what the Lakers character is made out of on Friday night. Their character has been tested, but never like this in the last three years. The Spurs have beaten them at every aspect of the game.

If Bowen keeps playing the way he has, and Manu makes all the hustle plays and contributes 10-15 points a night I really don't see how the Lakers stand a chance. As a LA fan, that's a humbling statement to make.

The fact that they had 10 combined assists tonight and 11 the other night tells me how much Shaq and Kobe really don't trust the other 3 jerkoffs on the court with them.

I'm a diehard fan, I'm just willing to accept the truth. The Spurs have the better team this year.

Adam,

I find it pretty funny how you refer to the Lakers as the dying-sty when the Kings have never won shit.

I can take my lumps from a Spurs fan about the fact they are kicking LA's ass, but exactly what stripes have the Kings earned for you to talk smack about a dynasty to the Lakers? LA knocked them out of the playoffs three straight years for christ sake.

Go ahead, blame the refs like I expect you will do.

Just checking in to say my team is sucking big time. Pitiful exhibition thus far.

Good outlook on this. Nothing worse than someone who refuses to admit every once in a while there is a team better than they support. Usually it is the refs. I salute you. :toast:

No... won't be blaming the refs. Believe me, it HURTS real bad that the Dying-sty may not make it to the next round, where the Kings will trample them.

I'll take some comfort in knowing that the beginning of the end of the Dying-sty was last year vs the Kings. The Kings were truly the first team since the Dying-sty was born (note: Portland series in 2000 occurred before the Dying-sty won their 1st title) that "punched the Lakers in the mouth" (which Christie literally did in the preseason to washed up Rick Fox)... and it took a combination of fortunate events for the Kings to lose that series, not the other way around.

The big bad Lakers looked mortal and in sports, (as well as in life), once the cracks of weakness start to show from whomever holds power, their days are numbered. That's exactly what the Kings did and now the chickens have come home to roost....

"Kings haven't won shit". So true. Better get that statement in while you still can...

I've let you and other Circle Jerkers give me the business for years, so try taking a taste of your own medicine.

I find it "pretty funny" the lack of support Dying-sty fans have. This is the THIRD time in these playoffs I've had to rescue this thread from falling into the Planet Abyss. Why me? And why the lack of support? Don't you believe in your team anymore? Are they not the incredible team you all said they were before the playoffs started?

As for the Kings-Dallas, Game 2, I fully expect Dallas to bring their A game. They really have no other choice. Lose here and the series will not come back to Dallas. So Dirk, Nash, Van Exel, and Finley I expect to play like warriors. I expect LaFrentz, Najera, Griffin, Walt Williams and Bradley to be men and play an aggressive, physical game (expected from Najera and Griffin).

If the Kings have discovered the championship attitude they've been trying to convince everyone that they have, then Dallas' A game will make for a great game, but a Kings win regardless. If the Kings have the attitude that Dallas will roll over and die, it will be 1-1 and we'll have a series. In short, if the Kings mean business, the Kings get out of Big D with the 2-0 stranglehold.

If the Kings lose Game 2... a wonderful idea for all the Dying-sty fans following a playoff loss. I'll be here, taking the lumps, just like Game 3 of the Jazz series. Just like the series past with the Lakers and even the Jazz from 1999.

If the Kings win, I'll let my silence speak for itself, for I expect my team to win... and I'll let this thread fall into the Planet Abyss for one more night.

I agree the lack of depth is the difference between this Lakers team and the one we saw role throught the playoffs the last three years. Outside of Kobe and Shaq there is nobody stepping up.

The lack of depth is why I saw the Fox injury as the death nail to the Lakers championship aspirations this year. Fox may not be the player he was a few years ago but, he is an intense intelligent player who filled holes on defense. Fox allowed Kobe to roam the way he does. Always has that role player that makes a silent difference. In Chicago it was Toni Kukoc, in LA it is Rick Fox.

Yep, I would say the Lakers have there work cut out for them, down 0-2.........

BTA, I expected them to anyway........... Like many of you Laker faithfuls on here, I agree, no bench .


Maybe next year the Lakers can start it over again.

Indeed...

AJKCFAN,

What are you talking about I have been here the entire time talking with you about the games. You can joke all you want about the Dying-sty but bottom line is won't take much to make that team come back and spank the Queens like they have always done before. MOF, they are just one good power forward away from being there. There will be changes made in LA at the end of the season but to say that the Lake show is dying just because they may not win their 4th consecutive title is assinine. The Queens will never win 3 straight titles.

Man I LOVE watching the the SPURS SPANK the Lake (soon to be LATE) Show. I LOVE hearing the ZEN Master BENEFACTOR of being handed teams LOADED with talent say stuff like, "They (the refs) aren't letting Shaq play like he's always played before." Translation - they're NOT letting Shaq GET AWAY WITH MURDER EVERY TIME HE'S IN the PAINT! This is a FUN series. Still sticking to my prediction of SPURS in 6! :toast: