67 replies to this topic

[Chito]

2012 NBA Playoffs - Round 2 - Game 5

LAKERS | THUNDER

Thunder lead series 3-1

Monday May 21, 2012

Time: 6:30 PM | TV: TNT

[Latin Lakersfan]

I still have faith in  my Lakers. I know they blew it on Saturday but I know if they get the big boys involve more in the paint they can win game 5. One game at a time baby!

[Chito]

It's a must-win or go home for the Lakers tonight. I don't care if they win by 1 point, just win. Both teams will play they best. Lakers for obvious reasons and the Thunder because they're at home and probably want to close this series out already since the Spurs knocked out the Clippers and are waiting for the Thunder. Gasol really needs to step up and grow a pair. Otherwise a lot of the blame will fall on him if they lose tonight and his performance was that of game 4.

.....is he having girlfriend issues again or something?  

[EvenSteven]

The Lakers are fully capable of winning tonight.  I would give them a 1 in 3 chance to pull the upset at the OKC Corral!!

[Archer]

No more score predictions, now it's just to PLEASE win lol. Steve's right, Lakers still have what it takes to steal game 5 from the Thunder. It just really depends on how well they play together, communicate throughout the game, trust each other (RIGHT Kobe??), share the ball (RIGHT Kobe??) and rebound every shot whether it be offensive or defensive, just REBOUND.  

.....and it wouldn't hurt if the officials favored us a bit?  

[Stereoids]

Come on Lakers don't disappoint. Win, come back home and tie the series at Staples. Is that too much to ask for?...Ok, it is, but still lol.  

[EL GRANDE WHOPPO]

Chito, on 21 May 2012 - 10:35 AM, said:

It's a must-win or go home for the Lakers tonight. I don't care if they win by 1 point, just win. Both teams will play they best. Lakers for obvious reasons and the Thunder because they're at home and probably want to close this series out already since the Spurs knocked out the Clippers and are waiting for the Thunder. Gasol really needs to step up and grow a pair. Otherwise a lot of the blame will fall on him if they lose tonight and his performance was that of game 4.

.....is he having girlfriend issues again or something?  

I agree with him getting a lot of the blame and I suspect tonight will be his last game in a Laker uniform. Lakers need to blow up the team and surround Kobe and Bynum with better players if they are going to win another championship anytime soon. OKC is not going anywhere and this series is a coming of age party for them. Clippers are not far from becoming a serious contender. Spurs continue to suprise me. Gasol is the one real chip the Lakers have that can be moved to improve the team. The longer that they hold on to him than the less valuable that chip is going to become because his performance is steadily declining.

[LOS ANGELES LAKERS]

Everybody on the team players and coaching staff just needs to get togeather and make sure everybody's on the same page for the game tonight and everybody play with focus on the goal of winning tonight take full advantage of our big men and start off strong early we absolutely can win tonight if everybody executes the way I know we can. Go Lakers!

[EL GRANDE WHOPPO]

LOS ANGELES LAKERS, on 21 May 2012 - 12:41 PM, said:

Everybody on the team players and coaching staff just needs to get togeather and make sure everybody's on the same page for the game tonight and everybody play with focus on the goal of winning tonight take full advantage of our big men and start off strong early we absolutely can win tonight if everybody executes the way I know we can. Go Lakers!

Good luck with that. If OKC plays their game tonight I see no way that they lose. Lakers have sucked on the road all season and I doubt that changes tonight.

[Hayter]

EL GRANDE WHOPPO, on 21 May 2012 - 12:09 PM, said:

Lakers need to blow up the team and surround Kobe and Bynum with better players if they are going to win another championship anytime soon.

i will go as far as saying that if they don't win this series, they need to completely blow up this team and start from scratch which includes kobe.  

kobe will take you as far as the second round but that's about it.  it doesn't matter who else they get on the team.  as far as kobe is on the team, he's gonna be the top dog and EVERYBODY has to defer to him which is their main problem.  i don't think his ego will allow him to take a lesser role on the team and unless he does, they'll consistently get eliminated early in the playoffs.

his style of play, at this point in his career, makes it too hard for other players to play well.  case in point, ramon sessions, matt barnes.  bynum has been a b!tch all year but it's because he's mad that he doesn't see the ball enough and is not involved in offense.

[Hempster]

You guys know what I find hilarious? That Kobe gets furious over other players taking bad shots and bad passes, yet when he does the EXACT SAME THING he gets all defensive and butt hurt and starts talking smack to anybody that questions his gameplay and throws them all under the bus. Go figure.  

[Nanizm]

Hayter, on 21 May 2012 - 01:53 PM, said:

i will go as far as saying that if they don't win this series, they need to completely blow up this team and start from scratch which includes kobe.  

That’s the worse idea you’ve have ever had and you’ve had some pretty bad ones. Weren’t you the one that suggested Magic Johnson host his own talk show?

Kobe for all of his faults is still a guy that puts up 28 ppg, can get his own shot, has a great all around offensive game, is fearless and works his ass off. Even at the current declining stage of his career he is a top shooting guard. From what we have seen he cant carry a franchise any more and shouldn’t be relied on to have to win games at the end but you’re closer to winning a championship with him than without him. That means that you can inch closer with certain moves. Just look at San Antonio and how they still mesh their aged vets that once were great with young talent that they picked up late in the draft and trades. If the Spurs win this year, which is a possibility, Duncan would have won a championship in 3 different decades and with 12 years in between his first and last (assuming he doesn’t win anymore after this year). I cant see why they cant do that with Kobe.

You blow up this team then get ready for a long time being irrelevant. You have to be lucky to get a transcendent star. Even if you think you get one somehow, like the Nuggets with Carmelo and the Magic with Dwight, that player might not have that quality to take you over the top. Lakers got lucky that they only had to irrelevant for about 10 years following the Magic retirement. They were able to land Shaq because the new CBA rules weren’t in place. If they had they wouldn’t have been able to offer more years and money than Orlando at that time. They got lucky that nobody but Jerry West saw the talent in Kobe and he dropped to 13th in the draft.

So if the Lakers do what you say, how do they get that next star? They either have to be bad for a long time and hope that in the year they are bad that Star player comes out of the draft AND they are able to land him by getting the right spot. Or, they can do with the Knicks did and wait till all of the contracts expire and hope and prey a big FA decides to sign with the Lakers. Those are the only 2 options for getting back to winning championships and neither is likely to produce another star and championship run.

[Los Lakers]

Nanizm, on 21 May 2012 - 02:28 PM, said:

That’s the worse idea you’ve have ever had and you’ve had some pretty bad ones. Weren’t you the one that suggested Magic Johnson host his own talk show?

Kobe for all of his faults is still a guy that puts up 28 ppg, can get his own shot, has a great all around offensive game, is fearless and works his ass off. Even at the current declining stage of his career he is a top shooting guard. From what we have seen he cant carry a franchise any more and shouldn’t be relied on to have to win games at the end but you’re closer to winning a championship with him than without him. That means that you can inch closer with certain moves. Just look at San Antonio and how they still mesh their aged vets that once were great with young talent that they picked up late in the draft and trades. If the Spurs win this year, which is a possibility, Duncan would have won a championship in 3 different decades and with 12 years in between his first and last (assuming he doesn’t win anymore after this year). I cant see why they cant do that with Kobe.

You blow up this team then get ready for a long time being irrelevant. You have to be lucky to get a transcendent star. Even if you think you get one somehow, like the Nuggets with Carmelo and the Magic with Dwight, that player might not have that quality to take you over the top. Lakers got lucky that they only had to irrelevant for about 10 years following the Magic retirement. They were able to land Shaq because the new CBA rules weren’t in place. If they had they wouldn’t have been able to offer more years and money than Orlando at that time. They got lucky that nobody but Jerry West saw the talent in Kobe and he dropped to 13th in the draft.

So if the Lakers do what you say, how do they get that next star? They either have to be bad for a long time and hope that in the year they are bad that Star player comes out of the draft AND they are able to land him by getting the right spot. Or, they can do with the Knicks did and wait till all of the contracts expire and hope and prey a big FA decides to sign with the Lakers. Those are the only 2 options for getting back to winning championships and neither is likely to produce another star and championship run.

I have to agree, you can't blow up this team like that, especially if you include Kobe in it. Building a team that will be good enough to be a contender at least in the playoffs will take years to develop. It's not something that can be done overnight, especially with the new CBA rules. Lakers can't spend money like water like years ago to get another good superstar AND surround him with more good players. They can try getting a couple of good players while dropping others, but as far as blowing the entire team up like that and starting from scratch, not a smart move. Just my take on this.  

[Hayter]

Nanizm, on 21 May 2012 - 02:28 PM, said:

That’s the worse idea you’ve have ever had and you’ve had some pretty bad ones. Weren’t you the one that suggested Magic Johnson host his own talk show?

I have no idea what you're talking about.

Nanizm, on 21 May 2012 - 02:28 PM, said:

Kobe for all of his faults is still a guy that puts up 28 ppg, can get his own shot, has a great all around offensive game, is fearless and works his ass off. Even at the current declining stage of his career he is a top shooting guard. From what we have seen he cant carry a franchise any more and shouldn’t be relied on to have to win games at the end but you’re closer to winning a championship with him than without him. That means that you can inch closer with certain moves. Just look at San Antonio and how they still mesh their aged vets that once were great with young talent that they picked up late in the draft and trades. If the Spurs win this year, which is a possibility, Duncan would have won a championship in 3 different decades and with 12 years in between his first and last (assuming he doesn’t win anymore after this year). I cant see why they cant do that with Kobe.

carmelo puts up #'s too.  he's a cancer to any team he's on and has proven that his teams can't win with him and are better off without him.

and you are going to compare duncan to kobe?  are you serious?  the spurs have a balanced attack.  duncan only averages 12.5 shots a game.  tony parkers shoots more than him.  they'll be better off once kobe starts taking a lesser role and let his teammates have a bigger impact.  not only does duncan shoot significantly less, duncan does not have the ball that much in his hand.  he posts up and he scores.  he doesn't dribble down, he doesn't hold the ball too long and he doesn't force shots.  get out of here with your duncan comparison.  if anything, he should have more of a "duncan type" role.

Nanizm, on 21 May 2012 - 02:28 PM, said:

So if the Lakers do what you say, how do they get that next star? They either have to be bad for a long time and hope that in the year they are bad that Star player comes out of the draft AND they are able to land him by getting the right spot. Or, they can do with the Knicks did and wait till all of the contracts expire and hope and prey a big FA decides to sign with the Lakers. Those are the only 2 options for getting back to winning championships and neither is likely to produce another star and championship run.

i'm not saying trade him for nothing.  obviously you gotta get something worth getting or you don't do it, but with him leading the way, you're gonna be no better than a second round exit from the playoffs.  you should know as well as anybody that we want rings and losing in the playoffs is not acceptable.  the lakers are not even contenders right now.  They're the third favorite in the west and 4th favorite overall.

let me ask you a hypothetical question.  would you trade kobe, pau & bynum for hibbert, granger and david west?  most people in their right mind wouldn't make that trade.  

well, how is that team, performing better than the lakers?  pacers would probably make that deal in a heartbeat.  you focus too much on kobe.  it's a team sport and he's now allowing his teammates to play they way can.  no one would have a problem if kobe scores 30 and can still dominate but he can't anymore.  he does it with playing mediocre defense, takings way too many shots, creating a stagnant offense by holding the ball too much and he's getting in the way of making his teammates play to their capability.

you always said they should let kobe do whatever he wants.  if he wants to shoot 40 times a game then let him, etc. etc.  those days are gone.  they can not let him do that and still win.

[Hempster]

Hayter, on 21 May 2012 - 02:50 PM, said:

you focus too much on kobe.  it's a team sport and he's now allowing his teammates to play they way can.  no one would have a problem if kobe scores 30 and can still dominate but he can't anymore.  he does it with playing mediocre defense, takings way too many shots, creating a stagnant offense by holding the ball too much and he's getting in the way of making his teammates play to their capability.

you always said they should let kobe do whatever he wants.  if he wants to shoot 40 times a game then let him, etc. etc.  those days are gone.  they can not let him do that and still win.

I agree, good points.

[EL GRANDE WHOPPO]

Nanizm, on 21 May 2012 - 02:28 PM, said:

That’s the worse idea you’ve have ever had and you’ve had some pretty bad ones. Weren’t you the one that suggested Magic Johnson host his own talk show?

Kobe for all of his faults is still a guy that puts up 28 ppg, can get his own shot, has a great all around offensive game, is fearless and works his ass off. Even at the current declining stage of his career he is a top shooting guard. From what we have seen he cant carry a franchise any more and shouldn’t be relied on to have to win games at the end but you’re closer to winning a championship with him than without him. That means that you can inch closer with certain moves. Just look at San Antonio and how they still mesh their aged vets that once were great with young talent that they picked up late in the draft and trades. If the Spurs win this year, which is a possibility, Duncan would have won a championship in 3 different decades and with 12 years in between his first and last (assuming he doesn’t win anymore after this year). I cant see why they cant do that with Kobe.

You blow up this team then get ready for a long time being irrelevant. You have to be lucky to get a transcendent star. Even if you think you get one somehow, like the Nuggets with Carmelo and the Magic with Dwight, that player might not have that quality to take you over the top. Lakers got lucky that they only had to irrelevant for about 10 years following the Magic retirement. They were able to land Shaq because the new CBA rules weren’t in place. If they had they wouldn’t have been able to offer more years and money than Orlando at that time. They got lucky that nobody but Jerry West saw the talent in Kobe and he dropped to 13th in the draft.

So if the Lakers do what you say, how do they get that next star? They either have to be bad for a long time and hope that in the year they are bad that Star player comes out of the draft AND they are able to land him by getting the right spot. Or, they can do with the Knicks did and wait till all of the contracts expire and hope and prey a big FA decides to sign with the Lakers. Those are the only 2 options for getting back to winning championships and neither is likely to produce another star and championship run.

He also put up more shots than anyone else in the league to put up those 28 points as well. You call it being aggressive and I will call it bad shot selection. Basketball is all about balance and efficiency. Duncan and Kobe are not even comparable at this point as Duncan is just an option and not the Spurs  #1 option.

[Hayter]

with all that said...    

[CroatianLaker]

Sorry for not writing my prediction before the game,as I always do.I was just too busy these days.


Anyways,Kobe is aware that season may come to the end here,tonight.Black Mamba takes over.

[Hayter]

way to show up in an elimination game, bynum, you piece of poop...

[CroatianLaker]

Only Kobe puts great plays tonight.Pau,Bynum...nothing.