Philly and Denver are solid playoff teams. It's not like we've been playing Detroit and Toronto. Now you're talking, Nate! That 99 team had two starting lineups: Damon/Rider/Williams/Grant/Sabonis Anthony/Jackson/Augmon/Wallace/Cato I loved that team. We were the best team in the league until those last couple weeks when we completely imploded. MM- We played Dallas in the 1990 playoffs. But anyway, in the last 13 years since Jordan retired, how many teams have won the NBA championship with a top 3 pick that THEY drafted? ONE team. The Spurs (with both David Robinson and Tim Duncan). Yao, LeBron, Melo, Rose, Howard, Kenyon Martin, and on and on, none of those guys have won the championship. And the guys who HAVE- Shaq, Gasol, ?- won the title after leaving the team that tanked to get them. So winning a championship by sucking hardly ever works. It's all about tweaking your roster, signing free agents, retooling instead of rebuilding.
Conversely though, if you look at the last 13 years all of them not only had top lottery picks on their team, but with the exception of Detroit, all had at least one player considered to be one of the best in the entire league. I think LMA is great, but he's not quite on the same level as Dirk, Kobe, Shaq, D-Whistle, Duncan, etc. I certainly don't think it's a sure things, Eric, but IMO it's probably the best way for Portland to go about it since we can't attract superstar FA's They might be, but all games at home with two full days off already is pretty favorable. It will all even out, but so far it has been pretty easy, IMO. Mick pointed out strength of schedule, but after only 2-3 games I don't think you can use that stat.
LA is going to make a run so Gasol isn't going anywhere yet. Unless it is for Howard. Portland is pretty close to doing big damage though.
What do the Lakers have that a rebuilding Orlando would want? You don't have draft picks. You don't have any young talent. I think your best bet at getting Howard is through free agency, and you'd have to move Gasol to help in that cause.
I respect LA but you don't have to use that pronoun. Yeah the cap space argument is interesting. But I guess LA feels they can compete for a title now, and still get some superstar later because they're LA. I think they're banking on Bynum. :O
