The title says it all. I know its a little of both. But, what is more so the case here... this is now 2 games...
Lakers don't suck, they are obviously superior than the Rockets talent wise, I don't think anybody can dispute that. The Rockets actually care and play with heart. They never give up. Lakers are lazy fools. We're like Kwame Brown.
Battier is playing Kobe beautifully. Hes luring Kobe into taking only perimeter shots and Kobe is settling for 18 footers all night. Hes making some amazing shots with a hand in his face but if hes not killing the Rockets in the paint hes doing the Lakers a disservice. You don't see Bron, Wade, Roy, etc. settling for J's, they're forcing driving and forcing it down the other teams' throats. But yeah, its a little bit of the L's being pathetic and uncaring and the Rockets being really good at home. I expect the Lakers to take the series but they're not lookoing like a championship team at all.
The Lakers are a better team, and the Rockets have just out executed them in 3 of 6 games. But after the way this series has gone, I really think the Rockets at full strength (with Yao, and with Tracy, and with Dikembe, as was the original plan) would be the superior team.
The Lakers are by far the superior team in terms of talent. They also have one of the greatest coaches in PJax. It really comes down to heart. The Lakers, especially Kobe, know that they are talented, and they know they have a good chance of winning just by playing leisurely. Kobe is satisfied with throwing up Js, other players in turn are also less motivated and play leisurely. I still think the Lakers win the Championship this year. Especially if Bynum can recover some more. However I'm not high on Denver (however I didn't expect them to do nearly as well as they have been), and I don't feel the Cavs have enough big man talent to beat the Lakers.
I don't. The Lakers get up for superior level teams. When was the last time they came out and dropped shitty game against one? Last year in the Finals was. We've manned up against elite level teams all year.
I'm sure the Lakers would man up against us at full strength. It would be a great series. And with home court advantage, maybe the Lakers take it. But if those teams played 7 games on a neutral court, I'd like the Rockets chances. Whatever .. just me fantasizing about what could have been.
I am really impressed with you guys. I think we expected, again, for you guys to roll over and play dead.
But is it really just about the Lakers? Remember, a lot of the role players on this team were part of a 22 game win streak a season ago, and half of that streak they played undermanned as well without Yao. I think the Rockets role players just play with great chemistry and defensive intensity. How better to counteract a great offense like the Lakers?
It's clearly not "just about the Lakers." However, I'm just saying if the Lakers played their asses off and Houston plays their asses off. This current Houston roster would generally get crushed. Those Houston guys never let up, and play with a lot of balls. If Kobe was attacking the rim, and getting calls/making plays, if Gasol was getting fed and posting up strong, and Bynum. With guys only jacking up shots when they are open. As well Kobe, Odom, Gasol playing smart D.
I don't know about that, Kobe has torched him pretty well in the series. Even in this "awful" game today, Kobe drew FTs. I feel good about his matchup.
the lakers don't respect this rockets team. had yao not been injured, i still think this series would have gone 7 games, but games 4 and 5 would have been much closer. the lakers are going to come to play in game 7 from the start. it will be a struggle for the rockets to keep up, but assuming they don't miss all their open shots like in game 5, the rockets should be able to keep it fairly close with hustle and good defense. it's really hard for me to see the rockets winning the game though. and if the lakers decide to hand a couple of games to the nuggets through lack of effort, they'll be going home before the finals.
The Laker suck balls. You're only as good as the last game you played, and these guys play like shit. There's probably less than two pairs of balls between the whole team.
battier gets kobe to take contested jumpers all game. kobe is taking exactly the shots he wants him to take. he gives kobe just enough room to get to the spots where battier wants him and gives just enough space for kobe to take the shot but for him to still be able to contest. and really, i don't know why kobe's allowing it to happen. of the occasions he actually tries to get to the rim, battier rarely has been able to stop him. but it's like battier gives kobe just enough room to bait him into taking contested jumpers, and kobe's just taking them instead of dictating the game himself.
Correct Kobe hasn't been perfect, I am speaking of the entire history of the series though. He plays him about as good as one can, but saying "beautifully" would take a more consistent stopper that I'm not sure exists. Just a case of semantics, Shane is a great defender obviously.
