<div class="quote_poster">Quoting trenchteam:</div><div class="quote_post">I dont think he is a fluke. He wants to win.</div>
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting realdealbneal:</div><div class="quote_post">Well, since Los Angeles has no rebounding presence and no post game (although I don't see it as bad as alot of others do), I guess we are done for the year already. Call Buss and trade everyone. Wait. Sacramento was in the 20's in rebounding last year...but they made the playoffs. Utah was just under the Kings, but pulled down an average of 4.6 boards more against their opponents per game...yet didn't make the playoffs. Hold the phone, Buss! In other words, you don't have to have Shaq or Garnett to win. Otherwise, the Lakers would've won championships every year since 1996. Also, don't take away Grant's ability to play the four. He's very capable of scoring 12 PPG and 10 boards this season. But this battle will never be won, until the Lakers win a championship (it would probably take a three peat)...and then, when this happens, I'll be asking everyone else, "What happened?"</div> Is that your serious answer, I ask you how are you gonna find away to rebound and produce points in the paint against one team and you tell me the kings made the playoffs over 82 games? I didnt ask how where you gonna make the playoffs as a poor rebounding team. All I want to know is how are the Lakers gonna score in the paint vs Denver giving up, so much inside? the Lakers are gonna be stuck trying to generate their offense from the perimeter all night, with Kobe, Odom, Divac all taking out jumpers and trying to get to the hoop from the perimeter. While Denver will have Kenyon Martin, Nene & Camby killing the backboards and getting alot of easy points inside. These two teams will be seperated by the easy points in the paint Denver is able to get underneath the basket.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting realdealbneal:</div><div class="quote_post">Well, since Los Angeles has no rebounding presence and no post game (although I don't see it as bad as alot of others do), I guess we are done for the year already. Call Buss and trade everyone. Wait. Sacramento was in the 20's in rebounding last year...but they made the playoffs. Utah was just under the Kings, but pulled down an average of 4.6 boards more against their opponents per game...yet didn't make the playoffs. Hold the phone, Buss! In other words, you don't have to have Shaq or Garnett to win. Otherwise, the Lakers would've won championships every year since 1996. Also, don't take away Grant's ability to play the four. He's very capable of scoring 12 PPG and 10 boards this season. But this battle will never be won, until the Lakers win a championship (it would probably take a three peat)...and then, when this happens, I'll be asking everyone else, "What happened?"</div> No he's not, you know he only grabbed 6.9 rebounds a game in 30.3 minutes last year, and Odom is no dominant rebounder. Grant's athleticism is gone, he's not the same player he was before, and I'd see him getting about 7-8 boards a game, but not a double double. He can hit the mid-range jumper very well, so he can get to the double digit, but I'd see about 10 PPG from him as opposed to 12. Grant just isn't the same player, still a tough defender, but he can't do the same things.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting og15:</div><div class="quote_post">No he's not, you know he only grabbed 6.9 rebounds a game in 30.3 minutes last year, and Odom is no dominant rebounder. Grant's athleticism is gone, he's not the same player he was before, and I'd see him getting about 7-8 boards a game, but not a double double. He can hit the mid-range jumper very well, so he can get to the double digit, but I'd see about 10 PPG from him as opposed to 12. Grant just isn't the same player, still a tough defender, but he can't do the same things.</div> Brian Grant had trouble playing center anyways. His natural position is at the four, and I'm sure he'll do much better there. And I said he's capable of 12 PPG and 10 boards...not exactly saying that he WILL get it. I can predict, but it doesn't mean it's accurate either. Notice my prediction in my Lakers preview? 10.2 PPG on 48% shooting, 5.2 RPG, 1.3 APG in 26.2 minutes per game What he is capable of and what I predict aren't the same.
I'm pessimistic about this game. With Martin, Camby, and Nene hitting the boards, I can see the Lakers having a lot of problems. The Butler-Anthony matchup looks very intriguing because they share a similar style of ball. Unless Kobe has a huge game, I have trouble forseeing the lakers grabbing a W.
[quote name='Billa_Bong'] How is Kobe Selfish, he has been causing turnovers by trying to get the balls to other team mates hes passing so much. Did you even watch the lakers game or are you basing it on his stats. Hell 1/2 the games he wasn't he the leading scorer. Also players having confidence in themselves? Brian Cook, Grant, Vujacic, Rush, Luke? You don't think there shooting threes with confidence. Cook has been nailing 3 pointers like Chamberlain did women. Your crazy, your like saying the exact opposite of what happen in the preseason games hahaha.[/QUOTE yea brian cook has been doing his thang but luke walton i really havent seen do anythang n the last game i seen rush was shooting but was making and yea it was a blowout without kobe on the floor the they play better team ball without kobe and the game brian grant had 22 points i did not see
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Billa_Bong:</div><div class="quote_post"> How is Kobe Selfish, he has been causing turnovers by trying to get the balls to other team mates hes passing so much. Did you even watch the lakers game or are you basing it on his stats. Hell 1/2 the games he wasn't he the leading scorer. Also players having confidence in themselves? Brian Cook, Grant, Vujacic, Rush, Luke? You don't think there shooting threes with confidence. Cook has been nailing 3 pointers like Chamberlain did women. Your crazy, your like saying the exact opposite of what happen in the preseason games hahaha.</div> yea brian cook has been doing his thang but luke walton i really havent seen do anythang n the last game i seen rush shooting but was making and yea it was a blowout without kobe on the floor they play'd better team ball without kobe on the floor and the game brian grant had 22 points i did not see and yea i like vujacic.....and i am not a women
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting kbplaya14:</div><div class="quote_post">yea brian cook has been doing his thang but luke walton i really havent seen do anythang n the last game i seen rush shooting but was making and yea it was a blowout without kobe on the floor they play'd better team ball without kobe on the floor and the game brian grant had 22 points i did not see and yea i like vujacic.....and i am not a women</div> we all know those 3 point shooters have proven themselves in the past. Also i don't think i called you a women? how did i imply that?
I can't wait either. It should be exciting. My prediction is that the Lakers will barely pull this one off, by 3-6 points at the most. If Kobe is able to penetrate well and not cause too many turnovers, then I can see many good things happening, especially if any Lakers get on fire. And I hope that Laker is Kobe Bryant, but i'm biased.
Kobe and Chris Mihm really looked like they were clicking in the preseason too they were allways sitting by eacother and talk to eachother maybe Kobes out to prove that he was a part of what made Shaq so good and hes goin to do the same for Chris Mihm.
GO MIHM!!! man Lakers are really taking advantage of the fronting there playing on Mihm, 13 points YA BABY!!! Kobe is doing really good getting the ball to other players, passing and cutting, looking for Mihm in the low post. Man we should host a chemistry class cuz we are making magic baby!
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Ace:</div><div class="quote_post">^^ That makes a lot of sense.</div> Thanks
