This can't be real, do they want the four seed to meet the Spurs in the second round? Going for the third to meet the Blazers? Something is fishy in LA LA land.
I agree. There's no reason the Lakers should be playing this poorly, unless they've completely bought into the fact that everything about the regular season doesn't matter, and it's all about the playoffs to them. And given Phil Jackson teams' history in the past, I'd say they have good reason to feel that way.
2/3/4 and 6/7/8 are all WIDE OPEN. There is no point to predicting matchups anymore. We just gotta take care of our business, stay healthy, and get everyone on our team in the right mindset for the playoffs.
Just watched the game..... they were trying to win that game! Nobody on that squad was giving up. They are just playing like shit!
Having experienced first round exits to the Lakers all through the late 90s, I have no interest in playing them in the first round. I felt we had the better team even then, but the refs will never let us beat them. Not gonna happen.
EXACTLY. Everyone kept saying we have to get the 6 seed to avoid the Lakers. Think again. You can't control who you play. It's all too influx. Let's just play well and face whomever we face. All 4 teams present serious challenges. None of them are cakewalks. I pray to God that the players don't think Dallas or SA are cakewalks if it comes to that. Kinda makes me want to play the Lakers. We will respect them and that's what it takes to win.
What is Perkins doing? http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-lakers-fyi-20110411,0,4505970.story
Well I actually think that the Lakers would rather face an old SAS team then the young up and coming Thunder in the second round. Who knows really. The 4 seed will face Denver. Actually seems like the easiest match up, besides maybe NO for a first round coast.
Wait didn't the Lakers go like 4-6 in the final 10 games last season? I maybe wrong, but I think I remembered that right. I will never discount the Lakers. They are one of those teams that "excuse the pun" can turn on the switch. As much as I hate it; they are the one team in the NBA I feel are never out of it. SUCKS!!!!
They had the number 1 seed in the West wrapped up last year. The collapse this season is a new phenomenon.
People are kidding themselves if they don't think LA doesn't stand the best chance of coming out of the West. They're the most talented and they're the biggest draw in the West for the Finals. If the game is close, they'll get an extra three players to put them over the top. It's like the old saying about elections: "If it's not close, they can't cheat". If you want to beat the L*kers, you have to blow them out four times. It's highly unlikely anyone will be able to do it.
I was thinking about what G Wallace had said during a post game interview. He was asked about his success against the Laker's in the past. His reply was to the tune that they had always game planned to make the Laker's run, get them tired and out of their power game. That is what OKC does to them, and we have shown that we are capable of the same. I don't think the Laker's want to play anyone that can run. I would bet that they would prefer Denver in the first and SA in the second.
The Lakers DO have a switch and, while I liked the final of the LA game, I don't think they were trying that hard to win it. They did try but at the end the game just wasn't as important to LA as it was to Portland. I DO NOT want to see them in the first round. The other thing about playing the Lakers early on (besides the refs) is that they always seem to hurt players from other teams. They're so physical and allowed to play that way even more so during the play offs. Maybe I'm imagining it but they really do seem to have more than their fair share.
