Lettuce be cereal... Kobe is still top 3

[pauk]

playing better than Durant/Melo/Dwight/Dirk so far and yes even Wade i have to say...

its still all about Lebron-Kobe... hope he keeps it going and his team to, i want to see Lebron vs Kobe in the Finals before Kobe gets literally to old

[Mr. Jabbar]

Lettuce be honest; I'm glad you're still alive after last night, I feared the worst. Should be a fun season.

[DonDadda59]

playing better than Durant/Melo/Dwight/Dirk so far and yes even Wade i have to say...

its still all about Lebron-Kobe... hope he keeps it going and his team to, i want to see Lebron vs Kobe in the Finals before Kobe gets literally to old

You really don't want that. Heat run circles around this slow, hobbled Lakers team. The only thing that would stop an embarrassing sweep (which would make 2 years in a row) would be the Lebron wild card. If he shits the bed again and disappears in the finals, then it would be interesting.

But the Lakers playing like they are and the Heat playing like they are right now= easy championship for MIA.

[Rnbizzle]

Yeah I really doubt the Lakers want anything to do with Miami right now.

[pauk]

im glad you're still alive after last night, i feared the worst. should be a fun season.

lol...

but seriously... Kobe is not my type of style of player (mostly because i question his shot selection decisions / non passing decisions) but facts are facts..... i love facts and im facts biased.... and facts say Kobe is the 2nd more productive player in the NBA... so gota give it up!

[Dictator]

You really don't want that. Heat run circles around this slow, hobbled Lakers team. The only thing that would stop an embarrassing sweep (which would make 2 years in a row) would be the Lebron wild card. If he shits the bed again and disappears in the finals, then it would be interesting.

But the Lakers playing like they are and the Heat playing like they are right now= easy championship for MIA.

No. Just no

[Sarcastic]

I am sure the first two weeks will play out exactly the same throughout the course of the season.

[Droid101]

Lettuce be honest; I'm glad you're still alive after last night, I feared the worst.

I lol'd.

[thwarriorojmayo]

I must say pauk, im proud of you today. U put away ur hate and lebron biased to give props to another player let alone kobe. 2012 must be the end.

[DonDadda59]

No. Just no

Yes, just yes.

How do the Lakers stop Miami's fast breaks? They have shown the last 2 seasons that if a team is willing to push the tempo and run on them, they're powerless to stop it. Just look at the tape from the Portland game. Felton kept the pressure on their old/slow PGs and was pushing the pace and getting to the point at will and breaking down the Lakers D. On top of that, their wing players (notably Gerald Wallace) were getting up and down the court getting easy baskets.

Now how the hell is LA going to stop Bron and Wade's forays into the paint or their fastbreak alley-oops? Matt Barnes? Kobe doesn't seem all that interested in playing D these days, especially when his man is taking a 3, there's no close outs.

Add the fact that MIA plays great D and historically Kobe against great D in the finals=sub par, then you have a repeat of what happened to them last year against Dallas... with a much worse bench this year.

EASY 4-0 sweep for MIA (unless Lebron is Lebron in the finals again).

[StateOfMind12]

I guess front-court play is meaningless now a days...

With that being said, Kobe is still arguably the best player in the league.

[Droid101]

Yes, just yes.

How do the Lakers stop Miami's fast breaks? They have shown the last 2 seasons that if a team is willing to push the tempo and run on them, they're powerless to stop it. Just look at the tape from the Portland game. Felton kept the pressure on their old/slow PGs and was pushing the pace and getting to the point at will and breaking down the Lakers D. On top of that, their wing players (notably Gerald Wallace) were getting up and down the court getting easy baskets.

Now how the hell is LA going to stop Bron and Wade's forays into the paint or their fastbreak alley-oops? Matt Barnes? Kobe doesn't seem all that interested in playing D these days, especially when his man is taking a 3, there's no close outs.

Add the fact that MIA plays great D and historically Kobe against great D in the finals=sub par, then you have a repeat of what happened to them last year against Dallas... with a much worse bench this year.

EASY 4-0 sweep for MIA (unless Lebron is Lebron in the finals again).

You understand, you don't stop elite perimeter scoring with perimeter 1 on 1 defenders. You stop it by packing the paint with 7 footers (Lakers have lots) and making those guys jump shooters.

[LakersReign]

Yes, just yes.

How do the Lakers stop Miami's fast breaks? They have shown the last 2 seasons that if a team is willing to push the tempo and run on them, they're powerless to stop it. Just look at the tape from the Portland game. Felton kept the pressure on their old/slow PGs and was pushing the pace and getting to the point at will and breaking down the Lakers D. On top of that, their wing players (notably Gerald Wallace) were getting up and down the court getting easy baskets.

Now how the hell is LA going to stop Bron and Wade's forays into the paint or their fastbreak alley-oops? Matt Barnes? Kobe doesn't seem all that interested in playing D these days, especially when his man is taking a 3, there's no close outs.

Add the fact that MIA plays great D and historically Kobe against great D in the finals=sub par, then you have a repeat of what happened to them last year against Dallas... with a much worse bench this year.

EASY 4-0 sweep for MIA (unless Lebron is Lebron in the finals again).

Didin't you guys also predict a sweep vs the Mavs last year too....so....what happened to all that?!

Same sh*t....different day

[dunksby]

Dang did not expect it from pauk, I'm pretty sure Hulk hacked into his account and posted this.

[DonDadda59]

You understand, you don't stop elite perimeter scoring with perimeter 1 on 1 defenders. You stop it by packing the paint with 7 footers (Lakers have lots) and making those guys jump shooters.

Exactly, and Miami has some solid perimeter and 3 point shooters. Give the ball to either Bron or Wade, they attack the paint, the Lakers collapse on that, guys are open. No one better in the league at getting assists that way than Bron.

Plus Bosh being mostly a perimeter shooter takes whoever's guarding him, either Pau or Bynum, away from the paint, opening things up a bit (see Lamarcus Aldridge). Plus they can put Lebron on the block now, that's way too much offensive options and too much for this Lakers squad to deal with.

Honestly, I would be shocked if they even made it past the second round, let alone made it all the way to the finals.