NBA Finals

[SFjohnny]

anyone paying attention to the finals this year? no one seems to care, but how the hell did the Pistons make it to the finals? but, I must say I'm glad they made it rather than the Pacers, I hate them.

still have to root for Jackson's Lakers though. tied 1-1!!

[primo1]

Basketball is not a sport I watch.. I prefer Hockey, Football, Soccer & Baseball... I occassionally catch a game once in while but I tend to get bored of it. Sorry..

[blupun]

I am in the 'anyone but the Lakers' mode this year--even though the Lakers will probably win in the end.

[SFjoey]

The Pistons might take this one. Their defense has been dominant. I don't care much for professional basketball. College basketball is where its at. But then again, nothing beats college football.

I look for the Pistons to finish this one in game 6 in L.A.

[blupun]

The Pistons will if they continue to play like they did last nite....

[blupun]

OK 3-1 the Pistons better take this Tues nite.....

[Peter Oberth]

i don't like the Lakers either, they are like the Yankees, a bought team. The only reason I like the Lakers is for Phil Jackson. I think Jackson is the best coach in the history of the game. I was born and raised in Chicago and grew up watching the Bulls and my loyalty has never left Jackson. I move to Michigan in my teens but I never became a Pistons fan (I hold a grudge against any rivals of the Bulls and the Pistons took 2 championships in a row right before the Bulls started their reign.) Anyway, I think the Pistons deserve this one more anyway, they are a built team, not bought and I can respect that. Pistons in 6.

ps-in case no one knows, Phil Jackson has never exited the playoffs in less than 6 games. I think he can squeeze one more game out of his team, but it'll have to be all strategy, his players aren't in it.

[blupun]

There is justice in the universe....LOL


Now the question does become...what will the Lakers look like next year........

[Peter Oberth]

not very good. Phil Jackson said that there is a pretty slim chance that he is coming back. He said he MIGHT consider coming back for $10 million dollars for one year and the Lakers aren't going to pay that.

Karl Malone is about done. He hasn't committed to coming back for the second year option of his 2 year contract (and he doesn't have to).

Kobe Bryant's papers are all but signed at this point. Ironically, he may stay with Staples Center as his home court, just switching jerseys to the Clippers, if talks pan out or he could go to New York. Those are the viable options for Bryant. Of course, with Jackson leaving, he may flip-flop and stay with the Lakers since he would be happy with at least one of his nemesis gone (other being Shaq, of course)

Lakers fans hate Payton so there is a good chance that they won't keep him. They owe him over 5 mil for one more season but they may sign and trade, if they can find a team that will want to pay that much for him.

so, who does that leave? Fisher, Fox, Grant, Shaq and a whole lot of salary room.

[M3f157o]

Do you really think Kobe it's going to change teams??
I don't think that's gonna happen and never to the clippers he's smart he knows the only reason he won those rings was because Shaq was there, I know he thinks he's MIchael Jordan but he knows he can't win at anything without the big man and NY he's not that desperate I think he's doing this to know how much he's worth to get his ego higher.
As of Malone I feel sorry for him because he should've retired with Stockton and put his name on that list along all the future hall of famers that didn't won a championship because Jordan was there, same for Payton.

I gotta say I'm a Laker fan because I'm a Shaquille O'neal fan but this time the Pistons whop the Lakers ass and not because the "injuries" the lakers had just because they were a better team.
Thinking about it they just needed to be a team.

[blupun]

that the thing---a lot of people were rooting for Detroit because they were tired of the 'we gonna win cause we the Lakers' attitude for the last couple of years. Ego has been a problem for a while--and these finals finally showed the growing problem to the Lakers themselves. The Pistons didnt have any 'stars'--they actually had a better TEAM.

Kobe at this point is capable of anything. He may stay because Phil Jackson probably will leave--but dont rule out him leaving either.

[M3f157o]

Why does he hate Phil Jackson??
I really think of all of them the only ones leaving are the ones that came, Malone and Payton.
Malone will finally retire and Payton should do the same he's also getting old for this new NBA.

[blupun]

Phil don't baby him and make him the center of the Laker universe that why....

[M3f157o]

That's what I thought.
Don't get me wrong I think Kobe is a great player but he has to admit and realise that when you have the most dominant player in NBA history playing beside you ,you're never going to be the first choice, never.

[Peter Oberth]

yeah, there was too much inner trumoil with the Lakers. I just got in the NBA DYNASTY: LOS ANGELES LAKERS - The Complete History, a 5 DVD set (actually 10 because they are all double sided with different content) and you can see the team falling apart (there is also the Bulls Dynasty available on 3-discs...look for a review today on the site). You can also see Phil Jackson able to bring them together to win their first and second championships. Their third championship, they started falling apart. I think Jackson is definetely gone.

As for Kobe, I think there is a very good chance that he is on his way out. He is kind of a selfish person and the fact that he has lost out on the ring two years in a row now isn't sitting well with him and he doesn't have the patience to wait for a team to build. He wants instant results and he isn't getting that anymore with the Lakers. I think there is a very good shot that he will go to the Clippers. They were surprising last year but they need a leader, and he wouldn't have to go very far (same building, different jersey).

I think after this Thursday will be the true test. After the draft, then we will see who has a strong young team and Kobe will want to be the "leader" of that team because he thinks he is ready for that (I personally, do not).

As for the rest of the Lakers...they are old. Even Shaq is getting up there. They are quickly turning into what the Bulls were after their first 3 championships. They were an aging team and they couldn't pull it together in 94 and 95. Then, Jordan cam back and they won 3 more but were still and old team and then they just disintigrated. I think that will happen more quickly to the Lakers since there is no shot any of the players leaving will come back. Shaq cannot lead a team, he proved that with the Magic and with his first few years with the Lakers. Phil Jackson led that team, there is no question. As soon as he came in, they started winning again. Before that, Shaq not only was dropped out of all his playoff matches, but his team was SWEPT out every single year until Phil Jackson came along, not just a coincidence.

[blupun]

Exactly-there is a difference between being a star on a team and being a superstar team. Kobe and Shaq both showed that separately they are just...big fish in a pond (small,large, dont matter). Once Phil Jackson came AND they realized that 2gether they could make a great unit-they were cool. (Having some other good players didnt hurt either). :eek: I just realized --the Lakers are the real life basketball version of ....YOU GOT SERVED....LOLOLOL

[Peter Oberth]

the lakers are the basketball version of the Yankees. just a bought team. I can only find respect for teams that actualy work hard to win, not buy their championship rings. Teams like the Bulls, Braves, Cubs, Marlins, Pistons. Those are real talented teams, they worked hard and it paid off eventually. Building a championship team should take time, not just money.