Dhamp…Call it a New Lakers Dynasty

But Odom is more important then you think, and with injuries, I would’nt exactly gaurantee anything let alone 3 straight. I’m looking forward to chasing 70 wins next year, which might happen if Bynum can be at full strength. Dude was a top 5 center before going down with injuries the last 2 years.

The only guy on his way down is Fisher, and his lack of play did’nt hurt the lakers last season. If you think Kobe can’t hit that switch anymore, then you are just plain wrong. Go tell the Knicks he does’nt have it in him. Also, Kobe played the least minutes last season since he was 19 years old. Phil is resting him more then ever. Because of their depth, no one has to play 40 minutes or carry the load.

the one thing that stoping me from calling them a Dynasty – Aging

Fisher- 14th year
Bryant- 14th year
Artest- 11th year
Gasol- 9th year
Odom- 11th year
Bynum- 5th year

Bynum is overrated.

Kobe in some games, showed me some tiredness. He can turn the swtich on but not as much as he did before

I dont think 70 wins is in reach because the Lakers are not flat and away the best team….

No way they win the next 3 championships. I could see them winning 1 out of the next 3 years. Too many other talented teams now. Look at the rosters…somebody is going to give the Lakers fits eventually. Spurs & Celtics & Cavs are equally talented and have better depth than the Lakers. Not to mention Orlando is still searching for free agents. The Mavs have improved a lot. The Blazers will keep getting better. They Lakers better not lose Odom or they might not win another championship.

70 wins and 3 stright titles is just a dream for Laker fans. It’s possible, but there are so many other good teams out there. The Lakers have the target on their back. But I do believe that if they resign odom, they are the favorites next year. I do not think the Spurs, Celtics and Cavs have equal talent. Those are all tough teams, but the Lakers hold the edge with defense, size, skil and Kobe.

DHamp I missed you homie where you been. I have to agree with you and Kobe still have at least 6 great years left. people would not doubt an more mature Jordan. Also Ron Artest game has never been about being an athlete in the run and jump sense. The salary cap is going to help them restock with players that want to win and are medium skilled players who want more than team will pay them but are too good to play for less money on a losing team.

theres 1 questions about the lakers. big man depth if Bynom gets injured again Powell, or Mbenga is their backup big. thats not very good and Bynom is slightly injure pron and its even worse if they dont re-sign Odom.

If bynum gets hurt, thenGasol plays center and Odom plays pf. Guys like powell and would’nt have to do any more then they did last year, but obviously Odom is huge. But of course injuries can change things for anyone. The good thing is that this last injury did’nt require surgery for bynum and he did’nt miss any playof games, so I’m hoping rest will get him back to where he was.

Kobe is capped at 4 rings. He’s top 50 good. MAYBE top 10-15 good all time. But lets face it. The first 3 rings were because of Shaq. This was a very good year for him. However if Ginobli would actually stay healthy the Spurs are a better team (And I’d argue Duncan has been the best player in the NBA since Jordan and many BBall researchers agree).

Gasol is ok and is a nice back up. But Kobe is still getting old in terms of games played (has he passed 1000 yet; isn’t that the ‘curse’?).

I’ll have to say. There is just too much other talent out there. I’m actually going to pull for Orlando next year. I want Vince to get his ring and I want Duncan to get 5 before Shaq or Kobe!!! (which begs the question of who do I pull for on a Spurs/Magic Finals)

He stayed in school 4 years and has been the best Big the past decade.

But yea. 100% not going to win 3 straight and I don’t think he’s going to win another ring. This could very well be Jackson’s last year and if it is his chance drop by at least 50% of getting another one. Jackson is just that good of a coach.

Farmar?Walton?Powell? cmon DHamp i know your smarter then this

I wouldnt say the lakers will be a dynasty down the road for the age reasons stated above, and also while Kobe is only in his early 30’s he started playing when he was 17, has rarely missed games, so you would have to imagine he’s getting worn down.That being said, If they get back Odom they are the easy favorite for the title, if they lose him they are no lock, but still a major contender

come on dude, Kobe is a top 50 player and Gasol is OK and a nice backup..? You’re too kind

Y is kobe capped at 4 rings and not ATLEAST a top 12 player of all time?? And Pau is not just ok and is not a backup, he proved last year that he is one of the best players in the league at his position and deserves to atleast be mentioned with the Amares and Bosh’s of the league.

areopogus- I agree….I would put Kobe at around #10 all time. Also I see Gasol as a solid #2 option. Gasol isn’t quite as good as Amare or Bosh IMO.

Kobe still has some years left so he may very well crack the top 5 when it is all said & done.

Gatorheels I normally agree with you but your comment about the Cavs and Magic having better depth than the lakers is ridiculous. Cavs? Gibson, Big Z(who I doubt gets 10pts/game), and uhm…Magic? Reddick is the only one I can think of, they traded away the rest of their bench for Carter, remember? The spurs might have a better bench cuz of Ginobli but he doesn’t play more than 50 games a year and their getting older than the lakers. D-Hamp I agree. Lakers have a mini dynasty going, could win next 3, Especially if Lebron leaves Cleveland and has to restart his championship quest.

a little more reasonable. But when you say things like Kobe is capped at 4 rings and people just want to be on his jockstrap, it makes you sound awfully biased. And who would’nt prefer to go to LA over Charlotte if they had the choice? I highly doubt that makes Kobe scared. I think he is right now the second best player to have played the game behind Jordan, and he could very well catch Jordan in the next 5 years.

And why does Kobe get ridiculed for having Shaq on his team when Shaq has won just as many titles without Kobe as Kobe has without him? I guess you think guys like Russell, Wilt, Kareem, Bird, and Magic all won titles without any hall of fame help either huh? And Gasol might not be a franchise player, but he led memphis to the playoffs without a second all-star. He also just played Dwight straight up to a standstill. I’m not saying Gasol is a superstar, but to say he is ok is like me saying Pippen was kinda decent at basketball.

DHamp your guarantee means nothing. You are always wrong when you guarantee something…Devo being drafted, Nuggets beating Lakers. So don’t waste our time with this guarantee that will almost surely not come true.

true, I’m actually dissapointed that DHamp just predicted my lakers to win. Now I know they have no chance.

dwatt4444…..The Magic have terrible depth. I didn’t say they had better depth than the Lakers. I said the Celtics, Spurs, & Cavs are equally talented & have better depth.

On the bench for the spurs….George Hill, Roger Mason, Dajuan Blair, De Colo, McClinton, Finley, Bonner
On the bench for the celtics…either Perkins or Rasheed, maybe Big Baby, JR Giddens, Pruitt, Walker, Tony Allen, Eddie House
On the bench for the cavs….(I am assuming Anthony Parker will start) Delonte West, Big Z, Gibson, JJ Hickson, Wallly, Darnell Jackson

I think all three of those benches is stronger than the Lakers.

Gatorheels, If big baby doesn’t resign the C’s aren’t that deep. Walker, Pruitt and Giddens have proved nothing. Although I do like Walker and Giddens.

I would take Giddens, Pruitt, & Walker over Farmar, Brown, & Walton anyday though. All the Lakers have left is Odom. Celtics still have Tony Allen, Rasheed or Perkins, & Eddie House. If Big Baby does resign the Celtics win in a landslide as far as depth is concerned.

I am not saying the Lakers bench is better I am saying it is pretty weak in itself.

A prime Shaq was better then Jordan and Tex Winter himself said Jordan would have never avereged 30 a game playing with a prime Shaq like Kobe did. Secondly, the 80’s were considerd the golden years because guys like Bird, Jordan, and Magic made the league blossom. The 90’s were considered crappy due to a bunch of expansion. Scoring was way down and the league was tampering with rules to make it better.

None of the teams that the bulls beat were some amazig group of guys. The league naturally evolves as each generation pushes the next. Now guys are more athletic and play tougher d and have more complete games then ever. Jordan was a big part of that because everyone wanted to be like him. Who did jordan compete with on the perimeter? Drexler, Richmond, Dumars, Starks, Majerle, Miller… Try competeing with guys like Lebron, Wdae, Kobe, etc. And who were the centers he scored on in the finals? Oliver miller, Vlade Divac, Greg Ostertag, Jim McIlvaine…

The game has evolved and right now it belongs to kobe and lebron. To try and take away from Kobe by saying he had it easy playing with shaq and in an easier era is wrong.

They won three with a Kobe, Fisher, Shaq, Horry etc but that was back when Kobe was 21-24 and Fisher was 23-26. Thinking Kobe will be at this great level for 6 more years is a joke look at his minutes played over his career, Jordan only played that long because he had 5-6 years off in between. With 6 more years he would become maybe the 3rd highest with games played not counting the playoffs which obviously he has played in plenty of. Another reason they won’t win the next few championships is Phil Jackson most likely this is his last year becaz of health. Also, Fisher is getting old because he made 2 clutch 3’s doesn’t mean he is close to what he was during the first 3 peat. He got burned by younger pg’s in the playoffs off the dribble. Without Odom this team isn’t going anymore, Bynum isn’t that good & Gasol is a very good player but he’s no where close to a Duncan/KG level on defense. I’ll give it to them for signing Artest made the team tougher though I think his defense is a lil overrated, his offense is underrated. Nothing was wrong with Ariza but they upgraded. Its foolish to think they can beat the league like they did this past year w/Spurs, Blazers, Nuggets, Mavs, Cavs, Celtics will all be better. Also the cap its going down 57.7 mill the Lakers already at 85 mill for next year w/out Odom’s 7-10 mill salary. So if their at 92 mill w. the luxury tax at 67 million that 25 million in luxury tax at least they have to pay. That might work for 1 season but doubtful they are willing to pay for it in the long haul esp. w/the lux tax number dropping. Forget about draft picks next years 1st rounder gone to Memphis & obviously they will be picking in the last 4-5 spots in the first round the following years as well. How are they getting younger at any position, besides Center the team will be well into the 30’s.

“The reality is, the Lakers have a dynasty in the making. They have good players at EVERY position, and maybe the best bench in the league with or without Lamar Odom”.

That might be the dumbest comment ever on this site, who’s on the bench besides Walton that any team worries about. Vujacic can’t hit a shot for his life, Mbenga, Powell, did nothing in the playoffs. Farmar doesn’t fit their system and might get traded. Brown had a few good games against the Nuggets doesn’t mean he’s a 6th man. The bench is the weak part of the team.

If the Celtics sign Grant Hill they might be favorites to win it all they are better at every position than the Lakers except SG which obviously Kobe trumps everyone. Their bench will have Rasheed Wallace, Grant Hill, House, Scalabrine, possibly Big Baby I’d take any of them over guy on Lakers bench except Odom.

Don’t count out the Spurs if Ginobli is healthy with Parker, Mason, Finley, RJ, Blair, Duncan, McDyess, Bonner they have plenty of talent and more guys that can get to the rim. More importantly a healthy Duncan is a nightmaire for any team. This upcoming season probably will be one of the most competitive one for the championship.

Giddens < Brown
Walker < Walton
Pruitt < Farmer

If you are referring to me, I did’nt mean that kobe avereged 30 a game with shaq, just that he played with a prime shaq wich jordan did’nt. Also, I’m not sure what confrence has to so with it, the lakers were never a run and gun team. Guys like Shaq, fox, horry and fisher were all half court players. And as for the eras, the 90’s had less athleticism on defense. The perimter guys are more athletic and the bigs who rotate over are way more athletic now. The reason scoring is up is because players are more talented and teams don’t just go one one as much as they used.

I think the team who could win a title is Boston

Rondo is a jumpshot away from being a top 3 PG.

Allen and Pierce are getting up there but they are guys who play off each other.

Garnett getting hurt was actually good. He needed some time off because he played like 12-15 straight seasons of Playoff basketball and reg season ball.

Wallace can be a solid C or the 6th man

Perkins, Walker, Pruitt, Hudson, Allen are great contributors off the bench.

Kobe averages 30 pts a year once with Shaq don’t forget he plays in the West Conf. and in a totally different era than MJ did in the 90’s.

Try competeing with guys like Lebron, Wdae, Kobe, etc. And who were the centers he scored on in the finals? Oliver miller, Vlade Divac, Greg Ostertag, Jim McIlvaine

Who have the Lakers played in the Finals, Mutumbo, Rick Smits, Todd McCulloch, Ben Wallace are world beaters now. Kobe hasn’t faced LeBron, Wade in the playoffs he’s lost to Nash twice, KG, Duncan, Rip and Co. Give me a break Jordan already beat Malone, Stockton, Ewing, Kemp, Barkley, Payton, Drexler, Magic. Last I checked when you win 6 rings and only lost in the playoffs in 95 after playing about 20 regular season games. Bulls probably would’ve won in 94 & 99 easily if MJ didn’t retire.

The 90’s had better TEAM defense… IIperez22 in the late 80’s and early 90’s players had higher IQ’s and played a more physical brand of defense… Athleticism is just part of good defensive, playing angles, discipline, and footwork have alot to do with playing good defensive.. Jordan would have averaged 30 with or without Shaq he was just that type of player…

against, I was referring to regular season play. But in the playoffs, guys like Ronnie brewer, artest, battier, djones, and pietrus are all great defenders from just this past playofs. Jordan got to go straight up against guys like Ehlo, Bryon Russel, and undersized guys like payton and Starks. Regardless, i’ve already said jordan was the best ever including kobe so I’m not sure how this convo even turned into that. I was just defending Kobe from people were saying he was’nt even top 10.

And for the 90’s, I can gaurantee you teams went way more one on one back then. Every play was clearing the side for the all-star and running a pick and roll. Now there are more shooters, so teams pass the ball around more instead of just letting it stick in one guys hand. Watching Barkley and Ewing and malone just pound the ball on one side was not very fun to watch.

In the 80’s and to a lesser extent the 90’s, players were more one dimensional. Some guys could shoot, some could drive, some could play d. That’s what made jordan so special, because he put everything together. The defenses used to be able to pack it in and just stay on the one shooter. Or they would collapse on the star player because there was always one or two guys that were non threats. With the way the game evolves, defenses are extended out to 25 feet because in today’s game, almost everyone can shoot. So the defenders have to be quicker to stay out on guys and the bigs have to be able to rotate faster then ever. Guys were more physical back then because they had to be because they were’nt as quick. The game evolves, players don’t get worse at defense and coaches don’t all the sudden start preaching less defense.

I can see the Lakers being a consistent contender for the next few years barring injury. OK…Kobe and Fish are into their 14th and 15th years, but still KOBE is only 30 which is not TOO old. Artest is awaiting 30, so I look to see them compete for 3 to 4 years. EVERYBODY is getting better, but the LAKERS are seasoned and experienced. Thats why their bench is fairly the best in the league. They are BATTLE-TESTED!! Jackson is doing a great time placing Rambis and company under his wing. This will be good in the future.

I dont know how the season is going to pan out, but lets stop bashing Dhamp and his theory. KOBE just needs this rest this summer and watch how FRESH he and the Lakers will come back. OVERALL, lets embrace the greatness of KOBE and how he may carry a team. GASOL is a GREAT center in this league, lets give him credit. BYNUM is BYNUM, he does what he do. ODOM is a special guy, very versatile, so I hope the Lakers re-sign him. ARTEST, OVERRATED DEFENDER??? Come on now, the guy aint what he used to be, but I guarantee you he will help KOBE this year on defense. FARMAR will receive the role as the next Lakers pg. Vujacic must emerge as the 3pt. threat he once was, as well as bringing that instant offense he used to. WALTON is versatile and a nice little spark off the bench. Can do it all on the court. BROWN is the wildcard for me. STUPID athletic!!!! Can shoot the 3 fairly decent as well. POWELL is solid and deserves a little more minutes to show off his mid-range and pick and roll game. Mbenga is a long, lengthy defending big that will hopefully find some use one day. MORRISON will hopefully gain that Gonzaga form so he can get back that 3 pt. touch he once possessed.

SOLID TEAM FOR A FEW MORE YEARS!!!!

no other team is on there level from top to botton come on..boston is good but they have no bench and up there in age..ray allen really showed it..knicks kobe isnt tired so you can stop wishing on that..his efficantcy ratings have actually gone up this year and will go up even more now that ron is there and he doesnt have to carry the load..spurs is another team that has zero bench and duncan is learly on his way down…..and gator you can have giddens walker and pruitt because none of them have even shown they can get consistant min yet unless you count the d leauge..will the lakers win three straight..no one knows but odds are in there favor much more then any other team in the leauge…just like the convo cavsdawg and knicks had..check the vegas lines

josh huestis- your saying that as a Lakers fan…lol

The Lakers are not the next dynasty. I dont see them winning a title next year. They can make it but I think the Rasheed Wallace addition was better than adding Ron Artest.

ok d hamp, i consde the lakers are a very good team, but calling them a dynasty and guaranteeing the next 3 championships is VERY bold. I mean, the Celtics will be at full strength next year and they bring back the lineup + Rasheed Wallace (not to mention Rajon Rondo’s improvement). Orlando’s lookin real good with VInce Carter, Cleveland’s makin noise with shaq and anthony parker, and in the west, you can’t discount dallas, san antonio, not to mention houston if yao ming comes back.

and really, kobe and derek fisher are aging, ron artest is an ok pickup but how much better is he than trevor ariza at the end of the day? i think the lakers will have an ok shot at the title this season, but after that, who knows?

not only as a laker fan but looking at other websites and looking at the odds knicks..im pretty sure just about everywhere u look the lakers are favored…am i wrong?..check out vegas odds Los Angeles Lakers 7-4 In Progress
Cleveland Cavaliers 3-1 In Progress
Boston Celtics 6-1 In Progress
Denver Nuggets 10-1 In Progress
Orlando Magic 10-1 In Progress
San Antonio Spurs 12-1 In Progress
Portland Blazers 15-1 In Progress
Utah Jazz 20-1 In Progress
Houston Rockets 20-1 In Progress
New Orleans Hornets 40-1 In Progress
Dallas Mavericks 40-1 In Progress
Detroit Pistons 50-1 In Progress
Miami Heat 50-1 In Progress
Phoenix Suns 50-1 In Progress
Atlanta Hawks 50-1 In Progress
Chicago Bulls 50-1 In Progress
Philadelphia 76ers 60-1 In Progress
Washington Wizards 100-1 In Progress
Golden State Warriors 100-1 In Progress
Milwaukee Bucks 100-1 In Progress
Toronto Raptors 100-1 In Progress
Memphis Grizzlies 100-1 In Progress
Minnesota T-Wolves 100-1 In Progress
Indiana Pacers 100-1 In Progress
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New York Knicks 100-1 In Progress
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Last Updated: July 10, 2009 3:37:46 AM EDT

personally i dont think its a better pick up since they were pretty solid down low when healthy..ron ron at this point is better than rasheed..rashedd has clearly took a step backwards and is on the downside of his career..and yes he was trying last year for those who will try to make and excuse for the past season..rasheed isnt the type of player that just doesnt try

they better resign odom or they win nothing

But Vegas Odds are just guessing too. I just dont think the Lakers have the best roster. I mean beside Kobe, noone on that team is better than anyone on the Celtics starting 5

Josh come on dude…how can you say the Celtics & Spurs have no bench??? Look at their rosters please.

It is the Lakers that don’t have quality depth.

thank you gator…help me out here

a pg who everyone admits is slow

a sf who is a head case ( i love ron artest but come on)

a pf who play soft all year except for 6 games

a C who cannot play well in the playoffs

a SF/PF off the bench who eats too much candy

and

kobe…

Artest is an upgrade over Ariza….but not a huge upgrade. Ariza made a lot of clutch shots in the playoffs.
Fisher made clutch shots too but yeah he is slow and can only get worse.
Kobe is Kobe….but I did see him wear down in some games.
Odom…that candy is going to catch up with him. No wonder he will never reach his potential.
Bynum…somewhat of a mystery to me. Has some great moments but dissapears completely for long stretches.
Gasol- he stepped his game up but what happens when he faces KG again…he turns soft
The Bench- straight trash..Walton scrub…Farmar scrub…Brown has some talent but isn’t a factor yet…who else? nobody

If the Celtics manage to resign Big Baby and pickup Grant Hill…its a wrap. Boston will be world champs.
I think the Spurs match up well with the Lakers too as long as they stay healthy. I mean Tony Parker casuses Fisher fits. Ginboli will make Kobe work very hard on D. Jefferson will make Artest work very hard on D. Duncan will abuse Bynum &or Gasol. What happens when Kobe & Artest get tired? They have no subs.

gator…gasol is still soft

im not gonna take that label off because he played Dwight Howard who has 1 or 2 post moves

Shannon Brown cannot Play PG ( your boy Josh knows that)

Agreeable, but who thought he would attack a fan? you never know

Against Howard, Gasol looks tough. Against Kevin Garnett, Gasol looks like Shaggy from Scooby Doo

Bynum was healthy…he didnt play well and phil put him on the bench.

Odom off the bench is good…but it does not fill every need. The Lakers need more depth.

dude…Jordan Farmar sucks…he didnt get alot of PT last year because Phil didnt wanna play him.

Artest…..ok youre right but, he still is crazy.

Thats a christmas day game, What Happened in the Finals? Celtics smoked them

As a fan of every team except the lakers I think they probably have the best chance of winning because the only teams that can guard Kobe effectively are Houston and San Antonio. Battier and Bowen are the only 2 guys I have ever seen play Kobe one on one while other teams run double and triple teams on him (Besides Raja Bell but I think the Bobcats are irrelevant). Kobe is good enough to make a shot with 1, 2, or 12 hands in his face and I don’t understand why more coaches don’t realize this fact. Besides Gasol and Kobe that team is full of role players who are great at knocking down open shots, and teams continue to give Kobe’s teammates open shots to make. Houston did well against Kobe because they either ran Battier or Artest straight up on him and only collapsed if Kobe got into the lane. It has been shown over and over again that Kobe cannot carry his team throughout the whole playoffs to a championship by himself. Not a knock on Kobe at all, no player can win without help. But teams continue to allow the role players to beat them which is a cardinal sin.

Let Kobe take his 30 shots a game, and even if he drops 33 points on you that is still efficient defense. But stop putting 2 players on a shooter. Phil, Gasol, Bynum, the other team, and every fan in Staples Center knows Kobe is looking to shoot when he gets the ball. It doesn’t make sense to double team him when A) he can shoot over you and make it or B) he’s going to pass to his open teammate. He’s not stupid but teams constantly treat him like it. Even in the Finals when Orlando put Pietrus on Kobe to play him he was getting help. Nelson would come down off Fisher and he hit those 2 big shots in Game 4. Hedo and Pietrus would try to trap Kobe at the top of the key and he passed out. I remember the Lakers literally ran the same play 5 times in a row in game 5 where Ariza would screen Kobe’s man, and every time Pietrus and Hedo would both step out on Kobe and he would pass to Ariza who of course was wide open. Then they did the same thing with Pau setting the screen but Howard never committed to the double team and it didn’t work as well.

That being said back to the original point. With Houston they can still play good defense on the Lakers but I think Bynum could probably outscore their entire team at this point. San Antonio has the best chance in the west, especially if they can resign Bowen somehow, also I think the Mavs will be dangerous with Marion. In the East Boston probably has the best shot at getting out of it just because they play team ball so well. I can’t count out the Cavs but I’m not sure they got any better than last year, even with Shaq. Plus, if they get to the finals against the Lakers James will probably have to guard Kobe and Ron will guard James, and I’m not sure how much energy James will have since he will have to be at the top of his game on offense and defense. Also, if Kobe goes to the bench I don’t see a situation where the Lakers have to worry about getting killed, but if James sits I can only image how many points they will be down when he gets back in. Also, in the West I can’t ever count out a team with Chauncey but again, I’m not sure who’s going to guard Kobe. Denver might be better off leaving Kobe open the whole game and trying to outscore LA. 🙂 jokes

of course they beat the lakers..they had a healthier team..same as when boston had a injured kg and didnt make it past the second round..we shall see if ag has caught up wit them on there path to the championship thi syear…lakers will be waiting if fully healthy

this is the same bench that last year the basketball expects who ya’ll follow when they say someone will be very good or a number one draft pick said lakers have one of the best benches in the leauge.but ill settle it another way by looking at the numbers through out the leauge and see whos bench produces the most as well and shuts down the opposing teams benches..so we shall see what the facts say which will finish the arguement

Yea, dont count out San Antonio and Dallas. I think they can challenge the Lakers and the Spurs can beat the Lakers. Cleveland is the only team i can see beat the Celtics.

yea i dont see the spurs beating the lakers….too much stock into richard jefferson and ginobli stays injuried so i wouldnt count on him too much like ya’ll say about bynum…so far lakers bench lead leauge in ast 3rd in stela..dalls first in pts…lakers 4th in plus minus they were plus 449..seems that utah has the best overall bench though which i forgot how good there bench actually is….cleveland has to learn to beat the magic first

oi pretty much ignore the absolutes guys..the ones that say..well kobe WONT do this or the lakers WILL ..or theres no way they can beat boston because boston beat them 2 years ago..wheather it benifits or not im not much for absolutes since no one can tell the future..i will reply to disscussions if someone just doesnt thin this or that will happen

I can see the Spurs beat the Lakers if Healthy. If your gonna say Manu gets hurt, you gotta say the same for Bynum

Parker, Manu, Jefferson, McDyess, Duncan, Blair, McClinton, Mason – thats a good team. I think they could take out the lakers

Dallas could push the Lakers like Houston did last year.

I think Cleveland will be improved. Parker is a good wing who ( like most players around LBJ) can get more open shots. I can see him average 16ppg and like 6rpg.

gators define quality depth..just because a player doesnt score a bunch of points doesnt mean they arent a quality bench..each player provides something which makes them a better bench unit..big baby wasnt incredible during the year..house SHOT well ..theres a difference between benchs that play well toeher and one or 2 plays that just do one thing…as individuals walton isnt that good but with the bench group he is a very effictive player and thats all it comes down too with the lakers..a bench that doesnt hurt you too much when they are out there or that helps you….also dont forget the lakers are the defending champions now…the title runs through them and untill someone else wins it they are the champs…no opnion or hating will change that

True..title goes through LA.

I define quality depth by simply talent. Depth is important but a teams’ starters are obviously more important.
I just think Spurs, Celtics, & Cavs have overall better talent on the bench.

Tony Parker George Hill
SG Roger Mason Manu Ginobili
SF Michael Finley Bruce Bowen
PF Tim Duncan Kurt Thomas
C Matt Bonner Fabricio Oberto
starters and back ups..ginobli still isnt healed..bowen wasn that good this year and is gone..they still havent brought back oberto even though the bucks released him (unless they recently picked him up..im not sure if kurt thomas is still there or not..finley will be on the bench now and hes dropped way off….the thing that hurts there bench the most is the fact they will have to play alot more then average against the lakers..duncan has to check bynum oddom and gasol if any one has watched past match up jefferson has some issues with artest..spurs do have good weapons but the lakers out weight there weapons overall…now imma check out the cavs…im guessing the mismatches will be even more evident

you forgot jefferson on the spurs. he takes finley’s place. and mcdyess. oberto, bowen and thomas are gone

Mo Williams Daniel Gibson
SG Delonte West Wally Szczerbiak
SF LeBron James Tarence Kinsey
PF Anderson Varejao Joe Smith
C Zydrunas Ilgauskas Ben Wallace

gibson has turned into sasha..wally is a non factorkinsely????..should i even say anything..joe smith is decent and illgauskas is pretty decent also..cleveland would need both pf to contain gasol..odom is better then both starters and back up at pf..(healthy bynum is better then now illgauskas) walton isnt the best but hes much better then kinsey..the sg position is probably more even with wally and sasha …farmer and brown out plays gibson pretty easily..he was gibson was a one trick poney like sasha but that trick didnt work last year……..actually celevlands bench is worst then i though if it wasnt for them getting shaq ..now let me check out bostons

no i talked about finley as the back up because jefferson will be starting..i mentioned it

These are the updated rosters Josh…u were leaving out people

Spurs
PG- Parker/Hill/De Colo
SG- Ginobli/Mason/McClinton
SF- Jefferson/Finley
PF- McDyess/Blair
C- Duncan/Bonner

Celtics
PG- Rondo/Pruitt/Hudson
SG- Allen/House/Giddens/TAllen
SF- Pierce/Walker/TAllen
PF-KG/Rasheed/Saclabrine
C-Perkins/Rasheed
not to mention Big Baby & Grant Hill are still possibilities

Cavs
PG- Mo/Gibson
SG- Parker/West/Wally
SF- LeBron/Kinsey/Green
PF-Varejao/Hickson/Jackson
C-Shaq/Big Z

Rajon Rondo Stephon Marbury
SG Ray Allen Eddie House
SF Paul Pierce Bill Walker
PF Glen Davis Leon Powe
C Kendrick Perkins Mikki Moore

ok now that steph is gone that leaves gabe..some one said they would take him but he hasnt shown that he is much of a player yet..you can say well he will do this and that in the future but u can say that about others and this is the present farmer and brown have shown that they are better…house does have the edge becaus eeven though he doesnt do much else but shoot he is a good shooter..and since sasha lost his trick also eddie takes this..if sasha finds his stroke then it changes since even though they both would be just shooters..sasha is a 6’7 shooter…personally i like bill walker..always have but this is the case of the present right now and he just isnt ready and doesnt have the experience yet ( never underestimate experience) and as of now walton has him..the pf i give to the lakers because even though big baby showed he can be pretty good with his play offs showing he is not better than lamar odom…..actually i might even it out a lil if leon comes back healthy….a healthy bynum is better then mikki moore and kendrick perkins…..now all this is with the belief that rasheed wallace and kg will be starting which seems to be the case….the thing thats evendent in each benchs is the unprovenness of some of the bench players..while some of the lakers bench players arent the best they all are proven players at least and the fact that the starting line up for the lakers are so good top to bottom that puts extra pressure on the other teams benchs when the starters are tired and the team is down….the only real bench i worry bout is utahs with kover millsap and ak47 if they keep all there players.. also all this is predicated on odom staying which i hope he will..pretty good signs so far with owner ship willing to go more into tax territory unless another team over pays for him……on another subject espn was just talking about how the cap will lower alot next year which makes it even harder for the knicks to sign lebron and another super star….on a good note wade is considering new york…but none of the new york fans should make a big deal since even though lebron is reported telling people he’s leaning toward cleveland

Looks like Josh were leaving out people on purpose…lol

Pruitt > Farmar
Giddens > Brown
Walker > Walton
Rasheed > Odom
Throw in Tony Allen, House, & Hudson and the Celtics clearly have the better bench. Plus if Hill &or Big Baby signs it isn’t even close.

Gibson = Farmar
West > Brown
Wally/Kinsey < Walton
Big Z Farmar
Mason > Brown
Finley < Walton
Bonner < Odom
Add in the three rookies who should all make an impact for the Spurs and I have to give a slight edge to San Antonios bench.

This is just my hones opinion.
Lakers will be hard to beat because their starting 5 is top notch. I just don't think it will be near as easy as last year to win it all.

on another subject espn was just talking about how the cap will lower alot next year which makes it even harder for the knicks to sign lebron and another super star….on a good note wade is considering new york…but none of the new york fans should make a big deal since even though lebron is reported telling people he’s leaning toward cleveland

I mention that in my Salary Cap post….If the cap goes down, the players base salary goes down. I saw it on Espn….Billy King was talking about it.

A player can only have 25% of the cap ( 30 % under LB rules) NY and NJ will have a good amount of cap space to add players

josh none of the rosters you put out were right. You forgot at least one player everytime Jefferson for SA, Parker for Cle and Rasheed for Bos are the big ones. Plus Artest didn’t get water thrown at him it was beer, I would have punched the guy too.

i didnt leave out anyone on purpose…ask before ASSuming..i did forget about allen ..how can you put pruitt over farmer when pruitt hasnt proven anything yet?….you cant base it on what you think someone will do because any one can say a rookie is gonna come in and be a allstar…and giddens over brown???..really..what has giddens prov en so far gator?how is rasheed over odom if hes gonna be starting?…gibson and farmar equal??..did you watch gibson this year…please show me proff of giddens pruitt and walker showing they are better..hudson hasnt played a nba game but you already putting him over quality nba players????( hes not blake or some of the other lotto picks)..danny green over a solid nba player right now???..really you keep naming players that havent shown they can do much if anything in the nba yet…thats youre arguement??…..hill over farmer..so hes produced more the farmar already?…ok i do understand this is youre opnion but you do know its just based on what you HOPE players will do right

so parker is gonna come off the bench?…jefferson off the bench?..rasheed i put him as a starter…you do know we are talking about benches right yup yup and knicks?

bill walker- PPG APG 3P%
3 0 .4 .000

jr giddens
PPG APG 3P%
0.7 0 .000
gabe pruitt

PPG APG SPG
2 0.8 0.3

so you honestly think these guys who played more games in the d leauge then in the nba are better right now then the players you said…im just not buying that at all..its not even close.

The Lakers are good but I dont think there the team to beat. Sure they won the title but I think

In the West:
Dallas, San Antonio, Portland and Utah can test them. San Antonio can beat them in a 7- game series.

In the East:
Cleveland and Boston can Challenge them. Boston can beat them in a 7 game series…again.

La does not have good bench quality nor depth. Farmar did not get alot of burn down the strech. Brown had a ok season but he needs to show he can do it for 2 season. , Sasha, Morrison and Yue are question marks and Powell can only guard PF’s. The only solid one is Odom.

SA has a better bench
Boston has a better bench ( even more better if they add another PF/C)
Cleveland have a pretty even bench with LA.

Hahahah Josh you idiot you named the starters too, but still forgot people. You don’t even know what you are talking about.

i already agreed that me and all of my friends would have reacted the same………………..gatorheels now that i think about it..one thing you said that i didnt agree with in the beginning i do agree with now is the gibson= to farmer

Josh- it isn’t what I hope players will do. It is who has more talent. Pruitt, Giddens, & Walker haven’t had to play much yet. All three of them have a lot of talent that certainly outweighs Farmar, Brown, & Walton.

When did I say I would put Hudson or Green over a quality NBA player? All I did was put them on the Bench.

George Hill is better than Farmar I’m sorry.

As far as I’m concerned the only thing Farmar has proved is that he is a scrub who will never be a full time legit starting PG. You mean to tell me Farmar & Brown & Walton have proved to be a quality bench?

I firmly believe Lakers are best team in NBA this coming season and I fully expect a repeat. No one can say where big free agents will land and how next couple of drafts will unfold. Best crop of free agents and history and a couple strong drafts will change balance, and no one knows where chips will land. Impossible to say, so guarantees are meaningless, unless you are Joe Namath.

Boston, San Antonio and others are poised to make a run this year. Can’t even guarantee crown in 2010!

like I said they havnt showed it. They havnt gotten the time because they havnt proven they deserve it I don’t do ifs. I’m a proof guy. It’s pretty well known that themajority of the people knows the lakers are the team to beat. But y’all are welcome to you’re opinions. Dallas and Cleveland. Now that’s funny

The thing is the Lakers are the same team as last year IMO. Yeah Artest is a slight upgrade over Ariza but the team as whole has gotten older. I’m assuming they resign Odom too. Meanwhile you have to admit..Spurs, Celtics, Cavs, & Mavs have all gotten a lot better.

Well since you dont do ifs. Replace two of those three with Eddie House & Tony Allen then. Both those players have proved to be better than Farmar & Brown.

Ron Artest at this stage of his career is a lot better al-around than Ariza. I do agree that other teams such as Spurs, Cavs and Celtics have improved.

While Artest’s skills I believe in, he has a history of doing goofy things, so nothing is for sure. I do believe he is so hungrry for a ring that he will be on good behavior for at least one year.

Makes me sick to think Bulls drafted Brand and Artest and have nothing to show for them : (

ok lets just says this : the Lakers won’t be a dynasty.