This week in the NBA

[Ripper 0]

LA would be a lot better off if they'd got Marcus Banks in the Mihm/Payton deal though, he's a really talented kid and contributes solid minutes off the bench for the Celtics.

I still think it would have been better to have tried to resign Fisher. Banks may be a better guard than Atkins, but it still doesn't solve the lack of depth at that position. I think LA needs to stock up on guards, not forwards personally. All they needed was a great PG and a stable contributor at C and Kobe/Odom/Butler could do the rest, but apparently it's not working that way. I hope we get someone back for the Vlade deal, hopefully when Malone gets traded to San Antonio for, say, Tony Parker. I'm pretty damn happy with Chris Mihm though, even if he is still just learning the ropes, the kid's a solid player.

The need to be moving someone and try to get Jason Williams out of Memphis. I think Watson is going to be their guy and I am sure that Jason will not like being a traditional bench player(it didn't matter under hubie as everyone on the team got the same minutes).

[Guest Vitamin X]

I'd love to see J-Will on the Lakers. As much as I hate the Kings, but J-Will has cleaned up that dirty part of him by playing in Memphis for a while, and Vlade was exempt because he was formerly a Laker.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Fuckin A. Looking at that starting lineup vs. the Kings, it looks great if only it wasn't for Chucky Atkins. What the hell is up with Divac?

[alfdogg 0]

Hamilton's nose can't possibly still be broken. Lose the friggin' mask already.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Maybe it's good luck?

[Guest Vitamin X]

Oh, and can someone mind explaining to me what exactly constitutes a "loose ball foul"?

[The Czech Republic 0]

Paul Silas does the unthinkable and exercises authority over his players. Then he really goes crazy, and takes the high road by not letting the media get their mitts all over it.

[Guest Mindless_Aggression]

Ya know, I think I'd shit myself in horror if I saw a mad Paul Silas coming after me. Kudos to Paul, he handled it well.

[The Czech Republic 0]

There's something so cool about an NBA coach not taking shit from his players. This is the way it ought to be, but I guess this is an age where the players get revenge for their college years by recruiting their coaches instead of vice versa.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Lakers leading the Kings in Cowtown by 20 with 4 minutes to go in the 4th. Great stuff, but Sacramento's not passing the ball around much.

[Mr. S£im Citrus 0]

....

 

 

Well, that was a shitty way to start my leave...

[Guest Vitamin X]

Kobe now has more 10-assist games at this point in the season (7) than he had all of the last(6)

[iggymcfly 0]

I called the Lakers winning tonight. I'm really getting to like having an online sportsbook to bet with, as that picked me up another easy $20.

[The Electrifyer 0]

OMG AND THE BULLS WIN AGAIN. SOMEBODY PLEASE NOTICE OMG.

[The Czech Republic 0]

The Bulls could pull ahead of the Bucks! I knew this team had potential. DENG!

[Guest Vitamin X]

Said Sacramento Kings coach Rick Adelman after Sacramento's worst home loss in 7 years->

``We weren't doing anything that was going to get us into the game,'' said coach Rick Adelman, who furiously benched his starters for the final 4:49. ``They're a team that gives us problems because of matchups, but they're not that good. This was hopefully a wakeup call, because they handled us.''

 

If they're not that good how come they just stomped all over you, then? When the Lakers get that offensive execution going, they're tough to beat and I love it that way. Even Atkins didn't play too badly yesterday, but the big story was LA hitting something like 13 of 26 from beyond the arc. I'm happy to have a fast, outside shooting team.

[The Czech Republic 0]

You're gonna be really sad when the Lakers finish ninth.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Give me 8 teams in the West better than they are. I know of a couple-

 

Phoenix, Seattle, San Antonio. Everyone else in the West is below or at the Lakers' level. The Nuggets haven't gotten it quite together yet, the Jazz are terribly inconsistent, and the Kings are right around the same level. The Lakers played Phoenix close (before giving up a 15 point lead late in the 4th), played San Antonio close after being manhandled at the half and in the 3rd quarter, and there's no excuse for Seattle, but in my opinion they're playing the best basketball in the league right now, so that might be an excuse.

 

But at least I'm not a Bulls fan, thankfully... (or of any Chicago-area sports team, for that matter.. you'd think with a market area that big they could field together a team that would at least be in playoff contention..)

[Brett Favre 0]

The Timberwolves are worst than the Lakers? Bottom line, will they be in the NBA Finals this year (Lakers)?

[The Czech Republic 0]

1)San Antonio

2)Seattle

3)Phoenix

4)Sacramento

5)Minnesota

6)Dallas

7)Denver

8)Utah

 

The Lakers are not guaranteed a playoff spot.

[Brett Favre 0]

I forgot about Dallas. San Antonio, Phoenix, Dallas, Minny, and Seattle are without a doubt better than L.A. The final 3 spots will be decided by Utah, Denver, L.A, Memphis, Portland, Clippers, and Sacramento.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Dallas is not a better team than Los Angeles, and Minnesota has had a disappointing season thus far.

 

Then again, we're not even at the halfway mark of the season, so it's still a bit early to judge. Let's wait until the All-Star week to start getting a good feel for who's who and how they're playing. But I severely doubt L.A.'s sunk to that level. Last night's victory was a signature one for the season thus far, beating a good team on the road, and it can be a great victory for them if they can ride with it. I think the Dec. 25th game will be huge for the team's confidence as well.

[Guest Vitamin X]

The Lakers are not guaranteed a playoff spot.

Yes, but you act as if their finishing 9th or below is a foregone conclusion, which is certainly not the case. That's more wishful thinking than anything on your part, or so I would expect.

[The Czech Republic 0]

I think the Dec. 25th game will be huge for the team's confidence as well.

That's funny, I didn't know getting sodomized increased one's self-confidence.

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

The Lakers only won because they played Lamar Odom Basketball.

[Guest Vitamin X]

So sodomy and Christmas go along the same line of thinking for you, Czech?

 

.. And of course, I meant if they win the game.

[mike546 0]

Knicks, down by 19 in the 3rd, come back and get it down to two, thanks to Stephon Marbury. So, what do they do with a chance to tie?

 

They give it to Houston, who airballs it, as the Knicks lose.

 

EDIT: Houston redeams himself, and hits the game tieing three.

 

 

BTW, Jerome Williams is a FUCKING beast. Seriously. This guy is so good on D, such a good teamate, and had decent offense too.

 

Why did Tornoto let go of him?

[Golgo 13 0]

I'm watching Nuggets-Heat right now and Carmello rolled his ankle again. It looked pretty awful.

[Cuban Linx 0]

Nothings quite the cure for some recent losses than a game against the Atlanta Hawks. Portland win by 16 and get back to .500 and they thankfully do not trade for Vince Carter, not a bad day.

[Brett Favre 0]

JYD for President.

 

The Knicks, maybe the season turning game of the year? This was a huge win. I've never seen the team play defense in the 4th and OT like they did. Marbury, JYD, Ariza, Sweetney, KT, Houston, left their hearts out. Crawford made a huge save, and Moochie also contributed. I'm all giddy.