A Purple And Gold Throat-Slasher

So...umm... remember my anti-Artest post from a month or so ago?

Yeaaaaaaaah... might need to take that one back.

What must it feel like to be the Dodgers PR guy? You're one day away from getting Manny back on the squad, arguably one of the biggest news stories of the year for the Dodgers and you STILL get your press jacked by the Lakers, this time in the form of Ron Artest apparently signing a three year, $18 million deal.

Am I happy about this? Not sure. I much would have rather had Ariza back but it didn't seem to be in the cards. His agent took a very antagonistic stance from the beginning and seemed to fan the flames rather than try to keep his client in a good situation. The 24 year old, when it came down to it, jumped for more money. No big shock there, right?

So, the Lakers adjusted and went after another target - one who, in theory, should be able to match or exceed Ariza's offensive and defensive production.

Now, can we all get along?

That remains to be seen. You've got quite the loose cannon out there now and someone who has, in the past, complained about not getting enough touches. If Artest knows that his role mostly is to defend, we should be golden. If he gets three-pointer happy like he did in the playoff series this year, well... there could be problems.

Oh, let me take a quick moment to say that Ariza's agent has quickly risen to join Scott Boras in the ranks of agents that I despise. This is the same guy who held us up with Bynum last season and just did the same thing again. What an ass.

I just hope this move still leaves money for Lamar. Starting five of Fish, Kobe, Artest, Pau, and Bynum with Lamar as the 6th man? I can deal with that, I think.

One To Go...

Like I really was going to talk about anything else tonight.

That was a fun game to watch. Back and forth, runs and droughts, cursing, screaming, and praising. You've got to love playoff basketball.

So, the Lakers find themselves one win away from another Championship which is absolutely awesome... duh.

The game was sloppy at times and got a little chippy at points [about time!] but that didn't make it any less entertaining. A second OT game? Amazing. Derek Fisher with the 3 Pointer Of Absolute Redemption? Incredible. Pau looking like he wanted to throw down with a foo'? Priceless.

Oh, and don't forget that Kobe guy. The best player walkin'.

One more win. One more. The question now becomes do they get too lazy and blow it in Game Five or does the young Magic team fold house like the Nuggets did?

Laker Game Recap

Worked late tonight and I just finishing watching the game. I open tomorrow so I'll make this short...

Complete and total domination was awesome to see. In all of the interviews all week, you could FEEL that Kobe was... pick an adjective... focused, determined, centered, motivated, etc. And he certainly shot right out of the gate tonight to show it.

But the real good sign was the defensive intensity that our boys put out there.

If they can keep it up, things will be looking good. Game 2's are always tough though for the winner of Game 1 - especially in a game like this. It's important to not get cocky and to come out with the same level of intensity.

Sunday should be a lot of fun.

Some Random Thoughts

Just sneaking in before the witching hour with some random thoughts about random stuff...

*** Lakers heading into Game 6!
It's not like I don't have absolute faith in the Purple & Gold but... well, let's just say that when I found out that Game 7 was scheduled for Sunday evening, I had to put in quite the effort at work today to get them to switch my schedule so I worked in the morning instead. Gotta be prepared, you know?

*** Prop 8
I know, I know. After all the fuss I raised back in November, you expected some huge diatribe on my part but I don't think I have it in me this week. Suffice to say that with all the riots, all the crime, all the jokes about pollution and earthquakes and fake breasts and all that jazz, I can honestly say that I can only recall two times in my life where I've been embarrassed to be from California and they both were because of this issue. It's a crime, it's a travesty, and until it's righted, it's a wrong that Californians shouldn't just accept. Oh, and for all those religious folks out there crying "Morality prevailed" - you can come pay me a visit and we'll discuss your morality and what it means to real people.

*** Remakes! Remakes! Remakes!
I know everyone's GOT to be as sick of the remake trend in Hollywood as I am. It seems like every week has a half dozen remakes greenlighted but this week scraped the bottom of the barrel. "Hey, I know. Let's make a Buffy The Vampire Slayer movie but not involve ANYONE that actually saved that creative concept the first time around." God forbid they actually make money on something.

*** Twilight At Comic-Con
I'm disillusioned, I must admit. I can not fathom any earthly idea why there would be a Twilight panel at Comic-Con. Not one. Not a single hint of one. I know it's popular, I know it appeals to horny teenage girls. But come on... really? This is almost enough reason alone to make me not want to go this year.

*** Battlestar Galactica Lives On
And I'm not even talking about Caprica. Between receiving the soundtrack in the mail, last night's post about the live concerts of the score, and the super-fantastic amazing board game that the Missus and I just finished a rousing game of, I'm more in love with BSG than ever.

Oh, and I don't really have a comment on this but...

How 'bout them Dodgers?

Now THAT'S More Like It

Now THAT was fun, right?

Okay, sure - it wasn't the prettiest game at times.

Okay, sure - we may have a slight problem if Fish gets suspended.

Okay, sure - we may have a MAJOR problem if Kobe gets suspended for the elbow.

But damn, that was fun.

One of my favorite fouls EVER...



I couldn't find any footage of Artest losing his mind but I'm sure it'll be up soon enough. And I will continue to swear he made a Arn Anderson-ish throat slashing gesture in Kobe's direction.

Lakers Lose, Dodgers Win

I don't know 'bout y'all but I don't think I'm alone in being shocked that the Dodgers would be the ones making big headlines in LA Sports in May while the Lakers are simply limping towards the finish line.

Now, as we all know, "it's still early" so there's plenty of time for both of those situations to change but right now, this is how it looks...

The Lakers aren't sharp. They didn't look sharp against Utah when they were coughing up lead after lead after lead. They won the series but didn't impress anyone while they did it. In fact, the talk of basketball since then was just about anything but the Lakers. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for the co-favorite for the NBA Title. Of course, there was still some drama to be had today with the announcement that Kobe has the flu [my mother thinks he might have swine flu... now THAT'S drama.] That'll certainly be one of the excuses used tonight after they coughed up the home court edge they "worked" all season for. But the fact is, I saw the same team I saw against Utah. Flashes of brilliance mired in lots of... eh. I still expect they'll manage to beat the Rockets but when they run into the Nuggets? The Celtics? The Magic? The Cavs?

Well, that may be another story.

And speaking of another story, down the road at Chavez Ravine, the Dodgers were putting the finishing touches on another impressive victory. Yes, so far it's only been at home but a record-setting 11-0 to start the season at home still has to impress even if they're only playing .500 on the road. Yes, the pitching is still leaving a little to be desired and the bullpen is likely going to be "nervous time" instead of "game over" for most of the year.

But the offense...

Dear, dear me... the offense.

I have NEVER seen a Dodger team have an offense like this. This is an AL-style offense. Pure offensive production that is just... well, too much fun to watch.

No winning streak lasts forever and this one is no different. It'll end soon enough and that'll be the real test for this team.

But until then, I hope the Dodgers enjoy their moment in the sun of LA sports.

Ohhhh, Laker Fans!

I didn't get to see the bulk of the game but what I saw was glorious.

Okay, maybe not glorious but I was happy that I was able to see the end of the game during my lunch break - even if I did have to clock in a couple minutes late so that I could catch those waning seconds of action.

And yes, it would have been cooler if there wasn't a nutball about five feet away who was talking to himself the whole time. "Take 'im to the hole, Kobe!" "Ohh yeah! Make 'im your bitch!" and other assorted quips. Scary.

From the stuff I've read since I got home, it sounds like it was a bit of a weird game with the Lakers piling on in the first half but slacking off a bit in the second half. They got the "W" so that's all that's important... for now. But soon enough, they need to show the kind of killer instinct that they'll need to finish teams off later on.

Now, as for the other LA sports team. How 'bout them Dodgers?

Oh, and I have a really distasteful joke about the Just-Swept-By-The-Twins California Angels...

...but I shan't make it because I think it's even too distasteful for me.

So, for now... I'll simply enjoy what was an awesome day for LA sports fans.

How 'Bout Them Lakers?

No, seriously.  How about them?

It's been a weird NBA season for me.  I'm not sure what it is - maybe the extended caring for the MLB season since the Dodgers were in the postseason a little longer than usual - but for whatever reason, I just haven't really gotten into the NBA this year.  I've watched a couple of games but I don't have that same fire for it that I've had before.

I know that they're winning and winning often.  I also know that after a brief stint of lockdown defense, they've apparently settled for trying to outscore everyone which worked so well against the Celtics in the Finals last year.  I've seen quite a few nailbiter victories in recent weeks as well - against teams that didn't really seem like they should be nailbiters.

So, how about those Lakers?  Are they as good as their record looks or are they as bad as these close wins to overmatched teams indicates?

And why don't I care as much this season?  Why is it the heart of NBA season and I'm already counting the days 'til pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training (31, btw)?

Anyone?

Bueller?

What Can You Say?

I really don't want to talk about it but I will... once... just because I should wrap up the season. So, this is my final Laker post of the 2007-08 season.

What can you say?

They stunk up the joint. On offense, on defense, on rebounding, on hustle, on... well, pretty much any aspect of the game you can think of. They didn't look sharp. They didn't look hungry. And they didn't look like they wanted it bad enough.

I was furious last night - I won't lie. It was one of the most disappointing series I've ever seen. You can "what if" yourself to death being a sports fan at times but there are a lot of "What ifs" in this series that could've wrapped it up the other way. It didn't - but it could have.

I'm not mad about the loss. I'm disappointed by the loss.

What I'm mad about is the lack of intensity, heart, and pride from the team.

There was a point in Game 5 when I saw a Laker pass get deflected by a diving James Posey and my immediate thought was there were probably three or four players on the Lakers who would even think of doing something like that. That sums up the whole series in a nutshell, I think. They just got outexecuted and outhustled over and over.

I was upset that the Laker stood around all series and watched people drive to the rim freely - and no one ever thought to deliver a hard foul to make the Celtics think twice about it. I was upset that while the Celtics continued to rain down threes, running up the score in garbage time, that no Laker even looked slightly offended by it. I was upset that the Celtics spent about four minutes of the game celebrating on the sidelines, hugging, posing for pictures, throwing Gatorade on the floor, etc... basically everything short of a circle jerk... and no Laker looked upset at all.

There was a serious lack of pride and intensity throughout the series - something the Lakers will need to drastically change if they intend to be back in the Finals next year.

Now, for the good news...

Like my Laker fan brethren who came before me, I can now claim a strong hatred for the Boston Celtics.

I hate Doc Rivers and his "rah rah rah" speeches filled with cliches and statements that mean absolutely nothing. I hate people claiming he's a better coach than Phil Jackson based off six games.

I hate Kevin Garnett and his chest pounding and his screaming at the ceiling like an idiot.

I hate Ray Allen. After all the shit he's talked about Kobe in the past, it makes me sick that he got a ring at our expense.

I hate Paul Pierce and his "I heard a pop" theatrics that made him into some kind of a superhero in the media.

I hate Sam Cassell - always have - and the thought of him getting a ring off of u makes me physically ill.

I could go on but I won't. Suffice to say that if the Lakers are even slightly as pissed as I am at the memory of the entire Celtics team spending half the fourth quarter on the sideline celebrating while the game was still going on, the next time the teams meet should be very interesting.

So, where do the Lakers go from here?

I'm guessing trades will be explored for Vlad, Walton, Odom. I don't think Walton will be movable. Vlad might be a possibility but it'll be tough unless we take someone's bad salary back in exchange. Odom's the big trade chip - big expiring salary, solid player. A lot of teams should be interested in him. Farmar is probably a trading chip as well.

I'm pretty confident that they'll be able to re-sign Sasha and Ronny. Everyone else [Mihm, Mbenga, Newble] is probably gone. Ariza will probably stick as well.

The early chatter is about Ron Artest possibly opting out and pursuing a midlevel deal somewhere. Obviously, the Lakers will be very interested if that happens. James Posey will also be looking for a midlevel deal that I'm sure the Lakers will be interested in after getting burned by him in the Finals.

After seeing their young bench falter in the clutch, you have to imagine they might be looking for some vets to add. Could Robert Horry do one more year in purple and gold?

There's a lot of questions to be answered. It's going to be an interesting few months.

Let me wrap this up by saying that I'm very proud of what the Lakers accomplished this season. Obviously, I'm not happy with the last two weeks but I'm very happy with what happened the rest of the season. When the season started, most people assumed they would barely make the playoffs. Many thought they'd be a lottery team after trading Kove. But they pulled together and won the Western Conference in a shocker.

As Dante Hicks would say, "They weren't even supposed to be there."

So, I'm proud of what they accomplished - I'm disappointed with how it ended.

And that's that.

Did you see that the Dodgers won last night? Second place and climbing!

Ain't no thang, bitches.

You gotta believe, baby. You gotta believe.

And Then There Were Two

The haters want to say we can't get the job done.

The haters want to say there's no way we can win two games in THEIR house to win this thing.

The haters want to say our win on Sunday was "ugly" and "lucky" and that if we play that kind of game in Boston, there's no chance in hell.

Derek Fisher got asked after Game 3 about winning ugly. Fish told the press, "My three championship rings don't list my field goal percentage - they only say World Champion." Let's go out and give him a chance to get one more that says the same thing.

Kevin Garnett said after Game 4 that he could "taste" the championship. The only thing I want KG to taste after tonight is the bitter taste of adrenaline as he realizes they're one game away from losing it all.

They want us to give up. They want our heads hanging low. They want us to believe there's no way we can go into someone else's arena and take two must-wins in a row.

The Lakers won 27 games on the road in the regular season.

Let's take a closer look:
In November, a two game winning streak on the road.
In December, a three game winning streak and a two game winning streak on the road.
In January, a three game winning streak on the road.
In February, a three game winning streak and a SEVEN game winning streak on the road.
In March, a three game winning streak on the road.
In April, a three game winning streak on the road.

Every month of the regular season, the Lakers have faced this simple task time and again and got the job done.

So, again I say... two more wins on the road to win it all?

Ain't no thang, bitches.

You gotta believe, baby. You gotta believe.

Top Five Friday: The "Well, That Sucked" Edition

Well, that sucked.

What else can I say? Maybe I shouldn't have worn the Madsen jersey. But I'm really no that superstitious.

So, uhh... yeah, I don't want to talk about it really. 3-1 is tough but I'll hold out hope. I still believe, dammit. It's hard - but I still believe.

Even though I really don't want to talk about it - well, if I'm gonna plead that I still believe, I have to, right? And here we go...

The Top Five Reasons I Still Believe

5. The Bench
It's been a tough series for the Laker bench. They came into the Finals on top of the world, getting love from all the sportswriters. But they've struggled to get on track during this series - falling off at key times. But I still believe the Lakers' bench is better than the Celtics bench and I believe before this series is over, they're going to come together and prove it.

4. Derek Fisher
Fish was the glue that held the team together all season long. The stabilizing force that kept the kids going in the right direction and kept Kobe from losing his focus to play the offense the way they wanted it played. But Fish has yet to have a standout game in this series as well. I expect that to change before it's over as well.

3. Pau Gasol
I know, I know. Pau has proven himself to be as soft as a fluffy pillow in this series so far. But did the guy really go all those years without getting out of the first round to come so close to winning it all and fall short. I gotta think a big game is still in his body. Something approaching 30/15. It's gotta happen.

2. Phil Jackson
The greatest coach in the history of the game has had two chances to break the record for most championships. You're trying to tell me he'll be denied twice? He's the ultimate motivator - no rah rah speeches like Doc Rivers - but knowing the right buttons to push to make things happen. 0 for 2 in chances to break Red's record? I don't think so.

And the Number One reason...

1. Kobe Bryant
It's easy to say that no team has ever come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA Finals - but none of those teams had Kobe Bryant. It's just something about the man - I refuse to believe he'll go down without the fight of his life. He's the best player in the game who just got embarrassed in Game 4. I don't think he's going out like that. If the Celtics want the title, they may have to kill Kobe to get it.

The experts say it can't be done. No team has ever come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the Finals.

Again, I say...

Ain't no thang, bitches.

The Lakers have had a team come back from a 3-1 on them in the playoffs before. They know what it takes to do it. And the experts will say that was totally different because the Suns had two home games to win three while the Lakers only have one left.

Again, I say...

Ain't no thang, bitches.

Is it gonna be tough to win three in a row, two on the road? Hell yes it will.

But you gotta believe, baby. You gotta believe.

A three-game winning streak at any other time of the season would be treated like nothing. In the Finals, it becomes historic.

One game at a time. One win at a time.

It still only takes three wins.

Three more wins.

You gotta believe.

Not That I'm Superstitious

I'm not that superstitious when it comes to much in life - but sports seems to bring that side out in me... just a little bit. But I'm really not that superstitious.

Okay, so I decided to post on this blog again just after the pre-game show started - just like I did for Game 3. But I'm really not that superstitious.

Sure, I'm drinking Red Stripe while posting - just like I did for Game 3. But I'm really not that superstitious.

Okay, fine... I did wear my Magic Johnson jersey from Game 1 of the postseason until the first loss, then decided the "juice" was gone, and never wore it again during the playoffs after that. But I'm really not the superstitious.

Yes, it's true that I did wear my Kobe #8 jersey once during these playoffs - saw the Lakers lose while I wore it - and then tossed it in the laundry for the rest of the postseason. But I'm really not that superstitious.

Okay, okay... after going to a Dodger game this year with four other people where the Dodgers lost, I did analyze the past games I went to with those people to try and figure out who the weak link in the chain was. But I'm really not that superstitious.

Yes, I did hear the Laker entrance music ("Right Now" by Van Halen) on a Laker playoff day while driving with my iPod on random and stayed in the car until it was over... just in case. But I'm really not that superstitious.

Well, yeah... I am wearing my Laker Mark Madsen jersey today because I was thinking of wearing it tonight anyways and then happened to read a message board thread today that had a link to Madsen's blog saying he's supporting the Lakers. But I'm really not that superstitious.

Aaarrrrgh. Fine! I am the guy who once wore my Laker jersey UNDER my dress shirt and tie to work on a game day. But I'm REALLY not that superstitious!

But what I am? I'm a believer - and not in that fucked up goofy Smashmouth Shrek way.

I'm a believer who turned on the pregame show and heard them say "No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a postseason series. But in the NBA Finals, no team has ever come back from a 3-1 deficit either. So, if the Lakers lose, history is not on their side."

And once again, to that I say...

Ain't no thang, bitches.

You gotta believe, baby. You gotta believe.

Three more wins.

It's All About The Swagger

You gotta believe, baby.

The ABC announcer as they come on the air says something like, "If the Lakers want to hang another banner on that wall, they have to do something only two other teams have done in Finals history - come back from a 2-0 deficit."

To that I say...

Ain't no thang, bitches.

You gotta believe, baby. You gotta believe.

It still only takes four more wins.

The Challenge

For the past few months, I have managed to get at least one posting per day on this blog. With the exception of a few "Holy shit! I didn't blog yet" moments, that hasn't been much of a problem.

Until now.

I'll be spending the next few days in Las Vegas so the question becomes...

In a city where time doesn't exist, will I remember to post every day?

We shall see. Wish me luck, sports fans, because the next words I write on this page should be "on the road."

Oh, and by the way...

Four more! GO LAKERS!

The NBA Is Flagrantly Pissing Me Off

Good grief, the NBA and its' officials really need to re-evaluate their flagrant foul calling procedures. There's been ridiculous calls throughout the season - not to mention throughout the playoffs when they need to consider carefully the impact of these calls - and I just saw another one.

PJ Brown just got hit with a Flagrant 1 on an attempt to block a dunk. He didn't jump high enough to get a hand on the ball, so he went up to stop the dunk. The shooter fell and fell pretty hard - but in no way was it a flagrant foul.

We all recall the Lakers' Ronny Turiaf getting hit with a Flagrant 2 and ejected from the game on a hard foul during the Jazz series - another bad call. Hard fouls aren't flagrant fouls every single time.

One of these games, a bad flagrant call is going to ultimately cost a team a game, a series, and maybe even a championship. The league desperately wants to clean up their act from the 80's Badboy days but they've gone too far with it. The game is too clean and pretty now. You can barely touch someone in the air or the hammer falls.

So, my message to David Stern?

STOP MAKING THE TEAMS PLAY PUSSY BASKETBALL!

Thank you.

Kobe vs Indy - YOU MAKE THE CALL!

Just got back from seeing the Indy flick. I'll do a full review of it in a couple days but I want to let it sink in a little bit before I do. For now, I will say that if you're a fan of the Indy movies, you'll probably dig it - if you have realistic expectations. It's not Raiders, it's probably not even Temple. It's closest in "feel" and quality to Last Crusade [although the Missus says LC is her favorite of the series.] The thing that will bring most people down on either side of the love/hate line will be how you feel about the main plotline. It's... different... than the others. If you're okay with what it is, you'll probably dig the movie. If you're not okay with what it is, you'll probably not like it - or you'll fall into the "Eh... it's okay" category.

Anyways... how 'bout them Lakers?



What a game, huh?

It was odd. The wife and I were both discussing last night after the game that even when the Lakers were down big, there wasn't a freaked out feeling. It was almost like... you could feel that Kobe was going to turn it on at some point and get them close. It was just a matter of how close they could get.

Turns out, they got pretty damn close.

It was an amazing game, an amazing comeback, and an amazing win.

Seven more, people. Keep the countdown going.

Hello Darkness, My Old Friend

And no, that's not a Charlie Murphy reference.

You always knew it would end up this way - it just had to. With all the talk about the Jazz giving the Lakers a hard series. With all the mumbo jumbo about homecourt advantage in the playoffs. With all the hype about Chris Paul and the Hornets being the future of the league.

In the end, you knew it would have to come down to the Lakers vs Spurs. It's the equivalent of basketball destiny at its' best. The road to the NBA Finals leads through the defending champ - could it really have happened any other way?

And so, here we go again, Laker fans.

Let's break it down...

Point Guard - Derek Fisher vs Tony Parker
As much as I adore D-Fish, I have to give the edge to Parker. That being said, there definitely are games where Fish will go on a hot streak and give the team a huge lift but in the average game, he's going to have a very tough time defending Parker. And without Bynum in the back as a stopper, I look for a lot of drive and dish in the Lakers' immediate future. However, seeing how rattled got at a picture of his wife, maybe the Lakers can line up every man she's ever nailed in the front row behind the Spurs bench during home games. It's all about the in-game strategy, baby.
EDGE: SPURS

Shooting Guard - Kobe Bryant vs Manu Ginobli
Let's call a spade a spade and admit that Manu is the real starting SG for the Spurs and not Michael Finlay - although Finlay is a tough opponent as well. Manu's the master of the wild driving, weaving, throw something at the glass, crash to the floor and cry about a foul move. Kobe is... well, he's Kobe. He's the best player in the game, period.
EDGE: LAKERS

Small Forward - Vladimir Radmonovic vs Bruce Bowen
This one is a bit of a tossup. Vlad-Rad is a better offensive player than Bowen but he's still prone to the type of mental mistakes that made Phil Jackson label him a "space cadet." He can have a big impact on a game - or he can simply disappear. You just never know which Vlad will show up. Bruce Bowen won't add much on the offensive end for the Spurs but he's one of the few players in the league not afraid to play one-on-one defense against Kobe and be effective at it. That skill alone gives the Spurs the edge here.
EDGE: SPURS

Power Forward - Lamar Odom vs Tim Duncan
A month ago, I would have said this was a slam dunk category for the Spurs but Lamar has played a masterful game in these playoffs. Being slotted into the third option for scoring as helped worlds with his defense, his rebounding, and his hustle. He does a lot of the little things that don't show up on the stat sheet. Tim Duncan is... well, he's Tim Duncan. He's one of the best players in the league. As good as Odom has been, I have to give the edge to Duncan and the Spurs.
EDGE: SPURS

Center - Pau Gasol vs Fabricio Oberto
This is an easy win for the Lakers. Of course, if you're a pessimist, you look at how Bynum's injury affects this entire series. Bynum would still take this category against Oberto, Pau sliding down into the PF spot gives Duncan more trouble defensively and makes that a closer matchup, Lamar sliding into the SF spot against Bowen gives an easy win to the Lakers in that matchup. Instead of a 3-2 edge for the Spurs in the starting lineup, you have a 4-1 Laker lead. Ahhh, but it's not to be... this year at least.
EDGE: LAKERS

Bench
The sign of great Laker teams has always been a really strong bench. Whether it was the Showtime days with Byron and AC or the Shaq/Kobe Lakers with Horry and B-Shaw, when the bench was deep, the team was successful. This year is no different with the bench performing extremely well most of the year and giving the feeling that it's not so bad when Kobe goes to the bench to rest [briefly.] So, while the Lakers' bench is thriving with Walton, Farmar, Sasha, and Ronny among others - the Spurs' bench is pretty much limited to Finley and an aging [but always dangerous] Robert Horry.
EDGE: LAKERS

Coach - Phil Jackson vs Gregg Popovich
Pop is a tough, good coach - but he's no Zenmaster. Phil will have the team coached, prepared, and ready to rock for this series. It's going to be a tough series and in a tough series, I'd rather have Phil Jackson using his brain to get us an edge than Popovich.
EDGE: LAKERS

So, to wrap it up...

Lakers have an edge in Coaching, Bench, Center, and Shooting Guard.
Spure have an edge in Power Forward, Small Forward, and Point Guard.

Lakers with a 5-3 lead... but I expect this series will be even tighter than that.

My prediction?

Lakers in 6, winning on the road to close it out again.

A Look At The Lakers

OHHHHH LAAAAAKER FANS!

Fresh off a triumph on the road in Game 6, the Lakers get to rest up for a few days, heal up some injuries, work on executing a little sharper, etc.

But the one thing that we know for sure is that instead of playing a Game 7, they get to just watch one.

New Orleans vs San Antonio - Game 7 on Monday - Who do I want to win?

Well... lemme think...

Either way, we're going to get lit up by the point guards. Fish did an awesome job on Deron Williams for most of the Utah series but Williams did pretty well against us anyways. Chris Paul? Tony Parker? It's likely to get worse on the PG front before it gets better.

The Hornets' other major threat is from Peja. West is dangerous but hurting.

San Antonio is a lot more well-rounded. We'd have to worry about Duncan, Bowen, Horry, and of course, Ginobli.

I think New Orleans will be an easier series... not an easy series by any stretch... but easier. But man oh man... playing San Antonio would be a lot of fun.

It's a tossup. All I know is that I can't wait for Wednesday night.

8 more wins... 8 more wins.

Doubie Posting Wednesday

Just thought I'd drop some more verbage on you before heading out for the Kate Nash show in Hollywood tonight.

In case you haven't noticed, somewhere on the right side of the page, there is now a section where I can leave behind some newsbits that I think you all might enjoy. And I have done so!

To help promote that cool little feature, I thought I'd take a few of those newsbits and give you some thought patterns on them.


NEWS: KCRW Launches Guest DJ Project
THOUGHT PATTERN: That's pretty fucking sick. I don't get to listen to KCRW very much except for their killer Today's Top Tune podcast that you really should be listening to but I do appreciate their efforts to introduce new music to this desolate wasteland of good musical taste that we call the United States. One of the things that I first dug about Indie 103 and that got me listening to them was their efforts to use DJs that were "unusual." Henry Rollins, the Camp Freddy boys, Dicky from the Bosstones, etc. So, the idea of someone like Danny Devito hosting a show on KCRW is pretty boss. Good idea, KCRW! Keep the morning eclectic!

NEWS: Dodgers' Blake DeWitt for ROY?
THOUGHT PATTERN: With his numbers climbing, he's gotta be getting some consideration but the concern remains true - what happens when Nomar comes back? It just seems unbelievable to me that someone doing so well and who is the future of the team will be shoved aside for someone who definitely is the past of the team. I really like Nomar but he needs to be used in a utility/supersub position now. His days as an everyday starter seem to be behind him. Of course, the one monkey in this particular wrench... what about Andy LaRoche? Did LaRoche gets Wally Pipped or does he still stand a shot at grabbing the position that he was the heir apparent to for so very long? Like sands through the hourglass...

NEWS: EliteXC expects sellout for May 31st show
THOUGHT PATTERN: You gotta be shittin' me. They think they're going to fill a 15,000+ seat arena based off Kimbo Slice's name alone? If they manage to pull that off without papering the crowd, I will swallow crow and admit that Kimbo's a hell of a bigger draw than I gave him credit for. For me, the lineup just doesn't look very good. It's another freak show lineup with EXC praying the public will tune in because a] it's free and b] it's got Kimbo and Gina Carano on the show. While that's good enough for me and for the majority of MMA fans, I'm sure, you have to wonder if that's enough for the "general public." And you DEFINITELY have to wonder if it's enough to sell out that building.

NEWS: Charter Communications to share web histories with advertisers
THOUGHT PATTERN: Remember that time you Googled "Miley Cyrus topless photos" looking for those Vanity Fair pics that everyone was talking about? No? LIAR! Well, thanks to the good folks at Charter Communications, soon everyone will know that you performed that search and just what porn sites you ventured to blindly looking for said photos. And as a result? You're probably going to get some very targeted porn ads sent your way. Awesome! Ain't the lethal combination of American business practices and intrusive technology grand?

NEWS: Bryant skips practice again but says he will play
THOUGHT PATTERN: Oh god. Just reading the headline makes me queasy. But there's really no way around it. You don't want him to NOT play because injured or not, I bet the Lakers stand a better chance of winning if he plays than they do if he sits. At the same time, the haunting memories of badly shot jumpers in the 4th quarter from Sunday will not leave my mind until we're out of this round... and probably not even then. A lot of people say that a series really doesn't start until someone wins on the road... that puts the Lakers in a must-win scenario tonight as they haven't proved they can win in Utah this post-season yet. MUST WIN. Phil better write that on the board tonight. Game 6 is going to be a bitch... and having the pressure of being an elimination game is something the Lakers DO NOT need. Game on, Laker fans... game on.

Game Five

Soooo... yeah.

Obviously I wasn't in the mood to discuss the Lakers after yesterday's game. That was without a doubt one of the most frustrating games I've ever seen. Going to OT means they were a point away from winning [obviously.]

So, so, so many missed opportunities. Gasol's blown dunk. Kobe forcing jumpers with an injured back. And of course, "Lazy As Fuck" Luke Walton getting a breakway layup stuffed down his damn throat.

Not to mention all the missed free throws.

Like I said yesterday... ugh.

I still have faith they can find a way to manage to win the series - well, as long as Kobe's not too badly hurt to play the rest of the games effectively. Both games in Utah were just hard to watch. Uneven performances by guys who should have been playing better. Bad decisions. Horrid rebounding.

Again... ugh.

Game Five will be good. I expect the Lakers to take it pretty easily... and again, due to some bad planning on our part, the wife and I will be at the Kate Nash concert in Hollywood so we won't get to see it.

Game Six back in Utah? That's the tough one. I can't wait for Friday.

Game Seven? We shall see if it gets that far.