[flamesbball84]

anyone else here surprised by the spurs? choked big time in game one and got run off the court early in the second half. i thought the games would have been more competitive. sure the spurs still had a chance to win late in game one, but the lakers had so much momentum going for them that it wasn't going to happen...

[thepostman]

i am not surprised they lost...but I am surprised by HOW they have lost...

[flamesbball84]

i am not surprised they lost...but I am surprised by HOW they have lost...

same here. I knew the Lakers would win at least one and I thought the Spurs might would be able to steal one on the road. But they are having almost as much trouble on the road in the playoffs as the Celtics, I believe the loss makes them 2-6 on the road in the playoffs, one victory over an overmatched Suns squad and a win on the road against the feisty Hornets. They have been blown out in 5 of the 6 road games and choked majorly in the other one. they may win the series still (they did go down 0-2 against the Hornets) but they are going to be in trouble if they end up having to face the Pistons in the Finals since the Pistons protect their home court well and have shown they can win on the road some in the playoffs...

[thepostman]

it will be tough for the Spurs...i think the Lakers are a very capable team and I expected them to win this series...but I just can't believe how the Spurs choked in game one like you said, and then they completely laid an egg in game 2, its just kind of surprising...but they are a very good team and like you said they were down 2-0 to the Hornets, but the Lakers are playing on a different level right now...Kobe is becoming the kind of player i think many people have been looking for...of course its easier for him to be a better teammate when he has better teammates himself...and the addition of Pau was huge for them....Lakers/Pistons would be a very entertaining series in my opinion, but many seem to disagree...

[flamesbball84]

i'm friends with a spurs fan. back when the lakers acquired gasol I said that makes them a championship caliber team and easily one the favorite to win the west and the championship. he basically called me senile (mainly because he hates Kobe and still thinks he is a cancer on that team even though he has clearly shown a major change in attitude this season). i'll be more than happy to rub it in his face if they make it to the finals lol

[thepostman]

I can't stand Kobe either...but he has been a much better teammate this year...that combined with getting Pau makes them a very, very good team...a team that could be very good for a few more years to come.....

[flamesbball84]

I can't stand Kobe either...but he has been a much better teammate this year...that combined with getting Pau makes them a very, very good team...a team that could be very good for a few more years to come.....

Plus Bynum comes back, and he was beginning to look like one of the best centers in the league before getting injured. Imagine the lakers with Bynum at the center, gasol at his more natural position of PF, odom at SF, kobe at SG, and fisher/farmar at PG...

[thepostman]

fisher is getting old, so i don't know how many years he has left, but i am sure they will address that...don't get my wrong, I think Bynum is turning into a very solid player, but how sad is that Center position that Bynum is probably the 3rd maybe 4th best center in the league??? you've got dwight and yao...who else at that position is any good...Shaq has lost it...anyways...that has nothing to do with this conversation...the Lakers are back...and the rest of the league knows it i think...

[flamesbball84]

fisher is getting old, so i don't know how many years he has left, but i am sure they will address that...don't get my wrong, I think Bynum is turning into a very solid player, but how sad is that Center position that Bynum is probably the 3rd maybe 4th best center in the league??? you've got dwight and yao...who else at that position is any good...Shaq has lost it...anyways...that has nothing to do with this conversation...the Lakers are back...and the rest of the league knows it i think...

Tim Duncan is dang good. He may be in the lineup as a PF, but one of the biggest shams in the NBA is that people believe he is a PF. Anyone who knows anything about the game knows that he is a center, he plays the center on offense and plays it on defense quite often (of course he will guard the PF on an oppossing team if that is the opponents best post player).

Amare Stoudamire and Al Jefferson are pretty good. Don't believe me on Jefferson? Averaged 21 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks and he is basically the only good player the TWolves have. Check out some of his games, he posted some pretty big numbers against some pretty good teams and some downright dominant numbers against the lesser teams.

Other notables: Chris Kaman, Mehmet Okur, Andrew Bogut, Big Z, Brad Miller, Tyson Chandler, Brendan Haywood, Samuel Dalembert, Marcus Camby. Are they dominant players or all-nba type players? No, but each of them are all capable of having dominant stretches or some dominant games here and there. The center position is hardly ever particularly deep, and the 90s with Hakeem, Ewing, Shaq, Mourning, etc. was more of a flash in the pan that what you can ever expect long-term. The center position may seem like it's down, but we all got spoiled with the 90s the league has turned into a guard and wing player league for multiple reasons (changes in the style of the game, influx of international talent has changed the position, nba's rules benefit the guards and perimeter players more than ever, etc.).

[jcmanson]

As you can see noone on here cares but you 2

[flamesbball84]

As you can see noone on here cares but you 2

Most people probably ahve better things to do on a Saturday afternoon though! lol

[olldflame]

Yes, like post in the baseball forum.

[thepostman]

fisher is getting old, so i don't know how many years he has left, but i am sure they will address that...don't get my wrong, I think Bynum is turning into a very solid player, but how sad is that Center position that Bynum is probably the 3rd maybe 4th best center in the league??? you've got dwight and yao...who else at that position is any good...Shaq has lost it...anyways...that has nothing to do with this conversation...the Lakers are back...and the rest of the league knows it i think...

Tim Duncan is dang good. He may be in the lineup as a PF, but one of the biggest shams in the NBA is that people believe he is a PF. Anyone who knows anything about the game knows that he is a center, he plays the center on offense and plays it on defense quite often (of course he will guard the PF on an oppossing team if that is the opponents best post player).

Amare Stoudamire and Al Jefferson are pretty good. Don't believe me on Jefferson? Averaged 21 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks and he is basically the only good player the TWolves have. Check out some of his games, he posted some pretty big numbers against some pretty good teams and some downright dominant numbers against the lesser teams.

Other notables: Chris Kaman, Mehmet Okur, Andrew Bogut, Big Z, Brad Miller, Tyson Chandler, Brendan Haywood, Samuel Dalembert, Marcus Camby. Are they dominant players or all-nba type players? No, but each of them are all capable of having dominant stretches or some dominant games here and there. The center position is hardly ever particularly deep, and the 90s with Hakeem, Ewing, Shaq, Mourning, etc. was more of a flash in the pan that what you can ever expect long-term. The center position may seem like it's down, but we all got spoiled with the 90s the league has turned into a guard and wing player league for multiple reasons (changes in the style of the game, influx of international talent has changed the position, nba's rules benefit the guards and perimeter players more than ever, etc.).

didn't mean to start a debate....i agree that tim duncan should be considered a center....aside from that...i have nothing to say, i am leaving this studio...7 hours is way too long...

[jcmanson]

Yes, like post in the baseball forum.

[coolhandluke]

What is up with the Spurs?

[bigsmooth]

the spurs age is starting to show and with all of the flopping by duncan and parker im hoping the lakers take it to their butts!

[coolhandluke]

Watch it! Duncan is the man!

[flamesbball84]

manu is struggling with the injury and he's been manhandled by the lakers on defense. if he isn't on then duncan and parker need to be on with all the other roleplayers stepping it up. we'll see how things go tonight, role players normally play better at home and that has been more evident than usual in the playoffs this year than usual...

[flamesbball84]

So where was the Manu at I'm seeing in the first half when they were playing in LA? He can make layups and open 3s in San Antonio but not LA?

[ATrain]

Spurs seem to be playing closer to their normal form in game 3...hopefully they'll retain it the rest of the series.

[flamesbball84]

no one outside of Kobe doing anything today for the Lakers + Kobe's shot looking ugly = perfect formula for a blowout

[Fumblerooskies]

I pity the NBA if it ends up a Spurs-Pistons finals.

[coolhandluke]

I pity the NBA if it ends up a Spurs-Pistons finals.

I already pity the NBA.

[olldflame]

I pity the NBA if it ends up a Spurs-Pistons finals.

Looks like we'll avoid that disaster as the Lakers are now up 3-1. A lot of hoopla about the no-call on the last play, but I don't think San Antonio can complain too much (and to their credit they aren't). Bryant took 29 shots in the game and didn't go to the line once.

[Purple Haize]

I started to get into the early rounds of the playoffs but I am getting back off the NBA band wagon. I am not sure I ever should have gotten on. While I don't consider myself a dyed in the wool purist, as the playoffs have gone on the more and more I ask myself What game is this? I don't mind HARD fouls, and as a Piston's fan in the 80's why should I, but what the crap is going on? There is a difference between a hard foul and what these players are doing. Add to that the "creative" way games get called and I just loose my interest. So I don't mind a little shuffle step and glad they don't call 3 secs. but they way they call the game is difficult to follow. Last nites game was a great example: Berry's play was called a foul earlier in the game, but not late. KOBE with no FT's? Granted he is becoming the next Jordan when it comes to phantom calls so I am suprised he wasn't on the line. Oh wait they were playing on the road so that explains it. Too much inconsistency. Can't stand it anymore.