L.O. MIA in L.A.?

Da Realist:

WHOA... where have I been? You guys might let Odom slip through your fingers??? That's big shit right there. You don't win without Odom next year -- especially with Boston getting Rasheed Wallace. Kupchak better show him the money or the Lakers can kiss their chances for a repeat goodbye.

Surprised y'all haven't brought this up. Losing Odom is a bigger deal than getting Artest.

By the way...DAMN Boston! They just got Rasheed Wallace to back up Kevin Garnett. That. Is. HUGE. Neither can lead a team right now, but together? That's an old poor man's Duncan/Robinson 99 -- which might actually work in today's league. Ten years ago? Nah... But today? It might just work. Who's gonna beat them? Not Cleveland. Not Orlando. And not LA if they let Odom move to Miami.

Waldini:

You're right unfortunately. Problem is LO and his agent are playing hardball for no reason. Lakers gave Odom and initial offer of 7M a yr, 3 yrs. Obviously Odom's camp said no, wanted more money and years. Lakers kept upping the deal until the last offer of 9M, 4 yrs. Odom's people want 10M, 5 yrs. Problem is no one can give him what he wants. Heat is trying to be a player by offering 6.6M, 5 yrs but that's still less than what LA is offering.

Yep if LA does not re-sign LO, pretty hard to see them repeating, particularly with that bench.

Funny comparison on Boston. I'm actually high on Boston, Orlando, and San Antonio's offseasons. Getting Sheed is huge as he's like Shaq. Gets bored with his environment afterwhile then gets motivated when in a new potentially winning situation.

Da Realist:

LA needs Odom and Odom knows it. Wouldn't you play hardball if you were in that situation? They can't win without Odom. He's not a franchise player, he's an average 2nd option, but he's a GREAT 3rd option. What it boils down to for the Lakers is this -- how much is a potential run to the championship worth? They have a 50/50 chance to win with Odom as a 3rd option. It's much worse without him.

Odom knows this. Given the circumstances, I think the Lakers front office is the one playing hardball.

Just like Toni Kukoc. He was soft, he played no defense and he was too concerned with scoring to be a franchise player. But he was great as a 3rd option for the Bulls. And the Bulls needed him to win the last 2 titles.

Gangsta D:

How much leverage does he really have? Let's say he goes to Miami. They ain't winning the title next year. I don't care if they do get Boozer. They're not beating Boston, Orlando, or Cleveland. So, is he gonna take less money just to not make the Finals next year? That'll really show the Lakers:)

Da Realist:

True. But he's betting the house that the Lakers aren't as comfortable as they are letting on. Who's going to blink first? Odom has a ring and is now looking for 5 years of guaranteed millions. If he never wins another ring, he's probably satisfied with his career.

The Lakers want to win more and know they have only a small window with Kobe. Kobe's only 30 but he's already played 1123 total games (Michael Jordan only played 1109 total games for the Bulls). Plus all indications point to this being the last season Phil Jackson is the coach. Plus plus, they got older when they dealt Ariza for Artest.

I'd play hardball if I was Odom.

Waldini:

Interesting from Sun Sentinel

The thing about Lamar Odom is he wants to be wanted, wants to be appreciated for the unique skill set he provides. Perhaps it comes down to the unceasing recruitment he enjoyed coming out of high school. Perhaps it was the attention he received from the Heat and others before the 1999 NBA Draft. What works in the Heat's favor is the Lakers' limiting their offer to about $9 million guaranteed a season. That would mean earning $3 million less next season than Andrew Bynum, $7 million less than Pau Gasol. The frustration is understandable, considering how Odom sacrificed a starting role and statistics to help the Lakers win a championship. But at the mid-level with the Heat, it would leave Odom earning $2 million less than Mark Blount next season, about a quarter as much as Jermaine O'Neal, less than Udonis Haslem, and only nominally more than Michael Beasley or James Jones. It's still a longshot, and an issue that should be settled relatively soon. The odds and the numbers, though, certainly are not in the Heat's favor, no matter how hearty the embrace."

So would you rather earn less than Bynum or Blount? Gasol or O'Neal?

Da Realist:

As we all know...it's about male pride. We know how we get. Feed the man's ego or watch the Finals at home next year. Or get pummeled by Boston again.

Waldini:

LO's agent should ask so you want to spend the luxury tax to go fishing in May or do you want to spend the luxury tax to pop champagne in June?

Da Realist:

The tricky part is...even with Odom the Lakers aren't guaranteed anything. The Celtics could still beat them. I don't know what is (was?) wrong with Garnett but now he only has to shoulder half the load. Wallace is very good as a 3rd or 4th option and both guys can exert more energy on defense since they don't have to shoulder as much of a load offensively. They are going to make Pierce and Ray Allen look like good perimeter defenders. That's a good deal. Did Boston lose anyone? Or did they just snatch Wallace from Detroit for nothing?

Pierce, Ray Allen, Garnett, Wallace and Rondo. That's a damn good starting lineup right there. Or they could bring Wallace in to solidify the 2nd unit. Damn Ainge knows what he's doing, doesn't he? If the chemistry is right, the Lakers probably won't beat them anyway. Wallace and Garnett just nullified Gasol and Odom. Maybe moreso. And that really was the Lakers biggest advantage over everyone else -- Length.

Gangsta D:

How did Boston get younger? Sheed is older than us. Garnett is older than us. Jesus is damn sure older than us. Pierce is the same age as us. Garnett has played close to 1000 games, himself. And he's coming off of a knee injury, that we don't know the severity of. I don't see this as a slam dunk. I don't see any team as a prohibitive favorite going into next year, whether LO resigns or not. Lot of Paper Champions in the league in July. Read more!

Kobe's A Phony...And Other Irrelevant Observations

Waldini:

"Why do you dislike Kobe so much?" It's a question, I've been asking friends lately. Even with LA winning, the boobirds have been out, saying wait til next year, etc. I started probing with one person and here is our exchange below. Only the names have been changed

FRIEND: I have no problem with the lakers
FRIEND: Just him
ME: that's usually what I get, it's him, which I still don't understand from people but say to each their own
FRIEND: Yeah, just like I don't understand how people support him
FRIEND: We are like Bush/Obama on this one
FRIEND: Of course, I'm on the Obama side :-)
ME: Kobe's one of the hardest working players in the league, if not the hardest working. On the court, it's like our jobs, aims for perfection, won't settle for less. Too many cats in the league take that privelege of being in the NBA for granted, never fulfill expectations, because they dont want to work hard. Dude puts in work, have to respect that....off the court, another subject but that same can be said for many NBA players about off court activity
ME: Bush was lazy and didn't work at his game :-)
FRIEND: Bush did work. He got a lot of credit for doing nothing. I don't know that Kobe works hard. I know that he has a lot of fanatics and that he really stands for nothing. Like Bush, his external activities get ignored. To me, it boils down to character and I can't believe how much he is glorified versus what he represents. I am sure others are dirty too, but at least they are not on this holy pedestal. There is too much I for Kobe. He pretends to be a team player, but in the end, it is all about him
ME: Kobe did nothing?
ME: What do you think of Magic? Jordan?
FRIEND: 'I really have no feelings towards either
ME kobe does work hard, ask Team USA, most of those cats marveled at it
ME: talked about it
FRIEND: I am just saying he is worshipped and it sickens me
ME: worshipped by who?
FRIEND: He is a selfish person
FRIEND: YOU!
FRIEND: and the fans
ME: only by Laker fans
ME: he's the most polarizing athlete in the league
FRIEND: I just don't think he deserves it
ME: either u hate or love him
ME: based on what?
ME: how is he selfish?
FRIEND: on his attitude
FRIEND: Yes
FRIEND: But let me think more of justifying my dislike
FRIEND: He might be a changed man after Colorado
FRIEND: I am still going back to my Sixers days
FRIEND: So let me take a breath and get back to you
FRIEND: I just know how I feel
FRIEND: Can't quite describe it
ME: that's the one I hear too, I can't describe it but I just do, all good, I mean I can't change anyone's opinion on Kobe, nor will I. I just try to understand the rationale

Funny stuff....

Da Realist:

Cause he's a phony.

Real simple.

Waldini:

What's phony about him? Just curious....

Da Realist:

If after all this time you don't see it, then we will never agree on it. You've seen it and heard about it but you perceive it as something else. So, we'll just have to disagree. For example, some of it was in the last Bill Simmons article. A small fraction of it. He's not phony to you. I understand that. That's why you're a fan. (Or is it the other way around?)

But he is to me.

Waldini:

I didn't say he was phony or not, I just asked the question why. I don't even bother getting riled, upset, annoyed, etc about it anymore, I just ask questions. Similar to what I did with my friend before. I was actually curious to what makes him phony. He's not genuine like past stars such as Magic or Bird or even his current contemporaries like Garnett.

I'm a fan of the Purple and Gold and anyone who wears it. And if you recall, Kobe wasnt in my favorite top 5 Lakers of all time either. Kobe is Kobe. Either you like him or you don't. Haven't seen anyone that generated that much on either side since I've watched basketball (wasn't born during the Wilt era)

Da Realist:

I'm just telling you that's why most people don't like him. It's one of those things you can't put your finger on but when it's there, it's there. People don't like phonies. Even if they are very good basketball players that can light up a scoreboard. There's no other way to explain why after all this time, there are still so many that don't like him.

It's one of those things that you can't prove either. That's why the pro-Kobe and the anti-Kobe people can't understand each other. Anti-Kobe people say, "He's such a phony. Can't you see it?". And the pro-Kobe people say, "What? Kareem did the same thing in 87. Prove he's a phony." Then there's the stalemate. Neither side can convince the other. Can't prove it, but it's still there. At least the perception is. And there is the line in the sand. I think it's more than perception. You don't.

He doesn't bother me as much as he used to. Not because he's changed, but because I just don't care anymore.

Waldini:

I will say the Kobe doing work doesn't help ;-)

Da Realist:

I never actually saw that. Didn't want to. There was no way we were going to see anything except what Kobe wanted us to see. Don't think I could have sat through Kobe showing us what type of leader he is, how he "instilled his dna" into the team, how he toughened up his teammates. Blah...

Waldini:

Nope the real Kobe would have been like during the Finals and the mic caught him telling Andrew Bynum to "get your mutha**** head in the game"

Da Realist:

Nah... he's too busy mean-mugging through the Finals to prove how serious he is. lol

Waldini:

lol Read more!

Nostradamus, He Ain't

Waldini:

Funny callout of Chad Ford and his grading on the draft

Even funnier when you read the rest of his grades. He gave the lakers a A- for drafting Brian Cook and Luke Walton...WOW. And I can't work in the NBA

They got two very talented, veteran college players who should step right in and contribute. Cook is a good fit in the Lakers' system. He's got a lottery-pick game and if he can convince Phil Jackson to actually play him, he could replace Robert Horry. Walton is the smartest player in the draft and you know what Jackson thinks of smart players. He could end up playing point forward for the team in year one.

Gangsta D:

Luke is the greatest 2nd round pick ever and Cook was traded for Ariza. I feel that grade is accurate. I'm just saying...

Waldini:

Ok let me put it this way...if this were in 2006, would you have agreed with the picks? And why I'm even debating this...we're talking about the actual picks not what happened 5 yrs down the road :-)

Gangsta D:

Yeah, but we didn't win the title in '06:) The Shaq trade was laughed at, but it eventually netted us LO and Pau. You gotta think long term. We're such a "right now" society. I applaud Chad for having the foresight to know that those picks would work out six years later. He is a very well paid gentleman:)

Waldini:

That isn't the Gangsta D that drank hunch punch with me in '98. He would never say that LOL Read more!

Tiger Wins. Fed Wins. Lakers Win. Damn Right It Was A Good Day

Waldini:

- TMF kills two birds with one stone (or racket LOL) in winning the French Open yesterday. He ties Sampras' record for Grand Slams and joins Agassi as the only men in the open Era to win the career Slam. You know you got clout when your opponents are rooting for you to win (see Nadal) and the all time greats are saying you are the greatest of all time (see Sampras)

- Tiger wins his tune-up before the US Open with some wicked (I'm channeling my inner white boy with that slang) shots. Did you see the Eagle on 14?? From a sandtrap??? With one hand?? 2 years ago, it was on one leg. This year it's with one hand. Unless my last name was Mickelson, I seriously would consider retiring if I was on the tour with him. Not fair...at all

- Lakers go up 2-0 in a gritty, gutty...ok more like ugly display of basketball between two teams. Too many turnovers, bad execution from both sides, and one coach completely losing faith in all 4 PGs on his team (and I'm not talking Phil Jackson).

Indeed Sunday, June 7 was a GOOD DAY...And my wife did cook our dinner with some hog (pork ribs)

Da Realist:

missed tiger, but saw federer and the game last night.

federer's great but i reserve judgement for GOAT. he HAS to find a way to solve the Nadal riddle before i'm comfortable saying it.

ugly game last night, but that happens. orlando is a better team with jameer nelson out there. i don't care how many shots he miss, you never EVER want hedo turkoglu being the defacto point guard. i couldn't believe my eyes!

and reddick? is this what it has come down to? i know he hit a big shot but c'mon. van gundy needs to stop worrying about what people think and coach. his gut told him nelson was the best option in game 1, he should have continued to follow his gut instead of following the advice of journalism majors. and alston just needs to man up. this ain't the time.

Waldini:

YOU WATCHED THE GAME?!?!?! Add that to the List..."Realist watched a FINALS game :-)

Da Realist:

well...i've been in france for the last 3 weeks and umm... (sniff...sniff) i'm back (sniff).

Waldini:

Yea, I know that was a nice trip. And now you are back with us stoopid Americans ;-)

Da Realist:

don't laugh. there is a SIGNIFICANT adjustment period. i've probably lost a couple of pounds since i returned because my tastebuds have changed and i've realized just how fatty my diet used to be. it's like i just realized i was living in the matrix. Read more!

The Finals Baby! Get Hype!!!

Waldini:

Lakers have the homecourt advantage. Magic had the best road record in the league this year. Going into the playoffs, the matchups that I feared the most for LA were Portland and Orlando. The boys never played the former and the latter handled their business twice against da 'Show. One reason was Dwight Howard went bananas on Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. The other was Jameer Nelson was the kryptonite PG that kills LA. Quick, strong, and can make good decisions (check Jameer's stats against LA). He's trying to pull a Daniel Larusso and fig -er I mean play but honestly he will be very rusty. Looking at matchups, this series can go either way. LA's been horrible at defending the 3, which Orlando is exceptional at making. LA doesn't have a real answer for Rashard either. If those things go right the entire series, Orlando can win. BUT...

Orlando hasn't faced an offense like this in the playoffs yet. If LA plays like they did in Game 6 of the WCF, the series will be over in no more than 5 games. I think LA has grown with each series and it feels eerily like what Boston did last year (struggled the first 2 rounds, then just lit those a$$es up in the final 2 rounds). Orlando's a tough matchup for LA but the boys are playing much better right now. Give me LA in 6.

Gangsta D:

I have nothing to add. Except that Kobe is going to 4close on the NBA in about a week and a half. Read more!

I Need A Basketball In My Hands!

Waldini:

Waldini's conf finals predictions below

- CAVS-MAGIC - The Magic actually match up pretty well with Cleveland. No one on Cleveland can guard Superman Returns and no one on Orlando can guard King James. I'm interested to see what happens if Orlando wins a game they shouldn't and how Cleveland responds. The Cavs haven't been tested yet and they finally get a decent squad. The only thing that worries me about Orlando is the coaching. Orlando should have won the Boston series in 5 but choked away 2 games. Put up or shut up time. Cavs in 6

- LAKERS-NUGGETS - Btwn the Lakers should be embarrassed for allowing the Rockets to push them 7 games (without 40% of their salary cap as one person kept telling me) to the Nuggets have been the most consistent team in the playoffs comments, I'm tempted to drink the Foolish-berry Aid. I watched a few of the Nuggets games, they still play less than average defense. I was laughing when Jon Barry said the Rockets are a weaker version of the Nuggets. Are we watching the same team? Nuggets are better yes, but better than Lakers in a 7 game. no. Lakers in 6

That means more Nike commercials featuring Lebron (Keenan THompson) and Kobe (David Alan Grier). WHOOO #23! Playoffs BABY PLAYOFFS!!


I'm not even bothering to respond to the masses about the Rockets' fans b/c why hear the excuses. You know my response realist. Winners win, losers lose :-)

Gangsta D:

Mike Brown isn't a coaching giant, but he runs circles around Van Panic. The Magic have enough talent to beat the Cavs. Bron will get his, but if the Magic get hot from outside, they will score points. It's all semantics, because the Cavs are going to the Finals. Cavs in 6.

The Houston series did more good than harm, I believe. Instead of totally coasting to the Finals, the Lakers had to work hard for an extra couple of games. I think this carries over. The Nuggs are athletic, but George Karl is the coach and they depend on a tatted up, used to be coked up, "Birdman" for defensive intensity. Of course I can't forget the studio gangster, "Mr. Lips" either. The Lakers have too much talent and will work hard for 75% of the series. If it were 100% of the series, it would be over in 5. But I got them in 6.

Waldini:

Funny, I remember last week Tight Tight saying something about both Orlando and Los Angeles having no heart but yet they are in the conf finals. Pretty hard to win in the NBA and get that deep in the playoffs if your team is soft.

Like Van Panic lol

Da Realist:

Who is Tight Tight?

Cavs vs Magic. Lebron is not going to lose that series, though the Magic will make them work for it. The Magic are clear underdogs here and I think it suits them better. They play their best when they don't have any expectations on them. Look at Game 6 and 7 of the ECSF. Everyone expects the Cavs to march to the Finals so the Magic get to play without any pressure. But at some point, reality will set in and the Cavs will win. In 6.

Lakers vs Nuggets. I honestly don't know. I hadn't seen the Nuggets that much this year including the playoffs. George Karl loves playing the underdog role and he's good at it. Man, if he had those Seattle teams he'd kick y'all asses. MAN the Lakers are soft frontrunners. Somebody's going to make them pay. I don't know if it will be the Nuggets or not, but I will be surprised if the Lakers win the title. Has there ever been a team this soft win the title? I don't think so. No prediction on this one cause I've literally never seen the Nuggets play this year. lol

Gangsta D:

I hope a French poodle pisses on your shoe! lol [Note: Realist is currently traipsing around France] Read more!

The Only Lakers-Rockets Prediction You Need To Read

Please Ron Ron.  Keep talking.  I'm begging you.

Read more!

Don't Let Me Do It To Ya Dunny, Cause I Overdo It

Waldini:

I'm trying to figure out what was dumber....Darryl Morey's pre-game comments about the Laker offense not being so good when Battier is guarding Kobe or Artest in-game tactic of telling Kobe he didn't want any of him.

God Bless the Houston Rockets. The organization and fans have been personally providing comic relief for me since '98 :-)

Let me get back to searching for T-Mac's game...been pretty difficult to find for the past couple years

B. Reed:

Yeah the 4th quarter was pretty ugly when # 24 started to get busy. That's my issue with T-mac. When the game is on the line or it comes to the 4th quarter, you can count on #24. You can't say the same for T-mac or really even LeBron. You can't crown the kid king when Basketball's absolute best #24 has yet to abdicate the thrown.

Comissioner Stern:

Saw the last quarter of the game, but tivo'd it so i'll watch it again sometime today...I heard Artest shook the Black Mamba from the tree and paid a big price in the 2nd half!!!! LOL Ron Ron is too much of a vet to be doing sh*t like that...as KB24 stated "he knows better"!! LOL (qoute of the year)! Read more!

What Kind Of Man Calls Himself "Big Baby?"

Waldini:

Alright TJ Rosen, where's your instant analysis b/c I know you watched the Celts-Lakers tonight :-)

Da Realist:

Refs were horrible.

Kobe was 10-29 and was shut down AGAIN by Paul Pierce.

Offensively, Paul Pierce looks old as dirt...and almost as slow.

The Celtics made too many turnovers.

Lakers bench played well. Ariza and somebody (I forgot his name) in particular.

Odom and Gasol put the Lakers on their back and got a win

Waldini:

I KNEW U WERE WATCHING!!

The refs were indeed horrible. The Lakers were fortunate to win with that foolishness

You are prbly thinking of Farmar or Powell b/c Sasha was horrible

No criticism of the Celtics Big 3?

The Lakers got back in the game in the 4th b/c of Kobe...and those were 3s he dropped on the Truth

Pau played well overall but a few times in the 4th and OT, he played scared (should have DUNKED on Ray Ray)

If I'm the Celtics, I'm worried that I got beat by an undermanned Laker squad that played horribly.....

Da Realist:

I don't think it's that big of a deal.  Good win for the Lakers but it's still just a regular season game.  Unless you feel confident that the Lakers will beat the Celtics in a 7 game series with Kobe regularly going 10-29.  I don't.

Even still.  I don't believe the Celtics are gonna get past Cleveland anyway.  I think we'll have Cleveland vs LAL in the Finals.  Lebron vs Kobe.

Waldini:

If he goes 13-23 like he did in the Christmas game, they will.

Actually the Lakers needed to win this. Yes it's only regular season and I know they have said publicly it's just another game. But in this new age where every media outlet constantly keeps showing highlights or full games of last season's FINALS and mentioning how soft you are, it eats at you internally. They should not be happy how they played b/c collectively they played bad d (pick and roll was killing them) and they missed too many FTs.

More importantly it's matters b/c the Lakers want homecourt throughout the entire playoffs, not just the West.

As for Cavs over Celtics, it doesn't matter to me. I expect another 7 game dramatic down to the wire series again. I tell you when Lebron gets that jumper consistently going, it will be over. He is a freak of nature

Read more!

Is www.TradeDerekFisher.com Taken?

Dear Derek,

Seriously. You go for the fucking steal?!? Going out of bounds? What could you have possibly done with that? Toss it over your head towards the Spurs basket? Then you compound your first mistake, by making an even fucking bigger mistake, fouling Roger Mason. Just stand there and let him shoot. Now, you wanna get into defensive position? Now?!? And do what exactly? Were you gonna block the shot? Fuck no. I was doing the "big balls dance" along with Kobe. Then you had to fuck it up.

And can we just say that even though Bron is the MVP so far this year, that Kobe is the best on the planet. Who else hits that shot in Mason's grill, from almost the same spot he busted in Battier's grill last night. Best. On. The. Planet.

Thanks for listening to my rant. I'm going to go light a kitten on fire.

latuh,

Diallo S. Tyson
President of the Derek Fisher Is Fucking Killing Us Trade Him Foundation

OK, I'm being completely irrational.  It's just...Fuck!  Your job is to help us...not to fuck us up! Read more!

The Church Of Bron Has Converted Another Non-Believer

Waldini:

Ok I'll admit the NBA's regular season has reverted to old form and producing one boring game after another. Last year was a Cinderella season with a lot of games must see TV. So far this year, it's been 3 teams (I still don't believe in Orlando) and everybody else chasing. So I decided to watch the Cavs-Celtics on Fri, since this was a battle of the top 2 Eastern Conf teams, the King vs the Big 3, the probable East Conf Finals matchup and all that other stuff the media hypes up.

The outcome? I didn't come out of the game going OMG I'm witnessing history. Lebron did put a beating on them boys and his defense is better. But if ESPN keeps showing the same highlight of him stopping The Truth on one play. I'm gonna scream. I will hold judgement on putting on the all defense team until I see him do it in the playoffs consistently.

As for the Cs, fuck 'em :-). The more they lose, the more I enjoy it.

Da Realist:

Lebron's the best player in the league. And he "gets" it this year. He's a factor on both ends of the floor. He's a terror on help defense and he can get to the middle against anyone, anytime he wants. He had the Celtics shook on national tv. Yes, I know the Celtics lost 6 of the previous 8 games. I know they weren't playing well. But they were INTIMIDATED.

It's just one game, but it's really not. No one is stopping him this year. The way he controls the game...I hadn't seen that from a perimeter player since Michael Jordan. And yes I know Kobe is a great player, but he did most of his damage as a premier scorer. I don't care how many defensive awards he got, he was never this much of a factor on both ends of the floor as Lebron is right now. And Kobe was never feared. Kobe beat teams, but he never intimidated them.

Lebron's game makes everyone else on his team better. First of all, he's a better rebounder, passer and defender than Kobe is -- a significantly better help defender. Plus he's more efficient. So there's that... But more importantly, the way he attacks forces teams to pay attention to him at all times. This leaves his teammates open and they're knocking down open shots or barely contested ones. Teams are too afraid to let Lebron get to the hole. Kobe, on the other hand, is mostly a jumpshooter. A spectacular one, but still a jumpshooter. Jumpshooters don't, on the whole, compromise interior defenses. So even though Kobe may score 45+ points, the best defenders are still playing throughout the game. Lebron forces interior defenders into foul trouble, making it easier for the Cavs to score and for his teammates to get more confidence.

Even when the Cavs lose, you can almost see the other team wipe their brow and exhale. Cause they know. I don't care what happens the rest of this regular season. It doesn't even matter who has homecourt advantage. Good luck to any team trying to beat that dude 4 out of 7 games in the playoffs this year.

Waldini:

I thought you didn't watch basketball anymore LOL

Da Realist:

Lebron is changing my mind. ;-) In fact, I just bought NBA League Pass. Read more!

Rogue's Gallery: Lakers Lament & High Ticket Prices

Waldini:

I watched about a quarter and a half of theSuns-Lakersbefore falling asleep. D, that laker defense is atrocious. If itwasn'tfor the Suns missing open shots, geez a good team would have made thempay. No boxing out, missed assignments, too many gambles forsteals,they have MUCH work to do. On offense, the triangle looked fluidbut youright Kobe's shot is flat. And he's forcing too many shots. When they ran the triangle through Greatest 2nd round pick ever, it looked vintage Tex Winters.

This comment sums it up best. "Our record isgreat,"Bynum said. "[But] the way we're playing, we're not going tobeat thegood teams."

Da Realist:

The Celtics are in town tonight and I was thinking about going to the game. I hadn't been to an NBA game since MJ's last night as a Wizard. It would be good to get out of the house, right? Da Kid likes any "event" and it would be good for Da Wife and I to get out of the house. Then I saw the ticket prices. The least expensive seats in the house are $45. WHAAAT??? For the WIZARDS???

45 X 3 = 135
+
(Ticketmaster fees) 7.70 X 3 = $23.10
+
Parking or Metro = $20

They're asking me to pay $180 before I even get a hotdog. Is the Abe Pollin OUT OF HIS MIND??? The Wizards are 4-15 !

Waldini:

That is highway robbery. The mighty Celts versus a back court that just was called up from the D League...

Gangsta D:

The Lakers are officially on "Annoying the piss out of me" status. They need to get it together or Boston will destroy them on Christmas.

When we were in school, couldn't you get $15 tickets to Hawks games? Or something close? Those prices are ridiculous. Ticket prices should be on a sliding scale during the season. The better the team is, the higher the prices and so forth.

Da Realist:

I used to get $15 tickets to Hawks games as late as 2002. It was nothing to go to a Hawks game, no matter who they played. DC is ridiculous. Read more!

Waldini's 2008-09 NBA Preview

I just realized that we didn't do our annual NBA preview. So without further ado, the short and sweet version

ROY - Somebody not on the Lakers (Sun Jue would go here if he actually played)

SIXTH MAN - Lamar Odom

MOST IMPROVED - Andrew Bynum

COACH OF THE YEAR - Phil Jackson

MVP - Kobe Bryant

EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR - Mitch Kupchak

NBA CHAMPS - Lakers in a sweep over some East jabroni team

Questions? :-)

[Ed. - Nope that pretty much sums it up for me.] Read more!

What's That Ish You Smoking? - Bitter NBA Owner Edition

Waldini:

I don't why I send out so many Detroit Free Press articles. Maybe cuz they give the funniest articles. Some hilarious nuggets from Bill Davidson.

Q: Which of your teams, in your view, underachieved the most? Which was most frustrating?

A: Well, the worst loss was out in L.A. (in 1988) when I was in the room with David Stern getting ready to accept the trophy, and they call a foul on Bill Laimbeer against Kareem. Bill pulled down a clean rebound, and Hugh Evans calls a foul. You know that he was set up, and you know ... I don't say he had a bet on the game, but that was ... that was unconscionable! And that cost us a championship, which we should have had. Which we had.

Q: What others?

A: The other bad one was the steal in Boston, when we had that game (and Larry Bird stole the ball). So the Bad Boys had two championships, which -- one was legitimately taken away and the other was illegitimately taken away -- and they still won two. So they basically should have had four.

Q: How about Larry Brown's second year, when you lost in the Finals to San Antonio? Many thought you were the better team.

A: We were the better team, but Larry Brown was not the right coach. Now that you can say.

Da Realist:

Nice article, but he needs to get over 1987.

first of all, Larry DID steal the ball. yes they were close, but they made a mistake they couldn't get over. every championship team needs to go through heartbreak to solidify.

Secondly, that steal happened in game 5. the pistons had another chance in game 7 and lost.

Lastly, I don't think they would have beaten the 87 Lakers team.

Waldini:

He's making a lot of assumptions. Agree with you on '87, I think that Pistons team would have lost in 5 :-). As for the other years, he's forgetting the '89 squad beat a injury riddled Lakers squad. Or the '86 laker team that lost on a lucky Sampson roll. But hey it's why we love sports, the great debate on what if...

I just liked it b/c he was clowning on Larry Brown. It's funny that in June 2004 he was lauded as the greatest teacher of basketball. But in August 2004 he was known as the whiner and so his downfall started. It's crazy that if it wasn't for winning the title, Davidson was gonna fire him.

What he does to recognize is that this current Pistons team got LUCKY in 2004. Billups got hot at the right time, Prince defended Kobe like no other, and the Lakers didn't adjust at all. Read more!

Old School Wednesday - '89 Finals Of Suck

Da Realist:

I'm posting the 1989 Finals on my Youtube Page.



Gangsta D:

Oh joy. Can't wait to check out that debacle. Thanks for running the guys ragged Riles.

Waldini:

For a Laker fan, has a series ever been this painful yet ended so quickly? Showtime cruised through the Western playoffs, only to have key stars get hurt at the wrong time.

Da Realist:

Well, i just went through the 88 and 89 Bulls-Pistons series. Can't say that was easy, but it's cool to think about what i was doing and what i was thinking 19-20 years ago. And to see just how much i forgot about these games.

Gangsta D:

I was thinking, "Holy fucking shit. I can't believe we're gonna get swept by the Pistons!" Read more!

They Said It

Waldini:

"My teams are going to go undefeated against your teams, book it. Christmas Day, your Lakers are losing at home to my Celtics...." - The Delusional Rev Joel Thompson

Who: He's my boy from junior high and high school

Why: He had a message on Facebook saying that he was excited about the Univ of South Cack's football season and recruiting. I pinged him and said don't get too excited, Smokey's laying the smacketh down. That prompted the above response plus promising the Skins would beat the Titans in preseason (I almost choked on my spaghetti from laughter, preseason indeed).

Huh: I said the Lakers beat the celtics twice already this year :-). He said well who won the series. Touche but still technically your statement is wrong.

Anyway, just a lil humor btwn me and mister Thompson. He's been sensitive ever since I beat him at the PC version of Lakers vs Celtics (in his own house no less). So whenever his teams show some life, he's ready to talk.

Gangsta D:

I do love delusional fans. South Cack will always be South Cack. Steve Tanneyhill isn't walking through that door. As far as the C's go. We shall see. I prefer to win the game on June 15th as opposed to Dec 25th:)

Waldini:

Steve Taneyhill, wow you took it back. They should have named a street after him since he was the first QB to lead the Gamecocks to a bowl victory :-)

Gangsta D:

My boy played on that squad. I saw him a few years after he graduated and he was wearing the Bowl ring. I was like, I know you're proud but are you really wearing that in public? lol Read more!

What's That Ish You Smoking? - Bynum Edition

Waldini:

I'm a Laker fan and I find this disturbing.

Bynum can get a contract extension this summer from the Lakers. When his agent was told that Bynum suggested he would be willing to take less than the maximum of five years, $80 million, David Lee said they would be seeking the maximum.

Gangsta D:

Not gonna happen. Probably should fire his agent before he gets laughed out of Staples. He'll get max money if he avgs 20/10, the Lakers win 70 games, and sweep the Finals. Otherwise, he should be happy with $10 mil/yr. Kobe didn't even get max money after 2000 season.

Waldini:

As of now, he's not a max player. I'm from that old school, I believe you pay for performance, not on potential. AB improved greatly, but max money?? For averaging 13 and 10? And missing half the season? His agent must either be the same one for Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, and Emeka Okafor or he's talking with those guys. Makes no sense.

I can only think of 5 players in the league today that deserve max money.

Gangsta D:

Bynum's not on that list? lol

Waldini:

" Dude stop getting high before you send these emails. " [inside joke]

Sorry I couldn't resist sending that. I read it earlier and just laughed. Read more!

Laker Fans Reaction To The Finals

That was some ole bullshit.

Read more!

Willis Reed, Clay, A Fox, A Hound, A Panda

Waldini:

I could sense Realist rolling his eyes along with me as I heard Mark Jackson, Stuart Scott, and others refer to Pierce's return to the court as shades of Willis Reed :-(

Da Realist:

DAMN you were dead on!!!

Waldini:

Sometimes you just know these things....I have to swear off watching ESPN for awhile because of that. It wasn't even Birdish (circa '91)

Gangsta D:

You're assuming that the 30 secs of the game he watched, coincided with that moment:)

Da Realist:

Sign of the apocolypse...

I watched the 2nd half of last night's game, but...

I requested the day off to watch Nadal vs Djokovic in today's semifinal at Roland Garros!

Gangsta D:

Nadal can't lose, so why bother?

Da Realist:

I'm still holding out hope...

If Djokovic can somehow extend him to 5 grueling sets...Federer may just have a chance

By the way...before i get back to the match...

If the trailers are any indication, Kung Fu Panda is going to be HILARIOUS.

Gangsta D:

You think Kung Fu Panda is gonna be hilarious?!? Can it match the adventure of "The Fox & The Hound?" This newfangled 3-D animation is bogus. It's all pixel-y, artificial, and corporate. It can't match the animation of the 80's. Those movies had heart, warmth, and passion. These new cartoons make me wanna vomit in a bucket, burn the bucket, and piss on the ashes.

Waldini:

You didn't like "The Incredibles"? That was a good movie. Not all of them are half bad. But if it makes you feel better "I'm a Fox, I'm a hoooouunnnnd dog"

Gangsta D:

You must not have got much sleep last night. You usually pick up on my sarcasm:)

Da Realist:

Thanks for jinxing the match...

Gangsta D:

Yep, totally my fault. Has nothing to do with the fact that Nadal is unbeatable on clay:) Read more!

"I Watched The Death Of A Dynasty"

Waldini:

Let me save you some time. It was NOT a foul :-)

Da Realist:

It was a foul, but the Spurs played soft last night and they deserved to lose.

And Tim Duncan is soft, despite the numbers. he whines to the refs more than any other superstar ever. if anyone ever tells me he's a better player/leader than Olajuwon again i'll take away their baller-card until they catch up on some recent history.

Waldini:

there were plenty of possible fouls that didn't go the Lakers way last night. Plus you and I both know Brent Barry isn't getting that call. Unless it's one of the Big 3 on that team, not happening

Da Realist:

Well...that was a pretty obvious foul, Brent Barry or not. Maybe not as blatant as the Reggie Miller push on MJ, but still pretty blatant.

But still, it's poetic justice that the Spurs whined all night for calls and it turns out a non-call sealed their fate. maybe they'll get the lesson....stop WHINING.

Gangsta D:

How do you know the Spurs played soft? Did you actually watch more than 20 secs of the game? Lol

Da Realist:

I actually did, believe it or not. lol I watched the end of the 3rd quarter and all of the 4th after french class.

All i saw was Tim Duncan begging for fouls instead of going strong to the hoop. The Spurs offense reduced to Tony Parker over-dribbling and forcing shots. I saw the Lakers continuously out-quick the slow-footed spurs for rebounds and loose balls. in fact, the Lakers bullied them.

I hadn't seen anything that would suggest they can come back. Not saying it can't happen, but they would have to change their strategy, mindset and focus to just win another game.

Gangsta D:

The frustrating part of the series is that the Lakers should've won every game by double digits. They're not "elite" yet. But this series is over, and homecourt or a major injury is the only thing that can stop the Lakeshow from winning the title. Happy days are here again:)

Waldini:

Before the playoffs started, I had the Lakers going to at least the conference Finals. I was really concerned about them playing the Hornets or Spurs. I also thought Boston was going to steamroll through the East too until they played Detroit. I have been wrong about both :-).

The Lakers will beat whomever comes out the East.

Da Realist:

You believed in the CELTICS??? I think the Pistons could challenge, but definitely not the Celtics.

By the way...I didn't see Kobe go to the line last night. What's up with that? Didn't the refs get the edict from David Stern? lol...

Gangsta D:

Too bad Realist doesn't care about the NBA anymore. When the Lakers win the title, we won't be able to gloat.....Wait what am I talking about? Of course, we're gonna gloat. Your apathy can't save you! Read more!