Real Deal

Sorry I didn't get to the PM you sent me (just read it tonight, actually)...but whoever did the graphics did a much better job than I would've done, so it's a good thing. I'm backed up with work anyway, have four other things I have to design in the next month. Good job.

As Poe said, our bigs can handle Boston's bigs. Pierce has yet to do anything against Ron, and I don't see that happening. Paul dropped 13 of his 24 in the fourth quarter, after Phil started jacking with our five and thinking that Game 1 was over (20-point lead). Then, he shot 2-11 with Ron in his face during Game 2. Durant even suffered the same way. So it comes down to Kobe and Fisher/Vujacic, and Ray and Rondo. Seeing that not a single player on the Celtics can stop Bryant one-on-one, all the Lakers need to do is stay on the floor and execute the offense to win the game. I'm making it sound simple, and it's not...but with our huge advantage down low, Ray Allen is going to have to go ballistic for the rest of the series if Boston wants the title, or Rondo will have to start dropping over 20 points each game.

Boston didn't put Kobe in foul trouble, either...the referees did, with three pathetic calls. You keep Bryant on the floor for that extra 10 minutes (he played 34, the least among the starting five), and suddenly, the game changes in our favor. If they were legit calls, I wouldn't have to sit here and say that...but they weren't. Boston did what it takes to win with Kobe in and out of the game. Los Angeles is the better team. You stick Bryant and Artest on the bench, and give Odom three fouls in 53 seconds, and the Lakers turn into the Gasol-led Grizzlies. Boston didn't even play well, outside of Ray Allen. Pierce shot under 20% from the floor, Rondo didn't shoot well, Davis was 4-13 from the field, and the entire team shot a collective .429 to win this game. Eight of their 11 threes were from Ray Allen (24 points, to be exact). Ray Allen caught fire, Kobe couldn't stay on the court long enough to change it, and we lost even after coming back after being down by 14. You guys are acting like we were smoked.

How is that any different from any other player in the league, other than defensive-minded players? I understand players can make a difference without being on the statsheet, but that is basically if they are playing excellent defense and setting solid screens. Otherwise, you're looking for guys that do the dirty work and grab boards, throw assists, limit turnovers...all having to do with basketball IQ.

Not surprised, but it's BECAUSE we gave him the space. With Kobe out, Ray lit Farmar and Brown up. He actually torched Fisher as well. Kobe came in to defend him, and he hit one three on Bryant. 27 points in the first half, just 5 points in the second half. Unfortunately, with Kobe's attention on Allen, Rondo lit everyone up in the second half...had just six points on Bryant in the first, 8 total assists (most because of Allen). Hit LA up with 13 points and 2 assists in that second half. Kobe was needed out there. Ron plays excellent defense, but Bryant's defense is extremely underrated.

Haha come on now, that's not saying much. When LA is fully healthy, they are almost unbeatable even without Odom playing well, mainly because of the Bynum factor. We know what we'll get out of Kobe and Gasol. You add any other player dropping 20/10 (Bynum or Odom), and you have a team that can barely be contained. Maybe we're misunderstanding each other, because I feel like we're almost on the same page...so let me word this in a different way: Odom is inconsistent. When he's on, it's fantastic for us. That's a given. But it's a coin-toss most of the time. Let's put it this way: do you know what he'll do for Game 3? I have no idea. He may give us 20/10, or stick with a six-point, five-rebound performance. That won't cut it...and sadly, it's been that way since 2004. When you have no clue what you're going to get from your teammate, you have no clue how aggressive he should be, how many minutes he should play, what role he should play, or if you should even trust him during his time out on the floor.

The plan has already been put into play, I'm just waiting on the "end of the world" in 2012. That's when I will survive and turn OTR into a global machine.

Sure, but there have been way too many times he has become too involved, being too aggressive. He is one of the most versatile players in the NBA, but that doesn't mean he has the green light to shoot like he's Ray Allen, or take over games like Bryant. All of that garbage about Odom facilitating the offense...it's untrue, or he just chooses not to create shots for anyone. Luke Walton actually does a better job of that. Odom is similar to Michael Beasley...a forward that doesn't know where to play on the court, doesn't know when to show up, and shows flashes of brilliance, but not enough when it counts the most. "Odom" and "all-star" should never be in the same sentence. He has all-star moments, but so does JR Smith.

I would have to stop running OTR, and I'm not sure if I want to do that just yet. I don't have time for both OTR and the United States.

Hell of a job defensively, gave us nothing back on the offensive end. Holding Pierce to 2-11 from the floor is fine, but Ron also shot 1-10 (if I recall correctly), so something has to give.

I agree to an extent, but the Odom that plays too aggressive picks up two charges in five minutes of play. Not the most intelligent player.

1) Kobe in foul trouble all game. 2) Artest in foul trouble all game. 3) Odom in foul trouble all game (actually, the first 53 seconds he was out on the floor, three fouls). 4) Allen sets an NBA record for threes in a Finals game. 5) Rondo gets a triple-double after Kobe stops defending him. All of that had to happen last night, so am I worried about three consecutive games in Boston? It doesn't happen much, where home teams sweep the three middle games of an NBA Finals...and by the numbers, the Celtics are a better road team than they are playing at home. With the bad out-of-bounds call on Gasol, and that pathetic loose ball foul call on Artest (please), all happening in the final minutes of the game...I don't see why I need to be panicking at this point. Take one in Boston, even just one, and we regain home court advantage. Take two of those three, and the series is nearly over.

vs. PHOENIX GM1: 19 PTS (9-15 FG), 19 REB, 3 AST, 3 FLS Amare calls Lamar Odom's night "lucky." GM2: 17 PTS (7-10 FG), 11 REB, 4 AST, 3 FLS GM3: 10 PTS (4-14 FG), 6 REB, 2 AST, 6 FLS GM4: 15 PTS (6-13 FG), 10 REB, 3 AST, 4 FLS GM5: 17 PTS (7-11 FG), 13 REB, 4 AST, 1 FLS GM6: 6 PTS (3-12 FG), 12 REB, 3 AST, 4 FLS vs. BOSTON GM1: 5 PTS (2-6 FG), 4 REB, 1 AST, 5 FLS GM2: 3 PTS (1-3 FG), 5 REB, 1 AST, 5 FLS In the first two games against Boston, Odom has played 21 and 15 minutes, respectively. For all six games against the Suns, Odom never logged under 31 minutes...and four of those six games, he played 35 or more. Are the fouls his biggest problem?

Garnett's foul trouble helped Boston. Hell, the Celtics play better when Garnett isn't touching the ball, or having to defend Gasol. Not to mention all of Garnett's fouls were legit to begin with, and he should've been called for another on that out-of-bounds massacre.

Yep. If you stuck Danny Fortson and George Bush in a blender, you get Lamar Odom.

I hope our next elected President is Superman. Otherwise, he'll be a human, and we just can't have that [expletive].

LOL, just noticed that too. Maybe we can keep Garnett on the floor the entire game for Game 3. Boston is a weaker team with him defending Gasol and struggling to shoot over his length.

So wait, you guys are wanting the government to do something about it...or you aren't? How much government intervention is too much?

Yeah dude, those calls were massive. It would be a little different if we were down 20...I wouldn't feel so angry about them, but when it happens when we've come back from 14, in the NBA Finals, fourth quarter with a couple of minutes left...it's a dagger.

Not sure. I don't think the modification was ever updated. I'll have to check.

So Garnett and Gasol's hands both just stopped moving, and Gasol's fingertip decided to creep in and push the ball out of bounds? That ball was out on Garnett. Every finger in the photo is sitting behind Kevin's, and during the replay, Jackson and Van Gundy both called it Lakers ball, and believed it was 100% going to be overturned. Big call that led to a five-point deficit, instead of our ball with a three point deficit.

You mean an advanced statistics tab? Yes, but it was causing problems with the board...members were getting page errors from it every now and then.

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/9194/1275878743746.jpg

Haha, that's why I said it.

Too many players are better at the forward slots, doesn't matter the conferences. See what happened to Danny Granger...and Beasley doesn't even come close to his game.