DOWN GOES KOBE!!!

[abeallen]

tONIGHT WAS A BLOWOUT - DOWN WITH THE LAKERS THE HECK WITH PHIL AND GOOD RIDDENS TO KOBE!!!!!!!!!!! Just had to shout that out to the world!

 

[johnsteed]

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abeallen

tONIGHT WAS A BLOWOUT - DOWN WITH THE LAKERS THE HECK WITH PHIL AND GOOD RIDDENS TO KOBE!!!!!!!!!!! Just had to shout that out to the world!

Well, I must say, I'm pleasantly surprised about the whole turnaround of this series. I happen to think that the SUNS got absolutely robbed at the end of game 4 (on the two non-calls), but in the end it doesn't make that much of a difference. When it comes to the NBA, teams I like almost always lose (except for the BULLS and LAKERS of the mid-80s).


I'm not a Kobe hater, although it's easy to dislike the man. Truly talented player, and yes, I happen to think the most talented player in the game today (even ahead of LeBron James). But I'll save that for another time...


What's amazing about the Lakers NOT winning this series (despite being up 3-1 going into game #5), is that this was the first time that a Phil Jackson coached team has lost a series it had once been leading in, AND it's the first time a Phil Jackson coached team has ever lost in the 1st Round (14-1). Now, he's 44-1 in that category (great accomplishments and streaks broken).


What surprises me the most about the way the series unfolded over the past 3 games, was how the team got away from what had originally been working for them at the beginning of the series. Which was? High-energy defense, adjusting their game-plan on the fly (Phil Jackson's coaching didn't have as much of an effect as I would have thought), the ability to defense the pick-and-roll, and lots of ball movement. This team was on a serious high after Game #4, and I thought that after polishing-off the SUNS, they'd probably do the same to the Clippers. What the hell happened there?


I'm happy for Steve Nash, because had the SUNS not won this series, everyone would have been talking about how he's one of the most undeserving MVPs of All-Time. I think even if they lose in round-2, he's justified his standing once again. :notworthy


Great to see that this season wasn't all for naught.


Steed

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[dickens1298]

I was thoroughly surprised by the series. Antoni (the Suns coach) seemed to be thoroughly outcoached, but then seemed to make just the right adjustments (with Diaw and Barbosa especially) to defeat the Lakers.

The Lakers, on the other hand, seem to be dysfunctioning. Kobe takes THREE shots in the second half? Remember at half-time, the Suns were only up by 15 - a very manageable hole to overcome. Was this the equivalent of him pouting?

And the rest of the Lakers simply disappeared. Smush Parker, their point guard, became a non-factor, and Kwame - despite tremendous improvement - didn't emerge enough in the last game. Even Odom - whose inconsistency is legendary here in LA - didn't play to the level he had been during the last part of the season.

 

[johnsteed]

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Some great observations here "dickens1298".

I was thoroughly surprised by the series. Antoni (the Suns coach) seemed to be thoroughly out-coached, but then seemed to make just the right adjustments (with Diaw and Barbosa especially) to defeat the Lakers.

I must say that I didn't give Mike D'Antoni enough credit over the past couple of years. I thought of him as nothing more than someone who's been along for a great ride, therefore he seemed to always be a little too upbeat.

But actually, it's refreshing, and he really knows how to make adjustments. Now that I think about it (and slowly coming around to changing my mind), he's a huge part of the face of this franchise, and he's probably in the upper-echelon of coaches.

I love this SUNS line-up, but it's not a line-up made for the playoffs (Amare or not). The fact that they were able to persevere and overcome a 3-1 deficit, says a lot about the character and will of this team (and how well it's being coached).


cont...

The Lakers, on the other hand, seem to be dysfunctioning. Kobe takes THREE shots in the second half? Remember at half-time, the Suns were only up by 15 - a very manageable hole to overcome. Was this the equivalent of him pouting?

And the rest of the Lakers simply disappeared. Smush Parker, their point guard, became a non-factor, and Kwame - despite tremendous improvement - didn't emerge enough in the last game. Even Odom - whose inconsistency is legendary here in LA - didn't play to the level he had been during the last part of the season.

I think that the LAKERS did much more than I (and most) had expected them to do. The fact that they got up 3-1 in the series, and were able to stay in the majority of the games played says a lot about the direction of this team.


Steed

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