Are the Los Angeles Lakers in turmoil?

• jpake1

  

  Can I take that as a prediction SQ.. the Cavs sweeping the Lakers if they meet in the finals?
• SQ_Crazies

  

  Nah, I'm just having some fun.
  
  I have up until the Finals start to make a prediction. I want to see how the Lakers are playing at that point before I try to predict anything. I fully expect them to be playing much, much better.
• SQ_Crazies

  

  That being said, I can almost garantee you that my prediction will pick the Cavs as the winner because I like the match up and I really think the Cavs are the better team. But we'll have to see--I'm smart enough to know that the Lakers are capable of playing better ball than they have all year, but Pau is right, they need to make some adjustments. He's also right when he says they have the talent to be able to make those adjustments. Maybe Pau should be the leader of this team...
• jpake1

  

  ...will they take the bait? ha
• hoops23

  

  I don't believe in an on/off switch, especially this late in the season.. You guys can say what you want, but turning it "on and off" just doesn't happen.
  
  SQ, I didn't think the Caron Butler trade was going to make Dallas THAT much better.. Of course, they could just be hot right now, but I'm going to judge this trade in the playoffs.. So far though, you were right about that one.
• jpake1

  

  Turning it on and off might not happen for you, but it does for others. But to each their own.
• hoops23

  

  jpake1 wrote: Turning it on and off might not happen for you, but it does for others. But to each their own.

  Are we still talking basketball?
  
  Seriously though, examples of a team turning it on and off?
  
  The Lakers of last year didn't turn it on/off.. The Celtics before that didn't turn it on/off...
  
  I guess the Heat turned it on in Game 3 and the Mavs turned it off though, right?
  
  I just don't buy it.. If you're telling me that Kobe taking 30+ shots a game is turned off, then maybe you're right.
• jpake1

  

  It's about the effort and focus a team gives as well as the individual players. Hell, I've done it in sports. Give a decent effort, enough to keep me within striking distance, then all of a sudden turned it on and never looked back. A great example of this is the Lakers when Shaq was there. Reggie Miller admitted that much during the Heat/Lakers broadcast.
• hoops23

  

  Reggie Miller also predicted the Lakers would start 20-0 this season.
  
  I still think the Lakers take the West and if they win it all, it won't be because they hit a "switch"...But this is more than being on cruise control.. This has to do with the team... They don't seem to be clicking right with each other this year and that has nothing to do with taking a somber approach to some games.. Pay Gasol calling out Kobe, Kobe lashing out on his teammates and sitting by himself..
  
  One of the guys during the broadcast for the ORL/LA game basically called that thought out too.. I don't remember if it was JVG or Mark Jackson though...
• SQ_Crazies

  

  Yeah LTrain, I thought Butler fit nicely with them and could fill a need pretty well. But I thought Haywood was a nice part of that trade too. Can't have too many big guys, especially in the West. And he isn't a terrible player at all.
• jpake1

  

  What does Reggie's prediction have to do with anything? Neways, I do agree. This is a bit more than crusing. There are some problems. In this sense, when I say turn it on, I mean they'll figure their shit out and do the job.
• cview

  SQ_Crazies wrote: No, it's not when you have LeBron on your team--because it's like the circus comes to town. They aren't just one of the normal elite teams either.

  The only part of this that makes any sense is that the Cavs come into town and sell out because they're really good and because people want to see LBJ. There's no way you can think they're any different than any other elite/really good team in terms of taking everyone's best shot. The Lakers are the defending champs and everyone wants to knock them, Phil Jackson, and Kobe off. Aside from Lebron, there isn't anything special about the Cavs that means they're going to get everyone's best shot. They aren't a dynasty. Hell, the last time the Cavs played in an NBA Finals game:
  -Mike Conley and Greg Oden played together, not on separate coasts
  -Derrick Rose was a senior in HS
  -John Wall was a sophomore in HS
• SQ_Crazies

  

  Well, you got one thing right. The Lakers, Phil Jackson and Kobe are certainly 3 seperate entities.
• hoops23

  

  SQ_Crazies wrote: Yeah LTrain, I thought Butler fit nicely with them and could fill a need pretty well. But I thought Haywood was a nice part of that trade too. Can't have too many big guys, especially in the West. And he isn't a terrible player at all.

  I think Haywood was the biggest addition to the Mavs after breaking everything down.. Adding a good defensive/rebounding 7'1' big who can also score really helps them out.
  
  jpake, I just made reference to Reggie making that prediction as a way to say he talks out of his ass A LOT.
  
  But I see where you're coming from.
• Footwedge

  Sage wrote: I'm sure they do, but not to the degree that the Lakers do. EVERYBODY not only sees the Lakers as a rival, but now they're also the world champs.
  
  Sorry, it's just a different animal than being one of the better teams in the league.

  LOL...
  
  Other caoches: "Well tonight we play the Lakers...give it our best shot...they are really good and the defending champs."
  
  Other coaches: "Well tonight we play the Cavs..the team with the best player and the best record in all of basketball..for the last 2 years... Don't need all that great of an effort."
  
  Funny, funny stuff.
• noreply66

  Koby has played too long and too much--he is breaking down