No National Media Love / Experts Picking LA

[Cman]

I believe the "experts" made the same predictions in the 2004 finals.

And they would have been right if the NBA had not blatantly fixed the series in favor of the Pistons through the use of corrupt officials.

4 Jump Ball Violations to open the first 4 games of the NBA Finals?  Please.

In all seriousness, is this what has been eating at Lakers fans for the last 4 years?  I am curious to know, because I gotta say, if this is it, if jump ball violations (whatever they may be) are the worst of your worries, then you live a charmed experience.  Gotta say that the reality check known as the Boston Celtics are going to be quite the wake up call for you Lakers fans.  

[Brickowski]

I think the Lakers have to be favored.  Better coach, more depth.  But I thought the Pistons would win too, so what do I know?

[BirdNerd]

Great initial post. 

I truly believed the Pistons were going to take us and it would come down to game 7, tied, 2 minutes to go. 

I was happy when we were close in the third quarter.   I thought we really battled.    The fact we pulled that out was phenomenal.   

Cs in 7.   

[LakerLanny]

The jump ball violations were simply an indicator of how that series would be "officiated"

I doubt there have been a total of 4 jump ball violations total in the four years since in the entire playoffs for all teams.

Shaq did nothing different on those 4 tips than he had done in the 100 games leading up to the finals, yet somehow those were all deemed to be violations?

The Lakers being out of fouls with 8 and 9 minutes to go in every quarter to a team with no inside threat who just shot jump shots was a joke also.

So stop with the Pistons nonsense, they got their one fix title and that was way more than they deserved.  After that, the league stopped fixing playoff series for them and they have not been able to be a serious threat.

Remember, I am LakerLanny, the legendary internet poster about rigged NBA officiating.  Trust me when I say no one here has even an iota of the depth of knowledge I do on this unfortunate subject.

[Cman]

The jump ball violations were simply an indicator of how that series would be "officiated"

I doubt there have been a total of 4 jump ball violations total in the four years since in the entire playoffs for all teams.

Shaq did nothing different on those 4 tips than he had done in the 100 games leading up to the finals, yet somehow those were all deemed to be violations?

The Lakers being out of fouls with 8 and 9 minutes to go in every quarter to a team with no inside threat who just shot jump shots was a joke also.

So stop with the Pistons nonsense, they got their one fix title and that was way more than they deserved.  After that, the league stopped fixing playoff series for them and they have not been able to be a serious threat.

Remember, I am LakerLanny, the legendary internet poster about rigged NBA officiating.  Trust me when I say no one here has even an iota of the depth of knowledge I do on this unfortunate subject.

Are you saying this year the fix is in for the Lakers?  Sure looks like it after the no call for Brent Barry.  Or are you saying the Lakers have transcended the evil designs of the NBA powers-that-be that want to keep the Lakers down.  Because I have news for you, the Celtics have done the same by beating the Pistons -- or maybe you are not aware of the poor officiating that went against the Celtics in the most recent series (Pierce called for an offensive foul when he got fouled making a 3 pointer).

[Bahku]

This is no shock whatsoever ... the majority of the media has been pushing the Lakers all year long, even though we've had the better record, they've still been saying LA is the best team in the NBA ... Kobe is their "Golden Boy", you have to understand, and LA is the center for most media in the first place. Sorry, but this just doesn't surprise me in the least, and I LOVE the fact that we're the underdog ... so let them sing the praises of the purple and gold, the justice of time will prove the true victor.

[BASSTHUMPER]

we are far from the underdog

we got the best record in the nba

we got the most talented starters in the nba

and for the celtic's to be where we are now normally takes other teams years we did it in months~

compared to last season nevea reduce this team to thought's of other nonbelievers~

we are the champions my friend~and will keep on fightin till the end~queen~

holla at cha boy~

[Jon]

Who cares about the "experts"?

These are the same guys who failed to take into account the fact that the Hawks actually are pretty talented and are the longest, most athletic team in the league when they ripped the C's to shreds for not making quick work of them.

These are the same guys who thought LeBron and a bunch of nobodies (and I am including Delonte West in that category) could beat the C's.

And these are also the same guys who thought that the Pistons could beat the Celtics without a legitimate superstar. 

Something tells me we shouldn't listen to these guys. 

Anyone picking the Lakers is dismissing the defensive side of the ball.  And last time I checked, offense wins games, and defense wins championships. 

[ERod86]

I believe the "experts" made the same predictions in the 2004 finals.

And they would have been right if the NBA had not blatantly fixed the series in favor of the Pistons through the use of corrupt officials.

4 Jump Ball Violations to open the first 4 games of the NBA Finals?  Please.

In all seriousness, is this what has been eating at Lakers fans for the last 4 years?  I am curious to know, because I gotta say, if this is it, if jump ball violations (whatever they may be) are the worst of your worries, then you live a charmed experience.  Gotta say that the reality check known as the Boston Celtics are going to be quite the wake up call for you Lakers fans. 

Hey, don't take that crazy jump ball stuff as what Laker fans think. The Pistons kicked the Lakers butts in 04...maybe Brown convinced the NBA to look carefully at some things, but this had very little to do with the loss.

I personally don't think those experts watched the last two Cs games. Before the last two games, I would have said Lakers in 5 too, but something has really changed for the Cs. Maybe ever since the Cavs game 7 win.

It's really tough to call. I think the Lakers have played tougher teams and that Kobe is playing at another level, but I also think the Celtics are the most complete team int he league and they have home court.

[ERod86]

This is no shock whatsoever ... the majority of the media has been pushing the Lakers all year long, even though we've had the better record, they've still been saying LA is the best team in the NBA ... Kobe is their "Golden Boy", you have to understand, and LA is the center for most media in the first place. Sorry, but this just doesn't surprise me in the least, and I LOVE the fact that we're the underdog ... so let them sing the praises of the purple and gold, the justice of time will prove the true victor.

This is just silly. Most experts picked the Lakers to miss the playoffs.
Once the playoffs started, SOME people started giving the Lakers that favorite status, but don't try to say "all year" that's just not true.

Kobe lost his golden boy status 4 years ago...there are way more Kobe haters in the media than KB lovers. He is playing on another level right now, and most folks who know bball can't ignore that even if they don't like him.
The justice of time will prove the victor.

[PerkinsERA43]

I know what every expert is basing their opinion on and with all due respect they are wrong.  We are Cs fans and watch the Cs a heck of a lot more than the national guys. We know what this team can do when Rondo/Perk/Ray are at the top of their game and our defense is clicking.

I'll say this; Perhaps the Lakers have had a better playoff run but here is the thing - Cleveland and Detroit play a heck of a lot better defense than anything the Lakers have seen so far - and we play better defense than both.  So, who is stopping Kobe? well, perhaps the experts should ask, who is stopping the Cs?

this is a fantastic post.

[Bahku]

This is no shock whatsoever ... the majority of the media has been pushing the Lakers all year long, even though we've had the better record, they've still been saying LA is the best team in the NBA ... Kobe is their "Golden Boy", you have to understand, and LA is the center for most media in the first place. Sorry, but this just doesn't surprise me in the least, and I LOVE the fact that we're the underdog ... so let them sing the praises of the purple and gold, the justice of time will prove the true victor.

This is just silly. Most experts picked the Lakers to miss the playoffs.
Once the playoffs started, SOME people started giving the Lakers that favorite status, but don't try to say "all year" that's just not true.

Kobe lost his golden boy status 4 years ago...there are way more Kobe haters in the media than KB lovers. He is playing on another level right now, and most folks who know bball can't ignore that even if they don't like him.
The justice of time will prove the victor.

Guess you haven't watched a lot of ESPN, ABC, or TNT this year, because they've been touting Kobe's and the Lakers' praises all year ... in a major way. The Celtics have gotten very little props from the National Media, all in deference to LA, Detroit, New Orleans, and San Antonio.

Charles, Kenny, Ernie, Magic, Reggie, and so on, can't get enough of Kobe and the Lakers, and with their and the NBA's shameless promotion of all things purple and gold, I can't believe anyone could think otherwise ... unless, of course, there's been a media "blackout" in that area.

Here's just a little TNT reminder of the promotion of a player who "lost his golden boy status 4 years ago". (Please tell me you're kidding, right?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5EYs4i9CLE

What is the League MVP, if not the Golden Boy?!?

[GoldenThroat]

I don't feel nearly as confident about a Laker victory as many seem to. This Celtic squad is one of the best defensive teams of the last ten years, and it's going to be A LOT of fun watching a great, half-court offensive team (Lakers) go against a great, half-court defensive team in the Celtics. I hope we can run on the C's, because that's been one aspect that I think you guys have been a bit lacking in recently. The Lakers are very quick, and have the advantage of having our best rebounder (Odom) being a guy who can push the ball up the court instead of having to look for a guard. I expect the Lakers to be looking for opportunities in transition as a way of counteracting the C's superb half-court D.

I also think that the amount of penetration that Kobe's able to get is key. The Lakers need to find a way to compromise a defense that's just incredible at rotating, and guard penetration is the way to go. The Spurs turned Kobe into a jump shooter, which he was effective at, but that limited Gasol. A lot of Pau's points come from Kobe. If KG or Perkins need to come to help as a result of Kobe's penetration, Odom & Gasol are effective at cutting and getting into a passing lane where Kobe can get the ball.

Also, if the game's close coming down the stretch, I have more confidence in Kobe than in the Big 3 of the Celtics.

[ERod86]

This is no shock whatsoever ... the majority of the media has been pushing the Lakers all year long, even though we've had the better record, they've still been saying LA is the best team in the NBA ... Kobe is their "Golden Boy", you have to understand, and LA is the center for most media in the first place. Sorry, but this just doesn't surprise me in the least, and I LOVE the fact that we're the underdog ... so let them sing the praises of the purple and gold, the justice of time will prove the true victor.

This is just silly. Most experts picked the Lakers to miss the playoffs.
Once the playoffs started, SOME people started giving the Lakers that favorite status, but don't try to say "all year" that's just not true.

Kobe lost his golden boy status 4 years ago...there are way more Kobe haters in the media than KB lovers. He is playing on another level right now, and most folks who know bball can't ignore that even if they don't like him.
The justice of time will prove the victor.

Guess you haven't watched a lot of ESPN, ABC, or TNT this year, because they've been touting Kobe's and the Lakers' praises all year ... in a major way. The Celtics have gotten very little props from the National Media, all in deference to LA, Detroit, New Orleans, and San Antonio.

Charles, Kenny, Ernie, Magic, Reggie, and so on, can't get enough of Kobe and the Lakers, and with their and the NBA's shameless promotion of all things purple and gold, I can't believe anyone could think otherwise ... unless, of course, there's been a media "blackout" in that area.

Here's just a little TNT reminder of the promotion of a player who "lost his golden boy status 4 years ago". (Please tell me you're kidding, right?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5EYs4i9CLE

What is the League MVP, if not the Golden Boy?!?

Oh so because Kobe earned the MVP award, that means people haven't been talking crap about him the past 4 years? And even though he did far more with far less this year than KG and CP3, it took till the last week of the season for people to begrudgingly give him the vote. I'll agree that he is getting some of that status back, but to say Kobe has been the golden boy the last 4 years just hasn't paid attention.

Also, I watch most everything and you're just wrong about all season. Because for the first two months all anyone could talk about was how KG was the MVP and the Celtics were the best thing going.

I watched all the experts and read a ton early on and 80% of the people on the web and tv said the Lakers would finish 8th-13th in the west. That includes Charles and Legler, these guys said the Lakers weren't any good.

I think the Cs were so good people started taking them for granted AND because the Lakers were such a big surprise they started jumping on the story. You either forgot, didn't pay attention the first two months of the season, or your way too sensitive.

[Bahku]

This is no shock whatsoever ... the majority of the media has been pushing the Lakers all year long, even though we've had the better record, they've still been saying LA is the best team in the NBA ... Kobe is their "Golden Boy", you have to understand, and LA is the center for most media in the first place. Sorry, but this just doesn't surprise me in the least, and I LOVE the fact that we're the underdog ... so let them sing the praises of the purple and gold, the justice of time will prove the true victor.

This is just silly. Most experts picked the Lakers to miss the playoffs.
Once the playoffs started, SOME people started giving the Lakers that favorite status, but don't try to say "all year" that's just not true.

Kobe lost his golden boy status 4 years ago...there are way more Kobe haters in the media than KB lovers. He is playing on another level right now, and most folks who know bball can't ignore that even if they don't like him.
The justice of time will prove the victor.

Guess you haven't watched a lot of ESPN, ABC, or TNT this year, because they've been touting Kobe's and the Lakers' praises all year ... in a major way. The Celtics have gotten very little props from the National Media, all in deference to LA, Detroit, New Orleans, and San Antonio.

Charles, Kenny, Ernie, Magic, Reggie, and so on, can't get enough of Kobe and the Lakers, and with their and the NBA's shameless promotion of all things purple and gold, I can't believe anyone could think otherwise ... unless, of course, there's been a media "blackout" in that area.

Here's just a little TNT reminder of the promotion of a player who "lost his golden boy status 4 years ago". (Please tell me you're kidding, right?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5EYs4i9CLE

What is the League MVP, if not the Golden Boy?!?

Oh so because Kobe earned the MVP award, that means people haven't been talking crap about him the past 4 years? And even though he did far more with far less this year than KG and CP3, it took till the last week of the season for people to begrudgingly give him the vote. I'll agree that he is getting some of that status back, but to say Kobe has been the golden boy the last 4 years just hasn't paid attention.

Also, I watch most everything and you're just wrong about all season. Because for the first two months all anyone could talk about was how KG was the MVP and the Celtics were the best thing going.

I watched all the experts and read a ton early on and 80% of the people on the web and tv said the Lakers would finish 8th-13th in the west. That includes Charles and Legler, these guys said the Lakers weren't any good.

I think the Cs were so good people started taking them for granted AND because the Lakers were such a big surprise they started jumping on the story. You either forgot, didn't pay attention the first two months of the season, or your way too sensitive.

Uh-huh ... right. Well, I guess this is a semantics thing, so I'll rephrase it for the sake that it's being taken all literally: "For most of the season." Regardless, Kobe's had many of these media guys promoting him continuously, however, and that's apart and beyond anything that was happening with the Lakers.

Guess we were watching different channels ... and reading different papers, because since at least Christmas-time, most of what I've heard and seen has been pro-Kobe/Lakers. As far as the assessment of my personality, I'd appreciate it if you'd keep the discussion above such things, and focused on the topic.

Ultimately, I think we're on the same side here, however, so a TP for the discussion, though there's no way I'll ever believe that Kobe isn't the NBA's "Golden Boy" ... or at least one of them.