Nuggets-Lakers Is A Great Series

[fairweatherfan]

I know everybody's still down over Game 7, but if you aren't watching this Denver-LA series you're missing out on one of the great series in recent NBA history.  You've got:

- 2 high-tempo, offensively talented, defensively strong but very inconsistent, teams.  Maybe the 2 most athletic teams in the league as well.

- A rising star (Carmelo) against an established guy (Kobe) in the rare situation where they're regularly guarding one another.  Carmelo is not in the LeBron-Wade-Kobe group, but he's in the next bunch and he's closer than most people realize.  Watch him closely, especially on defense - he's beginning to dominate the game in stretches.

- 4 All-Stars and 3 of the top 10 most clutch players in the league (Chauncey, Carmelo, Kobe).

- Several secondary guys on each team who are capable of blowing up on a given night or hitting a big shot in crunch time (Odom, Smith, Ariza, Kleiza, etc).

- Wildly inconsistent reffing - hey, it can be fun when it's not affecting our team.

As a fan of the game, this has been a fantastic first 2 games, and it's shaping up to keep going that way.  Worth watching if you've missed it so far.

[DanMan08]

- Wildly inconsistent reffing - hey, it can be fun when it's not affecting our team.

Lol, finally someone else notices.  Its like the officials get tired of the teams crying so they just make phantom calls to keep themselves from hearing anymore.

[Redz]

I couldn't make it too deep into the 2nd half, so I guess I missed another barnburner.

How awesome is Billups.  If using Kobe's back for a wall off the inbounds play at the end of the first half didn't bring a smile to your face then you need to go buy yourself some purple and gold undies.

[bobdelt]

I couldn't make it too deep into the 2nd half, so I guess I missed another barnburner.

How awesome is Billups.  If using Kobe's back for a wall off the inbounds play at the end of the first half didn't bring a smile to your face then you need to go buy yourself some purple and gold undies.

That was awesome! And then he got interviewed right after that - he was just chock full of anger and embarrasment.

I love Kobe's dedication to the game and how hard he works - but I'd hate to be a teammate of his. I can't recall any other superstar belitting his teammates like that - at least on the court. Yelling at your teammates is not how they are going to respond.

But Carmello - tell Karl who to sub and volunteering to guard Kobe - that his how superstars do it.

If the Lakers lose - Kobe's legacy will be tarnished - but I think Phil Jackson has got to go if they want to win. You can't wait until your backs are against the wall to coach.

[RMO]

How awesome is Billups.  If using Kobe's back for a wall off the inbounds play at the end of the first half didn't bring a smile to your face then you need to go buy yourself some purple and gold undies.

That play made me smile.  I wondered which of his teammates he would blame.

[Drucci]

Great series so far, intensity, good offense, clutch plays... it's really entertaining and I love the Nuggets toughness, great win for them. They'll be tough to beat in Denver.

Chauncey was huge for them in game 2, and his inbound play was so funny :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU_4X3odmXI

 

[FLCeltsFan]

It's a good series now... It will be great if the Nuggets pull it out and send the Lakers fishing!

[QuinielaBox]

It's a good series now... It will be great if the Nuggets pull it out and send the Lakers fishing!

Is that Derek Fishing or Phishing?

I like how Denver actually believes they can BEAT LA. Man, I should make the 8 hour drive up to Denver this weekend and lend a hand to the Nuggets fans (I leave the Patriots gear at home). I would not be surprised to see them do it. That said, I think the Nuggets will have to win another game at the Staples to advance. Kobe, Derek, Trevor, and Pau are outstanding players. Lamar Odom is sometimes brilliant, sometimes a persona non-grata. Same with their bench (Farmer is their Tony Allen, Sascha the tennis star, Luke the SonofaBill).

[crownsy]

It's a good series now... It will be great if the Nuggets pull it out and send the Lakers fishing!

Is that Derek Fishing or Phishing?

I like how Denver actually believes they can BEAT LA. Man, I should make the 8 hour drive up to Denver this weekend and lend a hand to the Nuggets fans (I leave the Patriots gear at home). I would not be surprised to see them do it. That said, I think the Nuggets will have to win another game at the Staples to advance. Kobe, Derek, Trevor, and Pau are outstanding players. Lamar Odom is sometimes brilliant, sometimes a persona non-grata. Same with their bench (Farmer is their Tony Allen, Sascha the tennis star, Luke the SonofaBill).

the lakers problem right now is they are used to teams being afraid to get physical with them. So far the nuggets have out worked them, badly, for long stretches.


It doesn't helpt hat the great one, aka bynum, seems disinterested and apathetic on the court, and wants no piece of anthony, k-mart, or nene.

I guess that superstar stuff might have been to soon.

[celticinorlando]

you know what all this tells me? it tells me with a healthy boston team...the C's are the best in the league. period. KG, Powe, PP, Ray all healthy...they would have knocked out orlando....beaten the cavs and taken anyone from the west. now i am frustrated.

[Who]

I think it's an ugly series -- Lakers playing poor basketball, that's the only reason Denver are hanging around and it's not the Nuggets defense. It's dumb play and inconsistent effort + focus from LA.

[crownsy]

I think it's an ugly series -- Lakers playing poor basketball, that's the only reason Denver are hanging around and it's not the Nuggets defense. It's dumb play and inconsistent effort + focus from LA.

Its also getting out toughed. LA is consistently giving up on plays under the basket, and several of there players look intimidated.

Once a soft team, always a soft team.

[DanMan08]

You know its gotta be bad when bill simmons says the lakers are were on the wrong end of some terrible officiating.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/090522/part1&sportCat=nba


The nba is trying to make the conf finals as good as the bulls-celtics series, but the problem is that series was epic because the players left it all out there and decided it with big shot after big shot.

 The WCF right now is just the opposite, the officiating is keeping the 2 games close and the free throw fest they call a fourth quarter just isnt very exciting. 

[crownsy]

You know its gotta be bad when bill simmons says the lakers are were on the wrong end of some terrible officiating.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/090522/part1&sportCat=nba


The nba is trying to make the conf finals as good as the bulls-celtics series, but the problem is that series was epic because the players left it all out there and decided it with big shot after big shot.

 The WCF right now is just the opposite, the officiating is keeping the 2 games close and the free throw fest they call a fourth quarter just isnt very exciting. 

to be fair, i watched the 4th quarter last night, and one team attacked the rim and one team shot jumpshots.

It really wasen't surprising to me denver got to the line alot, they attack. They aren't afraid of the lakers shot blocking, they have had there way with it physically for 2 games now.

Meanwhile, the lakers, outside of bryant, sat around and took jumpers. the jump shooting team, for the second game in a row, was not rewarded. Kind of like us in orlando.

also, i don't see why its so surprising that simmions is making excuses for the lakers he "reverse jinx"d" picked them last year until the celtics were going to the finals. and he picked them for the finals again this year. He likes the lakers.

[DanMan08]

Did you have those green glasses on the whole 4th quarter?  The Lakers were going into the post in the 4th, like they have been doing most of the series.  Denver claims to be an attacking team, but so many times carmelo holds it on the wing for iso's with no ball movement. 

The difference is they are calling fouls when billups and melo lose the ball or force up bad shots, but not on the other end (1 play in particular, kobe posting up JR Smith, getting raked across the arm, and no call).  With 1:44 left, billups ran into gasol and fell down, they called it, fine, but late in that game, melo tripped/pushed ariza down, and no call.  I dont think its too much to ask for a little consistency. 

Simmons a laker fan, haha good one, you got jokes.