The 2012-13 NBA season

[SVRDhand13]

trying to figure out how you are a 3 team NY fan with the Fish tossed in......

I like three NY teams and the Atlanta Braves

To make matters worse, I've lived minutes away from Citi/Shea my entire life

juggler is not going to be pleased.

Meh I'm a bigger Braves fan than probably 95% of Mets/Yanks fans so screw that fraud talk just because they are not in my city . Chipper Jones gets paid no matter where I live

Mom is diehard Yanks fan and Dad a diehard Mets fan and as a kid I needed to have my own team- stuck with them ever since. Unlike all the Bulls fans outside of Chicago who moved on pre- Rose

[Jearlpam0925]

...I think I'm gonna throw up... the scent of fraud makes me queezy...

[RW81233]

ok so the lakers now have exactly 2 great players 2 awesome players, and 3 other guys...plus Kobe on weary Olympic legs. I'm not buying that this gets them into the Finals over San Antonio and/or OKC, let alone beating:
LeBron
Bosh
Wade
Chalmers
Anthony
Battier
Haslem
Allen
Jones
Cole

That team has 18 fouls to hammer Howard with, 4 guys that Nash will have to pretend to guard, 1 guy that will shutdown old Kobe, and options if someone is having a tough day. For LAL everything has to go right and no one can get injured. I don't see it happening unless this Barbosa thing is for real. If it is can we rename the thread the National Basketball Entertainment Association so that we can just come to terms with the fact that it's rigged for the best storylines?

Had Kobe's ego dwindled along with his athleticism over the years, this LA team would be awesome. As it is, I see Kobe punching Nash and taking the ball from him.

the Lakes are awesome just they need a year to get used to each other, and by then they'll be in the old folks home. on top of that its giving MIA and OKC two years to gel further and add more parts. I don't buy on this pickup sorry. I have been wrong before about things but I just don't think this does it.

[CROJAM95]

^ Lakers dont need a yr to figure it out, they need their health.

Unlike Miami, they have a true center, a true point guard, and finisher/wing in Kobe and Gasol and Artest to fill out the starting 5....are u fuckin kidding me

Miami had/has Wade/Lebron...both kinda need the ball..Bosh isnt a center or even a real PF


They also were fortunate to play OKC instead of SA...which dont have as much firepower as OKC, their experience and coaching would have beena problem for Miami

And people saying OKC is still the team...yes going forward, but not the next 2 seasons at least

Plus guys like Blake, Antwan Jamison off the bench....its gonna be nuts. Nash is gonna light it up

[CROJAM95]

Greatest starting 5 in NBA history if they play to potential. Gasol as a 4th option

[RW81233]

an old nash, an old kobe, howard, gasol, and world peace greatest starting five? then the only two players on the bench that make sense? one injury and this whole thing goes to shit...literally one. also the Spurs have firepower they can't play defense anymore that's like thinking the Patriots are a defensive minded football team anymore that ship has long passed. OKC/Spurs then Heat will not bode well for "the greatest starting 5" that is old methinks. Again I could be wrong, but I don't think so here.

[SVRDhand13]

Greatest starting 5 in NBA history if they play to potential. Gasol as a 4th option

Not even the best Lakers starting 5 of all time. A few years ago yes, 2012 no.

[81]

Greatest starting 5 in NBA history if they play to potential. Gasol as a 4th option

i'll take some of what you are smoking

[The Juggler]

Greatest starting 5 in NBA history if they play to potential. Gasol as a 4th option

i'm assuming you are joking. because if you are not, this is one of the dumbest sports statements i have ever seen anyone make.

[The Juggler]

I like three NY teams and the Atlanta Braves

To make matters worse, I've lived minutes away from Citi/Shea my entire life

juggler is not going to be pleased.

Meh I'm a bigger Braves fan than probably 95% of Mets/Yanks fans so screw that fraud talk just because they are not in my city . Chipper Jones gets paid no matter where I live

Mom is diehard Yanks fan and Dad a diehard Mets fan and as a kid I needed to have my own team- stuck with them ever since. Unlike all the Bulls fans outside of Chicago who moved on pre- Rose

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=121118&hilit=fraud

[CROJAM95]

From a pure talent aspect, I back up what I said. Trust me I can't stand Howard, Kobe, Artest, the Buss family etc. Nash I like, Gasol to me is whatever....

The fact they got to keep Gasol, and just trade Bynum pretty much straight up for Howard was a robbery. They have very unique skill set that no one in the league will match in a 7 game series.

If Artest and Howard just focus on D.... They can lock u down. Artest can give the likes of Durant, Lebron etc Fits. He is annoying to play against. Howard is the best, Center in the NBA.... He can lock down the paint.

That lob city reference is also about to get reassigned to the Lakers...... Nash will have a field day.

My statement is based on potential.... If Phil were still there I'd say bank on it. There's 3 fucking Hall of Famers starting for them.... Gasol if he plays long enough, might be #4. Artest is a nut, but he can be effective and was an all star.

So let's say all 4 become hall of Famers and they win a few titles... I mean, that could constitute the greatest starting 5 in history. I'm going from a pure talent perspective.

[The Juggler]

From a pure talent aspect, I back up what I said. Trust me I can't stand Howard, Kobe, Artest, the Buss family etc. Nash I like, Gasol to me is whatever....

The fact they got to keep Gasol, and just trade Bynum pretty much straight up for Howard was a robbery. They have very unique skill set that no one in the league will match in a 7 game series.

If Artest and Howard just focus on D.... They can lock u down. Artest can give the likes of Durant, Lebron etc Fits. He is annoying to play against. Howard is the best, Center in the NBA.... He can lock down the paint.

That lob city reference is also about to get reassigned to the Lakers...... Nash will have a field day.

My statement is based on potential.... If Phil were still there I'd say bank on it. There's 3 fucking Hall of Famers starting for them.... Gasol if he plays long enough, might be #4. Artest is a nut, but he can be effective and was an all star.

So let's say all 4 become hall of Famers and they win a few titles... I mean, that could constitute the greatest starting 5 in history. I'm going from a pure talent perspective.

the sixers, alone, have 2 teams in their history that was better than this starting 5...even if all these players were in the prime of their careers, which they are not.

kobe just turned 34 (and, as al sharpton mentioned, will have tired, olympic legs this year). nash is pushing 50. gasol looked old and soft last year. artest is old.

howard also disapears in the 4th quarter because he can't hit a free throw. if bynum plays to his potential (and stays healthy), he could end up being a better all around player than howard.

i dunno. i can see this whole thing blowing up in lakers collective face.

[norm]

[DewieCox]

Isn't the complete lack of outside d what has killed the Lakers the last few seasons? I don't see Howard as a big fix for that. Skip Bayless is the only person in the world that thinks Bynum can compare with Howard, but there are still gonna be players open when Howard has to leave his man. Add in more Gasol wallowing from moving down 2 spots as an offensive option and the age of the 2 best offensive weapons and there's a recipe for a big time let down. I don't blame Howard for not committing yet.

They're gonna be formidable but they're anything but a lock.

Lebron and co are still douchebags.

[markymark550]

John Salley: proof that just because someone puts a microphone in front of you, it doesn't mean you have to talk

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/eye-o ... ayer-ever-