FanNation - The Republic of Sport

dudeman is gone. said 06/22, 07:30 PM
Now, you say that the Lakers showed how good of a team they were in the Finals. I have a question, didn't they face an EASTERN conference team in the finals? Why they lost in the Finals is a different story, but I think they were easily the best team in the Western Conference.

First of all they have the best starting lineup in the West when healthy:

PG: Derek Fisher - Other than Tony Parker he has the most experience in the NBA Finals and brings a toughness and work ethic to the Lakers.

SG: Kobe Bryant - Even though he struggled in the Finals he's the MVP of the league, and many consider him to be the best player on the planet right now.

SF: Lamar Odom - If they keep him he will be a great addition to this lineup, he provides a selfless player who can rebound and sometimes score a lot.

PF: Pau Gasol - He may have looked weak in the Finals, but he is widely regarded as one of the most versatile 7-footers, and he can dominate most PFs.

C: Andrew Bynum - Bynum is slowly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the post, and before his injury he showed that he can rebound and score in the paint.

They have arguably the best coach in NBA history, and the deepest bench

dudeman is gone. said 06/22, 08:05 PM
"First of all they have the best starting lineup in the West when HEALTHY"

That'll demolish half of your arguement.

To prove that the Lakers were the best West team, let me provide a breakdown:

LA vs. SAS - The Lakers beat the Spurs in 5 games in the West Finals. They thoroughly dominated the Spurs, and proved that they were the best team after beating the reigning champs. You said in the comments that everyone gets lucky, but does someone get THAT lucky against the REGINING champs?

LA vs. NO - NO is a very young team, and the Lakers were a better team because of the fact that NO has no one that can guard Kobe, and LA finally found a replacement in Gasol to counter Chandler after Bynum went down.

LA vs. PHO - LA beat out the Suns for the Pacific Division title, and this year they finally found a veteran PG in Fisher to counter Nash, and Bynum will be a great counter to the now sluggish Shaquille O'Neal.

LA vs. UTA - LA beat UTA convincingly in 6 games during the West semis. They proved that they can beat the best of the best when on the road, because they closed out the series in the toughest place to play on the road - Energy Solutions Arena.

dudeman is gone. said 06/22, 08:21 PM
"I'm sorry man let me just quote you... "First of all they have the best starting lineup in the West when HEALTHY" "

Exactly. You claimed that I made up a starting lineup. That;s what it would be if Bynum was healthy. I think that's pretty clear...

"Jordan Farmar is a joke in the NBA"

9.1 points and 2.7 assists for a backup doesn't sound so funny. Sounds pretty legit.

"it's clear in the title I'm talking about last seasons playoffs."

Sorry, I didn't catch the word PLAYOFFS in the title. Oh wait, maybe it's because it's not there.

"Hornets, Spurs, and Suns would have all gave the Celtics better competition that your soft Lakers tried doing."

Yes, but is that what this TD is about? How they could perform against the Celtics?

The Lakers are the deepest team in the West, they have the best core of players, and a great blend of vets, youngsters, scorers and defenders.

The Lakers were the best team in the West last season.