This will be a challenge. I definitely feel these are the best two teams left standing. Bam Adebayo scares me. He’s a younger version of Dwight with touch. They’ve got 3 proven wing defenders to throw at Lebron in Butler, Iggy and Crowder. They’ve got shooters in Herro, Robinson and Dragic. I’m nervous that this will be a repeat of the 2004 Finals with Shaq and Kobe where we were favored and lost. With that said, Lakers in 6. I think our guys find a way to get it done somehow.
i think this angle is important. lebron knows how big this is. a title with a third different team? at 35 years old after he was discounted as the top player in the league? a full restoration of stature to the league's flagship franchise (sorry, haters, facts--even stern knew this when he tried to kill them)? i also imagine lebron is telling AD that he had to wait 4 years and leave his franchise between title shots. AD already knows these aren't guaranteed, based on his struggles in NO. iow, i'll be shocked if our two top guns aren't fully locked in for this and holding everyone accountable. i'm concerned that spoelstra will outcoach vogel and knows lebron, but still...
yeah. I hate jinxing things but I just feel like we have the best two guys on the floor and they are both super motivated. I think the rest of the team matches us well and our size will present the same issues it did for everyone else. I like Spo but Vogel has shown the ability to adjust and he’s got the team dialed in defensively. I know I’m biased but objectively I just don’t see us losing 4 times.
I'm not worried about Lebron or AD. It's the role players I'm concerned about (well with the exception of KCP). Particularly Kuz, up to now, he has shown he is not ready for the moment. I'm really hoping that changes starting tomorrow. If we get rookie Kuz it's over in a 4 game sweep. If not, this series is going to drag on.
Maybe they can revise as the series unfolds. Wearing them in Game 5 is bulletin board material to the Heat. If they have the option of making a late change, I could see them listing Game 7 and changing if the closeout comes early.
I don't believe in jinxing things as we are just fans, and it's the players who go out there and win or lose. With that being said, after the Warriors lost the 2016 NBA Finals, I will be doing my best to not call this one early.
i think espn had 2/3 of folks picking the lakers, which is actually less than i thought. some had heat in 5, thinking it must be 2004 again. about to find out.
I just read a funny article from yahoo that says the Heat will win the championship due to them having a chemistry. The writer relates the finals to the current pandemic that in order to win (or to solve) we should rely on science - that Chemistry wins. Whats more funny though is the sudden emergence of the Delonte news. Its as if they are stirring up old controversies to get to Lebrons head hoping it will muck up the Lakers own chemistry.
Lakers will have to close out on the shooters and force their young and inexperienced players to make mistakes. Herro is an absolute dog, man. He's what we hoped Kuzma would be for us but sadly, he doesn't seem like he'll ever be that. #1 priority should be to get Bam in foul trouble. Once that happens, who will the Lakers have to guard AD? Olynyk or Leonard? I don't think the Lakers should be worried about Butler. He's not a very good shooter and primarily relies on his mid-range game. I think Dragic is a bigger problem than Butler is. Hopefully Rondo can be a pest and outplay Dragic. Our wings will be incredibly important this series. Danny Green+KCP+Caruso can't let Duncan Robinson, Herro, Crowder, and Jimmy Butler slaughter them like pigs. Danny Green will be huge here...
Uh, I feel you that the media can be ridiculous in their anti-Laker/anti-Lebron sentiment, I don’t think Delonte has anything to do with it. Dude seems to have legitimate mental health/addiction issues and is in a bad place. Props to Cuban for trying to help him out. Has nothing to do with Bron.
I said it already, but this is going to be a really tough series, as have all of them, I just hope we can get the 4 wins not only for our franchise, but also for Kobe. He’d have been as happy as anyone for Bron adding another one. Let’s go Lakers!
oh thats not what i meant by the Delonte news.d I also admire Cuban for doing whats hes done to West. its the timing of the news im curious about.
this would imply that the lakers have poor chemistry? it's a pretty lazy piece, tbh. believe me, we know: everyone wants the heat to win. everyone wants to tell a story about pluck and grit and putting egos aside and <insert trope here>. anyway, the heat are good and obviously deserve to be here. like denver, they beat a team that was supposed to pound us in a playoff series. i think the most interesting thing is that the lakers have beaten three very good offenses on the way to the finals, but this is the first really good defense they'll face. how will they handle it? will they turn the ball over and give them confidence early? or will they grind and execute just like miami, but with superior talent? would be very rewarding for the fans that have had to ride through the darkest era in franchise history--which occurred with the press gleefully piling on at every turn. other teams (like miami, for example), get to suck in obscurity and win in the spotlight. the lakers have to do both front and center. let's get that ring.
