Poll: What's wrong with the Lakers?

KingCobra

They're 4-4 with Shaq back in the lineup. Is the Diesel just rusty, or does this symbolize a bigger problem?

JoeBenson

This is what I was wondering the other day In my opinion, it looks like they just aren't the same, even with the two superstars in the lineup!! 4-4, that's including 2 wins versus Memphis!!!

KOBEcollector

Shaq is still a little rusty but the problem is still what i tried to tell everyone back when Shaq was out and everyone jumped on Kobe's case and that is that the rest of the guys ( role players/bench players ) are not playing well period.. since day one of the season. Ryan was right when he said just because Shaq is coming back don't expect everything to all of a sudden be ok. I find it funny that all the Kobe Haters were so quick to jump on his case and blame him when the team wasn't playing good and i tried to explain that if the team was not at full strength and not playing near their capability. But after reading all the articles on espn today it looks as if Shaq agrees with me

Thylenol

how does a team that with kobe and shaq go to overtime with the grizzlies.

JoeBenson

Well, honestly, since Shaq's return role players have improved, mainly Derek Fisher....My 2 cents

NoDoubt64

I know the exact problem- when SHaq was out in teh first couple of games, NO ONE on the Lakers stepped up to fill in that whole in the paint except for Kobe was the only one who actually rose up to the occasion and kobe cannot carry a team. Now that SHaq is back, the Lakers will be better, but still, their bench and other starts must step up because even though they are great players, Shaq and Kobe cannot carry a team together and especially not to another championship.

KOBEcollector

Fisher did improve his shooting % when Shaq returned but the fact is the Laker role players in general have played like do-do all year prompting Shaq to come out with the quotes he did last night

Thylenol

as much as i like tmac,kobe is better

KOBEcollector

well of course he is but thats beside the point

all seriousness they are both great players but i still like Kobe's D night in and night out and his history of hitting huge shots

Remster

With Shaq in the lineup, the defense will collapse more to the middle of the court which leaves the jumpers a little more open...explanation for Fisher's improvement at least
think of the number of times a pass would go into Shaq and he would kick it out to Horry,Fox, Fisher and they would it an open jumper

kinger793

tmac is better than kobe, sorry 2 say it, kobe has shaq and hes still losing tmac was without hill and dominated....
so uh kobe sucks, only reason hes better is cuz he has rings, so what if tmac gets 3? then hes better right? such hypocrits

KOBEcollector

i don't live in the " what if " world , i just accept reality

KingCobra

Guys, please do not turn this into a Kobe vs. Tmac post, that's why I made that a poll option.

nowitzki

Shaq is a great player. Would make any team in the NBA better. Kobe is just a very good player. There are several very good players in the league. The two of them together, playing together, worked well when the role players stepped up.

It looks like Shaq is rusty. Kobe is not the great player everyone thought he was and the role players aren't doing well.

I do believe it can all change and everything start clicking well enough to win another championship this year, but after this year, their time is up. Their chemistry is about to run out.

KingCobra

I agree nowitzki....I think that there is a lot of tension on this team that doesn't always come through, and the time will come when these guys implode, or maybe Phil just decides he wants to hang 'em up for good.

JoeBenson

actually i think they stayed the same over the past few years, while everybody else was improving, and last year they barely had what it took to win, this year is not gonna be a 4-peat...

KingCobra

Joe, that's a good point....when the Bulls won the 6th title, teams like the Pacers and Jazz had almost caught them...I honestly don't think they would have beaten the Spurs the next year, even if Jordan, Pippen and Jackson had stayed. Maybe it's just as simple as teams need a few years to catch up.

Undertaker

again, they weren't THAT good last year (in the series against the Kings) Shaq had his injuries & Kobe had food poisoning. The 00-01 team was way better, and now a lot of players are injured (or recovering: Shaq, George, Horry, Walker -> not exactly the scrubs of the team)
don't you guys worry about the Lakers, they'll be just fine


and by the way..


<< <i>tmac is better than kobe, sorry 2 say it, kobe has shaq and hes still losing tmac was without hill and dominated....so uh kobe sucks, only reason hes better is cuz he has rings, so what if tmac gets 3? then hes better right? such hypocrits >>



djeez man, WHO GIVES A DAMN!?

I mean, McGrady plays in the East, who the hell is good in the East? the Nets? the Pistons? there are only 2 good teams in the East, the Pacers and the Sixers. sure it's easy to score against teams with NO defense, NO offense and no decent coaching.

And to answer your question, yes he would be better (or equal to Kobe) if he PROVED something, which he HASN'T

KingCobra

ACK!!! No McGrady vs. Kobe posts! None! Nada!

KingCobra

Interesting results on the poll so far: if you disregard the "tmac is better than Kobe" votes, 29 peole voted on the state of the Lakers, and only 3 said "nothing's wrong, we'll be fine."