Hunch: The Lakers Struggle Tonight
NBA May 7th. 2008, 8:34pm
As we type this, the Magic have raced to a 24-6 lead on the Pistons, and Chauncey Billups did the splits, perhaps tearing his pants and something else much more painful. He’s in the locker room.
The Lakers are the late game, and there’s zero chance we stay up late enough to watch it all, but we just wanted to offer this baseless prediction: the Kobes struggle tonight. Some other folks may be thinking the same thing. That is all.
52 Responses to “Hunch: The Lakers Struggle Tonight”
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May 7th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Chauncey Billups and the Gnards of Doom
I like it! I smell a blockbuster!
May 7th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
you know what would be awesome? if the pistons missed a shot
May 7th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
No way Kobe or the Lake Show struggle. I just can’t see the killer competitor in Kobe having an off-game on the same night he’s honored for an accomplishment he has strived to achieve his whole career. Plus, Utah doesn’t have anything to throw at him. They don’t have one perimeter defender that can match up with Kobe. In five games against Utah this year, he’s shot 55.5%.
May 7th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
i took the jazz +7
if the refs let utah play physical - they didn’t last time around - and the lakers dont get 46 free throw attempts, it should be much, much closer
May 7th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
I think that might have been the nastiest block ive ever seen
May 7th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Dwight has 5 blocks in the half … i’d love to see a trip-doub with blocks
and sheed begins to lose it
May 7th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
what the hell is with hedo? has he just been trying to take the worst possible shot every time down the floor?
May 7th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
seriously? what the fuck?
May 7th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Good luck to ya then. I got LA at -7 and Kobe OVER 45 pts+boards+assists.
Btw, Utah allowed the most free throw attempts against in the NBA this year—over 30 FTA a game. I wouldn’t be expecting that to change much, especially with LA at home, playing with the MVP.
May 7th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
good points, quin.
the foul count in game 1 was much closer - 33 for utah, 27 for LA. it was the free throw disparity (46-30) that hurt, leading me to believe Utah didn’t commit smart fouls. i could be wrong on that last statement, since i only half-watched the game.
May 7th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
One of the guys from Basketball Prospectus (I wanna say Doolittle but I can’t be sure) said today that he thinks Deron Williams is better than Paul. Just some food for thought for next game.
May 7th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Fetch, just curious - do you value his opinion on the topic more than yours? Or your friend’s? Or any commenter’s here?
The x is better than y argument is purely subject and there is no right or wrong answer. I’m guessing here, but this guy went against the grain just for the sake of argument to stir passions.
As for those guards - a virtual coin-toss. Tough to go against Paul based on the last two weeks, though. This season, in fact.
May 7th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
what does it say about the officiating when you can actually comment/ask if they will let one team more physica than the previous game. gaurantee in utah the game will be much more physical. only thing consistent about nba officiating is how inconsistent it is.
May 7th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
not even a debate. paul > d will. not even close with the way paul has been playing. maybe closer around allstar break, but since its been all paul.
May 7th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
@TBL–More than mine yes, since that’s what hiss job is, but as far as anyone else who knows. Obviously you’re very knowledgeable in hoops, and I’m certainly not.
Edit: I misread the first time. He was claiming that he is better than Paul head to head. His quote: “Williams has both a size and a strength advantage and is one of the few points guards with those edges on Paul that also has the lateral quickness to stay with him defensively.”
May 7th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
@TBL
I’d be happy to have either Williams or CP3. They’re both terrific point guards.
May 7th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
feel bad for anyone who had the under … nobody’s missing! 12-11 after three minutes
oh snap brewer just picked Kobe clean
May 7th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
I can’t wait until I’m 21 and I can gamble. I’ll be commenting from either the public library or my box.
May 7th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
not sure who this pace helps more. its really fast right now.
May 7th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
Jesus, thank god Western Conference ball is back. I was about to give up on the sport. Every WC Playoff team, besides maybe SA, is a well oiled machine. It’s just fun to watch.
May 7th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
i dont know, man. i just watch a lot of hoops. im not working the phones with the decision-making GMs - i’m just watching hoops like any other guy. even a beat writer is going to be biased. if you cover the lakers for 82 games, you’re going to go Kobe > LBJ. and vice versa.
head to head? what a silly argument. is the guy saying in a 1 on 1 match, Williams wins? or head to head in a game? For the game argument, how can you not take into account both teams and their injuries? Hell, Calderon of Toronto was 5th in the league in assists, shot better from FG and 3 than Williams/Paul, and did so in many fewer minutes per game.
Yet another reason why baseball is so stats-drive - you CAN have those 1 on 1 arguments because it’s pitcher v batter.
May 7th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
/nods in approval
May 7th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Is there no 1 and 1 in the NBA?
May 7th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
No hair gel for Kirilenko tonight. Excellent.
On the Williams/Paul front. Bradford Doolittle is basically just a fan. Basketball Prospectus is, as it sounds, the hoops equivalent of Baseball Prospectus. Someone actually asked him a question in a chat today about the stats and he replied basically that everything NO does goes through Paul whereas “Utah’s system is very point-guard friendly but is nevertheless more egalitarian that the Hornets’.”
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/chat/chat.php?chatId=461
That’s the URL (if it’s ok to post) if anyone wants to check it out. And again, I know basically nothing about the NBA, baseball is much more my thing, so feel free to tear me a new one
May 7th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
Andrei Kirilenko is from Russia? When did this happen?
May 7th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Your jinx of the night: Carlos Gomez is a single away from the cycle.
May 7th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
huh?
May 7th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
I like Kobe’s game tonite, dude is really D’n up. The Lakers interior passing between Gasol and Odom is sick. I think Odom is a free agent, so it’ll be interesting to see what Kupchak does. Odom is already gettin’ paid ($13 M a year). Does he resign for less, cuz I don’t know if they can pay him, Kobe, and Gasol’s salaries? If he does resign though, that frontcourt with Bynum back? Damn.
May 7th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
@ clown
Sorry, man, chillin with a blunt. I’m not even gonna try to explain that. It sounds gay enough as it is.
May 7th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
Where are all the Cleveland boys tonight?
May 7th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Threadjack/
Matt Walsh turned over tapes from 2000-2002, no Rams walkthrough. Thanks Walsh, Spector and the Herald for giving the distraction of all distractions 48hrs before the Super Bowl over nothing new.
/End Threadjack
May 7th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
I feel badly for Ronnie Brewer. How pumped was he when they handed him the binder before the series and it said “You get to guard Kobe on an island bigger than Guam.. oh yeah, he’ll probably guard you too.”
May 7th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
Brewer is doing a good job for a young kid though. Lot of energy and he is making Bryant work hard at both ends. Too bad his teamates cant make a shot.
May 7th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
Isn’t it $.23 pizza night in Cleveland? The entire city is probably shut down. I think that’s as exciting as it gets there.
May 7th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
You know how hard it was for those Clevelanders to put down their bacon sausage sandwiches to pick up their pizza? Very hard. Spence will tell you in the morning.
May 7th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Carlos Gomez just hit for the cycle
May 7th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
The Lakers have 63 at the half. The Cavs got to 63 with 6:05 left in the fourth quarter of yesterday’s thrilling game.
I think I would rather pluck my ass hairs than watch Cavs/Celtics tomorrow.
May 8th, 2008 at 12:03 am
That’s nice of TNT to tell Nick P where he can get his “Kobe Bryant MVP” shirts.
May 8th, 2008 at 12:05 am
cursed - may be a stupid question, but is that you in your gravatar?
May 8th, 2008 at 12:08 am
Absolutely ! Now is that you in your gravatar, or is that Heath Ledger?
May 8th, 2008 at 12:11 am
That’s actually my father. He died in a tragic accident trying to be the 21st clown to get into a car only built for 20. It’s an homage.
May 8th, 2008 at 12:12 am
TBL,
Can you tell me who you’re taking tomorrow so I can run out and throw some cash down on the other team.
/We Know Drama
May 8th, 2008 at 12:19 am
TBL has watched a combined 4 minutes of playoff action thusfar. Yet that hasn’t stopped him from having “hunches” and making claims like “LeBron passed Kobe two years ago”
May 8th, 2008 at 12:23 am
Theres also a comment of mine (which was actually topical at the time) that has been in moderation for like 8 days. Or an hour. One of the two.
May 8th, 2008 at 12:33 am
Since it’s nothing but crickets in here after jokes, I thought I would give Clown some props for his clown car joke.
May 8th, 2008 at 12:39 am
I waiting for Doug Collins to start making quacking noises from verbally deep throating Kobe all game long.
May 8th, 2008 at 12:40 am
The Lakers made about 1 stop that entire third quarter.. their defense should scare their fan base. It’s what’s going to catch up against them I would think.
May 8th, 2008 at 1:06 am
I don’t like the Lakers, but they are going to win the championship.
May 8th, 2008 at 1:06 am
I think TBL’s hunches are on par with General Custer.
May 8th, 2008 at 1:27 am
If Imig doesn’t mention Carlos Gomez’s cycle tomorrow, or we get a post out of it, there should be a massacre along the lines of Custer.
May 8th, 2008 at 1:32 am
The NBA playoffs have been a letdown haven’t they? After all the hype, especially western conference hype, I don’t see much excitement. Maybe it’s still coming, but if this becomes a lackluster playoffs with all the hype that was built up during the season the NBA will sink further into the sports abyss where the NHL lives.
May 8th, 2008 at 8:37 am
oops!