After watching a couple Laker preseason games theres no doubt in my mind the Lakers will claim the Pacific division title and get one of the top 3 spots in the playoffs. Fast break basketball at its best. Mihm is turning out to be a steal. Brian Cook is shooting (and making) 3-pointers. Kobes as good as anyone could imagine - MVP for sure. Butler and Odom are looking real good. And Slava, Rush, Luke and Vlade are out with minor injuries, with them in the mix things can only get better. B)

spurs= 1 or 2
wolves= 1 or 2

beyond that, its harder to determine....my guess, if the lakers are as good as you say they are, they will contend with the kings for the 3rd spot....
but remember, playoff seeding goes by record, not division winning...

big

If the Lakers can convince Malone to come back, they will be even better. They still have alot of work to do, but I like what I see.

im accuallly beginning to belive the lakers will get a 3 or 4 seed..... :o
now if they can just get kobe to pass the rock...

big

kobe was 3rd in FGA this last game behind butler and cook. he also tied for leading the team with assists with 5. some ballhog, eh?

well, how many minutes did he play???
second, you have to remember, this is preseason, where the stars dont play as much, and the focus of games is mainly to see who will make the final cut...

big

kobe played 30+ mins...

normally yes its to see who makes the final cut, but theres only 1 spot on the lakers and its up to tierre brown and tony bobbit. the lakers are showing more emotion and energy in the preseason this year than the season last year with shaq and co.

Me too :o !

Hey, how's my man Chucky Atkins doing? I'm pulling for him to do well.

I don't think it will be the Lakers and Kings trying for the 3 seed, it will be either the Mavs or the Grizzlies.

mvp

Atkins is looking undersized and incapable of defense. By seasons end our rookie Sasha or Bobbit/Brown should take over the starting spot.

mavs and grizzlies??
the grizz maybe, but they still have a problem.... too many good players... they dont have a superstar, and i belive their rotation is just too deep... remember how hubie played like a 10 or 11 man rotation sometimes?....
but dont count them out.. theyre still a good team..
as for the mavs, they will sorely miss nash... he was their floor general, the glue that held them together. jason terry wont make a good PG on their team with so many scorers already..
a

I think the Grizzlies are one of the top teams in the West...why?

They have a great player in Pau Gasol who just got the big payday and then you have Stromile Swift who is finally motivated this year because he wants to show Memphis that he deserves a big contract like Gasol's.

Last year Hubie ran a 10-man rotation which is perfect for the regular season. When they throw in their second unit they dominate others second unit.

Watson-Wells-Battier-Cardinal-Swift is a GREAT bench..best in the league. The two things I am worried about are these:

1. Can all the players get used to getting only 20 minutes a game? It hurts them contract wise and will people start getting greedy? Gasol got the big paycheck why can't Shane Battier? And things like that. Can they keep their egos in check?

2. Come playoff time everyone basically narrows their rotation down to 7 or 8 guys and plays with their starters. Well, the Grizzlies strength is their 10 man rotation but in the playoffs that doesn't work very well. We saw that vs. the Spurs last year, it doesn't work. Can they make it work or can they adjust and play a 8 man rotation in the playoffs?

The Mavs are one of my least favorite teams, but...

PG- Jason Terry
SG- Michael Finley
SF- Jerry Stackhouse
PF- Dirk Nowitzki
C- Erick Dampier

That looks pretty good to me.

mvp

PG- Jason Terry

terry played fairly decent for the hawks, accually more than decent, but he still wont make up for losing nash...


SG- Michael Finley
finleys career is heading downhill, but i think he still has a few productive years left....

SF- Jerry Stackhouse
stackhouse will have a prettty good year IMO..... if he gets the ball enough...

PF- Dirk Nowitzki

the one bright spot on the mavs,.,,

C- Erick Dampier

he may have had a good year last year, but that was becaus it was a contract year... i bet this year he will play like he did two years ago... but his rebounding numbers will go up, considering he will be one of their only rebounders on the team...

i just dont like the mavs this year.... they dont have what it took when they had nash, so what makes you think they can do it without nash?....

i belive the lakers can get the 3rd seed if kobe passes the ball, and they really gel.. but other than that, it 5 or lower seed for them.....

big

Okay, we will do this.

Kings vs. Mavs

PG- Terry < Bibby
SG- Finley > Christie
SF- Stackhouse < Peja
PF- Dirk > Webber
C- Dampier > Miller

mvp

miller is better than damp....

big

Not if he gives all out. Everyone says he only tried in a contract year, maybe he just wasn't happy with the G.S. organazation.

mvp

brad miller is all star quality.
he has what it takes to get it done....
i dont think damp can.. even if he is motiviated...
dampier is only capable of 10 and 10...

big

Brad Miller is better than Dampier.

This Wolves off-season I would actually want Adonal Foyle over Erick Dampier, I hate the guy. He is lazy.

Yea he's way lazy... damn could you imagine him and Kandi as your one-two punch at the center posistion? might as well pick up elden campbell while youre at it.

all NBA attitude team

pg- at times, sam cassell...
sg-vince carter
sf-qwentel woods( is he a SF)
pf-eddie robinson
c- kandi

big

Eddie Robinson isn't a PF

sorry... i meant to put him at sf..... but he could play PF in a pinch......?


big

He's like 6'7", 220

that is pretty undersized to play PF... but it IS the east....


big

Who cares, he isn't playing any position anymore. Here is my all attitude team...

PG- Sam Cassell
SG- Eddie Robinson
SF- Vince Carter
PF- Eddy Curry
C- Erick Dampier

mvp

i didnt know eddie robinson can play the 2?
i guess you just got em mixed up...
its ok, ive had more than my fair share of brain farts :o

big

hes a sf/sg