OT: Lakers wipe the floor with Dallas 109-93

[PsychoCop]

Kobe was absent for this trouncing of the self-touted offensive team in the West.

Karl Malone and Gary Payton played like it was 1996. It's insane. Hope this first game is a sign of things to come... they deserve a title.

And I hope that this Shaq-Kobe rivalry is put aside for the title quest.

[MrBug708]

Heh. This board is going to get Ugly

[MrBug708]

Dola,

Winning this game proves nothing. Lakers are 45-5 in their last 50 games. Mavs havent won in LA vs the Lakers since 1990

[JeeberD]

Screw the Lakers...

[TroyF]

It does mean something. A win is a win. In the west, every victory will count. You can't afford to be the #4 or #5 seed in the West.

That said, I don't think any of us are surprised Malone, Payton and Shaq are playing well now. Lets see how they are 65 games+ into the season.

TroyF

[Tex Schramm]

Did anyone really expect the Mavs to run a perfect offense having less than a week to incorporate Walker and co.? Good for the Lakers, they won their first game of the season. I wonder if that aging bunch will look so good come next April.

I don't think the Mavericks will be great overnight. But I do think they've still got awesome potential, and they're just as much of a title contender as anyone else.

[sachmo71]

Self-touted? Take it from a baskeball outsider...the Mavs front office is not the only one hyping this angle.

[Samdari]

Originally posted by Tex Schramm
Did anyone really expect the Mavs to run a perfect offense having less than a week to incorporate Walker and co.? Good for the Lakers, they won their first game of the season. I wonder if that aging bunch will look so good come next April.

I don't think the Mavericks will be great overnight. But I do think they've still got awesome potential, and they're just as much of a title contender as anyone else.

Did anyone expect them to look this bad? I mean seriously, they were terrible.

My season forecast for the Mavs involves them losing in a game 5 in the first round, when on a critical possession late in the game, Antoine walker takes an ill-advised three 1.6 seconds into the shot clock. Noone is there to compete for the rebound. Game over.

[MrBug708]

Originally posted by Tex Schramm
Good for the Lakers, they won their first game of the season. I wonder if that aging bunch will look so good come next April.

The Lakers vets will probably look the same they always do come April, pretty damn good

[Radii]

Karl Malone *deserves* a championship? Why the hell does Malone deserve a championship. Stockton... it's a shame he didn't get one, Barkley I wish would have gotten one, I wouldn't even mind seeing Ewing get one, but Karl Malone? Now I have a reason to hate the Lakers like everyone else!

[haji1]

Yeah, because Barkley is a much better person than Karl. On wait, Charles was a much better teammate than Karl. Hold on I got it now Charles was a much harder worker than Karl. Oh dang! I give up!

My only thought on the game is this, The league better hope that this team implodes with internal strife, has a significant injury, or Kobe goes to jail. There is no way anyone beats this team on the court. What they did to the Mavs without Kobe was amazing. Walker can try to downplay it all he wants, but this was a huge game for the Maverics. They just have a mental block when it comes to the Lakers and really need a win at LA to get over it.

[thealmighty]

The Mavs deserved to lose because of those nasty looking new jerseys. Even the Stars 'Bull' sweater is better than these Mav jerseys.

[Samdari]

Originally posted by thealmighty
The Mavs deserved to lose because of those nasty looking new jerseys. Even the Stars 'Bull' sweater is better than these Mav jerseys.

Those were jerseys? I thought the equipment plane did not make it so they wore hefty bags with holes cut out for sleeves and numbers painted on.

[Butter]

Radii & haji1 say:
Barkley and Malone both suck! Neither one deserves sweat off a goat's balls, let alone an NBA title!

Thought I'd clean up this argument for you guys.

Thanks.

[TroyF]

Originally posted by haji1
Yeah, because Barkley is a much better person than Karl. On wait, Charles was a much better teammate than Karl. Hold on I got it now Charles was a much harder worker than Karl. Oh dang! I give up!

My only thought on the game is this, The league better hope that this team implodes with internal strife, has a significant injury, or Kobe goes to jail. There is no way anyone beats this team on the court. What they did to the Mavs without Kobe was amazing. Walker can try to downplay it all he wants, but this was a huge game for the Maverics. They just have a mental block when it comes to the Lakers and really need a win at LA to get over it.

Whoa. . . hold on here. One game, at home, against a pretty horrible defensive team isn't the sign that the Lakers are going to rampage through the league running off 75 wins and going through the playoffs unscathed. Why don't we come back down to Earth for a second.

The Lakers got a big win at home. They shot 50% and had 32 assists. Great performence. They deserved the win. That said, we can take a snapshot of any team and show how great they are over a one game span. The same snap shot can be taken to show how horrible they are. (the Spurs lost to the Kings last year 104-80 in the regular season)

Everything you say may be correct, but it's too early to tell yet.

MrBug,

You thought they looked good last year? I didn't. Shaq was good, but wasn't nearly as explosive as he'd been in previous years. You could tell Kobe's shoulder was bothering him the entire time. He couldn't hit the broad side of a barn throughout most of the Spurs series. As for the two new guys, I think it's fair to wonder how much a 40 year old and a 35 year old point gaurd will fair down the stretch and into the playoffs.

TroyF

[heybrad]

We have 81 games left to argue about the Lakers. Its way too early. Last night was a good start. Thats all.

One interesting point I heard about the Shaq-Kobe problems is that if you look at the last four years you will notice a pattern. First 3 years, they feud, Lakers win 3 titles. Last year they were all lovey dovey, the Lakers lose.

[MrBug708]

Troy, where did I say Kobe and Shaq looked good last year? I said the vets looked good last year, meaning they were in shape come April. I was alluding to the 2 new additions.

Just wondering if you had something confused or not

[TroyF]

Well, as we've learned with the Oldan Raiders, last year means very little.

I'm not saying they won't be healthy and ready to go. If I were a Laker fan, it would be something I'd be holding my breath on all year.

TroyF

[Butter]

If I were a Laker fan, I would have to be shot dead and reincarnated as the spawn of Dyan Cannon and Jack Nicholson.

But, maybe that's just me.

[MrBug708]

Here is a good LA Times article. Gives a perspective into Kobe.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Life Without Bryant Is Sounding Pretty Good


On a blazingly bright opening night that will sadly be more remembered for the star who didn't come out, the Lakers major conflict became clear.

This is not about Kobe vs. Shaq.

This is about Kobe vs. Kobe.

For the umpteenth time this fall, the Lakers wanted Kobe Bryant to join them.

For the umpteenth time, he refused.

He missed the team plane to Hawaii. Missed the first day of full-squad training camp. Missed the team bus to Anaheim for an exhibition game. Missed a team function at Staples Center.

And now, he has missed the great fun of an opening stomping of the Dallas Mavericks, a 109-93 victory Tuesday that he didn't even deem worth watching in person until he appeared in street clothes in the final seconds of the third quarter.

He said his knee was still not strong enough, only two days after saying it would be fine. He spent most of the game in the locker room, apparently working out, something which maybe he could have done earlier?

Not surprisingly, when he finally appeared, he was given a huge standing ovation and chants of "Ko-be, Ko-be," from a Staples Center crowd that decided to behave as fans instead of morality police, and that's certainly their right.

But the Laker organization has to view this in a different context, and right now, it is hoped they see him for what he appears to be.

Kobe Bryant seems to be a tormented soul who doesn't want to be here. His behavior is erratic. His attitude is horrific. His stress level must be off the charts. His chief goal seems to be forcing his way off the team.

Maybe the Lakers should consider granting his request.

Yeah, maybe they should trade him.

He's going to leave at the end of the season anyway, right? He's already said as much. This blatant show of disrespect for the fans has been rewarded with standing ovations and open adoration, but, again, they paid their money and can do whatever they choose.

And he has already buried the knife too deep in Shaquille O'Neal's back to ever have a relationship with him again, right? Bryant sat next to O'Neal when he sat on the bench Tuesday, but they never looked at each other, and may never look at each other again.

Bryant said late Tuesday that their relationship was fine. It didn't look fine.

For all the smack O'Neal has talked about Bryant in the past, it was never anything worse than scolding him for not being a team player. In Bryant's interview with ESPN Monday, he took it to an entirely lower level, calling O'Neal "fat" and accusing him of faking the severity of his toe injury.

What kind of teammate says that about another teammate in public? Parts of Bryant's diatribe were certainly true, but you don't say it to the world, and you don't say it on the eve of opening night.

This seemed like more than a rip of O'Neal. This seemed like a plea for attention by a player looking to play somewhere else.

The Lakers should consider it. Even facing a sexual-assault trial, Bryant would carry much value in a basketball world that seems to think he's not going to be convicted. Even without the sexual-assault charges, he has done great damage to this great organization in the last few months with seemingly no concern for who he is hurting.

His list of transgressions doesn't fit well into a standing ovation, understandably, but they are nonetheless worth recounting.

He went to Colorado this summer for knee surgery without telling the team. When asked about it, he said, "Why should I tell them?"

Whatever happened in that hotel room, the ramifications placed this entire Laker dream season in jeopardy while subjecting his teammates to a months-long circus of media attention and innuendo. And he gets mad at O'Neal for not publicly supporting him?

He shows up at training camp saying he has not rehabilitated the knee because of stress and would probably not be at full strength until December. And O'Neal is the one who shows up out of shape?

During the middle of a training camp in which the entire organization did handstands to please him and protect him, he announced he was going to opt out of his contract this summer and seek his options elsewhere. And he rips O'Neal for saying he's not a team player?

During the Laker exhibition game against the Clippers at the Pond, his wife Vanessa showed up wearing a T-shirt adorned with a nasty expletive, the sort that you wouldn't want your children to see. It was an oddly obscene thank-you to a community that has shown them so much affection.

Then, of course, there have been all those times when he just didn't feel like showing up or hanging out or being part of a Laker family that continually turns the other cheek.

Yeah, this is about a lot more than just his dislike for Shaquille O'Neal. Even Coach Phil Jackson said as much.

"We have to stop and analyze a lot of things that are going on, just really take the whole gestalt," said Jackson Tuesday night. "It's not just here, it's not just this situation, there's a lot involved in this picture and we have to just resolve this and let time heal this."

Or, maybe Gary Payton and Karl Malone can heal this. Did you watch them Tuesday? They were wonderful together. They were wonderful with O'Neal. Derek Fisher was inspired. Devean George was everywhere.

Not getting ahead of ourselves or anything, but is there a chance the Lakers could win this championship without Kobe Bryant?

It might be worth finding out.

[Butter]

"The whole Gestalt"?

[zums]

what did his wife's shirt say?

-zums

[Radii]

Originally posted by haji1
Yeah, because Barkley is a much better person than Karl. On wait, Charles was a much better teammate than Karl. Hold on I got it now Charles was a much harder worker than Karl. Oh dang! I give up!

Because Barkley is funny and is the only reason I ever watch the NBA anymore(to listen to him on the NBA on TNT), and Malone annoys the shit out of me

[cincyreds]

Phooey on the Lakers!

[JeeberD]

Tonight the world will see the true dominant center in the NBA begin his rise. Watch out for Yao, Shaq...

[heybrad]

Originally posted by JeeberD
Tonight the world will see the true dominant center in the NBA begin his rise. Watch out for Yao, Shaq...

Lets hope so. Hes on my fantasy team.

[Samdari]

Originally posted by JeeberD
Tonight the world will see the true dominant center in the NBA begin his rise. Watch out for Yao, Shaq...

And people say LeBron is overhyped....

[JeeberD]

Hey, Yao is going to be a monster. He had a good year last year even though he was totally unfamiliar with the NBA and being out-muslced by a lot of centers. In the off-season he's put on a lot of upper-body muscle and he's attacking the basket a lot more aggressively. He has great range on his shot, he can block shots, and he's an excellent passer.

Yeah, talk about overhyped...

[Chief Rum]

Originally posted by JeeberD
Hey, Yao is going to be a monster. He had a good year last year even though he was totally unfamiliar with the NBA and being out-muslced by a lot of centers. In the off-season he's put on a lot of upper-body muscle and he's attacking the basket a lot more aggressively. He has great range on his shot, he can block shots, and he's an excellent passer.

Yeah, talk about overhyped...

Kind of a big difference between saying he is a good, developing center who should move it up a notch from last year to "Shaq should be looking over his shoulder" now, don't you think?

I have Yao on a fantasy team as well, so I want the guy to do well, but give me a call when he's averaging 28 ppg, 12 rpg, and 4 bpg.

CR

[MrBug708]

Sonny Vaccarro was just on 1150 here and he said that two teams have inquired about Kobe. He doesnt expect Kobe to be a Laker here soon. He talked about a situation hypothetically that would give the Lakers Gasol or one of the Chandler/Curry duo.

[tucker342]

wow....