Chris Bosh:"Lakers Have The Best Team...On Paper"

[TheeBeast]

3:15 p.m. EDT, August 24, 2012

MIAMI—
It's been two weeks since the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Dwight Howard from the Orlando Magic, which at least has given Chris Bosh time to collect his thoughts.

"As soon as the deal happened, my brain went 100 miles an hour to another place, far away from here," the Miami Heat forward said Friday during a radio appearance on WQAM.


And now that he has collected his thoughts, where does he view the Lakers in terms of his own championship team? His candid answer caught hosts Steve Goldstein and Adam Kuperstein a bit off guard.

"The Lakers, I think, right now, I mean on paper, they probably have the best team in the West and probably the league right now," he said. "On paper. I'm saying on paper. But it's a lot, a lot, it's a long season. And the best team always isn't the one who starts out the season as the best team.

"We know we're the champs, but we have to start off from scratch. We have a lot of chemistry building to do. And we have to come out there and we have to start over. We know favorites and all that stuff really doesn't matter."

Bosh said the Heat have learned to deal with the type of pressure the Lakers are expected to face and "how the hype can get to you."

Bosh pointed out how the Heat stood as championship favorites in 2010-11, only to fall in the NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks, and how they did not have quite the same expectations and then defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in this past season's NBA Finals.

"It's all about who's standing at the top in June, after the season is over, and that's all we care about," he said. "So we have to build toward that again."

While he declined to predict where the Heat would stand at season's end, he said an NBA Finals against the bolstered Lakers would be intriguing.

"It's even better to think about we can possibly play them in a classic series one day, with everything on the line," he said, "but that's a long ways away."

He said it is difficult not to envision something special with Howard, Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol playing together.

"It's very intriguing, especially not only with Dwight but with Steve, them signing Steve and everything, so it'll be interesting just to see what type of offense they run, what their philosophy is going to be," he said. "But we have our own things we have to get better at, and we just have to concentrate on ourselves. But we will be watching them, that's for sure."

Even with the Lakers' height, Bosh said it doesn't necessarily mean the Heat abandoning the approach that had Bosh at center and LeBron James and Shane Batter at power forward during the playoffs.

"Well, we won a title doing it. It's all about chemistry," he said. "It's all about how you can work together. They're going to have strengths and weaknesses, we're going to have strengths and weaknesses, too. And over the course of a season, I believe we make great adjustments and we can do a lot of different things.

"We're one of the most versatile teams in the NBA. So, I mean, we can play small, but as long as we win that rebounding battle, that's all that's important. With that said, they're a very big team, but we're very fast, so something's got to give."


SOURCE (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-heat/heat-blog/sfl-miami-heat-chris-bosh-lakers-s082412,0,5448454.story?track=rss)


Bosh just gained my respect :applause:


Thoughts?

[MrWarrior]

All he's doing is taking the pressure off his teammates.

Anyways, what he's saying is true.

[EnoughSaid]

On paper? Ehh I guess, but having only one player younger than 30 in their starting lineup isn't going to help later down the stretch.

[ILLsmak]

On paper? Ehh I guess, but having only one player younger than 30 in their starting lineup isn't going to help later down the stretch.


If Dwight and Gasol are healthy, it's going to be hard for the Heat to beat them.

-Smak

[game3524]

The Lakers are a poor matchup for Miami.

Their like Dallas on steroids.

[DKLaker]

The Lakers are a poor matchup for Miami.

Their like Dallas on steroids.

THIS

[SilkkTheShocker]

This is my opinion of the 2012-13 Lakers


:sleeping :sleeping :sleeping :sleeping

Wake me up so I can see Lebron's Finals MVP speech

[greymatter]

Bosh just gained my respect :applause:


Thoughts?

He's the 2nd smartest guy on that Heat team behind Battier and easily the least douchiest of the big 3. I can't wait to see him light up Dwight like he always did in his Raptor days.

[SilkyJohnson]

The Lakers are a poor matchup for Miami.

Their like Dallas on steroids.

If the Dallas Mavericks were on steroids, their entire roster would be comprised of a group of players suffering from head-aches, diarrhea, mood swings and a whole host of other symptoms.

[TheeBeast]

If the Dallas Mavericks were on steroids, their entire roster would be comprised of a group of players suffering from head-aches, diarrhea, mood swings and a whole host of other symptoms.

:roll: :lol :applause:

[swag2011]

Lakers can match up with miami at every position besides sf. It would basically come down to who will have more impact, lebron or dwight? Both are most impactful on their respective teams. But of course both have to make the finals, lakers need to worry about okc first

[TheeBeast]

Lakers can match up with miami at every position besides sf. It would basically come down to who will have more impact, lebron or dwight? Both are most impactful on their respective teams. But of course both have to make the finals, lakers need to worry about okc first

Artest matches up great against Lebron on the defensive end. In fact, he's known to have low fg% on games against Howard's Magic and the Lakers with Artest, now with both of them defending him I'd like to see how he matches up against two DPOY.

[SilkkTheShocker]

Artest matches up great against Lebron on the defensive end. In fact, he's known to have low fg% on games against Howard's Magic and the Lakers with Artest, now with both of them defending him I'd like to see how he matches up against two DPOY.
Lebron averaged almost 40ppg with Dwight playing center in the playoffs.

[longtime lurker]

Meh it means nothing. Heat are still the champs until proven otherwise I'll give them that much respect. Bosh was just being honest, but I wanna see some championship swagga

[arifgokcen]

Artest matches up great against Lebron on the defensive end. In fact, he's known to have low fg% on games against Howard's Magic and the Lakers with Artest, now with both of them defending him I'd like to see how he matches up against two DPOY.
Lebron had the best losing performance of all time against magic.

and lebron scored 51points against magic.

Since 2008-2009 season artest wasnt even able to slow down lebron.He is powerful enough to hold his own against lebron in the post however lebron is gonna be playing PF not SF and this is gonna push brown to make some lineup changes.Another thing is lebron is much faster and slightly stronger than artest

[PJR]

The Lakers are a poor matchup for Miami.

Their like Dallas on steroids.

They haven't even played a game yet. So you're pulling this conclusion from your ass.

[LABean]

:applause:

My favorite non-Laker player. :bowdown:

[TheeBeast]

Lebron had the best losing performance of all time against magic.

and lebron scored 51points against magic.

Since 2008-2009 season artest wasnt even able to slow down lebron.He is powerful enough to hold his own against lebron in the post however lebron is gonna be playing PF not SF and this is gonna push brown to make some lineup changes.Another thing is lebron is much faster and slightly stronger than artest

Check out his last 4 games against Dwight:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/h2h_finder.cgi?request=1&p1=jamesle01&p2=howardw01

1.33%
2.64%
3.35%
4.28%

Against Artest, he's a career average of 46 fg%

Last four games:
57%
41%
44%
46%

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/h2h_finder.cgi?request=1&p1=jamesle01&p2=artesro01

Name any SF that could defend Lebron better than Artest

[SilkyJohnson]

:applause:

My favorite non-Laker player. :bowdown:

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/c0.0.403.403/p403x403/550538_4075058716284_2004796842_n.jpg

The calmness on Boshiraptor's face terrifies me immensely. Behind its blank, calculating demeanour is a mental process that is operating at internet speed, precisely working out when the best moment is to strike with a bottle of champagne to shower you to death with. And as you lay beneath its cold, menacing gaze struggling to gasp for precious air which is at a premium because of the torrent of equally premium liquids you're being subjected to, it would be appropriate if your final thoughts consisted of praising the impressive majesty that is The Boshiraptor.

[JellyBean]

Chris Bosh has always been a solid dude, and his comments about the Lakers just adds to his pimp status. :applause: Great comments, Chris.

[EnoughSaid]

I personally think if it comes down to a Finals series where everyone is HEALTHY. Wade can outplay Kobe, Bosh can outplay Gasol, and LeBron can outplay everyone. I think the defense of Miami will eventually catch up to LA, and it won't allow Nash to run the offense comfortably. :confusedshrug:

[NoGunzJustSkillz]

why do they have to start from scratch?

[Levity]

Bosh can outplay Bosh


:biggums:

Im honestly more curious to see who you meant to put there instead of bosh. cause god knows it cant be howard.

[EnoughSaid]

:biggums:

Im honestly more curious to see who you meant to put there instead of bosh. cause god knows it cant be howard.

MY BAD. :facepalm Shit probably ****ing up because I fell asleep at 2 last night and had to wake up at 6. Shit. Meant Gasol btw.

[TheeBeast]

I like the hype Miami gets for their defense, but goddamn we have 3 of the best defenders of their position with Kobe, Artest, and Dwight. I'd like to see how this team ranks in defense at the end of the season.

[lakerspng]

I personally think if it comes down to a Finals series where everyone is HEALTHY. Wade can outplay Kobe, Bosh can outplay Bosh, and LeBron can outplay everyone. I think the defense of Miami will eventually catch up to LA, and it won't allow Nash to run the offense comfortably. :confusedshrug:

Wade certainly is not outplaying Kobe, in case you missed the matchup this year, it was downright embarrassing.

Gasol and Bosh is a wash.

LBJ is clearly better than MWP, but in any given game Kobe can negate his impact, by turning it up a notch himself. He can outscore Lebron any day or any week, only place Lakers have no answer for Lebron whatsoever, is on the fast break.

Heat have no answer for Howard.

Heat cannot match Nash.

Lakers are just not a good matchup for Miami.

[BrickingStar]

I like the hype Miami gets for their defense, but goddamn we have 3 of the best defenders of their position with Kobe, Artest, and Dwight. I'd like to see how this team ranks in defense at the end of the season.
Are you acting like LeBron himself has struggled against Dwight at Center? You that 50 pt + game were all jump shots he wrecked that nikka named dwight :lol

[EnoughSaid]

Wade certainly is not outplaying Kobe, in case you missed the matchup this year, it was downright embarrassing.

Gasol and Bosh is a wash.

LBJ is clearly better than MWP, but in any given game Kobe can negate his impact, by turning it up a notch himself. He can outscore Lebron any day or any week, only place Lakers have no answer for Lebron whatsoever, is on the fast break.

Heat have no answer for Howard.

Heat cannot match Nash.

Lakers are just not a good matchup for Miami.

So are we going to base stuff of one game? :coleman: Come on now. Kobe outplayed Wade, yes, but I can easily show you games where Wade played better than Kobe in the past 2-3 years. Kobe will get SHUT DOWN by LeBron if needed, who is a terrific on-ball defender.

And Miami can throw Anthony, Pittman, and Bosh at Howard, who I don't think is a great post scorer anyhow...

Finally, Chalmers is one of the best defenders at the PG spot, and will lock down Nash if needed. Wade can switch onto Nash as well, and have LeBron slide down to stick Kobe.

Stuff can go both ways my man, I just don't see the Lakers being better than Miami. :confusedshrug:

[TheeBeast]

Are you acting like LeBron himself has struggled against Dwight at Center? You that 50 pt + game were all jump shots he wrecked that nikka named dwight :lol

Yeah but those perimeter jump shots won't be landing when he plays Artest, and those layups won't be going in so easily with Dwight in the paint :pimp:

[lakerspng]

So are we going to base stuff of one game? :coleman: Come on now. Kobe outplayed Wade, yes, but I can easily show you games where Wade played better than Kobe in the past 2-3 years. Kobe will get SHUT DOWN by LeBron if needed, who is a terrific on-ball defender.

And Miami can throw Anthony, Pittman, and Bosh at Howard, who I don't think is a great post scorer anyhow...

Finally, Chalmers is one of the best defenders at the PG spot, and will lock down Nash if needed. Wade can switch onto Nash as well, and have LeBron slide down to stick Kobe.

Stuff can go both ways my man, I just don't see the Lakers being better than Miami. :confusedshrug:

we shall see. I see Miami as a very fortunate team that is incredibly top heavy in talent that have no real team chemistry, that played a shell-shocked first timer in the finals and was able to do just enough to get a ring.

[NoGunzJustSkillz]

Are you acting like LeBron himself has struggled against Dwight at Center? You that 50 pt + game were all jump shots he wrecked that nikka named dwight :lol
Yelp, same situation. :coleman:

[NoGunzJustSkillz]

So are we going to base stuff of one game? :coleman: Come on now. Kobe outplayed Wade, yes, but I can easily show you games where Wade played better than Kobe in the past 2-3 years. Kobe will get SHUT DOWN by LeBron if needed, who is a terrific on-ball defender.

And Miami can throw Anthony, Pittman, and Bosh at Howard, who I don't think is a great post scorer anyhow...

Finally, Chalmers is one of the best defenders at the PG spot, and will lock down Nash if needed. Wade can switch onto Nash as well, and have LeBron slide down to stick Kobe.

Stuff can go both ways my man, I just don't see the Lakers being better than Miami. :confusedshrug:
Yeah, no sh!t. You just became a fan, you don't clearly understand the situation. It's cool tho, hopefully when Lebron leaves the Heat, you'll leave ish.

[EnoughSaid]

we shall see. I see Miami as a very fortunate team that is incredibly top heavy in talent that have no real team chemistry, that played a shell-shocked first timer in the finals and was able to do just enough to get a ring.

:facepalm The team that CRUSHED the Mavericks, Lakers, and dismantled the then undefeated Spurs? Come on now. OKC was playing out of their minds, and carried that over to the first game of the Finals. Miami just made the necessary adjustments, and the role players stepped up big (Chalmers, Battier, Miller) while OKC's sixth man of the year disappeared. Now are you going to pin that against Miami? :confusedshrug:

I just think that after 2 years, and an improved bench that is one of the best in the league (Cole, Allen, Lewis, Haslem, Miller, Jones), Miami is easily the best team in the NBA, and you can't say someone else is better until they prove themselves.

[AK47DR91]

So, I mean, we can play small, but as long as we win that rebounding battle, that's all that's important.
Great quote from Bosh here.

I still don't think Bosh got enough credit for his Finals performance. He held his own against Ibaka, Perkins, Durant and Collison. Even outplayed them in a couple of games.

A follow up act against Howard and Gasol is a tall order but in a 7-game series, anything can happen. It only takes one or two great games from your supporting cast to make a difference.

[EnoughSaid]

Great quote from Bosh here.

I still don't think Bosh got enough credit for his Finals performance. He held his own against Ibaka, Perkins, Durant and Collison. Even outplayed them in a couple of games.

A follow up act against Howard and Gasol is a tall order but in a 7-game series, anything can happen. It only takes one or two great games from your supporting cast to make a difference.

And Miami's supporting cast is much better than LA's. Allen can have a 30 point night if he's on, and then we also have Battier, Chalmers, and Miller who can get hot at any point. Jamison is the only "okay" guy coming off the bench for the Lakers, but Haslem is better.

[lakerspng]

:facepalm The team that CRUSHED the Mavericks, Lakers, and dismantled the then undefeated Spurs? Come on now. OKC was playing out of their minds, and carried that over to the first game of the Finals. Miami just made the necessary adjustments, and the role players stepped up big (Chalmers, Battier, Miller) while OKC's sixth man of the year disappeared. Now are you going to pin that against Miami? :confusedshrug:

I just think that after 2 years, and an improved bench that is one of the best in the league (Cole, Allen, Lewis, Haslem, Miller, Jones), Miami is easily the best team in the NBA, and you can't say someone else is better until they prove themselves.

Like I said, we'll see.

The OKC team in the finals is absolutely not the same team that played the Lakers. They lacked the energy, aggression and confidence. I still don't know what happened to James Harden, that dude went completely MIA and they were missing layups left and right.

Regardless Miami did wat they needed to to win. good for them. I don't think they're great though. Great is a big word to throw around.

[EnoughSaid]

Like I said, we'll see.

The OKC team in the finals is absolutely not the same team that played the Lakers. They lacked the energy, aggression and confidence. I still don't know what happened to James Harden, that dude went completely MIA and they were missing layups left and right.

Regardless Miami did wat they needed to to win. good for them. I don't think they're great though. Great is a big word to throw around.

But you can't say they're not a "good" team or aren't the best in the league. They are, and the only time that's changing is IF they lose in the Finals. The Lakers haven't proven themselves yet either. Maybe Gasol and Dwight can't coexist or Kobe has problems with Nash. It's all just a part of something you have to experience and wait for. Hopefully we get the Finals we deserve in Miami vs. LA.

[longtime lurker]

And Miami's supporting cast is much better than LA's. Allen can have a 30 point night if he's on, and then we also have Battier, Chalmers, and Miller who can get hot at any point. Jamison is the only "okay" guy coming off the bench for the Lakers, but Haslem is better.

Soooo what's your excuse going to be then if the Heat lose to the Lakers? I can see it now OmG the Lakers are so stacked Kobe needs Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol and a 2 time MVP to win him championships :lol Or will be get the copy and pasted Lebron plays with trash posts from all you idiot Heat fans/dick riders?

[EnoughSaid]

Soooo what's your excuse going to be then if the Heat lose to the Lakers? I can see it now OmG the Lakers are so stacked Kobe needs Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol and a 2 time MVP to win him championships :lol Or will be get the copy and pasted Lebron plays with trash posts from all you idiot Heat fans/dick riders?

:roll: Why are you so mad bro? I didn't make any excuses when Miami lost to Dallas. All I did was congratulate them and say they did a great job, and outperformed the Heat. Why are you so worried about what I say IF Miami loses? Don't worry about me man. :facepalm

[lakerspng]

But you can't say they're not a "good" team or aren't the best in the league. They are, and the only time that's changing is IF they lose in the Finals. The Lakers haven't proven themselves yet either. Maybe Gasol and Dwight can't coexist or Kobe has problems with Nash. It's all just a part of something you have to experience and wait for. Hopefully we get the Finals we deserve in Miami vs. LA.

They are a good team. They have incredible talent at the top. But they do not have great chemistry. Despite winning last year, I still don't believe LeBron and Wade have ever managed to compliment each other. one takes over or the other takes over, very rarely do they work harmoniously, except on the fast break. Their half court game is still awful and that's what keeps them from being great.

Hopefully we do get that finals matchup, I think it will be a tremendous series. Tons of intriguing match-ups and at least 4 of the top 7-8 players in the league.

[EnoughSaid]

They are a good team. They have incredible talent at the top. But they do not have great chemistry. Despite winning last year, I still don't believe LeBron and Wade have ever managed to compliment each other. one takes over or the other takes over, very rarely do they work harmoniously, except on the fast break. Their half court game is still awful and that's what keeps them from being great.

Hopefully we do get that finals matchup, I think it will be a tremendous series. Tons of intriguing match-ups and at least 4 of the top 7-8 players in the league.

:cheers: Same here man. Make sure your team just gets past OKC though!

[longtime lurker]

:roll: Why are you so mad bro? I didn't make any excuses when Miami lost to Dallas. All I did was congratulate them and say they did a great job, and outperformed the Heat. Why are you so worried about what I say IF Miami loses? Don't worry about me man. :facepalm

Lol at me being mad. Typical dumbass Heat fan boy response. I promise you I can bump this thread if the Heat lose to the Lakers in the finals where all the Kobe hate will be flowing strong. With the way you hype up your team you'd think that they went 82 and 0. Lakers on paper are a better team, but the Heat are still champions until proven otherwise. No one's mad I just like calling out you Heat fans on your bullshit.

[EnoughSaid]

Lol at me being mad. Typical dumbass Heat fan boy response. I promise you I can bump this thread if the Heat lose to the Lakers in the finals where all the Kobe hate will be flowing strong. With the way you hype up your team you'd think that they went 82 and 0. Lakers on paper are a better team, but the Heat are still champions until proven otherwise. No one's mad I just like calling out you Heat fans on your bullshit.

What bullshit? And what hyping? I just stated in my post that Miami can match up with the Lakers, and have a great shot at taking them out in a 7 game series. :confusedshrug: I mean what did I say that was so ridiculous and incorrect? Miami DOES have a better bench, and their Big 3 can outplay Kobe, Gasol, and MWP. I'm not sure regarding Dwight and Nash, but I don't see them dominating the Heat like people are assuming.

[Crown&Coke]

the only issue Miami should have is the size factor going after boards.

I would simply single cover Dwight, and let UD or Anthony check him 1-1

If they run Lebron at the 4, he showed he can neutralize Pau by fronting him and just getting super rough. The refs aint gonna call a foul even if he is pushing him off his established position. But that was pre-Nashty and nobody on LA knew how to throw a good entry pass or swing the ball to the top of the key and let Pau seal Bron for an easy entry pass.

They will run everyone at Kobe; Wade, Battier, Bron, Shuttlesworth will all have their shots at him. Which is really the best option. Make him work and keep a fresh defender on him.

Nash will be the X-factor. if he can eat up SuperMario or anyone else they put at the point, they got a good shot.

Now there really is nothing the Lakers can do in regards to Miami's fast break other than emphasize getting back on defense, because Bron aint gonna punk RonRon on the block like he did to everyone on the Thunder. But if he moves without the ball like he did in the playoffs, it really is over, Ron can't handle that

battle of opposing strengths, will def be fun

[AK47DR91]

I would simply single cover Dwight, and let UD or Anthony check him 1-1On the offensive end, the Heat can take Howard out on the perimeter with Bosh, who's now a solid from the 3-point arc for a big man.

That should open up the lanes for Wade, LeBron, Chalmers to get inside.

[brownmamba00]

Ron can guard lebron better than anyone in the league (except Marion)

[Rubio2Gasol]

He's a champion.

Why the he'll is he being modest now? He's underestimating the value of himself and his teammates honestly.

The Lakers matchup with his team well.

[TheeBeast]

On the offensive end, the Heat can take Howard out on the perimeter with Bosh, who's now a solid from the 3-point arc for a big man.

That should open up the lanes for Wade, LeBron, Chalmers to get inside.

Why would we have Howard guard Bosh?

[G-Funk]

Heat are the best team, they proved it last year, now it's up to the Lakers and the other 30 or so teams to take them down.

[EnoughSaid]

Why would we have Howard guard Bosh?

Because if Miami runs a lineup of Chalmers/Wade/Battier/LeBron/Bosh, then LA would be forced to have Dwight guard Bosh.

[TheeBeast]

Heat are the best team, they proved it last year, now it's up to the Lakers and the other 30 or so teams to take them down.

Bosh said it right and that really ain't the case. Every season is basically stating from scratch, even the Heat have to prove themselves again. But they still remain the favorites.

[G-Funk]

Bosh said it right and that really ain't the case. Every season is basically stating from scratch, even the Heat have to prove themselves again. But they still remain the favorites.


But they are the only team to prove that they have what it takes to win a ring and they also proved they have the formula to do so. So until another team proves them different they are still the best team.

[Levity]

Because if Miami runs a lineup of Chalmers/Wade/Battier/LeBron/Bosh, then LA would be forced to have Dwight guard Bosh.

If they did do that, then yes he has to. but Miami reallly shouldnt be running small ball againt LA for long spurts.

[G-Funk]

Because if Miami runs a lineup of Chalmers/Wade/Battier/LeBron/Bosh, then LA would be forced to have Dwight guard Bosh.


Only bad thing about that is that Lakers are gonna score in the paint like no tomorrow

[Crown&Coke]

On the offensive end, the Heat can take Howard out on the perimeter with Bosh, who's now a solid from the 3-point arc for a big man.

That should open up the lanes for Wade, LeBron, Chalmers to get inside.

please don't give your notes to Spo, please

I don't remember Miami letting Bosh check Dwight in the regular season. But in all reality, pulling Dwight away from the paint on defense really neutralizes whatever advantage he creates on that end of the floor. He does no good out 16 feet and beyond.

[Rubio2Gasol]

Gasol could guard Bosh.

Give Chalmers the open 3 .

[TheeBeast]

Because if Miami runs a lineup of Chalmers/Wade/Battier/LeBron/Bosh, then LA would be forced to have Dwight guard Bosh.

I'd be more scared of Bosh having to guard Howard. Lakers could live with Bosh shooting from the perimeter, but on the other side of the floor Dwight is gonna dominate.

[Crown&Coke]

All I ask, please put Ron on the block if Miami goes small. he's a load and a really underrated post passer. At least a few times Mikey!!

everyone gotta colapse and Lakers got some shooters now

[TheAesirsFinest]

I'd like to see the Heat try LeBron-Wade pick and rolls against the Lakers with Bosh as the 5 and at the weakside elbow and shooters in the weak and strong side corners. That could be very hard, if not impossible, for the Lakers to stop.

[LeFraud James]

This is my opinion of the 2012-13 Lakers


:sleeping :sleeping :sleeping :sleeping

Wake me up so I can see Lebron's Finals MVP speech

:lebroncry:

[Crown&Coke]

I'd like to see the Heat try LeBron-Wade pick and rolls against the Lakers with Bosh as the 5 and at the weakside elbow and shooters in the weak and strong side corners. That could be very hard, if not impossible, for the Lakers to stop.

I would just switch those pick and rolls. Now nobody gotta rotate. Both are beasts, so the Lakers are going to have 2 good defenders on them either way

they get beat going to the rim then let it be. better that then giving up wide open corner 3's or a free rim run to Bosh

[ZenMaster]

please don't give your notes to Spo, please

I don't remember Miami letting Bosh check Dwight in the regular season. But in all reality, pulling Dwight away from the paint on defense really neutralizes whatever advantage he creates on that end of the floor. He does no good out 16 feet and beyond.

Bosh can go out and shoot his 17 footers until he gets into foul trouble guarding Howard on the other end where Howard will be going nowhere but the rim.

[LamarOdom]

:applause:

My favorite non-Laker player. :bowdown:

What up man where you been?

[TheAesirsFinest]

I would just switch those pick and rolls. Now nobody gotta rotate. Both are beasts, so the Lakers are going to have 2 good defenders on them either way

they get beat going to the rim then let it be. better that then giving up wide open corner 3's or a free rim run to Bosh

That would definitely be the easiest, most clear-cut way to defend that. I think those would be pretty decent mis-matches for the Heat though: Kobe on LeBron (take him to the post), MWP on Wade (try to drive by). In addition to that, bad switches, poor communication, etc. could happen.

Agreed. Even though the usual principle is to avoid opponents shooting near the basket, if the Lakers weren't consistently giving up lay-ups, then that's a lot less they have to worry about. Kobe and MWP are still both fine defenders too.

[Rubio2Gasol]

Kobe and Lebron in the post....Kobe dropped some weight but at the same time, I'm not sure that's a mismatch.

I think you want to beat Kobe with Lateral quickness now, because he can be pesky if you let him get too close.And weight isn't what the post defense is necessarily about , it's about core and base strength, and Kobe still has some of that.

It's not the same mismatch as on Durant at least.

MWP-Wade.

Who knows? MWP still has the quickest hands in the league though.

Mike Brown might actually be useful for once in his life.

[TheAesirsFinest]

Kobe and Lebron in the post....Kobe dropped some weight but at the same time, I'm not sure that's a mismatch.

I think you want to beat Kobe with Lateral quickness now, because he can be pesky if you let him get too close.And weight isn't what the post defense is necessarily about , it's about core and base strength, and Kobe still has some of that.

It's not the same mismatch as on Durant at least.

MWP-Wade.

Who knows? MWP still has the quickest hands in the league though.

Mike Brown might actually be useful for once in his life.

Pretty crazy how I can't even fully disagree with you on that first statement. Old man Kobe still got it.

However, Kobe's too smart (and now light) of a defender imo for LeBron to consistently blow by. I think taking him to the post and using a nice combination of a spin or post move in general and strength to overpower him would be the most effective method. That relies on LeBron's mindset though.

Yeah, I remember MWP making some huge steals / forcing TOs with his hands last year.

[swi7ch]

OKC > LAL

but

MIA > OKC

but

LAL > MIA

[G-Funk]

OKC > LAL

but

MIA > OKC

but

LAL > MIA


This is how I see it but it's closer

[ShaqAttack3234]

The Lakers now have star power plus a stacked team. On paper, they look like the most talented Laker team since the '97-'98 Lakers, if not since Magic's first retirement.

But there are potential problems.

First, there's age, Kobe is 34, Nash will turn 39 in February,Artest will turn 33 in November and Jamison is 36. I'm not sure that a skilled player like Gasol has lost anything at 32, but he's getting up there for an NBA player too. But Dwight will only be 27 in December, and most players seem to peak at 27 or 28.

But based on last season, all of these players seemed to have something left in the tank, now it's just a matter of how well they fit together. That's another question mark because excluding the Olympics, Howard, Nash and Jamison have not played with each other or with any of the Lakers' key players.

Some of the players clearly won't be in a position to be their most effective.

Nash is one of them. Remember what happened in 2009 when Terry Porter tried to make the Suns more of a defensive-minded half court team with Shaq as the focal point which took the ball out of Nash's hands more. And this was primarily a 34 year old Nash turning 35, who still had most of his ability as evidenced by him leading the Suns to the finals the very next season.

With Howard and Gasol getting touches in the post as well as Kobe handling the ball a lot in Mike Brown's offense which involves very little running, a 39 year old Nash does not have much of a chance to have an all-star season.

But worst case, Nash will provide a proven ball handler who can get them into their offense, make some plays and give them a great shooter, which they were clearly lacking. I'm sure we'll see some great stuff between Nash and Howard too. And while Nash will be 39, John Stockton was an effective starting point guard until he was 41, and he had a phenomenal season in 2002 at 39. I think they're fairly similar except Nash has more creativity as a scorer and has been more willing and capable of taking over a game, and he's a better shooter, while Stockton was a better defensive player.

So Nash can be an effective player, but I don't see him playing as well as he did last year with the Suns or being an all-star. And his defense will be a problem, but with a good defensive coach and the league's best defensive player patrolling the paint, this problem should be minimized.

The other player whose game will be limited is Gasol. We saw this year when Mike Brown's offense resulted in Gasol being wasted on the perimeter. Even though Gasol was clearly the better offensive option than Bynum, Brown made Bynum the 2nd option. There are still arguments for Gasol deserving to be the 2nd option over Howard, but this won't happen. I see Gasol being used in a similar way to last year. That's why I think it's worth exploring trade options, potentially one that could bring in a younger player who complements Howard better and can be part of their future with Howard. That's important because they clearly want to Make Howard their future, and not many of these players will be around much longer. Granted, the mismatches Dwight and Gasol provide may be too great to pass up, and having 2 elite 7 footers is something no other team has, but it is sad seeing Pau wasted and they will need to rebuild around Dwight if they expect him to stay.

Jamison is older, but his unorthodox game and tweener skill set at 6'9" should still make him a capable scorer. He'll obviously be in a limited role off the bench, but I see no reason why he can't be an asset as a scorer off the bench. And I think he could be a good fit with Howard since his shooting range will make him a nice stretch 4 next to Dwight much like Lewis and Anderson in Orlando.

Artest showed some offensive ability when Kobe was out last year, but for the most part he's been an offensive liability the last year, maybe 2 years and he's not the defender he was. But he can still be decent as a defender. I do think they'd be better with a shooter at the 3 since Nash and Antawn Jamison will really be their only 3 point shooters with Kobe's percentage dropping the last 3 years from 33 to 32 and 30% due to probably his finger injuries and his legs going.

And there's the question of who is "the man?" There are legitimate arguments for either Kobe or Dwight as the 1st option, but Kobe will still probably remain the first option for at least this season. Since it became his team after '04, he's established a lot of status with the franchise. Then again, with a young star like Dwight at 27 who they're trying to keep vs a 34 year old star in his last years, this may change. Howard has actually been the better player between the 2, imo, the last 2 seasons, but the more effective offensive option is the question.

If Kobe can play at the level he did this past season when I think he was still a top 5 player, then this can be a really rare team. I would like to see some adjustments to his game from last season such as not holding the ball or dribbling as much to work his shot, and focusing on his deadly mid-range and forgetting about 3s since he doesn't seem to be a good 3 point shooter anymore. But is incredible skill set still allows him to get his shot whenever he wants inside the 3 point line. Even though he doesn't drive to the basket, he still manages to draw legit fouls, primarily on jump shots because his pump fake is so good and defenders guard him so tight.

Dwight's defense with a good defensive coach should guarantee the Lakers are an elite defensive team despite not having great defensive personnel around Dwight. His offense made great strides in the 2010-2011 season when he was consistent all season, looked more fluid with his back to the basket as well as with his footwork, spin move, and left-handed and right-handed jump hook as well as a mid-range bank shot he made at a decent rate allowing him to average 23 ppg on 59% with numerous games of around 40 and few low scoring games. He wasn't quite as sharp or consistent last year and he didn't really attempt those bank shots, but his skills and ability seemed to be the same as '11. The one concern is that his FT% had been consistently at 59-60% the last 6 seasons before dropping to 49% last year. But the improvements I saw last year were definitely passing out of double teams as well as keeping more of his blocked shots in play. And he also learned how to stay out of foul trouble more and stay on the court longer once Gortat was traded. So he's really maturing as a player(if not a person), and if he combines his 2011 scoring with his 2012 passing, or even improves on those things, he can be in the discussion for best player in the game.

But at 27, Dwight's best years maybe ahead of him, I've given up hope on him being the 65-70% free throw shooter I thought he could and back to his usual 59-60% seems to be the best case scenario now.

I have little doubt the Lakers will contend, but Mike Brown is a concern. How will he balance this talent or handle the egos? As it is, he proved incapable of leading the team and putting in a competent offense. Outside of his offense, he proved to me he's suited to be no more than an assistant coach when he said he'd defer to Kobe because Kobe has won titles. That's unacceptable for a coach, they have to be the boss on the team. Due to Brown being unwilling to criticize Kobe as well as his mediocre offense that relies on his superstar to carry the team just like in Cleveland, I saw more of Kobe's bad habits than in years. I don't know if it was just Brown or Kobe losing a lot of athleticism, but I saw him dribbling too much and holding the ball a lot more. That's not really a winning style. Beyond that, Brown proved to be incapable of making adjustments when Orlando upset his Cavs team. He didn't make any adjustments as far as his lineup despite Lewis feasting on Clevelands 4s, or to how they defended Howard when he absolutely destroyed them.

Then again, I've never considered Spoelstra to be a good coach and Miami won a title so maybe in certain situations you can get by with a mediocre coach.

It will be interesting, given the adjustments, this certainly won't be a team that approaches 70 wins, and may not even win 60, but they have the ability to contend for a championship and another franchise player to take over for Kobe soon.

[Graviton]

He's the 2nd smartest guy on that Heat team behind Battier and easily the least douchiest of the big 3. I can't wait to see him light up Dwight like he always did in his Raptor days.
Yep, he is my favorite player on the Heat. Knows how to perfectly express his thoughs and never bullshits. His goofy antics are hilarious as well. He is so underappreciated in Lebron's/Wade's shadow. He is their key player, without him Wade/Bron don't get those easy driving lanes or the important rebounds.

[dbugz]

On paper? Ehh I guess, but having only one player younger than 30 in their starting lineup isn't going to help later down the stretch.

overrated statement.

KG and the Boston Celtics says hello.

[Qwyjibo]

He's right.

The Lakers are the most talented team in the league right now, IMO. That's when everyone is healthy, of course. Despite that, I still think Miami should be the favourites to win the title since they should have a MUCH easier path through the East. I have a hard time thinking of a scenario where they don't make it out of the East into the Finals. I can't say the same for the Lakers despite them having the most talent.

[alleykat]

it's the truth tho.....how it plays out we will see...but i can't help and be excited for this season

bosh has always been a standup dude....