Artest

[Jims_Doors]

No one said that the outcome of the series would have been different, but you don't say that you want to be "the man" and then abandon your team when the going gets tough!! You stay in there and battle with your teammates!! You are really reaching trying to defend that move!!

And no, Laker fans did NOT give Dwight a pass all season long and you repeating it over and over isn't going to change that!! Many Laker fans were wanting him traded at the deadline. Many who didn't want him traded at the deadline, wished he had been shortly after and by the end of the season, only a handful still wanted him to stay!!

You guys wanted him traded because he missed a few games with a torn Labrum. Kobe bitched about him not playing and you guys followed his lead.

No team in the league was going to give up great assets for a guy who has a bad back, torn labrum AND be an UFA after the season. Hoping he would get traded was just blind hope, because it looked like to you guys that he would not be effective or done for the year with the torn Labrum.

Then after the all-star break (Feb. 17th) and trade deadline (Feb. 21st) Dwight was still playing and things started to come together. That's when the chest thumping came from the LA fans. You went like 21-9 to end the reg. season and there were NO indications that people wanted Howard gone.

 

[Black Adam]

You clearly have serious reading and comprehension difficulties!! I said that no one expected the Kobeless, injury plagued Lakers to win the a game, much less the series!!

I said that Dwight needed to play better and he needed to be the leader that he thinks he is and not get himself ejected so he didn't have to take the beating with the rest of his teammates!!

Did you have to practice to be this dumb or is it a natural talent?

seems to ME like he's worked hard to get to this level, but that's just MY observation...

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

You clearly have serious reading and comprehension difficulties!! I said that no one expected the Kobeless, injury plagued Lakers to win the a game, much less the series!!

I said that Dwight needed to play better and he needed to be the leader that he thinks he is and not get himself ejected so he didn't have to take the beating with the rest of his teammates!!

Did you have to practice to be this dumb or is it a natural talent?

My post didn't come across like I meant it to, however , your thought process IMO is incorrect.
Howard was frustrated and could easily see the handwriting on the wall. Very similar to what James looked like in his final games with the Cavs vs Boston.

And please don't says" no one" because plenty of Laker fans thought or at least said they liked the matchup.

 

[Black Adam]

My post didn't come across like I meant it to, however , your thought process IMO is incorrect.
Howard was frustrated and could easily see the handwriting on the wall. Very similar to what James looked like in his final games with the Cavs vs Boston.

And please don't says" no one" because plenty of Laker fans thought or at least said they liked the matchup.

hm, the choices between the 2 seed Spurs, or the 1 seed Thunder. yeah, a MUCH better match-up. talk about shit for brains...

 

[trojanfan12]

You guys wanted him traded because he missed a few games with a torn Labrum. Kobe bitched about him not playing and you guys followed his lead.

No team in the league was going to give up great assets for a guy who has a bad back, torn labrum AND be an UFA after the season. Hoping he would get traded was just blind hope, because it looked like to you guys that he would not be effective or done for the year with the torn Labrum.

Then after the all-star break (Feb. 17th) and trade deadline (Feb. 21st) Dwight was still playing and things started to come together. That's when the chest thumping came from the LA fans. You went like 21-9 to end the reg. season and there were NO indications that people wanted Howard gone.

"Us guys" didn't follow anyone's lead!! I wasn't one of the ones that wanted him traded!! I was one saying that I wanted to give him a chance to finish healing and see what we've got.

And yes, there were indications that Laker fans wanted him gone even when the team started playing better because there was still drama around the team and most of it was coming from him.

So even when things appeared to be better, many Laker fans weren't buying it!! I will admit that I wasn't one of those!! When the team started playing better I figured they'd figure the rest out and all would be okay!! I was even one that thought (before Kobe went down) that the Lakers could beat the Spurs in the playoffs!!

When Kobe went down, I knew the Lakers wouldn't win the series or even a game, but I was optimistic that maybe Dwight had finally bought in to being a Laker and would at least play well and maybe the Lakers could steal a game at home!!

Instead, I saw mostly lackluster performance topped off by getting himself ejected in game 4!! That for me, and many, many other Laker fans was the last straw!!

 

[trojanfan12]

My post didn't come across like I meant it to, however , your thought process IMO is incorrect.
Howard was frustrated and could easily see the handwriting on the wall. Very similar to what James looked like in his final games with the Cavs vs Boston.

And please don't says" no one" because plenty of Laker fans thought or at least said they liked the matchup.

Wow, just when I thought you couldn't get any dumber!! I don't care how frustrated Howard was or what writing he saw on the wall!! A leader does not abandon his teammates....period!! There is absolutely no excuse for it.....ever!!

If Kobe had pulled that crap, you, JD, montsho, bks and all the rest would be on here absolutely skewering him for it!!

And aren't you one of the one's that likes to defend Lebron by pointing out how strong his stats were in those final games every time someone says he quit on his team? Yep, pretty sure you are!!

And as far as people thinking that the Lakers had a chance, that was when we thought it would be the Lakers at full strength. Even the commentators and pundits were all saying that the Lakers might be the strongest 7 or 8 seed in history!!

Once Kobe went down, no one thought the Lakers had a chance!! Laker fans were just hoping to avoid the sweep and not let the Spurs close the series at Staples!!

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

hm, the choices between the 2 seed Spurs, or the 1 seed Thunder. yeah, a MUCH better match-up. talk about shit for brains...

Which team ended up in the Finals?

Are you saying the Thunder would have beaten you down more then the Spurs did?

Face it, you predicted and thought the Lakers would win the series.

I picked the Spurs in 4.

So, who had the shit for brains?

Do we need to go back to the round 1 series predictions?

I'm betting on my memory vs your stupidity.

 

[Vitamike]

hell, I DO believe I've been on record as saying I TRULY don't want him wearing my team's colors. some folks around here are as thick as a brick...

Right, I'm with you CL67. Yes James is a great player but so was Bird, and I never wanted that dude either, I just wanted our Lakers to beat him! I loved Larry's play and loved rooting against him, it was a big part of the fun along with all those other C's players back in the day!

Just for some reason, over the last 6 seasons or so, James has just rubbed me the wrong way as a person and Larry never did. And I really liked LBJ when he entered the Association too!

Also, as good as James is, I wouldn't 'hate it' if he were to become a Laker, much as I was with D12 (And believe me it was not my vision at all to see D12 in Purple and Gold and many here know it too) however, just as with Howard, I don't want it but for different reasons. I just never thought that D12 was going to amount to much here in LA however with James I would need to begin to accept him in many different ways, and I'm not sure that can ever happen again. Although I know I would try and to be quite candid, he has endured himself, at times, a lot to me over the last year leading up to the playoffs.

You know there is a big difference IMO between Howard and James. But first of all, you support all those who pull your teams jersey over their head for the most part and disavow them once they wear another team's colors the day they jump ship.

The bottom line here, I think a Championship can be won without James just as Championships have been won without Michael, Magic, PJ, ..... HELL! Wilt!! Now there is a dominate player a lot like James in the way that he had an ability to score, play defense or pass at will. Imagine if Wilt had the same 'avenues' or mindset as James!

Someone said it earlier on this thread, players don't win Championships, Teams do.

So build a team, that's all it takes....

Can the Lakers do that?

Sure!

They have the dedication or devotion, if you will, to do so (And don't sell that one short) and the ability or willingness (better said) to pay the piper long term, win or lose! And that make a huge difference!

Also discussed earlier on this thread, the Lakers have had three different occurrences where they have won 5 Titles in 10 years. That tells me this organization, throughout history, is devoted to building teams. Because this type of success transcends any one players impact on an organization.

And you know what?

That is good enough for me!

 

[Black Adam]

Which team ended up in the Finals?

Are you saying the Thunder would have beaten you down more then the Spurs did?

Face it, you predicted and thought the Lakers would win the series.

I picked the Spurs in 4.

So, who had the shit for brains?

Do we need to go back to the round 1 series predictions?

I'm betting on my memory vs your stupidity.

LMAO!!!! what're you, NUTS?!! wow, you've lost it, clown. DO go find ANY posts where i said the Lakers would win that series. i'll wait, fool...


wow, this clown's lost his mind...

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Wow, just when I thought you couldn't get any dumber!! I don't care how frustrated Howard was or what writing he saw on the wall!! A leader does not abandon his teammates....period!! There is absolutely no excuse for it.....ever!!

If Kobe had pulled that crap, you, JD, montsho, bks and all the rest would be on here absolutely skewering him for it!!

And aren't you one of the one's that likes to defend Lebron by pointing out how strong his stats were in those final games every time someone says he quit on his team? Yep, pretty sure you are!!

And as far as people thinking that the Lakers had a chance, that was when we thought it would be the Lakers at full strength. Even the commentators and pundits were all saying that the Lakers might be the strongest 7 or 8 seed in history!!

Once Kobe went down, no one thought the Lakers had a chance!! Laker fans were just hoping to avoid the sweep and not let the Spurs close the series at Staples!!

Who ever called Howard a leader?
I have always maintained that he wasn't leading anyone, anywhere.
However, he is still a big loss to the Lakers because he could be a huge asset to a team with another superstar/leader if used correctly.

The Lakers problem with him was neither Kobe or DAntoni was smart enough or willing enough to put him in a position to succeed for the most part.

It would be horrifying to the league as to what type of production Howard would have if he ever played with James.
Anyway, IMO, he will look 100% better with Rockets and McHale then he ever did with Kobe.

Watch and see.

And as far as nobody picking the Lakers, wanna bet?

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

LMAO!!!! what're you, NUTS?!! wow, you've lost it, clown. DO go find ANY posts where i said the Lakers would win that series. i'll wait, fool...


wow, this clown's lost his mind...

You were just exposed once again, and now it's a gag again?

Like I said, who is the liar in total denial , willing to make any excuse whenever necessary.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

LMAO!!!! what're you, NUTS?!! wow, you've lost it, clown. DO go find ANY posts where i said the Lakers would win that series. i'll wait, fool...


wow, this clown's lost his mind...

Didn't wait long, did ya'.

 

[Black Adam]

You were just exposed once again, and now it's a gag again?

?????????????????????????????????????

Like I said, who is the liar in total denial , willing to make any excuse whenever. Excess army.

ah, yes, that silly prediction thread. sorry, but i never root AGAINST my own team. however, you're STILL gonna have a VERY hard time finding anything where i guaranteed they'd beat the Spurs. DO keep trying to out-maneuver me, ol' sock...

 

[Black Adam]

in any case, when was i ever ".exposed"? do i detect yet ANOTHER lie...?

nice work, CrackUp...

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

ah, yes, that silly prediction thread. sorry, but i never root AGAINST my own team. however, you're STILL gonna have a VERY hard time finding anything where i guaranteed they'd beat the Spurs. DO keep trying to out-maneuver me, ol' sock...

And who the fuck ever said guarantee?

I said you PICKED them, you went into an insult rage saying you didn't.

All you had to say was that you picked them because they are your favorite team and you were hoping they would win.

Instead, as usual, you need to turn it into layers of bullshit and lies.

Soneday, hopefully you will learn that's sometimes the truth is good enough whether you are right or wrong.

How can anyone read this nonsense and ever believe a word you write?

 

[Black Adam]

And who the fuck ever said guarantee?

I said you PICKED them, you went into an insult rage saying you didn't.

i did? insulting, maybe. what can i say, i think you're an asshole. RAGE? please. you really don't think you're SMART enough to get me angry, do you...?

All you had to say was that you picked them because they are your favorite team and you were hoping they would win.

why? then you'd just say something idiotic for rooting for my team. see, with YOU it's a no-win sitch, so why bother? but it's STILL you being a fool for saying "we all picked them to win" when that clearly wasn't the case. it is what it is...

Instead, as usual, you need to turn it into layers of bullshit and lies.

since when have i ever lowered myself to YOUR style, oh maker of alternate i.d.'s...?


Soneday, hopefully you will learn that's sometimes the truth is good enough whether you are right or wrong.

oh i'm VERY good with the truth. seems YOU might improve the standing of your own sad life with a dose of it, though...

How can anyone read this nonsense and ever believe a word you write?

a question OBVIOUSLY aimed at yourself. can't blame ya. now do work on ANSWERING that question and you may one day see the light. 'til then, you'll always be a sad, pathetic little man. don't blame ME for your shortcomings, shorty...

 

[Lakers+USC=#1]

So Artest is still a Laker at the moment

 

[Lakers+USC=#1]

Until about 8 minutes.

 

[wlk3]

Not sure what the whole mess is but here goes... Kaman is ridiculous, as I said he is good, but what is the purpose...? We obviously keep Pau, we have Hill and Sacre and Dantoni... Is Pau Kaman the 4-5 we are sending out...? If not then this is shit, if so then that is shit! Why amnesty Artest...? From what I read amnesty Artest saves $30 mil by cutting his 7... If that's true then yes, he's not worth 7 plus a 30 mil hit... If its not true he is the perfect stretch 4 for Dantoni's system... He can pound down low and shoot decent from deep but defensively at the 4 he is solid 85% of the team the Lakers face, and honestly that's all he needs to be with the upcoming season since we all know the Lakers aren't going to win...

Bottom line if it's going to save 30mil see ya Artest, if not keep him... And why the fuck did we sign Kaman...?

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Not sure what the whole mess is but here goes... Kaman is ridiculous, as I said he is good, but what is the purpose...? We obviously keep Pau, we have Hill and Sacre and Dantoni... Is Pau Kaman the 4-5 we are sending out...? If not then this is shit, if so then that is shit! Why amnesty Artest...? From what I read amnesty Artest saves $30 mil by cutting his 7... If that's true then yes, he's not worth 7 plus a 30 mil hit... If its not true he is the perfect stretch 4 for Dantoni's system... He can pound down low and shoot decent from deep but defensively at the 4 he is solid 85% of the team the Lakers face, and honestly that's all he needs to be with the upcoming season since we all know the Lakers aren't going to win...

Bottom line if it's going to save 30mil see ya Artest, if not keep him... And why the fuck did we sign Kaman...?

According to Forbes article, the Lakers save a 15M tax hit.

Regardless, I thought the Lakers only cared about winning and that money meant nothing because of the TV deal, etc....?

Does chopping World Hate make the Lakers better? I don't think so.


Meanwhile, the Heat brought everyone back and apparently Arison will take the tax hit on Miller, Anthony, etc....