I GUARANTEE the Lakers will win the finals...

[trojanfan12]

Cavs still got the record for makes tho

I don't think that record is in danger from this Lakers team. lol

 

[lebron23james]

It is all about defensive matchups.

Against smaller teams where they don’t have good matchups for McGee and Howard, those guys don’t play much.

What is special about the Lakers is that they can play either way. They can go super big with Dwight McGee against your traditional center.

Or, they can play AD and Morris at the 5 against guys like Bam, Draymond, etc. Because of the defensive versatility of those guys, they can go big or small. And like @trojanfan12 said, their small group is still really big and capable of overpowering your small group.

By the way, the Lakers still shoot a ton of 3s too. Think they set a record for first half attempts last night.

They are exploiting the matchups...You don't have to match small for small...You play big and make the other team adjust...The other team can't adjust they lose...So unless they get taller and better it's a wrap

GS may be better than Mia but they aren't taller...Or better than the lakers so they would have similar problems

 

[tlance]

They are exploiting the matchups...You don't have to match small for small...You play big and make the other team adjust...The other team can't adjust they lose...So unless they get taller and better it's a wrap

GS may be better than Mia but they aren't taller...Or better than the lakers so they would have similar problems

The key though is that the Laker bigs (AD and Kief) can guard the Heat smalls.

Just being bigger doesn’t work in the modern NBA. The way the rules are set up it is easier to exploit speed mismatches than size mismatches. If you play an average traditional center who struggles in space, they can usually exploit you worse than you can exploit them.

 

[lebron23james]

The key though is that the Laker bigs (AD and Kief) can guard the Heat smalls.

Just being bigger doesn’t work in the modern NBA. The way the rules are set up it is easier to exploit speed mismatches than size mismatches. If you play an average traditional center who struggles in space, they can usually exploit you worse than you can exploit them.

Being big and fast always outweighs being small and fast...The modern NBA is a lot of bigs that our fast...Some still try to go small and fast and that doesn't work as soon as you run into bigs that out fast too

That was sort of my point on why GS can't beat the Lakers either, which you will see for yourself. Lebron and AD are better than Curry and Thompson and the Lakers bigs will get every rebound...That was the point

In the NBA the team that outrebounds the other team almost always wins...

 

[tlance]

Being big and fast always outweighs being small and fast...The modern NBA is a lot of bigs that our fast...Some still try to go small and fast and that doesn't work as soon as you run into bigs that out fast too

That was sort of my point on why GS can't beat the Lakers either, which you will see for yourself. Lebron and AD are better than Curry and Thompson and the Lakers bigs will get every rebound...That was the point

In the NBA the team that outrebounds the other team almost always wins...

The Lakers aren’t unbeatable.

They very well might beat GS next year. They might not. That doesn’t mean they would have beaten GS in 2015-2019. And almost certainly not the best versions of the Warrior team in 2017 and 2018.

And while rebounding margin is definitely important, it is far from the automatic win that you are trying to make it.

 

[lebron23james]

The Lakers aren’t unbeatable.

They very well might beat GS next year. They might not. That doesn’t mean they would have beaten GS in 2015-2019. And almost certainly not the best versions of the Warrior team in 2017 and 2018.

And while rebounding margin is definitely important, it is far from the automatic win that you are trying to make it.

True, If my Nets are healthy they will have a good shot

Ironically well everyone will still be high on the Clippers which has an outside shot next year...Or the bucks and GS...I think Dallas poses the biggest threat to the lakers next year. Donic (21) can be at points to be as good as Lebron (And should only get better) and Pozingis (24) is 7-3. They also have 3 7 footers. Their top 3 players average right around what the lakers top 3 players score. They almost beat the Clippers without Pozingis too. The game before he got injured he dropped 34 on the clips. I think that was by far the best team in the west outside of the lakers. Denver is not bad but i don't see them ever getting much better than they are now...

Dallas is my pick for next year as the challenger to the champs...

 

[tlance]

True, If my Nets are healthy they will have a good shot

Ironically well everyone will still be high on the Clippers which has an outside shot next year...Or the bucks and GS...I think Dallas poses the biggest threat to the lakers next year. Donic (21) can be at points to be as good as Lebron (And should only get better) and Pozingis (24) is 7-3. They also have 3 7 footers. Their top 3 players average right around what the lakers top 3 players score. They almost beat the Clippers without Pozingis too. The game before he got injured he dropped 34 on the clips. I think that was by far the best team in the west outside of the lakers. Denver is not bad but i don't see them ever getting much better than they are now...

Dallas is my pick for next year as the challenger to the champs...

I think there are a lot of potential challengers next year.

In no particular order:

Clippers
Warriors
Mavericks
Nuggets
Bucks
Celtics
Heat

Some of these teams need a tweak or 2.

and you never know if somebody else makes a big move in free agency, or a big trade.

 

[msgkings322]

True, If my Nets are healthy they will have a good shot

Ironically well everyone will still be high on the Clippers which has an outside shot next year...Or the bucks and GS...I think Dallas poses the biggest threat to the lakers next year. Donic (21) can be at points to be as good as Lebron (And should only get better) and Pozingis (24) is 7-3. They also have 3 7 footers. Their top 3 players average right around what the lakers top 3 players score. They almost beat the Clippers without Pozingis too. The game before he got injured he dropped 34 on the clips. I think that was by far the best team in the west outside of the lakers. Denver is not bad but i don't see them ever getting much better than they are now...

Dallas is my pick for next year as the challenger to the champs...

Dallas is terrible defensively. That matters especially in the playoffs

Another wrong take from you.

 

[lebron23james]

Dallas is terrible defensively. That matters especially in the playoffs

Another wrong take from you.

They were 17/30 ranked on defense. That is middle of the pack

And they almost beat the Clips without Pozingas...Your GS team is done tho, the second Durant left

 

[msgkings322]

They were 17/30 ranked on defense. That is middle of the pack

And they almost beat the Clips without Pozingas...Your GS team is done tho, the second Durant left

They're only done being one of the best teams of all time. They are still contenders for a few more years. But you know that, you're smart

 

[tlance]

They're only done being one of the best teams of all time. They are still contenders for a few more years. But you know that, you're smart

You sure?

 

[msgkings322]

You sure?

Being nice. He thinks he is.

 

[lebron23james]

I think there are a lot of potential challengers next year.

In no particular order:

Clippers
Warriors
Mavericks
Nuggets
Bucks
Celtics
Heat

Some of these teams need a tweak or 2.

and you never know if somebody else makes a big move in free agency, or a big trade.

Way to go out on a limb and pick almost every team lol

 

[lebron23james]

They're only done being one of the best teams of all time. They are still contenders for a few more years. But you know that, you're smart

They were also the worst team last year. They get 33 year old steph and klay back...But Klay is coming off a major injury...I see them middle of the pack, fodder playoff for the top seeds next year

This is also assuming SF doesn't burn down by next year

 

[msgkings322]

They were also the worst team last year. They get 33 year old steph and klay back...But Klay is coming off a major injury...I see them middle of the pack, fodder playoff for the top seeds next year

This is also assuming SF doesn't burn down by next year

We shall see

 

[tlance]

Way to go out on a limb and pick almost every team lol

Not trying to actually pick the winners genius.

You were implying the Lakers would have an easy road. They won’t.

There are a lot of teams that might be good enough to beat them in a series next year.

 

[Shanemansj13]

The Lakers aren’t unbeatable.

They very well might beat GS next year. They might not. That doesn’t mean they would have beaten GS in 2015-2019. And almost certainly not the best versions of the Warrior team in 2017 and 2018.

And while rebounding margin is definitely important, it is far from the automatic win that you are trying to make it.

All those Warrior teams were better imo. If you really look at the roster it's Lebron and AD and either decent role players or veterans. They win when a couple role players step up and AD/Lebron do well. They need more reliable role players...most of the role players are inconsistent. Saying all that...and they still can win a title. Remember those early Warrior teams without KD had a very deep bench and solid role players...Bogut, Barnes, Iggy, Lee, Ezeli, Barbosa, Speights, Livingston.

 

[lebron23james]

Not trying to actually pick the winners genius.

You were implying the Lakers would have an easy road. They won’t.

There are a lot of teams that might be good enough to beat them in a series next year.

Where did i imply that?

I said i think Dallas will be their toughest opponent in the West next year

 

[shopson67]

Not trying to actually pick the winners genius.

You were implying the Lakers would have an easy road. They won’t.

There are a lot of teams that might be good enough to beat them in a series next year.

Only one team matters out of the East though, might as well only talk same conference for now.

 

[shopson67]

Where did i imply that?

I said i think Dallas will be their toughest opponent in the West next year

Right, because they almost did what Denver did? If Portland had been healthy all along, they're also better than Dallas IMO. Need a trade to be finals worthy, but better.