# Season Opening Night on TNT - Bulls at Heat & Suns at Lakers



## Lynx (Mar 6, 2004)

*GAME 1*








vs.









*Matchup to Watch*










*Note:*_ The Bulls are one of those teams eager to contest the Heat for supremacy in the East._

*Game Preview*

*GAME 2*








vs.









*Matchup to Watch*










*Note:* _While Los Angeles has won 13 of its last 14 season openers, Phoenix has lost six of seven._

*Game Preview*











TNT Crew










Coverage begins at 7 PM EST​


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## CaliCool (Nov 5, 2004)

Good job.. Nicely done. The team logos are missing though.


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## P-Dub34 (May 19, 2005)

I am eagerly awaiting this. It'll be tough to top last year's (Dallas/Phoenix OT game), but I'm sure they'll both be exciting.


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## BleedGreen (Jun 24, 2002)

This should be a really good game. Cant wait. :clap:


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## Lynx (Mar 6, 2004)

CaliCool said:


> Good job.. Nicely done. The team logos are missing though.


I've team flags instead. :wink:


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## P-Dub34 (May 19, 2005)

> I've team flags instead.


No worky.


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## CaliCool (Nov 5, 2004)

Sorry thats what I meant, not team logos.. The team flags doesnt show.. X marks the spot...


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## duncan2k5 (Feb 27, 2005)

i LOVE IT!!! you can see the hate in Raja bell's eyes in that pic...thats the same look i would have had if i were guarding Kobe.


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## duncan2k5 (Feb 27, 2005)

P-Dub34 said:


> No worky.


:laugh:


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## Vinsane (Feb 27, 2005)

Finally the NBA season is upon us
Usually the opening day is pretty boring to me in the sense that there is only 2 or 3 games bein played tomorrow is the day I can't wait for


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## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

Is Kobe playing tonight?


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## HB (May 1, 2004)

Good job Lynx, I look forward to watching this.


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## Seuss (Aug 19, 2005)

Sir Patchwork said:


> Is Kobe playing tonight?



Yeah, that's what I've heard. But who knows? It might
not feel good today.


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## DuMa (Dec 25, 2004)

if im a laker fan, i wouldnt want kobe to play.


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## O2K (Nov 19, 2002)

prediction:

bulls 93
heat 86

suns 114
lakers 97


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

duncan2k5 said:


> i LOVE IT!!! you can see the hate in Raja bell's eyes in that pic...thats the same look i would have had if i were guarding Kobe.


right, you can't even see his eyes. what a troll, you see things that aren't even there :clap:


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## bruindre (Jul 18, 2004)

As a Warriors fan, I would want Kobe playing tonight....so he can rest tomorrow night. 

Miami 93
Chicago 88

Phoenix 113
L.A. Lakers 105


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## VeN (May 10, 2005)

afobisme said:


> right, you can't even see his eyes. what a troll, you see things that aren't even there :clap:


eh? you can


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## ChristopherJ (Aug 10, 2004)

Watch the Suns CRUSH the Lakers. If they don't win by atleast 15 points I'll be very surprised.


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## B-Scott (Jan 17, 2006)

According to 570 in LA Kobe is playing. He scrimmaged yesterday ,and said he has not felt this good in 4 years as far as his explosiveness.


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## Mateo (Sep 23, 2006)

I think Miami will have some of that post-championship slump that a lot of teams go through, while Chicago has a lot to prove, so I think they'll be energetic and win. I think LA wins a close one in the second game.


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## Saint Baller (May 3, 2006)

My picks

Bulls 96
Heat 89
Player of the game: Wade 29 points

Suns 109
Lakers 113
Player of the game: Kobe Bryant 37 points


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## Mateo (Sep 23, 2006)

About exactly what I was thinking in terms of scores.


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## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

Bulls 96
Heat 91

Suns 103
Lakers 96


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## upsanddowns (Dec 29, 2005)

KidCanada said:


> Watch the Suns CRUSH the Lakers. If they don't win by atleast 15 points I'll be very surprised.



Right...

Just like when the Suns swept the Lakers in the 06 playoffs and beat them by an average of 25 points.

Oh wait...


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## cima (Nov 6, 2003)

B-Scott said:


> According to 570 in LA Kobe is playing. He scrimmaged yesterday ,and said he has not felt this good in 4 years as far as his explosiveness.


Eh, sounds fishy to me. You don't get more explosive as you get older and are coming off of knee surgery.


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## xray (Feb 21, 2005)

> Johnson returning as NBA host for TNT
> 
> When Ernie Johnson hosts TNT's season-opening coverage of an NBA doubleheader on Tuesday night, *he'll be just as bald as studio mates Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith.*
> 
> Six rounds of chemotherapy have left Johnson without his hair. But he said he feels fine and is ready to get back to work after taking four months off for treatment of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.


Link


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## Vinsane (Feb 27, 2005)

upsanddowns said:


> Right...
> 
> Just like when the Suns swept the Lakers in the 06 playoffs and beat them by an average of 25 points.
> 
> Oh wait...


that was last year and throughout the series what was the suns average of beatin the lakers
anyways amare is back and who on the lakers can stop him


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## upsanddowns (Dec 29, 2005)

Vinsane said:


> that was last year and throughout the series what was the suns average of beatin the lakers
> anyways amare is back and who on the lakers can stop him



Regular seasons games DO NOT translate into playoff games. Lakers were missing their starting center as well when they faced the Suns. If Kwame Brown can handle players like Shaq and Duncan, he definitely can handle Amare. By the way, Amare will never be the same player he once was...

The Lakers played the Suns to a 7 game series with a roster filled with rookies to the triangle offense. It arguably takes an entire year to get the full gist of it. Hell, last year they still won 45 games. I can remember at least 8-12 games where the Lakers blew off (a lead with a minute less to go, etc).


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## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

KidCanada said:


> Watch the Suns CRUSH the Lakers. If they don't win by atleast 15 points I'll be very surprised.


Lakers lose by 15.

Bynum goes for 15.

That would make me happy camper.


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## BullSoxChicagosFinest (Oct 22, 2005)

Kobe's website implies he's not playing:



> The excitement of tonight was beginning to cloud my judgment of playing, I want to play, BUT I am not there yet. I am rounding 3rd base and will be home SOON.


but who knows


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## Amareca (Oct 21, 2002)

Do not attack other posters.


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## Tooeasy (Nov 4, 2003)

heh, fun little diddy their doin with nba players and ernie johnson. This guy has always been a class act, glad to see everything is lookin alright.


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## Ras (Jul 25, 2005)

Tooeasy said:


> heh, fun little diddy their doin with nba players and ernie johnson. This guy has always been a class act, glad to see everything is lookin alright.


Same here. I'm glad he'll be working again this year. I really had no idea how things were going to turn out in the short term.


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## Bartholomew Hunt (Mar 4, 2003)

Take it easy on us Phoenix, we're a mess right now with injuries. Not many of us want Kobe to play.


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## MemphisX (Sep 11, 2002)

Sacremento Kings - Old and played out

Phoenix Suns - The new hotness


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## VeN (May 10, 2005)

Kenny has lost his mind, Cavs coming out of the East? plez


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

VeN said:


> Kenny has lost his mind, Cavs coming out of the East? plez


I think that most people believe that both conferences are wide open with four or five teams capable of making the finals in the East and the West.The Cavaliers are being picked by a lot of people who may or may not have lost their minds.They're entitled to their opinions and it's not much less likely to be wrong than anyone else.


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## MLKG (Aug 25, 2003)

I really wish I would have missed this banner raising ceremony.

"3, 2, 1... Yaaay"

That was pretty upsetting.


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## HB (May 1, 2004)

Refs at it again


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## reHEATed (Jun 29, 2003)

HB said:


> Refs at it again



lol, do the Heat have 1 ft yet?

you guys are too much.....


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## Seed (Jun 29, 2005)

wow fould trouble really early


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## Lynx (Mar 6, 2004)

CaliCool said:


> Sorry thats what I meant, not team logos.. The team flags doesnt show.. X marks the spot...


That's weird. It just works fine for me. Maybe, it's the difference b/w the browser we use. I am using FireFox 2.0


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## reHEATed (Jun 29, 2003)

Heat starting off really slow

basically Wade = great, and everybody else has done nothing


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## Seed (Jun 29, 2005)

Heat looks like that Wade is the only one that actually practiced during the offseason


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## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

Well Bulls making an effort to get to the line. Gordon, Hinrich and Deng all are aggressive in their efforts to attack, but none of them can hit a damn thing from outside. I guess that will come with time (moreso for Gordon than the other two). 

The defense has been stellar though, as expected. The lead should be bigger but I guess this is the season that Dwyane Wade establishes himself as absolutely unguardable. Those little flip shots off the glass from 20 feet out coming off a screen are something no human being should be able to make with consistency.


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## Pay Ton (Apr 18, 2003)

Decent start for the Bulls.

But it's more Miami playing bad than the Bulls playing good. Even though I'm not saying the Bulls are sucking.

I like some things I'm seeing.

Ben Gordon taking it to the rack. Being a little more agressive on defense.

People can continue to call him one dimensional, and he'll just continue to work on his overall game. Which he has each year.

Gordon has been the most impressive for me so far.


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## reHEATed (Jun 29, 2003)

both teams very slow to start........


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## Brandname (May 24, 2006)

Only Wade has looked good so far in this game.

But damn has he looked good...


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## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

Cool Wade commercial.


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## reHEATed (Jun 29, 2003)

lol, I feel for the Bulls on that one...this new rule is going to suck


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## Brandname (May 24, 2006)

Hinrich certainly has some great sequences defending Wade. He's the only one I've been able to see do that. I love his game.


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## VeN (May 10, 2005)

why wasnt wade called for a tech on his 2nd foul? he was still talkin mess to the ref during the FT


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

Wow,that was quick Technical.A lot of guys are going to lose money playing in the NBA if they hit you for a grand every time you hold your hands up.

The Bulls are looking pretty good right now...Up until now this was looking like a preseason game.


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## Pay Ton (Apr 18, 2003)

Yes! That's what I like to see!

Offense that is sparked by defense. We should get plenty of that this season (hopefully).

And Tyrus Thomas can contribute to our team *now*. Even if it isn't necessarily on the offensive end.

The kid has already been a spark for us defensively off the bench. And it seems like as soon as he was put in we started to mesh.


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## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

Deng loves those baseline jumpers. All this offense without Gordon. Good sign for the Bulls.


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## HB (May 1, 2004)

Tyrus is unreal


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## Mateo (Sep 23, 2006)

I get annoyed by complaining like everyone else, but that Nocioni technical for throwing his arms up... come on now,that's ridiculous.

Bulls really making the Heat look old. Very ugly sloppy game, just the Bulls kind of game.


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## MarioChalmers (Mar 26, 2004)

HB said:


> Tyrus is unreal


Truedat. He's gonna be an all-star for sure, you can see it in the way he moves in the court. 

Wade is still sick, btw. :laugh:


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## HB (May 1, 2004)

This Heat team are going to be exposed against run and gun type teams


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## Pay Ton (Apr 18, 2003)

Thomas!

I'm quickly becoming a fanboy.


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## Mateo (Sep 23, 2006)

^^ i think you're right. bulls aren't even a huge run and gun team, but they do it enough. true running teams will make easier work of the Heat. but the Heat are undoubtedly going through that post-championship slump that most teams have.


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## VeN (May 10, 2005)

HB said:


> This Heat team are going to be exposed against run and gun type teams


i thought they already were when they played the bulls during the playoffs


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## reHEATed (Jun 29, 2003)

HB said:


> This Heat team are going to be exposed against run and gun type teams


first.game.of.the.season.

seriously, what happened last year..... :biggrin: 

Heat will be fine, just their early season struggles. Always seem to start out slow


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

What do you know...it's a ring presentation game and it's a blowout...what a suprise?

Why is it that most teams get their ring, and then that night come out sucky?

It probably didn't help that the championship video for the Heat started off with a rundown of the Bulls getting their season ended.


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

I think this Heat team looks even worse on defense than last years team did during the regular season.Riley has such a big reputation for coaching defense,but these guys look horrible and they were horrible for the most part laast season.


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## Mateo (Sep 23, 2006)

So.... what's the record for fewest points scored by a championship team on opening night?


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## Brandname (May 24, 2006)

Wade looked really good early, but he's fallen off considerably since.

5 turnovers already, and his last shot hardly hit the rim. If Wade's fatigued this season, the Heat should cut his minutes and save him for the playoffs. As long as they make it into the playoffs, which they will, he can use that saved up energy to make another deep run.


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## Pay Ton (Apr 18, 2003)

futuristxen said:


> It probably didn't help that the championship video for the Heat started off with a rundown of the Bulls getting their season ended.


True dat.

A little subtle jab towards us, and we're still tasting the blood on our lip. 

Probably a little extra motivation.


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## MarioChalmers (Mar 26, 2004)

Nah, it's a proven fact that the Heat are weak against fastbreak teams. I expect the Phoenix Suns to do their semi-annual decimation of my team. :sad:


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## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

Outside of Gordon's troubles shooting, I couldn't have expected a better 1st half performance from my Bullies. Just stellar defense. The Bulls combination of depth, discipline, length, athleticism and quickness is going to make things difficult for teams this year. Scoring on them without a guy like Dwyane Wade making impossible shots might get pretty tough. 

It's also encouraging that the Bulls are at 57 or so points for the half with Ben Gordon on the board for one field goal.


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## VeN (May 10, 2005)

o m f g what a shot..

damn duhon


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## Mateo (Sep 23, 2006)

Khryapa might be an underrated pick up in the offseason. I thought he was a solid rotation player in Portland and looks like that now so far.


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## Vinsane (Feb 27, 2005)

bull's whoopin they *** see what the runnin game can do


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## reHEATed (Jun 29, 2003)

Heat just getting killed...cant make a shot


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## JRose5 (May 4, 2003)

Nice looking half.

Particularly good to see the Bulls taking it to the hoop and getting to the line, that's something that wasn't done enough last year.

TT lookin good so far, thats what I like to see.


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## ElMarroAfamado (Nov 1, 2005)

how bout those HEAT! :biggrin: 

haha


i hope the bulls can go for a 30 pt victory


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## MarioChalmers (Mar 26, 2004)

I feel for Chris Quinn, he's on the court but he's not getting utilized. The Heat are playing with half the court right now...lengthwise.


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## Like A Breath (Jun 16, 2003)

I'm at school right now, so I haven't watched any of the game...but from the box score it looks like the Heat's supporting cast might be terrible this year.


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## HB (May 1, 2004)

wadeshaqeddie said:


> first.game.of.the.season.
> 
> seriously, what happened last year..... :biggrin:
> 
> Heat will be fine, just their early season struggles. Always seem to start out slow


Oh well the excuse for the Heat will always be they will come together at just the right time. This team is horribly overrated


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## Pay Ton (Apr 18, 2003)

Diable said:


> I think this Heat team looks even worse on defense than last years team did during the regular season.Riley has such a big reputation for coaching defense,but these guys look horrible and they were horrible for the most part laast season.


Well let's not get carried away. I think this Heat team will be fine as the season goes on. But yeah, a horrendous game for them defensively up to this point. 

But we also caught them a bit off guard.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

wow, quite possibly the most lob-sided season opener in history??


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## MarioChalmers (Mar 26, 2004)

HB said:


> Oh well the excuse for the Heat will always be they will come together at just the right time. This team is horribly overrated


Well, I'd say it's a valid excuse -- evidence: the last three seasons. 

Don't get me wrong, I understand where you're coming from since I really though the Heat were **** last year, but they proved me wrong in the playoffs, so I don't wanna write them off as "horribly overrated" -- they're playing the same way they were last year. This is the same ****ty basketball at the same time of the year which led to the NBA championship.


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## AIFAN3 (Sep 17, 2005)

The Bulls can't feel the Heat in Autumn!


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## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

No Kobe tonight. Means the 2nd game might be a bigger blowout than this one.


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## Vinsane (Feb 27, 2005)

kobe won't play


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## reHEATed (Jun 29, 2003)

HB said:


> Oh well the excuse for the Heat will always be they will come together at just the right time. This team is horribly overrated


didn't they prove that last year? They proved regular season doesnt mean much, as long as you get in. 

lol, I don't know how a championship team can be overrated, but leave it up to a Nets fan to make that comment :biggrin:


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## AIFAN3 (Sep 17, 2005)

You know Stern is gaving these refs a good talking to.. How dare they show more respect to the Bulls than the almighty D-Wade!


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## Vinsane (Feb 27, 2005)

AIFAN3 said:


> You know Stern is gaving these refs a good talking to.. How dare they show more respect to the Bulls than the almighty D-Wade!


LOL


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## reHEATed (Jun 29, 2003)

AIFAN3 said:


> You know Stern is gaving these refs a good talking to.. How dare they show more respect to the Bulls than the almighty D-Wade!


damn, never thought I would agree with Lakers fans, but players and teams really do get a lot of hate when they win the whole thing :biggrin:


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## Vinsane (Feb 27, 2005)

do the heat not wanna win they just keep lettin hinrich get open


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## Vinsane (Feb 27, 2005)

isn't arthoscopic surgery the same thing Amare and J-Kidd went through


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## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

Maybe this is the year Hinrich's stroke becomes consistent? I won't hold my breathe, but if it does, he is an all-star this year for sure.


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## LOYALTY (May 23, 2003)

Vinsane said:


> do the heat not wanna win they just keep lettin hinrich get open


The GLOVE just can't fit on Heinrich.. Kirk cut the fingers off and now the glove is his toy. He is scoring at will.

The man has had a great career, but now G. Payton needs to think about retiring.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

Sir Patchwork said:


> No Kobe tonight. Means the 2nd game might be a bigger blowout than this one.


You are underestimating the force that is Andrew Bynum. And the genious that is Luke Walton will break down any plays the Suns will try to run.













ok who am I kidding... Lakers are gonna get ripped apart.


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## reHEATed (Jun 29, 2003)

I agree about Hinrich.....already an elite defender, and if his offense becomes consistent, he will be worth every penny of that contract and a all star contender


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## Brandname (May 24, 2006)

I feel like Wade should be taking over now. His team has needed him to do so for quite a while.


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## Dream Hakeem (Apr 20, 2006)

Wtf Payton just ***** pushed Thomas


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## MarioChalmers (Mar 26, 2004)

Chris effing Duhon is torching the Heat. Holy ****!


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## reHEATed (Jun 29, 2003)

Dream Hakeem said:


> Wtf Payton just ***** pushed Thomas


and they called a foul

what exactly is your point?


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## Cap (Nov 5, 2003)

HB said:


> Oh well the excuse for the Heat will always be they will come together at just the right time. This team is horribly overrated


That "excuse" last season was enough to slap around the Nets on their way to the title. Overrated indeed.


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## Mateo (Sep 23, 2006)

Payton should have retired after he piggybacked a championship to save a little bit of dignity.


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## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

Who was in the other thread saying the Bulls aren't deep? The Bulls 7th or 8th man, Chris Duhon, is out there doing his best Ray Allen impression.


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## JT (Mar 1, 2004)

Miami is getting dusted tonight, on championship night of all nights. The Bulls are for real. No longer are they children (babies), for they have braved the horrors of adolescence to become fully grown up.


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## Dream Hakeem (Apr 20, 2006)

wadeshaqeddie said:


> and they called a foul
> 
> what exactly is your point?


Technical


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## MarioChalmers (Mar 26, 2004)

sherako said:


> Miami is getting dusted tonight, on championship night of all nights. The Bulls are for real. No longer are they children (babies), for they have braved the horrors of adolescence to become fully grown up.


I understand why you're saying this, but this is hardly a thread where you can be making such conclusions in.


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## reHEATed (Jun 29, 2003)

Dream Hakeem said:


> Technical



no way......it wasn't a hard foul, just TT landed on the post. It was called correctly


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

It's amazing how Duhon can be either a bad shooter or a guy who just can't miss.I've seen him have three or four games when he hit six or seven treys with maybe one miss at most.

If he shot consistently I'd bet that Skiles would much rather play him and Hinrich instead of Gordon.


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## Mateo (Sep 23, 2006)

This is the worst season opener I've ever seen.


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## Pay Ton (Apr 18, 2003)

Chris Duhon is the ****ing man.


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## mippo (Apr 27, 2005)

The Heat played alright in the 3rd quarter, the problem is the game is basically already over. It's not a big deal though, it's only one game and getting blown out at home during ring ceremony on national television will likely jump start the Heat season earlier then they typically start (20 games in).


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## Brandname (May 24, 2006)

Yikes, airball from Wade.


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## Pay Ton (Apr 18, 2003)

Diable said:


> It's amazing how Duhon can be either a bad shooter or a guy who just can't miss.I've seen him have three or four games when he hit six or seven treys with maybe one miss at most.
> 
> If he shot consistently I'd bet that Skiles would much rather play him and Hinrich instead of Gordon.


Skiles loves playing Duhon. And if Du shot consistently, he'd probably still play the bench.

Trust me. The Bulls without Duhon are a very different team. They need Duhon off the bench. Consistent shot or not.

There's not a lot of back up point guards in the league who can come in and make the offense gel just as good as the starting guards.

That's why Duhon will keep his role on the bench. He is invaluable to this team.


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

Man, 53 points with 10 mins left in the game. On ring night too...wow


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## VeN (May 10, 2005)

wadeshaqeddie said:


> no way......it wasn't a hard foul, just TT landed on the post. It was called correctly


stack did that to snaq during the playoffs and was out a game for it...


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## Vinsane (Feb 27, 2005)

heat think they comin back


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## Dream Hakeem (Apr 20, 2006)

LOL

So many D-Wade commercials and they're getting blown out

Sad day indeed


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## reHEATed (Jun 29, 2003)

VeN said:


> stack did that to snaq during the playoffs and was out a game for it...


lol....stack forearmed Shaq in the head while on a fast break in midair

Payton shoved TT. You average foul, just landed against the post. 

I really hope you aren't serious here


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## MarioChalmers (Mar 26, 2004)

VeN said:


> stack did that to snaq during the playoffs and was out a game for it...


Wildly inaccurate statement.


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## CbobbyB (Feb 16, 2006)

Dream Hakeem said:


> LOL
> 
> So many D-Wade commercials and they're getting blown out
> 
> Sad day indeed


4real, im tired of seeing this dude, lol...


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## Dream Hakeem (Apr 20, 2006)

CbobbyB said:


> 4real, im tired of seeing this dude, lol...


So am I

Get off his longfellow NBA


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## MarioChalmers (Mar 26, 2004)

Someone tell Tyrus Thomas this isn't soccer. 

Just kidding, I actually like the kid.


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## VeN (May 10, 2005)

The Bulls are gonna be nasty this season...


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## Mateo (Sep 23, 2006)

stat stuffing time!


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## Sunsfan81 (Apr 17, 2006)

wow, nice performance by the champions


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## Mateo (Sep 23, 2006)

Sefolosha = Boris Diaw with a jumpshot?


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## VeN (May 10, 2005)

Bulls nasty, they dont shiv...


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## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

12th man Sefolosha making a play!


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## Mateo (Sep 23, 2006)

Sefolosha is the man. going for risky steals and dunking on people while up by 30 with 5 minutes left.


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## Sunsfan81 (Apr 17, 2006)

40 point blowout!


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## BullSoxChicagosFinest (Oct 22, 2005)

Chi town beats them down with Ben Gordon nowhere to be found and the refs still favoring Miami, love it, but also expected it, this team is damn good  

overr...what?


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## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

108 points by the Bulls with their best scorer, Ben Gordon, having a dreadful offensive game (1-9 FG). I think the questions about their offense are a bit overstated because of how good their defense is. Much like the Pistons of a few years ago. This team is beginning to take on a similar identity.


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

It would be nice if the second game was a lot more competitive,but I have the feeling it might be just as bad.


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## P-Dub34 (May 19, 2005)

What a disappointing night. A game that was over by the midway part of the second quarter and a Lakers/Suns tilt without Bryant.


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## Mateo (Sep 23, 2006)

that has to be the biggest season opener blowout of all time... right?


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## Sunsfan81 (Apr 17, 2006)

:clap: nice shooting so far


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## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

Bynum looking good early. He is so tall and lengthy, but also has coordination and a feel for the game. Suns offense rolling as usual.


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

I forget that it's Nash out there without his Chris Kaman hairstyle.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

Sasha Vujacic, Smush Parker, Luke Walton, Lamar Odom, and Andrew Bynum. That is quite possibly the worse starting line-up in Season-opener history.

Casual fans must be watching this game and asking themselves if they're really watching the Lakers.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

Diable said:


> I forget that it's Nash out there without his Chris Kaman hairstyle.


Nash's pretty boy hair was much better than Kaman's mop head


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## Aurelino (Jul 25, 2003)

Sir Patchwork said:


> 108 points by the Bulls with their best scorer, Ben Gordon, having a dreadful offensive game (1-9 FG). I think the questions about their offense are a bit overstated because of how good their defense is. Much like the Pistons of a few years ago. This team is beginning to take on a similar identity.


One game doesn't answer all the questions. We will see how the Bulls do against better defenses.


----------



## BullSoxChicagosFinest (Oct 22, 2005)

Don't know much about Bynum, but lol, just to repoint out how much Yahoo! Fantasy rankings suck, Luke Schenscher (cut yesterday) was ranked above Bynum


----------



## Sunsfan81 (Apr 17, 2006)

Amare is back which worries me since he's still not 100%


----------



## mjm1 (Aug 22, 2005)

the suns have missed one shot in the first 5 minutes of the game.


----------



## dubc15 (May 15, 2004)

omg.. lakers have horrible defense. and lakers need to get bynum the ball, he's getting great position.


----------



## Sunsfan81 (Apr 17, 2006)

26-12 :clap:


----------



## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

This Laker team is just sucking. Damn Kobe...


----------



## dubc15 (May 15, 2004)

omg, suns will score 50 points in the 1st quarter


----------



## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

28pts within the 1st 7mins of the 1stQ. Looks like the Suns haven't missed a beat.


----------



## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

Flop by one of the masters


----------



## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

Nash for MP3! :biggrin:


----------



## Pay Ton (Apr 18, 2003)

Damn.

What an absolute slaughter by the Bullies. I enjoyed every minute though.

I mean...42 points? I don't think we've beat a team that bad in the last five years.

I hope Duhon is alright. And I hope the Bulls have enough to not start off slow tomorrow against an overlooked Orlando squad.

Let's go Bulls.

And here's hoping this Phoenix/L.A. game is more entertaining.


----------



## mjm1 (Aug 22, 2005)

In 7 minutes, the suns have eclipsed the Heats scoring output of one half.


----------



## JT (Mar 1, 2004)

Amare on the bench? That doesn't seem right.


----------



## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

its not like they need Amare. The Suns can rest Amare, Nash, Marion, Diaw and still beat the Lakers tonight.


----------



## MLKG (Aug 25, 2003)

The Radman's haircut is absolutely fantastic.


----------



## Sunsfan81 (Apr 17, 2006)

crap, lead down to 6 :curse:


----------



## JRose5 (May 4, 2003)

I like Bynum's game.
Lakers are hanging in there for not having Kobe.


----------



## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

By no means do I mean to be insensitive or poke fun at Ernie Johnson's lymphoma or anything, but doesn't he look strikingly similar to James Carville without hair?


----------



## mjm1 (Aug 22, 2005)

How are they doing this without Kobe, Mihm, Kwame, etc.


----------



## B-Scott (Jan 17, 2006)

Smush parkers time as a starter will come to a end very soon. The Lakers defensive energy was much better with Sasha and Farmar in at the same time. Smush simply does not hustle on defense. Offensively,his basketball IQ is why he was cut by 3 teams.


----------



## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

Suns will probably run away with this one at some point, but the real story of this game is seeing how Stoudemire plays, and for me atleast I'm enjoying seeing the progress of the young big man Andrew Bynum. He looks like he could be a near all-star center in a few years if he stays with Kareem.


----------



## Cap (Nov 5, 2003)

lmao, how are the the Suns not blowing out the Lakers who have three starters out? I'll be happy if they lose by 10.


----------



## B-Scott (Jan 17, 2006)

The Laker guards need to have better basketball IQ. Recognize who is playing well right now. Lamar and Bynum can dominate the Suns down Low. Sasha needs to stop shooting those 35 footers. Smush needs to allow Bynum and Lamar to post up and feed them. Smush at times,plays way to fast.


----------



## Bartholomew Hunt (Mar 4, 2003)

It's not like the Suns we're going to shoot 70+% all game. I expected the Lakers to make a surge. I just think our youth, inexperience, and overall lack of chemistry will cause a big loss. At least we kept it interesting for a little bit. Andrew Bynum has potential. Maybe not superstar potential, but he can make things happen in the league if he keeps working with Kareem.


----------



## Cap (Nov 5, 2003)

B-Scott said:


> The Laker guards need to have better basketball IQ. Recognize who is playing well right now. Lamar and Bynum can dominate the Suns down Low. Sasha needs to stop shooting those 35 footers. Smush needs to allow Bynum and Lamar to post up and feed them. Smush at times,plays way to fast.


Sasha isn't worth jack if he can't hit his outside shot. He's probably the worst player in the league when his jumper isn't on, save for Radmanovic, who would be the 2nd worst when his jumper isn't on. Though, to be fair, Radman looks great physically this year and doesn't get beat nearly as often as Sasha. Which is sad because he's an average defender. Btw, Farmar isn't ready, Smush really is better than him.


----------



## Sunsfan81 (Apr 17, 2006)

damn it, we might lose this game!!!! :curse: :upset:


----------



## Sunsfan81 (Apr 17, 2006)

DAMN IT!!!! TIMEOUT!!! WE SUCK!!! :upset:


----------



## GPS (Mar 28, 2003)

Bynum looking great so far, i'm impressed.:clap:


----------



## mjm1 (Aug 22, 2005)

SHOWTIME LAKERS-esque.


----------



## HB (May 1, 2004)

Odom will make a lot of fantasy owners proud this year


----------



## mjm1 (Aug 22, 2005)

Bynum is truly a special player at only 19 years old.


----------



## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

Young Andrew! He is stepping up bigtime.


----------



## MLKG (Aug 25, 2003)

The Andrew Bynum destruction hour is rolling downhill with the fury of a thousand winters.

Although to be fair, Luke Walton is having his way in the post as well. The Suns defense is truly awful.


----------



## Tragedy (Dec 9, 2002)

damn, i am impressed.


----------



## ChiBron (Jun 24, 2002)

This game has been fun to watch. LA looks pretty good.


----------



## Benedict_Boozer (Jul 16, 2004)

Either Bynum is a man-child or Phoenix's interior defense is truly awful.


----------



## Bartholomew Hunt (Mar 4, 2003)

How do you like our team ladies and gentlemen? Nothing world class, but we can hold our own compared to what a lot of you said. Now I just hope we can sustain one last Suns inevitable run to hold on for the win.


----------



## mjm1 (Aug 22, 2005)

Kareem is one helluva teacher.


----------



## upsanddowns (Dec 29, 2005)

Once the Lakers get all their players healthy, this squad is going to look pretty good come playoff time.


----------



## MarioChalmers (Mar 26, 2004)

Bynum works hard. And he's twenty times better than Chris Mihm. Ladies and Gentlemen who didn't draft enough fantasy centers, you are saved.


----------



## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

I'm impressed with this Laker crowd: pretty loud


----------



## ChiBron (Jun 24, 2002)

LA's never beaten a Phx team led by Nash. 0-7 the last 2 seasons. An LA win tonight's gonna confirm what I've always believed


----------



## mjm1 (Aug 22, 2005)

Welcome to the NBA FARMAR!!!


----------



## Sunsfan81 (Apr 17, 2006)

wow we actually scored


----------



## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

I love high definition: wow this game on TNT HD looks sweet!


----------



## Bartholomew Hunt (Mar 4, 2003)

Meet our PG, Jordan Farmar! We're really not that bad people. 


Imagine if the Kandi man had actually listened to Kareem.


----------



## B-Scott (Jan 17, 2006)

1 thru 12 i had the Lakers as one of the deepest teams in the NBA. Not because im a Laker fan ,but because of the improvement of Bynum and Additions of Farmar and Mo Evans. 

Bynum ,Evans , Farmar Thats supposed to be our bench guys


----------



## mjm1 (Aug 22, 2005)

The Suns cannot be considered a Contending team until they rise to a level higher than mediocre on the defensive end.


----------



## B-Scott (Jan 17, 2006)

As long as our guards continue to go inside,and not launch those 35 foot missles,we win this game easy.


----------



## MarioChalmers (Mar 26, 2004)

B-Scott said:


> 1 thru 12 i had the Lakers as one of the deepest teams in the NBA. Not because im a Laker fan ,but because of the improvement of Bynum and Additions of Farmar and Mo Evans.
> 
> Bynum ,Evans , Farmar Thats supposed to be our bench guys


But you have a stain -- Sasha Vujacic.


----------



## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

Maurice Evans and *Jordan* (not Justin) Farmar have both looked really good tonight, along with Andrew Bynum of course. Lakers might have a really solid rotation this year, led by Kobe and Odom. 

This Lakers supporting cast is much better than last year. Can't wait for them to get healthy now. I hope Bynum can keep it up.


----------



## MLKG (Aug 25, 2003)

Let's not get out of control here.

I picked the Lakers to make the playoffs and everything, but lets wait to see how some of these guys do against a team that has a front court.


----------



## mjm1 (Aug 22, 2005)

I mean, Bynum and Farmar are absolutely lighting them up.


----------



## Sunsfan81 (Apr 17, 2006)

GAME OVER, I can't believe we lost :upset: :curse:


----------



## P-Dub34 (May 19, 2005)

This has been easily one of the softest, most pathetic defensive performances I've seen in recent memory.


----------



## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

wow, this was unexpected to say the least.


----------



## lakegz (Mar 31, 2004)

oh fuuuuuey sunsfan! you know there gonna come back :curse:


----------



## Sunsfan81 (Apr 17, 2006)

lakegz said:


> oh fuuuuuey sunsfan! you know there gonna come back :curse:


yeah right, we don't have a prayer


----------



## K-Dub (Jun 26, 2005)

:jawdrop:


----------



## B-Scott (Jan 17, 2006)

When i said we were one of the deepest teams in the NBA ,I didnt know that before preseason. I noticed that during the preseason. This is a deep talented Roster.

Lamar ,like Pippen will flourish under Phil jackson


----------



## mjm1 (Aug 22, 2005)

Odom has overcome so much unimaginable pain and sorrow in his life recently, and is now putting up a truly masterful performance.


----------



## Bartholomew Hunt (Mar 4, 2003)

One barrage of Suns fashion lucky three pointers, and it's a game. Until then, I'm loving every second of this. Phil Jackson will be working hard to get the Coach of the Year award that he deserves. You're right about the frontcourt thing though.


----------



## upsanddowns (Dec 29, 2005)

MLKG said:


> Let's not get out of control here.
> 
> I picked the Lakers to make the playoffs and everything, but lets wait to see how some of these guys do against a team that has a front court.


Yeah, but you don't understand...the Lakers currently have like five players injured...

TWO starting bigmen (Kwame Brown, Chris Mihm) TWO point guards (Aaron Mckie, Shammond Williams) 

And the best player in the NBA...Kobe Bryant.


Once those players get healthy and fill in...this squad is going to look good. Hell, they won 45 games and had a 7 game series with the Suns when the majority of the laker players were rookies to the triangle offense.

It arguably takes an entire year to get the full gist of it. This is year two and Lakers are going to look good.


----------



## Bartholomew Hunt (Mar 4, 2003)

B-Scott said:


> When i said we were one of the deepest teams in the NBA ,I didnt know that before preseason. I noticed that during the preseason. This is a deep talented Roster.
> 
> Lamar ,like Pippen will flourish under Phil jackson


 Not just Lamar, all of the role players. Phil works magic. Except for the hopeless like Sasha.


----------



## P-Dub34 (May 19, 2005)

Lakers (especially Odom) are doing a great job.

But I don't think you're giving enough credit to the Suns' tissue paper defense.


----------



## Thuloid (May 12, 2004)

P-Dub34 said:


> This has been easily one of the softest, most pathetic defensive performances I've seen in recent memory.


Yup. I've never thought that much of Phoenix on d, but this is embarrassing. No effort at all. Every mediocre post man in the league has to be watching this game and hoping for his night against Phoenix. Of course, it can't stay this bad.


----------



## Vinsane (Feb 27, 2005)

whats up wit amare


----------



## mjm1 (Aug 22, 2005)

P-Dub34 said:


> Lakers (especially Odom) are doing a great job.
> 
> But I don't think you're giving enough credit to the Suns' tissue paper defense.


not as much tissue paper as a *very thin *membrane.


----------



## HB (May 1, 2004)

B-Scott said:


> When i said we were one of the deepest teams in the NBA ,I didnt know that before preseason. I noticed that during the preseason. This is a deep talented Roster.
> 
> Lamar ,like Pippen will flourish under Phil jackson


Wait till you play a team that plays defense.


----------



## upsanddowns (Dec 29, 2005)

You guys really overrate the Suns...

Obviously the Suns defense is terrible...it's been like this for the past 2-4 years. Nothing's changed. That's why they haven't been able to take the next step to the finals.


----------



## P-Dub34 (May 19, 2005)

A membrane would insinuate that it's only semi-permeable, no?

I mean, Andrew Bynum dominated this frontline in his first NBA start. I can't wait to see what a proven, legit post player can do against these guys.


----------



## Sunsfan81 (Apr 17, 2006)

barbosa is the only one worth anything


----------



## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

*Barbaso is awesome, I wonder if they'd want Anderson V. for him. Shore up there interior D a bit while giving the Cavs the PG they need
*


----------



## upsanddowns (Dec 29, 2005)

P-Dub34 said:


> A membrane would insinuate that it's only semi-permeable, no?
> 
> I mean, Andrew Bynum dominated this frontline in his first NBA start. I can't wait to see what a proven, legit post player can do against these guys.


Uhm, it's already been proven. Even Kwame Brown can dominate the post against the Suns.


----------



## Sunsfan81 (Apr 17, 2006)

upsanddowns said:


> You guys really overrate the Suns...
> 
> Obviously the Suns defense is terrible...it's been like this for the past 2-4 years. Nothing's changed. That's why they haven't been able to take the next step to the finals.


We didn't make it last year only because of Amare's injury


----------



## upsanddowns (Dec 29, 2005)

Sunsfan81 said:


> We didn't make it last year only because of Amare's injury



Still couldn't make it when he was healthy.


----------



## MarioChalmers (Mar 26, 2004)

Sunsfan81 said:


> We didn't make it last year only because of Amare's injury


Prove it.


----------



## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

kurt thomas is more important to the sun's post defense though.


----------



## Bartholomew Hunt (Mar 4, 2003)

Pioneer10 said:


> *Barbaso is awesome, I wonder if they'd want Anderson V. for him. Shore up there interior D a bit while giving the Cavs the PG they need
> *


 Barbosa is not a PG. He's sorely lacking in playmaking skills. He has the potential to be a great scorer in this league though. Ridiculous athleticism.


----------



## Ballscientist (Nov 11, 2002)

upsanddowns said:


> Uhm, it's already been proven. Even Kwame Brown can dominate the post against the Suns.


Suns have the best frontcourt in the nba, but Bynum and K Brown totally dominated them.


----------



## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

Smush parker is an idiot


----------



## P-Dub34 (May 19, 2005)

> Uhm, it's already been proven.


Uhm, point out where I said it wasn't. I said a proven post player.


----------



## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

Bartholomew Hunt said:


> Barbosa is not a PG. He's sorely lacking in playmaking skills. He has the potential to be a great scorer in this league though. Ridiculous athleticism.


 With Lebron and Hughes, the Cavs have no problems in terms of playmaking. What we need Barbaso has: scoring mentality, athleticism, and shooting


----------



## mjm1 (Aug 22, 2005)

Sunsfan81 said:


> We didn't make it last year only because of Amare's injury


Technically, the suns were considerably worse when Amare was playing last season.


----------



## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

If I was D'antoni I would have gotten kicked out of this one in the second quarter


----------



## P-Dub34 (May 19, 2005)

I realize threes are how the Suns play, but at what point do you realize you're wasting possessions by continually taking them and make an adjustment?

If I was D'Antoni I'd probably have had a heart attack by now.


----------



## lakegz (Mar 31, 2004)

Damn, i wish i had Live tv!!!!!!! :curse:


----------



## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

Man what a gutsy performance by the Lakers cast in Kobe's absence. Bynum's performance may be a bit inflated due to the Suns poor defensive frontcourt, but Farmar has been spectacular against some of the nastiest guards in the league.


----------



## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

Man what in the hell offense is jacking up a bunch of 3's in the last 5 min of a game...


----------



## ChiBron (Jun 24, 2002)

Bynum hits the nail in the coffin!

What a performance by LA! Their 1st win over a Nash-led Phx team. 

Glad I had them ranked 5th in my prediction yesterday. I simply believe in Phil - The GOAT.


----------



## Sunsfan81 (Apr 17, 2006)

gian said:


> Prove it.


there's no way of proving it, but we still beat Dallas twice without him


----------



## Sunsfan81 (Apr 17, 2006)

upsanddowns said:


> Still couldn't make it when he was healthy.


that's because when he was healthy we had to play the Spurs who own us, but we can handle Dallas


----------



## Tragedy (Dec 9, 2002)

Sir Patchwork said:


> Man what a gutsy performance by the Lakers cast in Kobe's absence. Bynum's performance may be a bit inflated due to the Suns poor defensive frontcourt, but Farmar has been spectacular against some of the nastiest guards in the league.


 It may be inflated, but it's still 18, 9 and 5 assists which means its nothing but a good sign.

If he can put up a portion of that against teams with better frontcourts (like 10-7-2) then he would have had a good season.


----------



## mjm1 (Aug 22, 2005)

The Suns are fundamentally a _bad_ basketball team. When your game plan consists of heavy volume 3 point shooting, you better be defensively sound if those shots arent connecting.


----------



## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

OneBadLT123 said:


> Man what in the hell offense is jacking up a bunch of 3's in the last 5 min of a game...


It's the offense that's considered tops in the league when those three pointers go in.


----------



## Premier (Oct 30, 2003)

I'm not sure that Banks and Barbosa work well together. They're both too erratic and play too fast, creating turnovers. Barbosa goes well with Nash, but not too much with Banks.


----------



## Thuloid (May 12, 2004)

And Boris Diaw fouls out with 4 points. Lovely game, Boris.


----------



## mjm1 (Aug 22, 2005)

Thuloid said:


> And Boris Diaw fouls out with 4 points. Lovely game, Boris.


47 million dollar man you're talkin' bout right there.


----------



## MarioChalmers (Mar 26, 2004)

Sunsfan81 said:


> there's no way of proving it, but we still beat Dallas twice without him


My point exactly. So why make those baseless comments you can't prove?


----------



## MarioChalmers (Mar 26, 2004)

I know we're all surprised by the emergence of the Laker role players, but I think we should give Lamar Odom more credit. He's got superstar potential and he proved it tonight.


----------



## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

Sir Patchwork said:


> It's the offense that's considered tops in the league when those three pointers go in.


Thats the thing though, it hasn't been falling aside of Barbosa really.


----------



## Like A Breath (Jun 16, 2003)

The Suns made Andrew Bynum look like Shaq...in the playoffs, they made Kwame Brown look like Moses Malone. I guess it's nothing new, but it boggles my mind how soft a team can be up front. Amare Stoudemire looks like he's 220 pounds right now. Boris looks overweight and sluggish. Kurt Thomas seems like he's lost strength since his New York days.


----------



## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

gian said:


> I know we're all surprised by the emergence of the Laker role players, but I think we should give Lamar Odom more credit. He's got superstar potential and he proved it tonight.


I agree, he stepped up and came through when it mattered. Good game Lamar. :clap:


----------



## lakegz (Mar 31, 2004)

and whos talking about the suns offensive sputtering out....
51.9% from the field
43.3% from the 3
76.5% from the line
i saw a problem with their turnovers but their offense hardly was anemic tonight.


----------



## B-Scott (Jan 17, 2006)

Lakers would own the suns if there PG simply played smart basketball. Our inside game is just to much for them. They cant handle it. Now imagine when we have Bynum ,Lamar ,Kwame and Mihm. We will steam roll this team. There to small


----------



## B-Scott (Jan 17, 2006)

Like A Breath said:


> The Suns made Andrew Bynum look like Shaq...in the playoffs, they made Kwame Brown look like Moses Malone. I guess it's nothing new, but it boggles my mind how soft a team can be up front. Amare Stoudemire looks like he's 220 pounds right now. Boris looks overweight and sluggish. Kurt Thomas seems like he's lost strength since his New York days.


Bynum has played this way all preseason.


----------



## MemphisX (Sep 11, 2002)

I Love This Game.


----------



## MLKG (Aug 25, 2003)

upsanddowns said:


> Yeah, but you don't understand...the Lakers currently have like five players injured...
> 
> TWO starting bigmen (Kwame Brown, Chris Mihm) TWO point guards (Aaron Mckie, Shammond Williams)
> 
> And the best player in the NBA...Kobe Bryant.


Reread what you just wrote.

Kwame Brown, Chris Mihm, Aaron Mckie, and Shammond Williams. Not exactly difference makers.

Kobe and Odom are the only two irreplaceable players on the team. Everybody else is basically interchangeable.

Great gutsy play by the Lakers, but in all seriousness, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it turns out Bynum and Evans both recorded their season high tonight.

Still, the passing looked crisp and they played solid defense.

Farmar looked really good on D but much shakier than I expected with the ball in his hands. Rookie point guards usually do though.

I think the Lakers will win a decent amount of games and make the playoffs, all I'm saying is if you think the way they played tonight is indicative of the way in which they are going to go about getting those wins you are fooling yourself.

It's still going to be a heavy dose of Kobe and Odom with a dissapointing supporting cast - only less dissapointing than last year.

When you play the Suns everything changes because they have no problem with throwing James Jones on a center. You play different against the Suns, everybody gets a lot of offensive rebounds and scores a lot of points. Don't be fooled just because this was the first game of the year.


----------



## Like A Breath (Jun 16, 2003)

B-Scott said:


> Bynum has played this way all preseason.


Don't get me wrong, Bynum is a very promising young center, BUT the Suns are obviously too soft to contain him. There should be no reason to double team him 10 feet away from the hoop if you have a decent defensive center.

If he averages 17, 9, 5, I owe you a coke.


----------



## Cap (Nov 5, 2003)

lmao, can't believe they won. Lakers are 4-4 against the Suns in their last 8 games. Not bad at all. 



P-Dub34 said:


> Lakers (especially Odom) are doing a great job.
> 
> But I don't think you're giving enough credit to the Suns' tissue paper defense.


Very true. But to be fair, Bynum tore up the Nuggets (Martin, Nene) for 23 points in preseason too. And Odom will always have his way with the Suns. 

That said, I'm starting to believe this team is much better than last season with the additions of Farmar and Evans and the growth of Bynum. And don't sleep on Turiaf, he's a high energy bench guy with great hoop IQ. 



P-Dub34 said:


> I mean, Andrew Bynum dominated this frontline in his first NBA start. I can't wait to see what a proven, legit post player can do against these guys.


Kurt Thomas is a very good post defender, and Bynum scored on him a few times. But yes, their post D is easily the worst in the league next to a couple bottom feeders Thomas not withstanding.


----------



## B-Scott (Jan 17, 2006)

MLKG said:


> Reread what you just wrote.
> 
> Kwame Brown, Chris Mihm, Aaron Mckie, and Shammond Williams. Not exactly difference makers.
> 
> ...


Kwame averaged 12 points and 8 rebounds 2nd half of last season ,and 13 points and 9 rebounds in the playoffs. I would call that a difference maker. Especially on defense. Kwame is a very underated Low post defender. We didnt have to face that tonight ,but that will be needed in the long run.


----------



## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

MLKG said:


> When you play the Suns everything changes because they have no problem with throwing James Jones on a center. You play different against the Suns, everybody gets a lot of offensive rebounds and scores a lot of points. Don't be fooled just because this was the first game of the year.


In Bynum's defense, he had no problem with scoring on Kurt Thomas and Amare Stoudemire tonight. Thomas is atleast average defensively and is a legit-sized PF/C, and Stoudemire is also legit-sized with good athleticism, even though he isn't much of a defender. Kwame was having his way with small forwards in the playoffs (Jones, Diaw, Marion, etc). Bynum had his way with the two Suns big guys who were out in that series.


----------



## clips_r_teh_wieners (Nov 4, 2005)

i hope the clips team was watching this and how BADLY they can abuse phx frontline tomorrow. just keep dropping the ball into kaman and brand. kurt thomas and diaw aint stopping ****


----------



## Cap (Nov 5, 2003)

KidCanada said:


> Watch the Suns CRUSH the Lakers. If they don't win by atleast 15 points I'll be very surprised.


*cough*


----------



## Like A Breath (Jun 16, 2003)

Sir Patchwork said:


> In Bynum's defense, he had no problem with scoring on Kurt Thomas and Amare Stoudemire tonight. Thomas is atleast average defensively and is a legit-sized PF/C, and Stoudemire is also legit-sized with good athleticism, even though he isn't much of a defender. Kwame was having his way with small forwards in the playoffs (Jones, Diaw, Marion, etc). Bynum had his way with the two Suns big guys who were out in that series.


Amare has never been a good defender and looks like a shooting guard right now. He won't be deterring anyone for a long while. It's no accomplishment to score on him. Kurt Thomas is very short for a center and looks to have slimmed down. Once again, Bynum is a very promising center but he played a terrible defensive frontcourt.


----------



## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

Like A Breath said:


> Amare has never been a good defender and looks like a shooting guard right now. He won't be deterring anyone for a long while. It's no accomplishment to score on him. Kurt Thomas is very short for a center and looks to have slimmed down. Once again, Bynum is a very promising center but he played a terrible defensive frontcourt.


I'm not going to defend the Suns interior defense, because it's obviously not their strength, but Bynum will make a lot of Kurt Thomas type centers around the league look undersized. Bynum is a 7'1 or 7'2 kid who is an easy 280 with really long arms.


----------



## MLKG (Aug 25, 2003)

Sir Patchwork said:


> In Bynum's defense, he had no problem with scoring on Kurt Thomas and Amare Stoudemire tonight. Thomas is atleast average defensively and is a legit-sized PF/C, and Stoudemire is also legit-sized with good athleticism, even though he isn't much of a defender. Kwame was having his way with small forwards in the playoffs (Jones, Diaw, Marion, etc). Bynum had his way with the two Suns big guys who were out in that series.


I had guys like Maurice Evans, Brian Cook, and Luke Walton in mind more than Bynum. They all got whatever they wanted in the post.

Bynum's passing looked good and he showed nice touch, followed his shots, kept the ball high and all that stuff, it just seemed like he was getting position way too easily. I'm not saying he won't contribute this year, but he got the ball a lot tongiht. They were running the offense through him at times, and I think Phoenix is probably the only team in the league they'll be able get away with that against. Once everybody get healthy I think he'll still contribute, but in a more "by committee" fashion. Remeber, Chris Mihm stormed out of the gate last season too (I think he had 20 in the first half of the first game or something like that).


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## B-Scott (Jan 17, 2006)

Bynum had 22 points and 8 rebounds against Nene and Denver in the Lakers last preseason game. I guess Nene is not a good defender either. The more ppl say Bynum is not facing this or that ,the more you are complimenting him.


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## lakegz (Mar 31, 2004)

Where'd Amareca go?


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## Cap (Nov 5, 2003)

:tongue:


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## ShuHanGuanYu (Feb 3, 2005)

lakegz said:


> Where'd Amareca go?


Trust me, he always dissappears on nights like these. I'd just get used to it. Although, if he was here he'd be either yelling at Coach D'Antoni or making some other excuse.


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## RoddneyThaRippa (Jun 28, 2003)

I don't understand the resistance to Bynum. He's big, with touch and polished moves, and wants the ball. There's no reason this guy can't become a big time center in the league. Big post players separate themselves with the moves they have downlow and Bynum has the moves. Someone that big who knows how to operate under the basket is going to give teams problems. 

You look at a guy like Eddy Curry, who, despite all the criticism, can still absolutely dominate a game downlow. I see Bynum in the same way, but he can actually pass the ball. He'll become a big time center in this league, especially with guys like Kobe and Lamar around him.


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## MemphisX (Sep 11, 2002)

Bynum is going to be a problem simply because he can't be doubled. Well, you can and give the Mamba single coverage or Odom. Kobe is a walking mismatch, Odom is a mismatch on most nights and all three of them are above average passers. If Vlad Rad and whatever PG the Lakers throw out there can just create spacing the triangle is going to be hard to stop.


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## croco (Feb 14, 2005)

MemphisX said:


> Bynum is going to be a problem simply because he can't be doubled. Well, you can and give the Mamba single coverage or Odom. Kobe is a walking mismatch, Odom is a mismatch on most nights and all three of them are above average passers. If Vlad Rad and whatever PG the Lakers throw out there can just create spacing the triangle is going to be hard to stop.


Good point, but first of all Bynum needs to keep up those numbers and that will be hard to do.


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

Yeah if Bynum turns out legit, he could be a huge help to this team. I know Odom closed the season strong and did well in the playoffs. Good to see him get this kind of start, maybe he's finally put it all together?

I think Odom is going to have to carry the team this year because I don't think Kobe is going to be himself until the back half of the season with that knee. But if Bynum and Odom can play like they did tonight, then Kobe just has to knock down jumpers.

They could be what people have been wanting the Rockets to be for awhile.

It will be interesting to watch. Annoying, because Laker fans are so excitable, but from an objective basketball point of view, something to keep an eye on out west.

Oh and if I'm the Suns, I want to do everything I can to avoid the lakers. Phil Jackson has figured the Suns out, and I think if they meet in the playoffs again, he'll take them.

Could be very interesting the battle for LA this year. Who is going to be better the Clips or the Lakers? Who will have a bigger impact, Livingston or Bynum?


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

Here is what I liked about this game. I love the additions to this team of Mo Evans, Radman and Farmar. The other role players you know what you're going to get from them, but having those three with Kobe, Kwame and Mihm back, will make Odom, Walton and Cook even better. 

Bynum is showing why Jim Calhoun felt he was such an underrated talent. I felt that during the 05 draft, teams were letting him slide foolishly, because if Calhoun wants you and you're a big, chances are you can play. Well the Lakers really lucked out because he has basketball instincts that you just can't teach. For all the immaturity he supposedly has, he listens on the basketball court and wants the ball.

How many bigs in this league don't want the ball? Meaning how many actually fight for good position then call for it. This Laker team I picked to make the WC Semis, and I still think they can do it. As long as they stay away from San Antonio, I think they can play with anyone in a seven game series in the playoffs. 

Bring on the MAMBA!


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

Also sad to say, but Amare looks like he has lost at least 15-18 lbs. I sure hope this is an aberration and he can come back strong, but I am losing hope. If this is the case, what a shame. All that money and he's basically finished.


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## VeN (May 10, 2005)

OneBadLT123 said:


> Thats the thing though, it hasn't been falling aside of Barbosa really.


youre kidding right? did you see nash tonight? he was INCREDIBLE...


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## VeN (May 10, 2005)

Sunsfan81 said:


> there's no way of proving it, but we still beat Dallas twice without him


So what, we lost to the warriors twice last season too..


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

why do you guys call kobe the mamba anyways?

ah, i just did a google search.


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## VeN (May 10, 2005)

Sunsfan81 said:


> barbosa is the only one worth anything


you suns fans take nash for granted.. wow... he was killing tonight


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

yeah nash was his normal self, which is fantastic.


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

anyone read the Freedarko on these two games? It's hilarious.


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## garnett (May 13, 2003)

ShuHanGuanYu said:


> Trust me, he always dissappears on nights like these. I'd just get used to it. Although, if he was here he'd be either yelling at Coach D'Antoni or making some other excuse.


 He would've blamed it on the refs.


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## duncan2k5 (Feb 27, 2005)

dont overrate bynum because he had a good offensive game vs the suns. I can have a good offensive game vs the suns. they had luke walton looking like tim duncan in the post, and mo evans looking like ray allen. bynum played terrible defense, and all his shots were chippies because he had sf guarding him. he scored once vs amare (who is a terrible defender) and kurt thomas is just old...odom was KILLIN him. but isn't it funny how well the lakers play without kobe? amazing how the only time they beat the suns was when kobe wasn't playing. oh well


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## lakegz (Mar 31, 2004)

wonderful, kobe didnt even play and your still bringing the hate. bravo, we want an encore!!!


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## Lynx (Mar 6, 2004)

Great all around game by Odom. If only he can be as aggressive as he was last night...


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## VincentVega (Oct 12, 2003)




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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

The Heat were pathetic. What a disgraceful performance.


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## VincentVega (Oct 12, 2003)

Remember: the Bulls' most dynamic player, Ben Gordon, went 1-9 from the field last night and only played 22 minutes. Imagine if he'd have been on. Only one Chicago player played more than 30 minutes; Wade, Walker and Payton all played at least 34 minutes last night.


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

42 points is a large margin of defeat.


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## VincentVega (Oct 12, 2003)

futurist, I want you to know that I'll be courtside at the United Center watching the Bulls play the Cavs on Dec. 30th. It's my Christmas present...


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## VincentVega (Oct 12, 2003)

This was more than a season-opening game. It was a historical landmark of sorts.



> There has only been one season-opening game in NBA history -- i.e., the first game of the season for both teams -- in which the final score was so lopsided, defending champs or no defending champs. On Nov. 6, 1987, the Nuggets defeated the Clippers 139-93 in Denver. So the Bulls' victory in Miami was the most decisive road victory in the history of the NBA in a season-opening game for both teams.
> 
> *The 42-point loss matched the largest margin of defeat for Pat Riley in any of his 1,741 regular-season games as an NBA head coach.* On April 22, 1990, in a so-what season finale at Portland, Riley's Lakers lost to the Trail Blazers 130-88.
> 
> And the 42-point victory was the second-largest road victory in any regular-season game in Bulls' history. It missed the record by two points: Back in 1971, the Bulls won at Philadelphia 148-104.


ESPN recap


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## B-Scott (Jan 17, 2006)

duncan2k5 said:


> dont overrate bynum because he had a good offensive game vs the suns. I can have a good offensive game vs the suns. they had luke walton looking like tim duncan in the post, and mo evans looking like ray allen. bynum played terrible defense, and all his shots were chippies because he had sf guarding him. he scored once vs amare (who is a terrible defender) and kurt thomas is just old...odom was KILLIN him. but isn't it funny how well the lakers play without kobe? amazing how the only time they beat the suns was when kobe wasn't playing. oh well


Keep in mind ,Bynum did this all preseason. He put up 22 and 8 against Nene and Denver. Could have had more,but Rambis took him out for to long.


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## duncan2k5 (Feb 27, 2005)

nene isnt exactly ben wallace. plus in the preseason teams dont try as hard on defense. only young players. regardless it was an impressive performance by the kid. i just think it can be negated by the fact that any big man can have a field day vs the suns. look what kwame did vs them last year playoffs. dude was lookin like shaq in 92. if she shows this consistently in the regular season, then i'll jump on the bynum bandwagon.

i may hate the lakers, but i dont hate bynum. my only peeve with him is that he seems to have an attitude problem. i dont really like NBA players who have attitude problems. maybe as he gets older me might humble himself. plus i am a person that LOVE big men who play like big men. i dont like this new age of 7 footers shooting threes. thats why i like ppl like pao gasol, duncan, etc. but anyway thats how i feel.


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## B-Scott (Jan 17, 2006)

If for right now Bynum only plays decent against the rest of the NBA ,but awesome everytime he plays Phoenix i will take it. There a team we might have to go through in the playoff ,plus there in our division.


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## Prolific Scorer (Dec 16, 2005)

This is 1 Game, wow the Heat lost by 42.....BIG DEAL.

The Lakers bench is still horrible compared to real contenders.

I doubt the Lakers make the Playoffs.

Suns played Poorly after the 1st quarter.

It's 1 game, Good game Lakers, but your team really doesn't look that deep to me.


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## The Krakken (Jul 17, 2002)

Prolific Scorer said:


> This is 1 Game, wow the Heat lost by 42.....BIG DEAL.


Watch what they do to the magic tonight. :angel:


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## RoddneyThaRippa (Jun 28, 2003)

duncan2k5 said:


> nene isnt exactly ben wallace. plus in the preseason teams dont try as hard on defense. only young players. regardless it was an impressive performance by the kid. i just think it can be negated by the fact that any big man can have a field day vs the suns. look what kwame did vs them last year playoffs. dude was lookin like shaq in 92. if she shows this consistently in the regular season, then i'll jump on the bynum bandwagon.
> 
> i may hate the lakers, but i dont hate bynum. my only peeve with him is that he seems to have an attitude problem. i dont really like NBA players who have attitude problems. maybe as he gets older me might humble himself. plus i am a person that LOVE big men who play like big men. i dont like this new age of 7 footers shooting threes. thats why i like ppl like pao gasol, duncan, etc. but anyway thats how i feel.


Of course Nene isn't Duncan, but he's a good defender - quick, athletic, and very strong. Bynum folded him up under the basket a few times, and killed him all night. 

Sure, even Kwame killed the Suns in the first part of their playoff series last season, but he doesn't have the size or moves that Bynum does. I expect Bynum to have nights like that on a consistent basis. 

As for the attitude problem, I don't see a basis for the argument. You can't blame a guy for wanting the ball, especially when it's Sasha causing the problem. He probably shouldn't be in the leauge, as we all saw last night.


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## upsanddowns (Dec 29, 2005)

Prolific Scorer said:


> This is 1 Game, wow the Heat lost by 42.....BIG DEAL.
> 
> The Lakers bench is still horrible compared to real contenders.
> 
> ...


Doesn't look that deep when the Lakers are currently missing two bigmen, two point guards, and the best player in the NBA.

Don't act like the Magic are better than the Lakers because obviously they aren't. if you think the Lakers bench is horrible then the Magic bench is atrocious. Pray for your team to make the playoffs before completely blowing off others. Pathetic. 

Too bad the Lakers made the playoffs last year when the majority of players were rookies to Phil's Triangle offense. It arguably takes an entire year to get the full gist of it. This is year two; the chemistry, playoff experience, triangle experience, and decent acquisitions will take the Lakers farther.


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## jazzy1 (Jul 16, 2002)

duncan2k5 said:


> nene isnt exactly ben wallace. plus in the preseason teams dont try as hard on defense. only young players. regardless it was an impressive performance by the kid. i just think it can be negated by the fact that any big man can have a field day vs the suns. look what kwame did vs them last year playoffs. dude was lookin like shaq in 92. if she shows this consistently in the regular season, then i'll jump on the bynum bandwagon.
> 
> i may hate the lakers, but i dont hate bynum. my only peeve with him is that he seems to have an attitude problem. i dont really like NBA players who have attitude problems. maybe as he gets older me might humble himself. plus i am a person that LOVE big men who play like big men. i dont like this new age of 7 footers shooting threes. thats why i like ppl like pao gasol, duncan, etc. but anyway thats how i feel.


At least you admit your hate, now we know everything you say is hate and biased against the Lakers. 

And Bynum would score on Ben Wallace as well. When that happens everyone is gonna say look how much bigger he is than Ben Wallace. Wallace isn't a great man defender. He's a great help defender just solid as a man post defender. 

What attitude problem. Everyone isn't docile like Duncan. He is actually a very quiet humble kid. Lakers fans know this.


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