Big money teams talk, bull-ish walks!

[MRJONESIII]

Who will stop this team? They keep Gasol, get Duhon, Earl Clark! What's to say they're done? If this trade had gone down 4 weeks or so ago, who else would have signed for cheap, Allen, Terry who knows. Don't they have Jamison too! This kind of $h!t just isn't fair. Second place doesn't even matter in the west no more if Nash can run the show. Only thing stopping this team will be Kobes ego. Die hard Spurs fan here, but we have no shot! They've just assembled something scary.... If they can put the pieces together. And they're depth is decent to good now. Don't think I'm going to waste my money on the nba league pass this year! Look on the bright side, Duncan got a nice final payday.

[SleepyAdamII]

They have the best GM in the business. But I'm not sure mike brown will be able to guide them to the title this year . Offense wise , system wise , highly suspect.

[WILLTHETHRILL]

They turned Lamar Odom and Bynum into Nash (Odom trade exemption) and Howard (crummy trade for Magic) if you really look at it. They robbed both teams in my view.

[Spurd_On]

Originally Posted by MRJONESIII

Who will stop this team? They keep Gasol, get Duhon, Earl Clark! What's to say they're done? If this trade had gone down 4 weeks or so ago, who else would have signed for cheap, Allen, Terry who knows. Don't they have Jamison too! This kind of $h!t just isn't fair. Second place doesn't even matter in the west no more if Nash can run the show. Only thing stopping this team will be Kobes ego. Die hard Spurs fan here, but we have no shot! They've just assembled something scary.... If they can put the pieces together. And they're depth is decent to good now. Don't think I'm going to waste my money on the nba league pass this year! Look on the bright side, Duncan got a nice final payday.

Well, life is not always fair. Just ask any Cleveland or Orlando fan. However, neither Miami nor the Lakers broke any rules. There is only so much that the NBA can implement to level the playing field.

None of what has occurred in the past 2 years in the creation of these super teams takes away from my desire to watch the team of the best franchise in modern NBA history, if not all modern sport's history, who has put together the finest team and finest execution they can possibly muster under the circumstances. Its a team vastly lacking in talent when compared to these super teams but a team that lacks no heart, intelligence, dignity or desire to win. As long as they continue to demostrate those traits, I'll be cheering for them 100% whether they get knocked out in the first round or win it all.

[Chris ChrusherComix]

The NBA is a sham. While other sports are striving for equalized competition, the NBA is fine with letting 2-4 teams have outrageous amounts of talent and the rest of the league have no shot whatsoever.

Granted, maybe the Spurs and the Thunder are the only organic, home-grown teams (built primarily through the draft with free agents to supplement). These All-Star teams built through ridiculous trades and spoiled-rotten superstars that just want to get an easy championship so they all go to one or two teams... they are a disgrace. Might as well just skip the season, let the Lakers and Heat play in the Finals and be done with it.

Then again, with the refs... who the f*** cares anyways? I've been saying this for years now... I'm going to follow this Tim, Manu and Tony Spurs squad... and when they're done, I'm done with this awful, phony, incorrigibly corrupt league.

Again... if any other sport had one team with the success that the Lakers have had decade after decade with taking the best available talent every few years and slapping in on thier team and getting to every other NBA Finals, then the whole world would say it's rigged.

But not the NBA.

Keep believin' it's legit!

[b1gdon]

Originally Posted by Chris ChrusherComix

Again... if any other sport had one team with the success that the Lakers have had decade after decade with taking the best available talent every few years and slapping in on thier team and getting to every other NBA Finals, then the whole world would say it's rigged.

But not the NBA.

Keep believin' it's legit!

Yankees (MLB), Manchester United (Premier League), Alabama (NCAAF), Real Madrid (La Liga), Scuderia Ferrari (F1), AC Milan (Serie A)

Should I go on? Throw in the NBA and the NFL, and I think you have the 8 highest revenue sports leagues in the world. This tends to be the natural order of professional sports. The NFL is a rare exception because their owners broke their player's union and instituted a hard salary cap. Keep in mind that there are both benefits and weaknesses. If the NBA had a hard cap, then probably either Parker or Manu would have left via free agency.

[choppsboy]

It's not the end of the world. Howard overrated. He is not that much better than Bynum. I don't really see how Nash does much for the Lakers. They are not going to be a better offensive team than us.

[drcantgetright]

Originally Posted by Chris ChrusherComix

Then again, with the refs... who the f*** cares anyways? I've been saying this for years now... I'm going to follow this Tim, Manu and Tony Spurs squad... and when they're done, I'm done with this awful, phony, incorrigibly corrupt league.

!

I am with you on this. We as Spurs fans are lucky to have TD and Manu and Tony over the years...and D Rob before them. Had TD signed with orlando years back, I would have been done. Had the Spurs moved to another city, I would have been done. When Manu and TD retire, I am done with the NBA. Sometimes the refs make it look like it is WWE out there.

But props to OKC!

[WhiteChocolateJr]

The whole gloom and doom with this signing is OVERBLOWN.

The 2012-2013 LAKERS team MIGHT be good...but, fortheloveofallthatishoop, keep things in perspective. It's a one-shot, pyrrhic victory at best. Yes, Kupchak pulled off a great move in getting Howard to don the purple'n gold...but look at the future:

Kobe: 34 years old, 14 seasons+ on his knees
Nash: 86 years old, back issues

...now imagine Dwight Howard's motivation to re-ink with LA.

The Lakers had the weakest bench BY FAR last year. I get that the playoffs are all about the top 6/7/8 and not the bench...but without fresh legs and depth to allow your aging/ancient stars to rest during the 82-game grind, you're looking at a low seed at best and an early battle/flameout in the playoffs.

[old timer]

My prediction is the Lakers finish no better than third in the West and will be lucky to get out of the first round of the playoffs. My condolences to Mike brown. Jaque (sp) Vaughn has a better chance of having what others may consider a successful season.