Nitro
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Everything posted by Nitro
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If you can avoid Harlem, try and do so lol. Ummm, I was never a huge fan of NYC, but being only 20min away I've been there plenty of times. Only thing I'd really suggest that hasn't been suggested is hit up the NBA Store, I think it's on 5th Avenue. Awesome, awesome place for any NBA fan. Really, NYC's lore is all about the atmosphere and culture. It is very, very different from anywhere you'll ever visit. It's always kind of overwhelmed me, but it definately is an experience. PS- Try and go to a Yankee game. The new stadium is amazing...as is the team. One of a kind baseball experience.
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Only listened to a few songs...better than Relapse for sure, but still not the greatness I expect from Em. The production really kills it IMO because lyrically it is a very sound album.
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1) Rondo 2) Pierce 3) Allen 4) Garnett 5) Perkins I put Pierce over Allen because he impacts the game in far more areas than just scoring (where Pierce is better as well). Pierce also gives the team an attitude and swagger that still defines this team.
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Oh c'mon now...the Lakers shot 15 more free throws than the Celtics, KG played only 23min due to his 5 fouls (whether or not it helped or hurt Boston can be argued, but the refs still put a big-name player into foul trouble), and in game 1 Ray was hurt even more by the refs than Kobe was in game 2, playing only 27min. And as we saw in game 2, when Allen is able to get into a rythym early, something he wasn't in game 1 due to fouls, he can be as lethal as anyone. So if you're going to play the what-if game with Kobe, you have to do the same with Ray. I understand your frustrations with the fouls on Kobe and that Gasol/KG play, but the fact of the matter is that Boston has been equally if not more screwed by the refs than the Lakers. If you're going to play the what-if game regarding the calls against the Lakers, you have to do the same with the Celtics (like for instance the 2 clean blocks by Pierce and Dvis that were turned into free throws for the Lakers). The fact that Boston didn't play well outside of Allen yet they still won is ENCOURAGING to you? Allen may not score 32pts every game, but Pierce/Davis won't shoot sub 30% the entire series, KG will eventually produce better than 6pts/4reb, and you know very well that the refs will likely be more Boston-sided the next 3 games. And Ray scoring 32pts and hitting a ton of 3's is a lot more likely to happen again than Bynum getting 21pts and 7blks.
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I guess I should have explained that better haha because you are right. Basically what I meant is that it tends to be either black or white with Odom. Many players will have games where they don't necessarily fill it up, but still play very effective basketball, and that goes beyond simply playing defense and setting screens. With Odom this is almost never the case. When he plays well, the major area he'll come up big in is rebounding. That's almost all hustle and effort, NOT basketball IQ. When he is grabbing a ton of boards, he tends to be more active in every facet of the game. That doesn't necessarily mean when he's grabbing rebounds he's also scoring 20+ points or taking a ton of shots, but he becomes a player that has to be accounted for. On too many nights, as I'm sure you're well aware of, he's just kind of lost and puts minimal pressure on another team. I truly believe the difference in those nights and when he's playing very well simply comes down to the aggressiveness of his play.
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Nice freestyle on all fronts, but I can't look at Tim Westwood. He's just a scary looking man...not in an intimidating way, just really fugly and abnormally tall.
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That was my biggest knock against the Lakers before the series started. Everyone was so sure about the Kobe-Rondo matchup, while forgetting that there is NO WAY Fisher can defend Ray and his constant off-ball movement. Ray Allen has been getting heat all year with people saying he's fallen off, but the man has been an All-Star 9 of the last 11 seasons. His 23PPG and 47% shooting from 3 last year against the Bulls is still etched in my memory, and for the last decade he's hit dagger 3 after dagger 3 against my favorite teams. He WILL kill you in a 7-game series, and the Lakers cannot let that happen.
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Basically this. That's why I said at the beginning of this topic it's not the fouls, but rather what's going on in his head that's hurting his play. Where we differ I think is I feel his inconsistencies come with his aggressiveness and involvement rather than his basketball IQ. I think that shows itself in the stats. To keep it really simple- in games he sucks, he's nowhere on the stat sheet. In games where he is a difference maker, he's all over the stat sheet. It starts with his effort and involvement, and that is best displayed with his rebounding. When he is grabbing a ton of rebounds, the rest of his game opens up big time. That tells me his aggressiveness is the issue, not IQ.
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I'd much rather him be overly aggressive than play non-chalant. In the last 2 seasons (160GP, 70 of them being starts) he's only had 6 games of taking 15+ shots, with all of them being a starter and 4 of the 6 him notching a double-double. In other words, he's not going to be shooting his team out of games most of the time when he's being aggressive, and when he is that involved other parts of his game tend to surface. And when I say aggressive, I don't mean him necessarily taking more shots or being a focal point in the offense. I mean that when he's aggressive, he's making all the hustle plays which opens up the rest of his game. When he's hitting the glass and pulling double digit rebounds, and when he is being aggressive within the confines of his offense, he's a game-changer. When he seems lost and detatched from the game, he's an ordinary role player who the Lakers can live without on most nights. When he is active and showing up in the box score, the Lakers are almost unbeatable.
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Aggressive doesn't necessarily mean out-of-control. When Odom plays with the mindset that he does have the talent of an All-Star and that he can make a huge impact every single game, he shines. I think that has been displayed over the years when Kobe has been out for a set of games and he is forced into a much bigger role. In many of those instances, he has been stellar. Too often, over his entire career, he has gone weeks of just being a floater like any other role/bench player. When he really involves himself in the game, good things tend to happen.
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Even if the Lakers do win one in Boston, it's still a very difficult situation they are in with the 2-3-2 format. Both teams have proven they can win both at home and away, and winning two games in a row is not going to be an easy task regardless of where the games are played. I say that because if the Lakers win 1 of 3 in Boston, they are still going back to LA down 3-2 and will have 0 margin of error from that point on. I still pick the Lakers in 7, but the way the Finals are formatted it's not going to be an easy road to the championship.
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Lamar Odom's biggest problem is Lamar Odom. When he lets things get to him and doesn't play his game in an aggressive manor, he disappears. When he plays with the idea that he's going to do his thing regardless of everything else, he's one of the most dangerous 6th men in the league. His foul trouble is just a microcosm of what's going on between the ears.
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Phil talks about Kobe's fouls, Rivers' timeout
Nitro replied to Real Deal's topic in Los Angeles Lakers Team Forum
As I said in the game thread, the Lakers lost the game themselves, not the refs. I'd say 2 of Kobe's fouls were questionable (the step-through on Allen when Kobe's head hit Ray's, and the foul on Rondo), but still Kobe made some bad plays and put himself in a situation where one or two bad calls put him with 5 fouls. The Celtics were screwed on plenty of plays just like the Lakers were, if not worse (the Pierce and Davis blocks come to mind). -
GM2: Boston (0) @ Los Angeles (1)
Nitro replied to Real Deal's topic in Los Angeles Lakers Team Forum
Yeah, the fact that they reviewed it and still got the call wrong is what was really sad about that play. But still, the Lakers loss was completely on them, not the refs. Both teams got raped by the officials last night, and if anything Boston was on the wrong end of it more often than the Lakers were. -
Gasol says Garnett not as explosive, aggressive
Nitro replied to The Regime's topic in Los Angeles Lakers Team Forum
It's very easy to dissect any star in almost every playoff series and nitpick like you are. Sprewell was a borderline All-Star that year and did come up big for them in the playoffs. He was one of their big shot makers, and there is no denying that. But to say he rode Sprewell's coatails that postseason is VASTLY exxagerating what actually took place. KG may never be a guy that's going to average 30PPG in a series or be "the guy" in clutch situations, but you cannot say he rode ANYONE's coatails that postseason when he was league MVP and bettered Spree in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, FG %, etc... Ok, that's all fine...but my arguement is refuting the idea that KG rode Spree's coatails, and Spree shot above 43% only twice that series. Garnett was being defended by one of the best defensive bigs in the league, Karl Malone, who was fresh off a series of holding Tim Duncan to below 39% shooting in 3 of the 6 games that series. In the first 2 games at LA, both Minnesota losses, KG had 22/11/7 and 28/13/9. He may not have been the perfect player you expect or the guy that will rip your throat out in the final few minutes like a Kobe, but you are severely diminishing what he did that postseason. Yeah, KG won MVP because Shaq only averaged 22PPG...c'mon now. KG won because with less talent than Shaq, his team won more games and he had one of the greatest statistical seasons of the last 20 years. Saying he had a lackluster playoff after leading his team to the WCF without a healthy Sam Cassell is ridiculous. And Shaq dominated him in that series? He dominated the boards and had a higher FG % because he had MICHAEL OLOWOKANDI defending him at C! KG had Karl f'ing Malone defending him, and he still had a very, VERY solid series. Neither did Kobe. Your point? This little paragraph kind of sums up the problem...KG can't finish games and you don't like how people view him as a player. That's fine, but you persecute him for that and don't look at just how GREAT he was when he was healthy and in his prime. Just because he was never a great closer for his teams should NOT overshadow the fact that for years he was the most well-rounded player in the league and one of the best. He was one of the best scoring bigs in the league, arguably the best rebounder in the league, the best passing big man in the league, and always been a very good defensive player. Just because one area of his game doesn't fit your crtierea of what a great player should be, and just because you disagree with how other people view him doesn't change the fact that for nearly a decade he was a top 3-4 player in the league. -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy-0RWbbzd8 Happenned in an ASG back when Shaq was playing for the Magic. Absolutely BRUTAL.
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Gasol says Garnett not as explosive, aggressive
Nitro replied to The Regime's topic in Los Angeles Lakers Team Forum
Oh give me a break. He rode Sprewell's coatails during the T-Wolves 2004 run to the WCF?!? Are you SERIOUS?!? KG won MVP that year, leading his team to the #1 seed of the playoffs. He averaged 24.3PPG/14.6RPG/5.1APG that postseason, including his 32pt/21reb game in game 7 of the semi's against the Kings...Sprewell had 14pts on 6-16 shooting and 6 TO's that game. Garnett averaged more points, rebounds and assists than Sprewell that postseason, and shot better from the field. As for the 2008 Celtics, the team was led offensively by Pierce and ultimately he made most of the big shots and plays that postseason. But, to downplay KG's impact on the team that year is really silly. KG was the DPOY who still was scoring at a decent clip and grabbing 10+ boards a game...and all of his stats increased in that postseason. Not to mention the attitude and toughness he brought to that Celtics team really gave them an intimidating identity. The energy, toughness and defensive prowess he brought to the Celtics should NOT be overlooked. Garnett will never be mentioned in quite the same breath as a Kobe or Duncan, and that can be attributed to many of your gripes against him. I understand this. But, don't get carried away. Much like T-Mac (but to a much smaller degree), a lot of the crticism towards KG regarding to his past teams' successes and how he handles himself as a leader is underserved or greatly exxagerated. And this last post fits into that idea perfectly. -
WTF how did you break the strongest bone in your body by stetching?!? But regardless, hope you feel better man.
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No, they are not. Maybe Pierce but even in his prime I thought he was just a borderline superstar. Same with Allen. KG was a bonafide superstar and arguably the best player in the league for nearly a decade, but ever since the knee injury he's not much more than a glorified role player.
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Gasol says Garnett not as explosive, aggressive
Nitro replied to The Regime's topic in Los Angeles Lakers Team Forum
Even though he didn't call out KG and was respectful, KG is the type of competitor that will use even the most meaningless comments to heart. Gasol was somewhat haunted by the 2008 Finals and how he got outmuscled and outworked by the Celtics bigs, and finally got a slim taste of redemption last night. But it's only 1 game in a 7-game series. And the Celtics roster is by and large the same as the 2008 championship team. Not a great idea to give them ANY ammunition to come out extra-pumped for game 2, because there are still 6 games for the Celtics big men to bother and bully Gasol into a very tough series. -
Way too early to tell. All I'm going to say is that he's going to have to have a stellar career to make it in because this era is chock-full of elite PG's. Besides Nash and Kidd who are locks, he's going to have to battle the likes of Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry (if you consider him a PG), soon to be John Wall and whatever other young PG's emerge through the draft in the next few years. Not going to be easy to make the HoF.
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Yeah. It wasn't too long ago that he was the athletic freak who won MVP and yearly would put up 22PPG/14RPG/5APG. Ever since that injury last season he's been nothing more than a glorified role player. Kind of sad to watch, but he's had a long, illustrious career.
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Through the first 17 games of the playoffs Pierce scored 24+ points only 4x. If the Lakers consider holding Pierce to 24+ points a win, then there would have been 0 point in signing Artest over Ariza in the first place.
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Huh? Pierce had 24/9/4 and took only 13 shots. Artest did a solid job but nowhere near shutdown Pierce. If anyone got shutdown, it was Rondo.