Hoops

Magic V Lakers- Predictions please

KingJames I think you are deliberately trying to misread me. I was saying that your argument that Bynum is not playing many minutes because Gasol is out there is wrong. The reason I say this is because the Lakers paid Bynum $12 mill per season so that he and Gasol can START together. They have both been starting nearly every game this season. The reason Bynum is not playing many minutes is because 1) he gets into foul trouble and 2) because Odom is still flat out better than him on both ends.

I NEVER suggested that Bynum doesn't have good potential, nor did I suggest the Lakers shouldn't have signed him.

I do think that it was a big risk signing him to such a big contract before he had proved anything much. That risk may pay off down the track, but I hate seeing teams fork out so much for a guy before he has earned it. So often, players get their big contract and then coast to mediocrity. I hope the next collective bargaining agreement does manage to shorten contract lengths as Stern has proposed. It would definitely make for a more competitive, dynamic league.

"The reason he has been playing limited minutes is because Gasol is out there and it is not suitable to play two centers".

KingJames, if Gasol is a centre and it is not suitable to play two centres, why the hell did the Lakers sign Bynum to a 5 year contract starting at $12 mill next season? That's one expensive sub!

Truth is, Bynum is meant to be their centre, with Gasol at PF. Truth is, Bynum has been playing so poorly (probably due to his injury/ fitness) that Phil has had to go to plan B with Gasol and Odom.

Fortunately for the Lakers plan B is pretty good. However, if Bynum had played well, both Houston and Denver would have been dispatched without a problem and NO-ONE would be picking the Magic to win in the Finals!

"Against Orlando I think it will be a different story and Bynum will step up and maybe you guys will forgive him for having two bad playoff series then".

For the Lakers sake he'd better play well, or Gasol is really gonna have his work cut out defending Howard by himself!

"Do you think Phil is saying "OMG Bynum has been a bust this playoff series what are we going to do?" No because he is filling the role Phil requires him to now so there wouldnt be a problem with his performance from their end".

I will bet you any money that 'hard foul merchant' is not the role Phil Jackson envisaged for Bynum at the start of the playoffs. Phil is simply working with what he has got, and that is a gimpy Bynum who is nowhere close yet to justifying the extension they gave him at the start of the season.

Yeah, 11-7 sounds about right... maybe more points now and then. He is just too slow right now and lateral movement is hurting him, which means fouls and limited minutes.

KingJames- do you start him or Odom?

Agree Mutley- Odom and his inconsistancy is why this series is so exciting to me.

Will he start?

Slammed? Really. So you think Bynum is doing well because if you double his stats to match mintues played, he is equal to K-Mart and Nene?

So by your logic* M.Williams from the Spurs needs to get a max contract quick- he scores 64 points per 48 minutes!!!!

Thats nearly double Kobe!!!

Wow, you guys are just intellectual titans aren't ya ;-)

There is a reason he is saddled to the bench boys. He is a liability.

Never said Mo was a bust- he is just an ordinary player.

Playing well gets you minutes on the court, Bynum has not been a third as good as people hoped he would be. That makes him a bust for me in these play-offs.

Don't get me wrong- if the finals were against the clippers, he would carve!

He will be important in the finals though so you did get one thing right. Well done.

Mantis- i totally forgot the change in format for the finals! Makes it much tougher for the magic i think- required to close on the road (i can't see them sweeping the 3 game home stand) They are the road warriors though... i'll stick with magic in 6

Magic in 5. Split in LA, then three straight at home.

Sam Perkins ;)

Lakers in 6

That was a joke post right?

Your better than that KingJames, or at least i thought you were...

Bynum averaging 6pts and 3 boards in the play-offs, yeah, thats a bust.

He has played against the Jazz, minus their starting center, the Rockets, minus their starting center and the nuggets, whose 'center' is 6'10 on stilts. AND AVERAGED 3 FRICKIN REBOUNDS.

Swap Perkins and Bynum and the Lakers sweep the Magic.

I think you will find the first King was Jordan you oxygen thief

sorry gaytime but you need to wake up and smell your nappy.

They got past the cavs because they play a team game, and are not as one dimentional as the Cavs.

I read many articles about keeping the Senior and Junior programs of district clubs financially independent of each other.
As a matter of interest, do many clubs charge Senior players any fees to be a club member, or is the fact that they put in a lot of valuable (generally unrewarded) time sufficient to qualify them as members?

Nice pre-series summary.

Defence is the key, and I'm not sure how the Lakers can handle the Magic's outside/inside game. IUf the Magic hit the trey's like they did against the Cav's, the Lakers will find it tough. I think Derek Fisher will be a real liability to the Lakers in this series. He is too slow and will not be able to guard anyone on the Magic.

The Gasol/Bynum tandem against Howard will be intriguing.