Congradulations to our Lakers on a great game three performance. The most impressive thing was the Defense. Great to see a nice effort in an area that has not been our strong suit this year.

Also nice to see this team play with killer instinct. When you put a team in a coma, you don't go visit them to revive them, like New Orleans did with Dallas, you go to rip out the respirator. The Nuggets now know without any doubt summer vacation is close at hand.

Read a very interesting quote from George Karl after game two. He said this Laker team is the best passing team he has ever seen in his coaching experience. For a guy who has seen all that Karl has, thats a very strong statement. It made me focus on our passing in this game, and indeed they are extremly facile in getting the ball around quickly and to the right man. Iv'e seen some great passing teams, 80's Celts and Lakers, Jordans Bulls were pretty good too and this team seems to be developing that same kind of synergy. Very pretty basketball. I do believe they get the ball around better than our three peat team.

The playoffs are young but its becomming apparent, at least to me, that the true title contenders are already making their presence known. I think only three teams have a true shot to win it all: Us, San Antonio and Boston. Nothing against New Orleans or the Jazz or Orlando, but i dont see them making the final cut. Those teams just dont quit have the horses to take it all.

San Antonio is the biggest surprise to me. They looked old and worn out late in the year. I felt a determined Phoenix, driven by past failures and with Shaq to stifle Duncan, would win that series. San Antonio has shown once again, that they are the four time champs and the team to beat. I should have known better. Phoenix has shown once again, that when it comes to a big time series against excellant oppostion, they will find a way to lose. Some teams just never learn to win in key moments. They are losers. Its a harsh thing to say, but true. Nash will join a long list of great players never to win a title. I'm not sad about it. DAntoni's job will soon be in jeapardy. I'm not sad about that either. I havent forgotten how they rubbed it in last year when they beat a weak Laker squad. Just wish it was us putting them out of their misery.

Boston is by far the cream of the East. I have been somewhat surprised by how many people here felt Detroit or even Cleveland had legit chance to beat them. Thats wishful thinking and not going to happen. Boston is a defensive and offensive machine with one of the best records in NBA history. They destroyed the east and the west. They will have no problem what so ever beating Cleveland or Detroit(if they can even get to the east finals).

The Jazz have a nice team with no dog in them, unlike Denver. Our next series will give us a better read on the level we can play at. They will play hard nosed Jerry Sloan defense and fight like hell every game. If we can turn them in 5 games, it will be a very strong statement on what we have going on here.


I'm finding I like this team better than our three peat ones. One thing that always bothered me about the Shaq teams was how we would rarely blow teams out. Announcers called it a lack of killer instinct or we turned it off and on. I never agreed with that assesment. I always felt that those teams just didnt have the fire power to blow teams out. Kobe and Shaq were the only consistant scorers on those teams. I always felt that was why they didnt have more blowouts. This team has scoring punch. Kobe, Pau, Odom, Sasha, Vlade can all fill up a basket very fast and force defensive mistakes and mismatches. Nothing against Horry, Fox and company, but those guys made their bread and butter on defense, and were not good offensive players. Watching them miss shot after shot was ample explaination why they didnt have more blowouts. This team can hammer you fast. I like it.

When Drew comes back next year the front line will be playing volleyball with each other setting up shots. This team is just too much fun and next year i have a funny feeling were going to witness some history being made.

Now lets finish these Nuggets off get ready for the Jazz, a team and coach that you always have to be prepared for and always earns your respect.