Game 10 Lakers(6-1) Suns(8-1)

[tsherkin]

The Amare-Bynum match-up is something to worry about in that Amare obviously can't keep getting killed.

Amare surrenders 2 inches and 40 pounds to Bynum, as well as reach. Plus, Bynum's a low post threat and Amare's a godawful waste on defense, even now that he's trying to be better. That's a PF guarding a C, though, so unless he miraculously transforms himself into Kurt Thomas, that's never going to be in his favor.

I've never heard him make an excuse in my life.

He has before. I don't know that I like the word "excuse," because I'm sure he recognized as well as any that they came out and played like dog crap, himself excepted, but it isn't uncommon to hear him say things like that (as long as they're true).

In any case, it's one game early in the season. It's not uber-telling. It falls in line with expectations, but it's not the end of the season. As long as the Suns don't seed 7th or 8th, they won't have to worry about L.A. until at LEAST the 2nd round.

[lilfishi22]

I don't like to give excuses and I won't. Truth is, we didn't come out to win and that's why we lost. BurningHeart is right, we came out flat and even though it's a b2b, most of our starters had plenty of rest from the blowout of NOH.

Either way, right now we're 1-2 against contenders. Which is nothing new if anyone has been following the Suns the past half decade.

Sorry to triple post but I had to correct this. Miami is a contender for sure this year and we beat them as well. I'd say 2-2 vs contenders which is exceeding expectations so far.

Miami a contender? Contender for playoffs? They've had a fairly easy schedule and they took advantage of it. Outside of Wade, they have nobody else that's good enough be a 2nd offensive option. Wade really is a one-man team and not in the Kobe sense where he feels like he has to do everything, but in the sense that he HAS to do everything because the rest of the team is crap.

What I will give them is they do have great defense. Wade and Chalmers hold down the back court quite well where as JO and Haslem play good D in the front. Overall as a team, they all play good team D.

1-2 it stands.

[hitachi7]

Yea I don't really expect to win the Amare-Bynum match-up, but I do expect Amare to have a lot of success offensively against the Lakers. Dude has gone off against great defensive teams like SA/Detroit/Boston in the past, I'm not ready to crown Bynum as his kryptonite.

Either way guys we are 8-2 with road games in Miami, Boston, Orlando, and LA, the latter two being on a b2b. That's as good a start as you're going to get.

[BurningHeart]

I'd argue Kobe's uber-efficient 29 points was a lot more than Bynum being the "only one who did anything against us."

Eh, but Kobe's Kobe. He's gonna do that.

[BurningHeart]

If Amare made his damn shots, Bynum's destruction wouldnt have been as big of a problem.

[tsherkin]

I'd argue Kobe's uber-efficient 29 points was a lot more than Bynum being the "only one who did anything against us."

Eh, but Kobe's Kobe. He's gonna do that.

Sure, but it still overturns the idea that Bynum's the only one who did anything. Even Odom was involved on the glass and with some morale-raising dunks and passes.

[garrick]

it's too bad we couldn't have played the Lakers after the Nuggets played them, the Lakers are getting killed by the nuggets right now.

[dantian]

The Amare-Bynum match-up is something to worry about in that Amare obviously can't keep getting killed.

Amare surrenders 2 inches and 40 pounds to Bynum, as well as reach. Plus, Bynum's a low post threat and Amare's a godawful waste on defense, even now that he's trying to be better. That's a PF guarding a C, though, so unless he miraculously transforms himself into Kurt Thomas, that's never going to be in his favor.

I've never heard him make an excuse in my life.

He has before. I don't know that I like the word "excuse," because I'm sure he recognized as well as any that they came out and played like dog crap, himself excepted, but it isn't uncommon to hear him say things like that (as long as they're true).

In any case, it's one game early in the season. It's not uber-telling. It falls in line with expectations, but it's not the end of the season. As long as the Suns don't seed 7th or 8th, they won't have to worry about L.A. until at LEAST the 2nd round.

Amare rarely covered Bynum. His worst defensive moments were when he tried to double on Kobe who fed Odom for cutting dunks. Bynum defended Amare poorly too, but Amare didn't have the proper touch for those close-range shots he worked out with great footwork on either Bynum or Odom. Hey, Bynum got his stats the same in Denver which has much better bigmen defenders like Nene, Martin, Anderson.

[tsherkin]

Amare rarely covered Bynum.

That's my point; putting Amare on Bynum, even in spurts, doesn't work, because Amare is a natural 4 and Bynum's a big-ass 5.

Hey, Bynum got his stats the same in Denver which has much better bigmen defenders like Nene, Martin, Anderson.

*nod*

Without playing in the 4th Q, no less.

[impulsenine]

Question of the Year is: Can RoLo do a passable job of this when he returns?

[Mr. Sun]

Question of the Year is: Can RoLo do a passable job of this when he returns?

I think so.

[JohnVancouver]

I saw those teams play, also the West/Wilt Lakers and Detroit with Laimbeer, Isiah etc. All of them would take this squad and the Bird Celtics and Showtime lakers would embarass them.

Did you see them play at the Forum in '72? Wilt was soooooooo impressive with blocking anything within 10 feet.

I was a kid - saw them on TV. (West was my boyhood hero/rolemodel, replace a few years later by Keith Richards, Johnny Thunders .... and then, the lost years)

When Wilt was a) made captain of the lakers and b) given a challenge - play defense and fuel the break, and pass out of the post) he was re-energized. Can you imagine what it was like to be Wilt? None of us can - he was so dominant the game bored him.
He would have eaten Shaq alive, both in the primes. I never bought the idea Wilt was so far behind Russell in the talent and desire departments - Russell was majestic and a one of a kind player and leader, but he truly had better supporting casts. I think Wilt was right up there with him, though I do have to give Bill the edge just for what he accomplished