Your Bubble 'Finals' teams were 2-8 in a real playoff setting. Both out in the 1st round.

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

You really think Bron wouldn't have played better if he could? We're only 6 months removed from him dropping 40 in a closeout game in the finals. Three years ago, he had like ten 40 point playoff games. He clearly lacked that second gear.

Of course, he could.

He quit on offensive possessions when he didn't get calls, instead of running back on defense, multiple times. You could tell he mentally gave up and was going through the motions at the back end of this series.

 

[Shadow King]

i think the shortened offseason is overstated. they basically had an offseason then a 8 game regular season and playoffs with no travel coming into this shortened offseason. negligible difference between that and an offseason with international basketball.

International basketball plays 40% of the games the NBA plays. This year was also condensed 72 games in 20 weeks is rough.

 

[Paper Boi]

lol at this logicless shyt again.

if it was easy why didn't anybody beat the fraud lakers?

because your team is trash.

Lakers the greatest franchise in sports history. 6 rings in my lifetime. more than any of your teams besides Bulls fans or unless you're fukking old as shyt.

 

[FAH1223]

Let's not pretend like the Lakers didn't add:

Drummond
Trez
Schröder
Matthews
Gasol

They literally had the most stacked team in the league. Nobody can use the excuse of them not having enough personnel. Bron and AD also took ample rest during the season too. They choked, in embarrassing fashion. It's as simple as that.

What depth did the Nuggets have?

They lost two of their three best players from last season (Grant and Murray), adding G-League players and journeyman to their rotation:

Austin Rivers
Facundo Campazzo
JaMychal Green
Markus Howard
Aaron Gordon.

And they still had to carry Millsap, who has one foot in the grave.

The G-Leaguers and journeyman are being elevated playing with Joker

Monte Morris has been doing his job especially.

 

[Redguard]

I hate to break it to you but Steph ain't gonna come save Bron. All you have left now is reminiscing on memories.

Lakers might be heading for a rough decade.

 

[FunkDoc1112]

Bron and AD also took ample rest during the season too. They choked, in embarrassing fashion. It's as simple as that.

You're smarter than this, breh. You can't have your two best players coming back hobbled 2 weeks before the playoffs on a team that hasn't even pinned down its eight man rotation and expect to win anything, especially when your fist opponent is the second best team in the league and has been mostly healthy and rolling going into the playoffs. No continuity, no chemistry, no time to make it up.

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

You're smarter than this, breh. You can't have your two best players coming back hobbled 2 weeks before the playoffs on a team that hasn't even pinned down its eight man rotation and expect to win anything, especially when your fist opponent is the second best team in the league and has been mostly healthy and rolling going into the playoffs. No continuity, no chemistry, no time to make it up.

Every team was dealing with injuries this season; every team has been dealing with making up shyt on the fly because they haven't had enough players due to said injuries. Hell, there are teams that are still in the playoffs who're actually missing some of the best players. This season seemingly had more injuries than any in recent memory, and it affected the entire league. Not just the Lakers.

But the Lakers were in arguably the most fortunate position where they had so much depth that they barely played the reigning 6th Man of the Year, whereas other teams had to bring up G-League players into their rotation who the basketball public hadn't even heard of. Never mind "continuity, chemistry, no time to make it up"; teams were literally dragging players off the street just to have a playable rotation.

The Lakers shyt the bed. It's as simple as that.

 

[Kings County]

Let's not pretend like the Lakers didn't add:

Drummond
Trez
Schröder
Matthews
Gasol

They literally had the most stacked team in the league. Nobody can use the excuse of them not having enough personnel. Bron and AD also took ample rest during the season too. They choked, in embarrassing fashion. It's as simple as that.

u serious ?

 

[FunkDoc1112]

Every team was dealing with injuries this season; every team has been dealing with making up shyt on the fly because they haven't had enough players due to said injuries. Hell, there are teams that are still in the playoffs who're actually missing some of the best players. This season seemingly had more injuries than any in recent memory, and it affected the entire league. Not just the Lakers.

But the Lakers were in arguably the most fortunate position where they had so much depth that they barely played the reigning 6th Man of the Year, whereas other teams had to bring up G-League players into their rotation who the basketball public hadn't even heard of. Never mind "continuity, chemistry, no time to make it up"; teams were literally dragging players off the street just to have a playable rotation.

The Lakers shyt the bed. It's as simple as that.

The Nets and Nuggets are the only valid comparison (no continuity and losing their second best player before the playoffs, respectively) and they both had an easy opponent in the first round, NOT THE SECOND BEST TEAM IN THE NBA. And that's besides the point - I think the Nets' lack of continuity is gonna get be their undoing this round, so it's all moot. Of all the other playoff teams, who lost their best defender and leading scorer for the rest of the series when up 2-1? Which ones played six consecutive weeks with their only good shot creators on the shelf?

You're being disingenuous to shyt on the Lakers

 

[Weaver31]

Discuss why did your team lose 4-1 last year?

and had to go to OT in a game just to get the 1 W

 

[Dr. Narcisse]

He had the gear when he was clowning Crowder tho

I think he scored like 21 points that game

You're smarter than this, breh. You can't have your two best players coming back hobbled 2 weeks before the playoffs on a team that hasn't even pinned down its eight man rotation and expect to win anything, especially when your fist opponent is the second best team in the league and has been mostly healthy and rolling going into the playoffs. No continuity, no chemistry, no time to make it up.

Yea rehab doesnt = rest. Bron was getting himself ready to play. Not like he was resting so he can play at a max level. He clearly couldnt finish at the rim/in the half court.

I'd also say that when Bron got injured is usually when he plays his best ball (March) going into the playoffs. Bron looked like ass that first week in the bubble after that long layoff. Difference then it was just rest and not rehab so he was able to flip the switch by the 2nd round.

Suns earned it cause the Lakers didnt play well enough. They needed to play somebody like Portland or Memphis in the 1st round to get some rhythm.

Even still no AD....tough road ahead.

 

[Professor Emeritus]

Suns earned it cause the Lakers didnt play well enough. They needed to play somebody like Portland or Memphis in the 1st round to get some rhythm.

Crazy part is that even without the rhythm, they pretty clearly were going to win if AD doesn't get hurt.

But with AD hurt it wasn't going to happen against the Suns.

Honestly, unless Bron was magically going to heal between series I really doubt the Lakers would have won it even with AD healthy. Their supporting cast was shyt and Bron wasn't going to be able to take over like necessary the way he's been ever since the ankle injury.

 

[///Vega+++]

Covid19 vaccine side effects

 

[cobra]

Lebron and AD with a fake ring, fukk the lakers and lebron

It’s disingenuous to pretend that Bron benefited from the bUbble

as if he hasn’t delivered in regular playoff environments too

 

[MostReal]

Mickey Mouse ring