Well,

Lakers are currently in #7 spot, 1 game behind Utah, 2-3 games behind #4 and #5 Portland and Minnesota.

I am looking for them to finish the season strong, and move all the way to the #4 spot.

It's a shame the Lakers weren't more focused for the entire season.

Right now, if season ended, they'd have to beat San Antonio on the road, then Sacramento on the road, and Dallas on the road, just to get to the NBA finals --- that's one monster trial by fire.

Dallas is a joke; but Spurs are Kings are absolutely legit!

I am not sure which spot they will end up in but I think they still can win it all no matter how many road games they need to play. Before the season started I thought the Kings would win it all, so I'll stick with that prediction.

I too think the Kings are the odds-on favorite to win, simply b/c the Lakers haven't shown any interest in playing defense for 4 quarters.

But, give them a freaking 15 point deficit in the 4th quarter and watch out, they play better defense than the guards at Fort Knox!

Still, I'll root for my Lakers and hope Kobe gets red hot during the play-offs.

He was unconscious tonight vs Jordan and the Wizards, raining 3-pointers from way beyond the 3-point line. 42 points in one half!!

Don't worry, the Nets will win it all, no worries there!

Tim

stkmtimo --- aren't you surprised by how much the Nets have tailed off in the 2nd half?

Nets could beat the Mavs, but they'll have a tough time vs Kings, Spurs, and my Lakers.

Go Kobe!?!!!!!

I still think the Lakers are the team to beat. The way that Kobe has been playing has put this team right up there with the Kings.

I don't think it matters though which position they get. Lakers versus the Kings will determine who wins the championship.

podstock - yeah, surprised they weren't doing to well. I went to the Memphis Grizzlies game the other day at the Continental Airlines Arena and it was great. I'm going to another game tonight against the Warriors. GO NETS! :)

Tim

I am a Lakers fan, and think they will finish the season in the #6 spot. I think they can win another championship but it will be much more difficult then in the past. I feel that Sacramento has the best chance to beat the Lakers, and if they Lakers don't win, they will.

don't count out the Spurs --- they've beaten Sacramento at Arco.

And they've got as much quickness as the Kings, something my Lakers are sorely lacking, except for Kobe.

Jannero Pargo's pretty quick; perhaps he'll be the Tyronn Lue of 2003 and help slow down Tony Parker and Mike Bibby, much like Lue helped "contain" Iverson back in 2001

Phil's been playing him more minutes lately

I don't know about 4th, maybe 5th. Hopefully 5th

Hi Lakerswiz.....welcome to the board.

Lakers only about 2 1/2 games from Portland, and Lakers hold the tiebreaker.

Only 1/2 games from #5 spot.

Tomorrow, Lakers play Suns at Staples; MN plays Portland, after losing to Suns today.

Should be a good day tomorrow, as long as Lakers win, they'll gain ground on MN or Portland.

well, as of now, we're in #6 spot, having moved 1 game ahead of Utah.

Currently hope we can at least tie Portland or Minnesota for #4 or #5....we hold the tiebreakers over both of them

Boy, it's gonna be real tough gauntlet we face in the play-offs this year.

Assuming San Antonio grabs #1 spot; Sacramento #2, and Dallas falls to #3, and the Lakers stay at #6 (most likely scenario, unless Portland or Minnesota tanks in these last few games)....

Then we play Dallas in 1st round, play Sacramento in 2nd round, and play San Antonio for the right to appear in the NBA Finals.

Talk about running the gauntlet, eh?

Sacramento/San Antonio/Lakers----whoever wins the west will destroy the Eastern team.

update - 4/9/03:

Beat Dallas again last night (Dallas hasn't won at Staples Center/Fabulous Forum for the last 25 straight games, or about 10-12 years).

Boy, talk about a psychological edge. Kobe had 14, Shaq and 14, and THREE other Lakers, led by Devean, scored more.

Heck, Kobe didn't have a shot attempt in 1st quarter.

We're still 1 game behind both Portland and Minnesota for 4th or 5th spot.

Lakers hold the tie-breaker over both teams. And we play Portland this Sunday AT Portland.

Toughest game left will be this Thursday, vs Kings at home.

Right now, we're slated to play Dallas in 1st round.

4/10 update: Lakers 117, Kings 104.

Lakers now in 5th place; tie with Minnesota (Lakers have the better conference record; both are 2-2 vs each other).

Just a tremendous defensive effort (yes, Kings did score over 100 points; but the way the Lakers play defense all season, Kings should've scored 135+ points).

Granted, the Kings missed a number of outside shots, and were 0 for 12 in 3-point attempts before Bobby Jackson hit one.

The roles players are stepping up; Fisher's done a great job, esp. being 5-for-5 from 3-point land tonight. Pargo is the Tyron Lue of this year; he did a good job just pestering Bibby, but not really stopping him.

Pargo's quick, so is Kareem Rush. Shouldn't be long before Pargo and Rush become starters and Fox & Fisher are the reserves.

Devean George rebounding well.

Now, it's on to Portland at their Rose Garden this coming Sunday.

If we win there, 4th place is ours, assuming we don't lose to Denver afterwards, lol.

One more meaningful game left, and that is Portland. The last 2 should be easy.

Boy, that would be nice to get #4 spot, even if that means having to face Spurs in 2nd round, then Sacramento in W. Conf. Final.

Talk about running the gauntlet!!

I still say untill someone actually beats the Lakers, any talk about the playoffs are a waste of time.

Iggy, I couldn't agree more.

But this year, more than the last 3 years, the Lakers actually seem incapable of playing defense.

Fisher and Fox are old and slow (we need Pargo and Kareem Rush to develop really fast!; and Devean to continue improving).

Shaq plays when he wants to play.

Only Kobe has consistently played tough defense all year round.

It's gonna be one EXCITING play-off!!!!!

4/11 update: well, it appears things are looking very favorable for the Lakers.

Blazers lost to the Memphis Grizzlies, and are fading fast, losers of 7 of 11.

Timberwolves beat the Clippers tonight.

So, #4 is Lakers, #5 is Wolves is playoffs started today.

All Lakers need to do is win out to get #4, starting with Portland at the Rose Garden this coming Sunday.

Blazers, if they're smart, would lose this game and stick to #6. They have a much better shot to oust the Mavs than to play with the Lakers.

4/14/03: well that was an egg the Lakers laid on Sunday, losing by 2 points on a clutch last second 3-pointer by Rasheed.

Lakers just went through the motions in the 1st half; then decided to play in the 4th quarter.

It's a shame they can't keep up the intensity for at least 3 quarters, rather than falling behind and then rallying in the 4th quarter. Most times, it doesn't work.

Next year, we gotta replace Fox and Fisher; they are getting up there in years, and serve better as veterans coming off the bench. I'd replace Pargo for Fisher and Rush for Fox; that way, the second team coming off the bench becomes that much stronger.

Needless to say, Lakers had the chance to win out and get 4th spot; instead, it's likely they are headed for #6 slot and destined to play the Mavericks, a dangerous offensive team without a defense.

2 games left, against Golden St. and Denver. Still a chance for the 4th spot; but not likely. Minnesota badly wants home court advantage so they can finally advance to the 2nd round. They're playing well!.

Next game is Tuesday.....

4/15 update: well, after the Blazers won tonight, it looks like the Lakers, barring a loss tomorrow by Blazers (at Clippers) or Timberwolves (at Memphis Grizzlies), are slotted for #6 and will play Dallas in 1st round. Best Lakers can hope for is a loss by either team to get #5 spot.

Either way, looks like Lakers will need to get past BOTH Spurs and Kings just to get to the NBA Finals.

Tomorrow is the last day of regular season. Lakers are at Golden State at 7:30 pm PST; MN plays at 5 pm PST; Portland at 7:30 pm PST. So, by tip off time, Lakers should get a good idea of whether or not MN wins.

Play off schedules come out Thursday morning.

On a sidenote: Lakers played the Nuggets, who have apparently made their tee times appointment. Shaq and Kobe played 1st and 3rd quarters; role players played most of the game, and the Lakers dominated the ENTIRE game. Just a sad sad state for Denver when they are behind by 14 after the 1st quarter, Shaq and Kobe sit, and Denver falls behind by 20+ at halftime.

4/16/03 update: Lakers beat the Warriors; Wolves beat the Grizzlies, Blazers lost to the Clippers.

Result --- Lakers at Minnesota.

Full schedules come out tomorrow morning.

As for the Lakers-Warriors game, it was pretty entertaining, and Kobe got his 39th point, which gave him 30 points per game average for the entire season.

No one got hurt.

Bring on them wolves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lakers now have 2 dilemmas, and both could affect whether or not they advance.

1. Shaq's relative died today; and Shaq might miss a game to attend the funeral, which hasn't yet been scheduled.

2. Shaq's wife is expecting very soon, baby due April 27th, the date of game 4.

awww, farking &%$$&#&

Lakers / Wolves - Should make for a good game if Shaq dont play! Otherwise the diesel will run them over.

without Shaq, Wolves would win, b/c they could double- or triple-team Kobe. When you triple-team Kobe, you stop him.

Our team is not built on dribble-drive and penetration and then shooting. Only Kobe is able to create shots for himself and, more importantly, make them.

Fisher, Fox, Horry -- these are all set shooters. If dribble drive and shoot, high odds of them missing shots.

That's why Shaq is vital, b/c then Kobe doesn't get triple-teamed.

Next year, I suspect that Fisher and Fox will be more of reserve players, and Devean George and Pargo will replace them.

Time to upgrade. Fisher and Fox would make great reserves, with their championship experience. But they are much too slow to keep up with quicker plays. George and Pargo will get their shots to be starters next year.

well, Shaq's wife had labor induced today, and they have a baby boy.

Looks like Shaq won't miss game 4 next Sunday, when the baby had been scheduled to be due


------------------------------------------------------------------------

O'Neal's wife gives birth to their third child
April 19, 2003
SportsLine.com wire reports

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Shaquille O'Neal's wife gave birth to a baby boy early Saturday, eliminating any chance that the Los Angeles Lakers center might skip a playoff game to witness the birth.

Shaunie O'Neal gave birth to the couple's third child at 1:52 a.m. at a Los Angeles-area hospital, team spokesman John Black said. He did not provide the baby's name or other details.

O'Neal was excused from Saturday's practice. He was scheduled to fly on his own to Minneapolis late Saturday for Sunday's opening game of a first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"We're really happy for the delivery of a child and the fact that everything's safe and sound and we can go forward from there," coach Phil Jackson said. "Hopefully he can get to Minneapolis, get some rest and be ready to play the first game. That's a pivotal game for every team."

O'Neal had said he could not rule out missing a game to witness the birth. The due date was April 27, the same day as Game 4 of the best-of-7 series between the Timberwolves and the Lakers.

Teammate Kobe Bryant said he would not be surprised if O'Neal had a big game Sunday despite his expected late arrival in Minneapolis.

"You just roll off the adrenaline," said Bryant, who scored 48 points in a 2001 playoff game at Sacramento after leaving the team to attend to a personal matter.

The birth comes days after the death of O'Neal's maternal grandfather, Sirlester O'Neal. Funeral services are expected to be held this week in South Carolina, Black said. O'Neal is expected to attend.

a dominating performance by the Lakers, who started out hot, and continued applying the pressure.

Unlike the regular season, the effort was there for all 4 quarters; the starters stepped up. Kobe carried in 1st half; Shaq in 2nd half.

Wolves played a great game; excellent shooting percentage; but they just couldn't stop the Lakers offense.

About the only complaint with this game from the Lakers point of view is that no one other than George scored from the bench players.

We need more bench scoring.

Next game is Tuesday; it's a must-win game for the Wolves. Being down 2-0 means series is over. You CANNOT beat the Lakers 4 out of 5 games, and that would be what the wolves are facing if they lose game 2.

So much for the vaunted home court advantage.

Spurs lost it on 2 lucky bank shots....I expect Spurs to eventually win.

Pacers lost it by being overconfident in 4th quarter, and a red-hot clutch shooting Paul Pierce. This series could be won by either team.

Pistons lost to T-Mac and his buddies from Orlando. I am expecting an upset here.

And of course, the one road game that most people predicted came true with Wolves losing to Lakers.

I feel bad for KG --- he just doesn't have help. Wally was shut down, which is easy to do by applying close pressure, as I said before.

The rest of the Wolves wouldn't be good enough to start on the Lakers team.

Still expecting the Wolves to capture at least 1 game, perhaps 2 if Shaq misses a game.

well, as expected this Tuesday evening, the Lakers blew chunks.

As has been their niche this entire season, Lakers played "ole" defense, waiting to see if the shooters from MN would miss.

Never understood this strategy employed by the Lakers. I am baffled as to why they don't play defense in 1st half, and only start the defense after losing by 15 in the 4th quarter.

Just absolutely farking baffling.

But, at the same time, you have to give the Wolves credit. Under tremendous pressure to win Game 2, they responded.

While I expect the Lakers to grab the series in 5, and at worse, 6 games....there's an old saying that you let sleeping dogs lie. When you've got a team down, you stomp on their throats and take out all the oxygen. Never let them see the light of day, for they may be the ones to come bite you in the arse.

Just a terrible game played by Kobe, who decided he wasn't going to shoot much today.

Great win by KG and his Wolves. At worse, they play one more game at Target Center.

(SIGH)....I could've predicted this type of effort (or lack thereof) from the Lakers.

4/23: an off-day before game 3 is played at Staples Center.

Boy, did the Lakers look horrible in game 2.

We will see whether or not they decide to play some defense Thursday night.

On a side note: all series are now tied 1-1 except for 2-0 leads by Sacramento and Dallas. Webber with a sprain back is a HUGE concern. They can't beat Lakers without Webber.

well, Lakers won, but barely.

I shouldn't say Lakers won, in so much as the Wolves lost it; they didn't know how to play with such pressure.

Pretty much the 4th quarter, Hudson was sitting on the bench, this guy had been 5-5 on 3-pointers in the game. Then when he comes back, they don't run their successful pick-and-roll.

Wolves had their chance to close it out.

It's been confirmed today -- Rick Fox has a torn tendon in his foot, seen via MRI.

That means Devean George is going to have to step it up big time and earn that multi-year $18+M contract he just signed.

Boy, this is a tough one!!

Fox isn't as athletic as he used to be, but he can flat-out stop Wally, and Peja.

Deveans much more athletic, but his inexperience is going to get him unneeded fouls.

Next game is tomorrow!!!

Lakers 120, Wolves 90....that's right, it's not a misprint.

Fisher started the game with 2 3-pointers, and the Laker role players stepped it up tonight, as they began hitting their shots.

Even Horry, who hadn't made a 3-pointer in the play-offs, joined the fun with 2 treys and 12 points.

But, most impressive was Devean George, who held his own offensively vs Wally, scoring 10 points, and totally stifled Wally on the defense.

wow, Wally has 17 turnovers to 8 assists through 5 games.

Shaq had another tremendous game, 27 points and 11 rrebounds. I think ESPN said Shaq has about 10-12 straight 25+ games and 10+ rebounds, only about 4 away from all time record for such consistency.

Kobe made a spectacular reverse dunk that I had to hold my breath and pray he didn't re-injure his hurt shoulder. Kobe had 32 points; and unfortuntately, has begun to whine to referees on almost every play. Just shut up and play!!

Can the Lakers shut the Wolves down in Game 6, or will they revert to their regular season form and play soft???

4/29/03: Wednesday is an off-day for both Lakers vs Wolves, and the Spurs vs. Suns.

both play tomorrow, with the chance to close it out. If Spurs and Lakers win, game 1 is most likely on ABC on Sunday.

I think Suns can take this to 7 games before losing; but Lakers, by winning game 5, basically have this series. It's a matter of whether they want to win it at home, or on the road at Minnesota in game 7.

This was a dream series for Jerry Buss, as the Lakers played all 3 home games for 1st round, bringing in $$$$$$.

Imagine if Lakers swept; that'd be only 2 home games.

The reason I say this is b/c Lakers made $2-5M last year in play-off revenues. And given that they'll most likely be on the road vs. Spurs and then Kings and lose a few games, this means 3 games will be played for Spurs series and Kings series.

The result--- doling out more money for next year's free agents.

Lakers 101-, Wolves 85

well, KG said before Game 4 that if Wolves win that game, and go up 3-1, series is over.

Kobe said: "..big words....now back it up..."

Lakers, down 2-1, won Game 4, dominated game 5, and finished off the Wolves in game 6.

Wolves played a tremendous series, esp. Hudson (remember Austin Croshere and his big plays in 2000 Finals that resulted in him getting $75M+ multi year deal right after that series; and remember Bibby last year, and that $80M+ deal)....well, Hudson played himself into a very rich contract.

But, he wore himself down with full court pressure defense in games 2-4. And was totally ineffective in games 5-6.

KG needs help; and Timberwolves management, including that Kevin Mchale, just stinks.

First, there was the Joe Smith collusion deal. Smith has not done a single thing since being #1 draft pick coming out of college. Heck, he doesn't even start in this series. So b/c of the Smith collusion, Wolves lost draft picks through 2004.

Second, there is Wally Szerbiack (sic). I lived in MN for 2 years; it may get to be minus-degrees weather, but the sports fans are intelligent. No one will tell you that Wally is anything other than your above average bench player. Yet, he just signed a $63M contract extension for 6 more years.

Third, add that $10M+/year to KG $25M/year, and that's over 60% of salary cap.

Meanwhile Kobe and Shaq make up about 70% of salary cap. Comparing Kobe and Shaq to KG and Wally is so overwhelmingly towards the Lakers advantage that it's sad.

How do the Wolves get out of the 1st round? Get rid of Wally. He does well in regular season; but in play-offs, all teams play good defense, and if you face-guard Wally, he shrinks. Then, get KG to take a paycut. He's gotten $124M since coming out of high school; that's more than Shaq got.

If you're paid more than Shaq, you're over-paid.

They need to free up salary cap space to add another superstar. Or do the Mark Cuban thing, and spend $100M team salary, and paid the luxury tax.

On to San Antonio....where they play game 1 Monday night at 6:30 pm EST.

My take on this series sometime this weekend.

Lakers down by 2 points with 14.7 seconds to go; they came back from a 23 point 4th quarter deficit.

And Robert Horry takes the final shot?

godddammm farking Lakers.

Farking Horry can't hit a goddammmm 3-pointer if his life depended on it, and instead of having Kobe shoot the ball, he passes it off to Horry?

Horry's ain't been even hitting the farking rim, much less making shots, in this whole play-offs, and he takes the shot.

Fark Kobe..he ball hogs on practically every possession, then when he should be shooting the ball, he passes it??

Who the fark drew up this piece of **** play?

Perhaps Phil Jackson wasn't gettig enough blood flowing to his head when the play was drawn up during a time out.

Why do you let a shooter take a shot when he couldn't make shots the entire post-season, as well as the regular season?

Farking Lakers!!!

One more loss, and I will be out of my misery. No need to watch these bullsh*t games where they don't play for 3 quarters.

Just one more loss