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Originally Posted by TheAcAvenger

Kobe Bryant is the undisputed best player in the league. In the playoffs, you've got to do more for your team than in the regular season. You look back at the great playoff performances.. you think of Magic going way beyond his typical numbers, you think of Jordan, you think of Iverson taking the 76ers to the finals with Matt Geiger!? You think of Billups' performances in the Finals against LA. You think of Tony Parker last year. To win it all, somebody HAS to play beyond how well they play in the playoffs. For the Lakers to win a ring without Shaq, Kobe's going to have to play at the highest level, even with the talent surrounding him.

Which we've seen through this summer's Team USA games and the 50 odd games this season.

Originally Posted by TheAcAvenger

On the topic of Bynum. Bynum put 13, 8, and 2 against the Knicks in 38 minutes of play. By comparison, david lee put up 12 points and 13 rebounds in 31 minutes. So Bynum's numbers are good, but he's hardly dominant.

Are you saying you would take David Lee over Bynum? I think if you do, EVERY SINGLE coach, GM, and analyst in the NBA will disagree with you. Other than Isiah Thomas of course.

Originally Posted by TheAcAvenger

Mentioning regular season performances against Kurt Thomas and Tim Duncan is completely irrelevant. Veterans don't play hard during the regular season.

So I guess Kobe's a rookie, not a veteran.

Originally Posted by TheAcAvenger

You've got old teams like the Mavs, Spurs, and Pistons who are already proven. They play hard enough to get decent playoff standings and that's that. On the other hand, Bynum and the Lakers have a LOT to prove at this point, so of course they come hard every game.

Which makes this team VERY dangerous. And now they added another big gun to back it up.

Originally Posted by TheAcAvenger

On the topic of Pau Gasol, yes, he goes to the post when there's no one in the post who will bang with him. For instance, against the clippers last night, Gasol went to the post. Rewind to the Suns game a week ago (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/shotch...meId=280220021)... Put Shaq and Amare in the equation and Gasol fades away to the perimeter.

Shaq was a non-factor. Gasol did fade away, nifty footworks for layups, and also semi-sky hooks in the post. They outscore the Suns in the post with Shaq and Amare there. And thats all Gasol need to do.