"Kepp living ur sad lives wit ur fat, ugly wives" message?

Didn't approve of that message. Why would I leave in a message I did not approve? Does that make any sense?

This message has been removed by the administrator.

Wow, so much to go through - fkn Heat fans, they just never know when to shut up!  They are literally the gift that keeps on giving here at the Heat Haters Club, reinforcing the reality that Heat fans are the most loathesome fans on these boards.


Punchline:

"Kepp living ur sad lives wit ur fat, ugly wives" message?

Didn't approve of that message. Why would I leave in a message I did not approve? Does that make any sense?

Because you have to take the good with the bad if you're going to align yourself with your ignoramus bretheren - no sense in "approving" of 3/4 of the dufus' post!


Turnip:

210 minutes until the world champion Miami Heat take the court tonite for their scrimmage.  Jefe, any problem with the Heat throwing another FREE event tonight for the fans who can't normally get into the lower bowl?  Should they hold back on the dancers and the music for you?

Hey, whatever floats your idiotic fan base's boat.  Heck, no need to stop with the dancers and music, may as well break out the pyrotechnics and the hydraulics again - I'm sure they're still leftover from your moronic "Yes.We.Did.Celebration".


Stunnah:

Of course you do, you're both equally illiterate and ignorant - birds of a feather flock together!

But punchline, what's the matter...why stop there?  Why not further endorse Stunnah's "Kepp living ur sad lives wit ur fat, ugly wives" message?

Did I hit a nerve boy?

Judging by tha hating goin on its easy to see that tha LeBron haters are unhappy with their lives. Sorry u are stuck in fail

Me an Bron will keep winning at life an u can keep hatin

Only a LeBron ball-washer would naturally portray themselves as "winners" and Heat Haters as "unhappy with their lives" and "stuck in fail".

No Stunnah, you have struck no nerve - just reinforcing a stereotype.  And, don't worry, the hate lives on here at the HHC as it always has, and probably always will - that is until "One And Done" takes hold and the wheels start falling off as "Three Kings" starting thinking about taking their talents elsewhere.

Been off of this board for a little bit. Not much has changed, I see!! LOL!!

I see 8 mile is back on what? His 3rd or 4th screenname?

As for the Heat championship being tainted.......as much as I dislike the Heat, I can't agree with that. Lockout or no lockout, the Heat won the championship playing under the exact same rules that everyone else played under. They played the same number of regular seson games and won the number of games necessary to win a championship.

If the Lakers had won and Heat fans were on here trying to claim it was tainted, myself and every other Laker fan would be all over them about it. Nothing wrong with hating the Heat (they are the NBA's most hateable team, after all), but the championship is definitely not tainted, no matter how much folks outside of Miami might want it to be.

As for the Heat championship being tainted.......as much as I dislike the Heat, I can't agree with that.

UH-OH trojanfan. Be prepared for jefe to come on and revoke your hater club card in 3......2......1....BOOM!  

UH-OH trojanfan. Be prepared for jefe to come on and revoke your hater club card in 3......2......1....BOOM!

LOL!! Just can't claim the Heat championship is tainted if I wouldn't say the same about the Lakers if they won it!! Maybe jefe would have considered it tainted if the Lakers won it, but for me, I would celebrate it just like any other championship they've won.

Jefe is a clown.

Title tainted my ass. He damn well know if the Lakers happen to win the title this year he would not say a word  about it being tainted.

That's what I like about trojanfan....He is as honest as they come

LOL!! Just can't claim the Heat championship is tainted if I wouldn't say the same about the Lakers if they won it!! Maybe jefe would have considered it tainted if the Lakers won it, but for me, I would celebrate it just like any other championship they've won.

tf12, you're Lakers brethren, so naturally I will cut you the slack you richly deserve, you are certainly entitled to your opinion on the matter...but you should know that had the Lakers somehow managed to win a title last season, I'd have no choice but to reconcile myself with its * nature, just as Spurs fans had to resolve themselves to the realities of their 1999 championship.  Don't get me wrong, I'd still celebrate it, but I'd have no legit counter to any Laker hater who might've come at me screaming, "tainted!"

Bottom line is that the lockout shortened season truncated and wrought havoc with the normalcy of the NBA season - most notably manifested in two key ways; 1) the elimination of training camp/preseason, which helps teams that have made drastic changes to their rosters effectively prepare themselves for the rigors of the season, and 2) the compressed regular season, which greatly contributed to a proliferation of significant injuries to key players, while also disallowing teams (especially those with roster shake-ups) from implementing a systematized practice schedule.

Teams like the Heat and Thunder, who basically underwent the least amount of change between the '10-'11 and '11-'12 seasons were able to weather the storm the best...and I believe it showed.

All that said, and whether you subscribe to those rationalizations or not, the reason I love invoking the * asterisk * where it concerns the 2012 "world champion" Heat is because it's the first (and probably the last) "title" that the "Three Kings" will have won together in Heat uniforms since "taking their talents to South Beach"...making "Yes.We.Did" sound a little more like, "Yeah.I.Guess.We.Kinda.Did".

Good luck defending your * title, biatches!

nature, just as Spurs fans had to resolve themselves to the realities of their 1999 championship. 

Not that I believe the Spurs title was tainted but this lockout was not the same as the 1999 lockout. In one lockout season they played 80% of the games while in the other they played 60% of the games. You're comparing the 2 seasons like they were exactly the same.

Like TF said the Heat played by the same rules as the others and were the best team.

Bottom line is that the lockout shortened season truncated and wrought havoc with the normalcy of the NBA season - most notably manifested in two key ways; 1) the elimination of training camp/preseason, which helps teams that have made drastic changes to their rosters effectively prepare themselves for the rigors of the season, and

Neither training camp nor preseason was eliminated.....They were shortened but never eliminated.

Honestly Jefe which team that made drastic changes would have been final contenders in the usual 82 game season? And BTW the Clippers who made dramatic changes was looking like the 2nd best team in the west for the first 1.5 months until the injury bug hit them so if they could do it why not the others?

2) the compressed regular season, which greatly contributed to a proliferation of significant injuries to key players, while also disallowing teams (especially those with roster shake-ups) from implementing a systematized practice schedule

Did the Heat not have injuries to significant players or did I miss that part? D-Wade got injured early in the season and never completely recovered from that injury which led to surgery on that knee in the summer. I will say it once again, not one of those teams who made big time roster shake ups would have been true title contenders with or without a shortened season. The bitching you do on here is hilarious.

Teams like the Heat and Thunder, who basically underwent the least amount of change between the '10-'11 and '11-'12 seasons were able to weather the storm the best...and I believe it showed.

And neither team finish on top of their conference at the end of the regular season.

where it concerns the 2012 "world champion" Heat is because it's the first (and probably the last) "title"

You said the Heat would never win a title with Lebron remember that? The Heat are scary good when the playoffs roll around and last year we saw that in the NYK and OKC series when they were at full strength. Last year in the playoffs when the Heat had their entire big 3 they went 11-3 in the playoffs.

"One And Done" punchline, my sad little friend...one and done!

If I were you, I'd be getting ready to take a long, hard look at that "* championship banner raising" ceremony of yours coming up on opening day, and really try to soak it in, because that's as good as it's gonna get for you Godforsaken Heat fans.

"One And Done" punchline, my sad little friend...one and done!

If I were you, I'd be getting ready to take a long, hard look at that "* championship banner raising" ceremony of yours coming up on opening day, and really try to soak it in, because that's as good as it's gonna get for you Godforsaken Heat fans.

And last year at this point it was Lebron will always stay ringless....What will it be next year? No way they get the 3 peat?

...3 peat?  Wow!  WTG punchline!

tf12, you're Lakers brethren, so naturally I will cut you the slack you richly deserve, you are certainly entitled to your opinion on the matter...but you should know that had the Lakers somehow managed to win a title last season, I'd have no choice but to reconcile myself with its * nature, just as Spurs fans had to resolve themselves to the realities of their 1999 championship.  Don't get me wrong, I'd still celebrate it, but I'd have no legit counter to any Laker hater who might've come at me screaming, "tainted!"

At least you are consistent in that. My defense to Laker haters would be the same defense as mine is re: the Heat's championship. All teams operated under the same rules. They had the same amount of training camp and played the same number of games. If it turned out the Heat were conducting a clandestine training camp while everybody else was locked out, then I would agree that the title was tainted. I would also be pissed at the Lakers for not thinking of it!! LOL!!

Bottom line is that the lockout shortened season truncated and wrought havoc with the normalcy of the NBA season - most notably manifested in two key ways; 1) the elimination of training camp/preseason, which helps teams that have made drastic changes to their rosters effectively prepare themselves for the rigors of the season, and 2) the compressed regular season, which greatly contributed to a proliferation of significant injuries to key players, while also disallowing teams (especially those with roster shake-ups) from implementing a systematized practice schedule.

Teams like the Heat and Thunder, who basically underwent the least amount of change between the '10-'11 and '11-'12 seasons were able to weather the storm the best...and I believe it showed.

True, but all teams were operating under the same rules. Teamd did not have to make a bunch of changes if they didn't want to. For those that did, it was a risk that they chose to take.

"Yeah.I.Guess.We.Kinda.Did".

That would make for a great t-shirt!!   

      

  

     

"Teams like the Heat and Thunder, who basically underwent the least amount of change between the '10-'11 and '11-'12 seasons were able to weather the storm the best...and I believe it showed."


Jefe, this is just SUCH a stupid statement. 

Bosh, the Heats ONLY decent Big went down in the most critical part of the season and yet they found a way to regroup on the fly against the Pacers, Celts, and Thunder.   Playing 16 more games, having everything back that was lost because of the lockout  couldn't prepare you for that.


"Good luck defending your * title, biatches!"


I have never seen a more loaded Heat roster then what I saw in the AAA tonite. We might not be the most conventional, but we are loaded.

I know there are other good teams out there, nothing will be easy, and you can't predict injuries, but I can't do anything but laugh at your ignorance if you honeslty don't think this team is anything besides built to win again this year.



FYI, Batteir started the night off by burrying a 3 on one end of the court, the Allen promply buried a 3 on the other end with his first shot.

The fans went crazy.

This team is in shape, in the right frame of mind and ready to go.

They ran 2 plays for Bosh behind the 3 point line and he buried them both.

You could see the improvement in Cole and Harris.

Miller hit 3 3 's in a row, but his back was already looking shaky.             

That would be the only downside of the night that I saw.  



         

      

Miller hit 3 3 's in a row, but his back was already looking shaky.    

If we can get 55-60 regular season games from Miller along with a complete playoffs run with him, I will take it.

"If we can get 55-60 regular season games from Miller along with a complete playoffs run with him, I will take it."


Everyone would be happy with that, but throwing that number out there is nothing more then wishing.


Thing about his situation is that he had the whole summer off, basically shut down until a couple weeks ago.

He was already lying there on the floor when he wasn't in the game, always strecthing, and looking uncomfortable.


Yesterday was a scrimmage, there was no real fighting for rebounds (except UD), there was no diving on the floor for loose balls (for the most part, and for sure not Mike).


Of course it helps to have a player who can shoot like Mike. 7 3's in the clinching game. A threat everytime the ball leaves his hands.

Fortunatley the Heats situation is greatly improved from where it was 2 seasons ago.

Even if Mike is limited, we still have Battier, Jones (who I don't see getting many quality minute at all), Allen, Lewis, Chalmers, and believe it or not, now Bosh.


EIther way, I don't see any situation where this isn't Millers last season either by amnesty or retirement.   


                      

Ha Ha Turnip! Tell your man crush boy LeBum James to learn how to hit a jump shot! 

Roto:  The National Basketball Association announced Wednesday a new rule aimed at eliminating flopping. Any player guilty of flopping will be subject to a warning, followed by a $5,000 fine for a second violation. The fine will increase $5,000 for a third and fourth violation, while a fifth flop will cost a player $30,000. Six or more violations will lead to an increased fine and/or suspension.     
 

Jefe, this is just SUCH a stupid statement. 

Bosh, the Heats ONLY decent Big went down in the most critical part of the season and yet they found a way to regroup on the fly against the Pacers, Celts, and Thunder.

That's nice, turnip - tell that to the Bulls and Magic who had to deal with the catastrophic injuries to Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard, two of the league's elite players - freak occurrences that essentially killed their seasons, and your competition, due to perhaps the undue strain of a heavily compressed season.

"Good luck defending your * title, biatches!"

I know there are other good teams out there, nothing will be easy, and you can't predict injuries, but I can't do anything but laugh at your ignorance if you honeslty don't think this team is anything besides built to win again this year.

The Heat may be built to contend, but they're not going to repeat as champions - and it's not that they can't, I'm simply saying that they won't.  There are too many not just good, but great teams out there that will have had the benefit of a gloriously conventional season to adequately prepare themselves, while building the requisite momentum, to knock the Heat off their * championship, house-of-cards pedestal.

The time has come to mercifully put an end to all this Heat championship nonsense and return the league to normalcy.

The fans went crazy.

That's lovely turnip.  Knock yourselves out celebrating you're "One And Done" asterisk title, because it's all downhill from here on in.

That's nice, turnip - tell that to the Bulls and Magic who had to deal with the catastrophic injuries to Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard, two of the league's elite players - freak occurrences that essentially killed their seasons, and your competition, due to perhaps the undue strain of a heavily compressed season.

Orlando was never a championship contender. With the circus that Dwight was running there they were bound to be eliminated in the first round either way. They finished right where they would have with Dwight. At best they would have finished 5th and earned a first round date with a red hot Celtics team.

Blaming Dwight back injury on the schedule is comical. A torn ACL can happen to anyone.

FYI Orlando was never our competition. Nobody ever considered Orlando a threat to Miami.

There are too many not just good, but great teams out there that will have had the benefit of a gloriously conventional season to adequately prepare themselves

Too many great teams? LOL that's a good one. There are 3 great teams and we all know who those teams are.

"That's nice, turnip - tell that to the Bulls and Magic who had to deal with the catastrophic injuries to Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard, two of the league's elite players - freak occurrences that essentially killed their seasons, and your competition, due to perhaps the undue strain of a heavily compressed season"



Jefe, unfortunatley (except for jerks like you who wish serious injury on players) injuries happen.  My opinion s that Howards injury may have prevented the Magic from possibly making round 2, but I doubt they would have went any further. Let's remember that Howards antics destroyed that team way before his back did.

As far as Rose, yes, the Bulls season was probably cut short.  Could they have beat Boston in round 2? Maybe, maybe not. I'm going with maybe not.

Either way, I don't see how they could have given the Heat any more of a battle then Boston did in the ECF.


And more to the point, the injuries to all 3 had nothing to do with the season being shortened by the lockout.


"I'm simply saying that they won't.  "

Free country Jefe, so knock yourself out with the predictions, but let's remember that last year you said   they "never would", so in essence, you are already wrong forever. 


"There are too many not just good, but great teams out there "



So the Lakers are already great in your mind?  I thought teams needed to actually play games and win together to be great?  Wasn't that the theory when the Big 3 signed?   The Lakers, in a perfect world , potentially could be playing in June.   They could also lose in round 2 again if things don't pan out how your rose colored glasses are looking at things. IMO, your roster doesn't have near the pieces to defend the Heat. You will basically have to hope to force the Heat to shoot from the outside and hope some of the deadliest shoters in the league have bad games.

What more likely would happen is that the Heat would spread the floor, force Gasol/Howard away from the basket, and James /Wade easily get past their defender.   

Who are the other great teams? Ok City? I feel  they are still probabaly the best team in the West.  Their roster was actually in the Finals last year so that group has proven to me they have what it takes to get there. However, for them to have a chance, they need Harden and someone else to be trusted to score. Durant/Westbrook alone isn't enough.

Give me the rest of your list though.  Tell me how playing the same amount of games  as the Heat will eventually make them better then the Heat.  


I thought the ONE thing that we at least all agreed on around here was that the regular season means very little for the eilte teams.

Now all of the suden, you feel like we need more regualr season games?


        


   

    

      

And more to the point, the injuries to all 3 had nothing to do with the season being shortened by the lockout.

You don't know that.  It's not so much the shortened season / 16 less games that made last season so different, it was the relentless, jarring nature of the compacted schedule - the back-to-back-to-backs, less practices, more games over less time, etc., etc.  I understand that this was a reality that all the teams had to deal with, the point is that one cannot help but to consider the season something of an extreme anomaly, hence the asterisk.

What more likely would happen is that the Heat would spread the floor, force Gasol/Howard away from the basket, and James /Wade easily get past their defender.

Tee-hee!  Who exactly on the Heat is going to be drawing Howard out from the painted area?  Dwight's defensive prowess as the Lakers last line of defense, combined with a slimmed-down Metta World Peace as the team's best man-on defender is exactly what may well take the Lakers over the top this season, not to mention a revitalized offense that will see a lot less ball handling by Kobe as Nash takes over the quarterbacking duties.

Give me the rest of your list though.  Tell me how playing the same amount of games as the Heat will eventually make them better then the Heat.

It's not about playing more games, it's about overall preparation for the season, routinized practices, building momentum, and strength through conditioning.  Listen turnip, the league simply got better this season.  In the East, the Heat's competition got better as the Nets and Sixers are much improved.  And, if I were you, I wouldn't sleep on the Pacers or Knicks, and the Celtics are actually arguably better by the addition by subtraction of Allen, allowing Avery Bradley and opportunity to really flourish.

Anyway, best of luck to you - as Miracle Max would say, "have fun storming the castle!"

"Tee-hee!  Who exactly on the Heat is going to be drawing Howard out from the painted area?  "

Jefe, the Heat has beaten the Lakers 3/4 the last 2 years when matching up to the Lakers playing a tradition type center . Where does your new found confience come from?

The one game you won, Bosh didn't play.


There are many lineupe that the Heat can put on the floor which would require Howard to go out and defend a shooter, or are you just going to let Bosh/Lewis stand 15 ft from the basket and shoot, for example?      

Or, let Howard stand under the basket with the floor spread and make the refs make calls. Howard is known for foul trouble. The Heat has the players who can force the action/calls.  


Anyway, chances are we will split the 2 regular season games. Who really cares?

Only time your team would ever become a concern to me is if they make the finals, and trust me, that is the matchup I am hoping for. Big time.   


"combined with a slimmed-down Metta World Peace"

Really Jefe? You think Heat fans are concerned about World Hate?  He's gonna guard James?  HAHAHAHAHA!!!! 


 "not to mention a revitalized offense that will see a lot less ball handling by Kobe as Nash takes over the quarterbacking duties"


Maybe , maybe not. we ARE talking about Kobe.    


" Listen turnip, the league simply got better this season. "


I agree, but so did the Heat, and most important, so did LeBron James. He simply IS the difference maker. I know the reality of it pains you, but there are alot of great players, and then there is James, a step ahead.   


"I wouldn't sleep on the Pacers or Knicks, and the Celtics are actually arguably better by the addition by subtraction of Allen, allowing Avery Bradley and opportunity to really flourish."


Once again, I agree. Nobody said it will/would be easy. As good as those teams are though, a better case can be made for the Heat .

There are a few teams that CAN win, but te Heat IS the team to beat. There is no logical way to argue that.


As far as your argument against the Heat in the East, wouldn;t you say the road through the West will be tougher?

You guys have a great chance, but so do a few other teams.Getting through the West could come down to who is most healthy. The competition level is that close IMO.          


    

Tee-hee!  Who exactly on the Heat is going to be drawing Howard out from the painted area?

So he's going to stay in the paint while Bosh is open for his money mid range shot? Heat fans will love that because it will be just like practice for Bosh as he will be shooting open mid range shots all game long.

If you don't think Bosh will draw Howard out of the paint then you clearly do not know basketball.

BTW Jefe if Howard is just planning on sitting under the rim and being a protector while Bosh or Lewis is sitting out on the perimeter, he will set a record for most defensive 3 second calls in NBA history.

If you don't think Bosh will draw Howard out of the paint then you clearly do not know basketball.

BTW Jefe if Howard is just planning on sitting under the rim and being a protector while Bosh or Lewis is sitting out on the perimeter, he will set a record for most defensive 3 second calls in NBA history.

< < y a w n ! > >

Pau checks Bosh, Jamison checks Lewis...Howard checks whichever one of your chump centers you care to throw into the game, which means Howard remains the Lakers last line of defense and left to deal with whoever may dare to penetrate into the painted area.

so Turnip's STILL stinking up the Heat haters club with his unedning pom-pom waving. ok, MORE deodorizer...






EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- This is where we found Dwight Howard, running      gracefully up and down the court, getting to his bread-and-butter spot      on the low block, passing out of imaginary double teams -- and finding      time to smile. It's been a few months since Howard made himself the most      loathed man in the NBA since LeBron James broke up with Cleveland on       national television, and it's striking that the early signs point to a       much swifter recovery.   

      For the limited time the media have been allowed to watch the Lakers       conduct five-on-oh drills in training camp this week, Howard has been      involved and engaged. There have been no ill effects evident from his       April back surgery or the far more invasive rehab needed on his public      image. The concentration is there, a desire to get it right and please      his coaches and new teammates as the Lakers learn a new Princeton-style      offense that, in theory, will get Howard a potent diet of one-on-one       scoring opportunities in the post

      But the biggest opportunity in Howard's first official work days as a       Laker has nothing to do with his game, his jump hook, or his footwork on       the block. It has to do with a new beginning, and by all accounts,       Howard is handling this much better than he handled the bitter end in       Orlando.   

      "I take the game very serious, but I'm going to have fun," Howard said      this week as the Lakers took the first steps of what will be a       fascinating journey. "I don't think just because I play for the Lakers      means I have to walk around and not smile and have fun. I think Magic       played with a smile on his face, but at the same time he got the job       done. I've been playing this game for a long time. I've been very      successful at the way I play. But I do understand, at times, that I'm       going to need to smile. Why not have fun?"   

      Well, because that has been the knock on Howard -- even during the good      old days in Orlando, when everyone was content and he wasn't awkwardly      trying, failing, and then trying again to escape. He was a kid trapped      in a giant's body; an almost mythical, Zeus-like figure who lacked the       seriousness of purpose to fully apply his outlandish physical gifts. To       the extent this was possible, he made a mockery of his impending free      agency in a clumsy way that eclipsed even LeBron's awkward and       polarizing exit from Cleveland. It took James nearly two full years to       recover from his mistakes, and his free-agent dance lasted barely an       hour on national TV. Howard's lasted months -- so many long, loathsome      months.   

      To all of this -- complaints about Howard's fun-loving, seemingly      careless approach to the game he has somehow not dominated enough, and       to the unsavory nature of his long, awkward good-bye to Orlando --       Howard's highly decorated new teammate is mounting a vigorous defense.       In an interview with CBSSports.com Wednesday, Kobe Bryant lampooned      those who think Howard's clownish past will clash with the dignified      cocoon of the Lakers and called out Howard's critics for what he       described as "double standards."   

      "I've heard that," Bryant said of Howard's reputation for immaturity,       "but I think that people confuse that with his effectiveness. He's had       an incredible career. Lack of focus is what, because he hasn't won a       championship? He went against teams that were just better. He's won,       what, three defensive player of the year awards? That's kind of tough to       say a person lacks focus when he has three defensive player of the year      awards. That sounds a little silly."   

      Indeed, Howard is the most dominant defender in the game, having led the       league in defensive rebounds for five straight years and total rebounds      in six of his eight seasons. He's 26 years old; who among us was       clear-eyed and mature at that age? As for the Dwightmare that gripped      the NBA for the entirety of last year's lockout-shortened season -- on       the heels of LeBron's "Decision" and Carmelo Anthony's drama-filled      departure from Denver to New York? It was the NBA's superstar, superteam      culture at its absolute worst. But Howard didn't create that culture,       and his was only one name on a long list of those who deserved blame.   

      "There's a lot of double standards going on in professional sports, and       basketball in particular," Bryant said. "Because when it's a player's       opportunity to make a business decision, they pull out the loyalty card.       When it's ownership's or management's turn to make a business decision,       it's a business decision. You can't have it both ways. And as a player,       I've always just stuck to my guns. And when it's on me to make a       business decision, I will make that business decision. And if you have      to be criticized for it, you have to be criticized for it. But you must      set a precedent for those coming after you that it's OK to make business      decisions. Because management, at the end of the day, will do that      themselves.   

      "I think it's kind of turned into more than it should've been because I       think both Dwight and Melo wanted to try to do the right thing      publicly," Bryant said. "'We are loyal to our teams, but nothing's       getting done here and we want to win.' So it's kind of a line that they      had to toe, and it kind of turned out to be a little more drama than      necessary, I think."   

      So while it isn't surprising for Bryant to have Howard's back in these      early days of their improbable pairing, it's nonetheless an important      piece of the fabric that was quilted so stunningly in July. Just when      the Lakers seemed poised to go oh-for-free agency and leave Bryant      unflanked in perhaps his last, best chance to chase his sixth      championship, GM Mitch Kupchak pulled Steve Nash and then Howard out of       some mystical, purple-and-gold wizard's cap. Poof, just like that,       Bryant was back in business -- and the Lakers had what appeared to be,       on paper, an unbeatable combination of talent and star power.   

      "We'll be ready when it counts," coach Mike Brown said. "We'll be in the       playoffs, and we'll be ready for that."   

      Of course, the Lakers' biggest and boldest acquisition also happens to       be their biggest unknown. Yet so far, in the infancy of this experiment       in talent, ego and maturity, reports of the Lakers' demise appear to       have been greatly exaggerated.   

      "The things that you have to understand are that the expectations are       high, all eyes are on you, and there's going to be pressure to deliver,"      said Pau Gasol, who even more so than Bryant will have to develop a       comfort level with Howard in the Lakers' new offensive scheme. "It's       obviously a big responsibility. You're wearing a shirt that you have to       carry yourself with class, elegance and responsibility and respect."   

      There they are, four words one right after another that Howard did not       exhibit at all during his escape from Orlando. But thus far, Gasol has       not seen the Howard he's heard about or competed against in the past.       He's seen a new teammate with a thousand-watt smile who finally seems      willing to match it with 100 percent commitment. "As far as I know so       far, the work that we've done together, he works very hard and there's       not many jokes on the floor," Gasol said. "So I think that's a positive      thing. He understands. He wants to win as much as anybody, and he wants      to win championships. So that's the right mindset to have from Day One."   

      And there, Gasol used the word that cures all: winning. Ultimately, that      is what ended LeBron's long public relations nightmare -- winning,       contributing mightily to winning and conducting himself in a dignified      manner while doing it. Perhaps no one in the sport understands that      better than the man who coached and lost LeBron, who also happens to be       the man who now coaches Howard.   

      "He just needs to be himself," Brown said. "And when he wins, all the       criticism is going to go away to a certain degree -- kind of like with      LeBron."   

      After emulating LeBron's mistakes, the only cure for Howard is to       replicate his triumph.





there we go. and no, Turnip. don't thank me... 















CL67

"there we go. and no, Turnip. don't thank me."


First of all CL, everyone thinks and expects the Lakers to be good, so what's your point?


Second, you proved my point of all of last year by jumpingon the bandwagon.


PLAYERS will determine who wins. Last I looked, Brown was still your coach.  You had no faith last year but this year you feel confident.


The only difference to change a mindset is PLAYERS.



         

CL, I see your copy/paste and raise you this:

Barkley thinks LeBron can be better than Jordan

<!-- T20453947 --> <!-- Sesame Modified: 10/04/2012 14:07:38 --> <!-- sversion: 2 $Updated: mpwhite$ -->

      NEW YORK -- Charles Barkley thinks LeBron James can be better than      Michael Jordan.   

      Jordan is considered by many the best player in NBA history, but Barkley      believes his teammate with the Dream Team can be surpassed by James.   

      "I do think he can be better than Michael," Barkley said. "I thought I       would never compare somebody to Michael Jordan. But this guy, LeBron      James, he does everything well. Michael did everything well. LeBron      James is just bigger, stronger, faster. That's the only difference."   

      Barkley makes his comments on the first episode of NBA TV's Open Court,       to debut Tuesday at 11 p.m. EDT. The series features a round-table      discussion of NBA TV and TNT commentators. They include Shaquille      O'Neal, Reggie Miller, Kenny Smith, Steve Smith, Chris Webber, Steve      Kerr and Ernie Johnson.   

      James won his first NBA title and third MVP award last season, joining      Jordan as the only players to win the NBA title, regular-season MVP, NBA       Finals MVP and Olympic gold medal in the same year.   

      Jordan won six championships during his Hall of Fame career.   

      "Unfortunately for LeBron, now that the monkey is off his back, he is       going to be compared to two people: Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan,"      O'Neal said. "So now the question is how many championships can he get?       We all know he is a competitor."

Pau checks Bosh, Jamison checks Lewis...Howard checks whichever one of your chump centers you care to throw into the game, which means Howard remains the Lakers last line of defense and left to deal with whoever may dare to penetrate into the painted area.

BOSH IS THE Heat CENTER THIS YEAR. What don't you understand

So if Pau is guarding Bosh while Jamison is guarding Lewis, I'm guessing this means Howard would be guarding James right?

I can't see the Heat using much of Joel if at all vs the Lakers.