After watching last night, they better hope to hell Gasol stays healthy. This team is going one and out in the playoffs without him. Golden State missed between 8 and 10 shots right at the basket and this game should not have been close. Very sloppy play by GS.
Even with him, Gasol has never won a playoff game... EVER... he isn't exactly the world renowned playoff hero.
wait -- are we going to take the team argument or can i now use the t-mac theory? gasol and tmac have never lost a playoff series.
T-Mac has averaged 35-40 pts a game in series and lost. That is when it's your teammates fault. Gasol has barely averaged 20. Winning 3 games and losing a series is way diff than being swept. I do agree that the Grizz had no chance in his series', but still. 1 game? lol
Nuggs beat Mavs and are now tied with GS. Both trail Dallas by only 1 game. Question of the day. If Dallas doesn't make the playoffs, do you fire Avery? Last 3 years: 3. Was up 2-0 with a 20-pt lead in Game 3 of the Finals and lost the series. 2. Lost... nah, wrong word... Was murdered by the No. 8 seed as the No. 1 seed who won 60+ games. 1. No playoffs after so much hype about this being "different". Granted, it's not Avery's fault Cuban went out and got Kidd, but Cuban has to blame someone... and he won't blame himself.
I think I worded my question wrong. It shouldn't be if we individually should fire Avery. It should be more-so do you think he will fire Avery? Cuban blew it by not giving up Dirk to get Shaq back when Shaq wanted out of LA. That was going to be the only way he would get his ring, b/c Nowitski is a notorious flopper in the tight spot.
Lakers are reduced to being the "decent" inconsistent team that they were before Gasol arrived. Losing by 9 going into the 4th to arguably the worst team in the NBA in Memphis....at home. Kobe already back to his scoring 50+ a game to try and win it all by himself. Has yet to learn that formula does not work. Gasol still not in the lineup. He was supposed to be back on the court as of Wednesday. Troubling news if you're a Laker fan. A loss drops them all the way to 5th seed, only 1/2 game ahead of 6th place Phoenix.
I hate to turn everything into a Rockets conversation, but that is the difference between the Lakers and Rockets. When Yao went out, Battier, Alston, Head, Scola, Landry all made it a point to make up the difference and the result is a complete team. When Gasol went out, Farmar, Odom, etc... all looked at Kobe and said "it's on you now."
To be fair in the Lakers offense the injuries to the centers hurt them more than almost any team in the league -- if they would have lost that position. Now Odom who is an absolute beast at the three has to come in and play the five. And with that, the Lakers lose the advantage of having one of if not the best benches in the league. That combined with no defensive presence down low anymore makes it hard to win. As for ISL, if Kobe didnt take over games in the past the Lakers would have never made the playoffs....ever.
