I'm Pulling a Phil Jackson
So the Spurs are sticking to the team line. "Yes, the Lakers are the favorites. They won the Championship, thus they are the team to beat." But when you get right down to it, how good are the Lakers really. On paper, and now in terms of jewelry, they should have the best/most talented/ most proven lineup. But I for one, believe last season was a fluke. The Lakers Championship run was a fragile house of cards where everything had to balance just right to avoid a horrible collapse.
Note: Take everything I write with the caveat that despite these "excuses", yes the Lakers did what they had to do and got the job done.
via www.everyjoe.com
That only took 5 Shaq-less tries.
Exhibit 1: Injuries to Contenders: Seriously, of the 5 teams favored to make deep playoff runs after the all-star break, how many of them were healthy in the playoffs? Maybe 2. The Celtics were sans Kevin Garnett. The Spurs were sans El Contusion. Orlando was actively re-integrating Jameer Nelson which set off a slew of team chemistry questions throughout the Finals and either injury-wise or rhythm-wise limited him severely in his usual offensive potency. And even Cleveland had questions surrounding the ankle of Big Z. With next season looming there is no good reason to assume all of these contenders will not have their injury issues resolved, at least no better reason than thinking that Andrew Bynum won’t re-aggravate something come playoff time.
via photos.upi.com
Garnett was of course held out of the playoffs due to a splitting headache from unknown causes.
Exhibit 2: Who they did play: What seemed an inevitability of Laker dominance in the playoffs, post the departure of the perennial threats of the Celtics, Spurs, and Cavs, turned into actual competition. This potentially would have been excusable had they been playing a proven contender that we should expect to turn in championship caliber performances. But the Rockets without Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady took the Lakers to 7 games. The incredibly potent offensive force of Carl Landry, Aaron "is he really that short" Brooks, Ron "the brick-layer" Artest, and Von "Nilla" Wafer cobbled together 3 wins and, for a very short period of time, had home court advantage on the LA Lakers.
Add in the Thuggets, even with Mr. Big Shot, who had the series evened at 2-2 at one point and I nearly lose respect for the Lakers. There were seriously periods where the Denver frontcourt composed of Nene, Kenyon Martin, the Birdman, and Kleiza appeared more talented than Bynum, Gasol, and Odom. And finally though its difficult to fault a team that wins a series 4-1 for nearly blowing it, remember that Orlando was one wide open layup at the buzzer and one Dwight Howard free throw away from taking a commanding 3-1 lead in that series. Again, the Lakers finished it and got the baskets when it counted, but this was an Orlando team in mild disarray shuffling point guards and rotations throughout the finals.
via pictopia.com
This guy seriously struck fear in to the heart of the Lakeshow.
Clearly only one thing to do. The Lakers Championship deserves a heartfelt asterisk.
*.
There I did it. Doesn’t count unless they can do it again. The gauntlet has been thrown. Bring on some real teams in the playoffs and we’ll see. Hindsight is 20/20, and we’ll know soon enough. 2009-2010, it’s on!
6 recs |
39 comments
Comments
I enjoyed reading this. As much as I would want to react emotionally and say that the lakers deserve an asterisk, they still had to work for it. To say they didn’t earn it is a slap in the face, and I’m glad our coaching staff doesn’t say stuff like that.
Re-sign Bruce Bowen!
by Tim C. on Aug 3, 2009 7:31 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Agreed. Every team needs a little luck to win a championship.
"I've got Tim (Duncan) and you don't. That's the difference." -Gregg Popovich
by bj1der on Aug 3, 2009 7:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree, they had to work for it and toughed it out in the end. But it was a well written piece, and I enjoyed reading it. Imagine the hate mail you’d receive if it were posted on Silverscreenandroll, 2757?? :)
"It is better to be silent and thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt." - Mark Twain
by dfjmed on Aug 3, 2009 7:46 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Top Ten Responses to “I’m Pulling a Phil Jackson”
9. I’m a Laker fan what are the chances I can even count to 10?
8. Let me guess someone skipped their meds today. Right 2757?
6. Maybe next year your mom’s can write a note to the NBA attendance office and you can do a “make-up” playoff series when you’re feeling all better.
2. What are the chances I can put these in the right order?
7. What are the chances I won’t get bored before I get to 10?
5. After such a clear description of what pathetic losers the Lakers are, they will probably demand that David Stern give the championship to one of the 29 teams that were even um. . . pathetic-er losers than they were.
4. Hey 2757 do you ever feel anonymous? Like rather than seeing the real you, people just treat you like a number? Thought so.
3. Here is scientific proof that the Lakers deserve the trophy. This recent NASA photo clearly shows the Lakers’ gold star and that L A is the center of the basketball universe.

1b. Thank god someone invented the mouse scroll wheel.
1. That’s a relief, I was afraid “Pulling a Phil Jackson” was a euphemism for taking a wizz (or some other bodily function).
Footnote: I don’t usually get involved in these kind of posts. But let me just say it is refreshing to be underdogs already just two months out and after being regarded by some fools as favorites to repeat.
There, now I feel better.
Haters beware: Kobe's drive for 5 starts now!-SLAM Magazine
by olf on Aug 3, 2009 8:14 PM CDT reply actions 10 recs
You had me at 3
"If an expert says it can't be done, get another expert"
- DBG
by LasEspuelas on Aug 3, 2009 8:28 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
olf, you had me at 9. July/August (no basketball or football) is when I learn if my most recent meds are any good. Thank goodness fall practice is only 15 hours away.
My people call it "sarcasm." - Lauri
by CapHill on Aug 3, 2009 8:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Out of all the recent Lakers fans posting on PtR, you just reaffirmed why you’re my favorite one. That was awesome.
Re-sign Bruce Bowen!
by Tim C. on Aug 3, 2009 8:34 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
To paraphrase Captain Picard . . .
“Make it green, Number One.”
WWTD?
by Lauri on Aug 3, 2009 11:05 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hmm, that gold star sure looks a lot like an asterisk to me ;——) (Ginobili just winked and smiled at you—in a completely straight way)
Seriously, though, this post was a great piece of satire—or something like that.
Olf, I still think most major media outlets are calling LAL the favorites to repeat, make no mistake about that. At PTR, though, we’re Spurs fans, so just like everybody else, we enjoy getting excited about our team.
by Gino20 on Aug 3, 2009 11:31 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
isnt it in the PTR rules somewhere that reccing a lakers fan is a bannable offense?
by theonlyromeo on Aug 4, 2009 12:52 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Didn’t stop you… you are so banned.
Re-sign Bruce Bowen!
by Tim C. on Aug 4, 2009 1:09 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m on your bandwagon, olf.
Just don’t let us down and start believing your own hype. We don’t need an L.A. fan posting all over SBN with a sig like “PtR’s favorite Laker fan.” That’s just no way to let 7 recs (and counting) go to your head. Take a deep breath (of LA smog) and you’ll get through allright.
5 in 10
I want my Manu o;—-)
by jollyrogerwilco on Aug 4, 2009 3:18 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks for the kind words guys but that stuff is going to ruin my “blog cred” if you know what I’m saying.
Haters beware: Kobe's drive for 5 starts now!-SLAM Magazine
by olf on Aug 4, 2009 12:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Too late for that, my friend. Your self-deprecating top ten list, posted on a main rival’s blog, is about to reach double-digit rec’s.
Whatever blog cred you may once have had is only a distant memory.
5 in 10
I want my Manu o;—-)
by jollyrogerwilco on Aug 4, 2009 2:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah. What am I saying? You’re right. I’m probably screwed at this point.
Haters beware: Kobe's drive for 5 starts now!-SLAM Magazine
by olf on Aug 4, 2009 2:34 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
No choice now except to hang out here from now on. Might even end up becoming a Spurs fan.
5 in 10
I want my Manu o;—-)
by jollyrogerwilco on Aug 4, 2009 2:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks dude but it is already burnt into the very fabric of my being. I bleed purple & gold – depending if I am at home or away of course.
Haters beware: Kobe's drive for 5 starts now!-SLAM Magazine
by olf on Aug 4, 2009 6:18 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
nice line
5 in 10
I want my Manu o;—-)
by jollyrogerwilco on Aug 5, 2009 1:17 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
To Olf, I enjoy that despite the great efforts at poor counting your list actually did have 10 things in it. Not sure if this was intentional.
More importantly, I totally didn’t know about the NASA thing, I take it all back. I live in LA, so I would have expected the star to show up on Google Maps and (or) Goggle Earth so I took it as quite a suprise.
To other Lakers fans, sorry, in retrospect this post is quite inappropriate, but living here I get sick of the entitlement (and to a point fair weather mentality…afterall it’s always sunny here) I find inherent in most Lakers fans. I’m probably not actually speaking to the right audience if I’m getting Lakers fans reading articles on a Spurs blog (i.e. you guys might be legit fans, which I hear do exist). Nevertheless, sometimes you just need to lash out.
Oh and at least it is me assigning an asterisks (as it is pointed out that I am quite anonymous) rather than the head coach of a professional basketball team. I mean how insecure can you get.
by 2757 on Aug 3, 2009 10:24 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Hey Dude,
I’m glad you took my post in the way it was intended – as just a humorous and reasonably good-natured reply. Had a couple of reply ideas so I decided to go for the David Letterman Top 10 List approach. (Note: you can always fill with the ’I’m just a Lakers fan so. . .’ blast.)
Must be a b-r-u-t-a-l time to be a non-Laker fan in So Cal. All those parades clogging traffic. Plus when you finally get to a Spurs blog ‘oasis’ you find the most commented on FanPost of the last week is titled ‘Just finished watching the Lakers’ Championship DVD….’. Arrgh, huh?
Anyway, feel free to rag on the Lakers all you want especially here. In my opinion if they’re frustrating and annoying Spurs fans then they must be doing damn good (and I’m sure I’m sure Spurs-fans feel the same in reverse).
Lots of Laker love to the rest of youse who posted above. Got to go take the dog for a walk.
Haters beware: Kobe's drive for 5 starts now!-SLAM Magazine
by olf on Aug 3, 2009 11:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t think they deserve an asterisk, but it was still a fun read. Hopefully more readers like olf will show than people that take this too seriously and start flaming you.
Straight from the No-Stat Zone to your computer!
Dunkin' Cheerleaders
by LatinD on Aug 3, 2009 11:35 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Oh 2757, you had me at “I’m pulling”
What a beautiful post.
Where were you when I needed you when trying to argue why the Lakers disappointed people throughout the playoffs against pslakerfan and tandur here. You can skip ahead to the last paragraph of that comment because we argued about pretty much everything throughout that thread. Not something i’m too proud of, but in the end, my lack of life forced them to give up.
"He's Manu Ginobili"
by the little o on Aug 4, 2009 1:13 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
But I for one, believe last season was a fluke.
Does the shortened (strikeout year) season mean that it was a fluke for the Spurs to win? Any team’s title(s) can be discredited on some way shape or form. You mentioned injuries, well you forgot the injuries to the Ariza and Bynum. Originally, I thought this post was going to say something insightful but it doesn’t. If this is the best attempt at discrediting the Lakers for winning a title, suprise! you failed! In the past, the Spurs have won because they were the better team. Period. But so have the Lakers. But I noticed you like lists. I have a list of everytime the Spurs and Lakers faced off in the playoffs. Well here it is:
1982 – lost to the Lakers, 1983 – lost to the Lakers, 1986 -lost to the Lakers, 1988-lost to the Lakers, 1995-defeated the lakers, 1999 defeated the Lakers, 2001 lost to the lakers, 2002 lost to the Lakers, 2003 defeated the Lakers, 2004-lost to the Lakers, 2008 – lost to the Lakers. Why try to discredit a team that has owned you! Wait a minute 2010 is coming up…oh oh it’s not an odd year.
I dont want to be the next Michael Jordan, I only want to be Kobe Bryant.
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Aug 6, 2009 9:49 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I think that was his point, Purple. He was “pulling a Phil Jackson”, and he said the shortened season championship was a fluke.
Straight from the No-Stat Zone to your computer!
Dunkin' Cheerleaders
by LatinD on Aug 6, 2009 10:09 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
They just don’t get it.
*
"If I was the kind of guy who posted a signature line, this would be it from now on." -SiMA
by SgtinManusArmy on Aug 6, 2009 10:27 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
silly Argentines
With their ALL CAPS USERNAMES.
Re-sign Bruce Bowen!
by Tim C. on Aug 6, 2009 10:38 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
An Argentine Laker fan? Will wonders never cease!
From under the radar to hanging in the rafters - Big50
5 in 10
by jollyrogerwilco on Aug 6, 2009 10:50 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Humor is a great way to avoid the issues being discussed.
I dont want to be the next Michael Jordan, I only want to be Kobe Bryant.
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Aug 6, 2009 11:02 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Too true.
When a fan’s team is obviously inferior, lame jokes are a great refuge from harsh, harsh reality.
Thanks for calling us out on this one. Hopefully we can get better as a result.
From under the radar to hanging in the rafters - Big50
5 in 10
by jollyrogerwilco on Aug 6, 2009 11:29 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
This year was no fluke, just like 1999 was no fluke. You’re right, it’s very easy for someone without character to throw stones and discredit something that they couldn’t do themselves. Just ask Phil.
Congratulations on your “4 in the last decade.” Welcome to the party.
"If I was the kind of guy who posted a signature line, this would be it from now on." -SiMA
by SgtinManusArmy on Aug 6, 2009 11:41 AM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
Welcome to PtR. We like to laugh(see fellow Laker fan olf’s post above). Please don’t take us too seriously.
Re-sign Bruce Bowen!
by Tim C. on Aug 6, 2009 11:59 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
SOrry I only check this blog once or twice a week.
Yes, it was meant to be satirical and I wasn’t really meaning to discredit the Lakers accomplishment, merely make us think back to the circumstances surrounding them. And maybe rile up some Lakers fans while rallying the base for a new and exciting Spurs team to take the floor next year.
Afterall, being the best team in a weak year still makes you the best team and nobody can take that away. If Manu was healthy and Kobe and Pau got hurt and the Spurs snuck through the playoffs in 7 games each series and managed to get another championship, I’d still celebrate and brag about it as muh as all the others.
But I do think Phil Jackson is kind of a dick.
*
by 2757 on Aug 7, 2009 4:40 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
But I do think Phil Jackson is kind of a dick
I’m sure that would change if that you check in more often than once a week.
"He's Manu Ginobili"
by the little o on Aug 9, 2009 5:55 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
reply fail
1. ignore second that*
2. no matter how often I check in though, there are things that will not change. =/
"He's Manu Ginobili"
by the little o on Aug 9, 2009 5:58 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

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