orlando getting NO love, motivating factor that helps a lot or no chance they win?

[hoopster42]

everyone is picking the lakers to win the series from the media to the fans, i watch too much sports programming and i've only seen robert horry pick the magic (just to be different) and some dude on espn.com's nba finals page where 9 dudes picked the lakers and 1 guy picked the magic.

it seems pretty much a coin flip whether or not the decided underdog in the series will be helped by the us-against-the-world mentality of everyone picking against them

08 it seemed to help boston but they were the better team, too, regardless of the odds for the lakers

07 it did NOT help cleveland against the spurs

06 it might have helped miami beat favorite dallas

05 it did not help detroit as they were the underdog to the spurs and they did lose

04 it probably helped detroit beat the lakers as did the karl malone injury

03 it did not help the nets against the spurs

02 it did not help the nets against the lakers

01 it did not help the sixers against the lakers

00 it did not help the pacers against the lakers


i dont think it matters this yr either..............i'm going with the lakers in 6 gms, unfortunately

[hoopster42]

no one believes this could be an important angle?

[Tsoprano]

Hooper, let's cash in on the Magic

[hoopster42]

T, are you taking the magic to win the series or just tonight?

[betplom]

FWIW I have Orlando +6 for way too much $$$.

I took a shot with alot, hopefully its a close game.

[hoopster42]

FWIW I have Orlando +6 for way too much $$$.

I took a shot with alot, hopefully its a close game.

good luck plommer, i dont like to bet gm 1 of a series unless i know i'm getting too many pts with the underdog, which in this case i would need +9 to take orlando, good luck bud i hope you cash

[pavyracer]

Last year all the squares were on Lakers and the few sharps like myself and Tsoprano were on the Celtics. Expect the same this year. The love affair with a mediocre team like the Lakers can't be explained. Any team that doesn't play defense is doomed. Look at all the last 6-7 year champions. Spurs, Pistons, Celtics.
All have excellent defense something Lakers will never have. Thinking that Lakers have an edge against a Magic team that lives and dies in high scoring games is a receipe for disaster.

[hoopster42]

pavy i think even laker haters like us have to give them credit for the last 2 gms of the denver series for the way they played defense, their defense seems much better than last yr which just means their guys have shown more desire on that end, if orlando is to win, their frontline guys of howard, turko, lewis, have to use their length to slow down the lakers frontline, i think this is possible because they have the size and length to contend with pao, bynum, and odom's offense and length, can pietrus slow down kobe just enough to make the lakers depend on the role players? i sure hope so

i thought for weeks that the cavs were the best chance to beat the lakers but this magic matchup size thing is very interesting

[betplom]

i thought for weeks that the cavs were the best chance to beat the lakers but this magic matchup size thing is very interesting

size matters.

[jjgold]

When Detroit beat Lakers they were much better, it was really not an upset if you watched the series. I do not think this series is a huge upset if Orlando wins.

[hoopster42]

When Detroit beat Lakers they were much better, it was really not an upset if you watched the series. I do not think this series is a huge upset if Orlando wins.

i agree, also the malone injury really hurt LA because he was the enforcer inside and could save fouls on shaq, plus detroit was so hungry to win for themselves and their coach who needed a ring, i'm talking abt larry brown of course

[pavyracer]

Lakers will be outplayed in the Center and Point Guard position. Bynum has no experience to guard an All Star like Howard. Garnett with his old knees toyed him like a school girl last year. Alston and the rookie will ridicule old man Fisher and his team of charlatan backups Vujacic, Farmar and Brown.

[hoopster42]

Lakers will be outplayed in the Center and Point Guard position. Bynum has no experience to guard an All Star like Howard. Garnett with his old knees toyed him like a school girl last year. Alston and the rookie will ridicule old man Fisher and his team of charlatan backups Vujacic, Farmar and Brown.

pavy, bynum did not play in last yr's finals. he was injured early in the season and missed like 50 gms of the reg season and the entire playoffs.

pavy, i know you are a laker hater like i am, but were you not impressed slightly by the lakers defense for the last few gms of the series against denver?

[hoopster42]

i have concerns about orlando's bench, anybody else agree? the lakers bench looks much deeper

[hoopster42]

jameer nelson activated but i dont believe he'll be a factor of more than 5 or 6 mins here and there, the magic will have to depend on alston, pietrus, and lee to get it done, which they are very capable of doing btw

[pavyracer]

I have concerns about Lakers bench. I wouldn't trust their bench to score any points. They all suck big time. Pietrus, Lee, Gortat, Johnson, Battie are proven back ups that can score and play defense.