"Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now."
My Boog Pages
Friday, June 11
Humiliations Galore
Foot, meet butt. The Detroit Pistons laid a serious smackdown on the L.A. Lakers last night, winning by twenty and holding the Lakers to 68 points, their lowest point total since the shot clock was introduced fifty years ago. Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant combined for 25 points; Detroit's Chauncy Billups and Richard Hamilton had 50. 'Nuff said.
If not for Luke Walton's heroics in Game 2 (and forget Kobe's shot, without Walton they lose by ten), the Lakers would be down 3-0 and we'd be talking about a sweep. Instead, they have a chance to even the series on Sunday, if they play a little better.
They've been dogged by a number of problems in the three games played:
1) Gary Payton. He can't score. He can't defend. He can't take the blame. So far, he's been a complete disaster. Chauncy Billups has treated him like Stallone treated the beef in Rocky, and Payton has put up about the same amount of resistance. Phil Jackson would be better off leaving him on the bench and playing Derek Fisher. It's a little late to worry about bruising his ego.
2) Karl Malone. Malone has actually contributed, hauling down quite a few rebounds, but he doesn't have the agility to work the post on either end anymore, and his knee problems see to have affected his jump shot. He's a gamer who will do whatever he can to help his team, but at his age, with his injuries, there's not much left.
3) The Laker bench. The only bright spot has been Luke Walton, whose energy lifted the Lakers to victory in the second game but who didn't play in Game 1 and was saddled with foul trouble in Game 3. No one else has contributed anything at all.
While the Lakers aren't hated quite as much as the Yankees are, I still think there's a little resentment among fans of other teams (myself included - go Mavs!), and I think there's some reason. In particular, the Lakers of the past few years may be the worst "great" team ever.
When they one their first title in the O'Neal/Bryant era they had some guys who could play. Robert Horry and Rick Fox were big contributors, as were Ron Harper and, later, Derek Fisher. But Shaq and Kobe have always been the guys; after them, the cupboard's pretty much bare.
By comparison, look at the Philadelphia 76ers of the early 80s. That team had superstars Dr. J and Moses Malone, plus a superb supporting cast (Andrew Toney, Maurice Cheeks, etc.), and they still only managed a single championship. Or take the best of MJ's Bulls teams, the '92 version. Michael and Scotty, of course, plus a solid Horace Grant, guards B. J. Armstrong and John Paxon, centers Bill Cartright, Scott Williams, and Will Purdue... Those teams were stacked.
By comparison, these Lakers clearly have the league's best player (Shaq) and another who's in the top 5 (Kobe). And that's it. Those two guys have bullied inferior competition for years, and people are fed up hearing how great they are. O'Neal and Bryant would certainly be welcome on any of the great teams of the past, but these Lakers would get their butts kicked by various versions of the Bulls, Celtics, Lakers, hell, even the Trailblazers of a decade ago.
And of course the '87-'90 Pistons. Here's hoping history repeats itself.
