Oh and Mad-Dog needs to be all over the offensive rebounds (without fouling out in 5 min though!). 
Ryall:
letās see what old Phil could do with a last place team with no big name talentā¦
Heās been great with Pippen, Jordan, kobe, Shaq, etcā¦ Iād like to see what he could do with Tom, George, Sam, and Harry Nobodyā¦
Basketball is all hype anyway. The longest period of time of anything in the world is the last 2 minutes of an NBA gameā¦ Even if the team is winning by 40 pts, they still drag out the last 2 minutes, as if they could still win, for hoursā¦
Hype, Hype, Hypeā¦
Rev
I agree with the hypeā¦ esp the part about the last minutes of the game, I hate that and am pretty sure the huge advertising contracts have a bit to do with that.
However Phil makes champions out of amazing playersā¦ just cuz you have a team composed of talent doesnt meant that talent will be disiplined or work within a cohesive group where everyone has a specific role. Phil commands respect and gets it from players making 20 times as much money as him, he has to deal with the biggest egos in the leagueā¦ and heās proven his ability to do so over and overā¦ plus many of the superstars he has and is coaching NEVER won a championship until P.Jackson came along. His records speak for him, and the fact that under pressure of being fired (more than once and not just with the lakers) his top players all said, āif Phil goes, I goā. That says something. People are always making the claim that he has had talent on his teams, but he made that talent into what it is today - he was instrumental in shaping and molding Jordan, and he is doing the same thing with Kobe, and even Shaq. He is an extreamly gifted coach. Making the argument, ālets see what he can do with a zero tallent basketball teamā is not a good one. Coaches dont MAKE talent they control, mold and direct it. Give him the worst players in the NBA, yeah heāll improve them, but obviously their not going to the finals, and they wouldnt EVER with ANY coach. Phil Jackson is one of the best professional coaches in any sport.
Peace
Ryall:
That is a value judgement, pure and simple.
One of these days, he will not have Kobe and Shaq, but new players. Do you seriously think if he was the coach of the Timberwolves that they would be that much better of a team? Iām not saying that the players donāt like playing for him, but werenāt the Bulls garbage when Jordan left the first time?
If Rick Adelman (one of the worst coaches in history IMO) were the coach of the Lakers, are you saying they wouldnāt be in the Play Offs?
Again, I am not a basketball fan, so take this with a grain of salt (my info could be years out of date), but to say that Phil is the best of <i>all</i> sports is a pretty big statementā¦
Rev
Like I said, coaches dont make tallent they help it shine - with a lack of talent (such as the timber wolves) there is less to make shine. I do believe Phil would make them a much better team over all, but without the talent you can only go so far. Give Phil a H.S. team, could they compete at the college level? Hell no, the talent is not there yet for him to control and guide and advise. Once again coaches dont create talent they manage it and make it work - and the best coaches can make it hum like a well built machine. And yes I do believe that if Adelman was coach of the Lakers they might not have made the playoffs - heck they didnt make it by much this year. Regardless of the talent on the team the coach is the one coming up with the game plan, he is coming up with the overall strategy. Yes the players with talent can make good things happen play by play, just like an infantry man can win a small fire fight, but if the bigger picture is not taken care of those individual successes will not lead to sucess for the team as a whole, thereby wining the war (to stick with my analogy).
Yes it is a big statement to say that Phil is one of the best in any sport ever, and I will stick to it. Granted there are many other greats out there - he is definitly top dogā¦ look at many of the college football coach ledgends of 20 years ago - were they simply piggy backing on the talent of their team?? I would doubt it if most said yes. Phil is the same way - a man who knows the game from every angle and can combat any situation, on top of that he is a guru at motivating players, helping to keep cohesion within a team (just look to his years with the Bulls for evidence for this - Jordan was an A.Hole that pissed off the entire team and even had players thinking about quiting, but phil held them together and helped them to work as a team better than anyone else). Put simply he is an amazing coach, with amazing talent that will always be sought after by the best teams, not because they have the best players, but because he is the best man to Coach them.
Peace
then what about Pat Riley?
Didnāt he have āthe team of the decade?ā
He was touted as the best, when he was winningā¦ Then when he moved to New York, he is a also-ranā¦
Iām just alarmed that you are saying he is better than Don Shula, or Vince Lombardi, or Dusty Baker, or Tommy LaSorda, or any of the European Football coaches (of which I have no idea, but assume that the coaches are equally good)ā¦ Or even the great Red Auerback, or Mike Kyscheshki (Duke), or the towel eater who used to be @ UNLVā¦
A lot of talent out thereā¦
Rev
I dont think the lakers will get out of this series. Spurs will win 4-1 just because LA doesnāt have that fire, that drive that leads teams to championships. I think that they have the talent in Horry and Fisher to step up, but Shaq and Kobe, who will eventually outdo MJ, will have to step up. I hate to say it, but I think the Kings (queens, as shaq likes to call them) will win it all. But I would love to see AI win a championship.
And trust me, Kobe WILL get another ring before his playing days are over. I just wonder what will happen when shaq leaves the Lakers to Kobe, and he will have to take full control.
*Originally posted by reverendflash *
**then what about Pat Riley?
Didnāt he have āthe team of the decade?ā
He was touted as the best, when he was winningā¦ Then when he moved to New York, he is a also-ranā¦
Iām just alarmed that you are saying he is better than Don Shula, or Vince Lombardi, or Dusty Baker, or Tommy LaSorda, or any of the European Football coaches (of which I have no idea, but assume that the coaches are equally good)ā¦ Or even the great Red Auerback, or Mike Kyscheshki (Duke), or the towel eater who used to be @ UNLVā¦
A lot of talent out thereā¦
Rev **
If you read my last post again youāll see that I am giving credit to all such coachesā¦ esp people like V. Lombardardi (f*ing amazing coach too - blows my mind), LaSorda was awesome, but I have issues with him (not to take away form his tallent as a coach)ā¦ in NO WAY am I saying Phil is the BEST coach ever, I am saying he is in the class of the BEST EVER in any sportā¦ this class includes some of the coaches mentioned by you. Iām not saying he is better than every one else, just a member and leader in this upper crust of elite professional sports coaches. Donāt think I believe Phil Jackson stands alone, I just believe he stands among the best ever.
It would be impossible to name the best professional sports coach ever because there are too many differences and too many vars to consider between sports, but when naming those in the top, I feel Phil Jackson is among them, and one of the leaders.
Peace
Man what was the deal with Game 2??? Lakers struggled hard, Pargo and rush did a alright job i guess since they are benches, but man, that was a blow out something bad. Phil looked stunned, but you must admit spurs couldnt miss, bowan shot what seven 3ās , a playoff record. And stoped kobe on the d end. Game 3 coming up, lakers 2-0 , Iām ready for something to happen, either the lakers wake up or are going to be facing a team that they havent beaten this season looking elimination in the face. :-\
Iāll be watching nevously as well Ryall. :-\
Go lakers !! 
i still have faith, lol
Ryall:
we coolā¦
Rev
*Originally posted by Replode *
**I dont think the lakers will get out of this series. Spurs will win 4-1 just because LA doesnāt have that fire, that drive that leads teams to championships. I think that they have the talent in Horry and Fisher to step up, but Shaq and Kobe, who will eventually outdo MJ, will have to step up. I hate to say it, but I think the Kings (queens, as shaq likes to call them) will win it all. But I would love to see AI win a championship.
And trust me, Kobe WILL get another ring before his playing days are over. I just wonder what will happen when shaq leaves the Lakers to Kobe, and he will have to take full control. **
WHAT!!! WHAT!!! Lakers donāt have the drive that leads teams to championships? WHAT?! 3 in a rowā¦3 in a rowā¦come on manā¦
So they are missing some key players, they still have Shaq and Kobeā¦its posible this time they may be outdone because of lack of depth and Spurs desciplined textbook basketball, but you CANNOT say they donāt have the driveā¦unbeleivableā¦
I meant this year. Sorry if you misinterpreted my statement. You could tell by their performance in the last 2 games, that they are wore out. In last years playoffs, they had a spark to them. Kobe and Shaq were unstoppable, and they were the most dominent team in the NBA. This year, shaq missed a lot of games, and Kobe was forced to pretty much carry the team.
In order for them to win a 4th, they need to get into high gear and get going. The lakers, when they are playing bad, can be as bad as any team in the league. When they are hot, and playing good, they are unstoppable. If kobe and shaq donāt get going in game 3, then itās as good as over for the lakers.:-\
you are unfortunately rightā¦sorry i explodedā¦
So sad I amā¦though happy for the Kingsā¦i love their styleā¦
I would have loved to see a Sacremento Vs. Lakers rematch of Wester Conferance Finalā¦
did i mentio how much i dislike Boston Celtics? i DOnāt know why, i just doā¦its wierdā¦especially Antione walkerā¦dunno
dont be sorry, I understand the emotion that sports can present. i should have been more clear in the first place. anyways, I also dont really care for the celtics, but I do like Phili.
A lakers v. kings series would have tons of potential. If both teams were red hot, the score could be like 150+ for both of them.
Well Iāll sleep much better tonight: THEY WON, and not only did they win, they dominated!!! yahoooo! Iām feeling better already - nobody can come into their house and push them around.
REV: yes youāre right we are very cool 
Peace
Lakers lost Oh well, Dallas all the way!
Lakers didnāt lose, they got owned. I watched the last 10 minutes of the game, and they werenāt even trying. They were even getting booed in their own stadium. They didnāt deserve to win based on what I saw. The kings were actually trying to win.
The last four minutes they werenāt getting booād, the audience was applauding them for their efforts for the past three years. The fact is, after three years of mainstream mania, the Lakers were worn out. Rick Fox was out, Koby wasnāt shooting well, Shaq was injuredā¦ several excuses for the Lakers losing. Itās hard for any team to win four championships in a row, let alone three. Maybe if that three at the end of game five had fallen in for Horry went in (because it rimmed out,) weād be singing a different tune, but thatās not the case.
You canāt deny, however, that San Antionio was just, all around, a better team. The Lakers were trying up until around the last seven minutes, the problem is, they were frustrated and made terrible mistakes. The fact remains, San Antonio was the better team, and theyāll be the ones going on to the Western Conference Finals. Personally, I think theyāll have an easier time with Dallas than Sacramento, what with Webber out of the picture now. Neither team has an answer for Duncan.
Van Exel had an impressive performance last night. If he has one similar in game 7, things might not look so good for the Kings. They have to contain Van Exel and crash those offensive boards if they want to win that game.
Still rooting for the Kings, as always. I want to see them beat Dallas (even if it seems remote, based on the fact that neither team has defeated the other team at home,) and against San Antonioā¦ whew. San Antonio is probably going all the way. They put an impressive show on in that fourth quarter.
Robert Horry has made soooo many crucial shots like that. i couldnāt believe my eyes. i really wanted it to go into an intense game 7. in game 6, LA had the chance to take it, but they couldnāt get going. phil jackson was pissed off bigtime, and he had a right to be. then after the game, they interviewed Kobe, and he was in tears.
anyways, i think dallas will beat the kings. Van Exel and Nowiniski(sp) are too domenint:)
JERSEY BOY HERE!!!
