The notion that the Lakers have to blow out Utah in every game to be considered a "legitimate contender" is absurd. Blowing out a team YOU KNOW YOU CAN BEAT is show insecurity. To me, Lebron and the Cavs played a Detroit team that had a record of 39 wins and 42 losses. What exactly does it mean to sweep a team like that? NOTHING!!
The Cavs had a pattern all year of blowing out teams under 500 but having problems with the ELITE TEAMS. The Laker were the opposite. The Lakers cruised or lossed against the weaker teams but BEAT BOSTON TWICE AND CLEVELAND TWICE. Blowing out good teams is what proves you are a contender.

Denver was swept by LA last year NOT
this year the way I see it;
Billups and Andersen change the
configuration of Denver so anything
can happen but not a sweep like last
year, guarantee.
LA will be missing Luke Walton for now
but for the first time I like to think that
Morrison will be a good replacement
for Luke and the reason , both are very
smart players ( IQ for the game) not too
much quickness but that's exactly what
you want with a team like Denver as such:

Running of the horses ? NOT
Slow pace ? YES
Run and gun style fits very well
with Denver and styles make the
fight so someone like Walton or
Morrison in the game ,yes.
Someone like Vujacic or Powe,not.
Just an opinion, will see;
One thing is for sure , Dallas or
the Spurs will not contain Denver
in a 7 game series, done.

lakers looked too sloppy to contend for a title

The game wasn't as close as the score suggested....typical Utah Jazz. It's hard to sweep Sloan-coached teams (they're probably scared of the old dude), so 4-1 is about what I expected....I guess they'll keep Milsap and let Boozer leave.

Who would the Lakers play if they close out the series tomorrow night? Thank you.

Hey PAP, I think you just got voted sports-caster of the year.......smile. It's about time that someone knows what they are talking about when they write on here. GOOD JOB. The team (LA) is still very young, and hopefully without any major injuries the team can be competitive for a long time.

we'll see what the Lakers have in them in game 5...if they "put their foot on the Jazz' throat" the way the Cavs did to the Pistons in game 4, then we may be seeing a contender...if they let them live and blow a late lead again, we'll be seeing them for what they are...a talented pretender...it's gut check time Lakers....show us what you've got for a full 48...you can rest later...

LA better don't go to sleep , Utah is giving
LA all they can handle and maybe this series
will go 7 games , the 2-0 maybe deceiving,
in fact it is closer then it looks;

The fact is that LA is playing the best-team ball
they ever played in a long time in 06 and part of 07 LA
had the same team minus Gasol a healthy Ariza and
recently Shannon so these 3 pieces are bringin LA
to another dimension but not to be defacto;

Bynum still has a ways to go , he is not Gasol yet
like Dirk and Lampier or KG and Perkins LA has to
be careful to trust Bynum in close games or as
they said in crunch time ;
LA have Kobe, Gasol or Fisher to give the ball to
in crunch time or closing the game or even Ariza
or Lamar but don't give the ball to Bynum cause
he is not ready yet;
Utah can play with Cleveland, Boston, Orlando
at same level or better and they will play LA a lot
better for the rest of the series.

There are NO guarantees and each game has to be played out...Jackson is right...that kind of play may get them by the Jazz but the next two rounds? let alone the ring round? I don't think so...Boston's arrogance has already cost them 1 game...it might cost them the series...even though they lost the second one in Boston, the Bulls clearly feel they can win the series and but for a clutch 3 by Allen with 2.0 to go, it goes into OT and then who knows what might have happened. The Lakers can't afford to let ANY of the better teams in the league stay around after they work for a 22 pt. league...FINISH THEM OFF, MAKE IT SO BIG A LEAD THAT BY 4TH QUARTER THE OPPONENTS ARE PUTTING IN THEIR SUBS JUST TO GET THEM SOME TIME...

The acquisition of Pau Gasol in the middle of 2007-2008
season ,the insert of Ariza in the starting line up and the
acquisition of Shannon Brown recently is giving LA a very
strong team for now and years to come plus the bonus
of having Bynum healthy once and for all and stay healthy
is solid in their future ;

Ariza is 23 years old so is Brown , Pau Gasol just turned 28
years old an excellent shape not prompt to injuries and
Bynum 21 years old and hopefully no more injuries this team has
a foundation for years to come and let's not forget Kobe and Lamar
What is happening to Boston is just that ,
Garnett , Ray allen and Paul Pierce are
close to 100 years old and in a time in which
many teams are getting younger,quicker and
taller no way you can compete in such same way.