If Bill Simmons and Malcolm Gladwell Can Do It, So Can Naveen and Greg

Naveen:

You know what's most annoying about Game 4 (other than the Magic blowing it)...? It's that the Lakers are a totally beatable team. They're not this imposing monolith like the Jordan Bulls, or even the "Lake Show" Lakers from earlier this decade. They're a very good team, but wholly beatable because they have exploitable flaws. Ugh, it's frustrating.

Regarding the Magic: it sucks that they lost, but they deserved it. You can't literally get ALL of the free throw calls in the fourth quarter, and then miss eight freebies in a close game. You can't. Then, you have the audacity to turn the ball over, what, fifteen times? Yeah, that's the Magic stupidity I feared would rear its head for the Finals (and frankly, I thought this was going to happen in the Conference Finals). Had the Magic won, it would have been one of those "dodged a bullet" victories... Victories that you approve of only because it's a victory and not because of anything particularly compelling done on the part of the victors except to get lucky. But, they fucked up. Reap what you sow.

Back to the Lakers. We'll see if Bynum becomes anything more than just a black Darko Milicic. I think he's Black Darko, but if he isn't -- if he actually improves and becomes a reliable, and perhaps, an imposing force inside -- then I think the Lakers will have extended their window for championships a year or two longer. But if not, I can see this team being taken out... but I think only a hard-nosed East team can do it. There isn't anybody out West that can threaten them right now, aside from Houston. But the Rockets are always going to be banged-up and I think Artest's instability will get to him.

Lakers... what a bunch of fucking rapists.

Greg Response:

Last night was incredibly annoying. It turned what could of become a good series into a lame series. No way Orlando can win three games in a row. They have moments when their offense looks good, but then other moments when it just grinds to a halt. Obviously the free throws ruined them last night. But also the 3rd quarter offensive
letdown. I mean the Lakers aren't a good defensive team. They can turn it on for a few moments, but they aren't putting the clamps down.

Also, Rashard Lewis cannot score off the dribble. He really should be able to. And the Magic still haven't figured out their point guard. Nelson made a few good passes, but he also turned the ball over a couple stupid times and didn't seem like a scoring threat. aaron brooks absolutely ruined the lakers. this is a match-up teams need to
exploit. I don't see how any half decent pg in the nba can't score 15 on fisher every night. and fisher making that 3 at the end of the game? he'll basically make that 1/4 of the time, so that's going to happen...it's bad luck that it happened at that moment. but it was also stupid of nelson to let him take a 3...i mean, make him take it to the hole. no way he's making a runner over howard.

kobe? jesus, that guy played the worst 4th quarter i can imagine. hucking up shots and losing the ball like crazy. the man shot 33% for the game. how do the lakers not use gasol more? ridiculous.

i like pietrus - i like how hard he plays and how he can get baskets. didn't like the cheap play on gasol at the end of the game, but you know - the man was frustrated and wanted to win. which is a forgivable sin. phil was saying he should be suspended for a game. what kind of pussy society have we become when a man can't shove another man in a heated moment? it ain't personal, no one is getting hurt, just two dude going at it...i mean - you're going to let gasol slam down a dunk in your eye to top off an annoying victory? fuck that shit. it was still cheap, tho.

Naveen:

Yeah, I pretty much agree with everything you just said regarding this series. The late hit on Gasol doesn't bother me. Is it cheap? Yes. But this is nothing compared to the late 80s/early 90s. The league has had its nuts cut off since the Palace Brawl of 2004 that they over-react to everything. And Phil's wrong: there's no way in hell Pietrus should be suspended for any game. Give him a flagrant (I suppose) and get it over with. Honestly, it should have been a double technical + the and-one for Gasol and that's it. But whatever.

I like Pietrus as well, but he did fall asleep on defense a couple times, and most annoyingly, there was one or two plays when he sort of loafed back on defense. If I were a coach, that would piss me off to no end. Jameer Nelson should not have been playing in crunch time. The guy isn't ready to come back. What the hell was wrong with Alston? I thought he was playing well in the first half... did I miss something?

Oh well... this series is over in Game 5. Such a pity.