NBA 2007-2008 Season Thread

[Juan]

Jim Rome: "(The Lakers) are the real deal. Other than injury, they have no weakness. You have the alpha dog phenom, the best player in the league in (Kobe) and Lamar Odom who's healthy and in his prime and Pau Gasol who has been a freaking revelation. The length of the big three is incredible, they play so well together and that's attributed to Pau Gasol. I don't think I've seen a better mid-season trade than the one Mitch Kupchak worked for this guy. He looks and plays like he's been with them for 5 years. There was no learning curve, no adjustments whatsoever. The guy's an artist and he's brilliant in the open floor and around the basket. Plus, he's somebody Bryant trusts, and better yet, respects. And it's not just the big three, the Lakers bench is great. Guys like Luke Walton, Ronny Turiaf, Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar give them tremendous energy and they all know and play their roles. As good as they are right now, they're only going to get that much better when they get Andrew Bynum, Chris Mihm and Trevor Ariza back. They've got a veteran at the Point, Bryant who will not let them lose, a couple of 7 footers, athleticism on the wings, a killer bench and a Hall of Fame coach with 9 rings. I'm not saying you skip the playoffs and give the Lakers the title, but clearly, they are the team to beat."

[Juan]

Originally Posted by Juan Jim Rome: "(The Lakers) are the real deal. Other than injury, they have no weakness. You have the alpha dog phenom, the best player in the league in (Kobe) and Lamar Odom who's healthy and in his prime and Pau Gasol who has been a freaking revelation. The length of the big three is incredible, they play so well together and that's attributed to Pau Gasol. I don't think I've seen a better mid-season trade than the one Mitch Kupchak worked for this guy. He looks and plays like he's been with them for 5 years. There was no learning curve, no adjustments whatsoever. The guy's an artist and he's brilliant in the open floor and around the basket. Plus, he's somebody Bryant trusts, and better yet, respects. And it's not just the big three, the Lakers bench is great. Guys like Luke Walton, Ronny Turiaf, Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar give them tremendous energy and they all know and play their roles. As good as they are right now, they're only going to get that much better when they get Andrew Bynum, Chris Mihm and Trevor Ariza back. They've got a veteran at the Point, Bryant who will not let them lose, a couple of 7 footers, athleticism on the wings, a killer bench and a Hall of Fame coach with 9 rings. I'm not saying you skip the playoffs and give the Lakers the title, but clearly, they are the team to beat."