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Re: topics and nba

> there is one factor that everyone keeps forgetting and that is the 
> lakers. they may not win this year but they, along with the spurs, will 
> rule the nba for many years to come.
That's really not the issue at hand, but I'll address the future 
anyway.

1)  The Lakers

Will they rule the league for years to come?  Maybe.  But before you 
quickly jump on their bandwagon, don't forget that people were hasty 
to say the same thing about the Shaq-led Magic when they got to the 
NBA Finals two years ago, and look where they are now.  Yeah, Shaq is 
in L.A., but that doesn't make them the team of the future.  I've 
never been convinced that the Diesel is the man you want on your team 
anyway.   He seems more interested in his rap career than his 
basketball one.  And let's face it - he'll never be able to shoot 
outside four feet so he'll never have the versatility of a Dream, or 
Admiral, or Patrick Ewing.  Nick Van Exel is awfully eratic and turns 
the ball over too much.  Not the best point guard to run the show.  I 
think Eddie Jones and Eldin Campbell are real solid, but will never 
be the superstars needed to run the show.  Kobe Bryant may pan out, 
but let's at least wait til he goes through puberty to make that 
assessment.  Don't forget that the huge investment in Shaq may 
handcuff the Lakers in terms of free agency.  The verdict's still out 
on this one.

2) The Spurs

You're dreaming on this one, Rick.  As a resident of San Antonio, I 
would love to see the Spurs beat anyone (except the Rockets).  
However, the Spurs are too one dimensional and don't have the 
supporting cast to win it all.  David Robinson is the second best 
center in the league (I don't need to say who's number one - hint - 
he's a U of H graduate and schooled the Admiral in the Western 
Conference Finals two years ago), and he's awesome in my book.  He 
can score, rebound, has boundless athleticism, and is a genuine good 
guy.  Barring injury, the Admiral can steer the Spurs ship to 55+ 
wins in the regular season, but an early postseason exit is always in 
the cards.  Greg Popovich is a terrible G.M. and coach.  Canning Bob 
Hill was one of the worst things the Spurs could have done.  No way 
Pop can take the Spurs to another level.  Avery Johnson is a decent 
point guard, but a tad bit small on the defensive end.  Vinnie 
Johnson stinks, as does Charles Smith, Will Perdue, Carl Herrara, 
Greg Anderson, and the rest of the bench.  Since Dominique will be 
gone, the Spurs will only have Sean Elliot to compliment the Admiral. 
Elliot is an above-average small forward, but not good enought to 
help the Spurs succeed in the playoffs.  Sorry, but when it comes to 
the postseason, the Spurs are el foldo.  Not a team of the future.

As I see it, the future of the West lies with the T-Wolves (Garnett, 
Marbury, Gugliota) and the Blazers (Rider, Anderson, Trent, Wallace, 
Augmon) barring major free agency blows.  The Lakers may or may not 
be in with that crowd (but their presence hinges on who surrounds 
Shaq).  The Spurs will never wear the ring, despite the valiant 
efforts of the Admiral.

-Chris Lotz
Trinty debate
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