NBA Playoffs Thread

Rambis is a 6-8, 220-pound forward, a bit different from Berrea, especially when you consider he was walloped by Bynum (7-foot, 285) and Ron Artest (6-7, 260).

It's not just the size disparity. When McHale did his cheap shot to Rambis, the Celtics were down six and he was "sending a message" that there would be no easy shots for the Lakers. The Celtics came back and won the game and the series. In both the cases of Artest and Bynum, the Lakers were out of the game and it was just "If we can't beat you, we'll beat you."

The Bynum one is worse than Artest because of context. At least, with Artest, you might argue he was trying to light a fire under his team going forward (an ill-advised attempt at it, if that was the case). With Bynum, the only motivation was frustration and the desire to hurt somebody before he took his shirt off and walked off.

 

No one is say it wasn't bad and suspension worthy but the dramatic worst thing of all time is a little much.

 

Bynum's shot was so weak because they were getting their a**** handed to them and they were out the door and he goes after the smallest dude? The context as BG points out is what sets this. You want to quit? Go tell the ref to f*** off or something. If there was true karma, he'd get undercut by Blake next year and see how it feels to be vulnerable and put your trust in your fellow players and be let down.

Okay, I admit I overreacted it may not be the worst in 40 years but it was so disgusting, absolutely nothing to do with the game of basketball.

 

I heard from Lakers sideline guy John Ireland that Kobe and Fisher went to see how Barea was after the game. If that's true, I am happily surprised. Bynum still doesn't know what the fuss was about. Shocking.

 

Jackson's legacy is safe. And untarnished from yesterday's events.

The Lakers don't re-build; they re-load.

 

No, it's no Kermit Washington. It wasn't a fight that spilled into the bleachers. But it was also, to me, much worse than the McHale-on-Rambis 1984 foul that was used as an example of past fouls that were comparable.

 

Exactly. And that's why I think it's great that Barea still hit the shot, just to rub the Laker humiliaiton in a little deeper. So now you're gonna cheat/cheap shot to try to stop us? You couldn't even get that right.

That said, the earlier posters make a valid point about how differently this would've been viewed back in the 80s, Bynum likely wouldn't even have been suspended back then, they'd just clear the blood, shoot a couple technicals, maybe an ejection, then keep playing.

Of course the other difference is if it'd been the 80s one of Barea's teammates likely would've jumped on Bynum and we might've gotten a bench clearing brawl. But everybody's terrified to do that with today's strict automatic suspension rules for anything remotely resembling a punch, or even taking one step away from the bench.

Many of those horrified by Bynum's cheap shot wouldn't have been nearly as shocked in 84, instead they'd be pissed that Barea's teammates didn't stand up for him by retaliating.

 

If that's your memory of the 80s, it's a foggy memory. There was an ethic around over-the-top physical play. You didn't do it with the game or series out of hand. You did what you had to do to compete and everybody sort of understood it, even if they didn't like it and felt if the rules changed. It was very similar to the sort of unwritten rules that surround pitchers throwing at hitters and what constitutes "showing up" an opponent.

In other words, four point game in the second quarter and you are going up to dunk? You almost expect to go down hard. But in a 30-point game with the losing team in the process of being eliminated? You are right that there would have been a bench-clearing brawl and Bynum's name would have been mud back then as much, or more, than it is now. His best hope would have been the lack of TV coverage. Maybe it would have been off TV.

 

Agreed, there is that. It just pisses me off that Bynum had no fear of retribution since everyone else would have been suspended for Gm. 1 of the next round. I would have loved to see DJ Benga (he's in Dallas right?) go after him and show him what a real punk move it was. That's what's good about the NHL, anyone cheap shots Gretzky, you get McSorley in your ear.

 

The Khloe and Lamar show was on one of the tvs at the gym. The other TV showed highlights of the Laker game. I really would enjoy the prospect of Lamar getting traded to, um...Indiana, Milwaukee or Charlotte - now that would make for some interesting TV.

Seeing the Lakers melt down made me respect Kobe even more, suprisingly. If any Laker had an "excuse" to slack off and soak up the LA experience it would be him - but he's still a grinder. He'll be back - some of those other clowns won't though.

 

Hate to break the bad news, but the 2011 Lakers will be the 2012 Lakers and for the most part, the 2013 Lakers too. All of the major players are under contract and good luck moving those headcases for a Dwight Howard or a CP3.

 

I tend to agree with that and to me it's not that upsetting for the Lakers. They need to make a couple of small moves but if the top 6 or 7 return as is, I still think they have a great shot of contending. In 1986, they could have panicked and had Kareem retire and traded Worthy for Aguirre and Tarpley. The league was going big, the days of Showtime were over. Instead they stood pat - made the big Thompson addition in midseason of '87 - and went to four finals in the next five years. Now it's they need to get more athletic. They need some more athletic players, but not at the price of blowing up the team. For three years everyone's talked about how their length is their greatest strength against everyone else. I think it still is, that hasn't changed, provided Gasol doesn't completely wilt and Odom plays like he did during the regular season.

Laker fans clamoring for Adelman on message boards. Hmm.