Lakers Training camp news

[Reality]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- The San Antonio Spurs will be training island-style before defending their NBA title.

The Spurs said Thursday that they will hold their training camp at the University of the Virgin Islands' beach-side campus on St. Thomas. The nine-day camp begins Oct. 4.

San Antonio star forward Tim Duncan grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands, though on the island of St. Croix.

"We've always thought about holding training camp in the Virgin Islands," R.C. Buford, Spurs general manager, said in a written statement. "It certainly is something that is very important to Tim Duncan, but we really think it'll be a great experience for the entire team."

The team will leave St. Thomas on Oct. 13 and travel directly to Charleston, S.C., for a preseason game against Philadelphia on Oct. 14.

"This is a very exciting event for everyone in the Virgin Islands," Peter Sauer, the university's athletic director, said in a statement issued by the Spurs. "We are thrilled that an NBA team is coming to our community. The fact that it is the San Antonio Spurs makes it even sweeter."

 

[ziggy]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- The San Antonio Spurs will be training island-style before defending their NBA title.

The Spurs said Thursday that they will hold their training camp at the University of the Virgin Islands' beach-side campus on St. Thomas. The nine-day camp begins Oct. 4.

San Antonio star forward Tim Duncan grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands, though on the island of St. Croix.

"We've always thought about holding training camp in the Virgin Islands," R.C. Buford, Spurs general manager, said in a written statement. "It certainly is something that is very important to Tim Duncan, but we really think it'll be a great experience for the entire team."

The team will leave St. Thomas on Oct. 13 and travel directly to Charleston, S.C., for a preseason game against Philadelphia on Oct. 14.

"This is a very exciting event for everyone in the Virgin Islands," Peter Sauer, the university's athletic director, said in a statement issued by the Spurs. "We are thrilled that an NBA team is coming to our community. The fact that it is the San Antonio Spurs makes it even sweeter."

Reality,
And this relates to the Lakers how???!!! :crazy:

My man I think you have done it, you have slipped in a Freudian manner, and shown yourself to be a closet Laker lover.   :bash:  :bash:  :bash:

You have been assimilated. :cry:  

[Reality]

And this relates to the Lakers how???!!! :crazy:

My man I think you have done it, you have slipped in a Freudian manner, and shown yourself to be a closet Laker lover.   :bash:  :bash:  :bash:

You have been assimilated. :cry:

 B) Well I figured a thead on the Spurs training camp would end up being a long thread with a hard fight over who gets to wash Kobes form fitting undies this weekend, and what price detergent should be used (figuring in whether or not a mid level exemption or only highest price soap would be used) so why not name the thread accordingly.  :rolleyes:

Naw there are enough non Laker posters on the board to keep it reasonable.  It doesn't bother me.  I don't even mind when JoeV turns purple and tries Flamerizing the 2004 Title.  Talk about closet.

zig Clemons v Peavy.  I was there.  Superb.  Clemons was actually better for quite a stretch, 17 straight.  But its a 9 inning game and Peavy got out of two innings while Houston choked twice offensively on simple sac bunt attempts.  Ballgame 2-0 Padres.   I hope Houston makes the playoffs.  

[Joe Vancil]

Reality,

WHOA THERE!

The Pistons won that title fair and square, and deserved it!  They played smarter basketball, and did all the things they had to do.  I'm not taking that title away from them at all.

But if you believe a healthy, playing-together Laker team with Shaq, Kobe, Payton, and Malone, that had been playing together all year (in other words, no Malone injury DURING THE SEASON) doesn't play better than the 2004 Lakers that actually showed up at that game did, and doesn't have a chance at beating the Pistons, then you're not a Laker-Hater...you're a fool.

The Lakers were truly rolling before the Malone injury during the season.  Everyone had their roles, and everyone knew where the focal points were.  By the time Malone came back, the chemistry had collapsed.

There was a substantial difference between the Laker team that opened the season and the one that closed it.  The one that opened the season was fantastic...the one that closed it was somewhat dysfunctional.

Is it "demeaning" to the Pistons to say that if the Pacers hadn't had Artest/O'Neal/Jackson suspended, the Pacers could have taken the Central division title?  I don't think so.  It might be demeaning to say they WOULD have, but not that they COULD have.

At least, it's no more demeaning that saying that San An MIGHT have won the Laker series in 2004 were it not for the .4 second shot from Fisher....or that the Pistons could very well have repeated had it not been for Robert Horry in game 5.

I didn't say that a healthy 2004 Lakers WOULD win...but that they COULD win.  They simply didn't.

 

[Reality]

Reality,

I didn't say that a healthy 2004 Lakers WOULD win...but that they COULD win.  They simply didn't.

This is your previous post:
"Los Angeles was a Karl Malone injury - the one during the season, not the playoff one - away from a title."
Does not indicate they would be in a better postion to make a run at the title but rather states what it states.

Okay so on this updated post you verify it was Pistons fair and square.  It was.  The Lakers had all 4 HOFs on the floor for the entire 2004 playoffs including Finals Game 1 opening.  Detroit by 10.  Game 2 with Malone it was a Kobe buzzer squeaker.  Malone injured in Game 2.  Would Malone have made a difference the rest of the finals?  Sure.  Enough to speculate the title would be purple n golden?  No.  Det would have only won by 10 per game instead of 15.

I saw the Lakers v Spurs live at the height of the 2004 Lakers.  (Some would say the .4 straight vs Spurs was the height.)  It was over by halftime and Malone was the catalyst for them all being in the right spot and knowing their roles.  His effect on Devean George in particular worked wonders.  Malone understood the mental aspect of the game, unlike his physically gifted mental midget twosome teamates.

That having been said, the NBA history is littered with reg season phantoms that Flamed out in the playoffs.  Most recent being Phx in 2005, altho they played the Spurs very tough.  The Adleman Syndrome team with Clyde the Glyde around 91.  On and on.

Comparing Artest being out period vs Malone being out for 2 playoff games is not a valid comparison at all.  Repeat they had 4 HOFs on the floor for almost the entire playoffs.  No tears at all for them.  Being gifted Payton and Malone meant even if one went down they had 3 left on the floor.  No comparison whatsoever to other years when the title truly was affected by injury.  Bob Parish being cheapshotted by Mitch Kupcake to completely alter what could have been another classic mid 80s Finals.  Tiny Archibald blowing out a knee on the 82 Celt team that was rocking and rolling. On and on.

[WayOutWest]

Reality,

I didn't say that a healthy 2004 Lakers WOULD win...but that they COULD win.  They simply didn't.

This is your previous post:
"Los Angeles was a Karl Malone injury - the one during the season, not the playoff one - away from a title."
Does not indicate they would be in a better postion to make a run at the title but rather states what it states.

Okay so on this updated post you verify it was Pistons fair and square.  It was.  The Lakers had all 4 HOFs on the floor for the entire 2004 playoffs including Finals Game 1 opening.  Detroit by 10.  Game 2 with Malone it was a Kobe buzzer squeaker.  Malone injured in Game 2.  Would Malone have made a difference the rest of the finals?  Sure.  Enough to speculate the title would be purple n golden?  No.  Det would have only won by 10 per game instead of 15.

I saw the Lakers v Spurs live at the height of the 2004 Lakers.  (Some would say the .4 straight vs Spurs was the height.)  It was over by halftime and Malone was the catalyst for them all being in the right spot and knowing their roles.  His effect on Devean George in particular worked wonders.  Malone understood the mental aspect of the game, unlike his physically gifted mental midget twosome teamates.

That having been said, the NBA history is littered with reg season phantoms that Flamed out in the playoffs.  Most recent being Phx in 2005, altho they played the Spurs very tough.  The Adleman Syndrome team with Clyde the Glyde around 91.  On and on.

Comparing Artest being out period vs Malone being out for 2 playoff games is not a valid comparison at all.  Repeat they had 4 HOFs on the floor for almost the entire playoffs.  No tears at all for them.  Being gifted Payton and Malone meant even if one went down they had 3 left on the floor.  No comparison whatsoever to other years when the title truly was affected by injury.  Bob Parish being cheapshotted by Mitch Kupcake to completely alter what could have been another classic mid 80s Finals.  Tiny Archibald blowing out a knee on the 82 Celt team that was rocking and rolling. On and on.

FYI Gents,

Malone was hurt, and efectively out of the playoffs, versus the Timberwolves.  He reagravated the regular season knee injury durring the Conf. Finals.  Malone's pride kept him on the floow without a knee brace, only after Kobe and Payton begged him to wear a brace for game 4 did Malone wear one.

As much as I disliked the guy, his affect on the Lakers was unquestioned.  While he wasn't the goto guy or the game winning shot guy, he was the fuel that made the Lakers half court game go.  He did all the little things to make the half court set work.  His effect on the Lakers was amazing.

There are alot of "what if's" for every team, if you want to play "what if" we can play it to the tune of 5 in a row for the Lakers.  What if Kobe doesn't hurt his shoulder vs the Wolves, they take the Spurs easily.  What if Malone doesn't get hurt vs the Wovles, the Lakers take the Pistons in 5.  What if Magic and Scott don't blow hamstrings, the Lakers post the first and only PERFECT playoff run in history.

The "what if" game is fun cause the Lakers win that one also.

[JoMal]

It's so odd hearing the excuses that injuries played into the hinderance of another team other then the Kings during their playoff run - especially for the Lakers. What-if scenarios should be left to the experts, like those in Sacramento.

[Joe Vancil]

WayOutWest,

See, I disagree that had Malone not been hurt in the Finals that the Lakers would have been okay.  I feel the Malone injury during the SEASON - not during the playoffs - was the breaking point for the Laker team chemistry.  Look at the *ENTIRE* season, and you'll see two different Laker teams - the one before Malone went down, and the one after Malone went down.  When he came back, Malone was just a component part on an already dysfunctional team.  Even with Malone - a healthy Malone - the pieces were in place for the Pistons to exploit.

Everyone keeps going back to the playoffs as to what difference Malone might have made.  Forget that part of it!  Look at what happened to the team chemistry while Malone was out.  That's the telling part of the equation.

If you take the 2003-04 Lakers in game 1 of the season, and the 2003-04 Lakers in game 82 of the season but give them a completely healthy Karl Malone, the game 1 team pulverizes the game 82 team.

[Joe Vancil]

Comparing Artest being out period vs Malone being out for 2 playoff games is not a valid comparison at all. Repeat they had 4 HOFs on the floor for almost the entire playoffs. No tears at all for them. Being gifted Payton and Malone meant even if one went down they had 3 left on the floor.

A healthy Karl Malone could have been there for the entire playoff run, and you'd have *STILL* had the chemistry problems that killed the Lakers!  How many times do I have to say it?  It was the REGULAR SEASON injury to Karl Malone that killed the Lakers' team chemistry.

A healthy Malone in the playoffs might have gotten LA a bit further...but it doesn't fix the chemistry problems that developed when Malone went down!

 

[WayOutWest]

Joe,

I disagree.  The Lakers were SOOOOOO talented that even a dysfunctional bickering squad should have mopped the floor with Detroit.  The Spurs were a FAR superior team to Detroit IMO.  That series SHOULD have been the Finals.  Those were the two best teams that year.

I do sway back and forth sometimes regarding Detroit, they should some real championship heart taking the Spurs to 7 games.  They didn't have any "championship" credentials last year though so that's why I start to sway.

It's a shame that team didn't get a 2nd shot.

[Joe Vancil]

WayOutWest,

And that will be our point of contention.  Detroit played smart, smart, smart basketball, while the Lakers went out there and relied completely on talent.  That might work in a game of streetball, but when the game is an ORGANIZED game, it won't work the same way for one reason:  OFFICIATING.

It would be unfair to say that the officials decided the series, as I've heard many folks say.  If an official calls an obvious foul at a critical moment, is that deciding the series?  NO.  An official *NOT* calling an obvious foul would be deciding the series...because basketball has a set of rules which must be enforced.  An official can decide the game with a NO CALL as easily as he can decide it with a call.  The question is whether or not the foul was committed, the travelling occurred, etc.

Detroit, due to the wisdom of Tayshaun Prince early in game 1, saw the key to success - ATTACK THE BASKET, and make Shaq foul you.  He does that 6 times, and he doesn't get to play anymore...and when Shaq sits down, the Pistons' chances are better.  That's one of the first things you learn in playing organized basketball - mind your foul situation.

The first-game-of-the-season Laker team would not have allowed Detroit to do this.  It was cohesive on defense, and precise on offense.  The precision offense would have kept Detroit off-balance.  The team could then no longer focus their offensive attack on Shaq.  Larry Brown's timeouts would have to be used to focus on defensive schemes.  And the more smoothly the offense runs for the Lakers, the more smoothly the defense runs for the Lakers.  And that means that Chauncey Billups stays outside - like he started to do before the Prince drives - and shoots Detroit out of the series.  Billups would be more interested in getting the points back than he would picking up those fouls on Shaq.

Detroit won because they played a team that wasn't cohesive, and they played the perfect game to take advantage of that.  Moreso that Detroit's defense, it was their OFFENSE that beat the Lakers.

[Reality]

A healthy Karl Malone could have been there for the entire playoff run, and you'd have *STILL* had the chemistry problems that killed the Lakers!  How many times do I have to say it?  It was the REGULAR SEASON injury to Karl Malone that killed the Lakers' team chemistry.

A healthy Malone in the playoffs might have gotten LA a bit further...but it doesn't fix the chemistry problems that developed when Malone went down!

Gee maybe a healthy Karl Malone all year long and you still would have had chemistry problems. :rolleyes:  

[Joe Vancil]

Gee maybe a healthy Karl Malone all year long and you still would have had chemistry problems.

NO.  Even from early in the season, it was clear to see that Malone was a complementary, chemistry player.  The chemistry didn't become a problem until Malone went down.  Sounds pretty obvious to me that Malone was one of the catalysts that kept the reaction under control.

Your point has validity in that perhaps the Lakers would have blown up anyway.  And, of course, we'll never know.  But most things continue at their steady state unless given a stimulus of some sort.  It's obvious that losing Malone was a negative stimulus.  If the Lakers had not lost him, the most likely effect would be them remaining at steady-state.

(Sorry to mix biology (stimulus), chemistry(catalyst, reaction), and electrical engineering (steady-state), but hopefully, you get the idea.)
 

[WayOutWest]

(Sorry to mix biology (stimulus), chemistry(catalyst, reaction), and electrical engineering (steady-state), but hopefully, you get the idea.)

Still...pretty darn good splice if you ask me.