The Western Conference’s Best Team: L.A. Lakers or San Antonio Spurs?March 03 08  My AM Take: One embodies glitz-and-glamour. The other is blue-collar. One has a superstar who transcends the league. The other has a superstar who is unfairly compared to a robot because of his low-key personality. Yes, I’m referring to the Western Conference’s two best teams: the L.A. Lakers and San Antonio Spurs. And yes, Hollywood and The River City are polar opposites. The Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant, have star-driven talent. The Spurs, led by Tim Duncan, aim for text-book efficiency. Different styles, but both are highly effective.
Only one team can represent the west in the NBA Finals. Right now, who has the best shot of winning the Western Conference: Los Angeles or San Antonio? Read the post and let us know in the comment box below.
The Case for the Lakers … - Staples Center houses the best player in the world. Of course, Bryant is now content to facilitate for others or –like Sunday afternoon- he can still dominate when necessary. #24 is in line for his first MVP.
- Staples Center also houses the best frontcourt in the NBA: Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom. When healthy, this trio has the size and skill to give opponents fits.
- Depth is a beautiful thing. The purple-and-gold has one of the league’s best benches; Phil Jackson can go ten deep, calling on useful players like Jordan Farmar, Ronny Turiaf, and Sasha Vujacic.
The Case for the Spurs … - San Antonio is a perfect example of defense winning NBA Titles. With Duncan acting as the anchor, the silver-and-black stays near the top of the standings by stopping opponents.
- Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker are interchangeable All-Stars. Over the years, each has led the Spurs to playoff glory. And they are the defending champs.
- Savvy veterans are a wonderful commodity. Last month, San Antonio added Damon Stoudamire and Kurt Thomas to a roster of experienced pros like Robert Horry, Fabricio Oberta, Michael Finley and Brent Barry.
L.A. or San Antonio? Who is the best team in the Western Conference? Get at us in the comment box below with your vote.
The AM Take is Oly’s morning thoughts on the NBA appearing Sunday through Friday on HoopsVibe NBA Blog. Errors can be attributed to the time and his need for another coffee.
[Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/do-it_do-it-now/373048494/]
Posted by
on 03.7.2008 | Look at the Sp*rs fans getting all defensive over their aging team. You are starting to realize your team, like all others from the past, can’t win forever. The end is coming soon, whether you want it to or not. It may not be this year, but it’s coming soon enough.Repeat huh? It looks like you _might_ reach consecutive WCF for the first time, LOL. That would be worthy of some applause. . | Posted by
Gabe
on 03.7.2008 | I admire the Lakers for their athleticism and talent. The majority of their players however, are NOT playoff-tested.The playoffs are a whole different animal, and the Spurs have shown time and time again that they can kick it into another gear in the postseason. I just don’t see the Lakers being able to match the Spurs’ mental intensity and focus in a 7 game series. The Lakers are good, make no mistake. But San Antonio, when they’re at the top of their game and healthy, have no equal. . | Posted by
GEENNOOBILLY1
on 03.6.2008 | When was the last time KOBE got a championship ring ...???Hmmmm... let me dig in the boxes in my garage and pull out my old calendars ...You FAKERS fans are funny ... you get GASOL and you think you’re ready to sweep the SPURS in the Finals. That’s really funny!But you won’t find it funny when the SPURS kick KBOE’s a-------...GO SPURS GO !!! . | Posted by
Lakerboy
on 03.6.2008 | It all about those Lakers and you know who is the best so get on the Lakers level spurs . | Posted by
on 03.4.2008 | lakers all the way!!!! . | Posted by
SAN ANTO CON SAFOS
on 03.4.2008 | SPURS PUT OUT THE LIGHTSAT THE FORUM....MEMMER?YOU MEMMER? THAT MAYATEBRYANT CRYING LIKE A BITCHAFTER THE SPURS WAXED THEM ON THEIR OWN COURT...WITH SHAQ ON THE TEAM! GASOL? PLEASE, THAT KULEDO CAN’T EVEN HOLD DUNCAN’S JOCK...PINCHE LAKERS VALEN VERGA! GO SPURS GO!!!....SPURS IN FIVE!.....ORALE! . | Posted by
spursarestilldirty
on 03.4.2008 | its not my fault the laker’s always win championships.
The spurs are just hot right now but they will never get to the 14 we have on the shelf
Don’t hate L.A. cause were good.You know we’re the only team that can whip your butt in the playoffs with 0.4 seconds on the clock.
So get your dirty squad ready cause L.A. is coming to take it back home.
Lakers 14 titles > Spurs 4 titles.
Kareem > Robinson
Magic > parker
Chamberlain > Duncan
Kobe > Ginobli ..and so on and so forth.I mean the spurs are not bad for a old ABA franchise. But the lakers are NBA O.G.s and thats the way it is man, don’t hate cause your team has no history or real market. . | Posted by
Amber Big Crow
on 03.4.2008 | hey i was juss wondering who was your role models when you were younger....im doins this for a school project...so could you please tell me who your real models were... . | Posted by
KOBE IS BETTER
on 03.4.2008 | Kobe is better than Lebron... Kobe 3 rings, Lebron 0... and if Kobe was in the East...wow, uhh im sure he would average better stats than Lebron... . | Posted by
charlie brown
on 03.4.2008 | someone call genius cause we have some of the longest comments in the world, good grief . | Posted by
will
on 03.4.2008 | WANTYOUTOSAYMYNAMECAUSEYOURAFUCKINGBITCHHAHAHA", im sorry but you are one of the most uneducated people ever to talk about basketball. you have no idea. and no legit ball fans type KOBEs---and then go back to normal and then HACKSON you uneducated kcuf dead set neck up. its goiing to be the best series if its played so watch out belter . | Posted by
steven[stunna]
on 03.4.2008 | hey "WANTYOUTOSAYMYNAMECAUSEYOURAFUCKINGBITCHHAHAHA", ok who ever said that kb24 wanted to be the next mj??? he wants to lead his team 2 a ring but even mj needed help. pow gasolina??? mexican? f-dude, ur the one who really needs an education. stupid motherfucker. wana say something about it??? hit me at stevenaguilarslakers@yahoo.comim here all day everyday so bring it. no old s---needs 2 be brought up from hookers in colorado. he was innocent of rape. n all the people cussing here sound like 5 year olds who dont know what they are talking about. "f-lakers" "aint shit", yeah they r good points. yeah right. the lakers have the best bench in the league. the spurs bench have depth too and experience but they arent as fast or as motivated. yeah it isnt proven yet that the lakers have the best front but doesnt it look scary already? now wait until it happens! two 7 footers on offense AND defense at the same time?! case closed. the lakerz only have to pay close attention to the spurs’ finley and his shooting. NO ONE can or will stop kobe this year.P.s. shaq got to the finalz because he had a great bench like us and was playing in the EAST! can it be any easier? they killed the mavs and the spurs didnt make it to the conference finals. lakerz didnt either because we were in a transition season. spurs were the "dynasty". whatever. . | Posted by
on 03.4.2008 | Let’s just wait and see...Some people here are acting like seasoned basketball experts even though they are full of biases... Both have depth, but the Spurs as a whole has more experience...Can’t wait to see the two collide at the Western Conference Finals.. (Barring any upsets from GSW...) ^^ . | Posted by
on 03.4.2008 | the guy who commented below is sad lol . | Posted by
on 03.3.2008 | Kobe, Bynum and Gasol can take all the glory they want but when the playoffs time come, we’ll know who are the real champs. Spurs have arguably one of the deepest benches in the NBA right now with Ginobili, Barry, Horry, D. Stoudamire, Vaugn, Oberto and Matt Bonner...Kobe can score 52 over the Mavs but anyone from Finley, Bowen, Ginobili or Udoka could guard Kobe...so take all the glory you want lakers fan despite being ranked below the Spurs as we speak right now. You can even take the regular season but you wont pa-------the defense and resiliency of Spurs when the playoffs come!!! . | Posted by
mari
on 03.3.2008 | since when are lamar odom, pau gasol and andrew bynum the best front court in the league?? how many games have they played together??? sounds a little premature to be calling them the best front court in the NBA when they’ve never even been on the court at the same time. . | Posted by
dirtyspurswillgethandled
on 03.3.2008 | I’m sorry, the laker’s are the spurs Achilles heel man.When these guys got at it in a playoff series the spurs lose 75% of the time.
Phil has Popoviches number. its gonna be tough because the match ups are too hard to judge who will guard Bynum? and if Bynum is on the bench then you have mbinga and or Turiaf, then you have Gasol to deal with at the PF spot on tim duncan all day.
forget about Horry.He can’t do any funny business to these guys with all our height.then Bruce bowen guarding Lamar Odom who is like what 6-10 to Bowen’s 6-7 yeah right.let me see him throw a kick to his face in crunch time.not gonna get above his abdomen.
then we got Ariza’s defense on anybody all day, as well as the deepest bench in the league...double, triple, hell quadruple Kobe Bryant and then he will kick it out to the machine, Farmer, or Radmonovic and they will drill a 3 in their face.
Now we have Fisher on Parker, Fisher knows how to play defense with the best of them and he is proven in playoff time especially against Parker.
Kobe on Ginobli, kobe bryant defensive first practically every year of his career.Ginobli none of them.even if they trow bowen on Kobe, he can’t pull any funny business on him cause kobe knows him
so there you have it.laker’s in 6 in the western conference finals, and you can take that to the bank. . | Posted by
on 03.3.2008 | Sprus will take it for sure. They have a better roster, more experience, and are just an all around better team. . | Posted by
Dingo
on 03.3.2008 | You’ve asked two questions: who has the best shot of winning the Western Conference and who is the best team in the Western Conference? The Lakers are now the best team on paper with Pau Gasol, and will be even better once Andrew Bynum is back in uniform, but the Spurs have the best shot of winning the West because of their depth and their playoff experience. Their matchup on April 13 in LA should be a nice preview of the Western Conference Finals. . | Posted by
Dingo
on 03.3.2008 | You’ve asked two questions: who has the best shot of winning the Western Conference and who is the best team in the Western Conference? The Lakers are now the best team on paper with Pau Gasol, and will be even better once Andrew Bynum is back in uniform, but the because of their depth and their playoff experience. Their matchup on April 13 in LA should be a nice preview of the Western Conference Finals. . |
No profanity or inaproppriate remarks. All i.p. addresses will be saved and abuse/hate posts will be reported to providers and authorities as part of the anti-spam act of 2003, thank you for posting comments on the articles only. | | | |
|  | About
Oly Sandor | Daily take on NBA Oly Sandor is an NBA analyst and sports journalist based out of Vancouver, Canada.After years of the free-lance game, Oly Sandor is bringing his unique brand of NBA analysis exclusively to (...) More |
|
