From Houston — The way this is going I'm going to have to ask the question again, although I already know the answer: THIS IS EMBARRASSING.
Only the underachieving, disappointing Lakers could make Luis Scola look like Larry Bird. The guy goes into the Hall of Fame if he gets to play against Pau Gasol more often.
Yo, Trevor Ariza, they've started the game.
Maybe he thinks the Rockets need a handicap, like I'll give you two strokes a side -- the last two games Ariza turning the ball back over to Houston at the start to even things out.
The Rockets don't have two of their best players, and yet it's Phil Jackson who can't get the best team in the West cranked up to advance to the next round.
Defense has been a consistent Lakers' deficiency and yet the guy with the nine rings doesn't appear as if he's noticed.
Seven games against the Rockets?
Oh, that's right, the Lakers came here a few days ago and won back the home-court advantage, so mission accomplished in Houston. I guess his players got the message, "as long as we have the home-court advantage, we're all right."
NBA champions? Are you kidding me?
Maybe Andrew Bynum shows up for the NBA Finals after buying a ticket.
The first half just ended, the team that lost the last game by 40 now up by 16, Bynum contributing zero points in 11 minutes and 20 seconds. He goes on to play a total of 19 minutes and scores as many as Yao Ming.
Have I mentioned Derek Fisher? Why bother?
And yet most of the e-mail begins the same, "Why don't you like the Lakers?"
What's to like?
Do you really find Kobe embraceable? Is he embraceable like Magic Johnson or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?
Jeanie Buss finds Jackson embraceable, but just wondering, do you like Phil Jackson? Do you know Phil Jackson? Will you feel anything for him when he leaves town?
Joe Torre shows up in town, and five minutes later he's as likable as Mike Scioscia. Neither one of them has a condescending bone in their bodies.
The other night TNT's Kenny Smith says the Lakers are arrogant, which is interesting, because what have they really done?
Now it's ESPN's Mark Jackson, a former NBA player, saying he's had it with the Lakers because they don't always show up. And you people like these guys?
Some Lakers fans will be as dismissive as their hero and consider all this Kobe hating, but he sets the tone, and there's something that's just not right here.
And here I am asking the question again after the Lakers fail to show for a playoff game: "Is this embarrassing?" and it's Jackson who is dismissive. "Go on, next question," he says.
OK, so no way they lose Sunday, and all will be well in the Lakers' world again. But if not -- then we'll see how much you really like the Lakers.