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Magic Johnson Rips Lakers Over Finals Effort

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  • Magic Johnson Rips Lakers Over Finals Effort

    Magic Johnson doesn't like what he sees from the Los Angeles Lakers, and he decided to speak up about it Saturday.

    "I think the Lakers had a mind-set that was disrespectful to the Pistons. They thought it was going to be easy. That is not the case," Johnson said. "Unless they come out and play very hard, with the same level of intensity as the Pistons, this series will be over."

    Johnson, a vice president and part-owner of the Lakers, was not displaying his trademark grin as he exited The Palace on Thursday night following the Lakers' 20-point loss in Game 3.

    At a news conference to promote his basketball camp, Johnson heavily criticized the Lakers.

    "I am angry. You have to compete. And we're not competing," he said. "You can just see the Lakers' frustration. No one is welcoming anyone to the bench. Guys are sitting there, wandering off into the crowd, defeated. We've got to get that look off our faces and play basketball the way it's supposed to be played. If not, the series won't get back to Los Angeles."

    The series resumes Sunday night with the Detroit Pistons leading the best-of-7 series 2-1.

    "I have eight rings and I want nine," Johnson said. "My anger is that we haven't competed in this series. I don't know what's going on. I don't know what the mind-set is. But this is just unacceptable."

    Johnson also singled out Karl Malone and Gary Payton for criticism.

    Malone had an altercation with a heckler prior to Game 3.

    "You don't put your finger in a fan's face. That's unacceptable. Lakers don't do that," Johnson said of Malone, who claimed the heckler spat on him. "I don't care what he said. He has been to two finals. I've been to nine. Do you think the Celtics fans didn't say things I didn't like?"

    Payton has been outplayed by Detroit's Chauncey Billups.

    "Gary Payton is 35 years old and isn't the same Gary Payton he was 10 years ago. He has to accept that," Johnson said. "Gary Payton has had a lot of great, wide-open looks and hasn't knocked them down. That doesn't change if you're in the triangle or a 1-4 or what. Wide-open looks are wide-open looks. He shot an airball just the other day, wide-open. Hell, nobody was 10 feet from him. He got it, caught it, wide-open, airball. You've got to make that shot. You've got to make plays. Gary's problem isn't on offense. It's on defense. Billups is using him up."

    Source: AP

  • #2
    Blame Phil

    Phil has proven himself to be a great motivator and even greater at meshing egos together but his actually coaching skills have to be called into question. The whole Gary Payton situation has gotten so far out of hand because Phil did nothing. He has plenty of options, the obvious being play Derek Fisher because Derek fits better in the triangle offense.

    Payton is not a spot up jump shooter, he never has been and at 35 he never will be. The other option is very simple, let Gary Payton post up Chauncey Billups early, to get him involved in the offense. Payton is one of the best PG's ever at posting up. In fact he is the second best post player on the Lakers at this point. If Payton is in the post he can either score on Billups or pass out of it to the open man. That is Gary's game!! A good coach makes adjustments, Phil has never had to make 1 in his career. If Payton gets involved early, that will regain his confidence and you will see the GP from the old days. Head swaggerring, Trash talking, old Gary Payton. So don't blame the glove blame the "GURU".

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    • #3
      Its the Pistons

      Everyone wants to put the blame on someone. Cant you people realize its NOT the lakers, its the PISTONS! Nobody can get past the pistons D. Its just the shaq and kobe show, no team. The Lakers are getting out played and out coached. I'm sure Red Auerbach is smoking a fat cuban and laughing his old ass off.

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      • #4
        The Pistons are most responsible...they came to play; it's that simple

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