General Non-Laker Fan Consenus to Odom Returning: NOOOOOO!

Here's a compilation I gathered from the Lakers' main rivals this next season. I like to call them...The Fantastic Four. Sounds like such a pansy name, doesn't it?

Celtics Fans' Reactions (prosportsdaily.com):

It's ok, Pierce. This time I understand. I'd fake injuries too if I knew I wasn't a Laker.

- crud...oh well, pretty much expected

- Damn it- good deal for the Lakers as well...

- Whatever.... Bring 'em on.

- Kobe, Odom, Gaysol, Artest vs Paul, Ray, Kg, Sheed, Rondo...we are still better...i guess homecourt will probably be the difference maker...

- Who cares! The Celtics beat them with Odom once, and they can do it again.

- Our hope right now is that Artest flakes out; but even without Artest they're still similar to the '08 finalists. In '08, we were clearly better, even though the finals were a bit closer than we like to admit. This year, in the regular season the Lakers looked like they improved - but in the playoffs they looked worse than they did in '08. We would likely have lost to the regular season quality Lakers in the Finals, but we probably beat the team that got taken to 7 games by Houston. Even without Posey or anyone to guard Kobe. I think both teams regressed in '08, the Lakers by less, and '08 would have been closer than '07.

Now with Artest, on paper the Lakers are definitely the best team in the NBA, unfortunately. Without Odom they might not be, but it doesn't look like that is the case. We upgraded from last year with Rasheed, but the Lakers outdid us getting Artest and keeping Odom. We should still have a shot, but if Artest keeps his head on straight it will be tough.

- Get Marquis Daniels and resign Marbury and you can say the CELTICS are STACKED..LA is where it has always been..they jus traded Ariza for Artest...nobody knows how that will work out for them..I still think Ariza was the better fit, and safer bet...

- This is why I hate the LA Lakers. Douchebag drama like the Odom signing. He plays around for at least a month, pathetically waiting for LA to give him an acceptable offer. Buss goes back on his "principles" after pulling the initial offer yet ends up working something out. And people wonder why the Lakers get so much hate. Sure, there are plenty of reasons but unnecessary narcissistic drama like the Odom negotiations is high on the list.

- Lakers just got better this Season not worse. Ariza is a up and coming player but Artest will give Kobe rest. This will be the difference. Artest will keep the Defense's Honest. Artest will lock on Pierce. Even Battle but Pierce is older and I think Ron will get 3 or more good games at the end of the season on an older PP. Kobe will lock Allen. Kobe wins.


Cavs fans' reactions (RealCavsFans.com, CavsFanatic.com):

Don't worry, little guy. Bigger men than you have cried harder before.

Like this Guy...

Wah wah, how come Kobe gets to play with the best toys and I don't???

- With Lamar Odom reportedly set to re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, there might be a rash of signings in the forward market as there was a bit of a delay to see where Odom would go. I think we should try our very best to sigh Hakim Warrick. he could be another guy to throw at the lamar odom's and rashard lewis'. FYI Lewis and Odom both averaged lower than their reg. season averages against Memphis, what a coincidence huh?

- Alright we need David West more than anything now.

- Odom just isn't a quick 4, he's big. Odom kills a small, quick 4 on the boards.

- re signed Odom...tough for any team to beat them...Man if they win two straight..ughhh. Dont we all just feel like we just wasted time thinking and hoping "I hope odom leaves," He was always going to go back

-i know man.......that just devastated us.......ok mr ferry.....we need one more genius move. WE'RE TOO CLOSE TO LOSE IT NOW!!!!

- i assumed we were gonna kill the rest of the league this year, except for the elites, but the only person the lakers lost is ariza and gained artest, they just got better, alot better, its a little bit of a scary team. fan or not you gotta see the facts. we have faith but we're not stupid, with odom in there we don't match up anymore. now we just need that "better than average" stretch 4.......(omg im so mad sheed didn't sign with us.)

-The Lakers are gonna be stacked this season and very versatile. But just cause a team looks good on paper doesnt mean they cant be beat. In the end you have to play the games out.

-Sometimes I think people forget Shaquille 'O freaking Neal is on our team now...

-Newsflash: The Lakers didn't get that much better. They basically made a slight improvement signing Artest and getting rid of Ariza. They are a slightly better team. Their bench is a little iffy. We are a much better team. We now have a perenial all-star at center and more size at the wing. Should be an even matchup. Don't forget, ya'll--there's still a long long season to play. Injuries will factor in (hopefully in our favor). Stop freaking out, we can speculate in June if we meet them in the Finals.

- Wow, the Cavs got better this offseason. We get that. Our offseason was better than the Lakers was. We all get that. But don't you get that they were already much better than us to begin with? Don't even bring up our regular season record. Beating up on all the scrub East teams doesn't mean anything.

- Man, I hate to say this but I just don't think there's any way the Cavs beat that team, assuming the Lakers make it to the finals. (which they will.) Cleveland just can't catch a goddamn break.


Magic Fans' Reactions (orlandomagiczone.com):

Dwight - 'kissing' up early. Superman didn't even suit up for the game...or to save the world.

- Hopefully the Magic have improved enough to beat the Lakers in the finals this year, because it looks like a re-match may be in order (stating if both teams stay healthy). Ugh, I really wanted him to sign with the Heat too because then I think we would certainly be the favorites in the NBA. The Lakers length is what beat us this year, and we haven't gotten bigger under the basket. I think Bass should help us out on the boards, but he still can't match up with Odom, Gasol or Bynum. This news angers me.

- Ok they have Odom, Gasol and Bynum right. We have Lewis, Bass, Howard and Gortat so how are they much bigger under the basket. Our frontcourt can match theirs. Bynum gets in foul trouble quick. Gasol and Odom is the key.

- Right we are the same down low. We had Shard, Gortat and Dwight. We also had Battie. Shard and Battie got dominated by Gasol and the only person who guarded him with any consistency was Dwight. I don't think Bass is going to help us with our matchup against the Lakers. I think Sheed would have been a bigger impact in those games actually because of his length and versatility. I like the signing of Bass, but he was my 2nd pick to Sheed. I understand Sheed got the full MLE from Boston, and we split ours up for Barnes and Bass, but I'm nervous with Odom coming back to LA that we're going to have the same problem with them in the post!

- Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum and Paul Gasol are better than every player in the paint in our front line except Dwight.

- At least it's a better win being underdogs.

- i think artest will realize he is just a piece to that team and will thrive in it.....he is smarter,a better passer,a better shooter, a better defender than ariza is.....not to mention artest can play s/g s/f or even p/f if needed for spurts.....this is my opinion and i hope i'm wrong

- Artest is better all around player than Ariza is. You cant be serious thinking hes not. Artest still is a 20ppg player that gives you lockdown defense and assist and rebounds. Ariza dont give you all that. This is not even an argument really.

- And at 250 pounds he is not a slow top and Bass is not one of those kind of players who you want to get in his way. The Lakers are worried about us not the other way around.

- idk I'm pretty worried about the Lakes. At least we don't have to worry about them until the Finals.

- Odom, Artest, Gasol, Bynum and Bryant? is that even fair


Spurs Fans' Reactions (spurstalk.com):

The Spurs should follow Richard Jefferson's lead - get cold feet and check out early. Sorry, wifey.

-Spurs are much improved. If we have a healthy Timmy and Manu come playoff time with the new additions, they can beat the Lakers even with Odom..

- Dang. The only reason I don't like it is because the Lakers didn't need to get stronger than last season. They were already ahead of the pack as it was. With Odom and Artest...they arguably did. Time to play the games, fellas. Bring it on.

- Great news. The Lakers are clearly the team to beat now, puts pressure off the Spurs as all the pressure is on the Lakers now to repeat with that stacked lineup. If healthy the Spurs can give them a huge fight in the playoffs.

- Unlike the Spurs the Lakers have never had issues repeating. Hell they've already made back to back Finals appearances with the same team.

- A realistic appraisal of our chances are small sorry, for the same reasons we lost this season. Being a true fan and Knowing what your team inefficiencies are and calling them out does not make you less than a fan.

- L.A is better also, I don't see the Spurs winning over L.A in the playoffs, the Spurs don't have enough quality big men. Boston is the only team that stands a chance next year.

- When Odom was guarding Parker, TP became almost useless on the court.

- Portland is the Lakers kryptonite. They are just as big, young, and fast as L.A. If they meet up in the playoffs early, L.A. wont get to the WFC. It'll be Denver and S.A.

- Maybe not the best news as a Spur fan, but as a basketball fan this is fantastic news. Can't wait to see the games between these two next year!

- Come on Lakers, give the Spurs your best shot. They'll be waiting.

- Ginobili will be waiting in a suit in the crowd behind the team bench.


Collective Reaction Around the League:

Darth Vader - mad at the Lakers for trumping his Death Star...with 5 of their own.

In summary, fans of the remaining Power Four in the league (you may want to include Portland too, but we can wait.) - Boston, Cleveland, Orlando, and San Antonio - all seem to be dejected...As if somebody just stole their candy away from them...I am so clever.

Their fear is even more apparent by the facadic fronts of confidence they put up. For Boston, it's Rasheed, health, and their 'deep' bench that shall be their savior. For the Cavs, it's Shaq, anti-fat and lazy medicine, and their 'deep' bench. For the Magic, it's Carter, Bass, Barnes, and Pinnochio - I mean, Gortat. And for the Spurs, it's health, prenuptial agreements, a hot desperate housewife and...the Portland Trailblazers.

Lakers Fans' Collective Reaction:

Just dance - gonna be ok! ...Winners are so annoying.

Not one to be too overconfident, but...Expect to be annoyed, NBA.

People hate the Purple&Gold Fridge,
Jonathan Hernandez (Chick's Fridge)