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A Season To Remember.
Posted by: Lakers4Kobe on Apr 16, 2008 - 07:29 AM
lakers-blog
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This is my final blog of the regular season so I want to make it a good one. I hope you all like it.
So it's all over. The Lakers season came to an end with a 124-101 victory over the Sacramento Kings, giving them the 1st seed in the West and the momentum they need heading into the playoffs. However, it did not come easily. These Lakers had to put up with hardship and turmoil as their season looked to be doomed when Andre Bynum went down with a knee injury on Jan. 13 against Memphis. But the problem was quickly solved as Mitch Kupchack pulled off one of the biggest steals in NBA history by grabbing Pau Gasol from Memphis for Javaris Crittenton and Kwame Brown plus a few draft picks.
While the end result is great, nobody could have expected it 5 months ago. Kobe was an outraged superstar and he opinions were clear in an amateur video in which he calls Dr. Buss and “Idiot” and demands that Andrew Bynum be shipped out. At this point Mitch Kupchack had some tough decisions to make, thankfully he made the right one by standing his ground and not trading Andrew Bynum. Laker fans everyone are giddy with the thought of a Gasol/Bynum tandem in the playoffs. It can be considered to be the biggest non-trade this millennium.
When training camp began everyone was still scared about what was going to happen. Kobe was avoiding any question about his outrage and some team mates of his seemed to look very upset. However, the regular season got underway and Kobe showed he was dedicated, scoring 45 points in the season opener against the Houston Rockets, the Lakers lost that game. But that game must have sparked something in this team as they won their next two games against playoff teams Phoenix and Utah, while absolutely destroying Phoenix 119-98. At this point Laker fans were feeling pretty damn happy about themselves. However, not all went to plan and the Lakers went on to a 9-8 start to season and many people starting calling the Lakers a “.500” team.
Yet something amazing happened. We met Andrew Bynum. The kid that Kobe wanted out of here for none other than Jason Kidd. Kobe would soon be eating his own words as Andrew Bynum raised his game tenfold and became one of the best young centres in the game. He became an instant double-double and eventually was averaging 13ppg and 11rpg. The Lakers went on a surge winning seven games in a row from the 4th of January to the 14th of January. However, in a 100-99 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, Andrew Bynum stepped awkwardly on Lamar Odom’s foot and went down with a dislocated knee. The Lakers were able to win the game but that was the last thing on their minds. Bynum came out of the locker room after the game on crutches and said he felt alright. This calmed many Laker fans until a few days later doctors determined that Andrew would be out for a minimum of 8 weeks. It was a big blow to the Lakers and many fans started preparing for next season.
The Lakers went 3-6 to the 1st of February when the miracle happened. Laker fans woke up in the morning to find that Pau Gasol was traded to the Lakers for scraps. Needless to say, Laker fans everywhere were giddy and so was Kobe. He celebrated by scoring 46 points in a 121-101 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Oh and Sasha must have been pretty happy to get another European on the team, as he chipped in 22 points of his own. It was the start of a new age for the Lakers. Everything looked that much brighter. Pau played his first game against the New Jersey Nets scoring 24 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, not a bad debut. The incredible thing is that Kobe scored only 6 points and yet the Lakers still won 105-90. Oh, did I mention this was all during a 9 game Eastern Conference trip. The Lakers finished the road trip 7-2, one of the best records for a road trip of such length.
Laker fans everywhere were waiting for Gasol’s debut at Staples Centre. It was set for the 19th of February against the Atlanta Hawks. Gasol came out to the court and the Laker fans went crazy. Cheers would not stop and Gasol showed his worth scoring 23 points and grabbing 6 rebounds as the Lakers routed the Hawks 122-93. Kobe must have been pretty damn happy then.
From the 8th of February to the 28th of February the Lakers rolled off 10 straight victories and it was 20 days of great Laker basketball. The Lakers and the Rockets (who went on to win 22 straight) were the hottest teams in the league and they amazed the entire NBA nation.
The Lakers continued their wining ways with an impressive 120-124 victory over the Phoenix Suns, spoiling Shaq’s home debut, courtesy of 41 points from Kobe, 29 from Gasol and 22 from Lamar Odom (more on him later). It was an impressive victory to say the least. The Lakers next big victory came on the 2nd of March against the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs had previously won the teams on meeting thus far 112-105. Many people were expecting a good game with newly added Mav, Jason Kidd. What they got was one of the best games of the season. The Lakers won in overtime 108-104 and Kobe erupted for 52 points and 11 rebounds, destroying the Mavs. Gasol added a Lamar like performance with 17 points and 14 rebounds. It was definitely one of the best Laker games of the season.
The next big challenge for the Lakers was a four game road trip to New Orleans, Houston, Dallas and Utah. To say the least, this was going to be tough. Things could not have gotten off to a worse start as Pau Gasol injured his ankle in the 1st quarter of the New Orleans game and the Lakers went on to lose 108-98. The Lakers then became the 22nd and last victim of the Rockets losing 104-92. At this point nobody was sure when Gasol was coming back and Laker fans were dreading the next two games against Dallas and Utah, some of the best home teams in the league.
The Dallas game could not have had anymore ups and downs. The Lakers ended up building a 30 point lead only to have the Mavs decrease it to 1. However the Lakers were able to hold on and beat them 102-100.
The next game was against Utah, the best home team in the league. The Lakers went in with a purpose and dominated the Jazz on their home court winning 106-95. The exclamation point of the game came in the 4th quarter where the Jazz crowd was booing as loud as they could. On the previous play, Deron Williams converted a four-point play off of a questionable call on Kobe Bryant. Kobe looked pissed and the he got the ball. He drove pass the entire zone defence and jammed the ball home sending a message to the crowd. The next thing I saw was Kobe popping his Lakers jersey to the crowd. Sorry Utah, nobody can beat Kobe.
With that incredibly challenging four game road trip out of the way the Lakers had a relatively average schedule the rest of the way, with what seemed to be the only challenges against the Mavericks, Hornets and Spurs. However, the Lakers would have an unexpected end to the season, starting with back-to-back games against the Golden State Warriors. These games weren’t attracting much attention but little did everyone know, this would be one of the most exciting 48 hours of Lakers/Warriors basketball.
The first game was in Los Angeles and it did not disappoint. The Lakers went down by over 20 and yet they were able to fight their way back but weren’t able to come up with the win as Stephen Jackson traded threes with Kobe and the Warriors won 115-111. A special mention has to go out to Lamar Odom though. He scored 19 points and grabbed a career-high 22 rebounds.
24 hours later the teams were battling again, this time the Warriors were hosting. The game was very similar with both teams trading baskets throughout and leads being build and destroyed constantly. At the end of regulation the scored was tied at 111. Overtime came by and Lamar made a clutch lay-up with 9.1 ticks left. On the next play Derek Fisher drawed an offensive foul from Monta Ellis and Kobe hit two free throws to give the Lakers a 123-119 victory. Lamar had another great game with 23 points and 21 rebounds while Kobe scored 30 and grabbed in 11 boards of his own. Both games were fun to watch and definitely some of the better games of the year.
After these two games the Lakers were up against Charlotte and then Memphis. Obviously, all Laker fans were seeing these games as gimme games. What happened was some of the worst Lakers basketball this season.
Against Charlotte the entire team seemed out of wack and they played terribly shooting 41% and making 8-27 three point attempts. The 13 turnovers didn’t help either and the Lakers went on to lose 108-95.
The next game against Memphis was another poor team effort from the Lakers as Kobe took the role of scorer and put up 53 points but the Lakers came up short and lost 114-111. The Lakers attempted 45 three pointers and made only 15 of them for a 33% clip. They shot 39% from the floor and looked completely out of sync on the defensive end. Two embarrassing losses for the Lakers to say the least.
Something must have been said by someone because after these two losses the Lakers went on to finish the season on an 8-1 run. The teams defence improved dramatically and the entire squad seemed to be gelling and playing great basketball, the only loss coming against the Blazers at the Rose Garden…a jinx spot for the Lakers. There are four games that stand out in this final stretch.
The first one comes against the Dallas Mavericks. It seems that every time these teams meet there is always an interesting game. Things started out bad for the Lakers and they only got worse as the Mavs built more than a 15 point lead and the Lakers were having a hard time controlling them. However the Lakers hero came in from the one man nobody expected to save the day, Lamar Odom. When things got tough Lamar was there to score finishing 12-14 from the floor. He hit key baskets down the stretch and finished with a season-high 31 points. He outshined Kobe and Gasol and he was the saviour of the game, keeping the Lakers competitive throughout. The Lakers won the game and finished 3-1 against Dallas for the season.
The next game comes against the New Orleans Hornets. This game was advertised as the MVP match up with Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant battling it out against each other. The game started off great for the Lakers as they went up 63-33 off of a Kobe basket. However the Hornets clawed their way back and cut the lead to one. Things suddenly became interesting and the game went down to the wire. Through hard work and determination the Lakers came out of the game and won 107-104. Kobe finished with a near triple double with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists while Chris Paul made up for a slow start and finished with 15 points and 17 assists. With this win the Lakers moved within half a game of the Western Conference leading Hornets.
The next game came against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. The Hornets had previously lost to the Kings 94-91 and they were tied for 1st place with the Lakers. A win would give the Lakers sole possession of the number one spot and a huge boost of momentum. At the end of the first half the score was tied at 53. Then came the second half. Complete and total Laker dominance. The Lakers allowed only 32 points in the half and went on to win 106-85. No player had an amazing game as everyone contributed to one of the biggest wins of the season.
The next game is the final regular season game against the Sacramento Kings. The game itself is not amazing in any way as the Lakers won 124-101. The reason I say this is one of the standout games is because of what it means. It means that the Lakers secured the number one seed in the toughest Western Conference ever and have silenced all their critics. Nobody expected LA to be in this position at the end of the year but my o my have we proved everyone wrong. The Lakers finished the season with a 57-25 record and stand on top of a Western Conference where a 50 win team has a chance of not making the playoffs.
So who is responsible for such a great season? Well there are many people and here are a few:
Mitch Kupchak: This guy was abused 24-7 by Laker fans in the off season and earned himself the nickname “Kupcake”. He was seen as a joke by everyone and people were begging for him to be fired and replaced. When the season started people were still mad at him until they saw who Andrew Bynum had become. After Bynum’s stellar play people were ready to forgive Kupchak but were not yet ready to say that he was a great GM. However, on February 1 he brought in Pau Gasol and turned the Lakers from a threat to Championship contender. After the steal, sorry…trade, people began singing Kupchak praises and he became one of the front runners for GM of the year. He is the mastermind behind this great season.
Derek Fisher: His leadership and talent are some of the biggest assets to this team. He is the level-headed guy who would take care of any dispute and he is a trusted friend of Kobe Bryant, something not many people can claim. While he wasn’t the best scorer or passer on the team, he provided the leadership at the point this team so dearly needed after the Smush Parker experiment failed. He also became a mentor and tutor to Jordan Farmar and because of him our team now has such great chemistry. Thanks Derek!
Lamar Odom: The unsung hero. He has had an amazing season and he has become one of the best third options in the league. Before the all-star break he was having an average season with a few big games here and there. However, once Gasol came to the Lakers he turned into a double-double machine. He finished the season 8th in the league in rebounding and has recorded over 40 double-doubles this season! He has been a huge factor in the success of this team. I cannot stress enough how under appreciated he is by some fans. Just before the deadline some fans wanted to trade him for Caron Butler and there were rumours going around it would happen. Luckily, nothing eventuated and Lamar has become one of my favourite players and a beloved Laker. He is the unsung hero of an amazing team. The Lakers would be making a huge mistake by not resigning him but let’s worry about that later.
Pau Gasol: Coming into this team he had huge expectations to handle and he has not disappointed. He is the perfect fit for the triangle offence and he has improved his play dramatically. Without him this team would probably be fighting for the 8th seed and this season would be another let down. He has been playing great since the trade and has had some great games, especially against Shaq and the Suns where he completely dominated Shaq. I can only imagine how good this team is going to be when Drew comes back from his injury. It gets me pumped just thinking about it.
The Bench: We are lucky to have one of the deepest teams in the league and the best bench. Most of our bench would be starters on other teams and having such depth has helped the Lakers enormously. The usefulness of the bench will come out during the playoffs when teams have to deal with defending two units who play two different styles of basketball. They have shown their worth and this season would not have been what it was without them.
And lastly but certainly not least:
Kobe “Black Mamba” Bryant: Kobe has led this team through an injury plagued season bad enough to envy the injuries of last year. He didn’t miss a game all season even though he has played with a shooting hand that requires surgery after the Olympics. He has shown dedication and passion to this team that I have never seen from any other player. He has learnt to trust his team mates, which is something he was highly criticized about before. He bleeds and sweats for the success of this team and his 28ppg, 6rpg and 5apg have led the Lakers to the number 1 spot in the Western Conference. He IS this seasons MVP and he has deserved it more so than ever. He truly is one of the greatest players ever.
The Lakers season has come to an end and yet we will have to wait until Wednesday to find out who they will be facing in the first round. However, this is the least of their concerns as they have overcome some of the biggest challenges and faced all the adversity they were given and yet they have come out on top of this ridiculously tough Western Conference. They have the pieces to go all the way and when all the injured players return this team is going to be scary. They truly are the best of the West.
I want to thank everyone for a great season at LTB. This community is one of the best and I cannot thank you guys enough. Every member has helped me expand my knowledge of the Lakers and without you guys I would be a bumbling fan. Thank you so much. I appreciate all the hard work you guys have put in to this site and your dedication and commitment is second to none. Thank you so much and continue to keep up the great work!
Lakers4Kobe.
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Rating 
| A Season To Remember. | Log-in or register a new user account | 2 Reviews/Comments |
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| Reviews and Comments are opinion statements made by the author.
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Re: A Season To Remember.
by mambamonk87 on Apr 17, 2008 - 06:45 PM
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We should be thanking you for keeping up with quality blogs. Great job!
And this season's full of so many memories; up and down, left and right, craziness all around, but in the end, it just makes me proud to be a Laker fan.
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Re: A Season To Remember.
by Dave on Apr 22, 2008 - 03:50 PM
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Another great well-written Lakers blog L4K- it really summed up nicely how the regular season went for the team!
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