http://lakers.topbuzz.com/ Lakers TopBuzz en-us http:/lakers.topbuzz.com/images/themes/lakers/images/lakers-topbuzz.jpg http://lakers.topbuzz.com/ http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-321.html It's the beginning of the playoffs. At this moment in time, the Lakers and the Celtics are 2-0 in their respective playoff series against Denver and Atlanta. Over in Boston, a new chant emanates from the Boston Garden. "Come on, Lakers." A defiant battlecry. In Los Angeles, a rebuttal. "We want the Celtics." The revival of a dormant rivalry. But are we getting swept up by the hype? And if we are, is it a bad thing? In my personal opinion, the answer to both questions is a definite yes. Look, the Lakers and Celtics are each two games into a long postseason. Can either team afford to look ahead to June and simply assume that they'll be there? Let's check out the routes that both teams will likely take. The Lakers are currently 2-0 against the Nuggets. Only through overwhelmingly stacked odds will the Nuggets pull this upset off. We then face the winners of the Houston-Utah series. Again, only through a major upset could the Rockets pull this off. Thus, we assume our second round opponents to be the Utah Jazz. These guys are the best at utilizing home court advantage. Too bad the Lakers have home court for 4 out of 7 games in the series. But let's assume we can beat them. Will they put up a fight? It's very possible that we'll go all the way to game 7. The Jazz haven't played against our Gasol lineup, so hopefully it'll overwhelm them and we'll beat them in 5-6. If we can pull that off, I'll go out on a limb and assume that the Spurs will beat the Suns, and the Hornets will beat the Mavericks. Spurs versus Hornets. Hardy experience led by Tim Duncan versus exuberant youth led by a scrappy young CP3. In this case, it doesn't really matter which team we face; both are tough teams, the number 2 and 3 seeds in a stacked Western Conference. I know a lot of you may say that the Hornets would be our best bet, but remember, our last game against them was a) at home, and b) they were in a slump. Right now they're rolling on all cylinders over the Mavs. They're not a team you want to mess with. Lakers road: Denver => Utah => Spurs/Hornets If I'm Phil Jackson, I'm not even thinking about the Celtics. We've got plenty to worry about on our road to the Finals. As for the Celtics: I'll go by my intuition and assume... Celtics road: Atlanta => Cleveland => Detroit Who has it worse? Right off the bat most would say that the Lakers have it much rougher, but look again. The Lakers are playing against one of the worst defenses in Denver. If we can sweep this series, it won't take too much out of us. Then there's the Jazz and the Spurs. But then look at the East. Atlanta isn't much of a threat, so chalk them up to being slightly easier to beat than Denver. However, Cleveland isn't a terrible team. LeBron's already given the Celtics trouble in the regular season. And let's look at their season series. 2-2. Looks about even, right? WRONG. One of Cleveland's losses to Boston came when LeBron wasn't playing. The other loss came after a back-to-back for the Cavs. One of the losses for Boston came when KG wasn't playing. And uh, not to mention the huge trade that went down for the Cavs. The Celtics are playing an essentially revamped Cavalier roster, except that hey, LEBRON is STILL THERE. These two teams are wayyy closer than you'd expect, and I think LeBron might be able to pull this series to a game 7. Still, the Celtics have homecourt advantage, so let's give this to the C's. And Detroit is always a formidable opponent. I don't think I need to go into detail; they've always had the same strengths. Excellent, and I mean truly excellent team chemistry, a versatile big man in Sheed, a sturdy defender in Prince, a great shooter in Rip, a poised leader in Billups, and the experience of being an NBA contender for most of this millennium. And their bench isn't shabby, either. Do they have what it takes to at least tire out the Celtics? I sure hope so, if the Lakers are going to meet them in the Finals. Both teams have a ways to go. Neither team can afford to look ahead and assume ANYTHING. As appealing as a Lakers v. Celtics series is, we need to concentrate on the here and now, and only hope that our Lakers squad feels the same. Let's cheer hard for our Lakers right now, because they're going to need to bring it every night. Put your Laker gear on and settle in. It's going to be a long (and very memorable) playoff run. http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-320.html 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. http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-319.html This season sure has been one to remember. The Western Conference has become so competitive that a 50 win team has a chance of not making the playoffs while in the (L)Eastern Conference a team can be under .500 and make the playoffs. Still, nothing this year has been more competitive then the battle for MVP. Numerous players have been called the MVP throughout the season with some dropping off (LeBron James), some coming out late (Chris Paul) and others staying right there throughout (Kobe Bryant). One thing is for sure, the MVP has still not been decided even though the regular season ends on Wednesday. So who is your MVP? LeBron James has had an amazing season…statistically. He has amazing numbers everywhere and one day he will be an amazing player. However, his team’s season is far, far worse. They have had little success and so far and they are locked up for the 4th seed in the ultra-easy (L)Eastern Conference. His team has a 43-35 record and if they were in the Western Conference they wouldn’t even be in the playoffs, as a matter of fact they would have been eliminated by now. MVP Case: Dead. Kevin Garnett has turned the Boston Celtics from a laughing stock to the best team in the NBA. Sure they are in the (L)Eastern Conference but that takes nothing away from their 62-16 record and the best single season turnaround in NBA history. He will forever be remembered as the saviour of the Celtics. However, he also has to thanks the two other all stars on his team; Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. They have contributed greatly to the team and Paul Pierce actually leads all three in scoring. While the Celtics are the best team in the league, they are also able to win without KG, a problem that KG would be glad to have but it will affect his MVP race. MVP Case: Plausible. Chris Paul has had an amazing season and he has saved basketball in New Orleans, with a little help from his team mates of course. Still, for a third year player he is having a season that can rival the seasons of Kobe Bryant & LeBron James. He has turned into the best PG in the league and he can destroy teams with his ability to get to the paint and to dish it out to his team-mates. He has taken the Hornets to the top of the Western Conference with a 55-23 record and they could just well finish with the number 1 seed. He has had an amazing second half to his season and he can definitely be considered a true MVP candidate. MVP Case: Valid. Then there is Kobe. This man is amazing. He has taken a team that was thought to implode on itself and has lead it to the top of the Western Conference. He has led this team with his unmatched ability on the basketball court and with his fierce and competitive leadership. In his twelve year career he has had some amazing seasons and while this is by far not his best statistical season it is by far his best individual season. He has learnt to trust his team-mates and he can now give them the ball in crunch time. He has led the Lakers to a 53-25 season and for the third year in a row he has scored the most points in a single game. So much for LeBron James… MVP Case: Valid. So that brings this whole MVP race down to two people. Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul. Both had lead their squads to amazing seasons and with just under a week left there is one game that is marked down on everyone’s calender. Friday 10th April, New Orleans Hornets @ Los Angeles Lakers. This game is going to separate these two players. While the final score will go in favour of one of them, that is the last thing to worry about. This game will show the only two viable MVP candidates lace it up against each other and go for it. We all know both players have an amazing range but who will come out on top? It will be a game to watch. It will be a second game of a back-to-back for the Lakers but that should be no reason for them to slow down. I’m going to make my prediction right now: Kobe Bryant will lead the Lakers to victory over this New Orleans team despite a great game from Chris Paul. This just might be the game of the year when it’s all said and done. So as the NBA regular season winds down and teams prepare for playoffs no other players will be working as hard as Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant. With the MVP race to close to call, I can truly say it has been the most amazing race I have seen in a long time. But I have to pick a winner. I have to choose no other than Kobe Bryant for not just this season but his entire career. He sets new standards every time he hits the court and he is the greatest player in the game, and his peers say so also. Ladies and Gentlemen: I give you your 2007-2008 MVP…Kobe Bryant! http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-318.html Reprint from jtbataHK Blog, appeared in Fox Sports Fantasy Blog Section Apr 03, 2008 | 6:19PM | This year's Lakers are a much better team than that of the previous three seasons. It's been apparent to most fans around the country that Lakers stand a good chance of taking out most of their Western opposition in the playoffs, possibly even going to the Finals. However, advancing past the Conference Finals will hinge on the health of one 20 year old, baby-faced giant in Andrew Bynum. Fans of other NBA teams frequently bash Laker fans on this issue. They believe Bynum is overrated, and the reason he recieves so much love is that he plays on a big market team. That the kid will be nothing more than a Chris Kaman, Brad Miller. That he's injury prone. That even with a healthy Bynum, Lakers would not stand a chance against the Spurs or Celtics. However, Bynum has become a much better player than most people think. Numbers, by the month: October: 4.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.0 BPG on 33.3% FG in 19 MPG November: 11.4 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 1.67 BPG on 59.3% FG in 26.3 MPG - Increased his scoring by 7.4 ppg, his rebounding by 6.7 rpg, blocks by 0.67 bpg, while increasing his shooting percentage by a massive 26% fg, while playing 7.3 more mpg. December: 13.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.69 BPG on 66.1% FG in 32.2 MPG - Another month, more improvement. His points went up by 2.5 ppg, his blocks by 1.0 bpg, his field goal percentage by 6.8%, in 5.9 more mpg, the most minutes he would play per game in a month this season. His rebounds would drop slightly from November by 1.8 rpg, January: 17.3 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 2.33 BPG on 70% FG in 29.5 MPG - Andrew's best month of his career, before his injury. He improved his scoring (+3.4 ppg), rebounding (+3.1 rpg), and field goal percentage (+3.9% fg), while averaging slightly less blocks (-0.3 bpg) and minutes (- 2.7 mpg). Only those that have followed Bynum's growth this season (mainly Laker fans) would know this. He has improved, not just over the offseason (which is what people who don't watch the Lakers believe), but his overall contribution has improved every month this season. PJ's increasing confidence in him has allowed him increasing freedom on offense, other players besides Kobe were looking for him (Bynum stated that throughout the first 2 months, only Kobe made a conscious effort to get him involved in the offense), he has become a defensive prescence in the paint, and his minutes have gone up. His drastic improvement OVER THE COURSE OF THE SEASON, from a slightly timid backup to Kwame Brown, to an All-Star caliber center, is something that has been obvious to Laker fans (whereas fans of other teams, who did not follow his development and just looked at his overall season stats, were oblivious to). His January numbers are bona-fide All-Star caliber numbers for a center, when compared to those of other centers in the league. As a direct comparison, Dwight Howard will very likely be named to the All-NBA first team. Dwight Howard: 21.2 PPG, 14.5 RPG, 2.28 BPG in 38.3 MPG, with 3.23 TO and 3.83 fouls The "Beast of the East" has played consistently at this level all year. Bynum's numbers from January, at 38.3 mpg, would be: Andrew Bynum: 22.5 PPG, 15.8 RPG, 3.1 BPG in 38.3 MPG, with 1.95 TO and 1.95 fouls In the past, the Lakers were blasted for not trading Bynum for Kidd. I personally felt it would be a bad move, but I too whined about the Lakers not trading Bynum for a star to complement Kobe. It just seemed that the kid didn't have the work ethic to realize his potential. I wanted him traded for Jermaine O'neal. Boy, was I wrong, especially after watching him dominate O'neal this season. We may not win the cup this season (we may not even advance past the Conference Finals), but a healthy Bynum will instantly put us above every team, including the Celtics and Spurs, next year, especially when age becomes a factor for every one of the strongest contenders, in both conferences. The Celtics' Pierce, Garnett, and Allen will be 31, 33, and 34 years old. The Pistons' Hamilton, Billups, and Wallace will be 31, 33, and 34 respectively. The Spurs' Ginobili, Bowen, Horry, and Duncan will be 32, 37, 38, and 33 respectively. Even the Suns (Nash and Shaq will both be 35+) and Mavericks (Dirk at 31, Kidd at 36) will be weaker due to key players being on the downside of their careers. The exception would be the Blazers and Hornets, who both have a relative abundance in young talent. Both teams also have athletic centers. However, at this stage of his career, Bynum is already as good, if not a better, player than Tyson Chandler, and Oden's future is uncertain. Out of all the young 7-footers in the game (Oden, Chandler, Howard, Bogut), Bynum has the most developed low-post game. He has the strength and length to deny all four in the post, and his newfound "every rebound is mine" mentality has made him a force down low. It's no surprise that Laker fans believe he will be an All-Star in the future. This big baby definitely has the potential to be a 25-12-3 player, and one of the best centers in the game, in the VERY NEAR future.. Come back soon, 'Drew. http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-317.html With seven games left in the regular season for the Lakers, I though I would try to think up of seven reasons why the Lakers would be champions this season. Given the last few games (especially against Charlotte and Memphis) I had to reconsider some of my options but here goes: 1) Youth & Energy: The Lakers are the 4th youngest team in the league and they have a very bright future ahead of them. With players like Sahsa Vujacic, Jordan Farmar, Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza, the future looks very good for the Lakers. Even now the Lakers have, arguably, the scariest team in the league when healthy. Hell, even when they aren’t healthy they are still scary to go up against. Because of their youth they are able to run opponents out of the gym. They are able to outlast almost any team with their one-two punch of the 1st and 2nd units, each playing a different style of basketball confusing the hell out of the opponents. Because of their youth, the Lakers are able to quickly adjust the tempo of the game. They can slow it down or speed it up, either way leading to the Lakers controlling the game. 2) Flawless Offence: The Lakers are one of the highest scoring teams in the league and they seem to be able to put on an offensive performance on any given night. Of course this helps when you have Kobe Bryant on your team but the rest of the team seems to step it up whenever they are asked to and this has been a big factor in the Lakers’ success this season. When they need to drive the lane, Kobe and Lamar will take care of it. When they need a perimeter shot the Lakers can get it out to one of their many great three-point shooters. When they need to feed the ball inside Pau and Bynum are there waiting for it. 3) Improving Defence: Most people are going to heckle me for this but I believe the Lakers have pretty good defence especially considering all the injuries they have gone through. Imagine having Gasol and Bynum protecting the paint and having Kobe and Ariza guarding anyone who is brave enough to jack up a perimeter shot. Unfortunately, injuries have restricted the Lakers from showing just how good they can be on defence, which is a shame because it would be amazing to watch. But still this team’s defence cannot be overlooked. They have been able to shut down teams when they needed to and have made key stops in pivotal moments of some games, just ask Baron Davis. When the Lakers get Andre Bynum and Trevor Ariza back their defensive rating is going to significantly increase. Bynum is the big body this team is missing and Ariza is that perimeter defender that this team so dearly needs. When they come back, look out. 4) Veteran Leadership: When you have Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher leading your team there is not going to be a leadership issue. Derek Fisher has shown throughout his career that he is a level-headed guy that is known to help settle disputes. His leadership is a key part to this team’s success. On the other side of the coin, Kobe Bryant has not always been recognised as a player who makes his team mates better. He has been describes as a “Selfish ball-hog who cares more about his stats than the team.” Kobe has risen above these tags and has made his team mates ten times better then they were last year. I honestly think that his video sparked a fuse in theses players and made them want to show Kobe how good they could be. Who knew insulting your team mates could work for your benefit? Still, let’s hope it doesn’t happen again. Kobe has not only shown he can make his team mates better, but he has also shown a whole new level of leadership. This year I have seen him fouled numerous times for defending a team mate or complaining about a call placed on a team mate. This, to me, shows just how much he has matured and how hungry he is to win the championship. 5) The Best Coaching Staff in the League: I don’t think anyone can argue that our HOF and 9 time champion Coach is anything but amazing. The Zen Master, Phil Jackson, has to be one of the greatest coaches ever. He has somehow stopped this team from imploding and lead to Lakers a season nobody expected them to have. Through his strange rituals and methods he has made this team one of the closest in the league and their chemistry is amazing. I cannot forget to mention the assistant coaches; Frank Hamblen, Kurt Rambis, Brian Shaw, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Craig Hodges and Jim Cleamons. Throw in medical trainer Gary Vitti and this team undoubtedly has one of the best coaching staff in the league. Add all these guys with Phil Jackson and you have one of the best, if not the best, coaching staff in the league. 6) The Front Line: Any team that has to face a front line of Pau Gasol (7-0), Lamar Odom (6-10) and Andrew Bynum (7-0) must be very scared. No team can match up size-wise with this team. When these three finally get to play together the league is going to be in shock. Never before has such a long front line graced the courts of the NBA and it might be a while before we see another one. I cannot wait for these guys to play together. They will be unstoppable when the Lakers play the likes of Golden State and any other team that has a “Small-Ball” mentality. Basketball is a game of big men and the Lakers now have the biggest front line in the NBA. In a week or so Bynum will be back and then the league will be face-to-face with the three-headed monster of Odom, Bynum and Gasol. Good luck to everyone else, you’re going to need it. 7) Kobe Bryant: Is there any more that needs to be said? Kobe is the single most dedicated player in the game and his will to win is second to none. Nobody in the league has anywhere near the amount of dedication to success that Kobe possesses. He will work and work until he gets it right, no matter how long it takes. He is the epitome of what makes a champion. If you have Kobe Bryant on your team, you always have a chance to win, no matter who else is on your team. It is amazing to watch Kobe take over games the way he does. He can single-handedly destroy opposing teams with his ferocious offence and he can destroy opposing players with his ridiculously powerful defence. Kobe can draw fouls from any player and it the amount of free throws he shoots is amazing. No wonder everyone is scared to go up against him. What impresses me the most about Kobe is that if he makes a mistake he will come back and make sure he fixes it. I remember one game where Kobe missed a simple lay up on one possession and on the nest possession he came flying down the lane for a ferocious dunk. This is what makes him unique. Nobody comes close to the mental power that Kobe possesses and it will be a long time before you see anyone like him. So there it is, my seven reasons why the Los Angeles Lakers are going to be champions this season. Sure, you can argue that they do not have enough experience or that they are too young but when you have Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum starting for your team, experience and age are not a factor. http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-316.html Winning feels good, really good. It feels even better when you know you have worked hard to achieve your goal and looking back on the road behind you cannot stop and reminisce on what led you to this point. For the Los Angeles Lakers winning is better than anything else. It has given the team an extra boost of energy and has given them the ability to be the best team on the court. But with winning comes hatred, perception and fear. Teams begin to hate you as jealousy fills their hearts and minds. People begin to have a different perception about your team finding anyway possible to account the winning as a fault of something else. Finally when the reality hits, people become afraid of you and your abilities. This is the story of the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers started the season with close to no pressure on them to succeed. Kobe Bryant’s off-season rants were still fresh in everyone’s mind and the team was thought to be dysfunctional. A 9-8 start to the season didn’t particularly help the situation but it did lead to the team to think about what was needed to get to that next level. Through some major improvement in Andre Bynum and the addition of Pau Gasol and Trevor Ariza the team has learn how to win, sporting a 49-22 record. However, while there is nothing but smiles in Lakerland, the rest of the league has something to say. Hatred. No matter what you do, someone is going to hate you for it. This same principle applies to the Lakers. Teams have started to envy the Lakers’ success and it has lead to some interesting games where the hate is clearly seen. Unfortunately, the Lakers will have this hate so long as they are winning. But fear not, this team has shown numerous times that it is able to overcome the hate and have the mental will-power to push through and succeed. Hatred extends out to the players as well. Kobe Bryant is hated by 90% of all non-Laker fans and there is no valid reason to this except that these fans have to see their teams dominated by the best player in the game. Luckily Kobe is one of the mentally strongest players in the league and he is able to shrug these things off without a second thought. Unfortunately, hatred extends out to the beloved Derek Fisher also. Derek is one of the greatest guys in the game (as stated by anyone that knows him) and I am sad to see people hate on this guy. He came back to the Lakers so he could have more adequate care for his daughter so suffers from a rare form of eye cancer. When Derek returned to Utah, the team that let him go, he was greeted with a thunderous “BOO!” from the crowd. I lost a lot of respect for Jazz fans that night. I hope for Laker fans to never do something like that if one of our players had to leave because of a family matter. As the saying goes, family over work. Perception. Every person has a different view of a winning team. If you are not a fan of the team you will rack your brains out thinking of any plausible reason to suggest how this team is “lucky” or how they have been blessed with “flukes” ala Houston Rockets 22 game win streak. When you win, you have to put up with this. My school’s senior football team (yes, football not soccer) had an undefeated season and students from other schools were thinking up of every reason possible to say how it was a “fluke” or we were just plain old “lucky”. No matter what your team does, they are always going to be subject to different perceptions. Fear. Winning creates fear in your opponent’s hearts. It makes them dread meeting you throughout the season and it scares them even more when they realise they are going to meet you in the post-season. It is the best mental advantage you can have. The main reason the number 1 seed almost always beats the number 8 seed in the first round is the mental advantage they have over their opponents. However sometimes it is just skill and sometimes teams cannot make use of that mental advantage ala Dallas Mavericks. Look at all the previous post-seasons and watch a few of the games. When you see a superior opponent going up against a sub-par foe there is always a look on their face that says “You’re going down!” Unfortunately for that sub-par team they are at the same time thinking “Oh Sh*t! We’re going down!!” Hence the mental advantage is a key tool for a winning team. It can be used to win games throughout the season but come the post-season it is their biggest weapon. This is why they succeed; they are smart, skilled and just downright scary. So what does this mean for the Lakers of 2007-2008? Well it means that they are going to face more adversity as the season winds down and as the post-season begins they are going to have more pressure on them to succeed mores so than any other team. They can use this to their advantage or they will stumble and fall under the pressure to succeed; only time will tell. http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-315.html Last year the Los Angeles Lakers finished the season with a 42-40 record, finishing seventh in the west, and were bounced out of the first round of the playoffs by Phoenix in 5 games. In the off season Kobe Bryant expressed his disappointment with the team and demanded to be traded which he later backed off of. However, his outrage at the team must have sparked something in this team that have taken them from nothing but a first round exit to a championship contender and, when healthy, the scariest team in the West, if not the league. This team has grown tremendously in under a year and with 13 games left in the season the Lakers are 48-21, good enough to hold the number 1 record in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. So what had lead to this amazing turn around? There are two major factors that account to this teams success. First of all is each players will to win and dedication to the team which means they put in the extra hours of shooting, running and dribbling practice, all of which lead to an improvement in their game which shows on the court. The two players that have improved the most since last year are easily Andrew Bynum and Jordan Farmar. These two players have worked their behinds off all of the off season and it has shown this season. All the rest of the team has also stepped up especially Ronny Turiaf, Sasha Vujacic and Vladimir Radmanovich. The only player who had declined has been Luke Walton but his decline is nothing compared to the overall improvement of the team. Secondly, the improved leadership of Kobe Bryant. Kobe has gone from the best player in the league but not a leader to both. He has lead this team through the season and he has helped each player improve beyond recognition. Add this to the comeback of Derek Fisher who is a proven leader and it is not surprise how this team has such a great record. Last year people questioned Kobe’s dedication to the team this year but there is no question that he is the key reason this team has been so successful. That’s an MVP in my books. The Lakers have also shown that they can roll with the big boys. The Lakers are the 4th youngest team in the league and they have the ability to beat any of the major contenders such as San Antonio, Detroit, New Orleans and even Boston. This is not because Kobe erupts in these games but it is because the team plays together and works hard the whole game and they never give up no matter what the score. I saw several games last year where the Lakers were down and they just gave up and lost a game which could have been won had they continued to play hard. However, I do not see that in the team this year and it shows. There have been games this year where the Lakers have been down and come back to win and there are games where they have lost big leads but still hang on for the win. Truly, this shows just how much this team has grown. Another key factor to the Lakers success is their road record where they are 24-13. The best example of the Lakers success on the road would be the 9 game road trip in February where the Lakers went 7-2 with the two losses coming in games decided by less than three points. More recently is the Lakers four game road trip against New Orleans, Houston, Dallas and Utah where the Lakers went 2-2. But the record does not reveal the whole story. The Lakers lost Pau Gasol to an injury in the first quarter of the game against New Orleans which was a lost. The Lakers then became the 22nd and the last victim of the Rockets amazing winning streak. After the loss to Houston it is fair to say that the Lakers would have had low moral but somehow, someway they found a way to come back and beat the two teams with the best home records in the Western Conference, when many punters were writing in the Lakers for a 0-4 road trip, which leads me to my next point. Despite what everyone has said about how this team could not win this year they have proven them wrong. The media saw the Lakers as a team that would not even make the playoffs. Now the Lakers are first in the West and have proven every single critic wrong. This team has been able to overcome the adversity they were face with and have been able to show the media and the league that they are not a team to be messed with. Each player on this team looks out for one another and I have seen more than a few examples of that on the court, most of them coming from Kobe Bryant which shows just how close this team is. Finally, this team has become one of the most entertaining teams in the league and the best Laker team in recent history. They could even become better then the Laker team of 2000-2002 which one three straight titles and whose games and plays are all embedded into our minds. Who knows, when it is all said and done, this team might even be considered the greatest Laker team to play. http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-314.html Throughout this year I have seen nmerous Kobe vs. Lebron for MVP articles but these past few weeks they have been popping up on this site like chicken pox on a body. I can honestly say that this would have to be the most highly competetive race to the MVP that I have ever seen. When Kobe has a great game, Lebron will follow it up with a great game of his own. While I am completely for Kobe getting the MVP, Lebron is certainly right behind him. For the past couple of years there has not been this much competition for MVP. When Nash won the MVP award, I saw it coming, given Phoenix's regular season record (62-20). When Nash repeated I was a little suprised but all I had to do was look at their record again (54-28). While it isn't as impressive as the previous year, it is still worthy of the MVP award to the media. When Dirk won the award the Mavs finished the season at 67-15 which is a very impressive record, five off the best regular season record ever. So what does this prove? Well, to me, it shows that if your team is lower than the 3rd seed there is no way that you can win the MVP award. Also, your team has to have at least 50 wins in the season. If you were to look at all the MVP's and see what their regular season record was I would guess that 90% of all thier teams had won more than 50 games in their season. So what does that mean for this season's race to the MVP? Well it means that for Kobe to get into "official" MVP consideration, the Lakers will need to win at least 6 more games, plus a few more to solidify his status. Given the Lakers are first in the Wild, Wild West with a 44-18 record, it is going to be pretty hard for anybody to deny him the award. So what does Lebron have to do? Well his team still needs to win 14 more games, which might be a bit much for Cleveland to handle. Given the fact that they are also 4th in the Eastern Conference, it will be hard for Lebron to get the "official" MVP consideration. At 36-27, Lebron has a lot of work to do and time is running out with each day. From a statistical point, Lebron is having a better season than Kobe, averaging 30.8 ppg, 8 rpg and 7.4 apg. Compare this to Kobe's 28.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg and 5.3 apg, and you can see that Lebron overall is having a better statistical season than Kobe. But if the MVP award was based on stats alone, Kobe would have 3 of them already. So what else needs to be considered? Well first and foremost, a player's attitude plays a big part. An MVP has to be a leader and must know how to handle controversy and defeat and they must be able to bounce back and continue to fight, regarldess of what everyone else is saying. They will never stop until their job is done. Fortunanetly for both Kobe and Lebron, they easily fill out those stats, which makes this even closer. So what else is there to consider? Well there is defence, which no statistical artist has yet to work out a equation for, unlike Hollinger and his ridiculously stupid PER ratings. So what can I say, well Kobe is definately a much better defender. From the start to the end of the game he will choose to defend the other teams best player, unlike Lebron who is only put on the best player in the fourth quater where the fatigue starts to set in, where Lebron's physical fitness and size come as an advantage. So who gets the upper hand on defence? I have to give it to Kobe. So in the end all I can say is that this is going to be one of the most hardest fought races to the MVP award. This race will have media representatives scrathing their heads trying to decide who it should be. In the end though, the MVP award is for the player who makes his team that much better and this year, despite Lebron's great individual play, it is Kobe's teamwork and dedication that will make him this years MVP. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you your 2007-2008 MVP, from the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant!! http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-312.html The Los Angeles Lakers seem to have turned a corner this year, showing that despite the eruption of their leader in the offseason they are still able to win. With the addition of Pau Gasol the Lakers are on a nine-game winning streak, and that is wtihout injured center Andrew Bynum. This has lead many people to wonder if the Lakers can hoist up the Larry O'Brien Trophy at the end of the post-season. However, to do so the Lakers will have a huge mountain to climb, a task with unsurpassed chaleenges and struggles that the Lakers will face along the way. This all begins with the Western Conference Playoffs. I will break down the teams that the Lakers are likely to face and how they will fare against them. As it stand right now, the Lakers are on top of the Western Conference with a 40-17 record. This feat itself is amazing considering the Lakers are two games away from tying their win record from last year, with 25 games still left in the season. This in itself merits coach Phil Jackson for the Coach of the year award, but that story is for another time. At the moment the Western Conference looks like this: 1. Lakers 40-17 2. San Antonio 38-17 3. Phoenix 39-18 4. Utah 36-21 5. New Orleans 37-18 6. Dallas 38-19 7. Houston 37-20 8. Golden State 34-22 Lets assume the regular season finished today and the seeding looked like this: 1. Lakers 8. Golden State 2. San Antonio 7. Houston 3. Phoenix 6. Dallas 4. Utah 5. New Orleans How do the Lakers fair? Let me break it down for you: 1. Lakers vs. 8. Golden State While many people will say that the Lakers can sweep the Warriors because of their size, I still believe that Golden State can prove to be a very difficult team to beat. Despite their lack of size, the Warrioirs play with heart and are lead by B-Diddy who at times plays like the best point guard in the league. Defending Baron can be difficult, as seen by Kirelenko during last years playoffs, which means that Fish and Farmar will need to step up their defensive intensity. The Lakers will also have to look out for Capt'n Jack, who is having a great year and has helped the Warrioirs get those few extra wins they need to stay in playoff contention. However, if the Lakers can pick up their defence then the Warriors will prove to be chump meat and an easy defeat. Lakers in 4 games. After the First Round of the Playoffs, I expect things to look like this: 1. Lakers 4. Utah 2. San Antonio 3. Phoenix Utah has shown that it can be a great team and with Williams and Boozer leading the charge it can prove to be problematic for the Lakers. Boozer is an amazing player that can create his own shot and has a decent mid range game. Williams is a future all star and will be on of the best PG in the game for years to come. The Lakers will need to battle hard to make sure they win this but it is still possible. Lakers in 6. So After the second round who will the Lakers be facing next? 1. Lakers 3. Phoenix Oh yes, you see what I see. The Lakers and the Suns playing in the WCF. This is going to be my favourite series because I cannot wait to see what the Lakers are going to do to the poor, old Suns. However, as much as I want the Lakers to sweep the Suns, I don't see it happening. The Suns, while great to make jokes about, are still a very strong team manned by two-time MVP, Steve Nash. They have size and strength and they now have the Big Cactus to guard the post. This will be a hard series for the Lakers but it will be a lot easier for them if Bynum picks up his play against Shaq. Bynum can utterly dominate the former Laker and this will make the lifes of the rest of the team a lot easier. Of course we cannot forget about Kobe Bryant who makes anthing possible for his team so in the end I will give it to the Lakers. Lakers in 5. Well, that's the Western Conference finished so now let's have a look at the East. So once again, if the regular season finished today the East would look like this: 1. Boston 43-12 2. Detroit 42-15 3. Orlando 37-22 4. Toronto 31-24 5. Cleveland 32-25 6. Washington 27-30 7. New Jersey 25-32 8. Philadelphia 25-32 So this means that the Eastern Conference Playoffs would look like this 1. Boston 8. Philadelphia 2. Detroit 7. New Jersey 3. Orlando 6. Washington 4. Toronto 5. Cleveland I see the Celtics in 4, Pistons in 4, Orlando in 5 and Cleveland in 7. Given that, the second round looks like this: 1. Boston 5. Cleveland 2. Detroit 3. Orlando I see Celtics in 7 and Detroit in 7. This means that the ECF will be: 1. Boston vs. 2. Detroit This will be a fun series to watch. Garnett and 'Sheed going at each other, Rondo and Billups battling it out. In the end the Celtics will win in 7. So, the playoffs are now out of the way and we have come to the NBA Finals, where dreams come true. It would be great to see the Lakers and Celtics facing each other in the Finals again. It is going to be a hell of a lot of fun so let me break it down for you: NBA FINALS 2008: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics This is awesome! Lakers and Celtics back where they belong! Oh how I hope this comes true. This will be the best Finals series in recent memory and it would be great to watch. So how would it turn out? The Celtics went from a poor, lottery bound team last year to, arguably, the best team in the NBA. With Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce all playing on the same team, it is little suprise that they hold the league's best record. Add that to one of the most suprisingly good benches in the NBA and you can see how this team is where it is. So what do the Lakers have to do to beat the Celtics and claim the Championship for the Lakers? Defence, Defence, Defence! The Lakers will be playing against the teams best defensive team and they will need to show that they can out play them on Offence and Defence. The Lakers will be playing as hard as they can and with no team that can effectively guard Bynum and Gasol, the Lakers will be able to seal the deal. I see the Lakers winning in 6 games and bringing back the Larry O'Brien trophy to where it belongs, in the streets of L.A baby! So there you have it. The Lakers are the 2007-2008 NBA Champions and Kobe Bryant is regular season MVP and Finals MVP. This would be a great way to remember the Lakers' 60th year in the NBA. http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-311.html Let's face it. This team that Mitch has assembled is better than anyone ever could've imagined. Just a year ago we questioned the reasoning behind keeping every single player on our team; even Kobe. Now, we've got a team that's got championship written all over it. But a team is made up of the individual efforts of ALL our players, so here's my attempt at analyzing our squad. It's my first official post so I'll try to be as thorough as possible. I'll be going through the positives and the negatives. And yeah, this is gonna be lengthy. Bear with me. 1. Kobe Bryant With the acquisition of Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant seems to be a man possessed. He's been attacking the rim as hard as ever, his defense has picked up (and not just in the fourth quarter), and his drive to win is keeping him in the game with a broken pinkie. However, if I were to find a negative, which I was hard-pressed to find, it would be that his body may not be able to keep up with his will to win. He's planning on playing through this injury all the way past the Olympics. Although we've all got to admire his warrior spirit, we've got to keep in mind that he's still human. I just hope that he's gonna save some gas in him for the next couple years, and not rush things too fast. 2. Pau Gasol What an improvement for the guy. His numbers are up, mainly because of the dynamic between him and Kobe. He's on a team that has as much a chance of winning the title as any. Maybe he'll finally win a postseason game? Definitely. His game fits our team to a tee; he's gotten other players involved, most notably Radmanovic. While other players seem to be hesitant to pass to a cutting Radman, Gasol willingly gives up the ball, and Radman's been delivering with some sweet dunks. One negative is the contract issue. I'm sure the Lakers will do whatever it takes to keep him, but I really don't want to see anyone cut from our roster. Except maybe Mbenga/Karl. But that won't make up for the possible money issues coming up. Another is having Bynum back in the mix. We've all seen how Kirilenko reacted to his lesser role on the Jazz. Although Pau seems to be a lot happier here, he's had a big role on the team thus far. If we get Bynum back, I'm sure our franchise is gonna want Bynum to build on his game rather than Pau, meaning more touches for Bynum and less for Pau. I hope Pau reacts well to that. Disgruntled stars = bad chemistry. 3. Lamar Odom I know I've vehemently stated my negative attitude towards Odom at times, but it's been justified. I'll start off with the positives: he's been focusing on rebounding (and he's been a devil on the boards), he's been able to get guys great looks (his assists are up), and he gives us an advantage in size for the small forward position. Negatives: I never want to see the ball in Odom's hands when the game's on the line. I'm sorry, but the guy cracks under pressure. You can't deny that. He's not cracking now because there's no pressure with both Pau and Kobe on the floor, but I just see a possible scenario: 5 seconds on the clock, down by 2. The opposing team covers Kobe, Pau, etc, leaving Odom with the deciding shot. I don't like the chances. 4. Derek Fisher There's no better point guard for our team. I don't want a Chris Paul, Deron Williams, or Jason Kidd at our point. Quite simply, the Lakers offense doesn't need a distributor like that at the 1. We need a shooter. And Fisher's been shooting. Like a machine gun. Bang. Swish. Only negative? Hmm...his shot's been consistent, he's a leader, and he's a vet. A seasoned vet. Maybe that he's a player who plays for the ref. Players are not supposed to play in a way that they assume refs will follow. Essentially, one can't play assuming they'll get the call. It's something that happens when you really understand the rules and you've had experience getting those calls. The refs won't always call it, and you shouldn't take the risk. Small negative though; Fisher's been great. 5. Andrew Bynum I'll base this on the way he was playing prior to the injury. He's a beast. Plain and simple. He's got an array of offensive moves; more so than Dwight Howard. Bynum can dunk it, and then some. Hooks, spins, easy layups, whatever. He's slowly becoming a whole package. Negatives? He's injured. I don't know how he'll recover from that injury. To be honest, the way he plays, it's quite easy to get injured. It may take a Bruce Bowen type of move to do it, but it'll happen from time to time. Remember Shaq's toe? That was ridiculous, but these big men can be fragile. Also, the money issue again. Will he demand a max contract later on? I hope that he stays loyal to the franchise that stayed loyal to him, but time will tell. 6. Jordan Farmar He's the real MVP of the Rookie/Sophomore game. He found his teammates, he shot the ball well, and he's quick as Barbosa. His confidence has never been in question; he dunked it on 4 Sacramento Kings in his rookie year. His negative is that his confidence may be too high. I don't know what our plans are for him; develop him into a role player or allow him to create his own shots. Whatever they are, he's recently been forcing a lot of his own shots. I love his tenacity, but sometimes it just doesn't work. Hence Phil Jackson giving him a comic book aptly named "Short Stuff", reminding Farmar of his stature. 7. Sasha Vujacic The Machine. Just like Fisher. Bang. Swish. 'Nuff said. He just needs to work on controlling the tempo. He rushes like a madman down court. I love that he brings the ball up that fast, but man, sometimes your teammates can't keep up. He dribbles it straight up the middle too, not allowing another player to cut. It's been bugging me. Of course, when he finishes it, I leap from my seat. And he's gotta work on his passing. Some of them...ew. 8. Ronny Turiaf If you've noticed a slight "decline" in his play, don't worry about it. It's not a decline in his play, it's that players don't need to look to him to score anymore. We've got Pau to do that. Ronny just brings the energy and the ridiculous ability to block shots. I never want to find negatives with this guy. He's my favorite type of player; an enthusiastic one. If there's a negative, it's that Kobe doesn't look for him anymore! C'mon Kobe, throw Turiaf a bone! Oh, his tendency to foul. He's so anxious to jump for the block that he's caught in the air a lot. No biggie though. We've got Pau and Bynum too so foul trouble barely hurts us anymore (I love our depth). 9. Trevor Ariza He's been one of my favorites since UCLA, and when he arrived to the Lakers, I was anxious to see what he could do. He's paid off big time; great slasher, quick to the basket, defends the perimeter better than anyone on our team (I say that because he's lankier than Kobe), and has been learning to shoot from the wing. One thing about him is his injury history. He's not injury prone, but there were concerns about him when he first arrived. A bone fracture in your foot affects your game immensely. I'm sure he'll take it slow, but the way his game is shaped, he'll be taking a lot of bumps (even bumps like Grant Hill xD). Let's hope he develops his 3 pointer. 10. Vladimir Radmanovic Our resident space cadet. One of our best spot up shooters. Another bang, swish. And he's a decent ballhandler when driving to the hoop. But on that note, is he always off balance or something? Does he rely too much on leaning on the defense? And does he forget about the help defense lurking behind him? Seeing him get blocked makes me laugh sometimes. You're trying to dunk on Amare?! C'mon young fella. Come back from space. But seriously though, I'm just hoping his consistency with his shooting continues, because he's gonna get a lot of looks. 11. Luke Walton Our new scapegoat. He's been getting better though. He's been working on his overall game, and that spin move he does? It really sets up other players. He draws defenders and gets them in position, opening up a lane to pass for the easy dunk for Pau and eventually Bynum. His shooting's returned, but he hasn't been taking the 3 so much. It's not a bad thing, because we've got plenty of shooters. And Luke usually finds them. His problem is his mental game. We've gotten rid of Kwame, and now we see a similar trend with Walton. If he doesn't do well right when he gets in, he's easily discouraged. He shouldn't be though; he's got a great contract guaranteeing him years of service to the Lakers. I hope he remembers that. 12. DJ Mbenga Eh. Positives? He's big. He's determined to make this contract count. Negatives? He's just big. Not much to his game. His defense is slightly overrated. How many fouls does he draw? Again, not too big a deal because of our depth, and I guess he adds to our depth. 13. Chris Mihm Wanted to follow Mbenga with Mihm. Mihm is basically Mbenga but with a better (much better) offensive game. Don't believe me? http://youtube.com/watch?v=hixRBmCs-28 Remember how he played before the injury? He was decent. Heck of a lot better than Kwame. At least Mihm could shoot. Adds to our depth, but is pretty expendable. 14. Coby Karl I saved him for last because I don't really understand this Coby Karl situation. Is he just there for fans to cheer for? And I mean, we only cheer for him because he's only in when we blowout the opposing teams. Sure, he did great during his stint in the D-League, but really, the NBA is a whole 'nother level. I hope Phil works his magic on him the way he did with Sasha and gets Karl into the right mindset. At least he can dunk? Anyway, again, this is my first blog, so please be courteous. I'm a meek individual and I don't think I can handle criticism. Especially criticism on forums. Lakers4life. Amen. http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-310.html The NBA is taking on a different look as many teams are bucking tradition and actually making trades before the deadline to bolster their lineups. It seems that everyone is reacting to the Lakers addition of Pau Gasol. The power has shifted. The Lakers gave up assets they didn't need for a young, versatile, powerful, 7 footer who fits into the Laker's triangle better than anyone could have imagined, while other teams mortgage their future for older worn out players. Advantage Lakers. So where is the power now? 1- Los Angeles Lakers 37-17, They no doubt have been the best NBA team over the last month. They went 7-2 on a long grueling road trip where they easily could have been 9-0. They are 9-1 over the last 10, they have won 6 in a row, and their win on the road over the Suns and the Big Cactus now make them the team to beat. They will only be stronger when Andrew Bynum and Ariza return. 2- New Orleans Hornets 37-15, have won 5 in a row and just keep rolling. Chris Paul still leads the way. But do they still have enough to take on the Lakers new machine. They might trade Bobby Jackson for Bonzi Wells and Mike James today. 3- Boston Celtics 41-11, still have the best record in the NBA but have lossed 2 in a row. They showed that if they have an injury to a key player, they do not have the depth to adjust. They lost again last night with KG back in the lineup. 4- San Antonio Spurs 35-17, have won 3 in a row and traded to bolster their front line by trading for Kurt Thomas, but gave up one of their deep threatsin Barry. Another knee jerk reaction to Pau. 5- Utah Jazz 35-19, quietly and without much fanfare have gone 9-1 over the last 10 and won 3 in a row. Playing really well without any blockbuster trades to bolster their lineup. 6-Detroit 39-15, playing really well, 8-2 over their last 10, but suddenly have lost 2 in a row. 7- Phoenix Suns 37-17, after trading away Shaun Marion they have been struggling lately losing 4 of their last 10 and suffering a big blow at home last night at the hands of the Lakers. The Big Cactus showed he can help in some ways but he changes their game plan and could be injured again and not there for the playoffs. 8- Houston Rockets 33-20, quite possibly the biggest shock in the NBA as they have now won 9 games in a row. Who would have thunk it after the slow start they endured. 9- Dallas Mavericks 35-19, stuggling like the Suns, losing 4 of their last 10 and losing their last 2. Mortgaged their future for Jason Kidd who is 35 and has bone on bone knees. Bad trade, and with what they lost they are only marginally better. What happens if the Kidd's knees fail and he is not there for the playoffs? 10- Denver Nuggets 33-20, won 7 of their last 10 and working feverishly to make a trade to bolster their lineup. Yet another reaction to Pau. JamFan http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-309.html The rumors are true. Shaq is back in the Western Conference. In an act of desperation, the Suns, a first place team with one of the top records in the NBA, over reacted to the Lakers getting Pau Gasol and rolled the dice. They traded for a former super star who is in rapid decline. In fact, due to an injury he can not even play for awhile. The achievements of Shaq are well documented. Unfortunately for the Suns, none of them have occured in the last couple of years. The last two seasons have been a litany of injury after injury, comeback after comeback, stuggles with weight and conditioning, and ending with declining numbers and his first exit from the All Star game. Who would vote for him now? Not many. At age 35 and still carry a load of weight, things are unlikely to get better for Shaq. You can eventually recover from some of the injuries that he has had. But when your hips start to go....well....it's not like a hammy. When hips start to go bad they usually never fully recover. Eventually they end up with a hip replacement. Just ask PJ. So one has to wonder what the Suns were thinking. They run a quick strike offense and the only thing that Shaq can strike quickly is Fatburgers. They will be playing offense four on five. One has to also wonder what their doctors were thinking. The last report I read on his hip was that he was heading towards surgury to clear out some junk. They must have decided that it can wait until summer and gamble on his being able to make through the season. They have rolled the dice. If he doesn't make it, they could go into the playoffs without Shaq and Shawn Marion. If that happens this trade will spell doom for the Suns. Even if it doesn't happen, they have spent 40 mil on a player that the Heat were happy to unload. It is just a matter of time until father time catches up with Shaq. If he hasn't already. Either way, mark you calenders for Wednesday, February 20 at 6PM. Speculation is that Shaq will make his debut at home in Phoenix against....you guessed it, the Lakers. JamFan http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-308.html The Lakers have reportedly made a roster shaking trade sending Kwame Brown and his expiring contract, Javaris Crittenton, and two first round draft picks to the Memphis Grizzlies for Pau Gasol Many Laker fans have been clamoring for such a trade with the thinking that what the Lakers really needed was a legitimate power forward that could help propel the Lakers to another championship, or at least be in contention to go to the finals. This season Pau is scoring 19 PPG, with 9 RPG, while hitting 50% from the floor. This move allows the Lakers to permanently move Lamar Odom to small forward, and when Andrew Bynum returns, they will have one of the most formidable front lines in all of basketball. Moreover, in a recent report out of Spain, Pau's brother is reportedly one of the dominating forces in the Euro league playoffs and is a candidate for MVP. The Lakers drafted Marc Gasol in the second round last summer. One has to wonder than when they drafted Marc, they did so knowing that Pau was going to be their primary target all along. However, the Lakers had to send the rights to Marc in the deal. They also did a sign and trade with Aaron McKie to make the salary numbers work. There is also cash considerations involved and the Lakers receive a future 2nd round pick from the Grizzlies. Certainly having both Gasol brothers together on the Lakers roster would have made quite a story, especially with them being on the floor together at the same time. Now, that will never happen. This seems like a great trade for the Lakers. They gave up Kwame whose contract was expiring anyway and has been on the butt end of endless jokes by Laker fans because he has never lived up to being a #1 pick in the draft, and we gave Caron Butler to get him, which was a big mistake. Critt, is a future star, but he was the Lakers 3rd PG and rarely used. And as for giving up a couple of future 1st round draft picks, well, the Lakers future is now while Kobe is in his prime and we are definitely not rebuilding. Rejoice Laker fans, Kobe's wish has come true. When we get everyone healthy there will be no excuses anymore. We have all the pieces in place, We have all the horses to make a run. Hopefully we will be peeking into Chick Hearn's refridgerator over and over again. Jamfan http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-307.html Kobe and Jason were team mates last summer for Team USA. Apparently, they had such a great time playing together and Kobe felt so strongly about the possibility of the Kidd joining the Lakers that it all led to a now famous Kobe outburst regarding why the Lakers did not trade Andrew Bynum for Kidd. That is now a trade that everybody is very glad did not happen considering the outburst that AB has had on the basketball court. For the first time, it has now become official that Jason Kidd through his agent has formally asked to be traded and the Lakers are among 4 teams that are reported to have interest. In past conversations, it has been reported that Jason has expressed interest in coming to the Lakers and playing along side Kobe. But if he comes one thing has changed. In repoted negotiations last summer, the deal died the miniute the Nets asked for Andrew Bynum. And that was before AB became a monster on the court. Because of salaries and to make the numbers work with Kidd making close to 20 Mil, any deal for the Kidd would probably have to include two of the following players; Lamar Odom, Kwame Brown, Vlad Ramanovic, or Luke Walton. A draft pick and other players like Sasha or Critt might be in the mix but Rod Thorn has said that he does not have to have a PG coming back to make the deal work. If we do not send Critt we would have 4 PG's, even though Fish could be moved to SG to back up Kobe. With either Kwame and Lamar, or both, likely to be included, one of the young "Bigs," either Williams or Josh Boone would probably have to come back from the Nets to the Lakers or our roster would be to short and that is after AB and Mihm returned. With the February 21 trade dealline rapidly approaching, you can speculate that if this deal is going to happen that negotiations are already underway. Jason Kidd and the Nets roll into town next Tuesday for a matchup at the Staples Arena. So let's get the deal done and the Nets can drop Jason off as soon as they get to town. That way Kobe and the Kidd can beat the Nets 120 - 89. Well, that's my prediction anyway. JamFan http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-306.html DJ Mbenga was in attendance at last Friday's game against the Suns and was seen at the Lakers practice facility over the weekend. Now it is being reported that the Lakers will sign him to a 10 day contract. If he works out well he could be signed for the rest of the season. If he is only of marginal help, they will sign him to a couple of 10 day contracts until Mihm, and Vladrad return. They could then turn their attention to a back up swing man to cover for Ariza who is now reportedly out for 8 weeks. There are a couple of great ones on the Los Angeles DeFenders and we will start lookng at those possibilities when the time arises. JamFan http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-305.html Wang Zhi Zhi was the first Chinese player to be drafted into the NBA, but his career never took off like Yao Mings did. He played for 4 different team, and last played for Miami during the 05 season. He shot 48% from the field and 66% from the 3, but they didn't play him very much. So he returned to China where he seemingly is suddenly hitting his stride. At 7'1" tall, and at age 30, he still seems to have game. Or rather is it that he is finally finding his game He was honored as the MVP of the All Star Game where he scored 26 points on 7 of 8 from the 3. This was after he had just placed second in the 3 Pt shooting contest during All Star weekend. One scout said, if he shoots the 3 and hits the 3, there just isn't much you can do about it. http://www.interbasket.net/players/zhizhi.jpg JamFan http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-304.html Jelani won a championship with the Lakers during the 02 season. He didn't play a lot back then since Shaq was the starting center. But, he has been coached by Phil Jackson and knows the Triangle. The Pic shows Jelani going up to block a Shaq dunk attempt while playing for Toronto. Since being released by the Nuggest a short time ago he has joined the LA DeFenders. Known for his defense and shot blocking, he displayed some offensive skills in the games I viewed while with the Nuggets. Since returning to the DeFenders he is only hitting an embarassing 87% from the field. Well, embarassing for whomever is suppose to be stopping him. No missed dunks or layups around the rim for Jalani. JamFan http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-302.html You have heard the rumors. Is it about to come to reality? The Lakers management have been so impressed with the progress of this team and the chemistry that they now have, that they have been reluctant to trade anybody and break up the current squad. But the need for another power forward has been there and they do have an open roster spot. So how do you add without substaction? Sign a free agent. The likely candidates have been DJ Mbenga, PJ Brown and Chris Webber. GM Mitch Kupchak is reportedly confiming that they were already in contact with CWebb even before AB's injury, an injury that makes the need for a PF/C even more glaring. What happens if Lamar or Kwame gets hurt again? In a recent TV interview CWebb made several comments that would lead one to believe that the Lakers are his first choice as well. He said that if he were starting an NBA franchise he would start with Kobe, and we know Kobe has been in contact with him in the recent past about joining the Lakers. He also said that he took time off to be with his family and how important that was to him. He spoke glowingly about how his restaurants. Both his family and his restaurants are in California. He doesn't need the money, so why would he come back at age 33. Two reasons, he wants to be with a team that has a chance to win a championship and he wants to have fun on the floor again, play with a smile. So now he gets to choose his own playground. Will it be the Lakers? Can he help the Lakers? Personally, I watched him play last season and he played really well when I was watching. His numbers for Detroit were not huge at 10 and 6 in 25 minutes, but he did hit 52% from the field. It seems his role would be similar on the Lakers and those numbers would be good enough to help. Is he healthy? His agent says he is. Can he stay healthy? Only time will tell. But he has taken some time off and has been working out consistantly with his trainers. Is he readly to go? They say the answer is yes. The Lakers will be giving up nothing to bring him in except some cash. All current players and draft picks will remain intact. With CWebb on the floor it allows Coach to put Lamar at the 3. Moreover, he give us insurance against an injury to another one of our Bigs. Hopefully, if he comes here, he will get his smile back. And the Lakers will smile as well. JamFan http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-301.html UPDATE: PUT THOSE ALL STAR ASPIRATIONS ON HOLD. WITH LAST NIGHT'S INJURY, AB WILL BE OUT 8 WEEKS. YIKES! The progress of Andrew Bynum is now apparent to everyone. Chided by Kobe Bryant last summer while Kobe was lamenting on why Andrew was not traded for a better player, Andrew has not only won over Kobe but the entire NBA. How could a kid so young be so good? Having the job of impressing one Kobe Bryant is motivation enough. So last summer AB went to work with a personal trainer to increase his strength and endurance. He continured his work with the greatest center of all time, Kareem Abdul Jabbar. The results are unmistakeable. Last season AB was not one of the primary or secondary scoring options. Now, everybody looks to lob an alley oop pass into Andrew's hands around the rim. Why? It is one of the most unstoppable plays that ends with one of the most unstoppable shots in all of basketball. He is just taller, longer, faster, and more athletic than everybody else around the basket. Andrew Bynum is now tied with Andris Biedrins (depending on who played last) to lead the NBA in field goal percentage with 63.4% from the field. On a per minute played basis, he is 8th in rebounding, and 3rd in blocked shots. He now averages a double double With 13 PPG and 10 RPG and has 18 for the season to place #5 among centers and #11 in the league. This all translates into a rising EFF rating of 21.91 (Kobe is at 24 EFF) to make him the 6th best center in the NBA. Those are All Star numbers, but what will keep him from being an All Star? Only 1 of the 6 centers rated ahead of him is from the East, Dwight Howard. But 4 centers from the West have a better rating Yao Ming, Amare Stoudamire, Marcus Camby and Chris Kaman. If AB were in the East, one would argue he should be an All Star. But most of the best centers in the NBA are in the Western Conference so AB loses the numbers game. The top 6 centers should go to the game and he is #6. But he is #5 in the West. Too bad! At the ripe young age of 20, his day will come. Meanwhile, who do you think Kobe would trade AB for now? There are other great players in the NBA who could help the Lakers, but it could be AB who has helped the Lakers become one of the premier teams in the league. His departure could mean the Laker slide backwards no matter who he would be traded for. Who would replace him? Certainly not Chris Mihm or Kwame Brown. He is now one of the most untouchable players in the NBA. He is not going anywhere. He now represents the best trade that was never made. He sells tickets! JamFan http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-300.html lakerfan4life has been showing this one, thought it would be nice to post it out here for everyone to see. The sky is the limit! http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-299.html Power Rankings are based on success during the coarse of the season so far, with emphasis on success in the last 10 games, and strength of schedule. 1- Boston Celtics 29-3 - Danny Ainge traded the leagues worst roster in the NBA for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett while managing to hold on to his franchise player Paul Pierce. Will they lose 10 games? Maybe not. Won the last 9 in a row. 2- Detroit Pistons 26-8 - Won 9 straight before running into the Boston Celtics Saturday night. How sizzling hot can you be. The Pistons are running on all cylinders. 3- San Antonio Spurs 22-9 - I reluctantly still put the Spurs in the 3rd spot despite the fact they have only won 5 of their last 10. They were on the road 7 of those games and mostly against tough opponents. Need a healthy Manu Ginobili 4- Phoenix Suns 23-10 - The Suns have looking human lately winning only 6 of 10 while struggling to be as consistant as in the past. They are winning on the road. They need to keep Grant Hill healthy. Even though they have 6 players in double figures, their bench is just not producing. 5 - Los Angeles Lakers 20-11 - The Lakers are surging of late winning 7 of thier last 10 with two of the losses against Cleveland and Boston while beating the Suns. Half of those games were on the road. With Fish, AB, Farmar and new addition Trevor Ariza making significant contributins, Kobe actually gets to take a breather on occasion. 6- Dallas Mavericks 22-10 - Won 8 of 10 and thier last 3 in a row after stumbling a little bit early on. The team in still loaded with talent and will be right there at the end. 7- New Orleans Hornets 23-11 - Won 8 of their last 10 and 3 in a row, with 6 games on the road. Most of their wins have been against week opponents. Good road record with Chris Paul leading the way. 8 - Denver Nuggets 22-12 - Won their last two in a row but only 6 of the last 10. Lots of talent here but they do not always play team ball. 9- Portland Trailblazer 21-13 - One of the hottest teams in the NBA winning 9 of their last 10 but most of the games were at home and against teams with poor records. 10 - Orlando Magic 22-13 - Started strong but fading a little losing their last two and finding only 5 wins out of the last 10. 11 - Golden State Warrior 19-15 - After starting slow they are starting to find themselves and are looking more like last years team again. They are winning on the road so now if they can only figure out how to win at home. 12 - New Jersey Nets 17 -16 - Starting to surge a little in a weak conference, but they have won 7 of 10 and their last 5 in a row. 13 - Washington Wizards 16-15 - With Caron Butler leading the way they are holding their own with Agent Zero out with injury. 14 - Utah Jazz 18-17 - Only a shell of last year's team so far this year. The teamwork and chemistry has suffered a blow. 15 - Cleveland Cavaliers 16-17 - Only team with a losing record to crack my top 16 and only because they have won their last 2 and 6 of 10. They can not seem to win on the road. King James can't do it alone. 16 - Houston Rockets 17-17 - Falling on hard times and having TMac out with injury is not helping. Hiring a new coach has not worked out so far. On the out side looking in, who are the bubble teams? Toronto Raptors - Indiana Pacers - Atlanta Hawks JamFan http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-298.html One now has to wonder if Tracy McGrady is really hurt. It was reported that he hurt his knee but there was no structural damage. He was suppose to be out for a short time, then it was a couple of days, and now he suddenly is not coming back on the floor to play for Houston any time soon. Is TMac's knee really hurt or is his feelings hurt. Reports now say he may never play for Houston again. He wants out. Laker fans can only dream of putting together a roster with a triple threat the way that the Boston Celtics have. A very disfuntional Danny Ainge, who was the laughing stock in the NBA as a GM finally woke up and traded the NBA's worst roster into the NBA's best roster by somehow trading a bunch for cast offs that nobody wanted for two all star franchise players named Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. And he did it without trading away his all star franchise player Paul Pierce. How did he do that? He got a lot of help from former Boston star Kevin Mchale, who as the GM of the Minnesota Timberwolves traded away Kevin Garnett, one of the best players in the league, for chump change. It will go down as one of the worst trades in NBA history. After years of failure, culminating in that horrible trade that has destroyed that franchise, you have to wonder how long Kevin will remain in Minnesota. Once being fired, it is easy to imagine that he will end up with a job in Boston. Kevin is already Boston's most valuable player, er GM, even though he was working for Minnesota. Minnesota fans wonder if he is already on their payroll. If Boston can do it, why can't we. All we have to do is trade for TMac without giving up our franchise player, Kobe Bryant. Our new triple threat would be Kobe, AB, and TMac. With the supporting role players and strong bench, we would not only be competitive with Boston, we would be competing again for an NBA title. So how do we do it without gutting our roster? First off we would need to find out what Houston wants. Would they really trade a star like Tracy to a conference rival? It has happened before. Do they want great players in return or do they rebuild? If they want players, and since they do not need a starting center with Yao in the middle, AB is off the table which is fine with us. Houston will unlikely get equal value for TMac. So we would start with Lamar, VladRad, one of our young guards, either Sasha, Farmar, or Critt, and maybe a first round draft pick. If they want to rebuild, you work with that same package except you substitute Kwame's expiring contract for Lamar Odom. Houston might ask for Ariza to be in that package instead of one of our young guards. However, they need a guard more than another small forward. Either one of those packages gives Houston enough and it becomes a win win for both towns. Well, if becomes a win win for the Lakers. The triple threat is in place. The playoffs are just down the road. And the path to the Western Conference Championship Game no longer looks so much like the bumpy road we are looking at now. If we make this trade, bring on the Boston Celtics in the NBA finals. The rivalry returns. We can compete. We can win. Oh, my alarm just went off, I guess I was just dreaming! JamFan http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-297.html Peace has suddenly broken out in LakerLand. Kobe refuses to even talk about trades. Lamar comes to the rescue and reminds us why we need him so much. Kobe places bets with AB on shooting the famous Kareem sky hook. Kobe tells the world about how hard Bynum has worked and how much he has improved. And rumors of Kobe being traded have faded into the sunset. Ahhhhhhhh..........basketball. What a difference a couple of good wins will make. The Lakers dismantle the Suns in Phoenix in a barrage of shooting that only makes everybody dream about how good this team might become. In their last game they dismantle the Wolves by using a balanced attack that even included both centers achieving a double double. Winning cures everything. Well almost. After surgury and a long lay off Lamar Odom returns and instead of playing just a few minutes, he plays most of the game, get a double double with 18 and 10, and quite frankly looked like an all star out there. He was definitely playing chess. Lamar earlier in his career was a small forward and really guards SF's better. On the other hand, the smaller Wolves who were assigned to guard him had no chance. He is as quick as they are and dominates them with his height, long arms, and abilities driving to the hoop. Not bad for a guy who was supposed to be rusty. Coach has definitely made a crafty move starting Turiaf at PF and moving Lamar to SF. That might just be the formula that leads to wins. So all is well for the moment. Even though the schedule looks tough, we can probably escape November with a record above 500. They go out on the road for two at San Antonio and Houston, then come home for Detroit and Chicago. Back on the road for three against Indiana, Milwaukee, and Boston. They will finish out the last week in November at home against New Jersey, Seattle, and Denver with the final game on the road in Utah. My crystal ball tells me that we can win 6 of final 11 and finish with a November record of 9 and 7. But who knows, with Lamar back the team could start playing at a higher level every night instead of every other game. With this tough schedule 10 and 6 would be a lot to ask. One thing to watch out for is the return of the Boston Celtics and LA Lakers rivalry. It has been dormant for so long because Boston has been so bad. Meanwhile LA won three more rings. But with the newly restored Boston lineup the challenge now falls on the Lakers to prove that they can measure up. One has to wonder how the much maligned Danny Ainge took the leagues worst roster and traded it in for three franchise players. How come we couldn't do that? So now we do battle with KG, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce Friday 23 in the Garden. That will be a don't miss game. JamFan aka Don Allen http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-294.html Let the games begin. As if they haven't started already. After all the turmoil of the summer, the turmoil during the preseason, we finally will get to see some real basketball Tuesday night in the season opener against Houston. The season begins with the rumors swirling about Kobe Bryant being traded either to the Chicago Bulls, or more recently to the Washington Wizards for Gilbert Arenas. There are confirmations that the teams have talked. The Lakers would benefit by more than one team competing for Kobe's sevices. Most fans hope that Kobe stays and the Lakers trade for another All Star to come in and help Kobe win another championship. But there are no solid rumors of that happening anytime soon. Meanwhile, Kobe was at practice Monday morning and fully participating in all team functions. PJ said his work was lively. In an interview, Kobe wouldn't talk about if he wanted to be traded. He only spoke about being total focused, always ready to go. He said he always wanted to a Laker for life. All of his comments were positive and about his team. The rest of the team looks good to go, except for Lamar who has not been as yet scheduled to play. He could be a couple of games to a week away. In other FO moves, they picked up the team options on Andrew Bynum and Jordan Farmar to extend each player for another year. This comes as little surprise as both players have played so well during the preseason. Also, Coby Karl has indeed made the team. Kwame was announced as the starting center even though his ankle hasn't improved enough to allow him to jump off both feet. VladRad did not practice because he is sick. So here we go. We are about to find out what kind of team we have. We do not have an easy schedule like we had at the beginning of last season. Will AB surprise the world? Will Jordan Farmar eventully become the starting PG? Will Kobe explode on the court and rip the NBA for 30+ points per game? Sit back and relax and enjoy the show! JamfFan aka Don Allen http://lakers.topbuzz.com/a-293.html Despite all the lip flapping you are hearing from all the sports writers, Kobe is not going anywhere. Reports are that Dallas and Chicago GM's haven't even talked to the Lakers. Reports also say that neither team is willing to give up their best player to the Lakers. Do you really think the Lakers would trade Kobe to Dallas so that he and Dirk could spend the next 5 years beating our brains out? Do you really think the Lakers would trade Kobe to Chicago without Luol Deng being included in the deal? Kobe is a Laker, at least for now. So far we only have two things that would lead us to believe that Channing Frye could become a Laker. One is reports that Portland is shopping CF. The other goes back to a year ago when there were rumors of a possible trade with the Knicks and the reports that the one player the Lakers wanted included in the package was.....Channing Frye. Portlland is reportedly reluctant to give Frye an extension over the next couple of years because they already have to many long term contracts and feel they have a glut of forwards. Their need appears to be outside shooting because they have to many play making guards. Also, they may need a "Big" to fill in at center while Oden is out for the season. A "Big" who has a one year contract, and an outside shooter would fit in nicely, especially if you throw in a first round draft pick. So a scenario where Kwame and his expiring contract, along with maybe Sasha or Cook and a pick, could go out for Frye and a player like Jarrett Jack. Will it happen? If it does and Channing Frye never grows into KG or Elton Brand, well, we gave up expendable pieces to get him. But if he does turn into KG, then it was the steal of the century. After the big win over Seattle on Thursday, Lakers fans finally had something to cheer about and it took our minds off all the drama that seemed like a rerun of the movie we all saw last summer. And the speculation regarding Channing Frye redirects our attention to what the Lakers are really trying to do, and that is trading for a player that can come in a make a difference and ultimately keep Kobe happy. The goal, of course, is a championship. When you see how well our bench players are performing, you can actually see the light at the end of the tunnel. In fact, so far, our bench is out performing our starters. You can see how we are proabably only one player away. We are deep with talent and potential. But we still need one player who can produce at an all star level now. Frye is more like AB. A 3rd year player who is maybe just on the verge of letting loose. Not the all star power forward today, but maybe an All star forward in seasons to come. That is the reason we might be able to get him now. After next season, the price goes up. The Seattle game probably surprised us all. Not that we won, but how certain players played. Mihm actually looked like he could return to his old form. Turiaf played like he could be a future all star. Crit (JC) has a really quick first step but is looking more to distribute than score so far. Farmar is really coming to play. He is not looking for minutes, he is looking to start. Fish still has that baseline jumper. Walton looks rusty. Cook looks like he can still stroke it, but he better stick to his ourside game because his low post game is ugly most of the time. But he did have his moments down low. That brings us to AB. He is going to be a consistant double double player for the Lakers. If he gets touches, he is going to score around the basket. So far he is hitting over 60% of his shots. And rebounds, even offensive rebounds, are not going to be a problem. His time just might be now. His aggressiveness around the hoop has stepped up to another level. He is not at the highest level he is capable of yet, but its coming. Next up is the Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday evening in a Preseason Shootout. The Clippers and the Suns are in the opening game, and depending on who wins or loses, determines who the Lakers are going to meet on Sunday. Last night the Lakers had 30 assists, hit 56% from the field, and 58% from the 3. We had 8 players in double figures. No wonder we scored 126. We will need all of that and some better defense to have a successful weekend, especially if we meet the Suns on Sunday. This will be back to back games, so we might get to see Lamar in one or both of the games, but for brief stints because he won't be in game shape. If the Lakers continue to play like they did Thursday night, there is no reason to believe we can't do some serious damage this season. Confidence......... JamFan aka Don Allen