| Today's Game
Sunday, 6:30PM
vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
TV: FS West
Coming Up
Tuesday Nov 24 7:30PM
vs. New York Knicks
TV: FS West
Lakers Standings
Lakers Record: 9-3, ½ Games Back In Division. Playoff Seed #3 In Conference. |
|
|
|
 Lakers Blog
|
|
See all
Posted by: JonathanDavid_24 on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 - 06:45 AM
Lakers Blog
|
 Our Lakers finished the Pre-All-Star break with a bang going 6-1 losing only to Utah in a game that was very winnable. Kobe has entered the second half of the season with the killer instinct that we all know and admire. Shaq & Kobe had a memorable All-Star appearance together; sharing the MVP award. Kobe still seems to feel uncomfortable around O'Neal, it was easily seen whenever an interview took place with the two next to each other. Kobe however, is a professional basketball player, and the best in the game too, he doesn't let a simple emotional-type situation hyped by the repulsive media take over his will to win basketball games. Kobe has made it well known that he had plenty of fun during the All-Star weekend festivities, etc, but his focus on winning remains firm as ever.
On a side note, Gasol loved the All-Star game, he was very humble, and social throughout the entire weekend. The only negative thing Gasol took place in; according to some, was his silly behind-the-back passes to Rudy Fernandez in the Slam Dunk Contest this past Saturday. Some say Rudy Fernandez was robbed by the "Russian Mafia" judges, I am undecided on this, so I'll leave it up to each of you to decide the "truth".
Phil Jackson must have been so irritated during All-Star Weekend, he was all over the place. However, let us hope that the break at least helped some of our struggling Lakers such as Sasha, Walton, Farmar, etc. With 4 days off, they must have had some sort of individual practice. As we all know, Sasha & Farmar are total gym-rats as they have self-proclaimed themselves so often & proudly. It's time for them to own up to their struggles and hopefully have worked hard to at least improve somewhat; we need all the help we can get with Bynum still out.
I wouldn't say that it's imperative for the Lakers bench to all of a sudden regain their swagger, but at least rediscovering it would be more than a blessing. Kobe, Gasol, & Odom have been amazing in this stretch since Bynum left. I find it difficult to say the details of Bynum's reason for not playing...I somehow feel as if I will be the one who jinxes him. Therefore I tend to use words as "Bynum left" or "Bynum's out" hoping they don't sting too much to read....I'm sure they're less harsh than the media who use essays to describe even the tiniest detail of Bynum's status....They're so brutal. It's ok, because Haters are usually the ones who spark a fire inside of a team and the team goes all out to show how they can rise above such adversity and turmoil.
In closing, the 2nd half of the season begins tonight at Staples Center, the Hawks come to L.A hoping to snatch a win from the Lakers, who had a lot of personnel, etc at the All-Star Weekend events. We can only root for our Lakers to come out, hopefully Kobe does as he says and leads his team past this adversity and into the playoffs with home-court advantage....This is it guys, every game, every possession, we need to take DEAD SERIOUS, every free-throw made by our poor FT shooters is going to help, every missed free-throw by an opponent matters, the
struggles will continue in one way or another; whether it be media driven or something else. Lets take it one game at a time, no getting ahead of ourselves or being cocky like the Celtics fans. We're better than that, we respect our Lakers confidence, but arrogance from a team's fan-base can actually be the downfall of a Great Team. Lets not be those fans, lets be the respectable fans who have a team to cheer about.
|
|
Discuss
|
|
Posted by: Lakers4Kobe on Friday, February 13, 2009 - 03:51 AM
Lakers Blog
|
So we come to the All-Star weekend. The best of the best will head to Phoenix to strut their stuff and show fans why they were voted in. Meanwhile, the rest of the league gets some time off to reflect on their records and sit in quiet joy, or despair at the misery that has been their season. For the Lakers, they will take the first option and they will take it gladly. No matter what anyone says, nobody expected these Lakers to be the best team in the West, and perhaps the league. After Andrew Bynum went down to another freak injury, the Lakers’ nation ran out onto the streets screaming that the sky was falling. However, since Drew’s injury, the team has gone 6-1 with the only loss coming against Utah after 8 games in 8 different cities in 14 nights, and to go undefeated in that stretch would have been amazing, but it was not to be. Still, for anyone to complain about the Lakers’ record right now would either be intoxicated or not know basketball.
This season posed many questions to begin with. Would Drew and Pau function together? Would Lamar benefit from coming off the bench or not? Would Kobe wear out before seasons end? And perhaps the most asked question, will there be any trades this season? Well, Drew and Pau formed one of the best front lines in the league, Lamar was productive off the bench, Kobe is still going strong, and, perhaps most impressively, Mitch Kupchack managed to trade Vladimir Radmanovich, or Space Balls as we all “affectionately” called him. The Lakers have been brilliant, and it doesn’t seem like they are going to stop any time soon.
However, not praise comes without criticism. The lackadaisical defense is still a problem, one that won’t be resolved while Drew is rehabbing. The Lakers are still playing down to the level of their opponents and will only play at their full potential against the teams that matter (Boston, Cleveland, San Antonio…) Theses issues will need to be resolved further down the season in time for the playoffs, but for now, the Lakers will have some time to rest and reminisce.
It must be noted though, that players have stepped up in the absence of Bynum, namely Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol. Both players have elevated their game and are keeping the Lakers at the same level they were before Drew went down to injury. Pau has been absolutely dominant, destroying opposing front lines with his shooting range and back-to-the-basket moves. Lamar Odom has stepped up his game dramatically, to heights once though impossible by all of us. 3 straight games of 17+ rebounds is no easy task. The increased productivity of these players, as well as the continued high level of player from Kobe, Fisher and all the other Lakers have silenced the pessimists and proven once again that they can win the title, with or without Drew.
While Kobe and Gasol will head out to Phoenix to play in the All-Star game, the rest of the team will get some much deserved time off to do what they like (except snowboarding) and rest their bodies for the final stretch of the regular season, and begin preparation for the playoffs, which the Lakers will undoubtedly be a main focus of. During this time off, it is important for these Lakers to realise that they have a 42-10 record, lead the Western Conference and for now, are the best team in the league. While they enjoy this fact, they must also acknowledge that the season isn’t over. Too many times teams have slipped after All-Star weekend, thinking the season was all wrapped up. It is crucial for this team to not fall into the trap of mediocrity, they must continue to strive to be the best and aim for home court advantage throughout the playoffs.
In a way, the All-Star weekend is the perfect symbol of what this Lakers team has been this season, All-Stars. They have shot down any challenge that has come to them and they have proven time and time again why they are the best team in the league, and why they will be carrying the Larry O’Brien Trophy at the end of the season, down Figueroa Street.
|
|
Discuss 1 Review/Comment
|
|
Posted by: SPQR on Wednesday, February 11, 2009 - 01:58 PM
Lakers Blog
|
With the recent explosion of Lamar Odom since his insertion into the starting line it brings back into play an issue that has been bandied around here from time to time. Was Phil Jackson premature in never giving the Big Three a shot at developing into a cohesive front line?
Adherents from both sides have stated their cases and both have legitimate points of view. The new part of this puzzle that now adds fire to the mix is the obvious fact that Lamar is a much better starter than sixth man. While he did an admiral job leading the Bench Mob this year, his play in the role did not resemble the enthusiastic, scoring and rebounding machine he is now. He expressed dissatisfaction in camp at being consigned to the bench and his obvious enthusiasm at now having a starter’s minutes and responsibilities is reflected in his new demeanor and production. The closest I have seen Lamar play like this was last year when he and Drew were becoming a very troublesome tandem for the teams we played.
Some players need to start to perform at their optimum level. Whether is simply a psychological issue or the physical need to be out there and getting loose and in the flow from the opening tip is incidental. Other players have no problems going in cold and hitting zero to sixty from the get go, witness Manu Ginobli for example.
With Lamar playing so well it has to beg the question: Why didn’t Phil at least for a time start the big three to see how they would perform together?
At the beginning of the season he and the coaching staff seemed to give what seemed a logical and acceptable answer: with three big men who thrive down low we needed an outside shooter at one forward spot to make defenses play honest and create spacing for them all to work effectively. This theory held a certain amount of water until Vlad’s abysmal play necessitated Luke Walton to reclaim his starting job. While Luke is known for his intelligence and passing, he is seen in the league as deadly outside shooter or even an accomplished scorer. He is not a player who on other teams scouting reports says, “don’t let him have room to shoot or he will burn you from outside.” He is not a “space” creator. The fact that the team is doing just as well, if not better with Luke starting in lieu of Vlad shows the space theory was not all that Phil cracked it up to be. It also shows when you have good versatile big men who can pass, score and rebound, outside space is vastly overrated commodity for success.
I want to harken back now the front line that by acclimation is considered the best in NBA history-the 80’s Celtics of Bird, Mchale and Parish. Both Parish and Mchale, because of limited range were only effective from small mid range and in. They were by necessity true habitués of the paint. Bird was a terrific outside shooter who used his dead eye to cold blooded maximum effect. One thing that is often forgotten about him though was he also was a dominant inside force, attacking the boards with ferocity, throwing up rebounded put backs and driving to the hole with devestating effect. He lived his game as much in the paint as on the periphery. Of that group, only Bird was a truly superior passer. Parish was good and Mchale so abysmal that he was nicknamed the ‘black hole’. This front line was so good it went to five finals, winning three. Had not the Lakers Showtime team of Magic Johnson not been waiting for them they would have gone five for five.
When comparing Drew, Pau and Lamar to Boston’s legendary front men, you can see where they have at least as many qualities to become as dominant perhaps even as legendary a force. While none of our big three can shoot with anything that compares to what Bird could do, both Pau and Lamar are better outside shooters then Mchale. None of them has to take a shot right under the basket to be effective. Even Drew has shown a surprising outside touch for such a young player.
While none of the Laker big three can pass like Bird, Lamar and Pau are light years ahead of Mchale in the department and Drew has shown a facility to pass intelligently as well. He is Parish’s peer in that department or soon will be. In fact, based on how he is doing already, I expect him to surpass Parish and eventually rival Kareem as a passer in the post. Not surprising since Cap is his teacher.
Now let’s take another look at Boston, and this where the parallel with us and them really gets amazingly interesting. Mchale started out as a bench player. Unlike Lamar, he was so good at the role he won the sixth man of the year award. Just as now, there was a debate in beantown on whether Mchale should continue in his support role or start with the other big two. I have no doubt that debate was drawn along similar lines as the one that takes place among Laker fans today. In the end the decision was made to start him and at that point the legendary front line of Boston was born. McHale’s game, like Lamar’s, took a quantum leap forward and the Celtics then proceeded to start ripping off 60 plus win seasons like it was their birthright and go to the finals with alarming regularity. This move enabled the Celtics to be the best team they could possibly be.
With front line players very similar to what we have now, would Phil have brought Mchale off the bench had he coached that old Boston team? Based on what we see this year one would have to suspect he would. History shows that this would have been a mistake. Is it a mistake now? Unless Phil tries playing the big three, how will we ever no?
When everything is distilled down, the arguments that you can’t play the big three no longer hold water. The spacing theory is now discredited by Phil himself. The other postulated reason-reduced effectiveness of the bench- also does not really hold up to intense scrutiny. While Mchales move certainly weakened Boston’s bench, the substantial gain in Mchales minutes and quality of play far outweighed the negatives. The same applies here. While Lamar starting with the big three would weaken our bench, his new assertiveness and effectiveness mitigates that paradigm and then some. Also, as we now see, a Laker bench without Lamar holding its collective hands is still capable of very effective play.
Those who have read my posts know I am not shy about calling Phil out on something if I deem it necessary. His record speaks for itself and he is obviously a great coach-but we also know all humans make mistakes, even hall of fame coaches.
While it will be too late in the year for the Big Three to have any chance of starting this year when Drew gets back, if next year, given camp and long season ahead, Phil does not try to follow Boston’s example at least for a while to see what could possibly eventuate, he is cheating both the team and fans a chance at seeing a front line that perhaps could have rivaled the one history calls the greatest of all time.
If he elects not to do so, then mores the pity for us as fans and the team for what might have been, and Phil’s own legacy for greatness and intellegence.
|
|
Discuss 2 Reviews/Comments
|
|
Posted by: SPQR on Sunday, February 08, 2009 - 06:48 PM
Lakers Blog
|
Coming on the heels of Boston win, the Lakers made their indisputable claim to being the best team in basketball by ending the Cavaliers 23 home game winning streak.
No fan of any team can rationalize it, no media pundit can equivocate on it, the Lakers are now the best team in the NBA and must be considered prohibitive favorites to bring back number 15 to Los Angeles this summer.
A few thoughts on the game, three things stick out to me:
We won it much like the game in LA. Once again our bigs down low dominated the action. The Cavs just have no answer whether it be Lamar, Pau or Drew.
We also broke down a defense that has created havoc with the rest of the league. They can't seem to find a formula to really get us out of our offense or slow us down. The same defense that successfully stymies other teams can gain no purchase on this Lakers team.
The last thing is stopping Lebron. The Lakers have found a formula to get Lebron out his comfort zone and slow him down. He seems tenative and unsure on how to attack what we do to him, much like Kobe did against Boston last year.
And just as with Boston last year, it seems unlikly, indeed impossible for them to come up enough answers to beat us in a seven game series. This does not bode well for them and makes one extremely confident if indeed it is Cleveland we face in the finals.
On a day when Kobes face told the story of phyiscal conditioning I want to single out Trevor Ariza, Pau Gasol and most especially Lamar Odom for their determined efforts in bring us from behind against the best home team in basketball for the win and sending them and the league an explict message. Lamar was just amazing. The player we all want him to be. He has stepped up in Drews absence, as has Pau and thats the thing that makes winners and champions. 28 and 17 was just too much hemorraging down low for Cleveland to deal with. He seemed to make every big shot and get every crucial rebound.
With this win the Lakers fate, unlike last year, is theirs to decide. With no boogie man waiting in the finals there is no fear, no reason to doubt. This team just needs to go for that ring, come out after the all star break with fire and determination, extend their play through the second half of the year, the playoffs and bring it on home.
The only thing that can stop this team is themselves or the injury god.
One last thought. Though it is hard to quibble on such a great day and this is not a complaint, it is something on my mind. Watching Lamar's performance as a starter, it still makes me think of what a Drew, Pau and Lamar front line would do and could achieve. Yes, conventional wisdom says it may not work but only a short time ago did not conventional wisdom also say we had to have Vlad as a starter to create the proper space for them as well? When you deal with such mulit-talented, accomplished and exceptional players as Pau, Lamar and Drew, sometimes conventional wisdom is not so conventional or so wise. I would like to see them fail together first, before I take that conventional wisdom for granted as we were expected to with the Vlad spacing theory.
I may be wrong on this, but I have a feeling that those three are smart enough, good enough passers and scorers to learn to co- exist and thrive together if given the chance to play together for any meaningful stretch of games. The big three playing together remains an elusive and seductive chimera for me. Possibilities unknown and potentialities untried, just the allure of something exotic and unstoppable.
|
|
Discuss 1 Review/Comment
|
|
Posted by: SPQR on Saturday, February 07, 2009 - 04:06 PM
Lakers Blog
|
As I watched our team fight back, not give ground, and rip that game from Bostons hands in overtime, finally and definitively exorcising the demons of last years beatings, I couldn't help but think-this is the biggest win for us since the post Shaq era.
In the tortuous climb from doormat to putative world champions over the last couple years, we have witnessed wins that signified the ever improving status of the team in leagues hierarchy. The first blowout win over Phoenix last year was seminal. Beating the team that had used us as their personal punching bag and laughing stock the last few years was a giant step in the reordering of the west. Taking down a San Antonio team that had filled the power vacuum to add to their own rings was another singular accomplishment in our advancement. Showing New Orleans this year in their own arena that we were their superiors despite their brilliance and the magnificence of Chris Paul was also huge. There have been other big wins along the way in our in our ascension. Taking down Cleveland especially comes to mind because of our problems with some eastern teams.
Yet to me, because of what transpired between us last year and the position Boston holds as champions, the win this week was at the top of the list of the post Shaq triumphs. It is the only win in the last to year, in conjunction with Christmas, that actually says, "This team is the best in the entire NBA." No other win we have had since Shaq left carried that cache or made that statement.
Last year, the two Celtic games not only set the tone for who was the best team, but it showed us how far we had to go to catch that team. This hard lesson was reiterated in the finals.
Coming into this year, one placed hopes in the return of Drew and Trevor in looking for reasons that trend had been halted and even turned around. While the Christmas win was nice, it could be argued by Celtic fans and players that it was not an accurate barometer of any real change. They were in the midst of long west coast trip. They were straining under the pressure of a 19 game win streak. They had to lose sometime, didn't they? Afterwards the Celtics blew off the loss with the laissez fair attitude of a champion who knew they would return the world to its proper balance in the friendly confines of the rematch at home.
No Celtic fan our player had a doubt that in this game, in this home court rematch, we would understand that the Christmas game was just a hopeful mirage that had melted as fast as the snow in a late winter warming. Another Celtic blowout akin to last year, another blow to our hopes of beating them in the finals. Kevin Garnett would be proven correct and all would be well with Celtics world.
After the game, the implications are just as stark and clear as they were last year after our second game with them; only now the tables are turned. Celtic fans and players can downplay the loss at home and the sweep all they want, but it is just as hollow as any puffery we displayed last year going into the finals with them.
With a second loss at home, with us missing free throws by the bushel full, and no third spoke of Drew in our wheel, what hat can they hang their hopes on? How can they rationalize things will turn around? What magic that we couldn't conjure last year will suddenly appear to make them better than us?
We were one team less than a championship last year. The win this time, short handed, at their home, after a grueling match against Toronto, against that very team makes us now the favorite to win the title. Not just a favorite, but every bit the favorite Boston was last year. This status was earned on the court, in the most trying of circumstances, against the greatest of odds.
This single game, of all our wins of the post Shaq era, stands out in shining relief, as the best, because it signifies that we are finally not only a contender, not just the best in the west, but the best team in the entire league. Something we could not say in good conscience after last year’s regular season or at anytime since Shaquille O'Neal left the PurpleandGold all those years ago.
Last year I dreaded playing them in the finals. This year, because of this game, and the sweep, if I were a Celtic fan, I would feel the exact same way about Los Angeles.
These are my reasons why I feel like I do about this win. Do you guys also think this is our biggest post Shaq win?
One other thought to add. There is a saying that, "Those who don't remebember the past are condemned to repeat it."
One can't help but think back to the 84 finals against Boston. The Lakers won the first game in the Garden and seemed poised to finally end the Celtic jinx. In game two, they began to use physical thug ball to get the win and slowly turn the series around. They won in seven, one of the few times in NBA history a more talented team was defeated over that skein for the ring.
The next year, we played them again and in the first game, known as the Memorial Day Massacre, the Lakers were blown out by forty. After that game, Coach Pat Riley had a team meeting. He endless replayed film of Boston hustling and running rings around his men, once again being more physical.
After the film session, he relayed his last talk he had with his father, before his untimely death of a heart attack. His father told Pat, "There comes a time, a day, when you have to plant your feet, dig in and punch back." Riley told his team that day had arrived for them. They went on to win the series in six on Boston’s home floor, finally ending their choke hold on our franchise.
It seems that this year’s team has not forgotten its history and it too has decided to plant its feet, dig in and punch back.
Sometimes those sayings do indeed carry the weight attributed to them.
|
|
Discuss
|
|
Posted by: JonathanDavid_24 on Saturday, February 07, 2009 - 01:50 PM
Lakers Blog
|
The Los Angeles Lakers have taken a serious blow to their Championship quest roster. Rumors that Andrew Bynum will return earlier than the 8-12 week schuedule set by doctors has Lakers fans getting both excited & set in further disbelief. Although Phil Jackson has stated that in about one month Bynum will "resume basketball activities", one can't help but wonder whether to keep their hopes up or just give up on Bynum's "early return" These many uncertainties bring Laker fans focus to the other Lakers centers; Chris Mihm & Josh Powell.
Now, Chris Mihm hasn't played much basketball since getting injured a couple seasons ago, he says that he stays in shape, with hopes of getting some minutes logged and trying his best to get rebounds and play defense for the Lakers. Mihm also has said that he feels much better, no longer ailing his ankle injury. Some say that it wouldn't be fair to judge his current skill level due to his performances on the court due to the extremely short-time amount he plays per game. Years ago when Mihm was the Lakers starting center, he was an above-average rebounder, decent shot-blocker, and had a semi-reliable mid-range; 7-12 foot jumper. But since his injury, Mihm has steadily decreased his production on the court, even during extended minutes played in Laker blowout wins. His shot still is somewhat there, his free-throw skills are terrible, and he doesn't seem to have the lift or power he once somewhat had.
Josh Powell on the other hand has turned out to be a more than pleasant surprise to the Lakers coaching staff. Josh posseses an excellent spot-up jumper, he also is an above average shot-blocker; at 6'9 there isn't much more the Lakers staff can ask of their backup PF/C. A few games that Powell has played significant minutes off the bench, such as the Spurs game in San Antonio. Powell made three consecutive jumpers off of pick & roll with Kobe Bryant being the decoy, freeing up Josh for the open jumpers. Some fans would say that Powell has a better jumper than Odom, at times; that is hard to argue against.
The rest of the Lakers "Mob bench" has been very useful in important stretches of games. The energy that the Lakers bench brings is by far the best in the league, no other team's bench can match it.
Trevor Ariza has been the cataylst for the Lakers defense, he shows up every night with a strong & positive attitude to play hard at all times. Ariza is a tall, agile defender, at 6'8 with incredibly long arms, that have picked the pockets of Star Players such as LeBron, Rondo, Pierce, Ray Allen, Carmelo, Iverson, McGrady; and that is just a few of Ariza's unfortunate victims to his stellar defense. Ariza has also shown a much improved three point shot that is more reliable than Odom's or Walton's. When Ariza is on target with his shot, the Lakers are impossible to beat, they have never lost a game where he shoots well. At the beginning of the season, it was every Laker fan's dream that Ariza would be the spark off the bench we knew he could be. As this season has progressed, Ariza has not disappointed, in fact, many fans would argue his case in favor of winning this year's NBA: Sixth Man Of The Year Award.
Sasha Vujacic has struggled most of the season in comparison to his breakout season last year. Yet, game after game, faithful Lakers fans root for his shots to fall, knowing that he can be deadly from downtown. This season, Sasha is shooting 36% from deep, a huge drop from last year's impressive 44%. On a lighter sided note; his free-throws are very reliable even though he only shoots about two per game; Last season Sasha shot 83% from the line, this season he is shooting 90%. It would be wise for the Lakers to get the ball to him in situations where they have a slim lead and the opposing team has to foul; Odom might have been clutch vs the Celtics in Boston, but I'm sure every Laker fan would have rather had Sasha shooting the pair at the charity stripe.
Radmanovic has not played much at all; only seeing 27 minutes of total action in the past 4 games since Bynum went down, while averaging 0.75 PPG & made only 1-5 from downtown.
Jordan Farmar just got back from his injury; but what has impressed many is his speedy recovery, as I'm sure they hope Bynum will also accomplish. Farmar has been less of a "selfish" player as some like to call him. Farmar has his shot back, is racking up quite a few assists per game, and is being less careless with the basketball. Phil still has to get after him once in a while, when Farmar starts turning over the ball recklessly in blowout wins. I wonder if any fans hate that about him? Lets say the Lakers have a 20 point lead in the 4th quarter, with all their starters relaxing on the bench; Farmar tries to get fancy around this time, and ends up handing the opposing team 4-5 turnovers in a few minutes, then at the end, we win by 10 or 12. That must annoy quite a few fans.
The Lakers starters are not to be worried about, they've been holding down the fort very well since Bynum's tragic injury.
Gasol has been incredible in every way since Bynum went down. Gasol is averaging 27.5 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.2 BPG, while shooting 43/62 from the field for 69%, and shooting 24/29 from the line for 83%. Seeing those numbers takes away any doubts about Pau deserving his 2009 All-Star Selection.
Luke Walton has not answered the call of stepping up, he still has been declared a defensive liability, although not as much as Radmanovic; aka "Spaceballs" as Phil likes to call him. Walton is a skilled passing SF, who at times can give fits to players such as Pierce, Carmelo, LeBron, on defense. Luke is not as pesky as Sasha, yet he does hold his ground against Star players much better than Radmanovic. I'm sure many Laker fans are rooting for a trade that will rid them of Walton, but his fat contract will keep this from happening any time soon. Most would agree that he starts because of his passing, others would say because Radmanovic is that much worse of an option.
Kob Bryant has been just as impressive as Gasol. Kobe is averaging 37.0 PPG, 5.0 APG, 5.0 RPG, 1.5 SPG, just about 1 BPG, while shooting 33/39 from the line for 85%, 11/23 from downtown for 48%, but his FG's have been 52/108 for 48%, right on his season average. The Celtics game had a lot to do with that. Before the Celtics game, Kobe was 42/79 for 53% from the field in the three games since Bynum.
Odom is not a fan favorite. Many demanded for him to be traded immediately when Bynum left, but the rumors proved to be false as Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak has stated in a recent interview that Odom will not be traded. Kupchak added that Odom provides so much to the Lakers, he is needed even more than ever now that Bynum is out, and Phil Jackson has stated the same. This past Thursday Odom stepped up big time against the Celtics, finishing with 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, & 2 steals in the Lakers incredibly thrilling 110-109 OT Victory over the Celtics. However, this performance has many fans skeptical, and rightfully so, as Odom is known to disappear often in clutch moments of games. Odom needs to listen to the coaching staff and snap out of whichever lull trance that keeps him from showing up at games with a competitive, aggressive nature.
The question always will remain, who will continue to step up off the Laker bench, they cannot rely on the hope of Bynum's early recovery, the Lakers must find a way to get an aggressive ultra-competitive mindset instilled in every Laker, Kobe Bryant is the perfect example of this mindset; he leads by example, being the most spectacular player on the planet, and having an insanely competitive nature; a killer-instinct matched by no other player. For the Lakers to be successful, they must not get ahead of themselves as most fans do, instead they must take this season, one game at a time, it will keep them focused and determined to go all out in each game. Overconfidence is not an emotion possessed by any Laker, they know the battles will get tougher as the long weary season continues to progress. Every oponent must be equally respected, not feared, but deeply respected, to the point where the Lakers will consider every team as skilled as the Celtics or Cavs, only this way will they step it up. Sadly this is not how the Lakers usually play, instead, they play down to the grueling level of most of their mediocre opponents, who seem to relish playing the Lakers, knowing that they can play their game-style & the Lakers will only try to match it. It never gets old, as Laker fans will always support their team, in good and bad times; but during these dark times, with every team gunning for the Lakers, they must accept this challenge, and realize; This Lakers team made the NBA Finals last season with ease. Therefore they can do this, and hopefully Bynum will be back in time if they make the Finals this season (knock on wood).
|
|
Discuss 2 Reviews/Comments
|
|
Posted by: SPQR on Friday, February 06, 2009 - 12:15 AM
Lakers Blog
|
In what I consider the most important and seminal victory for the Los Angeles Lakers since the defection of Shaquille O’Neal, the PurpleandGold swaggered into Boston sans the third spoke of their wheel and still beat the champions Celtics on a thrilling overtime victory that had myriad implications than just a win over a potent and hated rival.
The Lakers entered the terrifying land of Celtic Oz which was so befuddling and mystifying to them last year, populated once again with the wicked witch of the east, Pierce, the wicked witch of the west, Allen and the Great Wizard of the Celtics, Kevin Garnett, who had laughed off the earlier season loss to us as just an aberration; a blind squirrel finding a nut.
Like the Christmas game, both teams knew the significance of this match up. Boston’s brief was simple: Bully the Lakers, strangle them in friendly confines of the home court, reassert the dominance of last year, erase the sting of Christmas and put doubt back in the minds of the Lakers players that they could play with the Champs. Prove Kevin Garnett’s wolf tickets after that game had teeth and meaning.
Boston took their typical bullies stance, trying to rely on physical defense and the excellence of their big three to impose their will on their west coast rivals. But this year, unlike last, the Lakers would not fold, would not blink, would not cry uncle under the assault. Standing toe to toe, trading physical play, ignoring the ghosts of last year and the screaming crowd, in the end it was the Lakers still standing, once again ending a long Boston winning streak and in the process spilling Celtic blood, and their confidence of their title hopes on the parquet floor. The Lakers walk off tonight with renewed confidence, with real hopes of winning the brass ring, while Boston is the team with the broken nose, wondering what they have to do beat a team they thought they owned.
Going into this game, I thought the chances of winning were in Boston’s favor. Not that they were the better team but because one of our big three were gone, we had won the first game in LA and revenge is something good teams usually exact when the second match up is consummated. We had also played a grueling game in Toronto the night before. The fact that the Lakers could overcome all these things and still survive the hostile confines of Boston’s home court and the pressure of overtime speaks volumes of the changes in this teams integrity this year. In a game Boston had to win to send a message, it was the Lakers who did so in no uncertain terms; home court, no Drew, horrendous free throw shooting and all, we still won. What other advantages could Boston ask for? How could a loss be more devastating to a team’s confidence? It can’t.
What is more important the win is the singular change in dynamics that has now been achieved between the two teams. Last year in both regular season games, we resembled nothing more than fodder for them in their march through the league, not more a threat than any other team they trampled. This is not last years weak and pliant Lakers, confused on offense and timid on defense. This is not last year’s ineffective Kobe. This is not last year’s soft and quiet Pau. This is team who got tired of being pushed around and decided there was nothing to fear, who decided they could and would punch back just as hard.
Our sweep of them, while not as dominant as theirs was last year, is no less telling in its implications. While both these teams wear the same colors as last year, it is the only thing from 2008 that remains the same when these teams face off now. The Lakers are now not fodder, but the superior team. Make no mistake, in Boston’s locker room and coaching staff, the doubts and uncertainties are as strong as they were with us last year. Had we lost this game in the last few minutes, it would not have changed how I feel. I had seen what I needed to. The thing that was so important this year was to break that so effective chokehold they showed last year. This has now been done not once, but twice. Their defense no long suffocates us; we can stop them enough to inhibit the endless runs they used against us last year. Whether we had won tonight by one or lost tonight by one was of no matter in the long run. We had already established the new dynamic. This win was of course icing on the cake. As we all know, nothing satisfies quite like watching the bully meet his match in the most unexpected fashion and slink off with his nose well broke, his confidence drained like the scarlet running in rivulets down his chest.
Last year, going into the finals, I was sure the Celtics would continue their dominance of us to take the title. This year, with Drew back, I have no doubts we will return the favor in kind and continue to make the Celtics feel the pain of tonight. If Drew does not return, it will still be a series we can win, not a beating to absorb.
Kevin Garnett may try rationalize this loss too, but inside he knows, as both teams that this time around, the Lakers had the guts, drive, desire and courage to approach that intimidating curtain and pull it down. What they found was not a Wizard, nor even the befuddling land of Oz they thought they were in last year, just a basketball team and player who is scared and out of excuses. His comfort of last year just memory, the curtain irrevocably torn asunder, punched in the face, left to lick his wounds. No longer the master of Oz, just a mortal man, naked in his teams exposure, in a new, hostile and strange land.
|
|
Discuss 1 Review/Comment
|
|
Posted by: SPQR on Monday, February 02, 2009 - 02:17 PM
Lakers Blog
|
Watching the solid improvement from Drew and Trevor this year gives all us Laker fans real reason to believe our second consecutive forray into the NBA finals will end with a much more sanguine conclusion than last years did.
Drew has taken his learning curve to new dimensions as since his big leap a few weeks ago, he has not only reclaimed last years form, but taken it to even a more effective iteration. This has been a quantum jump for such a young player, especially coming off such a severe injury that wiped out most his season last year.
Any resemblance between the Ariza we saw last year and Trevor who is playing like a rabid pit bull this year is strictly coincidental. Like Drew, this young man has jumped his game up by a quantum leap. He also has done this after surviving a debilitating physical blow that required extensive work and rehab.
Pau too has come back a better player than he was last year, if only in his desire and ability to rebound and mix it up inside.
While the marked improvement of these two vital young cogs lends Laker fans an air of confidence to compete successfully for the championship, it does the beg the question: What happened to our other players who should be doing the same thing as these two?
Young players in the same vein as Drew and Trevor would be Sasha and Jordan. The mid level vet would be Luke. Older players are Vlad and Lamar. The exception would be Kobe who has worked and sweated blood to hone his game to fine edge and has every shot and move in the book.
The aforementioned players have come back this year after the heartbreaking loss to the Celtics with the exact same games they had before, evincing non of the improvement in their on court wares that Drew and Ariza display nightly.
Of all these players, Sasha to me, is the biggest disappointment. He is big, obviously athletic and fast enough to be able to become a very potent and three dimensional player-yet he has not. In the off season I was very confident that he would put the work in to improve on his weaknessess. Learning to shed a defender and step up into space and create that high precentage mid range shot for the two. Using his shooting ability to drive either way and take the ball strong to the hole for dunks and layups. These skills would have been of immeasurable help to this team and made Sasha so much more valuable than the one dimensional outside shooter he remains to this day. The most frustrating thing to me is that from all I have read he has a great work ethic, pushing his body to the limit with Kobe in individual workouts they share. Yet, it has become increasingly obvious that while he is working himself into great physical condition with his efforts, he is not practicing the skills needed to make him a complete player. One can only conclude that he is so enamored of this long shot and his "machine" reputation of pouring in threes, he has no desire to work on weaknessess, only strengths. He did have an injury at the start of the year but it would not have effected his off season regime and the fact is that both Drew and Trevor had much more severe maladies to overcome and still found time to make the improvements required of them. The irony is, if he had taken the time to improve his game he could have actually become the "machine" he so craves to be.
Sasha, big, fast, athletic with energy to burn, is one young player who had obviously unlimited potental but now just as obviously has not the desire to reach it. What a talent. Such a shame. What a waste.
Jordan too seems to have not really made any marked improvement over last year, though with his recent injury and missed time I will not lump him as strongly in with the rest until more time passes.
Luke is another player who seems to have hit a wall in his development. He is essentially the same player we saw the last three years. While no longer a pup, he is certainly more than young enough to add to a game that is missing many ingredients. Luke has had the reputation of being a cerebral player. His stunted development indicates that he thinks more about basketball than really practicing it. Surfs up dude!
Vlad falls under the same umbrella Vlad falls under the same umbrella as mid aged player who seems to remain the same year after year. A player with immense physical potential, he languishs as a one dimentional outside shooter, using so little of the talents and athleticism that inhabit his large frame. Spaceballs indeed.
Even Lamar at this mature stage of his career can learn to become better. Did not Kobe, MJ, Magic, Bird and so many others, in an effort to be the best possible player and contribute all they possibly could to help their teams, continue to add skills and flurishes to their already burgeoning arrsenals late into their twenties and even thirties? Are there not things Lamar could have worked on, weaknessess he may have addressed to help this team overcome the deficiencies that cost us so dearly against Boston and improve both his play and our chances this year?
Had these players even shown half the improvement from last year to this that Drew, Trevor and Pau have, would not our chances to win the championship be ever so much brighter than they are now?
I want to commend Drew and Trevor for the work they obviously put during the offseason despite the serious setbacks they had to endure last year. It is fitting and proper that they are now reaping the results with outstanding performances on the floor and in their fans attentions and devotion.
I would ask the others, what did you do all summer while these guys worked on their games?
|
|
Discuss
|
|
Posted by: SPQR on Friday, January 30, 2009 - 11:46 AM
Lakers Blog
|
Seeing the "Who is worse: Luke or Vlad?" thread was no surprise. The fact is that both of these players are so flawed, and hurt the team the more they play and are exposed by the competition will lead to threads like this. It was only a matter of time until this topic reemerged.
Yes, they both will have good games once in while but the fact is any team starting either of them at the small forward spot has a problem. Both of them are bench players who give dimishing returns the more playing time they get and their weaknessess exposed. If we don't win the title this year, this will be no small reason why.
This situation is made surreal and very strange by the fact the Lakers have not one, but TWO players coming off the bench that are better than both Luke and Vlad: Trevor and Lamar. Think about that for a minute. Not one better player on the bench-two!
When the season started, the coaching staff and Phil said we had to start Vlad for "spacing" reasons. This was why we could not have a highly anticipated big three lineup of Pau, Drew and Lamar. We needed a shooter to let the big men roam free and the outside players to take advantage. This sounded well and good until low and behold, Phil didn't like Vlads play and replaced him with Luke Walton. Now we all know Luke is not too good a scorer, and a mediocre shooter to be charitable. So I would ask, What happened to that all important "spacing" concept Phil said was so important when he didn't want to start Lamar?
This also begs the question, since Phil has nixed the spacing theory on his own volition, why not start Lamar now? Or if not him, how about Tevor? Both are huge improvements over Vlad and Luke.
In sports, you want to play and start your best players as much as humanly possible. The Celtics of the 80's had the top sixth man in the league in Kevin Mchale. Yet when he finally got to start, they were even better.
Since we can't use the spacing arguement anymore, why does Phil literally start a guy who is not as good as two players on his bench who can play the same position? Think on that for a moment. Phil has not one, but TWO players on his bench that are better than Luke, yet refuses to even try them out to see what would happen.
Luke and Vlad have bench player written all over them. They can only be their most effective with limited minutes. Trevor and Lamar have starter written on them, yet Phil gives us this 'bizzaro world' turn around.
Why not start Sasha over Kobe then? Won't Kobe give the bench a nice lift? Can't Pau and Drew carry the first team while Kobe sits? See how ridiculous this is?
Phil sometimes makes things way too complicated. It is not some genious rule of thumb to start your best players, especially if two of them are currently on the bench and you have a problem with one of the starters.
Phil is either dense, or too cute for his own good...nine rings and all.
|
|
Discuss
|
|
Posted by: SPQR on Wednesday, January 28, 2009 - 12:47 PM
Lakers Blog
|
With Drew's dramatic increase in performance, and Pau's concomitant decrease, especially noticable in rebounding it makes me wonder a little bit. Is Pau, who by nature not one to want to go in and fight for boards relying a little to much on the mindset of "Drew will get it"?
While one may say that with Drew's increasing activity on the boards there are less for Pau to get, but that explaination may not hold up under more thurough scrutiny. For one thing, any inside board that Drew and Pau don't get is one that Pau perhaps could have gotten. It's not like Drew is getting every rebound near the basket. There are still plenty to be had. It is of course unreasonable to suggest Pau get all of these, or that he even can, but they are there and some of them can be gotten. The other thing that comes to my mind is when Drew and Lamar were playing terrific ball together right before Bynum went down. At that time Lamar was playing Pau's spot and was a rebounding demon. In fact, both of them were and they were cleaning up the glass at a phenomenal rate. Drew's rebounding did not seem to effect Lamars boardwork like it seems to be effecting Pau's.
Since Drew's ascent is so new and fresh, it is possible that this is just an anomaly that will pass. Perhaps Pau needs to adjust to Drew's new found aggression, or is just having some coincidental bad games. We will have a better idea as time passes. If, however, this becomes a constant trend of Pau's, then it is not good for him, the team or our chances at a ring. Pau's previous play is to important and integral for our success to lose.
If this does bear out, then one possible solution would be to move Lamar back in the starting lineup and have Pau come off the bench. As stated previously, Lamar had no problems rebounding with Drew and they played exceptionally well together last year not only rebounding, but on offense as a whole.
The other thing I wonder about is a Drew-Pau-Lamar starting lineup. It has always intrigued me. Coming into this season, I think all of us assumed this would be the case till Phil used his slight of hand and changed things around.
Two reasons were given for this: We needed an outside shooter (Vlad) to open things up, and Lamar would be valuable with the bench mob.
The first reason seemed responsible at the time but it no longer holds up. With Vlad being benched, and the insertion of Luke, it shows that Phil's prior decision in that regard no longer hold water with the coaching staff. Luke is no outside shooter and in fact is no better than Lamar. Lamar is a much better scorer. Luke also is not a better a passer than Odom.
The bench play is a more legitmate reason. Lamar is a big asset off the bench yet the bench mob played well last year without him. I wonder what a Drew, Lamar, Pau lineup could do. Would it in fact play so well as to offset the loss of Lamar's presence on the second team? Unless it is tried we will never no.
Do any of think the switch of Lamar for Pau should be tried if Gasol's numbers continue to decline? Do any of you wonder what a Drew, Pau, Lamar starting lineup would bring now that the myth of the necessary outside shooter has been shot down by the coaching staff itself?
Do you wonder...?
|
|
Discuss
|
|
|
