With the Clippers being arguably the most busy we’ve ever seen them this offseason, and a few familiar names having an impact on the Lakers and Clippers, LAHB will examine the impact that these moves will have.
Clippers sign Ricky Davis
Slowly but surely, the Clippers are having themselves a very solid offseason. Granted, ‘Ricky Buckets’ has a history for being a “me-first” show off with absolutely no success when it comes to how far his teams get with him. However, by signing the man with arguably the most famous triple double in the game, the Clips fill a big gap at the 2/3 for a very cheap price.
Sure, losing Azubuike when he was within grasp hurt, but for what they got him for, I can’t say a bad thing about the Ricky Davis signing.
LA’s OTHER team will be VERY interesting next season.
Lakers re-sign Sasha Vujacic
Arguments will rage on about just how interested the foreign squads were in The Machine, but the fact remains that the Lakers got him, and they’ll be paying him five mil for the next three years. Judging by the years, I’d say Mitch learned his lesson about long term contracts to streaky three point shooters with big final years.
Luke Walton has made me VERY apprehensive about handing out big money contracts to players who shined most the year they’re due for a new contract. That said, Sasha was a key contributor with clutch shooting and pesky defense in the closing minutes of many a Laker games, so it’s hard to say he didn’t earn his paper this season.
For the sake of future white guy shooters that will wear the purple and gold and want a new contract everywhere, let’s hope Sasha doesn’t make the Lakers regret this move.
Our number four greatest moment since ’05 is actually a combo package.
After a long and painful 2004-05 season, the Lakers proceeded to provide fans with an interesting year at the very least. 2005-06 marked what could be argued was the best season of Kobe’s career, with him posting 81 points in a game against the Toronto Raptors, and 62 in three quarters against the Dallas Mavericks.
Aside from the personal achievements of one Mr. Mamba, the Lakers surprised a lot of their critics by landing the seventh seed in the West after a particularly strong finish to the regular season. Their opponent for that first round match up were the Phoenix Suns, a team unknowingly to the Lakers would eventually be a big piece to their Finals run two years later.
“Slow down the tempo…” was the name of the game, but it was easier said than done. Kobe and the Lakers dropped the first game in Phoenix, albeit by a much smaller margin than some may have anticipated. The second and third games were a different story. Learning from their mistakes, the Lakers made necessary adjustments, and because strong play from Kobe, Lamar, and yes, Kwame Brown – the Lakers grabbed a 2-1 lead in the series setting the tone for our number four moment(s).
With 7.9 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and the Lakers down by two in the fourth game of the WC first round, things looked bleak for the purple and gold as Phoenix prepared to enter the ball at halfcourt. Enter: Smush Parker. That’s right, Smush Parker. Poking the ball out of league MVP Steve Nash’s hands, big game Smush tapped it over to D. George who in turn got into the hands of numero ocho – Kobe Bryant. With time running down in regulation, Kobe soared towards the rim and allowed his body to twist and turn as he dropped the game tying lay up that kept the Lakers alive.
Being that is an LA basketball blog, we will refrain from discussing the remaining .7 seconds and the obvious foul by Luke Walton on the other end of the court.
Whether people in LA want to acknowledge it or not, the 2004-05 season marked an enormous change for the Los Angeles Laker franchise. Gone was Shaquille O’Neal, the cornerstone of the team since 1996, and a new era was born, where Laker management vowed to build around one of the most talented players in the league in Kobe Bryant.
In some ways it made sense for the 2003-04 season to end the way it did, because at that point the Lakers peaked in veteran, experienced, Hall of Fame talent and still could not come away with the one thing that keeps a season from being a failure. From that top peak in ’04, things came tumbling down in more ways than one in ’05.
Replacing an experienced battled-tested “old” team, was the fountain of youth that included Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, and Chris Mihm. Although it could be argued that Chucky Atkins brought some sort of vet savvy to the team, it remained relatively young in comparison to Laker teams of yesteryear. With the youth came another unfamiliarity: losing.
For the first time in a long time the Lakers finished with a losing record and failed to make the playoffs. Later, they suffered another embarrassment by having a worse record than their fellow LA Staples Center roommates, the Clippers. As if that wasn’t enough, tired of three straight seasons of losing, their star player Kobe Bryant went on a whirlwind media tour claiming that the Lakers were attempting to lay the Shaquille O’Neal’s exit at his footsteps, that they had deceived him regarding the team they claimed they would build around him, and that he would rather play on Pluto than continue to represent the purple and gold colors that he had worn his entire career.
LA Hoops Blog
Ultimately however, in true Laker fashion, things turned themselves around. Andrew Bynum, a third year player who people had only seen glimpses of brilliance from, turned into a low-post beast before going down with an injury. Just when all seemed lost post-Bynum’s injury, the Lakers shocked the NBA by making a move for All-Star PF/C Pau Gasol. Eventually the Lakers found themselves back where they had always felt they belonged – the NBA Finals.
The entire rollercoaster ride however, began in the 2004-05 season. Because of this, LA Hoops Blog looks back on the top five adrenaline pumping, un-forgettable events from ’05 to this past season in a brief glance at highs and lows in recent purple and gold history.
“Just wait until Bynum comes back” was the Laker fan slogan before, during, and after a Finals series that felt more like a six game sweep than a hard fought four-two defeat. The reliance of Laker fans on Bynum’s return, because of the small sample of play that he’s provided us with, has been mocked endlessly. In some ways it’s understandable. Actually, if going by Bynum’s career stats, it’s completely understandable.
What isn’t understandable however, is how anyone can think this is any different than assuming the Portland Trail Blazers will be a much improved ballclub when Greg Oden returns. After all, hasn’t Greg Oden provided us with an even smaller sampling of his capabilities in the professional ranks than Bynum? And while Oden obviously has the potential to be amazing, he certainly didn’t dominate the colligate game the way some assumed he would. To be fair, he was playing with an injured wrist, but that only further speaks to the fact that the guy can’t seem to stay healthy.
[Stats don't seem to be working on this site, check 'em out on LA Hoops Blog]
One of the above players is Andrew Bynum. The other two are Michael Beasley and Greg Oden, neither of whom has played a second pro ball during the regular season. We have a smart readership base, I’ll let all of you figure out who is who. The point of it all is, if you expect a solid season from Greg Oden next season in terms of the affect he’ll have on his respective team, I don’t see how you can try to diminish the impact Bynum will have on his respective team considering Bynum has done what he’s done at the professional level, whereas Oden’s production was put to shame this past season by a FORWARD.
The Lakers were out of the James Posey sweepstakes early, but I felt the issue was worth mentioning since they were in the running at some point.
Frankly, I think the Hornets over-extended themselves, and I’m not particularly disappointed that the Lakers missed out on the so-called new age Big Shot Robert Horry. First and foremost, any time you give a thirty one year old player who you expect good defense from a four year deal worth twenty five million [Yahoo!], you’re asking for trouble. IF the Hornets get anything out of this deal, it will be during the first two years, tops. When you’re building around a young guy like Chris Paul, you have to why you would want to commit yourself to a four year deal like that. I suppose with the West being what it is everyone wants to “win now”, but I’m not sure this was the right move for that.
With the boss gone for the day, I come on here expecting to see a few blogs about what a #### Shaq acted like, and rightfully so. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Big Shaq because he gave me my first taste at a Laker championship squad, but insulting Laker legend Kareem and god of the universe "KOBE!!!"* is shady business. I figured Hoff would address the topic because he's a Shaq-hating-Kobe-lover, but I still felt he'd give the issue fair pub. And he did.
Then I continue to read, and it's like the only basketball thing anyone is blogging about. I get that it's the offseason, but does Kobe really need all of you defending his honor like this? I mean this is borderline someone stepping to your girlfriend type defensiveness I see from the bloggers. Shaq was stupid, no excuses for trying to pick a fight like three years after the fact, but is it really that big of a deal?
And is it really necessary for everyone to write their own raps to respond to Shaq? I mean are your bad rhymes supposed to make Shaq's seem better? If they are, then ya'll are succeeding. Shaq's flow which is god awful aside from two funny lines, is now a Jay-Z type rhyme compared to the nonesense I've seen written back. Here's a helpful hint kids, when you have to preceed your rhyme with "This is really bad, but..." then you shouldn't be posting it.
And for all your moralists out there outraged by Shaq's language, where were you during the infamous Kobe parking lot video? Kobe wasn't exactly using G-rated langauge when describing the Cap's prodigy. It's okay to berate your teammates but it's wrong to berate a rival?
For me, I think both are wrong, but for you guys it's only wrong becuase it happened to "KOBE!!!"*. If only Kareem and Ewing had been mentioned, ya'll would've said nothing (aside from Hoffman and Dizzle) because almighty king "KOBE!!!"* hadn't been offended.
I wonder how all of you will feel about Dwight Howard in 10 years. Everyone has already stated on record that he's a complete goofbag non-leader in the lockeroom just like Shaq has always been, and he's not exactly lighting it up from the charity stripe either. Isn't that a lack of a work ethic with him just like with Shaq? Isn't that a lack of leadership with him just like Shaq?
Let's call a #### a ####. You fools were sitting here waiting for a reason to pile on Shaq, and now you got it. Same way the Kobe haters were waiting for the parking lot video to come out just so they could re-iterate what an awful teammate he is. At least be honest and admit that you don't like Shaq, and that this isn't a big deal, it's just something for you to hate on him with.
If you don't like Shaq, then fine, so be it. But please, stop spamming up the blogsphere with your ridiculous rap comebackbacks defending Kobe's honor, and enough with the nicknames for Shaq. We get it, he's a #### for trying to act like Kobe ratting him out 4 years ago is the reason for his divorce. He's a #### for trying to call out Kareem, a center far more talented than him. He's a #### for trying to attack "KOBE!!!"*
If nothing else, Shaq should be taken out back and beaten for inspiring a generation of losers who always wanted to rap, to write a comeback that he'll never read.
Please, leave all negative responses in rap form in the comments section.
Sizzel, gimmi a beat...
*Copywrited by seemingly the only funny person left on this site.
(Screw Kobe, Kwame Brown for league MVP. He made the Lakers MUCH better this season.)
I thought the Lakers played a very solid game yesterday despite the at times awful defense. I know some will question how the Lakers will survive in later rounds against more elite competition with that inconsistent D, but the one thing this team has proven to me is their ability to win games that matter. They did it at the end of the season, they did it yesterday, and I think they’ll continue to do it as the rounds progress. Much like the Sheeds play down to their level of competition, I think the Lakers play up to their level of competition (as those nifty games against the Bobcats and Hawks indicated).
I don’t put much stock into Kobe’s bad game because every star has them at some point, but please don’t tell me that he had a good game. Let’s acknowledge that K-Mart gave him fits and move on from there, instead focusing on the way he was supporting the teammates despite his own personal bad game issues. At first I was a bit angry when I saw him just head into the locker room at the end of the half without giving anybody a high five or anything, and later when I didn’t see any emotion out of him when Pau hit a monster dunk, but that all melted away when I saw him giving Jordan pointers near the bench and then cheering the squad on from the bench. EVERYONE has a bad game, but it’s important to not pull a LT and sulk on the bench when this happens – and Mamba didn’t. Good for him, that’s what I expect from a leader.
I know Pau was the statistical hero of the game and I give him all the credit in the world, but we can first please give some love to Lamar Odom? This is a guy who’s been my favorite Laker for a long time now, and I’m glad he’s finally proving himself to all Laker fans as a consistent and solid player. This is my opinion of course, but I think he has more heart and more passion for the game than anyone on the Laker roster, and I always thought it was sad that neither him nor Kobe could make the other better – which makes Pau’s arrival all the sweeter because he does have the ability to make both LO and Kobe better.
Speaking of Gasol, let me just get this quick negative thing out of the way, yes he’s still soft. Nothing that happened yesterday proved otherwise, so I’m not sure why folks are harping on that. Now that that’s out of the way, Gasol truly earned his Laker stripes yesterday by converting on all the gifts that the fellas were giving him. Pau hit all the shots he was supposed to hit because they were fairly easy shots, but it is worth noting that Andrew Bynum would not have been the force in the middle offensively that Gasol was. Pau’s offensive arsenal puts Drew’s to shame, and It does make me a little apprehensive about moving Gasol to the four despite the fact that he’s somewhat of a defensive liability at the center position. Gasol knows how to hit the shots he’s supposed to hit, Bynum doesn’t yet.
Oh yeah, and great, great, geat, job by Luke Walton. I've been ragging on the guy all season for lacking a pulse, but he truly came through yesterday when the Lakers needed a lift so good for him. Hopefully he won't dissapear for the rest of the series, because he packs a much needed boost when he's there to play the way he played early on last season.
The passing done by the team was absolutely beautiful, and I’m glad that folks are noticing the smoothness of the Laker offense. The team is filled with a bunch of really good passers, and when everyone hits their shots the team doesn’t seem to have a problem moving the ball.
I don’t expect Kobe to have a similarly bad game in game 2, but I do expect another bad game at some point in the series from him because there are some match up issues with the Nuggets. As long as Lamar and Pau step up though, it should be no problem. I also don’t expect Pau to return to playing like a mortal because the Nuggets awful defense is god sent for an amazingly offensively talented player like him. I think as long as Gasol continues to hit the easy shots that are given to him, he’ll do big things in this series.
I said from the get go that this series shouldn’t go more than six, and I believe that. If the Lakers don’t come out in the next game fully prepared to break down the zone when it’s thrown at them, I will absolutely torch Phil Jackson in my next blog.
Off topic, but let me pose this question anyway: Does anyone else think the Lakers match up better with the Spurs than Suns? I look at that Amare-Shaq tandem over there, and I just can’t see the Lakers stopping them. I know it’s bad to look ahead, but hypothetically speaking, which of those two teams would you rather see?
I wrote a blog a little while ago claiming that to hate on Lebron was irrational and I still believe that. The same logic doesn’t apply to Kobe Bryant. I think Kobe Bryant has done things that justify the hate he receives from various basketball fans – but there is no justification in robbing him of the MVP vote.
There is no Laker fan on this site who has been as loud a critic of Kobe Bryant as I have. Most know my feelings on how he went about carrying himself this past summer, and how even though he was having his best season in my opinion since Shaq left, I still refused to give him due credit. For a while I was actually rooting for Kobe not to get the MVP as some sort of justice for comments of this summer.As late as the Lakers-Hornets match up, I refused to say that Kobe was considerably ahead of Chris Paul in the MVP race. Watching the Spurs game, I realized the truth.
Kobe Bryant is considerably ahead of Chris Paul in the MVP race.
I’m not yet ready to buy into the idea that CP3 chokes under pressure, but I do know that in the games the Lakers have had to win – they’ve won. Now for all we know the Lakers will come in and lay an egg tonight against them cowbell ringing mofos that got us first place, but for now the Lakers have done everything they needed to do to secure first in the West and I credit Kobe with that.
The thing about a player like Kobe, and this is something King James will soon experience as well from his smarter fans as well, I don’t care about his statistics. He can score 30 points. 40 points. 60 points. 80 points. 100 points. I don’t care anymore. Kobe Bryant is past being defined by a stat line in my book. I now define Kobe Bryant by the number of wins he gets the team when it matters most.
If Kobe gets 57 points and the Lakers lose, I don’t accept the argument that it was his teammates that failed. If Kobe gets 57 and the team loses, I blame Kobe for that because Kobe has evolved past the point of being defined by the number of points he scores, or the number of assists he hands out, or the number of boards he grabs. I’m surprised more fans don’t think that way, particularly Laker fans who are used to winning and winning on a consistent basis.
But just as I blame Kobe for the losses that the team experiences when Kobe has great stats, I will give him all the credit in the world for Laker wins when they matter most. I’ve read quite a few pieces discussing how Kobe shouldn’t get all the credit for this season’s turnaround because his stats have decreased and his teammates stats have increased, thus THEY MUST be good teammates and Kobe MUST not deserve the MVP on that basis.
What kind of ridiculous logic is that? It’s reminiscent of the stupid “But Lebron has Larry Hughes so why isn’t he winning?” remarks in seasons past.
Kobe Bryant has been chastised for not making the people around him better for three seasons now, and when the teammates around him finally get better and he tones down the scoring title chase, we’re not going to give him the credit he deserves for that? OF COURSE Derek Fisher is a calming force in the locker room, the man is a veteran who brings a level of respectability to any franchise he comes a part of. OF COURSE Pau Gasol is a great talent, obviously his skill level is one that will push the Lakers ahead. OF COURSE Lamar Odom is underrated (particularly after the all star break of the past few seasons) and is one of my favorite Lakers if not my favorite Lakers. Which part of all that diminishes Kobe’s MVP worthiness?
Forget the statistics battle and the teammates battle, both of which can be argued either way.
The guy above did the stats/teammates argument in a much better fashion than I ever could have.
Let’s just remember what we were saying in regards to why Chris Paul is the MVP this year – he led his team to the top of a Western Conference that’s the most competitive we’ve seen in a while now. Does the same logic not apply to Kobe? He’s led his team to the top of the Western Conference standings just like Chris Paul had a week ago, so why change the formula?
As far as the last Lakers-Hornets game, you can argue whether or not the man to man match up between Kobe and CP3 went one way or the other, but there is no denying that it was the most important match up between the two of the season. To hell with the MVP race, it played a huge role in the Western Conference race. It showed how the two teams matched up against elite competition. It showed how the two teams handled adversity. It was the most important match up between the two teams of the entire season.
Then as if that wasn’t enough, the Lakers came out and pounded the Spurs. Sure GINOBLI! wasn’t in the lineup and sure Pop seemed to give up towards the end, but the Lakers won yet another game they had to win and again I credit Kobe with that based on the criteria I mentioned above.
What this does to my credibility I’m not sure, for the sake of fairness Kobe had my MVP vote even before the Lakers-Hornets match up, and even before the Lakers took control of the West. I felt Mamba WOULD get the MVP despite the fact that Paul deserved it more, and I didn’t see a problem with making the award a lifetime achievement award. As has been pointed out by NBA is the Worst and JDizzle and many other people on this little nifty site of ours, the MVP vote has no set criteria and no set definition for what valuable is.
For two seasons now it’s been said that Kobe doesn’t deserve the MVP despite his great individual seasons because his team have been bad. I disagreed the first year, but completely agreed about last year. I thought it was crazy that anyone would argue he was the MVP last year when it was quite obviously Steve Nash. But this season, Kobe has met the necessary requirements. His defense has far improved from the awful D he’s played since Shaq left, he’s looking for his teammates more, he’s still a killer scorer, and he finally has a team that is at the top of the Western Conference.
Charles Barkley recently said that we shouldn’t change the formula around for MVP voting and thus give it to CP3, but it seems like all we’re doing is changing the formula when we say that Kobe shouldn’t get it. Everything that Kobe Bryant has lost the MVP for in seasons past, he’s fixed this season.
I still don’t have the type of respect for Kobe as I had prior to this summer as a person, and I doubt that will come back any time soon. I don’t believe that winning fixes that, and I’m surprised that the team’s play this year has made folks forget so quick. That said, my opinion on Kobe as a player HAS changed drastically as the season has progressed, and I have a newfound respect for him because he’s finally played a season in the way I’ve envisioned him playing ever since Shaq left.
It’s entirely possible that the Hornets win out against a whatever Clippers team and a maybe resting Dallas team while the Lakers get done like that chick in Colorado and lose home court at which point I’ll still believe that Kobe is the MVP but will at least buy into the fact that legitimate claim can be made for Chris Paul. However, if the Lakers finish atop the West there should be no other MVP than Kobe.
This is the last time I’m going to be talking MVP because frankly I’m tired of it, but it’s a blog I’ve wanted to write since the Spurs game. Like I said, if the Lakers lose and Chris Paul ends up atop the West, I won’t consider it a crime that he gets the MVP. If the Lakers win out though, it should be Kobe’s award. End of story.
Sure the Lakers won the game and thus won the division and all that jazz, but is anyone else as disturbed as I am by the complete collapse by the Lakers in the second half? It was mind boggling to watch.
When the game started I was expecting a rough and tumble game that would come down to the wire, but when the Lakers jumped ahead by like thirty I figured it was a wrap. I was already planning my blog on how I overestimated the Hornets and how Kobe is a god amongst men. How Byron Scott should decline the Coach of the Year honors and instead give them Phil’s address. How Chris Paul should lay down under the car that Mamba jumped over. How CP3 for MVP supporters should go stand behind Kevin Garnett in the “Almost…but no” section.
And then the second half happened.
As quickly as I’ve ever seen, a twenty point lead became ten. Then it fell into single digits, and the Lakers continued to throw up clunkers. I couldn’t believe my freaking eyes at the awful defense and ridiculous reliance on jumpers I was seeing. The over dribbling by the Lakers and the suddenly solid defense by the Hornets gave me flashbacks to the UCLA-Memphis game. Take a guess at which team was UCLA and which one was Memphis.
But then it seemed to go back to normal. The Lakers picked it up, Kobe made another amazing dunk, and all seemed well with the world. I was at peace, the Lakers were CLEARLY going to win that game. The Lakers had like a thirteen point lead in the fourth, and that’s when I said once again: GAME OVER.
My thoughts shifted to how overrated Chris Paul has been, how the inexperienced Hornets really will go down like everyone said because of said lack of experience, and how this team can’t roll with the big boys in the West. Yawning I flipped the channels a little bit checking to see what was good on ESPN News, but I quickly became annoyed with their new stupid layout and switched back to the game.
In a word: Whoops.
Peja apparently realized that he was a pretty good shooter, and started hitting the three ball. Bonzi woke up from that coma he’s been in ever since his last playoff games against the Spurs when he was playing with Sacramento, and the Lakers went back to forgetting the point of the game is to put the ball into the hoop. When it became a one point game, I began to pray that the more crazy Laker fans on this site were away from any sharp objects.
But then I realized this is the NBA…where Derek Fisher happens. I love Fish, bad foot and all. Lamar and Pau came through in the clutch too, but it was that steal by Fisher that changed everything. From that point on, you may as well have marked it down as a +1 in the Laker win column.
At the end of the game, I wasn’t sure whether I was supposed to be proud the Lakers won or shocked that they could blow such a lead. The Lakers truly seemed like the better team out there all night when the game was on the line, but I can’t help but feel that the Spurs wouldn’t roll the way the Hornets rolled. That if the Lakers played like this against them defending champ boys, the Big Fundamental and GINOBLI would’ve torched them.
Nice to see the Lakers are a dominant squad (at some points) against Western elite, but damn…
As far as the MVP race, last night decided nothing. The Chris Paul played well despite the foul trouble, and when you consider the comeback effort he led in an away building I can’t believe anyone would say he doesn’t deserve to be in MVP consideration.
I am leaning more so towards Kobe regardless of that though, despite the fact that last night’s game was a wash.
The above is a very good blog as to why Kobe deserves the MVP vote over CP3, but any Laker fan deluding themselves into believing there is a giant enormous gap between the two on the worthiness meter oughta slap themselves. Kobe gets it, but by an inch rather than a mile.
Now look, don’t get me wrong. I foresee many a years of success when Kobe’s abilities starts to diminish where Drew and Gasol will be the big primary guys for the team, but for THIS SEASON – Bynum is borderline irrelevant. I can count you seven (eight) players MORE IMPORTANT to Laker championship aspirations for this year, and I will later on in my blog. First though, let me explain why while I wish Bynum all the best, I don’t care whether or not he even returns this season (In fact, if it guarantees that he’s more healthy, I’d rather he DIDN’T return this season).
First of all, a young inexperienced big man returning in game shape is a pipe dream. A Vic the Brick pipe dream. It will take Bynum not only time to get back into full playing shape, but adapt to one of two situations which are very hard to adjust to. Drew will either come off the bench (likely), or he’ll be inserted into the starting lineup (unlikely). If the latter happens, at least Bynum will only have to worry about hustling up and down the court and playing defense. I think he’ll be awful at both given how long he’s been out, but perhaps Lamar-Kobe-Gasol-Fisher can mask that. If he comes with the second unit, he’ll be completely exposed. If Sasha and Jordan don’t hit their shots, the opposing squad will just double up on Drew and completely kill him.
Those who think you can count on him for rebounds and defense have to remember that this guy isn’t even running normally yet. You expect him to keep up with Tim Duncan? With Shaq? With Tyson Chandler? No way. He’ll foul out QUICK for the simple fact that he won’t be able to guard anyone yet. And yeah his length should get him some rebounds, but who knows how his lift and timing will be as he’s working back into shape?
Sure with his length Drew can offer some shot blocking threats, but that won’t save the Lakers. They have awful perimeter defense, all that’s going to happen is that people will get around Fisher/Farmar and then get Bynum into foul trouble even quicker. Bynum is hardly the answer defensively.
And to top it all off, the Lakers don’t have time or games to work him back. You can’t leave him out there in the playoffs so that he gets his bearings because if you do you’ll lose the game.
No, Drew is NOT the crucial piece to THIS YEAR’S puzzle.
There are seven (eight), count ‘em, seven (eight), more important players to the Lakers championship hopes.
Kobe Bryant. This is an obvious one. If the Lakers have any shot at winning the title, Kobe has to be the MVP we all think he’s going to be this year. He needs to play defense, and I mean legit defense not his “All Defensive First Team” defense of seasons past, and also be the ‘clean up’ guy doing whatever the Lakers need on the other end. If the others aren’t on, he needs to score. If the others are scoring, he needs to find the open man. There can be no bad games from Kobe Bryant in these playoffs.
Pau Gasol. Pau needs to compensate for his weak defense on the offensive end. He needs to drop 20 a game and play SMART defense that somewhat covers up his issues in order to make a real difference to this Lakers unit. If Gasol comes up with dud games, the D will focus on Kobe, and if they focus on Kobe, that’s when the problems will start.
Lamar Odom. Lamar has always stepped his game up in the playoffs, and this time around can be no different. He needs to clean up on the glass and provide CONSISTANT scoring. Rebounding, rebounding, rebounding – Lamar has to come though.
Derek Fisher. All season long Fish’s calm demeanor and respectability has calmed down the Laker locker room. It’s imperative that his leadership and ability to guide the young guys not waiver, and that he get his shot falling again to compensate for his lack of quickness on defense.
Vlad Rad (outta your minds if you think I’m going to write out his name). I know I may catch flack for this, but he is the X-Factor as far as I’m concerned. We all know his defensive woes and the fact that he STILL hasn’t seemed to grasp the nuances of the offense, but if the Lakers want to go deep in the playoffs Vlad Rad need to provide a consistent 3 point shot and a few spare boards to justify his playing time.
Sasha Vujacic. Another X-factor. Sasha needs to show that the regular season is no fluke. He needs to provide consistent scoring off the bench. Some dislike his constant gunning, I’m all for it. Sasha should shoot from the second he’s put into the game, and stop when Phil pulls him. He needs to average at least 10 a game for the Lakers to make it deep into the playoffs.
Jordan Farmar/Ronny Turiaf. These two need to step up big time. Jordan needs score and score well in the playoffs to compensate for his awful defense, and Ronny needs to clean up on the glass against teams like New Orleans, Houston, Phoenix, and San Antonio all while dropping that nifty little jumper of his.
So there you have it, seven players not a little, but FAR more important than Bynum to this season’s title run. I left Luke out for a reason, and that reason is that I’ve completely given up on him. He’s disappointed me to no end this season. I don’t care if he’s a “smart” player, forget him anyway.
I’m not going to describe how I think the Lakers will fair on their title chase until the season ends and I see the matchups, but I just wanted to put a blog out there expressing my feelings on Bynum Watch 2008.
(Lebron telling Kobe the directions to the 40/40 club...)
First of all, I don’t particularly like Kobe. This is known by most, and I don’t try to hide it. I think his BS this summer was completely out of line, and while some of the truly slow don’t believe that someone can dislike the best player on his favorite team, it is what it is.
It is worth mentioning however, that I’ve never used to like Lebron. I respect Lebron, I think he’s absolutely amazing from a basketball standpoint, but I’ve never been a Lebron fan. I even wrote a blog about how I couldn’t figure out why I disliked Lebron on my previous FSN account.
The problem with not liking Lebron however, is that there is really no logic behind it. I saw this when I wrote that blog I just mentioned. There is absolutely, positively, no reason to dislike Lebron James. Hate for Lebron James comes either from pettiness or jealousy, but nothing that Lebron himself could control. I’ll delve more into this in a minute.
Now I know the Kobe lovers will fall from the sky and hop on my back, but the truth of the matter is Kobe Bryant’s issues and issues that others have with him are all by his own doing. HE is the one who hated playing Robin to Shaq’s Batman, HE is the one that called Shaq out, HE is the one who threw management under the bus this summer, and HE is the one who demanded a trade when the going got tough.
Now for the sake of full disclosure, many fans believe that Kobe was right to do what he did with both Shaq and management over the summer, so they don’t fault him for that. I don’t buy into to that school of thought, and I hold Kobe at fault for his tirade over the summer and subsequent trade demands – but that’s just me.
The thing with Lebron James is, there’s nothing to dislike him for. There is nothing that Lebron did that would warrant the hate that he gets. What’s a common thing that people say about Lebron? “He’s overrated…” Well hell, let’s ignore his talent and all his achievements for a second and just ask this: Who’s fault is it that he’s overrated? How is OTHER PEOPLE saying he’s better than you think he is his fault? Why dislike Lebron for what OTHER PEOPLE rate him as? He’s not the one who comes out and says he’s the best player in the NBA. In fact, he CONSTANTLY calls Kobe the best player in the NBA when asked about it.
What’s the other thing folks like to say about him? “He gets too much credit for taking a team in the Eastern Conference deep in the playoffs…”. So? Again, Lebron did what he had to do. What does the fact that he was drafted to an Eastern Conference team, and then proceeded to beat a Pistons team that retained 4/5 starters from their championship squad, have to do with not liking Lebron James? So he plays in the East, so what? If getting to the Finals is oh so easy, why isn’t everyone doing it? Granted the hobbled Wizards were an easy matchup, but weren’t a lot of folks picking the Nets after that? And how did they advance the way they did the year before that against a healthy Wizards squad? How about the way they took it to the Pistons that year they got bounced in seven?
I mean it absolutely defies logic to hate on this guy. “He came in with too much hype…”. SO WHAT? Has he not lived up to the hype more than any other draft pick in the last fifteen years? What other player came in with as much pub as him, and managed to accomplish as much as him? We’re talking about a guy who prior to this season, led his team deeper and deeper into the playoffs in a way no other star with the same amount of bad players would have been able to do. A guy who made 50 wins in a season EXPECTED by Cleveland fans, when that all that god forsaken franchise was known for was being the fools that stood and watched MJ drop a famous shot on them.
I sit here and I read these absolutely crazy people try to insult Lebron and it boggles my mind that they actually try to argue that he’s not as great as he is. HE IS AS GREAT AS PEOPLE SAY HE IS.
And please, save me your Lebron insults based on this season. This season that team and Lebron are both off, there is no denying that. But to use this one season as an excuse to degrade Lebron’s skills as a baller is beyond dumb. Particularly by Laker fans, who of all people should know what it’s like when your star player isn’t surrounded by talent.
This blog won’t be received well, but I don’t care. I just can’t stand reading this poorly written nonsense about how Lebron isn’t all that when there is absolutely no grounds for the comments.
And I swear to god, if I see one person actually list Kobe Bryant’s career stats side by side with Lebron’s career stats like I did in another blog I may go crazy.
(His coaching is questionable, but he has great taste in watches...)
(I know Cuban and Trump aren't fans of one another, but I have a feeling Cuban is going to be using a famous Trump line once the Mavs get bounced in the first round...)
You know when you’re arm wrestling with little cuz and you’re letting him win for a bit, but then he starts getting too cocky and you gotta bring it back and beat him to show he doesn’t have nothing on you yet? That was the Lakers last night.
Did anyone really think the Lakers would lose that game?
It appeared as if they were trying to make it seem like that game was up for grabs, but I wasn’t fooled. You could tell that despite the half time deficit, despite the mini-runs that would always be responded to, despite the inability to take the lead in the 4th for what seemed like FOREVER, the Lakers never really had a shot at losing that game.
Kobe is a really good rebounder. Crazy good rebounder. He’s been great on the glass all year. It must be that weight he finally decided to lose this season. I was a bit tired of him coming into camp fat and out of shape. Seemed like he was in a mood to defer last night.
He did bug me when he started waving his hands at Sasha for what was a pretty awful pass on Sasha’s part. That thing that got to me was Kobe was begging for the ball, and then got mad because Sasha coughed it up. Truth be told when Mamba saw he was covered, he should’ve stopped demanding the ball.
Gasol is a REALLY good passer. Much better passer than I thought he was.
Lamar is a boss, plain and simple. I love his length and his ability to work around the basket. I hope he gets re-signed some way some how.
31-10-5, 25-10-6, 25-4-7…what a beautiful line.
I still can’t get over the way Sasha earned his way into the lineup when the game matters most. Good for him. I hope he doesn’t pull a Kamaan on us after we resign him next season. His nickname is awful though.
Farmar is nice for a backup, but damn he’s small. Chauncey will work him something terrible in the Finals.
Vlad Rad kills me. Why is he out there? As TimMoore so eloquently stated, I can’t wait for Bynum to return at full strength so that Gasol can shift to the 4 and Vlad Rad can have a seat next to Mbenga. Better yet, sit him down next to Coby Karl on the D-Fenders bench.
Dirk is REALLY good. I mean we joke about him being soft and his collapses in the playoffs over the past couple of years, but he is so talented on offense that it’s not even funny. Josh Howard has always been my favorite Mav, but watching Dirk really makes you appreciate his talent more.
I said this yesterday, but the Mavs are crazy awful. What happened to that team? Two Texas squads worry me for playoff time, and neither of them are called the Dallas Mavericks.
I’d love to see the Lakers face the Mavs or Warriors in the first round.
Any question that the play of the night was the sequence between Gasol and Lamar at the end? Was anyone else holding their breath when Gasol took a second to get up? I swear, I was already picturing him getting up slowly holding his back.
I’ve been toying with two blog ideas for the past few days but finally decided what I wanted to write on after yesterday’s loss.
My first blog idea was addressing all the phony Laker fans out there who feel the need to act like they root for the purple and gold simply because Kobe’s a Laker. I found this to be particularly obvious when TCBDOG, a known Kobe leg humper on this site, failed to recognize that Bobby Jackson had been traded from the Hornets to the Rockets despite the fact that said player absolutely put it on the Lakers when they played a few weeks back. Obviously TCB doesn’t watch the games he pretends to know about, so I considered calling out him and all other fake Laker fans as a blog topic.
After last night though, I felt that we needed a more positive blog.
True, the losses to the Warriors and the Bobcats is something to be annoyed about, particularly when considering the lack of effort on defense on both occasions and the way the Lakers can’t seem to come out of the gate the way they should. But when you look at this season as a whole as a Laker fan, even if worst comes to worst and they take a dip in the standings like I predicted they would with the injury to Gasol, they’ll still make the playoffs and do damage with a healthy Gasol.
Before the season started, could anyone imagine that the Lakers would be where they’re at right now? Competing for the top of the West, a West that’s more competitive than it’s ever been in NBA history? I’d say J-Dizzle and Vic the Brick Jacobs are the only ones who could’ve predicted this, and those guys have had the Lakers winning a title for the past five years.
Who could’ve thought that after the way Kobe whined like a woman on her period during the summer, and great NBA reporter Ric Bucher predicting that Kobe would never wear a Laker jersey again, that we’d have the Lakers in the position that they’re in right now? That after Kobe’s bags were all but shipped to Chicago, a team that wouldn’t give up Luol Deng (17 and 7) to get Kobe, that Kobe would have the Lakers tied for second in the West and merely a game out of first?
There are a lot of people who deserve credit for this turnaround, but I think the people at the top of that list have to be Jerry Buss and Mitch Kupchak. These two men stuck by their guns as r-e-t-a-r-d-s from all over Los Angeles hurled insults at them. As Kobe Bryant, a player that Jerry Buss treated like a star and stuck by through tough times, threw all of management under the bus like the diva that he is. As analysts from all over the United States were questioning why they wouldn’t trade Andrew Bynum for a stud like Jermaine O’Neal.
How did Buss and ‘Cupcake’ respond to their critics? They kept Andrew Bynum refusing to trade him for JO in a move that turned out to be brilliant, and further shocked the entire NBA by acquiring one of the best big men in the league to compliment the third best player in the league. Some of us have never questioned their genius despite the Kwame debacle and the Vlad Rad head scratcher , and it is those of us who were rewarded with this gem of a season courtesy of Buss and Kupchak.
The praise doesn’t end there though. Kobe Bryant, a star I’ve hated on a lot on these blogs, proved to the league that he’s STILL one of the best as he played the clean up role I’ve always imagined he’d play on a successful Laker team. He stopped forcing the issue, gunning to get 50 point games like he did last season (and sorry, but he WAS gunning for the last couple 50 point games, that’s a fact) and put the team and winning first. His defense has been reminiscent of the D he played in the championship years (not as good, but closer than it has been in a long time) and has shown his ability to lead a team when he doesn’t act like a toddler that got his candy taken away.
Derek Fisher, a guy whose presence has always outweighed his game deserves a lot of credit as well. I think he’s obviously the leader of this team in the locker room, moreso than Kobe even, and I think he provided a much-needed link between Kobe and the rest of the squad. Sure his play is off a lot because he’s a shooter and sometimes his shots just don’t fall, but the intangibles he’s brought with him are crazy and he’s a big part of the reason the Lakers are as successful as they have been.
Lamar Odom is just one of those guys that’s a pleasure to have on the team. I’ve always loved what he brought to the squad, and I’ve hated that he’s earned such a bad rep for being as inconsistent that he is. He has more heart than ANYONE on this Laker team, and just because sometimes it doesn’t translate in his game, doesn’t mean it’s not there. This is a guy who delayed surgery to play with the Lakers in the playoffs. A guy who played his heart out after the death of his son during the summer. A guy who never EVER complained about playing next to a guy who jacks up shots at Kobe’s rate despite the fact that he was supposed to be “Scottie Pippen” and Scottie got his fair share of shots. Lamar always took his lumps like a solider in LA, and I’m glad he’s finally getting some recognition this season.
A poster on this site pointed out a while back that nobody seems to ever mention that Lamar has been absolutely killing it since Gasol went down, yet everybody automatically attributes every little bit of success to Kobe.
Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol have both been instrumental in this run, but they don’t get their own paragraphs because they haven’t earned them yet. Granted, ‘drew was absolutely murdering it (Suns game, anyone?) before the injury, but for once, I don’t think Kobe got enough credit for how good he made his teammate. I’ve always felt like Andrew Bynum is the one guy Kobe’s made great in all the time I’ve seen him, because Andrew’s offensive game isn’t nearly good enough to be able to create without Kobe Bryant in the lineup. As far as Gasol, the guy just makes the Lakers a contender, plain and simple. Sure he’s not the defensive beast we’d like to have, but that doesn’t change the streak the Lakers went on post-Gasol’s arrival and it doesn’t change the fact that even without Bynum, a Gasol-Kobe-Lamar lineup gives you a chance to make it to the end.
Honestly, I’m not sure how much credit to give to Phil Jackson for this. I suppose keeping the locker room chill after the events of this summer is something that deserves praise, but I just don’t see him having as big a role in the success of this squad as the people I’ve mentioned above. Phil is just Phil.
And finally, how can anyone forget the bench mob? Sure Jordan has cooled off and the bench isn’t what it was early in the season, but they’re still the ones who kick started this season off for us right. And that’s to say nothing of the production Sasha and Ronny have been giving the team consistently for this season. Anyone else feel like there’s something missing when Ronny starts and it’s time for the bench guys to come in?
The Lakers may go on a losing streak, wind up in the bottom half of the West, and go home early as they had in seasons past and while I’d be whining and pissing and moaning like the rest of Laker nation, I wouldn’t be able to deny what a pleasant treat this regular season has been as a Laker fan. After all the injuries, all the warnings that this season would end up like last season, and having a promising star like Bynum ripped from us just when we were getting comfortable, I don’t think a single Laker fan can deny that the squad has played like absolute soldiers this year. Regardless of what goes down, the Lakers have handled their business the way we’ve all come to expect from them and while Laker fans on here may spend more time arguing whether or not Kobe is a punk, it feels good to acknowledge the team’s success this year once in a while.
The Rockets tired after the beating they got courtesy of one Mr. Kobe 'Bean' Bryant on Sunday have their streak ended by some nobody in the Leastern Conference.
Houston's shots just weren't falling. Perhaps rumors of their cheating on defense in Sunday's game got in their head?
Showing why he's a multiple time All D player, Kobe Bryant holds T-Mac to 8 points without even playing him.
Vlad Radmanovic inspired by Kobe's comments this summer puts up a 21 point and 10 board performance.
Lamar Odumb cleans up on the boards AGAIN, proving what a waste of oxygen he is and how unlucky Mamba is to have had to carry his fat behind for the past few years.
Speaking of bald black people, according to FSN sports Luis Scola was the top performer for the Rockets.
Based on a discussion we had going in the comments section of Hoffman’s blog, I decided to toss a few trades together and see who would pull the trigger and who wouldn’t. Keep in mind I’m not taking things like salary into account, just assume a bad player with a big contract would be thrown in to make the numbers work.
These trades have no chance in hell in happening, so save any “This is a stupid waste of time…” comments because as much as I hate to break it to you, being on this blog site everyday ain’t exactly the best way to spend your time either.
Here are the five trades, and below I’m going to give my decision on each one. Give me your thoughts, would you make the trade or not?
1. Lebron James for Brandon Roy and Greg Oden.
Blazers get: Lebron James
Cavs get: Greg Oden and Brandon Roy
2. Amare Stoudemire and Leandro Barbosa for Dwight Howard.
Suns get: Dwight Howard
Magic get: Amare Stoudemire and Leandro Barbosa
3. Kobe Bryant and Jordan Farmar for Chris Paul.
Lakers get: Chris Paul
Hornets get: Kobe Bryant and Jordan Farmar
NOTE: What if instead of CP3 it was Deron Williams?
Clippers sign Ricky Davis
Lakers re-sign Sasha Vujacic
