[2:10pm]
Ah yes, the gem of the NBA offseason is upon us. Rumors have been circulating for days now, and the "don't believe everything they tell you" rule is already in effect. Yesterday the news outlets were reporting the deal that sent Jermaine O'Neal to Toronto for TJ Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, and the 17th overall pick. Well, early this morning there were reports that the deal didn't go down. Then, just hours ago, O'Neal himself confirmed the deal, showing a great amount of respect for Pacers' president, Larry Bird, saying “We both agreed that the timing was perfect. His focus on getting them (the Pacers) to a level where they can grow and start to be competitive was tremendous.”

[2:23pm]
Reports out of the east say the the Bucks and Nets are close to a deal involving Richard Jefferson and Yi Jianlian. The move is said to send Jefferson to Miluakee for Yi and forward, Bobby Simmons. A Fox Sports headline suggests that the deal could be a step in the Nets' pursuit of LeBron James.

[2:30pm]
Well, here's the craziest rumor thus far: TheLakersNation is reporting the rumor that the Heat and the Lakers are engaged in talks that would send Lamar Odom to Miami for the #2 pick in the draft (likely Michael Beasley), Udonis Haslem, and Mark Blount. The deal could shore up the Lakers sticky situation at SF, however a rookie fix might not be the answer.

[2:48pm]
More Lakers rumors involve a deal with Seattle for their early second round pick. The Lakers are reportedly interested in IUPUI point guard, George Hill. Hill, who is touted as an early second round pick is "a very smooth offensive player that is able to score from anywhere on the court relying on his finesse and fundamentals ... Has tremendously efficient shooting percentages: 55% FG, 45 % 3PT and 81% FT ... Fills the stat sheet in all categories with 21.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game ... He's long and lanky which enables him to play bigger than his actual size," according to NBADraft.net.

[3:01pm]
Just some quick trade news via the AP:

1. The Hornets have agreed to send their first-round draft pick, the 27th overall, to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for cash that could help New Orleans add a key free agent to a rising young squad
2. The Nuggets traded the 20th pick to the Bobcats on Wednesday in exchange for a future, protected first-round pick. The Bobcats, who also hold the ninth pick on Thursday, may now get a chance to address needs at center and point guard.

[4:04pm]
Oh Yeah, I love the draft day buzz. The television coverage has just begun, and Van Gundy is already laying down the fail. Man, I sure miss Chuck. Nevertheless, the Bulls are on the clock... just around 25 minutes until the pick, and they have just confirmed that they will be selecting Rose. This means the door is open for that outlandish rumor that would send Beasley, Udonis Haslem, and Mark Blount to the Lakers in exchange for LO. Still though, RUMOR.

[4:32pm]
Stern is getting the boo treatment. The party is starting. The Bulls are officially on the clock... even though we already know what's going to happen.

[4:37pm]
"With the first pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls select Derrick Rose from the University of Memphis." Good choice. This was a tough choice for the Bulls, and in my opinion they made the right decision. Not only was Beasley's maturity in question, but Rose's performance in the tourney had to be hard to turn down. ...Plus he's a local kid. Expect big things from this kid.

[4:40pm]
Soo, the Heat are on the clock. Now lets see if the LO rumors have any validity.

[4:43pm]
Alright, the Heat just took Beasley, despite the rumors of a possible OJ Mayo surprise. As of now, the LO to Miami rumors were just rumors. I'll be staying on top of it though.

[4:48pm]
The Wolves just selected good old OJ Mayo, making this the first draft ever to feature three freshmen as the first three picks. Bilas says Mayo is the most NBA-ready player in the draft, and I think I'd agree. There's a lot of hate out there for Mayo, but his game might translate better to the NBA than everyone thinks.

[4:55pm]
The Sonics took Russell Westbrook. Love this guy. It will be interesting to see if he can fit in at PG... and if he can, the Westbrook/Durant backcourt is going to be a force.

[5:02pm]
K-Love to the Grizz. Love has expressed his desire to play in Memphis, and... well, he should fit in well there. Kevin has bulked up significantly, and cut out a lot of fat with some wonder diet. I really like Love's potential.

[5:06pm]
Here's the Knicks pick... They picked the Italian guy. Boos everywhere. Danilo Gallinari was the Euro League rising star of the year last season, and Bilas seems to be in love with him... He'll be fun to watch. Plus, Coach D'Antoni and the kid's dad are buddies.

[5:13pm]
The Clippers just took Eric Gordon from Indiana. Good move. I was thinking they would (stupidly) go for Lopez, but, clearly their C and PF dudes are locked down. Nice addition for LAC.

[5:17pm]
Here's the Bucks' pick. Woah. They went with Joe Alexander. Alexander is a great SF out of West Virginia, but I was thinking the Bucks were going to go with Brook Lopez having just dealt Yi Jianlian to the Nets. Interesting.

[5:24pm]
Oh man. The Bobcats passed up on Brook Lopez as well. DJ Augustin. Everyone was saying they were going to pick big, but instead, went with one of the smallest guys in the draft. New Jersey is on the clock, and Brook Lopez is going to be a present if they take him.

[5:27pm]
Lopez is turning into the Matt Leinart of the draft. NBADraft.net projected Lopez to go fourth to the Sonics. He's got to be sweating.

[5:30pm]
There it is. Lopez to the Nets with the 10th pick. The crowd appears to approve. What a steal. Lopez is a tough guy with a 7'5" wingspan. I'm going to slow down the updates for now. I'll keep you posted with any big news... and of course the highly anticipated Lakers' #58 pick. NBADraft.net has JR Giddens (6'5" 208lbs. SG) out of New Mexico going there. You might remember GIddens as a transfer from Kansas.

[7:13pm]
Huge addition for the Hornets just now. Darrell Aurthur out of Kansas sunk to the 27th pick after su####ion of a kidney issue. He stated that his last blood tests came back clear, and that he's 100%. Crazy.

[10:01pm]
Well, tonight was quite the night. Trades EVERYWHERE. I spent five hours in front of the TV tonight, and I must say, not until the middle of the second round did I get bored. The Lakers had the 58th pick, and they took Joe Crawford, a 6-4 213 shooting guard out of Kentucky. Crawford averaged 18ppg and was 4th in the SEC in scoring. The tape on him that I saw looked more indicative of PG play, though I haven't seen much. I did notice a ton of driving layups/dunks. Crawford shouldn't have trouble making the team (probably a J-Critt type role), come November.

Here's his full scouting synopsis courtesy of NBADraft.net writer Derrick Brownson:

Strengths: Athletic player, who plays bigger than his 6-4 size because o####reat vertical leap. Known for his athletic driving lay ups and highlight film dunks ... Has became a team leader and has made himself more assertive especially on the offensive end in his senior season ... Has shown steady growth in his 4 year stay at Kentucky ... Has flourished under Billy Gillispie and became the face of Kentucky basketball this season and one of the main reasons why Kentucky has elevated it's play down the stretch ... Versatile player who is good at many things but not necessarily great at one ... Has begun to live up to the potential he showed coming out of college in his past two years ... Has solid form on his jumpshot and great potential to be a very good shooter ... Above average passer for a 2-guard who is a solid off the ball player with solid driving and shot creating abilities ... Plays with heart and works hard on both ends of floor, has shown solid court sense and team leadership skills, he doesn't try to force plays that aren't there ... Unselfish player, putting the team above himself ... Could become a solid NBA player with right team/situation ... Most likely at best will become valuable role player on next level ... With solid workouts/camp performance has possibility to become a 2nd round pick.

Weaknesses: Undersized at the shooting guard position on the next level, although his athleticism helps to compensate ... Must learn to value the basketball, and cut down on turnovers better ... Since he's not really great at one thing, he would need to find right the fit with a team that values what he brings to the table and could possible run 3-guard system at times for him to flourish ... Might be better off for his career in the long run to play in Europe for couple years (ala Charlie Bell) to develop certain skills that are needed at the NBA level ... Still needs to learn how to get teammates involved better ... To his credit, he has shown maturity since freshman year and hasn't been involved in any issues since ... Has never really shot a terrific percentage from 3-point range or free throw (though it's solid) and can be streaky, as shown when he scored 28 points against Houston and then scored just 5 against a lesser Tennessee Tech team ... Plain and simple just needs more developing in his overall game and find a specialty to become valuable in the NBA ...

Notes: Was a highly ranked (top 25) player coming out of High School along with Renaissance (MI) running mate Mailk Hairston ... Originally committed to University of Michigan but changed his decision to be a part of a freshman class that included Rajon Rondo, and Randolph Morris ... Had issues his freshman year under coach Tubby Smith and considered transferring but was ultimately talked out of it ... [NBADraft.net Page]

*ALL TIMES PACIFIC

Sure the Lakers just got clowned, but these nuggets that I found (via The Lakers Nation), only one day after the hideous 39-point loss, may instill some hope among the optimists out there.

First, Andrew Bynum on contracts:
In an interview toward the end of the regular season, Bynum said he wanted to stay with the team and did not necessarily expect a maximum contract extension of about $80 million.”I just want to be a Laker,” he said. “As long as they treat me right, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t have to be max [money] for me. I just want to be able to live comfortably and take care of my family.” [LA TImes]

And second, Sasha on coming up short:
“Next year, especially with Andrew and the same group, we won’t be short two games like we were this year; I can guarantee you that,” Vujacic said. “We are going to work really hard. Personally, I’m going to work myself really hard in the gym all summer. We want to win it. We lost our first (NBA) Finals, and I think we have a lot more to go.” [OC Register]

There's also been a lot of talk about Ron Artest coming over, however he has made statements that suggest otherwise. I think the Lakers should consider pursuing him. He is going to be able to play a position (SF) that Lamar will need time to get adjusted to with Bynum coming back, with better efficiency, and most importantly, better consistency.

Finally, Phil Jackson, who is under increasing scrutiny (cough. after being out-coached by Doc), made these comments about the future during Tuesday's press conference: “We have to get some players if we’re going to come back and repeat, to have that kind of aggressiveness that we need.”

There's a lot of talk already. It's going to be a long off-season.

Of course Lakers fans would lash out on Paul Pierce's pseudo heroics in game one. It's been beat into the ground by columnists across the nation, but thanks to the marvelous photoshopping of a supposedly-anonymous Lakers fan, this one takes the cake:



Paul Pierce's new Jersey? [The Lakers Nation]

Just when we were getting sick of the split-screen "there can only be one" commercials, the NBA slapped us across the face with this piece of art:

Welcome to the greatest thing to happen to the NBA in years.

The conspiracy theorists got their wish as the #1 seed Lakers and the #1 seed Celtics clinched into the finals to make for the perfect storm of playoff basketball. Two of the most storied franchises in sports meeting in the finals for the first time since 1987. A lot of things have changed since 1987 (gasoline sold for around $1.15 a gallon... that's enough evidence), but the rivalry remains the same. Back in 2000, ESPN ranked it the the #2 "rivalry we wish still existed." Well, It's back. The importance of this rivalry spans generations, going back to their first meeting in 1959, and the subsequent six meetings in the 1960s.

This rivalry is so huge, that even I know a detailed history of it. I was -2 when the Lakers and Celtics last met in the finals, though thanks to some keen storytelling from my father and seemingly endless hours of programming on ESPN Classic, I know the history... I know the pageantry. I think it's the pageantry that puts it over the top. With the rivalry on the brink of dormancy in 1989, Electronic Arts released one of the greatest video games of all time--'Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs.' What other rivalry has an entire video game devoted to it?

Enough about the past. Though history is there, these are two completely different teams trying to write their own page in the book.

The Celtics had a much tougher route to the finals, requiring seven games with both Atlanta and Cleveland. However, after not winning a single road game in the first or second round, the Celtics managed to grab two in Detroit... Something that closes the door to the "they can't win on the road in the playoffs" thoughts. The Lakers did away with a sluggish Spurs team in five, much to the surprise of some.

The Lakers got back a key piece to the puzzle in that Spurs series; Trevor Ariza. While Trevor didn't get much action in the conference finals (four points in around nine minutes total), the week of rest was the best possible thing for Trevor's return. “I hope he’s going to have an opportunity to play,’’ Phil Jackson said. “He can help us.’’ Ariza then stated “I can’t say what the situation is or will be, but I know when the time comes, I’ll be ready.’’

The matchups are going to be what makes or breaks this series for either team. The Lakers main concern is going to be containing the Celtics big three. No surprise there. The LA Times is reporting:

Derek Fisher will guard second-year point guard Rajon Rondo and Kobe Bryant will start out on Ray Allen, but the frontcourt is somewhat unsettled.

Lamar Odom said he expected to match up against physical Boston center Kendrick Perkins, who outweighs Odom by 34 pounds.

“I’ll try to meet him as far out on the court as possible,” Odom said. “I’ll have my hands out, be like an offensive lineman coming right off the line and jam him early. I guess I’ll be Orlando Pace out there.”

Pau Gasol probably will start out on Kevin Garnett, and Vladimir Radmanovic probably will draw Paul Pierce, though this is the type of series where defense-minded forward Trevor Ariza could get more playing time, presumably against Pierce. [LA Times]

I know it won't happen, but I figure the Lakers would be better off sliding Kobe to the three to defend Pierce, bringing Sasha Vujacic into the lineup to guard Ray Allen. Having Vlad Rad guard Pierce doesn't seem too productive... unless, like the story suggested, they can get Trevor Ariza involved at that level.

Time for all the fun stuff:

The Celtics have won both matchups with the Lakers in the regular season. One being the "short-shorts" misstep, and the other being a 13 Lakers loss in late November. Since I've made the "post-Gasol acquisition era" a bit of a trend, I'll add that the Lakers have not seen the Celtics since the acquisition of Pau . Pau, however did see the Celtics on January 4 as a member of the Grizz. Pau got contained rather well, only scoring 12 points and pulling down eight rebounds.

In the regular season, the Lakers scored 108.6 points per game and allowed 101.3 points per game with an offensive rating at 3rd of 30 and a defensive rating at 5th of 30. The Celtics scored 100.5 points per game and allowed 90.3 points per game with an offensive rating at 9th of 30 and a defensive rating at 1st of 30.

Series Schedule: (2-3-2)
Game One
Thursday - 6/5
Lakers @ Celtics
6:00pm - ABC
Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy

Game Two
Sunday - 6/8
Lakers @ Celtics
6:00pm - ABC
Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy

Game Three
Tuesday - 6/10
Celtics @ Lakers
6:00pm - ABC
Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy

Game Four
Thursday - 6/12
Celtics @ Lakers
6:00pm - ABC
Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy

*Game Five
Sunday - 6/15
Celtics @ Lakers
6:00pm - ABC
Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy

*Game Six
Tuesday - 6/17
Lakers @ Celtics
6:00 - ABC
Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy

*Game Seven
Thursday - 6/19
Lakers @ Celtics
6:00pm - ABC
Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy

Player Playoff Averages:

(LAL)
Derek Fisher - 10 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 2.2 APG
Kobe Bryant - 31.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 5.8 APG
Vladimir Radmanovic - 8.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.5 APG
Lamar Odom - 14.7 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 2.9 APG
Pau Gasol - 17.7 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 4.2 APG

(BOS)
Rajon Rondo - 10.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.6 APG
Ray Allen - 14.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.8 APG
Paul Pierce - 19 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.1 APG
Kevin Garnett - 21.1 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 3.5 APG
Kendrick Perkins - 7.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 0.6 APG

Additional Reading:
Playoff Central [Lakers.com]
LA Times Lakers Blog [LA Times Lakers Blog] - Inside info, audio and updates
Game Notes (PDF) [Lakers.com]
Game Notes (PDF) [Celtics.com]
The 10 best Lakers-Celtics moments [Fox Sports]

I know. There are 4 million other things to be worried about with game two of the Western Conference Finals one hour away, but I can't help but post this.

We all remember the whole "Oh my god! Kobe just jumped over an Aston Martin" video. Well, he's back for more.

The second installment of the pseudo-viral videos promoting Kobe's Nike HyperDunk shoe takes a little bit of a different route:

Winning on the road is proving to be the most troublesome task this postseason. The Boston Celtics can attest. Coming into the playoffs, the Celtics were pinned as a favorite for the championship. Fast-forward one month and the Celtics, who have yet to win a game on the road, are beginning to look like the underdog in Eastern Conference finals.

Taking a look at the Western Conference finals, the importance of the road is just as present. The Lakers and the Spurs both closed out their semi-final series' on the road. The route for the Lakers may have been a tad easier with it being in game six, but facing the unruly crowd in Utah, the sentiment is the same as San Antonio's game seven win in New Orleans.

There's no doubt that the majority of Lakers fans would have preferred to see New Orleans for the simple reason that they aren't the Spurs, but the schedule is set, and there's no question that it's going to be an all-out war. This series is a battle of the two most fit teams in West, and regardless of the turnout, it's going to be a fun one to watch. This is the series that brought us 0.4 seconds; one of the greatest shots in Lakers' history. Need I say more?

Their last postseason meeting was in 2004 where the Lakers knocked off the Spurs in six games, cruising to a 12 point lead at home one game after Derek Fisher's heroics in game five. The Spurs were the defending champs then, and they're the defending champs now. Will history repeat?

Foremost, I have some news on the Lakers injury beat:

1. The Lakers announced today that center Andrew Bynum will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee this week. The procedure is scheduled for Wednesday in New York and involves cleaning some rough spots and fraying on the underside of his kneecap. It will be performed by Dr. David Altchek. [LA Times]

2. As we know, Trevor Ariza was cleared for full contact last week. Rumors swirled that he was going to suit up for game six in Utah, but that didn't end up happening. He had full involvement in practice yesterday, and according to KLAC AM 570's David Vassegh, he finished off the scrimmage with a reverse dunk. He should be suited up for game one. I would expect either Ira Newble or Chris Mihm to be moved to the inactive list.

3. Kobe has said that his back is 100% with "no lingering effects from the back spasms that plagued him a week ago." [LA Times]

Time for the fun stuff:

The Season series between the Lakers and Spurs is tied 2-2 with both teams protecting their home floor. Since I've made the "post-Gasol acquisition era" a bit of a trend, I'll add that the post-Gasol acquisition era Lakers have faced the Spurs once. You might remember that 21 point win near the end of the season where Kobe dropped 20, Lamar dropped 17 and 14, and Pau dropped 14 and 11.

In the regular season, the Lakers scored 108.6 points per game and allowed 101.3 points per game with an offensive rating at 3rd of 30 and a defensive rating at 5th of 30. The Spurs scored 95.4 points per game and allowed 90.6 points per game with an offensive rating at 15st of 30 and a defensive rating at 13th of 30.

Series Schedule:
Game One
Wednesday - 5/21
Spurs @ Lakers
6:00pm - TNT
Marv Albert and Doug Collins

Game Two
Friday - 5/23
Spurs @ Lakers
6:00pm - TNT
Marv Albert and Doug Collins

Game Three
Sunday - 5/25
Lakers @ Spurs
5:30pm - TNT
Marv Albert and Doug Collins

Game Four
Tuesday - 5/27
Lakers @ Spurs
6:00pm - TNT
Marv Albert and Doug Collins

*Game Five
Thursday - 5/29
Spurs @ Lakers
6:00pm - TNT
Marv Albert and Doug Collins

*Game Six
Saturday - 5/31
Lakers @ Spurs
6:00 - TNT
Marv Albert and Doug Collins

*Game Seven
Monday - 6/2
Spurs @ Lakers
6:00pm - TNT
Marv Albert and Doug Collins

Starting Matchups: (Playoff Averages)
Point Guard
(LAL) Derek Fisher - 6-1, 205 - 11.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 2.7 APG
(SAS) Tony Parker - 6-2, 180 - 23.6 PPG. 3.5 RPG, 6.2 APG

Shooting Guard
(LAL) Kobe Bryant - 6-6, 220 - 33.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 6.8 APG
(SAS) Michael Finley - 6-7, 225 - 7 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 1.1 APG

Small Forward
(LAL) Vladimir Radmanovic - 6-10, 234 - 8.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.7 APG
(SAS) Bruce Bowen - 6-7, 200 - 5.6 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.5 APG

Power Forward
(LAL) Lamar Odom - 6-10, 230 - 15.6 PPG, 10.67RPG, 3.1 APG
(SAS) Tim Duncan - 6-11, 260 - 19.3 PPG, 13.3 RPG, 2.6 APG

Center
(LAL) Pau Gasol - 7-0, 260 - 20 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 4.5 APG
(SAS) Fabricio Oberto - 6-10, 245 - 3.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.3 APG

All-Time Series Facts - regular season (from game notes):


Lakers vs. San Antonio in Postseason (from game notes):
The Lakers and Spurs have met 10 times in the postseason (1982, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004) with Los Angeles advancing on seven occasions, most recently 4-2 in the 2004 Western Conference Semifinals after falling behind in that series 0-2. The teams have twice met in the First Round (2-0), five times in the Conference Semifinals (2-3) and three times in the Conference Finals (1982,1983 and 2001,3-0). The Lakers 47 playoff games against the Spurs are the fourth highest total against a single team in the postseason for Los Angeles, trailing only Boston (57), Phoenix (51) and Portland (48). The Lakers are 17-8 against the Spurs at home, 13-9 when visiting San Antonio and 30-17 overall against the Spurs in the postseason.

Staples Center Advantage (from game notes):
Since moving to STAPLES Center prior to the 1999-2000 season, the Lakers have won 82% of their postseason games (48-10). The Lakers have topped the century mark in half of their postseason home games at STAPLES Center (31-of-58) while the opposition has been held under 100 points in all but 16 of those games. In their last 21 home playoff games, the Lakers are 18-3.

Additional Reading:
Playoff Central [Lakers.com]
LA Times Lakers Blog [LA Times Lakers Blog] - Inside info, audio and updates
Game Notes (PDF) [Lakers.com]

Kobe's back injury in game four opened the door for ton of speculation. The fact the ABC7 reported that Kobe "couldn't stand up on the plane" didn't help much.

Throughout his career, Kobe has been known to suck it up--and he'll do just that on Wednesday:

Kobe Bryant met the media Monday with a new companion - an electronic stimulating device hooked up to his sore lower back.

Plans call for the two to spend a lot of time together for the next couple of days, or longer.

The Los Angeles Lakers' star tweaked his back in the opening minutes of Sunday's 123-115 overtime loss at Utah that tied the Western Conference semifinals 2-2.

"It's pretty sore right now," Bryant said Monday. "It's tight. It's to be expected the next day, I guess. I don't know how I made it through the game, to be honest with you."

Bryant said he was receiving treatment around the clock.

"Secret stuff," he replied with a smile when asked to be specific about the treatment.

Regarding the electronic stimulating device, Bryant said he had slept with it on Sunday night.

"It cuts down the pain," he said. "How, I don't know."...

"I'll be ready to play. I can't imagine it being any worse than it was last night." [Fox Sports]

I'm sure Vic The Brick will be equipped with some cool words for Kobe before the game.

Moving onto things of lesser importance (though they sure could use some defense right now), Trevor Ariza has been cleared by a second physician:

Hoopsworld has learned that Trevor Ariza of the Los Angeles Lakers has been cleared by a second independent doctor. Sidelined for months with a broken foot, Ariza has now sought out two additional opinions hoping to get back on the floor to help the team in its ongoing playoff run.

The Lakers' physician has been conservative as Ariza's CT Scan still shows a line on the bone which is normally interpreted as an unhealed fracture.

Ariza recently saw a doctor in Utah who postulated that the bone has indeed healed and that the line may never fully disappear.

The recent third opinion concurred which sends the ultimate decision to the Lakers who are inherently conservative when it comes to long term health of their players. To date they haven't been willing to put Ariza in harm's way, even for the ongoing playoff push. [Hoopsworld]

That's the scoop for now. Game five is on Wednesday. I'd call it a must-win. The Lakers definitely DO NOT want to face elimination at EnergySolutions in game six, so I'm calling Wednesday the game of the series.

I lied.

Last friday, I posted the news that Andrew Bynum most likely wouldn't be coming back this season. I titled that post "This just might be the last Andrew Bynum post of the playoffs." I was wrong.

Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum might undergo exploratory arthroscopic surgery on his injured left knee if there is no significant improvement in the next three to four weeks.

Lakers spokesman John Black said Bynum was examined Wednesday by Dr. Steven Gecha in Princeton, N.J. Black said the team was told there had been some improvement in the 20-year-old center’s knee, but Gecha’s recommendation was exploratory surgery if there wasn’t more in the upcoming weeks. [ESPN]

Sure, it's an unfortunate situation... but it's for the better. That's already been discussed here.

Regardless of the news, I'm still hearing "Just wait until they get Andrew back. They're going to sweep through the playoffs." Well, as of now, they are sweeping through the playoffs, and looking rather good doing so.

Some good news on the defensive front: Trevor Ariza was cleared to play on April, 27. "A week from now, I can start doing a little bit of contact. And then a week later I can start playing." Theoretically, this means that Trevor should be good to go as soon as Sunday's game four, however reports earlier this week were hinting towards something sooner.

And, just a reminder:
(Lakers up 2-0)

Game Three
Friday - 5/9
Lakers @ Jazz
6:00pm - ESPN/KCAL

Game Four
Sunday - 5/11
Lakers @ Jazz
12:30pm - ABC

*Game Five
Wednesday - 5/14
Jazz @ Lakers
TBD - TNT

*Game Six
Friday - 5/16
Lakers @ Jazz
TBD - ESPN/KCAL

*Game Seven
Monday - 5/19
Jazz @ Lakers
TBD - TNT

A couple of reasons for Lakers fans to breath a little bit easier going into EnergySolutions Arena where the Jazz had a 37-4 record: In their last meeting in Utah, the Lakers snapped a 19-game home winning streak with a 106-95 victory, anchored by Kobe's 27, and Lamar's 21 and 12. The Lakers are 3-1 in the season series. All four games were played without Pau Gasol in the lineup. Also, if the first round means anything, despite winning games one and two in Houston, the Jazz lost game three at home by two.

28.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 5.4 APG, and 57 wins later, Kobe Bryant is your 2008 NBA MVP.

2008 MVP Voting (based on the NBA's MVP voting points system):

1. Kobe Bryant - 1,105 (82 first place votes)
2. Chris Paul - 889 (28 first place votes)
3. Kevin Garnett - 670
4. LeBron James - 439
5. Dwight Howard - 60

Longest-Tenured Winners*

• Kobe Bryant - won following his 12th season
• Karl Malone - 12th season
• Hakeem Olajuwon - 10th season
• Charles Barkley - 9th season
• Kevin Garnett - 9th season
• Steve Nash - 9th season
• Dirk Nowitzki - 9th season
• Magic Johnson - 8th season
• Shaquille O'Neal - 8th season
• Bob Cousy - 7th season

*First MVP Award

The press conference was terrific. Here are some notable quotes:

"Since you said that you couldn't have won this award without your teammates, are you going to be getting your teammates any sort of gifts?" - Luke Walton

"How do you like the triangle?" - Tex Winter

And this one from Bill Plaschke: "Kobe, would you like to be a Laker for the rest of your career? Can you say that now?" "I would like to. Absolutely."

Here's the full audio of the acceptance speech as well as the press conference, courtesy of myself.

Thanks to Utah's 113-91 win over Houston last night, we don't have to wait until Tuesday to see the Lakers take the floor. This is a good thing. I don't know how much longer I could take the "rest vs. rust" discussions. Anyway, the Lakers cruised through the first round, but that might be the problem. I'm not a big fan of speculation, but it's hard not to listen when someone says something along the lines of "well, the Lakers are going to get overconfident after the sweep, Denver just rolled over and gave them the series." Personally, I think the Lakers know what their doing. This whole notion of 'overconfidence' is milked too much in the media. It's playoff basketball. The Lakers (as with just about any other team) have enough experience to know what their going up against and how to react.

Sunday is going to make for some terrific basketball. Not only do we have the Lakers kicking off this series, but the #1 seed Celtics face elimination in game seven of that CRAZY series at 10am.

Oh yeah. Kobe is your new MVP.

Okay, time for the fun stuff:

The Lakers are 3-1 in the season series, losing on November 30th at EnergySolutions Arena. On March 20th the Lakers issued Utah one of only four losses at EnergySolutions Arena. Interestingly enough, all three Lakers' wins against Utah were without Pau Gasol--just like the Denver series.

In the regular season, the Lakers scored 108.6 points per game and allowed 101.3 points per game with an offensive rating at 3rd of 30 and a defensive rating at 5th of 30. The Jazz scored 106.4 points per game and allowed 99.3 points per game with an offensive rating at 1st of 30 and a defensive rating at 12th of 30.

Series Schedule:
Game One
Sunday - 5/4
Jazz @ Lakers
12:30pm - ABC

Game Two
Wednesday - 5/7
Jazz @ Lakers
7:30pm - TNT

Game Three
Friday - 5/9
Lakers @ Jazz
6:00pm - ESPN/KCAL

Game Four
Sunday - 5/11
Lakers @ Jazz
12:30pm - ABC

*Game Five
Wednesday - 5/14
Jazz @ Lakers
TBD - TNT

*Game Six
Friday - 5/16
Lakers @ Jazz
TBD - ESPN/KCAL

*Game Seven
Monday - 5/19
Jazz @ Lakers
TBD - TNT

Starting Matchups:
Point Guard
(LAL) Derek Fisher - 6-1, 205 - 11.7 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 2.9 APG (8.5 PPG in Round 1)
(UTA) Deron Williams - 6-3, 208 - 18.8 PPG. 3.0 RPG, 10.5 APG (20.8 PPG in Round 1)

Shooting Guard
(LAL) Kobe Bryant - 6-6, 220 - 28.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 5.4 APG (33.1 PPG in Round 1)
(UTA) Ronnie Brewer - 6-7, 223 - 12 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.8 APG (9.3 PPG in Round 1)

Small Forward
(LAL) Vladimir Radmanovic - 6-10, 234 - 8.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.9 APG (8.2 PPG in Round 1)
(UTA) Andrei Kirilenko - 6-9, 223 - 11 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 4.0 APG (9.3 PPG in Round 1)

Power Forward
(LAL) Lamar Odom - 6-10, 230 - 14.2 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.5 APG (11.7 PPG in Round 1)
(UTA) Carlos Boozer - 6-9, 266 - 21.1 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 2.9 APG (16 PPG in Round 1)

Center
(LAL) Pau Gasol - 7-0, 260 - 18.9 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 3.2 APG, 0.5 SPG (22.2 PPG in Round 1)
(UTA) Mehmet Okur - 6-11, 263 - 14.5 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 2.0 APG (13.1 PPG in Round 1)

All-Time Series Facts (from game notes):


Lakers vs. Utah in Postseason (from game notes):
The Lakers and Jazz have met three times in the postseason (1988, 1997 and 1998) with Los Angeles advancing on once occasion (1988 Western Conference Semifinals 4-3, the lone time the Lakers have held the home-court advantage over the Jazz). Utah eliminated Los Angeles from the playoffs in two consecutive seasons: 1997 Western Conference Semifinals (1-4) and 1998 Western Conference Finals (0-4). The Jazz sweep of the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals in 1998 included a 112-77 victory in Game 1, the largest margin of defeat by the Jazz over the Lakers in their playoff series history.

Staples Center Advantage (from game notes):
Since moving to STAPLES Center prior to the 1999-2000 season, the Lakers have won 82% of their postseason games (45-10). The Lakers have topped the century mark in half of their postseason home games at STAPLES Center (28-of-55) while the opposition has been held under 100 points in all but 14 of those games. In their last 18 home playoff games, the Lakers are 15-3.

Additional Reading:
Playoff Central [Lakers.com]
LA Times Lakers Blog [LA Times Lakers Blog] - Inside info, audio and updates
Game Notes (PDF) [Lakers.com]

We all know where I stand on the situation, so without further ado, here's the quote:

"I doubt there's going to be a comeback this year," Andrew Bynum said Friday. "I've got to get my knee straight. At this point, I'd have to train for a good month just to be able to go out there and play." [LA Times]

For those of you crazies out there, one month from now is June, 2. That would be just before the Finals start. So, basically if the Lakers get that far and if you believe Andrew's guestimation, then you might see him this season. As for now, the Sigma Nu house at UCLA is your best bet.

The Lakers handled the Nuggets with relative ease to close out round one of the playoffs--broom in hand. Well, it turns out, Andrew Bynum was having a good time this weekend as well. Iggy Cohn of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat's blog, "Cohn vs. Cohn" (also a UCLA student) had this to say:

Thursday night my fraternity, Sigma Nu, threw its quarterly house party. Andrew Bynum, the injured center for the Los Angeles Lakers, the twenty-year-old former 1st round pick, was at the party. Word started to spread around the party of his presence, but no one could find him. Then suddenly he emerged from one of my friend's rooms with two girls and a small entourage of Sigma Nus following behind him. Everyone who had a camera or a cell phoned rushed towards him to get a picture.

Bynum walked out of the hall, down a flight of stairs, and into the center of the dance floor, where he danced with the two girls. I don't know what this means about the state of his knee, or if he'll be able to play for the Lakers this post-season. But I do know that he can walk down stairs and dance to fast paced hip hop. [Santa Rosa Press-Democrat]

Now, I'm not a big fan of muckraking into athletes' personal lives, but I do find this interesting. Fortunately, the media hasn't beat him up over it, and I don't think something like this will come back to bite him... It's not like he's rolling with Lachey. All in all, he is a 20 year old kid. Had he attended college (and not left early), he'd still be there. Reports are saying that he's been doing just about everything shy of 'full-contact' workouts, so I doubt a little bit of dancing is going to throw anything off. The best thing of all is that Bynum was said not to be drinking. At all. Which I believe, considering his comments from the past on drinking, smoking, and tattoos.

The majority of Lakers fans don't seem to care about this situation, and in my entirely unbiased opinion, I don't either. I don't even like calling it a "situation," however, since it didn't make it to the major news sources (and rightfully so), I'm anxious to see what you all think.

By now, we've all seen the "Kobe jumping over an Aston-Martin" video. Sure, it was a good video, and sure people are still convinced that Kobe actually jumped over a speeding car, but I've found one of the coolest (for lack of a better word) commercial/spots I've seen in a long time.

I don't know the deal with the airing of the spots, but they've been around for a few months. I may have just missed it, but I was shocked to find these works of art on KB24.com. I can't believe this got past me.

It's a part of the Nike Zoom Kobe III campaign, titled "Geniuses." There are five different commercials featuring Kobe dressed up as DaVinci, Mozart, Einstein, and George Washington Carver. My understanding is that it's a web exclusive, so that may explain why they've gone under the radar... but I'm still tripping out on why I missed this.

Anyways, how awesome is this?





Check them out on Youtube here.

The Lakers took advantage of their home-court advantage tonight, locking up win two of the series, 122-107.

Kobe shook off an ugly FG% from Sunday afternoon and took ownership tonight. Kobe was one point short from his playoff-high in scoring, which is 50, in overtime on 5/4/06.

In addition to his 49, Kobe managed to dish out 10 assists. Pau chimed in with 18 points, 10 boards, and three assists. I mention the assists because one of those three was an impromptu alley-oop to Kobe that had 'top plays of the season' written all over it. Lamar Odom got into foul trouble early, leaving Luke Walton with more playing time than usual... no problem for Luke. A couple of choice threes highlighted his 18 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. D-Fish posted 10 points, but was 0-2 from three.

The Nuggets had a strong showing from their power-duo. Iverson scored 31 and Melo posted 21. Marcus Camby cleaned thing up, with 17 rebounds, but the Nuggets couldn't stop Kobe's the Lakers' offensive proficiency.

"Undefendable"
- George Karl on Kobe Bryant

My take on it all? It's really impressive to see the Lakers gelling so well. The chemistry between Kobe and Pau is remarkable considering the guys have only been playing together since February. I also liked how Luke stepped it up with Lamar in foul trouble.

The Lakers will hop on the plane Friday night for Saturday's 2:30pm start. Phil Jackson's formula for success figures that that the mile-high elevation of Denver doesn't affect the body for 24 hours, thus the Lakers flying in around midnight. Interesting strategy.

We all know, the series doesn't start until you win on the road. Here's a reminder of what's to come:

Game Three
Saturday - 4/26
Lakers @ Nuggets
2:30pm - TNT/KCAL
TNT Announcers: Marv Albert, Reggie Miller and Craig Sager

Game Four
Monday - 4/28
Lakers @ Nuggets
7:30pm - TNT/KCAL
TNT Announcers: Marv Albert, Reggie Miller and Craig Sager

*Game Five
Wednesday - 4/30
Nuggets @ Lakers
TBD

*Game Six
Friday - 5/2
Lakers @ Nuggets
TBD

*Game Seven
Sunday - 5/4
Nuggets @ Lakers
TBD

Also, for those curious about Ronny Turiaf's absence (if you didn't catch it early on in the telecast):

"Ronny Turiaf's sore throat turned out to be a case of tonsillitis.

He attended Wednesday's morning shootaround, but was noticeably lacking in energy so the Lakers sent him home to rest and recover. They're hopeful their backup center will be sound enough to play in Game 3 on Saturday afternoon at Denver." [Long Beach Press-Telegram]

[edit - Thursday, 10:46am]
Kobe is fed up with JR Smith's jawing.

“Better learn not to talk to me,” Bryant said of Smith’s jabbering. “You shake the tree, a leopard’s gonna fall out.”

Also, something pretty funny: The TNT staff's take on Kobe's HyperDunk video: