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.
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.
It's been eight long years since the Lakers achieved such a feat.
That was the 1999-2000 season. We remember what happened then.
You can call it wishful thinking, or you can call it forecasting, but I am awfully giddy. I haven't been this giddy since the Pau trade back in the beginning of February.
The Lakers just took down the Kings by a score of 124-101 in the 82nd and final game of the regular season, to clinch the #1 spot in the Western Conference. I had my doubts about this game. Heck, my last post was addressing the potential that the Kings had to pull a little bit of an upset to make the #1 race a little more interesting.
Well... Kobe, Pau, and Lamar proved my speculation wrong. The Lakers never had a huge run, but the gap was comfortable the entire time. This was the game fans needed before nervous time starts this weekend. It was a nice reflection on a terrific 57-25 season.
One thing came to me tonight.
I know I'm no authority on the matter, but Lamar proved himself to me tonight. My dislike for Lamar in previous seasons was leading me to turn my head to the numbers he's been putting up lately. Lamar has the third most double-doubles in the league since the All-Star break. Granted, a lot of them haven't been much above 10 and 10, Lamar has shown a ton of improvement in his new role as the third option. People have been saying it all season long. Lamar Odom is contributor, not a leader. The removal of the Lamar from the spotlight of being a second scoring option has been the best possible elixir for his previous lack of production. There's no telling if he'll be re-signed in the off-season, but, pending his performance in the playoffs, we might see Lamar sticking around.
The Lakers played proficiently tonight, Sunday, and Friday. It was nothing short of a dream conclusion to the regular season. Hopefully these final few games have satisfied the fans with the current line-up. I spent the afternoon trolling some Lakers chat rooms and forums. People are still hung up on the Bynum and Ariza situation. It's been said around here by a few people (notably in LF19II's post), including myself; Bynum and Ariza won't make a huge impact on the post-season picture. This team is solid as is. Sure, Bynum will be a body, but the subluxation is a serious injury. If Bynum comes back not fully-recovered, the patella has the potential to do the exact same thing as it did on January 13. All I'm trying to say is that Bynum is a guy to build the franchise around once Kobe is past his prime. Let's not mess that up.
Finally, the Lakers' round one matchup is still in the balance. Their opponent will be Denver unless the Nuggs can swing a win against Memphis paired with Dallas losing to New Orleans. It's really a toss-up right now. We'll see what happens.
Oh yeah, Is this the final validation for the Kobe for MVP camp? I believe the votes go in on Thursday, and the results are released Friday.
The Lakers just solidified a playoff berth with a come-from-behind 112-108 win over the "panic time" Mavs.
Lamar Odom pulled his weight tonight, setting a season high with 31 points; three off from a career night. Odom pulled down 10 rebounds, dished out five assists, and blocked two shots. Impressive? I'd say so.
Kobe posted 25 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. Pau played elegantly (I've been jonesing to say that for quite some time no) with 25 points, four rebounds, and two blocks.
I'd say it was a near-picture perfect night from the triad.
Vlad Rad played like Vlad Bad tonight, posting four points on 0-4 from three-point land. The Nation is counting the days until Pau jumps over to the 4, Bynum acclimates himself back into the starting 5, and Odom rocks the "no pressure" 3.
Dallas certainly put up a fight, as anyone watching the game would attest. Dirk scored 27, Jason Terry put up 23, and Josh Howard added 23 and seven.
So, with seven out of eight teams in the East already in, the Lakers become just the second to clinch a spot in the West. This also marks Phil Jackson's 17th career playoff berth in his 17 seasons in the association.
Hats off to Lamar tonight. I don't have a problem calling this one of his best games in a Lakers uniform. He's had a few big ones, but none I can recall have come at such a pivotal time of the season. For those of you lucky enough: Playoff tickets go on sale tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 10am through Ticketmaster. And, for the niche stuff: Ira Newble saw action for the second time as a Laker tonight. Newble managed to pull down one rebound in 2:37. So, his totals as a Laker now stand at two points and one rebound in 6:23.
Lately, I've been trying to shy away from the post-game posts. It seems like some of them just lack the substance that the Fox community deserves. Well, tonight, I couldn't resist.
The Lakers just walked out of one of the most hyped games of the season with a win. Twas not a huge win numerically, but it solidified 3-1 season series win over their division rival.
Win. Win. Win.
Kobe and Pau combined for 70 points (41 and 29, respectively). Kobe's finger didn't seem to get in the way of a 41 point outing, and, yet again, Mr. Gasol impressed me with his Spaniard flair and finesse. I know, I've prefaced just about everything Gasol does with the word 'Spaniard,' but there's no denying that Pau's game is elegant... and frankly, I find Spain elegant.
You saw that hook shot.
That aside, Lamar came out with a good showing, and despite missing 25 layups, he managed to score 22 and pull down 11.
Oh yeah, we almost forgot. Shaq made his Phoenix debut today (stache-less). I'll never be one to hate on The Diesel, but he looked very sluggish coming into the game... He almost looked confused walking out to center court before the opening tip. Nevertheless, Shaq did what he does best, and provided a huge presence physically down low. Despite getting off to a slow start, he managed for 15 and nine; just in the neighborhood of his season averages.
If we want to look past the Kobe-Shaq hype, Amare Stoudemire stole the show on the Phoenix side of things. 37 points and 15 rebounds really showcased Amare's abilities at the four. Steve Nash also chimed in with 22 points and eight assists.
The bottom line is that this was a fun game to watch. I was standing in front of the TV for the entire fourth quarter. That's how I judge the overall aesthetics o####ame... the 'stand-factor.'
Lastly, The Lakers' win boosted them into a tie with the Suns atop the Pacific Division. Upcoming games anyone?
Lakers: Suns:
Food for thought...
[edit: 1:53am] Check out Tom7's ####t on the game if you haven't already. It's like 400x more comprehensive.
Yahoo! Sports is running a rumor that the Lakers "are said to be looking hard for a more traditional small forward with shooting range. Perhaps the Washington Wizards' Caron Butler."
Trust me. As of now, this is nothing but a rumor.
The piece goes on to say "The word is they don't believe Lamar Odom can be that ultimate small forward to defend the wing and shoot from distance along the front line when Andrew Bynum returns."
This seems like bunch of garbage... for two reasons. (1) The fact that Yahoo! Sports and the Chicago Tribune are the only sources (that I could find) reporting the rumor. And, (2) The closing line: "Perhaps the Washington Wizards' Caron Butler" is not only unprofessional, but unsupported.
If anything, Lakers fans can work with this:
In his 2004-2005 season with the Lakers, Butler averaged 15.5 PPG and 5.8 RPG. Butler's averages have improved significantly in the past few years, resulting in a career-best 21.4 PPG so far this season. Lamar Odom is averaging 13.2 this season with 9.9 rebounds.
I know, it's just a rumor, but, try this on for size: C: Andrew Bynum PF: Pau Gasol SF: Caron Butler SG: Kobe Bryant PG: Derek Fisher
It's been a long couple of weeks here at VHP... I think the same can be said for the Lakers.
The Lakes handled the pressure of the road by putting up the best record on a nine-game road trip in the history of the NBA (at least that's what the media told me... *see bottom of page). With a tremendous (yes, tremendous) 117-92 win over the
(cough. 10 win) T-Wolves tonight, the Lakers locked up a 7-2 showing
over the tour of the eastern seaboard.
Sooo, remember when I did that preview of the trip
awhile back? Well, some of you made predictions in the comments
section, and I'm here to out you all! Now, before I list these, keep in
mind that these predictions were made prior to the Gasol trade, so they
likely hold no relevance whatsoever.
Hats
off to Hoffman for having the faith early on. Really though,
Lakersfan19II's prediction was as good as anyone's off the bat. Had the
trade not gone down, we likely could have seen a 2-7 outing. One final
time (because I know someone is going to say something about it), the
predictions were made before the Gasol trade.
...Moving on... It
may have been nearly 10 days since my last post, but don't be fooled...
I'm still drooling over the pure elegance and beauty of Pau Gasol's
game. I've said it before, and I'll say it again; that trade was HUGE.
There's no denying it now. February 1st might as well be Pau Gasol Day
in Los Angeles. I've never been a big fan of finesse centers, but in
(reportedly) a month, Gasol will be a finesse power forward... a
finesse power forward that averages 20 PPG, alongside a (hopefully)
80%-90% Andrew Bynum.
Pau Gasol Has A Posse.
In
Gasol's six games with the Lakers, he's keeping continuity with his
season averages, with 20.5 points and 8.3 rebounds. Some analysts have
pointed out the pressure that is being taken off Odom, now that he's
not the first option down low. Odom's PPG over the Gasol-era games has
stayed put at 13, however, he's managed to pull down 12.6 RPG, as
opposed to his season average of 9.7.
Don't let Kobe's might be
overshadowed in lieu of all of this Gasol back-scratching... Kobe
averaged 29 points on the trip... and, that includes a six point game
and an 11 point game (NJN and ATL respectively). Don't forget about the
dislocated finger, either. What's to come?
All-Star Weekend! (times are in Pacific... as usual)
The fun
kicks off on Friday at 4:00pm on ESPN with the celebrity game... What's
better than watching Taylor Hicks ball it up with Alyssa Milano?
Unfortunately the time slot is going up against the LPGA SBS Open on
the Golf Channel...
Also on Friday, is the Rookies vs.
Sophomores game. Jordan Farmar and the sophomores will do battle with
Kevin Durant and the rookies at 6:00pm on TNT. Oddly enough, I'm
actually looking forward to this game more than practically anything
else all weekend... unless, of course, Chuck and #### Bavetta decide to go at it again.
Saturday
brings the corporate-sponsored assorted skills challenges. Kobe is
listed as a participant for the three-point contest, but we'll get into
that in just a second..
The All-Star Game itself is going down
at 5:00pm on Sunday. Kobe is on the roster as a starter for the West,
however, AP reports "Kobe Bryant's finger is still bothering him, and
the Lakers star was set to see a
doctor in Los Angeles on Thursday to determine whether he'll play in
the All-Star game this weekend." [Full Story]
Not
to be forgotten (at all), is the Lakers Wednesday (2/20) matchup with
the Suns. The game is at 6:00 on ESPN, and is truly what the fans are
looking forward to. The Suns currently have a one game lead over the
Lakers for control of the Pacific Division, so this game could be a go-ahead contest.
[edit] Merry Christmas! "It's like Christmas every day," Bryant said. "We have so many
weapons here. I really just use my abilities to be a bait, continue to
create easy shots for my teammates and just move the ball and play well
together." [Full Story @ latimes.com] [edit: 12:03pm] Best nine-game roadie ever? Maybe not... In the comments of this post, GR8UN54 pointed out that the Spurs, in fact had gone 8-1 on a niner back in the 02-03 season. I checked it out, and as far as I can tell, he's right. Look: [edit: 12:15pm] Lakersfan19II pointed out that the Spurs' streak was broken up by the All-Star break. He's right. The 2003 All-Star Game was on Feb. 8th. Thus, the Lakers' 7-2 is best record on an uninterrupted nine-game road trip in the history of the NBA.
The Lakers unveiled their latest throwback tonight; the 1987-1988 World Champion rendition. Showtime was restored in La Cuidad, and the Lakes met the challenge, winning 123-113 over the Warriors, who were paying homage to the '75 team.
The Lakers posted SEVEN in dubs: Kobe (28), Andrew Bynum (20 and 11), D- FIsh (15), Vlad Rad (14), Lamar Odom (14 and 10), TREVOR ARIZA! (11), and Ronny Turiaf (10).
In my opinion, the unis stole the show. I typically lean more toward the technical side of the game, but tonight, the visions of my youth were re-hashed (read that in an elegant tone). It was good to see the Lakers rock the old digs, even though the only thing that's different is the color scheme on the numbers, and the absence of the v-neck. The casual observer may not have even noticed the difference, but long-time Lakers fans couldn't help but admire tribute to jersey worn by the Lakers from the mid-70s to 1999.
Phil Jackson finally agreed to that two-year extension that had been nagging at him for some time now. The move bothered me somewhat after Phil's demeanor over the past few games, but tonight's huge 127, 99 win over Denver sways my opinion quite a bit. Jackson set Thanksgiving as a deadline for his decision, and after a tough road trip through the East Coast, a coaching error in the final play of Sunday's contest with the Nets, and a sloppy win over one of the league's worst teams, we all figured something was going to give.
Jackson's decision surprised me... and almost angered me, but some six hours later, I see the light. I sometimes forget about the head the Jackson had on his shoulders. I sometimes forget that he commanded MJ and the Bulls to victory. I sometimes forget that he brought championship basketball back to LA. Sometimes Phil looks disinterested as a coach, but when he leads the Lakers to big wins; his presence is invaluable.
And a big win this was. Despite trailing by 17 at one point in the second quarter, The Lakers posted seven in double figures, including someone who came out of the woodwork to land a career high. Sasha Vujacic lit it up from the field, finishing with 22 points. Kobe (aptly enough) scored 24, Luke Walton came off the bench with 14, and Lamar Odom posted 12.
Andrew Bynum showed his stuff, snagging another double-double, with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The Lakers point guard tandem of D-Fish and Jordan Farmar put up 10 points respectively.
The best part to me, however was a result of the big lead... We finally got to see a lot more of the Bench Mob. The Lakers bench scored 63 points. That is HUGE.
We saw a lot of rookie, Javaris Crittenton, who scored seven points in five minutes.
We saw some more time out of newcomer Trevor Ariza, who laid some bricks at the line, missed a gimme, and impressed nobody.
SIDENOTES
Carmelo Anthony was ejected in the fourth quarter after nearly taking Sasha's dome off, in a play that resulted in a flagrant-two ruling after a video review.
Coby Karl scored 19 points in his first game with the Lakers' D-league affiliate, the Los Angeles D-Fenders.
In just the second good Lakers game of the season, Kobe posted 30, grabbed 8 boards, and since everyone in Los Angeles is counting, he smiled a couple of times.
Now when I say good, I don't mean that either team particularly played well, I mean it was fun to watch. The fact that I had to watch it on ESPN, however, was like pulling teeth. I know it's been said in various blogs since the beginning of time, but jeez, could ESPN's coverage of basketball be any worse? I don't want cute father-son moments between Bill and Luke Walton. I don't want to listen to a couple of guys that don't know much of anything about either team pretending like they do. And, I really don't want to sit through 60 seconds of analysis on the Ohio St. v Michigan during a time out with 29 seconds left in a two point game.
Time to explain my situation, for those of you who are not familiar with the Lakers broadcast schedule, all home games are broadcast on Fox Sports Net West, while all away games are broadcast on the terrestrial KCAL 9.
Because of school, this is my first season living outside of the Los Angeles television coverage area, and while we do have Fox Sports down here, we are without KCAL 9, and the beloved LTV pregame show. In effect, I'm lucky to get a road game on ESPN or TNT, because if not, I'm tied to the computer using NBA.com's free live audio, which is great, but it's just not the same.
Now that my diatribe is over, lets get to the game itself...
Lakers 93, Rockets 90
The Lakers jumped out to a huge lead, and held it through the half... Then the third quarter hit. Is it just me, or are the Lakers historically horrific in the third quarter?
They were outscored 22-14 in the third. Keep in mind that this was after Tracy McGrady went out with that injury on his right elbow.
Nevertheless, despite it being the second Houston v. Lakers game of the season to end in nail-biting three-pointer, the Lake Show walked out of the Toyota Center with a much needed win. Kobe's 30 points and 8 rebounds were backed by an overall solid showing from the supporting cast. D-Fish finished with 13 and Lamar Odom posted 10 and 7, despite admitting to "playing through the pain" on the Lakers postgame show on KLAC AM 570.
After the game Kobe had this to say: "It's very good for us to bounce back and come out
and play our best. It wasn't pretty the last two minutes. We wanted to
kick it up (in the second quarter) and I was able to get my game going.
My fade-away is my secret weapon. I'm entirely optimistic all the time."
This was one of those games where you find yourself appreciating Kobe, not because you like him, but because there's no way you would have won the game without him.
On the other side of the floor, Yao put up a stylish 26 points with 13 rebounds alongside Bonzi freaking Wells who added 21 and pulled down 10.
The Lakes head home with a 4-3 record, set to take on Detroit friday night.
around the league Chasing 0bscurity You know the drill... if not, see the last post.
Undefeated Boston Celtics (7-0) - next game: 11/16 vs. Miami - 4:30pm pt
Winless Golden State Warriors (0-5) - next game: 11/16 vs. Clippers
Thoughts Two teams succeeded from the ranks of "Chasing Obscurity" tonight. The Sonics finally got a win, beating the Heat tonight, bringing them to a spectacular record of 1-8, consequently, the loss brought the Heat to a 1-7 record. The T-Wolves beat the Queens by a score 108-103, bringing their record to 1-5.
Leg one of the over-hyped Lakers road trip through Texas resulted in a
predictable loss to the now 7-1 Spurs, in a game that saw phenomenal
team ball on the Spurs behalf... like that's out of the ordinary.
Basically, the main point of the night was centered on the
always-entertaining Kobe on Bruce Bowen match-up. Bowen covered Kobe
well, and outscored him, putting up 23, compared to Kobe's 18.
Jordan Farmar played well, putting up 16, along
side Lamar Odom, who kept up the pace from his debut on Friday, putting
up 12 points and grabbing 6 rebounds.
The Lakers simply got outplayed tonight, nothing much more can be said
for their effort, aside from the fact that they will need to rebound
big to beat Houston tomorrow.
Tomorrow night's game is the one that the Lake Show can realistically win. The Rockets are coming off of a 105-95 loss in Memphis, so there is room for the Lakers to snag a win from a team that looked pretty solid up until tonight. around the league Chasing Obscurity Chasing Obscurity is a tradition that I'll be carrying over from my previous blogging adventures that spotlights the league's undefeated and winless teams until there simply are no more. Why? Because that kind of thing gets me going.
Undefeated Boston Celtics (6-0) - next game: 11/14 vs. New Jersey - 4:00pm pt
Winless Seattle Sonics (0-8) - next game: 11/14 @ Miami - 4:30pm pt Minnesota Timberwolves (0-5) - next game: 11/14 vs. Sacramento - 5:00pm pt Golden State Warriors (0-5) - next game: 11/14 vs. Detroit - 7:30pm pt
Thoughts That Seattle v Miami game should be a real thriller. The 1-6 Heat play host to 0-8 Sonics... Look for the Heat to take advantage of the home floor in this one.
I'm not even going to attempt to talk about last Friday's Laker game. I made the hour and a half drive home for my high school's homecoming football game this weekend. Coincidentally, the game coincided with the Laker game. Basically, all I know is that they won; which they should have, going up against one of the worst teams in the league in the T-Wolves. I know that Odom made his debut with a double-double, and I know that despite dropping two games this weekend, the Clippers are still winning the battle for Los Angeles.
The Clippers two losses do, however signify that this team is not unstoppable. While they did face two tough opponents this weekend (Pistons and Cavs), there's really no excuse for a 4-0 team to get beat by anyone by 24 points (Friday: Spurs 103, Clippers 79) . Though the Clipps did play solid ball en route to a 103-95 loss to Clevaland on Sunday, it looks as if they have lost some momentum.
Momentum is something that the Lakers certainly could use going into this feared two-game road trip that has been dubbed the Texas Two-Step by the local media... I know. Let me explain.
The Texas Two-Step
1. Tuesday | Lakers @ San Antonio - 5:30 pm PT
2. Wednesday | Lakers @ Houston - 6:00 pm PT
Who would have thought? Two games in Texas in two days = The Texas Two-Step.
All jokes aside, these two games will be a pivotal point in early part of the season. Two big wins over two 6-1 teams might bridge the gap between mediocrity and contention.
It was a rather slow sports day in Los Angeles. No Lakers game, no Clippers game, and though nobody truly cares here, no Ducks game and no Kings game either.
Here's run through the rumor mill, news stand, and garbage pail:
A-Rod, who is seeking the biggest contract in the history of the league, is now ready to venture out into the free agent market. His agent, Scott Boras, a.k.a the dude that "ruined" game four of the World Series, reportedly used this week's GM meetings to pimp A-Rod to anyone who would listen. Among those listening closely, the Red Sox, Dodgers, Mets, and Angels. The Angels, however, stepped things up and appear to be the front runner, with this statement from GM Tony Reagins:"We're interested. We're going to speak to his people and see where they are," Reagins said. "They'll know where we stand and we'll go from there. You look to try to improve your club. If that's a piece that improves your club, you go for it."
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the mother of Clippers G/F Corey
Maggette has said "Corey would love to be a Bull.'' This is obviously a
case of "what were you thinking," but with Corey being the highlight of
the team while Brand is out, combined with the Clipps' 4-0 record,
countered by Chicago's 1-4 record (they finally won a game), I think
he's staying put.
Lamar Odom is expected to return to the Lakers starting line-up for Friday's game against the T-Wolves. Odom, who was sidelined in May after undergoing shoulder surgery will likely replace Luke Walton in the line-up in lieu of Ronny Turiaf's stellar play in the first four games of the season.
Good old Phil Jackson is already talking about next season... four games into this season. When asked about the status of his standing contract with the Lakers, he said "It will probably be before Thanksgiving, or around Thanksgiving time. That's a good time period." Jackson, who is still recovering from his second hip replacement surgery has mentioned that his heath, as well as the team's propensity to win a championship play a strong role in his decision.
Much to the chagrin of change-seeking Lakers fans, Jerry West has been said to be very much enjoying his retirement down time.
Ex-Euro soccer star Ruud Gullit will be announced as the new coach of the L.A. Galaxy in a press conference friday morning. ...Yet another expenditure that will likely get the Galaxy nowhere. Here's to hoping Gullit doesn't go down with a knee injury.
I'm a realistic observer of the vast world that surrounds the Los Angeles Lakers. You can thank Nick Van Exel, Eddie Jones, Elden Campbell, Cedric Ceballos, and Vlade Divac for making that possible. The greatest person of all time is Francis Dayle "Chick" Hearn. There's no getting around that. Me? I'm eighteen years old and working my way to a journalism degree.
You can call it wishful thinking, or you can call it forecasting, but I am awfully giddy. I haven't been this giddy since the Pau trade back in the beginning of February. 
double-doubles in the league since the All-Star break. Granted, a lot of them haven't been much above 10 and 10, Lamar has shown a ton of improvement in his new role as the third option. People have been saying it all season long. Lamar Odom is contributor, not a leader. The removal of the Lamar from the spotlight of being a second scoring option has been the best possible elixir for his previous lack of production. There's no telling if he'll be re-signed in the off-season, but, pending his performance in the playoffs, we might see Lamar sticking around. 
Lamar Odom pulled his weight tonight, setting a season high with 31 points; three off from a career night. Odom pulled down 10 rebounds, dished out five assists, and blocked two shots. Impressive? I'd say so.
What the heck is going on?
points. Kobe (aptly enough) scored 24, Luke Walton came off the bench with 14, and Lamar Odom posted 12.
They were outscored 22-14 in the third. Keep in mind that this was after Tracy McGrady went out with that injury on his right elbow.
Leg one of the over-hyped Lakers road trip through Texas resulted in a
predictable loss to the now 7-1 Spurs, in a game that saw phenomenal
team ball on the Spurs behalf... like that's out of the ordinary. 
The Texas Two-Step
