The Lakers take the floor at the Honda Center in Anaheim in just about seven hours. For the first time since June, the Purple and Gold will grace the hardwood in a meaningful game.
Meaningful?
My point, exactly. This game shouldn't matter... But, to anyone that follows Lakers basketball, IT DOES.
Tonight's game had been marked on calendars since the preseason schedule was announced way back when, and I must say, this very well may be the most anticipated Lakers pre season game ever.
Bigger than last season, when nobody was sure if Kobe would even show up.
Bigger than 1996, when the duo of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant first saw light
Bigger than 2003, when Gary Payton, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, and Shaquille O'Neal were all on the same damn team.
Why?
Because of all of the variables. Sure, coming off of a Finals appearance doesn't hurt, but the 2008-2009 Lakers are an open book of uncertainty. And, it's not necessarily even the bad type of uncertainty. Some of it revolves around finding a home for Lamar Odom (one of the league's most versatile players... when he feels like it), in the offense. Something that produces results regardless.
Some, however, is a little more serious. Questions like "Are Pau and AB going to mesh offensively?", "Will Andrew's knee hold up?", and "Is Josh Powell going to be a formidable replacement for the irreplaceable Ronny Turiaf?" have been asked all off-season and training camp long.
Well, today folks, some insight will be shed. Not speculation. Numbers, and pictures, and videos, and quotes.
Even though it's "juuust an exhibition...," heaps of ambiguity will be brought to a close.
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.
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.
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:
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.
The Lakers' woes appear to be in the rear-view mirror.
I say appear, because we all know how crazy this season has been thus far and there's always the propensity for it to get crazier.
If things go as planned, the Lakers will have both of their big men on the floor in a matter of games. Not weeks, not months. GAMES.
First order of business--Jonathan Abrams at The LA Times is reporting:
"The Lakers received their most upbeat medical report in weeks after
practice on Tuesday: Pau Gasol is expected to play tonight when the
Lakers play host to the Portland Trail Blazers, after missing nine
games because of a sprained left ankle.
Gasol underwent a full practice Tuesday, afterward labeling his ankle a little sore but showing progress.
His ankle is not fully healed but good enough to give it a go tonight.
"That's
the main question, right?" Gasol said. "If nothing crazy happens and
the ankle responds well to the work today, I think it's a pretty good
guess that I'll be out there."
Gasol is averaging 18.9 points
and 8.5 rebounds. He has played 19 games at center for the Lakers,
filling in for injured Andrew Bynum, since being acquired in a Feb. 1
trade. The Lakers are 15-4 with Gasol in the lineup, and were 5-4 in
his absence as Ronny Turiaf and DJ Mbenga played center and the team
slipped a bit in a tight Western Conference race."
So, one piece to the puzzle is back. To boot, the news on the second piece to the LONG AWAITED twin-tower front line is good as well.
We know Andrew Bynum will be traveling on the Lakers upcoming two-gamer through Sacramento and Portland on Sunday and Tuesday. "It's not really connected to his injury per se. It was just the amount
of work that he's started to be able to do, which is impressive,"
Jackson said. "I told him to expect to go on the trip to Sacramento and Portland. Whether he can play or not, it
may not be that time, but he's going to go through the workouts and
practices and the pregame and whatever we have."
I wouldn't expect either Pau or Andrew to be 100%, but their returns are definitely going to be instrumental to the team's performance coming down the stretch.
Also, some rather niche things for the Lakers fans:
-If you didn't catch the news yesterday, the Lakers signed Ira Newble for the rest of the season. Newble only saw action in his first game in a Lakers uniform, scoring two points and pulling down two rebounds in 3:46 on March 21.
-Derek Fisher is listed in the Lakers' injury report as day-to-day with that partial tear of a tendon in his right foot. Fisher, who is expected to play, played through the pain on Sunday, scoring 17 points in 32:53.
Finally, for those of you as interested as I am about the $75,000 Alter-G Treadmill that has been making headlines, Lakers.com put out a video explaining the machine.
With a 13 point loss to the Bobcats and Kobe's anger management issues fresh in the minds of Laker Nation, here's some potentially good news.
Today, Lakers.com posted a video documenting Andrew Bynum's rehab process. If you don't have three minutes to blow on, basically, music video of a dude working out, here's a synopses:
"On Monday, Andrew continued to workout the knee through a series of of
weight-training exercises aimed at strengthening the area where the
injury occurred. The center also ran for several minutes on the team's
Alter-G treadmill that simulates low gravity situations. Since the
machine controls what percentage of body weight a player runs on, it is
less physically demanding for an athlete returning from an injury."
The knee has had 11 weeks of healing, and from the looks of thing in the video the recovery is going smoothly.
The high point of the video was finally getting to see this $75,000 treadmill that we've been hearing about for the past few months.
Also, after reports of Pau Gasol's return being pushed back to Wednesday, the LA Times is reporting:
"Center Pau Gasol might return Sunday against Washington after a pain-free day with his sprained left ankle.
He did some one-on-one drills Thursday with assistant coach Kurt Rambis
at the team's training facility. Some post moves still bothered him
when he made quick turns, but he felt "pretty good," he said. "I'll
just wait until probably Saturday to go through a full practice, see
how it feels."
Finally, Kwame Brown will make his return to Staples tonight. Kwame hasn't seen minutes in the Grizzlies' last four games, but when he does, he's good for anywhere from 0 to 8 points -- 8 being his high since the trade. On the other hand, Javaris Crittenton might be factor of sorts in this game. Since the trade, J-Critt's high is 22 points and he's seen increased playing time in the past couple of games. Regardless, I'm excited to see Crittenton ball again... AND, I'm more excited to see the greeting Kwame gets IF he manages to sneak into the game. Grizzlies at Lakers [Fox Sports]
[edit: 7:14pm] Well, when it rains it pours. Derek Fisher has been diagnosed with a partial tendon tear in his right foot.
"If this happened during the middle of the season or something like
that, he would probably rest for six to eight weeks in order to heal,"
Lakers spokesman John Black said. "It's a pain and inflammation thing.
If he can play, he'll be on anti-inflammatory and pain medication and
try to play through it."
So there we have it. Both members of the Lakers back-court are now "playing through pain."
Los Laguneros contra Los Guerreros -- Domingo. Domingo. Domingo.
That's right.
Tomorrow is Noche Latina en La Ciudad. We've seen a few teams rock the "Los" in front of their respective name, and the Lakers will be the next. The occasion goes hand in hand with the 7th annual 'Fiesta Lakers' at the L.A. Convention Center. Aside from that, I can't find any other info.
The feedback on the jersey is mixed. From an aesthetics standpoint, I think the 'Los' looks too crammed up there. From a culture standpoint, I think it's wrong to criticize the jerseys (unless you pull the "monetary ploy by the NBA card"). According to Wikipedia, the Hispanic and/or Latino demographic makes up 46.5% of Los Angeles' population, plus Latino art and culture plays a big role in what makes Los Angeles Los Angeles.
My understanding is that the Warriors will don the famous "The City" unis. That's kind of unfortunate. "Los Warriors" would have been interesting.
"NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Pau Gasol sprained his left ankle and needed
help limping off the court in the first quarter of the Los Angeles
Lakers' game against the New Orleans Hornets on Friday night. Gasol was running into the lane looking for a potential offensive
rebound when he appeared to step on teammate Vladimir Radmanovic's foot.
Gasol
came up lame, favoring his left leg, as the Hornets took the ball the
other way, then was helped to the locker room after New Orleans scored
and the Lakers called timeout.
Lakers officials said the 7-foot
starting center, who is averaging 19.2 points and 8.6 rebounds this
season, would not return to the game." [Fox Sports]
[Edit 11:08pm] The Lakers official "Basketblog" reports: "The ankle sprain is severe enough that he will miss the remainder of the Lakers 4
game road trip. Pau will be re-assessed in the next few days to
determine the full extent of the injury."
CAMike, in the comments of this post, pointed this out:
"Interesting that all three injuries (Bynum, Ariza, Gasol) occured with contact from another Laker."
All that said, Lakers @ Houston - Sunday - 12:30pm - ABC
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.
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.
I could probably leave this post blank and let the title do the talking, but there's more to it than that.
Kobe Bryant scored in single digits for the first time in over a year. Okay. So what? Well, hell froze over tonight because not only did Kobe finish the game 22.5 points under his season average, but he did it with the biggest smile I've ever seen KB24 don.
I couldn't help but smile myself. I just witnessed a team on the brink of falling to mediocrity just one week ago, make the trade of the year, gain confidence from the sentiment, then preform well following the deal. What more could I ask for?
Oh yeah. Andrew Bynum in 4-5 weeks.
Now, I hate to gloat, and I'd like to think that I keep it fairly unbiased over here at VHP, but is it too much for me to say that I'm honestly happy right now? I know I sound like a tool, but coming home from a pretty crappy day at school, this game MADE ME HAPPY.
It might just be Pau magnifying the situation, but the Lakers appear to on the right track... and Kobe's attitude is the most telling indicator.
Kobe interrupted KCAL 9's interview with Pau to say "si me gusta!" ...It's definitely not a stretch to say that Kobe is giddy. Giddy = good.
Lakers 105, Nets 90 | Don't let me downplay D-Fish's performance tonight. Fisher lit up the Nets, posting 28 points, 16 over his average. Vlad Rad scored 16 and Lamar chimed in with 14 and 15. Kobe's six points came on the dislocation of his pinky finger, and reported numbness early on. On the other sode of the ball, Vince Carter dropped 27, while Bostjan Nachbar posted 24 and 10.
Because I had to | Kwame made his Memphis debut tonight, posting four points and three turnovers in 15:47 in a 97-102 loss. J-Critt chimed in with five points in just under eight minutes. Because I really had to | Kwame on practice in Memphis: “It was pretty good, different, a lot of running, we run a lot more than we did in L.A.”
Lakersfan19II and Hoffman already have this covered, so all I really have to say is:
"Los Angeles has acquired Pau Gasol from the Grizzlies in exchange for
Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton and first-round picks in 2008 and 2010,
according to multiple published reports."
[edit: 2:26pm] It's Official. Press Release:
The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired forward Pau Gasol in a trade with
the Memphis Grizzlies, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch
Kupchak. The Lakers will also receive the Grizzlies second round draft
choice in 2010. In exchange Memphis will receive forward Kwame Brown,
guard Javaris Crittenton, guard Aaron McKie (who the Lakers signed
earlier today), the draft rights to Marc Gasol and first round picks in
2008 and 2010.
Gasol, a 7th year player out of Spain, is averaging 18.9 points, 8.8
rebounds and 1.44 blocked shots per game this season. The 27 year old
7’0” forward/center has career averages of 18.8 points and 8.6
rebounds. A 2006 NBA All-Star and 2001-02 NBA Rookie of the Year, Gasol
also won a gold medal with Spain at the 2006 FIBA World Championships
while being named tournament MVP.
“We’re extremely pleased to be able to make this trade.” said
Kupchak. “Pau is a proven player of all-star caliber in this league who
can score and rebound and he’s still a young player. We feel this move
strengthens our team in the short term as well as the long term.”
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.
I lied. 
his playoff-high in scoring, which is 50, in overtime on 5/4/06. 
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.
First order of business--Jonathan Abrams at The 
"NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Pau Gasol sprained his left ankle and needed
help limping off the court in the first quarter of the Los Angeles
Lakers' game against the New Orleans Hornets on Friday night.
Press Release:
