Can someone who got the INsider's access please paste the BJ Amstrong conversation for the purple gold loyal fans here? please please

B.J. Armstrong: Welcome! Thanks again for joining today's discussion and dialogue! The thought of the day: ''Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.'' Lets' begin.

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Scott (Austin): What adjustment do you think the Spurs will make to stop Devin Harris from destroying their defense again?

B.J. Armstrong: One is to control the tempo of the game. Give Avery and his staff credit for not only controlling the tempo and finding a way to get easier baskets. The Spurs are going to have to to is figure out how to play better offense and slow the game down to the mid-80s. When battling for the tempo one of the big things is to control that flow and be more efficient so they can play 5-on-5 defense on the other end of the floor.

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Mike (philly): BJ what are your thoughts on Kobe's performance saturday night?

B.J. Armstrong: We can all speculate about what was going through his mind, but the fact of the matter is they had no answers on defense in Games 6 and 7, and if you can't get stops then the offense is always at a disadvantage. It's not like Kobe comes in and is under the radar, either. Give the Suns credit for using their offensive game play to also get in good positions on defense. Kobe was doing the right thing by passing out of double-teams and if his teammates aren't hitting shots there's nothing else he can do. That's about all the analysis needed there.

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Bruce Grand Rapids Mi: Hey B.J.!! As a former player,did the Pistons let up last night in the fourth because of the big lead?Or did Cavs figure something out?

B.J. Armstrong: A lead like that makes it hard to keep the same intensity over the course of the entire game. The Cavs deserve credit for making that run and the Pistons have to find a way to stay motivated for 48 minutes. It's natural to have a slight letdown like that, but I'm sure these veterans will tighten the screws a bit and realize what they have to do on the road in Cleveland. But they're clicking and it will take a great effort from Cleveland to win a game or two in this series. They're feeling better after last night, I'm sure, and it will be interesting to see how both teams respond in Cleveland.

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Mark (Chicago): B.J. - How big of an effect will Richard Jefferson's injury have on the Nets/Heat series?

B.J. Armstrong: Any time a player of that caliber is out it hurts, no doubt. But Miami understands what else it has to do, namely keeping Shaq on the floor. That's bigger than anything else, including Jefferson's injury. If they can keep Shaq on the floor for 38 minutes they will be in the game and they surely feel keeping him out of foul trouble will offset anything the Nets can throw at them with Kidd, Jefferson, Carter or anyone else.

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Ron (Sacramento, CA): What do you think of the Rick Adelman situation? Where do you think he'll end up coaching next and who do you see manning the bench for the Kings next year? Thanks.

B.J. Armstrong: It's always sad when a coach is fired, especially a true gentleman like Rick Adelman. It's discouraging to see bad things happen to good people. But the only people who can turn things around there are the players. I hope Rick lands on his feet because he's a good coach and his record speaks for itself, as does his makeup. He is a great guy to be around and hopefully things work out for him.

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Dan (Chicago): As a former player, what do you think of the long delays between games? Would players rather play back-to-back nights??

B.J. Armstrong: If given a choice the guys want to play. You can practice and watch film all you want, but to be sharp and fresh you have to be going at game speed. You love to rest and get healthy, but everyone is banged up at this point and players would rather have quick turnarounds and stay in the moment, get on the floor and get things going.

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luke( Minnesota): hey B.J.!! what do you think about the Clippers performance?DO they have a chance to get to the Finals?

B.J. Armstrong: They do. I was surprised at the tempo of Game 1 against the Spurs and all the points they gave up, but they have scoring with Brand, Maggette and Cassel. If they want to win, though, they will have to make some defensive adjustments and get some kind of advantage on the inside with Brand and Kaman. It will be hard to outscore the Suns with their style. They believe they can play their style better than anyone and are committed to it, and I would say the Clippers will have to find a way to keep games under 100 points. They can score but they can't out-gun the Suns and realistically expect to win the series.

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Nate (Calgary, Canada): Was Steve Nash your pick for this seasons MVP? Why or why not?

B.J. Armstrong: Nash has had an excellent career and is certainly deserving of being not only in the discussion but also winning. You can make a case for just about anyone like Dirk, Kobe or LeBron, but I would have given my vote to Kobe. He is simply the best player in the game no matter how you look at it. Period. From what I saw this year there was no debate about that. Kobe is the best player in the game today.

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BJ Carmel NY: Will the pace at which the Suns play effect them in the long run of the playoffs. Can they keep this up or will they meet their physical demise against the grind it out Spurs or Mavs?

B.J. Armstrong: You could see that contrast with the Lakers in the first round where the grinding style gave the Suns problems. They have a unique style, starting with Nash's ability to break down perimeter defense and spread the floor for the shooters. It poses problems for defenses but at some point the game is going to get organized and slow down, and eventually the team that gets more stops will come out on top. It comes down to defending, rebounding and spreading the ball around and the team that does that best will be the champs.

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John, Houston: BJ, you're always bustin' out with great quotes and thoughts. Did you get them from all of the books The Zen Master made you guys read?

B.J. Armstrong: Phil has a great sense of humor and he was a great person to engage in conversation. He was excellent at breaking up the monotony of a long season, but I can't say I get them all from him. I just love to engage people and entertain their ideas and get into a dialogue about what they think and believe. And this is a great platform for that.

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Jose Aviles (Philadelphia): Hey BJ I know its all about the playoff but what's your thought about the trade issue in regards to AI or Webber .Which one is gona go and where.

B.J. Armstrong: Any time you miss the playoffs there are things to figure out for an organization, and I think it would be in the best interest of the team to explore any and all options to put the best team on the floor next year. If that means a trade for one or both needs to be explored then they will do that. Philadelphia demands excellence and Billy King and the rest of the organization will look at everything they can to make the team competitive again, no matter what players or teams are involved.

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Mustafa(Florida): BJ, Avery said Bowen was bear hugging Dirk, but the way i see it is Dirk Nowitki has to be aggresive and kinda get in Bowens head, take more shots and get near the basket and draw the foul?

B.J. Armstrong: Avery is accomplishing two things: drawing attention to the way Bowen is playing against Dirk, and letting Dirk know that his coach has his back and is supporting him. Still, Nowitzki has to not only be a shooter but also a scorer. He has to get 25 a night no matter what. Bowen is good at taking away options and Dirk has to get his no matter what. Dirk is an elite player, but finding ways to get to that highest level is the next step. Bowen is presenting a great challenge and I'm interested to see how Dirk responds the rest of the way after getting free a bit in Game 2.

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nico (montevideo): What else has 'Bron to do in order to beat the pistons? I mean, he posted 30, 14 and 7!!!!! that's huge!!!!!!!!!!!

B.J. Armstrong: All he can do is play his best every night. LeBron has had a marvelous season considering his age and experience. His learning curve is so accelerated right now and every game is another opportunity to see what needs to be done to get to a championship level. LeBron is always adding new things to his game, sometimes things it takes a while to notice. But it takes more than that one terrific player to win a title. If he can continue to glean information from this series it will be another step in the right direction for him and the team as a whole. They won a tough series against Washington and no matter what happens going forward this will be a good experience for them.

B.J. Armstrong: All he can do is play his best every night. LeBron has had a marvelous season considering his age and experience. His learning curve is so accelerated right now and every game is another opportunity to see what needs to be done to get to a championship level. LeBron is always adding new things to his game, sometimes things it takes a while to notice. But it takes more than that one terrific player to win a title. If he can continue to glean information from this series it will be another step in the right direction for him and the team as a whole. They won a tough series against Washington and no matter what happens going forward this will be a good experience for them.

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JJ< PR: Does KG is really on the market or is just an LA dream? thanks!!

B.J. Armstrong: If Wilt Chamberlain or Kareem can be traded, so can KG. A very unique situation would have to present itself, but he is not immune from a trade. They t-wolves are probably not actively shopping him, but there are likely teams out there who could absorb his contract. He is talented and would help any team in the league, but it is going to have to ba an absolutely perfect scenario for both teams involved.

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Chris (Roanoke): Which player in the draft do you think will have the most immediate impact?

B.J. Armstrong: Three guys come to mind first: Shelden Williams and JJ Reddick of Duke have the physical skills to contribute from Day 1 with whichever team drafts them. They will be a pleasant surprise for NBA teams. Another interesting guy is Brandon Roy, a terrific athlete and ballhandler who has a toughness that will serve him well at the next level. All three will be able to contribute immediately. They come from great programs and know how to get it done.

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David (Akron, OH): When the NBA Draft rolls around, will Dee Brown still be there when the Cavaliers pick? He would be the point guard they desperately need.

B.J. Armstrong: A player like Brown is always overcoming the odds with his size. He is a tough player, one of those guys who brings his high school football mentality to the floor. He has been very successful at the college level and would not be denied, and the same should happen at the next level. He understands winning and brings an understanding to the table of what he can do to help a team win. You can't teach that, and no matter what you think about how big or strong he is that is a valuable asset.

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jmac from Birmingham, MI: how bout them warriors? (the rice squad of course)

B.J. Armstrong: Sorry to say I haven't. I had some wonderful times at Brother Rice High and I support the Warriors any way I can, but it's tough to keep up. I wish the best for them, though, becuase I was helped along so much in my development by all the people there.

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John (NYC): What's your take on Aldridge from Texas, I think he is a perfect fit for the Bulls rather than Thomas?

B.J. Armstrong: He would be an excellent fit there, a 7-footer who can run, jump and block shots. Watching him I was surprised at his skill level as a big man and I think it would serve him well to go to a place like Chicago that is on the cusp of doing something big. A guy like him would be a good fit for the young core they have there and his athletic ability would be a nice fit. He can face up and shoot a bit and his skill set would shore up some things in the frontcourt to go along with the great young backcourt the Bulls have.

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toronto: if you were the gm of sacramento, would you re-sign bonzi to a multi year deal? or is the firing of adelman a sign that they are changing things in sac-town?

B.J. Armstrong: The fact is I have no idea what direction they are headed from a basketball and financial standpoint. But I can tell you that Bonzi had a great year and his performanc against San Antonio showed just how good he can be. But it will come down to what Bonzi is expecting in terms of money and how it fits with the structure the Kings have. But strictly looking at him as a player, Bonzi can still get it done. It'll be interesting to see what direction the Kings go with Wells and everyone else.

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Jason (Middletown, ct): What will Celtics do with another lottery pick and so many young players? Do you see a trade for a veteran to help Pierce out?

B.J. Armstrong: Right now they have a young nucleus that will have to perform sooner or later and make an impact in the win column. At some point potential will have to become actual for them. Pierce is at the height of his game and young players like Green will have to step up. It remains to be seen whether they can get an impact player at their draft slot, and you can bet Doc Rivers will do anything to get some help from Pierce. I expect that kind of player would be more readily available through trade or free agency than through the draft.

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Paul (Portland, OR): B.J., you seem pretty high on JJ Reddick. Some think he's going to struggle in the NBA. Does it depend on what team and system he ends up in?

B.J. Armstrong: You can dissect every player, but the thing about a guy like Reddick is that he is not just a shooter, he's a maker. He puts the ball in the basket. He has range from anywhere and there will be a chance for him to contribute in any kind of system. He does something very well and teams love to have guys like that. He could do well anywhere.

B.J. Armstrong: Thanks again for all the wonderful questions. I hope we found the answers. I'll talk to you all again next week!

Phil always let his players play 40 min, look at Smush, can he play 40 min a game ? If Sam Cassel play for Lakers, he will retire sooner than he wants. The problem with Lakers is we don't have money, we don't create any moves, we don't have any player to shoot the ball well. The only hope, Lakers can keep Mimms, LaRon Profit. When Fox, Horry, Fisher gone, i don't see any good player from Lakers, George, and Kareem Rush not consistent. Some good point guard like Mike James, Speedy Claxton out there, but the same answer: we don't have money !

Regarding the Keown piece.... so Kobe does a brush off gesture after the Raja clothesline, and he's criticized for THAT????

This is really getting out of hand.

Query,

I'm pretty sure that as of last Monday, when BK heard Kwame talk during his press conference, that he still hasn't talked to the police. Personally, I have a "no news is good news" attitude. The longer things go without an announcement of sorts, the better the chances of this eventually being dropped, in my opinion. But of course, we will keep you informed as events happen.

AK

BK,

I don't anticipate finishing my response to you from yesterday's debate until Sunday. Many things to do, I wrote some last night, it's coming along but I want to get it right so I'm going to take my time. It should be finished sometime Saturday, which would allow me to post it on Sunday. Have a great day.

mike

thanks AK. I agree that no news is good news. If the claim were solid it wouldn't take this long to "investigate."

BJ Armstrong mentioned J.J. Reddick. Am I the only one who hopes he slips to the Lakers at the 26th pick? I mean I feel like we're not expecting much out of our pick this year being that it is such a weak field, one that is not going to yield what we need (a savy point guard) late in the first round. Why not go for a specialist? He could be our Steve Kerr.

Or is it the case that this is such a weak field that Reddick at the 26th pick is completely out of the question? In my opinion, most lottery teams have bigger holes than Reddick can fill.

Shakobe&Meyers,

I don't think Reddick will fall to 26. To me he is going to be a bust on a lottery team because he will need other people to create shots for him and cover his a$$ on defense, and usually lottery teams need impact guys that can do that stuff for other players. But every mock draft or report I see has him in the top 10-15.

I like the suggestion of going for Kukoc and BJax, I think they both would help this squad trememdously. then in the draft we should take Shannon Brown from Michigan State just so we could have someone in the Dunk Contest. Plus, we just need some athletes, we're a little low in the athletic ability category (see Luke Walton, Brian Cook, Aaron McKie, etc.)

i'm getting sick of these sports writers turned psychologists... they're so good, they can read kobe's inner most feelings w/o even having him on the couch.

keown, simers and the rest of the raging idiots would be the very same ones talking about kobe's "rehabbed" image if we would've got a rebound

mankind can be so fake and petty

Thanks Blind Worshipper for giving us your Insider pass!!!

I personally think they pulled a "Reggie Bush" on Kwame. Waited to the day of the game to make their announcement and got into his head to where he couldn't perform well anymore. He hasn't be interviewed, he hasn't been arrested, he hasn't been charged. Something fishy is up.

I am very happy with this season. We made great strides. I am soooo pumped for next season.

I am so sick of everyone blaming KOBE. He can never win with the media. He shoots to much he is a hogger; shoots to little he blew the game on purpose. PLEASE!!! Except for one game (game #6) he played the same way. He took what the defense gave him and when double teamed he dished it to open players. We lost the playoff series because we lack a DECENT point guard. Smush played 42 minutes in game #6. WHY???? He was 0 for 5 shooting. And you cant say he played so many minutes because Nash scored 32 points. The samething happened the from game #5-7. Thats it I am going to start a Rumor that SMUSH quit on the Lakers. Becaus there is no way anybody could possibly play so bad 3 games in a row.

Lets see if Mitch Kupcake will for ONCE acquire a player who can truly push us to the next level. NO MORE VLADE's, AARON MCKIE's, CHUCKY ATKINS!!....is there a firemitch.com somewhere????

Will,

You are so right. If Shaq did the brush off gesture after getting knocked to the ground, everyone would be laughing and calling it another great moment in Shaq history like his Godfather quote.

I doubt Redick will slip to 26th. I mean he averaged like 28 points a game that has to count him to at least the top 15. And while he is slow-footed he is also savvy and more athletic than guys like Trajan Langdon and Steve Kerr. It's probably a good bet that the Suns with their annoying picks before us are like - "Awesome another guard who can shoot 3's! Plus he can't defend! A perfect fit for our stupid system!" (JK).

However everyone knows he would make a much more awesome complement to Kobe and Lamar off the bench and he is much more athletic than Steve Kerr. Maybe the Lakers can trade up for him because there isn't really a must-have prospect in these drafts and maybe a lot of teams would be more willing to gamble on a future pick than waste the 1st round money on the current one.

In light of all the things we need...and I agree, a starting PG would be frontmost. A PF would be great, athletes bring them on! But I think we're overlooking a Devean George kind of player. I don't think we're going to be able to/we're going to sign him this year. So I think we need to look for a defender and shooter much like him. Remember at some point this season, when he was out, and it became glaringly obvious that Kobe, at "free safety" was our ONLY defender? Then he came back, and though struggled offensively, I really see him more as a defender...after all for a better part of the (late) championship years, with Fox injured, he was mostly our key player defender (well him and Kobe, but you know what I mean).

That said...who would we get...let's face it, in the offensive centric nba today, defenders are getting harder and harder to find.

In regard to the Don Sterling article by Simers, I think a leopard always shows his spots & Sterling's cheap ways will show themself soon.

Mind you, I'm not a Clipper hater or anything (I'm rooting for them to finish what we started) but I just can't see them re-signing Cassel & I believe he's the difference on that team!! He & Vlad Rad are the only additions & I think NBA "investment" strategy always say "Buy Young" & that's one thing Sam isn't.

I think they brought Sam in to mentor Livingston for the season with the thought that Livingston will start next year. With that said, if Mike James won't bite on the 5mil. maybe Sam will take it!!!

Its all wishful thinking but Smush (if he stays) could benefit from Cassel's leadership skills!!!

AK,

So, you know the obvious holes this team needs to fill, but if you're playing GM for the moment and you have the 26th pick in the draft do you look at getting someone with great athletic ability, regardless of position, or someone that could fill the holes we have?

Andrew Z,

To be honest, I'm not totally up at the moment on who'll be coming, who's staying, etc. But I will be as the day gets closer, so I'm sure it'll be a future post for BK and I.

AK

Very cool, thanks.

Not that this is really on the topic, but I think the fund raiser was for Make-A-Wish or something last year and the Boston Red Sox donated a prize to an auction and it was to spend a day with the front office in the war room on the first day of free agency. Do you how much money the Lakers could raise for their foundation if they gave people a chance to be in the war room on draft day? I'm sure some really rich guy would pay thousands to yell at Kupchak for picking another soft Euro.

Thank goodness we wil not be getting JJ, so everyone needs to get off that. Has anyone everheard of Curtis Staples, naw I dont think too many of you have. He and JJ have a very similar game in which all they do is shoot threes.I'm sorry but that wont even close to getting it done. Kerr's game was weak and we all know he was a specilist on a great team already which made him respectable. We all know the lakers are not great yet so there is no sence in picking up any three point specialists. Bjax would be a nice fix if phill can convince him to stop shooting stupid threes.

completely unrelated but funny!

nba lookalikes:
http://www.shamsports.com/lookalikes.htm

especially liked Sam Cassell ---Martian in page 2! ;-)

Mitch,

What did Kobe said about Barkley?

i really am fed up with all these kobe criticism, the kid can do no right, scored 62 in 3 qtrs against dallas, he was picked on for not going for a record and cheating the fans, then he goes for 81, rallying the lakers back from a 3rd qtr 15pt deficit, and they said his teammates were bored with him, and they weren't excited on selfish runs. he beats his chest after game 4, they called it arrogant, he brushed his shoulder after bell's foul, another form of arrogance (may be he shoould have fought bell, get suspended and get blamed for causing the lakers the series). didn't tim thomas show his tongue and his chest, i guess nothing is wrong with that except you're kobe. they say he copies jordan with that clenched fist move, jordan didn't even invent that move, tiger woods does it too, all of the soccer world, tennis etc it is a sign of victory from a comback. rip hamilton does all the time. kobe is regarded as cocky in his interviews ( we all know he doesn't say much, his answers are premeditated to avoid being misconstued by the press, but has anyone ever listened to arenas talk, how he wants to kill anybody in his way, the assassin, but no one calls him arrogant. lebron takes only 3 shots in the 1st loss the pistons and no one said he tanked the game. isn't it funny that people who wrote the lakers off against the the suns are thesame people blaming kobe for losing the series? the truth is, they know that if there is no kobe,there no news. when they write about other athletes in the nba, nobody responds. they love to hate him. (sorry about the length, had to get this off my chest, thanks for reading).

All Defense 1st and 35 5 5 and no MVP? It's funny the voters have no problem saying he is the best player pubicly and no problem saying he is the best defender at his position. Yet they will not let him be MVP and 5 even leave him off the ballot. The MVP ballots must have been mistakenly sent to hockey and baseball writers. This is ludicrous.

McGarnagle,

I second the motion to what you have observed about Parker & Ginobli. How about the Suns getting Tim Thomas after the Bulls let him go? During Summer, Colangelo traded Johnson for Diaw, Barbosa etc from Hawks. So far, who did Mitch Kupchack get from European players aside from drafting Medevenko & Vujacic? Of course, Not all foreign drafts turned-out gold like the ones drafted by Golden State and Clippers, Kings they're still adjusting to NBA. Isn't it nice if we discover a guy with talents similar to Kirilenko or Nowitski?

AK,

Can you give us background or what scouts do during the season and off-season like Bill Bertka, Ronnie Lester and most recently added, Vlade Divac & Rudy Tomjanovich? Do you have an inside information on what they have contributed to the team? Do we have Laker scouts in South America and Asia?

For the position of General Manager -

AK/BK, folks this is a topic we could explore, I'm sure a lot of bloggers have suggestions to Dr. Buss or Jim Buss. I will throw the name of Magic Johnson or Michael Cooper as better manager than Mitch K, they too played the Championship team and have contacts worldwide on best players that could populate the Lakers.

Analyzing the hasty moves made in 2004 as well as the hysteria, I dislike the style of Mitch using the media in dealing with a cry baby like Shaq, then trading him hastily at a bargain. The worst part of that is getting a dilapidated player with a bad knee,Brian Grant's as well as huge contract to fill-in Shaq's contract, then trading Gary Peyton & Fox to Boston with another bargain plus our 1st round draft of 2006. Finally, he cut-off Fisher who was asking for a longer contract. The results of dismantling a Championship team reflected what we got in return from that trade - from a contender in '04 to 12th place in the West in '05. With the addition of Kwame, Smush & McKie a first round elimination in the playoffs in '06, paid 30M for a coach but still suffering from the salary cap phobia or tip-toeing around it. Where is the meat or the savings?