You guys are the best. Thanks for feeding us news during this dry period.

As difficult as this season was, I am still optimistic for 2006-2007. I don't know if any significant players can be acquired, but hopefully Lamar and Luke will be more consistent, and Kwame, Smush, Sasha, Ronny, and Andrew Bynum will continue to improve.

Thanks BK, as much as I like making fun of you, you do somewhat of a quality job.

"I don't know. I'm going to get in and work on my jump shot, and come in expecting to play the four. If they make changes, then I'll be ready for that, too."

We'll see if he can do it. I like his post defense more than Mihm's but just like what Mike T says, if he can hit those jumpers like he did during the first 4 games of the playoffs, I think he can actually play PF. We'll just see how much we works in the offseason. I hope that he works out alot with Kareem and improve his hands as well as the things he said above. If he can do that, well, look for more "What did Brown do for you?". I do know that if Brown and Mihm are on the court at the same time and both are productive that defense will be even better since you got practically 2 centers to clog the hole and Kwame has the ability to defend against other PF like Rasheed Wallace and Kevin Garnett. If those 2 big men defend and score in double figures, combined with LO and his triple doubles, along with Kobe doing his playmaking and scoring we will be great. In a previous post I supported a notion to put Smush in Golden state for Derek Fisher and I think that our PG woes could be over. And when Mihm's contract expires, Bynum will be most likely be ready for the NBA. We will also have great 2nd tier reservists in 3 other positions with Walton backing up Odom, Cook backing up Kwame or Ronny, Mihm being backed up by Bynum or Ronny, and Sasha backing up whoever is our PG. Will most likely be Smush but I could see a great trade for good old Derek F. Resign Profit or sign Rush as Kobe's backup. Draft a SF and a better SG in the 2nd Round than Von Wafer and I think we'll have a very great team with a great coach at the helm.

The 2005-2006 season was a comeback stage, the next should be the championship one.

If Kwame can make a jump shot, can he also manage to learn to hit the 3 point one? Hitting the 3 or not will not instantly make you a great Power Forward but if Kwame can do that, it'll be a great assett. LO as a PF could do it, KG did it. If Kwame really works out even more, I think the word "bust" will be forgetton just as much as MJ early in his career had the term "ball-hog" in his name. It took a legendary coach to do what 1 underachieving and 1 mediocore at best couldn't do: help Kwame Brown understand his potential and use it.

A strong defensive team, combined with a great player like Kobe, an all star caliber LO, and a hopeful rising Kwame could make this team go further in the playoffs. We will just have to see how much further.

Seriously, Andrew and Brian, you guys should be very proud of what you have built here with the Lakers blog. I've been a participator from day one and it honestly keeps getting better and better. I see this blog as a virtual living room. A place to celebrate victories with your Lakers brethren (and sistren) or be consoled after tough losses. I wanted to thank you guys for being true fans and putting in so much work to make this so more than just a blog.

-Romy

BK,

Thank You very much, I still have hope you can find Kobe's coference,

I like Kwame and I think he will improve next season. Kwame has more confidence, he likes playing with the Lakers and I think that's motivating him to play better.

marvellous piece, kudos, k bros! i said i was going to stop reading this blog until the summer, yeah right, i held up for one day, after the game 7 loss, since then i have been visiting religiously everyday! it's addictive, i need help.

I love this blog.

GO THEIF!!!

I wonder if Kwame's foot injury somehow messed up his 'ability' to catch a baseketball!?

It seems that his head is in the right place; that he has got the right work ethic. It would be great if someone (say Magic or Kareem, maybe even PJ) were to take him aside and say, 'you have the opportunity to be an incredible basketball player, but you are going to have to nearly kill yourself if you want to live out that possibility!' It seems to me that that is what he needs; to work harder at being a basketball player than he ever has. Being the first pick in the draft clearly messed him up a bit (that and having MJ screaming at him). He must have made the unconscious calculation that his talent would get him by.

I think Kwame has the potential to be a great player, but he is going to have to want to be great. That is clearly the issue for KB...it will be interesting to see what happens with this guy.

Speaking of Laker Centers, I'm suprised AK/BK never linked to Kareem's exciting new project:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgmyaSPFSnA&search=stephen%20colbert

Man... Kwame's going to start jacking up shots from the wing? I don't know about this plan. Maybe he can work on a sick bank shot like Duncan, he needs just one shot that he knows he can fall back on. If this happens, we can get a scaled down "twin towers" action going on with Mihm and Kwame out on the floor. Should be interesting if Kwame can really get a decent shot... considering everyone else on the roster (expect Kobe) has a hard time being consistent.

On a side note, with Odom and Kwame (to some degree) coming around and playing the way we envisioned them to play... they are shaping up to be pretty decent "trade bait." Now there is a lot of rumors, more like wishful thinking, of KG coming to town, with the best offer being Odom/Kwame/Bynum. Do you think KG is worth losing our "only" playmaker, decent defender and big body in Kwame, and most importantly our future superstar center (assuming Bynum actually pans out)? It seems that by trying to trade for KG, we might actually be taking a step back. Yes, we will have a great... I mean AWESOME duo in Kobe and KG, especially since both of the player's personalities will allow them to coexist with Kobe's being the "dominator" while KG doesnt mind sharing the ball. But we lose depth, which we were already short on, and what happens once KG's age starts to take effect on his play? I think KG has a good 4-5 years of all star game in him... then I dont if he's going to be able to keep the same intensity level going. In the meantime, Kobe will be getting older, he'll still have a few years left in him but who'll be there to help him out then? We dealt our future "star" away to get an aging vet. Just a thought... but while the idea of having Kobe and KG play together sounds great... if we lose Odom, Kwame and Bynum... we're still in a position where we have gaping holes, especially at the SF spot. Thoughts?

Is there anyone else out there who thinks Kwame is a horrible excuse for a presence in the land defensively? There wasn't one person who was afraid to take the ball to the hole against the guy. At least with Chris Mihm we had a guy who was quick off his feet and challenged shots. Sure, he doesn't have the sheer size of Kwame, but his skill level and heart and leaps and bounds ahead of Kwame. In my eyes Kwame has a long way to go before I start thinking he's worth anything. I think he played so crappy in the beginning of the year that the rest of you, lowered your expectations so far that you thought he was the next Kareem because he stopped dropping every pass thrown his way (which he picked back up in the playoffs by the way). He's obviously going to be back next year because he's a year away from being worth anything as trade bait, but I'm not ready to give him any starting spot in our line-up just yet.

Maybe it's just me, but it didn't sound like he was really into getting into shape, and working on his game. Yeah it's cool that he wants to achieve the goals the coaches/team have set for him, but what about the goals he wants to set for himself. Wanting to get healthy is good, but he really didn't seem to know what he wanted to do other than get healthy. My point is, if he's really not motivated to do the things the coaches ask, he won't be successful. He has to have a voice somewhere inside of him willing, and pushing him to get better, or all this talk will be for nothing. I hope i'm wrong and he is motivated, but if not he is a waste of talent, and our time.

Another thing about Kwame, why do the coaching staff, management, and fans have to put the guy in lower pressure situations so he doesn't fail? He's a professional athlete at the highest level, at this point he shouldn't be handled like a teenager anymore.

Which brings me to another thing, during these exit interviews does it bother anyone else that the coaching staff has to tell these guys to work out in the offseason? Should we be so amazed that Kobe Bryant trains, practices, and prepares as much as he does or should that be the norm? I'd like to hear the one interview where the guy says "we didn't win the title so I'm going to take a two week trip to Hawaii and then I'm going to work harder than ever to hang the next banner in Staples. There's my offseason for you." Now that would get you some fan support.

Andrew Z,

Sad to say but I think that is the norm. That's why you see players all over the nba that aren't fundamentally sound (it's not just because they didn't go to college or whatever). It's also important to remember that great players always have their own "drive" and that drive leads them to perform/practice and play at a much higher clip than anyone else. We're not asking Kwame to be great, just to not be a bust ;-)

I'm not saying work ethic is outdated, I think for the most part, in the nba work ethic, individual work ethic is rare (which is why I personally like Kobe as much as I do). Other players simply do as they're told (not sure if there's anything really wrong with that).

Faith,

I guess I just didn't want to admit that. And I agree, it's why I like Kobe so much. I also think that's why I get a sense of trust when i watch a game and he's on the floor, because you know he prepared and worked harder than anyone else out there. Obviously it shows.

I think the funniest line I've heard in awhile (other than Michael T saying this current Laker team could win 72 games) is "We're not asking Kwame to be great, just to not be a bust ;-)"

I now know how my parents felt about me.

Santa Monica,
I agree. He was quoted after game 4 saying that he was surprised when Phil had said that the Lakers needed to be play like they were in a must-win situation. In a lot of ways he just doesn't seem to understand the game, and he should by now.

Andrew Z
"Which brings me to another thing, during these exit interviews does it bother anyone else that the coaching staff has to tell these guys to work out in the offseason?"

Shaq's name ring a bell here?

On this team, with the double coverage that Lamar and Kobe get, Kwame (or Mihm) ought to be able to get 20 points a game. At this point Mihm is more capable of that (if he continues to cut down on his fouls). Kwame hasn't shown that he is yet.

If everyone on the team prepared as well as Kobe did for the games, we'd still be talking about the Lakers' playoff chances right now.

Kwame shooting 3s? cmon man. thats a joke right? whos going to try to rebound for miss shots? whos dumb enough to let kwame take a 3pters at end of game.... or anytime during the game for that matter? how can you compare kwame with lamar or kg? they're not even the same type of players. you think shaq doesnt know how to do a cross over? SURE HE DOES!! why doesnt he do it and try to juke ppl out? cause he's not a moron. kwame's got to utilize his strength.

Lamar Show,

The only thing that would scare me more is my girlfriend telling me she has something to tell me as she places an EPT box on the counter.

i just wanted to throw this in. there is no way for kwame to work on his ball dropping. this isn't soccer or football, in basketball that is a result of nervousness, either thinking too much or not expecting the ball. when you make a move in your head before getting the ball, most likely you will travel or not catch it. with confidence comes rythym. as for kwame playing 4 or 5, doesn't matter, the real issue is being on the court with mihm at thesame time. cos' when mihm is posting low sometimes, he would be open at the elbow for a 15 footer, he can either do two things from there, 1, hand off, or 2, shoot a jumper. that's why he wants to go work on that jumper.

It really baffles me all these professional players on the blog how many here ever played basketball and truely understand the dynamics of the game because most of you is full of hot air and have the nerve to judge someone else and proberly under 6ft I read the comments for a whole year and I see this is where all the non basketball playeing people come to ask like they know basketball how many of you cant get 15 and 10 a nite in the NBA?????????