Pinnock Wants It

100 a day isn't as much if you're shelling out for a hotel on the same per diem...

Mannie,

Good point. If that's indeed the case (I'm not sure who pays for the hotel), I stand corrected on my Danilo Pinnock "No TV dinners re-budgeting" haha

AK

Celestand of course I remember ! Wes Matthews, now theres a game from the past ! Speaking of names from the past...whatever happened to Mike Penberthy ? Is he playing ball anywhere ?

I'm all for Pinnock going overseas. The dude will make quite a bit more money than in the NBDL and we can retain his rights. The only way I see him staying around is if he takes Aaron McKie's spot, who I think will be cut.

The Lakers have 15 guaranteed contracts - the maximum allowed. They'll have to buy out a contract or trade if they want to keep some of their younger players such as Pinnock.

Pinnock looks much more promissing than Van Wafer or Green.

i know this is a little off point but what happened to rashad anderson from Uconn, that kid is a lights out shooter how come he didnt get drafted?

It's official. I'm a Pinnock fan. Hope he makes the team. Plus, apparently, he plays tough D. Something Mckie couldn't do last year from the bench.

Has anyone out there heard of any possable trades for Devean George.? Are we going to sign and trade him.

With an average of 4,000 watching at Pyramid in CalState Long Beach

Entrance - $ 12 (exluding lower boxes)
Parking - $ 5
Food concessions - $ 10 Average consumption
Souvenir - $ 5

For every game, let's assume a total revenue of $ 100,000. Most of the tickets sold are during the Laker games. What a way to compensate players of $ 100 per diem, when they are the ones providing the entertainment? I think some homeless would earn more than Danilo Pinnock.

ADVICE TO DANILO

Danilo, in addition to Subway sandwiches suggested by AK/BK, try to ask a Costco cardholder to buy you a one whole pizza(combo) for $ 10.50 good for two days and add a little variety to your chicken diet with 50 cents Ramen soup or $1 MacDonald Chicken Fajita.

If the Lakers cut you, perhaps you saved enough from being called a Laker for 2 weeks that may entitle you to a little luxury of buying used toys at the nearest Goodwill Stores.

Let's compare the other side of the spectrum:

Kwame - $ 8,287,500/yr can't dunk, can't catch, sleeps while playing
Pinnock - $ 100 per day. can do acrobatic lay-ups, rebounds, hardworker & frugal

Who was that politician who said that life in America is always fair and equal? LOL!

Normally, the per diem money that these players receive are specifically for additional expensives that they could encounter. For example, food, drinks, etc. Realistically, they could spend their per diem on anything... maybe a PSP NBA basketball game because most of these guys won't ever make it on the roster, so they might as well create they're on virtual character on the PSP game and pretend they made it. But, I'm sure the money is better spent on other things.

I believe hotel accomodations are provided by the organization. But I would be willing to bet that these accomodations are at the bare minimum. I can't imagine these camp invitees rooming in a suite at the W, but rather rooming with 2 or 3 other summer leaguers at a Best Western close to the arena.

Ahlayn,

I imagine you're right that the hotel doesn't come from the per diem (as was my original thought as well). Per diems usually work as additional cash to what's already taken care of. I simply don't want to swear to it, since I can't say I actually "know." But I'd be pretty surprised if Pinnock's paying for his room.

AK

Oh and AK/BK, I remember John Celestand too. HAHA. What's really funny about this particular 2nd round draftee is that he played during the 1st Kobe/Shaq/Phil Championship Season. This guy has a Championship ring people!!!! How could this guy get a Championship ring and players like Stockton, Ewing, and Malone never received one.

Last I heard or read about this guy, he was a columnist for a website. I think its Hoopville or something like that.

I like Pinnock...I hope we keep him on the roster. I mean why have Wafer over him? Come on!

As for the 100 per diem, dude he has a family to feed...much harder feat than Sprewell lol.

Faith,

Oh, I know he's got a family. I just wanna see him nurish himself in a manner that best guarantees an NBA contract. Although the amount of NBA guys I've seen snacking on fast food before a game can't be ignored. Maybe Pinnock knows something I don't. haha

AK

Hey all. I’m an avid post reader - the most Lakers news I can find since unfortunately leaving town. Just a few questions, a bit away from the thread: What ever became of Slava after surgery and being waived? Is he on anybody’s radar in the NBA? I know he never panned out for the Lakers but it would seem like somebody could use him - he’s got size and can score.

Someone mentioned Penny in an earlier post - does he have any basketball left? Are his knees just too far gone? I know it wouldn’t be for the Lakers - it’s funny that Kobe will be the old man on the team. How time flies.

Why didn’t we make more of a play for Rush - or did we and I just didn’t notice? What about Pargo? Who was Shammond’s champion anyway - he doesn’t seem like a Phil-type player.

I’m asking a lot of questions, huh? Is Craig Hodges coming back to coach shooters? What kind of offense did UCLA’s Coach Howland run? Anything resembling triple post ever?

Lalakerfan - I was wondering about Penberthy too - the kid could shoot. I know he played overseas for a while.

ahlayn,

I personally think "getting a ring" is overrated when judging how good a player is. I don't think Barkley, Malone, Stockton, etc. will have any problems getting into the Hall of Fame without a ring, and they all would be flat out lying if they said they would trade being in the Hall for a ring. Any lucky bastard can get a ring if he's in the right place at the right time, it takes a helluva player and career to get in the hall.

Even in discussions about who is the best in the game currently, I can't stand it when people say Kobe is the best (over Lebron or DWade) because he has rings (well, not DWade anymore). I don't think DWade is better than Lebron because he won the championship this year, I believe he was on a better team. Put Lebron on Miami and he wins it all too, same for Kobe.

there is a war going on here(lebanon) and u are talking about binnok s lunch.
seriously there is a war and i m not in my house i m in middle of no where and using the internet from my relative s cell.
this might be my last post or i will soon post like i always do. but dont expect me to answer back right away.
when u hink the lakers are very important u get a reality check. guys pray for peace for me and my country. maybe god will hear u.

AK,

Comments made by Greg Stardust and Faith with regards to two players who are still under contract with the Lakers for next season that's Mckie at $ 2.5M and Von Wafer $0.66M, can the Lakers waived their contracts? Are the Lakers obligated to pay them for the full amount?

I still believe a trade of some sorts will thin out the roster abit. Rush would have been a great re-sign and cheap !

Edwin,

Wafer's contract isn't guaranteed at this point, so in that sense, no. With McKie, I imagine they would try to negotiate a buy out as opposed to flat out waiving him.

AK

Purple and Gold,

Having watched Good Morning America this morning & hearing the sirens go off during a reporters telecast, my heart goes out to you brother. I pray that peace & understanding overcome ignorance & greed! We've communicated through our love of b-ball but I know that the value of life is far more precious! Take care of yourself!

May whatever Higher Power you serve protect you and your family!!!

Peace Be Unto You,

Mitch

I just want to throw my support back out for Pinnock. He was great at GW and he'd be an excellent Laker - the type of defender we need.

Purpleandgold, if missiles are falling, one of the last things to think about would be about the Lakers. I can assure you that any of us in the position that you are in would probably attempt to get to safety and forget about the Lakers. Basketball eventually is just a game for some and a job for others. Life is larger than all of that. Take care and good luck.

On to basket ball news,

The NBA grind is real and although I've never seen Pinnock, I like what I hear about his hustle! The chances of him making the roster is thin but I wish him and his family the best. With all the positive buzz surrounding him, he should be fine! Some team will pick him up! Isiah is always lurking!!

Besides tv dinners aren't that bad! They've come along way since the "Swansons" days. My family loves the Marie Callenders meals!!! They're quite tasty & don't have the frosty aftertaste!!! He can buy like 4 for $10 at most Vons!!!

I love this blog! Where else can you talk about ball & frozen dinners at the same time?!

Purple and Gold,
I don't really know what to say...except that you're right Basketball pails in comparison. I'll be praying for you, not only for your and your family's safety but for peace as well. Take care.

AZ - I strongly agree with your above statement. Specifically, the argument in which you could replace Wade with either Lebron or Kobe on that Heat team, and the outcome would have been the same. Particularly when you have a team that's competing against a Mavs squad that never had answers for guards like KOBE/DWAYDE.

And you're right with arguing that anyone can get a Championsihp ring, if they were at the right place at the right time (*cough Earl Cureton).

But I wouldn't agree with the argument that Malone, Ewing, Stockton, etcs. wouldn't trade the Hall of Fame for a Championship ring. You don't think Barkley, Ewing, or Malone is chomping at the bit to have another shot at a title. As competitive as these guys are, I couldn't imagine any of them hanging out with a champion like Jordan without feeling a little inadequate. But then again, what basketball player wouldn’t feel inadequate standing next to Jordan. But that’s beside the point.

There is always some banter between Kenny Smith and Barkely about championship rings on their TNT show. And everytime Kenny brings up his championship rings, Barkley always has this little smirk as if to say, “Ok, you got me on that one." Consider it Kenny’s trump card. And even as recent as a few months ago, this smirk resurfaced when Kobe Bryant was in the studio and talked about not being done with 3 championship rings. If I'm not mistaken, Barkley commented about giving up anything to just have one of the those 3 championship rings.

Now, I'm not saying that people like John Celestand and *cough Earl Cureton have anything over these NBA greats or that they would trade their Hall of Fame Careers to be fringe player who happens to be on the same squad as SHAQ and KOBE... but I would be willing to bet that these guys value being a Champion over being in the Hall of Fame...

Just a thought.

ahlayn,

I see your point. I kind of wonder though if it's a case of "the grass is always greener". What I mean is, if they did get a title would they think it meant so much more than a Hall of Fame career without one? My guess is that the combination of the two is where they would like to be, a Hall of Famer with a ring. I think I heard John Salley say once that he would rather be in the Hall of Fame than have his championship rings. To each his own I guess.

Yeah man. Be safe out there, purple and gold. The world is going to hell in a handbasket, so I come to this site to take my mind of things. Unfortunately, its not that simple for some people. They can't escape reality because they're in the middle of the firestorm.

Let's increase the peace in the world and on the basketball court...

Yeah. I'm talking to you Raja "I got famous for assaulting Kobe" Bell....

I'm all for dropping Mckie the pine rider and signing this kid. Mckie just isn't crucial as Shaw and Harper were. Same for Von... he's an offensive minded guard and we already have that in Shammon.
For those of you wondering about Mike Penberthy, I think he was a driver for UPS before NBA and he might have gone back to that job.

Penberthy was a shooting fool! I can take it back to Antonio Harvey, the epitome of a blocked dunk attempt...

what suprised me in the article was that corey hightower was not in the list of 2nd round busts. but i hope we waive mckie and sign pinnock. i think he is going to be very good.

To each his own indeed, AK.

That being said - Does anyone have any opinions on the ESPY's last night?

Your thoughts on Lance Armstrong as a host?

Thoughts on the winner of the Best Moment in Sports?

Thoughts on Carmen Elektra and her nice pair of... shoes?

Ahlayn

purpleandgold

The world is watching. Stay safe, be well, hope the insanity ends peacefully and soon.

V

My only comments on the ESPY's was the knock on the kid from Brokeback Mountain, 'only taking it in the rear', OY!

I did like the whole terminator reference when Lance was talking about himself not being human, nice jab at the Frenchies!

I'm all for anyone on the team not named Sasha, Aaron, Vlade or Slava! Hell, bring on Steve Kerr, he'd could still knock down the open jumper.

We aren't asking much, only someome who will shoot when they are open, and not get 'lost' like Smush did.

And those Marie Calendar meals are some mighty fine stuff.....you could always get some 10 for $10 tacos somewhere...

rashad anderson is playing summer league for the wizards

Go to Arby's for 4 for 5 roast beer sandwiches!! YUM! ^_______________^

Greg,
the Antonio Harvey reference made my day...lol

Keep Pinnock. Diamond in the rough.

Get rid of Sasha, Mckie, and Wafer.

Onesocalkid,
Don't dismiss Vlade so soon, (unless your refering to Divac for some reason, then forget this post.) I think you might be suprised!

From what I saw, Pinnock's game is mature, solid and intense. I didn't see him on the floor with Farmar but he was an anchor to the rocking ship that's been the Laker spl team.

The staff loves McKies' veteran stability in the locker room but I'd rather have Pinnock at the end of the bench than Von W. Green is another story.

If we don't sign D George, and I'd like to because of his ability to spell Kobe on defense against the Wades / T Macs, then Green might get that call. Vlad and Luke will not be much help there. Sasha could annoy those kinds of players but if Profit can't go and D George is gone, then we'll need Green.

We need more on the ball, athletic defenders. More D in the mix!

Ha! I like these guys deciding that the players who win the NBA championship don't really deserve that much credit because somebody else on the same team WOULD have won it as well. Since you know who WOULD win, let's just dispense with the regular season and the playoffs; they are unnecessay and wasted energy, what with so many experts available to decide who WOULD win...

2005-06
Statistics
PPG 11.5
RPG 3.30
APG 3.7
EFF + 12.65
SPG 1.18
GS 82

THAT'S WHAT SMUSH PARKER DID FOR THE LAKERS LAST YEAR. 82 GAMES WORTH. NOW ALL THIS TALK ABOUT THESE GUARDS AT THE SUMMER LEAGUE TAKING THEIR RIGHTFUL PLACE IN THE ROSTER. WILL SHAMMOND WILLIAMS, PINNOCK, EVEN FARMAR DO THIS FOR US AS STARTING GUARDS NEXT SEASON? THOSE AREN'T ALLSTAR NUMBERS BUT SMUSH WAS PAID A LITTLE LESS THAN A MILLION BUCKS LAST YEAR FOR HIS SERVICES. HE IS A TALL YOUNG GUARD WHO FITS NICELY IN THE TRIPLE POST OFFENSE THAT CHIEF TRIANGLE RUNS. HE FITS THE MOLD OF THOSE GUARDS PHIL HAS USED...THE RON HARPERS AND THE B SHAWS. SMUSH IS ONLY 25. YOU KNOW WHAT YOU CAN GET FROM HIM. WE ARENT TALKING ABOUT HIS CEILING ANYMORE AS A PLAYER BECAUSE YOU WILL GET THOSE NUMBERS FROM SMUSH. HE IS ONLY 25. HE WILL IMPROVE. AS FOR HIS SETBACK IN PHOENIX IN THE PLAYOFFS...WELL STEVE NASH DOES THAT TO EVERY POINT GUARD IN THE LEAGUE.

A recent repost on Bynum from last thread:
How on earth is "THE KID DIDNT PLAY THAT MUCH BALL IN HIGH SCHOOL" a good thing? So you are telling me the Lakers spent a #10 pick on some1 who has barely played ever?!!!!

I am a believer that the best b-ball skills are learned naturally and coaches hone those natural skills into something great. Robotic, over-coached players tend to suck. Seriously. Players must have the natural creativity that is learned through years of playground, high school, and junior level hoops. Then, when the coaches get to them they arent just trained robots on the court.

So please, stop with the "he's barely played..." excuse. Frankly, I find that frightening. All the more reason to send him to the D-league.

Things aren't at all bad guys...there where those days of having to Sedale Threat going off...Lloys "sweet Pea" Daniels...of course Cedric "AWOL" Ceballos droppin a Fitty spot ! Has Profit healed ? Theres nothing worng with parker comming back as well !

purpleandgold,

Our prayers are with you and your brethren. Peace will find a way - there is enough goodness left in this world to ensure that.

Don't forget pig miller, terry teagle, benoit benjamin.

I believe the Lakers will do a lot better this upcoming season due to the fact that most the nucleus is returning, and they have one year of the triangle under their belts. I know in order for our 55 win bandwagon to be fulfilled though, we're going to have to shore up our defense even tighter than it was last year. Something tells me that Kwame is going to have a breakout year both offensively and defensively, and with Mihm and Bynum, our interior defense should be adequate enough to at least survive 50 wins. Defense is the key.

As for players once in Laker uni's ... whatever happened to Frankie King? I think D Fish got drafted a year later and took over his spot, but what memories. lol, and Club Ced.

Here's an interesting page on the history of the Lakers..if ya'll haven't read it yet:

http://www.nba.com/lakers/history/lakers_history_new.html

I love how the dog days of Summer conjure memories of John Celestand and Mike Penberthy lol. I do wonder what happened to Penberthy he was a pretty good shooter if I remember correctly.

I was a big Larry Spriggs fan.

Somebody probably already posted this, but if not, here's an article from July 10 about what Tex thinks the Lakers need to improve on to get to the playoffs.

http://www.hoopshype.com/articles/tex_lazenby.htm

we'd have had more than 55 wins last season if we closed out those "lost by less than 4 points while leading in the 4th quarter" games. with a season of playing together those types of games should be mostly taken care.

55+!

No prob, Korey...I'm here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitress!

Shoot while we're at....let's bring back Anthony "Pig" Miller....who better to do the "dirty work" under the boards than a guy named Pig?

Whew. Tough crowd....

I am a good friend of Mike Penberthy's brother, Joey (he and I played ball at the same school that Mike did). Mike has played for the Pompea Napoli in Italy for the last couple years and is a star over there (22ppg and 45% behind the arc). I remember one time during the Lakers pre-game show Chick Hearn marvelled at Mike's shooting ability after watching him drain something like 67 out of 70 3-pointers during warm-ups. The kid had the touch. Too bad he was slower than the LA rush hour traffic.

Andrew Z

I agree with you that championship rings are not everything......but they do say a lot. I don't know however if it is so cut and dry that Dwade and LeBron are interchangeble with Kobe.....or anyone of them could have led Miami to the championship.

A huge part depends on the coach and what system is being run and for whom.

I could argue that if Phil Jackson was the coach of Miami this year with the same squad and if Phil had insisted on running the triangle offense with Shaq moving from one block to the other and essentially clogging the lane as was the strategy for the Lakers in the 2004' Finals......then it would not have mattered if it were Dwade, Lebron, or Kobe.....Miami would have been swept.

The right coach for the right team has a lot to do with it as well. Coach Riley did an excellent job of clearing Shaq out of the lane so Dwade could operate..........Here is a good question for Blog readers......What offense did Pat Riley run down the stretches of the games when Dwade was punishing the Mavericks? Pat Riley doesn't have an oversized ego and he understands that "systems" do not win championships in the NBA......"talent" does. Pat Riley utilized his teams strength (Dwayne Wade) and ran EVERYTHING through him and "abandoned" any kind of "set offense"........would Phil Jackson or Tex Winter have done the same? Would Shaq have allowed that for LeBron or Kobe?

Also during the last five or seven years whenever a discussion comes up about the best player in the NBA has anyone noticed the one constant? Initially it was Allen Iverson against Kobe, then Vince Carter against Kobe, then it was Tracy McGrady against Kobe.... now it is Dwade and LeBron against Kobe.......Have you noticed that Kobe is the one constant in this conversation.......it is like everyone knows that Kobe is the modern standard......but nobody wants to declare him the best.

Just a little something that makes you go hmmmmmmmm.

Here's an interesting article from Hoopsworld.com

Although summer league action is typically for young camp fodder to show a tiny bit of what they're capable of while donning the JV jerseys of their respective teams, the leagues are proving to be an opportunity for the game's lesser knowns to shine.

But when the light shines on a young player displaying his talents, part of that light must be taken from somewhere else. Somewhere, a veteran player is slowly fading into the shadows as his young counterparts steps into the limelight.

Such is the case for Lakers' PG Aaron McKie, whose skills seem to be fading like the light that once shrouded him.

After the Sixers used their one-time Allan Houston exception in waiving McKie to avoid paying luxury taxes on his contract, the Lakers snatched him up for half of their MLE last season, hoping to shore up their backcourt by adding the veteran. However, McKie only suited up for 14 games with the Lakers last season, sidelined by a tear in his quadricep.

After the Lakers selected Jordan Farmar in the draft, many still felt McKie may be safe because Farmar was only 19 years old and wouldn't be able to crack Phil Jackson's rotation. But after Farmar's solid showings at the SPL in Long Beach, McKie's agent should be soon looking for a new place for the 12-year veteran to play, since he'll either be traded or waived to make some roster space.

Farmar has grasped the triangle offense, shown considerable athleticism and shooting ability, and has been a leader of the Lakers' young squad. The offense looks crisper when he's playing and he has surprised with his defensive abilities on the quicker point guards who were expected to blow by him (Farmar held his own against Kyle Lowry). Although still inconsistent from the three-point line, Farmar has been able to get to the free-throw line whenever he has wanted and has definitely shown the court vision that made him a solid college player.

In addition to Farmar's solid play in the SPL, Danilo Pinnock, a swingman out of George Washington, also has the tools and body type to play the triangle point position. His hard work and unstopping motor have kept him in the eyes of fans as a favorite and most hope he finds a way onto the squad.

With Smush Parker and now Farmar on the roster, the Lakers already had two PGs that seemingly were ahead of the ball on McKie. Farmar may be young, but he provides things that McKie has yet to prove himself - an ability to run a team within the triangle offense, play defense on quicker guards, score and get to the line.

With things already looking grim, the Lakers signed Shammond Williams to provide the shooting that Farmar lacks. Adding Williams to a PG-corps of Sasha Vujacic, Farmar, and Parker, not much space is left for the aging McKie.

Then consider that McKie's contract is an expiring deal that another team would be willing to take on for salary cap space next season.

With the Lakers needing to make roster cuts to carry the maximum 15 players and wanting to bring Laron Profit and Danilo Pinnock on board, roster space must be freed up in any possible way.

Had summer league not given Farmar and Pinnock the chance to show their skills as being superior to McKie's the veteran would have been comfortable in knowing he'd be wearing purple and gold next season. However, the solid play of the younger players that the Lakers should be more willing to invest in has made McKie an obsolete player.

What's next for McKie? Will another team even give him a shot after the Lakers basically dump him for nothing? That is yet to be seen, but for now, McKie should be cursing summer league action for costing him his job.

Starting Five

PG parker
SG walton
SF bryant
PF l.o.
C brown

Nice post about Kobe being the best player. That certainly does make you think. All I have to say is that you only mentioned perimeter players. Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Shaq were always in the conversation.

If you're talking about just perimeter players though than your post rings true.

Starting Lineup:

Shammond Williams
Kobe Bryant
Lamar Odom
Racman
Kwame

Second Lineup:

Farmer
Evans
Luke Walton
Turiaf
Mihms

The others are going to have o work hard to get mins. In the starting lineup you have veteran like players that Kobe Bryant is going to LOVE to play horse with in the triangle. It is going to be like who can get their teammate the best shot. The second string is full of role players that are great for changing the pace of the game. Since PHIL doesn't like starting rookies he can use Farmer, LUKE, and Turaif as energy booster. Sasha, Smush, and Cook are going to have to really step their game up if they want to get some bump this year because to break my top 10 LAKERS is going to be hard.

pfunk36,

I should have said this in my last post but I got caught up in the Kobe thing. I just wanted to say that if you won 9 championships running your team a certain way (that's offense and DEFENSE, Phil and Co. don't get enough credit for coaching very good and sometimes great defensive teams) you'd continue to do the same things too.

And in my view the Lakers lost the Finals against Detroit for several non-Triangle related reasons.
1. Karl Malone getting hurt. That left them without a tough PF to match-up against Ben and Rasheed Wallace at the peak of their powers.
2. Derek Fisher's injury. With Gary Payton basically lost in the triangle (somehow Gary seemed to get worse within the offense as the season went on, very strange I thought)the Lakers were guaranteed to get murdered at the PG position.
3. Kobe Bryant trying to do too much. I love the guy but he tried to do a bit too much on the offensive end and that led to people calling him selfish. I didn't see what he did as selfish, I think he's supremely confident and believed that he was the man that could get the job done.

Xodus,

I stand corrected......I did mean perimeter players!

Memories, memories, where are the famous Lakers?

1. Chuck Nevitt
2. Swen Nater
3. Travis Knight
4. Mark Landsberger
5. Frankie King
6. Mario Bennet
7. Mel McCants
8. Tom Tolbert
9. Trevor Wilson
10. Frank Brickowski

Where are the famous Laker Guards?

1. Tierre Brown
2. Wes Matthews
3. Mike Mcgee

Zakee,
daaang. You give Smush no credit for averaging 11 and 3.5 last year?

wow.

Zakee,
Your 2nd team would look alot better with a Smushcalade in the in the pg spot!

Edwin,

Big ups for bringing up Travis Knight!!! LOL!!! That guy used to annoy me sooooo much.

Zakee,

Korey is right. You have to give MY MAN SMUSH some love. He will be our starting PG this year, and I think he'll do better than he did last year. Hell, for him to play the way he did last year, after not playing a whole NBA season in his career, dude deserves some love and respect.

Starting Five:

Smush
Kobe
LO*
Vlad Rad*
Kwame

Bench:

Williams
Evans
Luke
Turiaf
Mihm
Bynum
Sasha
Pinnock**
Green**
Profit**

*Interchangeable
**Inactive/D-League

PS: If I forgot somebody holla at me.

Smush is the man! A lot of people forget who he is and where he came from. Now that he has a year under his belt, look for this guy to really shine.
We're rootin' for ya Smush!! The sky is the limit!!!

Just heard Elton John's Benny and the Jets.

Laker's version - Kobe and the 'jects.

Projects - Bynum, Farmar, Sasha, maybe Pinnock and Kwame.

Rejects- Smush (cavs), Evans (Detroit), Williams(everybody), Mckie (76ers) and Kwame (Wizards).

Last year the problem was - Do we have a starting five? This year its - Who starts? I like this problem. Isaiah and the Knicks would be so lucky.

p ang,

you forgot to put Mihm's name up there.

rejects: Mihm (Chicago, Cleveland, and Boston)

mike

p ang,

Kwame could be considered a project/reject

Weave-Man,

You forgot Cook, McKie, and Wafer...course we all want to forget them lol...jk

I'll say this though, I think we're all overlooking the value of having a vet in the bench (even if he's mostly overpaid and like 200 years old), he still imparts knowledge to what is otherwise a culture of young, eager (but inexperienced) guards.

Weave-man:

You gonna forget our boy Farmer?

Guys if Pinnock is anything close to being good to decen then i think he has a career in pro basketball whether its the NBA, NBDL or any national league. This is just a trial if the guy can cut it. Trust me if this guy does get a contract he might be set for life. It might not be a luxury life but making $1mil a year is more than some ppl will ever make in one lifetime. It might not be the Lakers but there are other teams in the NBA that might pick him up just like we picked up Smush.

Mike T.
LOL you cant stop taking shots at Mihm. I hope the Lakers keep Mihm just to spite you. LOL!!!

My man D. Green has played more minutes than anyone else on the lakers SPL team! Rambis must like what he sees.

I'm having a little trouble understanding the importance of the chris mihm/kwame brown argument

as i see it assuming that the starting five is

PG-one of the fiveish players we have
SG-Kobe
SM-Vlade
PW-Odom
C-Kwame

unless the lakers were lying to vlade about his minutes i see mihm being the 9th man (covering the 4 and 5 spot)

also another thing that i have wondered about is "the sixth man" do the lakers have a sixth man? what is the importance of the sixth man?

jon

How many of you remember these international players of the Lakers? Where are they now?

Soumaila Sumake
Ime Udoka
Peter Gudmunsson
Mitch Kupchak HA
Jack Haley Haha
Samaki Walker Hahaha

Damn, talk about memory lane...reemmber when we had Jordan.......Reggie Jordan ! LMAO

I know that Celestand used to be cool with a friend of mine from high school. But the moment that I will always remember Celestand for was when they played the Raptors at Staples and Vince crossed him up at the 3 point line and took off 10 feet from the rim. LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-hDjCfLoBM

It's in the first 40 seconds of the clip.

Weave-Man
I agree with your lineup but i dont think that Vlad would be able to play the 4.
I guess these guys are gone:

Jackson
Mckie
Cook
George
Mihm
Wafer
But you forgot Farmar. You may have to throw out one of your inactive/D-league guys to make room for Farmar.
I wont really miss Jackson or McKie who both didnt play much and are bit too old. Cook is just an outside shooter who only helps on the offense but doesnt have the necessary defensive presence that we need. George and Mihm are both ok players and i would miss just a bit for being ex-Lakers. Wafer on the other hand never really played long enough for me to really get attached to.

i agree man, give smush some more love even if hes defense was horrific against nash.
the guy did although make a history game tying steal on nash
plus he could jam the ball

this guy did more than expected

p ang
have you ever heard the expression ome mans meat is another mans poison. with that said imma explain it to you using other "REJECTS"
1. jermaine oneal (portland)
2. ben wallace (wizards)
3. elton brand (chicago)
4. tim thomas (chicago)
5. rasheed wallace (wizards)
6. t mac (toronto)
7. chauncy billups (boston toronto denver minnesota)
if you want i could go on, but in basketball its about finding a system that a player fits into, even take steve nash, till he got to phoenix where the team was built to play to his strengths he didnt flourish into an all star. give the guys a chance, smush did good last year, i wish i had the patience to go back an get some of the comments that some of you all had about him b4 last season. we need to start a give smush some credit fan club

Xodus,

I just read your post it was INTERESTING.......but wrong. I am not saying that dismanteling the triangle offense would have guaranteed a victory.....I am just saying that Phil Jackson failed to adapt to what Detroit was doing to give his team a better chance of success for just the reason you stated. His stubborness and arrogance said I've been doing it this way for so long even though I am being torched I am going to continue doing it that way.

If the great Muhammad Ali had thought that way he never would have adjusted his style (rope-a-dope) to defeat George Foreman......would he?

If Sugar Ray Leonard had thought like that would he have adjusted his style twice to defeat Roberto Duran and Thomas Hearns......well would he?

Right now my Norton Anti-virus software is updating on my computer while I am typing......this brings to mind what basketball is about......if you don't constantly update your style or software you will become obsolete because new things are always coming.....is that right?

I agree that Karl Malone's absence hurt us in those finals but to be blown out of all three games at the Palace.....and not make any adjustments defensively or offensively unlike Pat Riley who made all kinds of adjustments after game 2 in Dallas.

All you have to do is go back and study the only game the Laker's won during that series and you will see what enabled Kobe to get off in game 2.....the only game the Lakers won.

It has always been my contention that Phil Jackson was unable or unwilling to convince Shaq to play more of a supportive role on offense and be more active and dominant on the defensive end.....which is exactly what Pat Riley was able to do with Shaq in Miami......am I making any sense?

Shaq's selfishness at the time would not allow him to do what was best for the team and that strategy had L.A. won would have made Kobe finals M.V.P.........don't think for one second that Shaq didn't know that.........don't think for a second that Phil Jackson didn't know that as well.

Kobe recognized this adjustment that needed to be made and attempted to be more aggressive in that series because that is what got them there during the playoffs.......but unlike Pat Riley who stated his job was to make it easier for Dwade to score and get him better looks by K.I.S.S (Keeping it simple stupid) Phil Jackson did the exact opposite......absolutely nothing.....he never made one adjustment to free up Kobe and run sets that would give Kobe better looks......which had to be frustrating for a competitor like Kobe... Phil was convincingly outcoached in that series.....do you agree?

Now we know after reading his book what his motive could have been.

As for Gary Payton why did he look so good playing with Miami and so terrible under Phil Jackson in that finals......was it Gary's fault or Phil Jackson not getting the best from Gary?

The one thing the Miami Heat championship did was expose Phil's inability to adjust in 2004 Finals.

"rejects: Mihm (Chicago, Cleveland, and Boston)"

Umm, not really. Chicago drafted him specifically because Cleveland wanted him, and offered them enough money to trade down one slot. In no rational sense is that a rejection. Cleveland traded him for relatively little a few years later, so that might be a case of rejection. Boston traded him for a guy who has an outside chance at the HoF, and a first (plus a few other things, with others going to the Lakers), which doesn't seem like a rejection. This may surprise you, but players CAN be traded for things that the team needs even more. It's not necessarily a case of rejection.

Did Mihm run over your dog or something? Why are you so irrationally hateful of him? He's not a star - but he's a decent player, all things considered, and at a decent price.

weave-man,
didnt you forget cookie monster?

xodus,
that 04 squad could of killed the pistons. at that point though it seemed like they didnt want to play together anymore. their chemistry was pretty crappy and you could see it in their faces. during timeouts guys wouldnt even look like they are interested in what the coaches were saying, the players was frustrated amongst themselves, and it just seemed like they just lost their drive and wanted the series to be over. they split with them in the reg. season(i think) so they could of handled them in the finals. at least it could have been more of a battle.

Weaveman, you forgot Farmar!

purpleandgold,
whats going on over is truly disheartening. i hope you and your family remain safe dispite all that is going on there. you would think that some so called peaceful country out there would be as they say but sometime the world isnt so nice like that. i hope everything ends peacfully and not another brother and sister should feel pain. not just with this, but peace throughout and forever. may god truly bless you and your family all over the middleeast.

ose,

Dang man, lighten up. Its all in fun. Tell you what, get the your list of rejects and trade them for the Laker's list. Now we'll have a heck of team.

AK-Interesting argument earlier about if you put Kobe in place of D-Wade would Miami still win the title.
Ask Shaq what he thinks - I'd like to hear what the Big Aristotle says to THAT one!

And wouldn't it be fun to trade Kobe for Wade just to piss Shaq off :-)
JUST KIDDING - by 2008/9 I think the Kobe-led Lakers will will have the rings, Shaq will be huffing and puffing, and Dr Buss will be vindicated.

PurpleandGold,

Are you in Lebanon? Im close by in Dubai. In regards to the war, I had a thought the other day after hearing Dubya's remarks regarding the Israeli offensive...Is GWBush the most internationally hated human being since Hitler? (Well I think Shaq is up there for Laker fans hehe, but I mean internationally.)

I'm still convinced that Smush should be the Lakers starting PG. If you think about it, he played decently through the regular season, only showing his flaws during the playoffs. On the other hand, he had to play against the league's MVP and he did come up with one of the biggest plays ('the steal) in that game against the Suns.

During the regulary season, he hit the 3 fairly well, generally finished most of his shots on the break, and didn't turn the ball over excessively. Yes, he needs to improve his defense and his consistency, but when you judge Smush, try not to consider the playoffs (even though that is the most important phase of the season). Try to think of Smush as someone who'll improve, and lets see what happens in November.

Going back to the thread about Pinnock, is he a part of the memory lane or a reject? A meat or a poison? Are there any haters on Pinnock's game, his frugal life or having children w/o marriage? I have no problems with it, just curious if other people have problems with him.

Purple & Gold,

We're always praying that you will survive w/ your situation out there. Stay on the bunker until the American Embassy gets you rescued. Somehow, this madness or penchant for war has to end.

Borrowing some thoughts from the song of John Lennon, I imagine a place and time where there are no countries, no borders, no flags, no nationalities, no religion we are all human beings living side by side with each other at peace in a place we call paradise. On the second thought, that will never happen for there is no place for idealism in this troubled world.

pFunk,
payton did not "look great" in the Finals; he had a couple of good moments but overall he was not a signficant factor.

akrasian,

Why accuse me of not liking Mihm because I put him on P ang's list? It's OK to put Evens, Parker, Williams, Kwame (who by the way are all black) but put up a white guy and it's...why do you hate Mihm?

mike

Dang first it was Smush getting no love but thankfully we've got a few more bloggers fighting for my man now.

Then there's brian cook...not getting much love at all. I know he really hasn't played up to his potential yet and really needs to get more aggressive on both ends of the court especially defensively. However this kid can flat out score. He topped the big ten in scoring in his senior year, was named big ten player of the year, and is third all time in illinois scoring and fifth in rebounding...yea cook the softie used to rebound the ball in college. Of all the new lakers, he seems to be the most tentative out there. Give cookie a chance y'all and he will develop into an all star.

Pfunk36,

I think we agree for the most part and yes I do agree that Phil Jackson's arrogance borders on stubbornness but, I can't say that the Lakers would have won that series. With Malone and Fisher hurt and Payton lost within the offense that the Lakers even had a chance of winning that series.

As for Shaq, the man was just very bad to a team/ franchise/city that he supposedly loved. He wouldn't take a paycut and he wouldn't accept someone challenging his leadership. Part of that is that Miami (as a city/team and organization) kisses Shaq's ass, trust me I'm from Miami and go to UF, I've never seen anything like it.

Also there was a difference between what Kobe was doing and what Wade did. First off, the rules were different which makes getting to the line a bit easier than it was back in 04. Also, Wade gets lots of ticky-tack fouls you can't breath on the guy w/o getting a foul called which made him virtually impossible to guard. And let's not forget that Wade takes better shots than Kobe. We all know no matter how much we love the guy that Kobe forces too many shots and against a defense like the 04 Pistons that wasn't going to work.

BTW, I don't really think Payton played well in Miami. He wasn't terrible but at a lot of times he was just there. Saying he played great in Miami is a huge overstatement.

I think we agree for the most part. I just don't put a huge amount of the blame on Phil. He's definitely part of it, but there were a lot of bad things going on then.

Mike T,

I'm sure you have no interest in what I'm saying considering our history but I feel compelled to say this. You play the race card a bit too much. And that's coming from another black guy.

I've seen you call out Jon K's culture among other things and it's just unnecessary. You can find racism and/or sexism (and any other sort of oppression) if you look hard enough but often times it's not there. And in these cases I don't see it. And someone could easily turn the tables around on you and say you're racism shows in how you blast Mihm all the time, and I don't think that's the case.

I'm not telling you to change your views, but maybe it's something to think about.

Purple n Gold,
We're rooting for you dawg. Stay safe.

Mike T,
Really, you don't hate Mihm. Would you not trade Mihm for the guy behind the counter at your local grocery store...lol

Go Lakers...It's your season....It's your turn...Go Go Go...

"The one thing the Miami Heat championship did was expose Phil's inability to adjust in 2004 Finals"
I gotta agree with pfunk36....on that point. Phil's been a great coach over his career, but sometimes people forget in the last few yrs with the lakers he hasn't always made the right moves:
after the 3 peat-
losing to the spurs 4-2 (that blowout in game 6 still hurts)
losing to the pistons 4-1 in humilating fashion..(the lone victory we got we needed the kobe miracle 3 to force OT)
and being up 3-1 on the suns and raja bell being suspended, nash getting more worn down, and giving up that series....
it brings me to think, while is Phil is a great coach (cant argue with 9 rings)...you just cant assume he is gonna do all the right things in crunch time....

laker32,

I do agree with you and Pfunk that Phil doesn't make enough adjustments. That's the one TRUE flaw in him as a coach. I don't believe that the Lakers would have beaten the Pistons in 04 with everything else that was going on, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try other things.

I do think that you could say the same thing about a Greg Popovich as great of a coach as he is, I don't feel like makes great adjustments either. He just goes back to his bread and butter through thick and thin.

Xodus,

You're right, I'm not interested in what you have to say.

mike

Taliq,

I just read that this big old stiff down in Portland landed a big fat contract. Wow! I guess Mihm does have value. Still, I'm not a Mihm fan for sure. Not because of anything personal but because he can't guard the middle of the lane. That's the only reason.

mike

Would you not trade Mihm for the guy behind the counter at your local grocery store...lol

Well if the grocery store threw in a 1000 dollars worth of food, then I might go for that deal. LOL!

mike

Mike T,

Well it's all good. I've generally got no interest in what you have to say either. I've said what I had to say, so consider us back to totally ignoring each other on the blog.

Taliq,
No matter what all of these Smush-hating bloggers have to say, Smush WILL start for the lakers for the 06/07 lakers! Phill knows whats up. Look at what he accomplished last year (his rookie year if you ask me). Now that he's getting some real pressure from the guards vying for his spot, expect this guy to blow the f#%k up! When he gets aggressive, we all know that he can take it to hole against anyone!!

Mike T.
Coming from a white guy, I've been listening to you blast Mihm for a while now and race never came to my mind...until YOU brought it up.

smushcalade,

I'm pulling for Smush (as well as Farmar, it never hurts to have to good PGs)really hard. I love his athleticism, I just hope that he can grow mentally tougher. He also needs to develop a pull up jumper he's either shooting threes or throwing down a dunk. If he developed a midrange game he'd be a great asset to the Lakers.

I won't get into his defensive issues. That's been discussed millions of times now.

Mike T,

The race stuff in this instance is complete bull sh*t.

As for "the big stiff" in Portland, I believe you're referring to Joel Pryzbilla. I'm willing to bet you have seen him play maybe once, am I correct? You seem to make sweeping judgements about players that you never see play. I'm glad you express your opinions but without actually having any idea what you're talking about, the hold less value.

pfunk36,

I have to agree with your point that Phil was outcoached in '04 in terms of his lack of adjustments. However I do believe having a healthy Malone would have helped us immeasurably. Malone brought a lot of toughness to our squad, specifically on the defensive end. Payton sucked in that series!! He was such a malcontent & Shaq d*ck rider, he just gave up! The biggest waste of the BAE, I've ever seen!!! But I think the one thing that REALLY killed us was - OVERCONFIDENCE!!!

I remember all the media was basically calling the Finals a coronation rather than a series and I think the entire squad bought into it, including Phil. When you have 9 rings going against 0, you have a proven formula on winning. I think Phil failed as much as Kobe & Shaq did but after 9 rings it was bound to happen.

I guess that's why I reluctantly pulled for Miami to beat Detroit. In spite all that happened I never felt right about Ben Wallace doninating Shaq in that last game. And since then Detroit has had such a swagger when they come to LA or Miami, that the part of me that rooted for Shaq in a Laker jersey was happy to see him exorcise that demon.

If what I was saying about Mihm wasn't true I could understand you arguement, about his game that is. But you seem to do the Linda Blair thing when I talk about his game. I don't understand that. It's not like I'm lying about it. You get angry because most of you defend Mihm because he's one of your own.

mike

Andrew Z,

" I'm glad you express your opinions but without actually having any idea what you're talking about, the hold less value."

O gee! Andrew Z has determined that my opinion hold little value...what shall I ever do? Oh me! Oh my!....

mike

Andrew Z,

Are you telling me that Mihm doesn't belong on the rejected list that P ang put up? Why not? Please explain.

mike

Where is Obi Wan Kavulic?!!! We need your wisdom, wise Laker Historian Jedi!!! Mike T. is a Sith Lord!!! There's no other way to describe his irrational suggestions, he's seeking to bring down the Laker Republic!!!

And as a black man, you offend me by making it a race issue.

Mitch,

I could understand your being offend because your a black man. But you're only one black man. How many more would agree to what I noticed about P ang's post? Did I make that up?

mike

Mike T,

I have no idea what this means, please explain:

"You get angry because most of you defend Mihm because he's one of your own."

And the list p ang put up shows players that have been traded, so yes Mihm belongs on that list. It should also include every Laker (including LO and Kobe) who weren't drafted by the Lakers. It has nothing to do with the quality of player. And I never mentioned anything about Mihm, I mentioned Joel Pryzbilla, who you called "a stiff" without any first hand knowledge of watching him play, just like Douthwit. I don't understand how you come up with all these great ideas about players without watching them. Do you just read what other people say about them? Do you regurgitate others opinions? Do you have any of your own? Please explain.

I have watched them play. I've watched film, scouting reports. I do my homework. The question was have I watched them play in person at the summer league. No! But will all the college games on T.V. it's hard not to see a lot of these players. Again, Douthit numbers don't lie, people do. You know it's said in the scientific community that the only thing we can believe is what the numbers tell us over a period of time. Short periods, long periods...it all depends on what you're trying to see.

mike

Ose, a couple of things about the people on your list. Elton Brand wasn't rejected by Chicago, they just made a bad personnel decision that Chandler and Curry would be better. And T-mac definitely wasn't rejected by Toronto, they really wanted to re-sign him. He wanted more money and a chance to be the man.
And Nash was an All-Star before he got to Phoenix, although things ahve certainly worked out for him since he moved.

Mike T,

The Lakers have three white players on the roster, Sasha, Mihm, and Luke. Two of those were drafted by the Lakers. The fact p ang left Mihm off the list (and numerous black players) had nothing to do with race. He was just making a point and picked five guys that came to his mind. Just to make you happy, I think, based on p ang's definition, that Mihm is a "reject". I also believe Kobe is a "reject" since he was traded by the Hornets to the Lakers.

Taliq, I gotta say something about Cookie. He had the reputation of being soft back in college. Nobody said he wasn't talented, they just doubted he'd put in the work, or show the desire to make it big. he still hasn't proven himself that way.

Mike T,

You watch film and do scouting reports on all teams in the league? Then I'm shocked you call Pryzbilla "a stiff". He is known as one of the better post defenders/shot blockers in the league, and there was a reason he was the #2 big man available in free agency this year.

The numbers show me that Kwame Brown is a horrible shot blocker and can't guard the lane (0.6 blocks per game). Am I seeing that right?

Andrew Z,

For a guy that hold very little value in my opinion why do you keep knocking at my door?

mike

Don't mean to stick my head into other people's conversations but LO could definitely be considered a reject.

The Clippers didn't match Miami's offer sheet in 2003 and that was just weeks after they had matched the offer sheet Miami extended to Elton Brand.

As just a side note I always wonder what things would be like today if the Clippers hadn't matched Brand's offer sheet. The Lakers trade to the Heat may have been Brand, Caron Butler and Brian Grant. With how good Brand was this past year it's hard not to believe that the Lakers would be a DEFINITE title contender and we'd most likely still have Caron Butler to man the 3-spot.

With Mihm at the 5 and Smush Parker most likely still playing the point that's a lineup that's a pretty good lineup.

Mike T,

You seem to hold everyone's opinion on this blog (unless it's the same as yours) in very little value, yet you still post.

I thought we were having a discussion. Would you rather not?

Michael A,
i was just giving examples of players who weren't resigned by their past teams, you are right about t-mac but the mavs didnt want to resign nash so in that sense he was rejected.

Mike T,
i dont think P angs list had anything to do with race, if a guy is a bum he is a bum, black white green or blue a bum is a bum, now with that said mihm did a good job for us last year and so did smush. Mihm may not be a power player but he plays sufficient defense, and provided enough offense. lets not forget that the guy has improved every year he has been in the league, he will probably never become an all star but he is more than sufficient in my opinion.

mihms stats
PPG 10.2
RPG 6.3
APG 1.0
SPG .27
BPG 1.24
FG% .501
FT% .716
MPG 26.1

thats more than decent if u ask me.
not many starting centers in the league had better numbers that Mihm's, and if you take off the ones that have been all stars you will probably be able to count them on one hand.

Andrew Z,
Kwame may not be a good shot blocker but he is a good one on one defender, go as SHaq, Tim duncan, ENen KG said kwame played him better than anyone has played him in a while. I would rather have kwame than Pryzbilla because kwame has more of an upside. but then again its just my opinion

Xodus,

That's totally funny. BK and I were talking about that during the Suns-Clips series and we were trying to figure out who would have come over in the Lakers-Heat trade under those circumstances. I think we also named those three (Brand, Butler and Grant), but then figured the Lakers might have needed to throw in another body, since Brand makes more than LO. Perhaps Brian Cook might have gotten a ring this year in Miami. haha

Just think. If the Clips hadn't matched Miami's offer, I may have ended up picking an MVP the entire blog could have gotten behind. haha

AK

Mike T, considering your totally garbage explanation about quantum physics, I'll just take your comment from the "scientific community" with a grain of salt... what that statement doesn't say, but would if it was being explained more clearly, is that numbers also have to be placed in context. For example, Cappie Poindexter's tremendous numbers in the WNBA this year don't mean that she's capable of making an NBA roster. Which I think is everybody's point about Douthit.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure that nobody saw any racism in that post. I don't even think you did, I think you were just trying to change the subject again, because you couldn't defend your position...

Michael A,

With all of the other bloggers, why do you always address me? Do you love me?

mike

Michaeal A,

Why can't you just nod and smile and go to the next conversation like you said you would?

mike

ose,

I would rather have Kwame at this point too, based on the potential you mentioned. I actually think his contract is good too, since it's only for two more years, just in case he doesn't pan out. I was just saying that JP is not a stiff, he's an above average center in the league, arguably one of the better defenders at the position.

Xodus and AK,

I remember that offseason where Miami put in offer sheets for both LO and Brand. I was under the assumption that they knew Sterling wouldn't match both so they basically made TWO offers to guarantee getting one of the two. And maybe Shaq would have asked for Luke to go with him, since he only played a year with Shaq and knew to give him the ball, when other guys who had played with him for years didn't. Feed the daddy.

Mike T,

We address you because we all think your ideas are so amazing and wise and secretly we all wish we were like you. These feelings manifest themselves in futile attempts to discuss the Lakers with you, even though we know we could never match your intellect and wit. Basking in the glow that is Mike T kind of makes our day.

Xodus,

I didn't say Payton had a "great" series I simply said that he played well and definitely looked more comfortable playing under Riley and that system which added to his confidence that enabled him to come through huge for Miami when they needed him. I think Pat Riley found a way to use Payton's strength juxtaposed to exposing his weaknessess as Phil Jackson did by insisting on the "triangle" and making Gary Payton a spot up shooter.

As far as Kobe jacking up shots in that series it is a little deeper than that. How many of his shots were against the shot clock?

The Pistons were double and triple teaming Kobe and placing a halfcourt trap against the Lakers forcing them to use up time before they even got in the "triangle". Larry Brown made this adjustment after game 2 to try and take Kobe out of the series.......Your move Phil.

As a result of this strategy by the time the Lakers got in their offense the shot clock was already at 10 or 8 seconds.......the Pistons would sometime front the post and make the entry pass hard to make into Shaq........now you have 5 or 6 seconds on the clock. Now what do we do?.....let's see none of us can create our own shots because we are taught that the "triangle" will create shots for us......soooooo let's give the ball to Kobe with 5 seconds on the shot clock so he can bail us out. Do you know how often that happens?

All anyone sees is Kobe's hurried shot because most people do not take the time to study cause and effect. Couple that with Phil never taking personal responsibility for a flawed strategy and nobody in the media knowing what questions to ask him to expose it........all the blame goes to Kobe......end of case.

When you listen to a respected coach like Pat Riley speak about Dwyane Wade it is always positive.....even when he plays a poor game. This helps to create image in the media and it gives him a better reputation with the refs because the refs are human......thus all the calls go to Wade.....the refs sometimes anticipate calls and make them before the contact happens.

But think about when a respected coach publicly calls you selfish and uncoachable.......this gives the media a license to do the same......hell they don't know. This also helps to create image on the floor and now Kobe can't get a call from the same refs......again the refs are human.

I am not saying this is the sole reason but it plays a part.

When was the last time you heard Phil support Kobe for anything.....if ever. This guy said that he believed Dirk Nowitzki should be MVP while being carried all season long by Kobe.....what is that? I digress.

I didn't mean to get into all of that but I have never seen a coach get off so free from any responsibility while using a player as a scapegoat for his shortcomings........I think however Phil will make some changes since Shaq has turned on him now with his comments about Pat Riley being the best coach he has ever played for.

Your thoughts?

Andrew Z,

The way you keep on addressing me...I think it's true.

mike

Mike T,

You win, I won't address you anymore. Thanks.

pfunk36 -- WORD!

"Why accuse me of not liking Mihm because I put him on P ang's list?"

That's not why I think you don't like Mihm - it's because you are constantly down on him (to say the least). In this case you had labelled him a reject because

1) Chicago had been willing to draft him for the Cavaliers, taking cash and the player they wanted anyway. The realistic way of looking at it is that Cleveland wanted him enough to pay Chicago to make sure that the Cavs got him.

You might as well say that every team that drafted before Chicago that year rejected Mihm, because they drafted somebody else - which would mean that every team in the NBA rejected Douthit (for instance) since he had fallen so far in the draft.

2) You say Boston rejected him - because they traded him for Gary Payton and a first round pick - which implies that any player ever traded is rejected - that trades are made to get rid of players, not to get players that the team wants more. That's just a ridiculous way of looking at it.

And why would you bring up race? What the heck was the relevance of that? I don't care what race a player is (apparently unlike you, since you brought it up out of the blue). I care about how they can play. And Mihm - as I and others have pointed out - is a solid player overall. Not a star, but valuable nevertheless.

AK,

I guess great minds think alike haha. As much as I love LO (and I really do, I was still down in Miami when he was there) I salivate at the thought of haing Elton Brand. I think if Brand were down in Miami instead of LO it would have been a more even trade because the Lakers would still have Butler as well as Miami's Pick which is Jordan Farmar and Grant's contract coming off the books. That would have been a great deal for both sides instead of a great deal for the Heat and a good deal for LA.

PFunk,

I agree with everything you said but I still do believe there was a lot going on at the time and that LA wouldn't have won anyway. That's why I won't place ALL the blame on Phil.

During the '04 Championship, there are too many distractions in the Lakes:

Kobe was disturbed in playing because of his case and his feuding relationship with Shaq.

Shaq was not concentrated on the game but on the extention of his contract and his feuding relationship with Kobe.

Malone the peacemaker and the mediator got injured and became ineffective.

Payton was very unhappy with the triangle and the interperse playing less minutes with Kareem Rush and Fisher getting more minutes

Fox became suddenly old and slow perhaps the divorce with Vanessa was brewing up and affected him.

Lastly, the Piston defense killed the Lakers, they were able to check our four stars while the Lakers could not stop the Piston shooting machine. We played Goliath at the start of the series and you all know what happened when he tried to subdue little David.

Can't blame the coach at all times when the players are all distracted with different agenda in mind.