The Dirt On Fox
I'm never terribly confident about projects involving David Arquette (although thankfully, it sounds like the spazzy one will remain behind the camera), but I'd tune in to check out Rick Fox's work. Fox is that rare athlete-turned-thespian that can actually act his way into a puppet show. He did a nice job in a small "He Got Game" role and was absolutely terrific as prisoner Jackson Vayhue on "Oz". I have a few movie geek friends who are huge "Oz" fans and don't follow sports whatsoever. They assumed Fox was a professional actor who happens to be very tall. Considering how critical these guys are, thems are hard earned props. I talked with Fox a few times about acting when he was on the team and it's a skill he treats with respect. He took (and may still take) private instruction and wasn't satisfied simply cashing in on his famous name (the "Kazaam"-esque route most athletes use to get into film).
I imagine Fox's role on "Dirt" will be more demanding than Luke Walton's upcoming acting debut (which BK and I will review), but I'm open to being surprised. And who knows what dramatic layers Luke may add to his scenes playing one-on-one ball? All those years spent listening to drunken yahoos imitate Big Red may provide an internal fire the novice can bring to his performance. Until I see proof otherwise, I'm keeping Daytime Emmy hope alive.
Just out of curiosity, which current Laker would you peg as the best legit actor and why? You could obviously go a lot of ways with this question. If Kobe Bryant's ability to chew out a ref translates onto the big screen, he's perfectly capable of a dramatic scene. And he does have that "stare" going for him. Frankly, Kobe's oft been accused of acting since the moment he entered the NBA. Ronny Turiaf certainly has the requisite energy a performer needs and he's obviously not afraid to risk looking silly. Smush Parker spends much of his time poker faced, making him perhaps ideal for an undercover agent role ("Smush Brasco," anyone?). Jordan Farmar is an L.A. native who's barely left the city limits over the course of his lifetime. Hard to believe a little of "the industry" hasn't seeped into the kid. And you obviously can't discount the acting tips Lamar Odom may have picked up on set of "Van Wilder" while playing "Coolidge Chickadee Player."
But I'm gonna go out on a dark horse limb and declare Sasha Vujacic your winner. In his two years as a Laker, I've seen endless variations of "The Sasha Face" each time he's called for a foul. Just when I think it's not humanly possible for Sasha to pull out another version of his classic "What??? Me??? Why???" look after an obvious whistle, the guy finds a way to keep it fresh. So much conviction! So much expression! So much bewilderment as he can't understand how he managed to pick up that foul 30 feet from the action. And while actors often have trouble working in their second language, if Sasha's capable of channeling such emotion into a meaty supporting role, kid's got "Oscar" written all over him.
AK
Lamar Show - it comes out on Sep 26.
A-Hole - Kobe didn't FORCE hisself on anyone.
Posted by: LakerReg | August 16, 2006 at 05:40 PM
Andrew Z
You're totally right about Pippen's offense. Dude carried them to the ECF the year Mike wasn't right. He was one terrrible call on a 3 from going to the big dance. Not to mention the fact that his defense was so good Jordan could roam.
Kobe's the best defender on the team as is. We don't have Rodman / Pippen type defenders to save Kobe fouls. Those two choked teams. Truth is, we're a year and at least a piece or two away from glory.
Posted by: Vman | August 16, 2006 at 05:47 PM
Another Laker who could have made the transition to acting would have been Kurt Rambis would have been perfect as Clark Kent.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | August 16, 2006 at 06:01 PM
I know a lot of you guys don't like the Knicks or Marbury (I've got a little love for both being from Brooklyn), but you have to give him respect for what's he's doing for kids, and underprivliged people in general. He is putting out a high quality basketball shoe for only $15.
I don't know about the rest of y'all but I appreciate the fact that he would take the time to even consider this. Most athletes are just trying to get as much money as possible for themselves (I'm not a fool, he'll make a decent amount of change off of this) and don't consider how much the price of their shoes affect the community. I'm not ready to put him on the same level as a saint, but I think it's cool.
PS: The whole article is on Hoopshype.com
Posted by: Weave-Man | August 16, 2006 at 06:07 PM
Taliq said: "Game 4's fantastic finish is like that great meal you had...only to find out the next morning you've got food poisoning. Looking back, the meal still tasted great, but all you can remember is the pain you had the next day."
taliq, that was so profound i had to repost it! sooooo true... one late night, i youtubed the game 4 finish, felt all those butterflies returning, i was ready to start screaming and cheering the way i did back then... then remembered, oh yeah we lost. and man that sucked
oh well. i need game 4 closure before the start of the new season. any suggestions?
Posted by: CBuck | August 16, 2006 at 06:28 PM
Faith
Well said about those 3 reasons. Itll be much more exciting this next few seasons coming up to see the Lakers once again become contenders.
Thee CaliKing
Theres way toooooooooooo much baseball and not enough football or basketball. I guess they have to play more to make up the same amounts that basketball and football have. they should make the the basketball season longer!!!! LETS START A "MAKE THE SEASON LONGER" PETITION!!!!!
Posted by: Shady | August 16, 2006 at 07:02 PM
Eric Pincus New HoopsWorld Article:
Who says that 55 wins and the NBA Finals are "pie in the sky" optimism? Not the Lakers. Per Eric:
"Talking with people in and around the team, they feel (as many fans do) that they were one rebound away from going to the second round of the playoffs. There is great confidence that they would have beaten the Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks (especially after watching what Dwyane Wade carve up their defense). From the team perspective they had a shot at the finals last year - and now they're even better."
Tom
http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_18441.shtml
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | August 16, 2006 at 07:11 PM
**Eric Pincus on the Lakers' Starting Point Guard**
QUESTION: Will Smush Parker be a likely starter at the one again, or will the likes of Shammond Williams or Jordan Farmar replace him?
ANSWER: "I think going into camp Smush is the starter. As always it's up to the players to determine the rotations by their performance. I would say that the Lakers have Farmar penciled in as the third point guard, behind Smush and Shammond. But I have a feeling that Farmar will eventually play himself onto the floor. I'm very high on him having watched him play in Long Beach (Summer Pro League) and UCLA."
For more:
http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_18441.shtml
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | August 16, 2006 at 07:14 PM
**ERIC PINCUS ON ANDREW BYNUM**
QUESTION: How did the organization feel about Bynum's summer league play as far as an indication of how many minutes he'll get this year?
ANSWER: "I know there was a piece by Roland Lazenby which quoted Tex Winter questioning Bynum's work ethic a bit. But keep in mind that Tex is a very honest man who doesn't hold back. He doesn't necessarily represent the Lakers perspective. If you saw Bynum firsthand last year at the SPL, he was really lost and struggled to simply gain position in the post. This year he showed enormous progress. He was a legitimate player on both sides - BUT his consistency was lacking. I don't think he' not ready for a lot of minutes - but I've heard the hope is 12-15 mpg (which puts Chris Mihm's role into doubt). It's said that the Buss family is very high on Bynum and that they won't entertain trade talks. A lot of teams have made calls this summer regarding Bynum.""
For more:
http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_18441.shtml
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | August 16, 2006 at 07:18 PM
**MORE ERIC PINCUS ON JORDAN FARMAR**
"Personally I wouldn't be surprised if Farmar ends up the starter down the road. I've seen a lot of summer league games through the years and I've NEVER seen someone operate so fluidly in the (abbreviated) triangle offense so quickly."
http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_18441.shtml
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | August 16, 2006 at 07:21 PM
**ERIC PINCUS ON LAKERS TRADING FOR A GUARD**
"I also don't think they want to go all out for a guard until they get a feel for just HOW GOOD Farmar can be."
http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_18441.shtml
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | August 16, 2006 at 07:27 PM
Why are we denigrating Scottie Pippen? I'm not going to regurgitate what everyone else has said about him but the guy was nothing short of a great player.
Do we really need to make Scottie Pippen look worse so we can make Lamar look better? Lamar's a highly talented guy and we need to hope he lives up to his talent. If he maxes out his potential he's one of the best players in the league.
Posted by: Xodus | August 16, 2006 at 08:18 PM
Andrew Z,
You may be right about a second valuable scorer. But with the current players market, which one would fit perfectly in this role? This guy should quickly perform under several circumtances (play the triangle offense, respect a salary cap, build a championship team,... seduce many bloggers in need of blood- i mean victories!!)
Do you think that LO can that one if he's motivated enough from the start? I'm sure, he'll be more comfortable in this team than last year. Let's wait and cross our fingers.
GO
Posted by: Guy Owanlele | August 16, 2006 at 09:11 PM
onesocalkid, cali,
While waiting for the NBA preseason, you might want to watch the FIBA games. See the ESPN schedule, I'm sure they will replay other games at a more convenient time. Who would the live game 3:30 AM PST.
http://sports.espn.go.com/extra/wbc/schedule
GO USA, let's get the GOLD medals back!
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | August 16, 2006 at 09:16 PM
WiZo and Andrew,
Exactly! That is why it is so important to have Pip on the Lakers' staff tutoring LO. Pip is probably the only other guy who could adaquately school LO. Not many guys in the league have ever been as versatile as those two. Plus, people used to accuse Pip of being too passive and deferring too much as well.
And, don't forget, Pip was the best player on the Blazers for a couple of seasons, while he was old and when the had 'Sheed.
Dude's a real stud.
Posted by: Fearless | August 16, 2006 at 09:48 PM
good for turiaf ballin for the french team.
wish list for the upcoming season...
-LO learning how to go right.
-KWAME realizing that he is an imposing body in the middle..and acting like it
-SOCKS having a good xmas and having santa give him the coordination he needs to be productive
-VLAD RAD automatic from behind the arc because he WILL be all alone out there now that he has KB24
-ALL 4 POINT GUARDS gun for that starting job like your life depended on it. (smush like his contract depended on it which it does)
-KB24 healthy knees
summer sucks. a little over 2 more months til tip off.
Posted by: sixonezero | August 16, 2006 at 10:41 PM
ECJ,
Great links! I can watch Drew dunk on Shaq hundreds of times and it always brings a smile to my face.
Also, the only guy who should ever speak over a Kobe highlight reel is Pac. The dude who put that together gets it!
--Fearless
Posted by: Fearless | August 16, 2006 at 10:42 PM
This is such a funny article about the AL Harrigton trade:
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060816/COLUMNISTS01/608160444/1004/SPORTS
Posted by: lakofan | August 16, 2006 at 10:48 PM
AK/BK and others:
In an LA Times article, I think on May 8, Mike Bresnahan stated that the team must reevaluate itself and make changes (similar to statements by Tex Winter and others), adding that Kupchak would need to be as creative as he has ever been this summer and next. Almost the same day, an article similar in direction was written by Ross Siler (Daily News), "Lakers Preparing for Next Season".
This prompts my question, How do the Lakers analyze their needs? Do they know in advance who they are targeting, or at least the type of player they are targeting? Surely, General Managers throughout the league know what kinds of players they like, based on how different players' skill sets fit different coaching systems. That would almost seem to be the case with the Lakers as it has been reported that they have had interest in several Chris Bosh-type players over the past couple years.
If indeed the organization has some idea of what player they would like to target (any more Ron Harpers out there to acquire?), then they will probably keep that fairly quiet. One reason is called tampering, or communicating with another team's players while they are still under contract to that team. Remember, PJ got hit with a fine last year for publicly complimenting Chris Bosh(a player the Lakers were interested in at the time).
This year, prior to the draft, several sources identified the Lakers greatest weaknesses to be PG and PF. Both positions have been arguably improved with the additions of Farmar and Radmanovich. With the SF position pretty well settled with Odom, backed up by Walton, and the center position showing improvement, it could be argued that the PF position still remains weak with Radmanovich, Mihm, Turiaf, and Cook (unless he is traded)each providing some question marks. (Just personal, but before going out and spending a lot of money on another PF like Garnett or Boozer, I hope Mitch gives Mihm a reasonable shot at making the 4 position. After all he is a reasonably priced 7-footer with 15'range.)
Fortunately, Odom is also a good PF. The team could improve the position simply by acquiring another good Small Forward(wouldn't Danny Grainger have been nice), and moving Odom to PF. All three, Harrington, Odom and Rad Man can play either at the 3 or the 4. Those three players would provide tremendous flexibility depending upon specific matchups.
Today Chuncey Billips and Mike Bibby were mentioned as free agents next summer that the Lakers might be interested in. I would also add Steve Blake to that list. Not many great PF's unless Garnett declares. Drew Gooden who was available (and had expressed interest in the Lakers), just resigned with Cleveland. But the Lakers never seemed interested. Why? Was he not a good fit? Were there other issues?
On March 28, 2006, Kevin Ding, NBA beat writer for the Orange County Register, provided an interesting alalysis. He identified eight different Laker options, based on his assessment of Feasibility and Fit (along with the caviate that Bynum would eventually become the starting center).
Ding's eight leading options to improve the Lakers were identified in the following order:
Kevin Garnett
Ron Artest
Lebron James
Chris Bosh
Elton Brand
Dirk Nowitzki
Carmello Anthony
Gilbert Arenas
Arenas was identified as not being an ideal fit as a perimeter player, but was included because he was a local guy (Van Nuys) who had expressed great admiration for Kobe.
It is interesting to note that all (except for Arenas) are forwards. Both Garnett and Artest can reportedly opt out next summer. Some, like James, Bosh, and Anthony have since signed extensions with their current teams, effectively taking them off the market. There is a belief among most fans that Garnett might be a very complimentary player to have next to Kobe. But is he really the best choice.
...to be continued with the next post...
LakerAl
Posted by: LakerAl | August 16, 2006 at 11:28 PM
AK/BK and Others (cont)
How would either Garnett or Artest mesh with the existing Laker team? Difficult to say because acquiring players of this stature would probably require a sign and trade. Therefore, its difficult to know who would remain on the Lakers roster-but thought provoking nevertheless! Although Garnett has been described as the perfect compliment to Kobe in age, experience, and temperment, he may not want to be a Laker. If Garnett does opt out and does want to play in LA, the Lakers would most certainly have to give up significant salary(players)in trade. Odom and Brown? Garnett and Bryant would certainly be a talented two-some to build around, but it would probably take a couple more years to get the right combination of complimentary players. In the meantime, Bryant and Garnett are getting older.
Another approach might be to start with a younger group and build a new team. With Bynum, Turiaf, Green, Pinnock and Farmer, the Lakers now have a young core group that covers all five positions. These five could be developed, and if Kobe cannot get the team to the finals by the end of Jackson's third year, the organization could (perish the thought) consider trading Kobe for a missing piece to make the rookies really good.
Like Andrew Z, I have confidence in Kupchak, but it appears more and more as if their 2007 (Plan A) and 2008 (Plan B) efforts are not going the way they envisioned on paper. Perhaps its time to step up and add a few more parts while Kobe is still in his prime and PJ remains the coach.
Would Al Harrington be a good addition now? He has good offense and above average defense. The Lakers would probably loose 2-4 players in a sign and trade to obtain Harrington-but still half the cost of signing Garnett. Harrington will be off the market before the end of the summer-so the team needs to act quickly. If the Lakers like his game and his potential fit with the triangle, they should make a serious trade effort. His versatility would be big plus. But is Harrington worth Bynum in trade? No, probably not unless the Lakers have reassessed Bynum's potential and feel he will take more development time and the end result will be less than earlier expected! If so, perhaps now is the time to trade, unless the team is holding Bynum back as part of a potential Garnett trade.
With all due respect to Kevin Ding, these appear to be the Lakers current (limited) options:
Option #1: Maintain current roster. Assess team at the All-Star break in February. Make adjustments as necessary.
Option #2: Acquire Harrington now. Play out the year. Make more adjustments next summer.
Option #3: Maintain current roster. Hold on to expiring contracts in case Garnett or Artest become available next summer. If neither are available, continue to address other team needs (more guard help?). If Rad Man fails to fit into the triangle, add him to the trade package for Artest or Garnett.
Finally, before training camp, Kupchak still needs to fine-tune the roster. At the very least, find a new home for McKie (if not Cook & Vujacic as well), and release Von Wafer. This will help open roster spots for upcoming youngsters Pinnock, Profit and Green.
Now, lets go to training camp and see who surprises!
LakerAl
Posted by: LakerAl | August 17, 2006 at 12:13 AM
Laker AL,
You have good ideas Laker Al but for as long as we have Mitch Kupchak, well, the Lakers will be forever be in the swap meat business. Is KG willing to accept an MLE? Or Artest go for BAE? That's the style of Mitch Cupcake or perhaps, he's waiting for another miracle like Payton and Malone volunteering their services w/o HIM knowing it. For as long as he could not land a Superstar in Laker uniform, he will always receive the usual criticisms from many fans and also accolades to his loyal fans. He could not even find a market for the scrubs that he has accumulated in the past and do we really expect this guy land a decent player like Al Harrington? The best he could do is get Jordan Farmar on the 26th pick. He traded the 2nd pick for next season for Danilo Pinnock and now the experts and the wise are saying that Pinnock will be sent to Euro League. If you have excess guards under contract who are difficult to trade, why did he dump this team with more guards while at the same time wasting the Lakers future picks? The poor Pinnock who played his best during the SPL games is stuck with the Lakers, he could not get out and play with other teams because he was selected on that late second pick by Kupchak, the great GM. Yes, we were in playoffs last season and nobody expect them to be there. However, to be eliminated in the playoffs after leading 3-1 is very UNLAKERLIKE, and no Laker follower in his right mind should be happy with such abysmal failure.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | August 17, 2006 at 12:31 AM
It has been some time now that I read this blog. Amazing how creative you guys can be. AK - BK you are doing a good job. Keep up!
Kevin Garnet will look hot on a purple and gold jersey.
Laker forever
Posted by: ZZ | August 17, 2006 at 03:41 AM
Does anyone have ESPN insider? The website has some information on KG, but I do not subscribe. Could you post the article?
Phantom
Posted by: Phantom | August 17, 2006 at 04:26 AM
Laker Tom,
Nice link to Walsh's glowing remarks about the Niners. Who's gonna argue with Bill Walsh? Not me.
If I can just get Jerry and Steve to turn their remarks about Alex around a bit, I'll start laying some futures post haste.
Nolan has some cheerleaders for sure. The article pointed out: "As Walsh did in his early years, Nolan is ruthlessly remaking the team into something he wants - with no sentimentality over wasted picks or misued money."
Yes indeed, another magnificent Niners team that kicks ass till the cows come home.
Posted by: sonnybelfast | August 17, 2006 at 04:31 AM
Good Morning Laker Fans ..... and the rest of you.
I see my post yesterday sparked a little controversy and a lot of excitement in the room...GREAT!
I would like to address a few comments that I read.
First, let me begin by stating that it is a known fact that when people remember and evaluate past events, they always see things differently in hindsight than they actually were when originally happening. That being said, it was not my purpose or goal to "denegrade" Scottie Pippen in any post. I was merely trying to point out the fact that having 2 20-10 players on the same team in order to win a championship is NOT necessary. No where in that statement am I lessening what Scottie brought to the Bulls. I watched the games back then, I saw what he brought to the team. His defense is what allowed the Bulls to beat the Lakers in the finals and begin their championship run. Thus, I am not saying that he was not a great player, so stop whining about that!
As it relates to Lamar Odom in comparison of Scottie Pippen, we might as well face facts that that is really what it's all about right now. Whether we want to see it or agree with the concept, Phil Jackson's influence has the Lakers looking more and more like a model version of the Chicago Bulls Championship teams. This shouldn't be a surprise or hard to understand by fans that have been around the NBA for years. It is a known fact that Phil Jackson never changes his strategy and is also strong-willed. His influence can be clearly seen whereever he is. This is why we will ONLY see the triangle for teams that he coaches. He's going to stick with it as long as it keeps working. Thus, the Lakers have to resemble the Bulls lineup because of Phil.
NOW, I'm not saying that the caliber of players matches up with the Bulls. You guys jump on that point all the time and make that the issue. It's not. Plus, there would be no way to judge it as we are in a totally different time period of NBA basketball. Instead, we simply see the same TYPE of players being added and fitted together as if trying to place pieces of a puzzle together. The only thing that surprises me right now is that we don't have any former Bulls on the roster. This is probably more a result of them all being retired more than anything else. If Phil could have a Steve Kerr or a Ron Harper on this team....HE WOULD.
As it relates to LO though, I STILL say that he doesn't have to give the Lakers 20 points a night. I believe that 10 rebounds a night could happen and would be a good thing for this team because the Lakers don't have a rebound first player like Dennis Rodman was. Instead, they need more collective rebounds to cover the 15-17 Rodman would supply single-handedly. However, LO doesn't need to supply 20 points a night as the collective scoring for this team should be more spreadout.
As it relates to Mitch, we will not agree because you are not looking at this situation objectively. All any of you see is Shaq being shipped out and you are blaming Kupchak for it. How do we know that Jerry West didn't see the handwriting on the wall so he got out so as to not tarnish his great record? We are not being fair to Mitch and in fact the same way you say I am denegrading Pippen to raise up LO, you are doing that to Mitch. You are putting Mitch down because he hasn't achieved 8 championships like Jerry did. Well, has he had 20 plus years to attempt that?
Plus, we need to understand that the Lakers of today are in a different time period than the ones that Jerry had the privilege of working in. During the time when Jerry was the GM players wanted to come to LA because of the Lakers. It was all about playing in LA and winning championships. Plus, the Lakers had the advantage of bringing in guys that were "homegrown" from UCLA during a time period when UCLA was at a high. Well, in the watered-down NBA of today, it is more about money than winning titles. It isn't until after playing for 10 or 12 years that the majority of players start to make decisions based on championship goals and not money goals. KG is now frustrated and trying to get to a championship team. By the time the "great" players start thinking about championships they are past their prime. That is the period which Mitch is working in and it is much more difficult to put together a championship team during that time period.
ANOTHER thing. Mitch is the one that brought i Karl malone and Gary Payton. If it had worked and the Lakers had won the championship, what would all of you had said about Mitch then? Was it his fault that it didn't work? because Pat Riley brought in Payton, williams and Walker and it worked down there, doesn't mean that his ability to bring in the right players was any better. It's just that the players and the timing worked.
Bottom line, Mitch is the GM whether you like it or not. If you don't like it....leave and stop whining!!!
Posted by: JJ | August 17, 2006 at 07:43 AM
LakerTom,
Thanks a lot for the chat wrap. It was a very interesting read.
Posted by: Xodus | August 17, 2006 at 08:39 AM
JJ,
Nice post.
I have one question for you. After watching all last season and the large amount of the load that Kobe had to carry on the offensive end, don't you think it would benefit him, and the team, to have at least one guy on floor who would command a bit more of the defense's attention? I never saw a team do that with LO, so that's my argument of needing a "20 ppg scorer". I think LO could be that guy if he became more aggressive, but just think of how easy the offense would flow, and how little stress would be on Kobe, if teams couldn't throw two or three guys at #24 all night.
Guy Owanlele,
I think it would be a stretch for LO to take on a scorer's mentality, I just don't think it the way he thinks about the game, which is fine, I love his unselfish play, we NEED that guy on this team. However, we need another guy who's going to put a little fear in the other team, a "Kobe Light" if you will.
I hate to say it because he's kind of a basket case, but Ricky Davis is a guy that comes to mind. He's a big, athletic guard who's obviously not afraid to shoot, and he has a relatively good contract (2 years at about $6 mil each). You have to deal with the baggage, but you're not going to find the perfect player, make it work under the salary cap, and not trade LO, Kwame, or Bynum (or a combination). I also like Jason Richardson of Golden State but again, contract issues.
Posted by: Andrew Z | August 17, 2006 at 09:07 AM
Andrew Z
Odom actually gets doubled a good amount in the post. Like in the Playoffs or his year in Miami playing PF. I think it's all because of his position. He wont be doubled as much when he plays SF like he did this year because his outside game is not that strong. But once in the post, he's as good of a scoring threats as anyone in the league. He's scoring will go up if he's not initiating the offense and plays in the post more.
Posted by: The Lamar Show | August 17, 2006 at 09:36 AM
Andrew Z.,
Ricky Davis looks like a "jerk" to me, he hasn't gotten into any trouble that I know of but there is just something about him that I dont trust. Plus, he keeps getting traded which means teams don't like his personality or something because his stats are pretty good. I would like for you to look at the career stats for Pippen and Odom. Compare their stats at similar times in the triangle and you will see that the first two years in the offense were very similar, and that it was during the 3rd year in the triangle that Pippen broke out with a high scoring average. Being that they are somewhat similar players with the same position and same role, this is the year that Odom should make that jump and really be that #2 option. No guarantees but this year is critical.
Ken.
Posted by: Ken | August 17, 2006 at 09:53 AM
Lamar Show and Ken,
I'm with you both in favor of LO, but even he has said that he is more comfortable distributing the ball, getting teammates involved, and grabbing boards. As nice as those things are to hear, we need him (or someone else) to attack offensively. I hope LO realizes he could be a 20+ ppg scorer rather easily in this league, his talents and ability are off the charts, he just needs to committ to it mentally. If he can do that without "forcing it" and making him play a game he's not comfortable with, we'll be in good shape.
Lamar Show,
good point about his position. I hope Phil realizes that he is that much more effective in the post.
Posted by: Andrew Z | August 17, 2006 at 10:16 AM
Andrew Z,
Thanks for the response, I see where you are coming from on this and I understand your thinking. I just believe that you are missing one part that will totally change your view of this subject.
You only need 1 player that accomplishes your goal in order to give a team enough of an advantage to score the points that they need to. If Kobe is double-teamed, the others simply need to move the ball and hit the open shots. That's the whole purpose of the triangle. As far as Lamar being doubled...as Ken or L Show said, Lamar warrants a double team in the post. Thus, when Kobe is on the bench, work the offense from the post with Lamar.
Posted by: JJ | August 17, 2006 at 10:53 AM
JJ,
You are absolutely right about needing the other guys to hit the shots when Kobe is doubled (that sounds like a broken record, doesn't it?) but I'd like to see him not have to work so hard for his shots as he did last season. I'd like to see Kobe be able to exert himself more on defense and he can't do that carrying the load like last season. However, we did see LO pick it up offensively towards the end of last season (he must have averaged around 20-10) and that's the level of play we need from him year round. I think our 14-4 record at the end of the year was more indicative of LO's play than anything else, he just makes it so easy for everyone else (Kobe included) when he takes that approach.
I would actually like to see them work the ball through LO in the post when Kobe is on the floor. get that dude one-on-one with any defender and we're going to win some ball games.
Posted by: Andrew Z | August 17, 2006 at 11:30 AM
Yah I agree LO should try to score more. As much as I like all the little things he does for the team, he needs to step up and be our 2nd scoring threat. right now he's passing skill is some what wasted because he doesnt get doubled consistantly. if he can demand the double team all the time, the team will really benefit from his passing and court vision.
Posted by: The Lamar Show | August 17, 2006 at 11:55 AM
Guys,
We need to remember that LO played aggressively on offense for a real long time last season. It wasn't a one-week thing or some sort of binge. He was the man on the Lakers for awhile. I remember many games thinking that he was the best Laker on the floor.
If you didn't notice, Kobe did score less and defend more during that time as well. If you look at those highlights, all of Kobe's rediculous blocks and steals and forced turnovers happened towards the end of the season when LO went unconcious.
I look for the Lakers to continue that trend. LO will have had 2 seasons of tutulage under Pippen by that time and he will be closer towards his peak than ever in his career. Plus, LO likes to pass. Now, the Lakers have a roster full of guys who can put the ball in the hole, which will increase, automatically, his assist totals. Without all those bricks from last year, don't be surprised if he rebounding doesn't go down, though.
--Fearless
Posted by: Fearless | August 17, 2006 at 12:08 PM
How many points do you guys think that the Lakers should be focused on averaging a game? I understand your desire to get someone to backup Kobe and lessen his load, but it doesn't have to be the same person every night. I would like it if it wasn't the same person.
I'd rather Lamar give the Lakers 15-10-8 a night, then 20-10-5 a night.
As far as the scoring total or magic number for the Lakers next season.....100 points should be the mark. Most teams win games that they score 100 points or more.
Look at what that breaks down to be.
Kobe Bryant - 30 ppg (That seems like a lot to you all but really that's 15 a half or roughly 8 a quarter.....that's not much for a guy that can not only score but is a great freethrow shooter.
Lamar Odom & Vlade Radmanovic - 30 ppg (I lumped these two together because I believe that there will be some games when Lamar will hit 20 or more and some games that Vlade will do the same. However, on average 15 by each is a solid nightly performance.
Point Guard position - 20 ppg (I am lumping 4 players into this one position...Farmar, Parker, Vujacic, and Williams...that would be roughly 5 points average by each.)
Center position - 20 ppg (Once again, I am lumping a few players together...Brown, Mihm and Bynum...If they can average 20 between the 3 of them....something is wrong with them.)
Notice that already that gives us 100 points per game. If any of the other reserves play and contribute, look at what the Lakers would have.
Scoring will not be a problem.
Posted by: JJ | August 17, 2006 at 12:17 PM
Fearless,
good post. I fully agree with that and by inserting Vlad in the line-up, I expect the team to flourish. Having a guy like Vlad who can light it up as well as move the ball around is going to open it up for Odom. And another thing, I forgot what kind of natural leader Odom was, I remember when he lead R.I. in the NCAA's so he has the ability. So, I'm fully expecting a big year.
Posted by: Ken | August 17, 2006 at 01:06 PM
JJ,
No one's whining, we just need you to realise that scottie brought a heck of a lot to the table. Not to start of any controversy, but i've yet to see a better perimeter defender, period. He's better than kobe on defense, and he was better than Mike. Perharps what you meant to say was rather than ask our players to score more, we should be asking for more rebounds, better defense, more focus etc. But to say in anyway that too much is being asked of them is off base. They need to do more for us 2 compete in the west, period.
And as for cupcake, please o please tell me what logic there is to us taking on brian grants contracts. And yes we're comparing mitch to the work jerry is doing in memphis, to what paxton is doing in chicago, to what coangelo is did in phoenix and is now doing in toronto, do what dantoni is doing in phoenix now. I mean how come we didn't sign marcus bancs...not only did we not get the help we all felt we needed at point, we let the suns have him. Now their potent backcourt just got stronger. He signed malone and gary...o gee...if u read the stories, shaq did most of the work...mitch brain is 2 small 2 imagine such a scenario, he's forever stuck in that oh my all i have is 5 mil for the season, i'll be lucky to lay my hands on a brokeback like shammond williams. Nothing against you shammond, just venting against cupcake. When we do win a 'ship, it will not be because of cupcake, it will be inspite of him.
LamarShow,
We need marr in the post. It's a no brainer. I don't mind him bringing the ball up at times, I think that also made him a monster towards the end of the season because it makes guarding him that much harder, but he needs to end up in the post a whole lot more. I think we should almost always have a combo of lamar [pf]+ ( kwame/mihm/bynum/turiaf )[c] or kwame[c] + ( mihm/turiaf )[pf] or bynum[c] + ( mihm/turiaf/kwame )[pf]. I really dont wat to see lamarr getting ample time at the 1 spot ( and with the number of new guards we've acquired, i hope that means management concurs ) not because i don't think he can be good at it, but rather because i think he can be great at the pf position. Catch me if you can, i'm the ginger bread man...that's what lamarrs game is in the post, the boy simply got moves. The only problem with lamarr at the 4 is he's got to guard opposing 4s, arghhh. He needs to step his up another notch, he was right there for that rebound in game 6....ouch
In Kobe we Trust,
Go Lakers
Posted by: Taliq | August 17, 2006 at 01:33 PM
JJ,
I think 100 points a game would be great. We'd definitely win our fair share. Maybe I should have not said we need LO to average 20. That kind of pigeon-holed him. I should have said that he needs to command more respect from the defense, and to do that they have to think of him as a guy who is looking for his shot. I just know that he's so good that if he did look for his shot more often, he'd average 20 easy.
Fearless,
That's exactly what I mean, we need to watch Laker games and more often than not be able to debate realistically which Laker is the best on the court, LO or Kobe. There were too many times last year where it looked like Kobe was the only NBA player out there. I'm sure some of it had to do with LO getting comfortable in the offense, but he proved he can play at a higher level, he just needs to continue it.
Posted by: Andrew Z | August 17, 2006 at 01:35 PM
LO is a monster. I tend to think that he was awaken last year and will spend the rest of his career being the triple threat that he is. Sort of Pip-like, but not really. Just bringing a little bit of everything to the table just like a Swiss Army Knife and able to fit into the game plan wherever Kobe and the Triangle needs him.
Why do you think we went 14-4? Because no coach could figure out how to stop LO. They already knew they weren't stopping #8. I remember watching games where Kobe was tripled and LO doubled and the other three guys were all wide open. With Vlad and Farmar and a new and improved Smush, that shouldn't be a problem anymore.
Plus, I keep seeing clips of Turiaf just draining 12-15 footers like they were lay-ups. Boy can BALL!
I remember Grant used to do that for us until he knees just caved completely in. That's where AC and Rambis played as well. Just a quick relief valve. Plus, in the triangle, that particular shot is ALWAYS open, you just gotta knock it down.
I really don't think the offense will be a problem. The Lakers still depend heavily on defense to define themselves. That's my main reason for being high on Bynum. He's got NBA level defensive ability right now. He might be a liability on offense, so he should only play 5-8 minutes a game to begin with. Maybe as many as 10, but for defensive purposes until he matures a bit more.
Plus, the thing that perked me up about Kwame was that he is the ONLY big guy who shows properly on the pesky pick-and-roll that just eats us up for lunch for every single game. D'antoni's biggest adjustment in that series was taking the pick-and-roll away from Kwame's side of the court and making Smush switch to guard their power forwards. Remember, you only have to switch on a pick-and-roll when your big guy doesn't show and recover properly.
Phil never came up with a scheme (maybe he didn't have the people to do it with?) to force the Suns back to Kwame's side of the court to initiate their offense. Or, maybe Nash just kept outsmarting him, or whatever. Kwame was never on the same side of the court as the ball after the third game.
Mark my words, the kids will bring the "D", and that will be the difference that allows us to win 55 games.
--Fearless
Posted by: Fearless | August 17, 2006 at 03:10 PM
just to list 2 facts since we're talking about LO being a triple double threat everynight.
- LO was the youngest player EVER to get a Triple Double before Lebron came into the league.
- His best performace was against Sac when he got 30 19 11, one rebound short of a 30 20 10 game. last person to do that? Wilt!
Posted by: The Lamar Show | August 17, 2006 at 03:46 PM
Lets Go Lake Show
I think LO is going to be great at the 4 spot next year. He is going to cause a lot of problems for teams. What makes it even better is that with Racman playing the 3, he now has somebody else that wants to score so it makes it easier for a guy like LO get more assist and not weiry to much about scoring any more. I think Farmer is going to help out LO to beacuase when he comes in the game, his job is to create. When he creates then this allows LO to be on the recieving end of the play
Posted by: Zakee | August 17, 2006 at 04:08 PM
JJ,
Hey, if Mitch's recruits this season made strides and improved the Laker records in the playoffs, well I'm going to eat my words and my bad will be for the good of this team. Our problem with Mitch is like when he was our player, he has no charisma and completely detached from laker fans, he's only communicating with his boss, JB. The only time he needs the fans is to justify his takes like when the day before the draft day he was going to all radio stations talking about the Lakers as though he was about justifying his frugal moves. When Vlad Radmanovich became available at the middle of last season and he wants to be traded with any NBA team, did you hear any word from Mitch Kupchak? Please refer to my posts at that time and I said that Radmanovich is available, the Lakers need help in their shooting. When Ron Artest was attending Laker game, very much interested to become a Laker, did we hear any kind of attempt from Mitch Kupchak to create a three-way team trade? Joe McDonnel of K-spn at that time was prodding Mitch how to solve the snag a trade with Pacers w/o necessarily releasing Bynum or LO. Did we hear anything from Mitch Kupcake? All he knows is straight trade, won't explore anything creative for he doesn't have the imagination to think of what is best for the Lakers. His vision is always two years from last season.
You mentioned that he approached Payton & Malone, No Sir, it was Shaq who convinced the two guys to join the Lakers, that's why he was asking for a raise from JB in Honolulu sort of a tease, a joke and everyone thought the big baby was serious. Shaq's issue was not with the Lakers but with Kobe but in the end it became the lakers because Kupchak handled it poorly when he went all out in the media, by provoking Shaq to get mad on Jackson's protracted departure.
As a GM, his job is like the human resources manager trying to balance the situations by talking to all parties for the good of the team. It is enough that there is a Buss faction, a Kobe faction, a Jackson faction, a Shaq faction, Mitch Kupchak should be neutral while continue researching for possible trades by talking to all NBA GM's - that's the mark of a good General Manager he doesn't show his good cards as well as bad cards but play along until getting the desired resolution. Nobody knows which side he belongs but just doing his job for welfare of the Lakers. That feud between Kobe and Shaq existed since time immemorial and still the Lakers managed to get three consecutive championship from two immature stars. There could have been an amicable settlement from all parties involved if the GM is well qualified to get into disputes and settle it like Jerry West did on the first championship but NO, he inflamed it. Whatever Jerry West painstakingly assembled in 1994, he destroyed it overnight and the worst thing, he traded the big fellow hastily with Miami and acquired the contract of B. Grant who had a bad knee like him when he was in the Laker roster. Because of that bad contract, we are hampered TODAY to get veteran good players, that's our angst with this GM.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | August 17, 2006 at 05:58 PM
Andrew Z - Thanks. Your explainations about LO are relevant. This guy should come back agressive. I think talk to Scottie Pippen can be really useful. But ego can be huge drawback. I used to wonder if those young players contact easily the older ones to ask some advices.
JJ - I like your contribution.
Edwin Gueco - Bonjour!! What you said about GM Kupchak contains the truth. He seems waiting for something falling from the sky. He can't be creative. He is not a risk-taker. You said he must act like a human resources manager, I don't think he is free and can work by himself because he depends heavily on the Buss family decisions. At his position, he needs to defend his choices. But he doesn't have guts to do it! That's my feeling. Mitch, show me I'm wrong.
GO
Posted by: Guy Owanlele | August 17, 2006 at 08:46 PM
KOBE FOR THE WIN HE GOT IT HE GOT IT I CANT BELIEVE THIS GUY -
JOEL MYERS
Posted by: kobeforthewinhegotithegotiticantbelievethisguy | August 17, 2006 at 11:03 PM
Edwin G,
Great post! I was going to list Mitch's good moves vs. bad moves and break them down point by point.....but I like your post because it hits the heart of the matter. Just some thoughts, which basically rehash your own thoughts:
I have no doubt Mitch is a smart individual...but like Edwin mentioned, there is so much more to being a great GM. First off, there are GMs that are aggressive and those that are conservative. Now both has its pros and cons, but you have to be aggressive at times. Mitch is the "weak-tight" poker player, plays it safe and is afraid to take risks. In this way, you dont lose much, but its hard to win much either. Mitch also seems to lack a certain "human" component and is just dry. In any business that has to make deals, you need to have people skills and you need to "sell your product". We've heard enough interviews to know that Mitch isnt necessarily bubbling with personality ...and we can see from how he biffed the Shaq and GP situations that he isnt ever going to be offered any PR jobs ever in his life. This is important because just cuz Mitch makes a call, doesnt mean he can close the deal. You know that guy in your fantasy leagues that makes like 12 trades a season? He is #1 very active and #2 knows how to convince people that the trade will benefit both of them and #3 closes the deal, even if he has to get creative, he makes it happen. Now its a lame example, and that GM'ing in real life is infinitely more complicated..... but the principles are effectively the same.
The main defense I hear for Mitch over and over is, "its too early to judge him". My friend has been using that line for several years now...to which ive replied "ok ok fine, lets see." At what point do you stop and hold Mitch accountable? Its not like the guy took over the job 2 years ago. Mitch has been here long enough and has a large enough body of work that I think at this point, its open for critcism. I dont think Mitch is the worst GM by far. I could rattle off several that would make me cringe if he took over. But as a whole I give Mitch an "unfavorable" rating. "Its too early to judge" is no longer a valid excuse. Go back and see every move (and just as important, his "NON-moves") and see what you think. If you still think he's great thats fine but I think most will rate him in the D+ to C- range.
I hope Mitch turns it around and this upcoming season looks very positive and I have high hopes. As with any laker, I dont dislike Mitch and it would be great to see him do well from now on. I just dont wanna hear "Its too early to judge" anymore please.
Posted by: wiZo | August 17, 2006 at 11:09 PM
Taliq....I don't know what your problem is, but you need to seek professional help.
No where in my POSTS have I said anything negative about Scottie's defense or even tried to compare Lamar to him defensively. You like a few others have a tendency to complicate a discussion by throwing in things that are not a part of the discussion. I have only bee talking about offense the whole time.
SURE Lamar and anyone not named Kobe Bryant need to dedicate themselves to becoming a better defender. Kobe is a great defender but at times, because of the offensive load he has had, the defense has taken a hit. However, no where in my posts have I said anything negative about Scottie's defense.....so go to your room for a timeout.....you need to cool down!
Andrew Z ......My whole point about the points (no pun intended) is to show that offensively, the issue should not be about who's averaging what, because in the end, there is enough offensive firepower to reach the desired scoring goal on a nightly basis. Maybe it was an issue some years ago, but not this coming season. I agree that the issue is defense, and that is where the focus should be in reference to what players should commit to bringing to the table. The problem is that defense is someting that is hard to measure unless you fall into certain positions. For instance a center is most times judged defensively by the number of blocks they get a game. However, when was the last time a point guard was judged by the number of blocks they get? However, a point guard is normally judged by the number of steals that they get......how many centers are racking up the steals? You see what I mean. Furthermore, the real guage for a team defensively is the total points allowed for an opponent. However, even tha can be misleading at times. Teams like the Knicks and Heat use to be t the top of the list for fewest points allowed, however it was more a result of them slowing the game down than them playing great defense. Houston does a similar thing (Van Gundy Influence) now which does help them remain in games a lot easier. I think it's a good approach (a little boring at times) when trying to remain in games.
Edwin....First thing, Mitch is responsible and must answer to one person....Jerry Buss.....the guy paying his paycheck. We have messed this thing up where we as fans feel that we are owed something that we are not. Players feel that they are owed something that they are not. The media feels that they are owed something that they are not. In essence we all have a choice to make and Mitch is not a part of that choice. As for the teams' decisions, where were you when Jerry West traded Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell for Glenn Rice and JR Reid? While the Lakers were getting whooped by the Spurs in the West Semis, were you praising Jerry West for making that trade? My point is not to denegrade Jerry West, however, it is to make the point that there are always going to be decisions made by management that don't make sense from a fans' perspective. Deal with it.
As for Shaq being the reason for Karl Malone and Gary Payton being Lakers.....you are still wrong. Both Karl and Gary stated that Magic Johnson had JUST as much to do with their coming as Shaq did. To put on Shaq as if he was the sole person is putting way too much on him. Besides, anybody wanting to play with Shaq is more about playing your odds of winning with him than winning without him. His sales pitch doesn't have to be great or even decent for that matter. It isn't lik eShaq is so great at convincing guys to play with him....He's just big and good on the basketball court. He doesn't have to say a word to get guys to want to play with him.
Guys want to play with Tim Duncan for the same reason. because playing with a big guy like those two just looks lik ebetter odds for players trying desperately to win a title before retirement. KG will be willing to sacrifice money and join a team lik ethat for the same reason if in 4 or 5 years he still doesn't have a title.
Charles Barkley and Scottie Pippen went to Houston for the same reason.
You make it sound like Shaq did so much to get them here.
It frsustrates me that you put so much praise on Shaq as if he has done no wrong. He is most responsible for the Lakers breaking up because he should have known better how to make it work. He had come from a bad situation already in Orlando. He, as the older more experienced player should have been able to make it work. but he didn't want to make it work if he wasn't going to benefit most (his own admission has proven that to be true). So get off Shaq's jock and leave Mitches alone too!!!
I'm Out!
Posted by: JJ | August 18, 2006 at 06:55 AM
Another thing....
You mentioned the Brian Grant part of that Shaq trade as if Mitc had a choice. IF Miami said Brian Grant had to be included, and Jerry Buss said make the trade with Miami....WHAT is Mitch suppose to do?
What would you have done? Would you have said know and risk being fired or demoted for not following through with the wishes of the owner? Others have been fired for far less things...
What kills me is that you all sit back and make rash conclusions about the things that happen in theleague. I still see comments about the Lakers not going after Artest. How do you know that they didn't pursue him? Would you have been happy if the Lakers had gotten Artest in exchange for let's say Lamar? Would you really have been happy?
You would have most likely only as long as Artest behaved. However, as soon as he didn't you have blamed Mitch.
Funny, I'm starting to see that Mitch is getting put into that same category as Kobe.....no matter what happens he gets the blame. If the team does well somehow....he doesn't get the praise. If they mess up, he gets the blame.
I would expect more from supposed Laker fans!
Posted by: JJ | August 18, 2006 at 07:09 AM
One more thing.....Hypothetical.
What if Jerry had stayed? What if he had been able "somehow" to convince Phil, Shaq and KObe to remain together? What if he had been able to convince Jerry Buss to pay Shaq his money? What if he had been able to convince Jerry Buss to also pay Kobe his money?
Where would that put the Lakers now? They would have a coach getting the largest NBA salary for a coach. They would have 2 players making up roughly 2/3 or more of the total player salary. And they would be left trying to fit other players into the roster?
Would that have made you happy?
How well do you think the Lakers would have played in that scenario with an aging Shaq?
Posted by: JJ | August 18, 2006 at 07:16 AM
Well said Edwin....except for one thing...even if we make strides, i'm not giving cupcake any kudos. We will succeed not because of cupcake but inspite of him.
In Kobe we trust,
Go Lakers
Posted by: Taliq | August 18, 2006 at 08:14 AM
JJ,
This is a quote from Fearless:
[
They already knew they weren't stopping #8. I remember watching games where Kobe was tripled and LO doubled and the other three guys were all wide open.
With Vlad and Farmar and a new and improved Smush, that shouldn't be a problem anymore.
]
It's that second sentence that makes mitch a cupcake. 3 guys wide open, smush, vlad, and farmar...If I'm an opposing coach i'll take my chances against that all the time, what the rest of the league is supposed to be scared of the rookie farmar. We all saw the amount of bricks that cupcakes cronies put up in game 7, yet my man Kobe had to take the fall for it.
In Kobe we trust,
Go Lakers
Posted by: Taliq | August 18, 2006 at 08:19 AM
Taliq,
I was going to reply with a long and detailed response but really you aren't worth the time to write it. Most of it goes right over your head anyway.
Posted by: JJ | August 18, 2006 at 12:28 PM
wiZo,
Mitch was running the show the last two years that the Lakers won the championship. If you recall, it was Mitch that announced and made the deal for Horace Grant in sending Rice away. We were praising the move but not the man that did it. Jerry said back then that he was letting Mitch do the work in order to prepare him to do it officially once he was gone.
What moves would you have classified as bad moves so far? WHAT trade would have pleased you in respect to us trading Shaq? There is no trade in the league that you woul dhave thought would have been good enough. You can say that we should have held out for Wade, but if Miami wasn't offering him, what choice did Mitch have? Could he have afforded to walk away from the trade, keep Shaq and watch Kobe go to the Clippers?
What do you use to guage the quality of a GM? I guess Jery Krause would be considered a great GM to you since he brought in MJ, Pippen, Phil and won those 6 titles. However, isn't he also the one that let them all leave in order to rebuild from scratch? He is a prime example that whereas 1 decision can make you be considered great, another one can tear you back down to size. I'd rather an even-tempered person like Mitch.
Plus, how do you or anyone else know what conditions and how tough it is to work for Mr. Buss? Jerry West left for a reason. Obviously it wasn't because he didn't want to be a GM again. Has any of you ever stopped to ask the question WHY DID HE LEAVE?
Maybe if you find out the answer to that it would shed some light on Mitch.
The bottomline is that no team wins a championship or even competes every year. Instead they have highs and lows. I'd rather the Lakers highs and lows because the highs normaly mean titles. When Mitch's tenure is over, then you judge the body of his work.
I could take a snap shot of Jerry's work from 1992 - 1999 and it wouldn't be that impressive either. Some would say that at that point it looked like he had lost his touch.
Even Pat Riley, as great as he is in the eyes of many, was being really criticized until this past year. Does 1 championship or championships in general erase all the negative? Think about all of that!
Posted by: JJ | August 18, 2006 at 12:41 PM
JJ,
Please name one move Jerry made that's remotely close to taking on Brian Grant's bad contract. It's funny how you've completely ignored one of cupcakes frutiest moves in all your analysis.
Also I'm beginning to wonder whether you even believe there's such a thing as a bad GM. Your whole argument seems to be one of those monk/bhuddist/zen or whatever else it can be called...love everyone philosophy. So please do name one bad gm, what in your opinion makes them bad, and what in your opinion makes mitch better than them. And no you can't use Isiah or the hawks gm "bicker whatever his name is" as examples.
In Kobe we Trust,
Go Lakers
Posted by: Taliq | August 18, 2006 at 01:09 PM
JJ,
Just saw your 12.28 response, umm cant really argue against it. Your girl has that same complaint about me.
In Kobe we Trust,
Go Lakers
Posted by: Taliq | August 18, 2006 at 01:11 PM
JJ,
Oh its on now...
My bad on bringing up defense, if all you were trying to say is Lamar doesn't need to score more. I'll conced that, however I'd like to see him stay aggressive. If he gives the same effort he did in the latter half of the season + playoffs, I'm kewl and he'll be an all star. Also like you said everyone on the team needs to get better defensively.
Now on to the part where we put a boot up ya a$$,
You accused me off getting off track on the defense topic...yet you got pissed cuz we mentioned shaq brought karl and gp to LA, your response: [ no it wasnt just shaq, magic played a huge role in it too, i hate it when peoplee try to make shaq look like ... blah blah blah ]. Somehow you seem to have forgoten we mentioned that point in response to your mitch cupcake brought karl malone and gp here. So no one is trying to give kudos to shaq, we're just saying mitch didn't play a huge role in bringing those guys here.
Also you mentioned Jerry trading eddie jones for glen rice. What you forget is that freed up Kobe to start, and secondly he exchanged jones contract for rice's expiring contract. Hence we werent saddled with any bad contracts. See how a real gm works...now if only cupcake had been taking notes then, perharps he'd have hesitated to take on brian grant's contract. Seriously dude, do you not see how cupcake dropped the ball on that one.
In Kobe we Trust,
Go Lakers
Posted by: Taliq | August 18, 2006 at 01:27 PM
JJ,
LoL....ok ok...I just read your weak defense of cupcake on the brian grant thing. So it was jerry buss that told him to do it. WoW, makes you wonder what we even need a gm for. Perharps Jerry should just fire cupcake if he's the one making all the calls. Whatever happened to creative gms like west, that present their owners with meaningful deals for approvals, and their opinions are valued by the organization...such that if the owner goes i want to keep vlade...and jerry goes take kobe...then the owner listens.
Look I hear you on the whole we werent in the room thing. For all we know Phil has pictures of Jerry doing stuff with Cupcake and he's the mastermind behind all the laker moves, i mean how else would you explain being get paid 10 million dollars to date the owners daughter. But since we can all conjure up a trillion scenarios, how about we just lay the blame at the feet of the gm when it comes to what roster is out their on the floor....since on paper at least that's his responsibility.
In Kobe we Trust,
Go Lakers
Posted by: Taliq | August 18, 2006 at 01:35 PM
First off, You ain't stuck nothing no where, so you can leave that alone.
Next....I'm finished talking to you simply because you bore me.
Posted by: JJ | August 18, 2006 at 01:54 PM
Taliq,
If the trade w/ Miami was going to go down, we had to take B Grant and his monster contract. It was the only way the salaries could match up. We were pretty restricted in the possible teams we could trade with too, thanks to the Big Doufus.
Posted by: Ford | August 18, 2006 at 02:06 PM
JJ, Taliq, Guy, O., Wizo,
It's Okay, we said what we have to say about our GM, however we are all Laker fans trying to discuss these things amicably and relating back to history. Of course, all of us have different interpretations of the past moves but we can't redo it so we just have to move forward. It's not late for Mitch to recover the trust of the Laker fans who are critical to his managerial style, we're just in the 3rd quarter. We all have the same objectives to get the best players to play with Kobe and Phil as well as LO. We are not saying that the present breed cannot do it because we don't know what they are capable of doing as they play together under the tutelage of PJ. However, there are some calculated risks to take cuz' Father Time does not go back nor wait for the Lakers to succeed. Just like the past 6 years when we saw Kobe blossomed into a superstar, perhaps LO will follow, so why not give them the power players needed to compete for the big one not only the 2nd round or 3rd round or 55 wins during the season but go all the way as we're often feared by all teams in the League. So JJ, we have nothing to argue nor question your wisdom on how you look at things. We just have different opinions with our GM but when the season start we are all in the same page as Laker fans.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | August 18, 2006 at 08:24 PM
Like 30 teenage girls, seven of them on their periods, stuck at camp inside a small cabin for weeks now, waiting for the boys to arrive.
Now girls, let's not fight.
73 days and a wake-up. Gettin' short.
Posted by: sonnybelfast | August 19, 2006 at 01:07 PM
Guys -
This is a blog, not a fighting place. We try to discuss between gentlemen. So don't be upset when some of us express opposite views. We're in the same family.
Let's appreciate each idea, each point of view. We work every day. This is a open window providing some fresh air on the lakers. Let's take care of the baby. Please, as i do, enjoy every moment here!
We love you all. We're in the laker family, right!
GO
Posted by: Guy Owanlele | August 19, 2006 at 01:42 PM