82-0? Still a Possibility!

wow i am SO PROUD of everyone.. way to DO it

Impressions...

You don't beat Phoenix by playing their game. We all know that. So what changed? Aside from LO turning into "the goods" (his nickname lol)...

Defense. I say they didn't turn cold, we made them miss! And how did we do that, we covered, we talked and and we tried. It wasn't just the steals, or the full court pressure either, it was the movement. See what moving your feet does? lol. We also had an inspired performance from our bench...and if you were watching they were who brought us back...the starting 5 won the game...but the bench brought us back. We're gonna be deep...and we're showing we've got heart.

Go Lakers!

I want to know what the "experts" excuses are going to be tommorrow? If we're suppossed to be a 10th seed like some people think, then what does that make the Suns?

I'm happy as hell, and would be even happier if I didn't remind myself that the season is FAR from over. I just hope this win shows the "experts" that we are a much better TEAM, not one man show, but TEAM than they thought we were.

To all of you haters out there who didn't beleive,
I say to you: HA!!

I love this team!! And the our best player won't even play for another week (probably)!!

oh the possibilities...

Go Lakers!!

Haters, get off our blog!!

P.S. Dr. Buss's ref costume was classic!!

>_<

The LA Lakers share the best record in the League with Chicago
Sit atop the Western Conference and the Pacific Division.

I'd love to be able to say this all season. After tonight I'm convinced it is possible.

To all of you haters out there who didn't beleive,
I say to you: HA!!

I love this team!! And the our best player won't even play for another week (probably)!!

oh the possibilities...

Go Lakers!!

Haters, get off our blog!!

P.S. Dr. Buss's ref costume was classic!!

>_<

WOW!!! I'll take 80-2

GO LAKERS!!!!!!!

What a great game!
-Lamar is setting the table for an all star appearance. That 3-point stroke is looking nice.
-Bynum is going to be an awesome player. I'm super excited about him working with Kareem. It shows in his fundamentals in the post.
-Radmanovic is not just a spot up shooter, his post game is going to come in real handy as a 3rd option.
-Evans will bring the energy.
-This team is deep.

Go Lakers!

I think the Lakers have figured out how to beat Phoenix on a consistent basis, now can we beat some of the other powerhouses. Could this be the dawn of another dynasty in the city of Angels, led by Big "Man" no longer boy, Bynum. Can we avoid the heartache and rebuilding like that of Boston and Chicago and make a run at a championship so soon after rebuilding, looks promising. I also think the Heat may have given up their future for that one championship, hope it was worth it.

Wooo Hoo! Great win!

Great start Way to go Lakers. 60 wins are on now. Lamar for MVP

Yeah!!!! Go Lakers!!!!

I love this Lakers team. They are maturing. They played like a team.

Bynum is going to be great!
Maurice Evans is a fantastic addition!
Kobe has to let Lamar play more aggressively like he has today! Then this team can win it all!

I love how aggressively the team played.

No fear!

The defense has improved after the horrible first quarter.
Keep it up!
Defense wins Championships!

This team can easily beat the Suns! They are bigger, stronger, as athletic, and are hungrier.

This was an unbelievable game!

When Kobe, Brown, and Mihm return, this will be a very deep team.

Come on...there was a pic of Tinkerbell in the Laker locker room right? I mean with a performance like that...a Tinkerbell and that dunk on Nash by Kobe fo sho! lol.

Unbelievabe!!!! We gotta follow it up by whoopin' up on the Warriors tomorrow.

Bynum opened this game up from the begining and made it easier for the rest of the guys. He was a beast against those smaller guys. Farmar looks like he already passed Sasha in the rotation. What was wrong with Sasha tonight. He looked like somebody whooped him with a stupid stick before the game.

I am double happy tonight, Lakers win and the "Big Loud Mouth" (Shaq) & friends got the tar whaled out of them. eeeehaaaaaa

Pound the ball inside ! Kid, Bynun gets doubled in the fourth ???????? I LOVE IT ! Better team defense as well ! Nice start Lakers !

Pound the ball inside ! Kid, Bynun gets doubled in the fourth ???????? I LOVE IT ! Better team defense as well ! Nice start Lakers !

It's 12.30 where I live, so all I have time to say is...

Put me on the 50 win bandwagon!

The Lakers have real depth, at every position. We haven't seen this in quite awhile. I may have to buy an NBA Pass.

The Fav comin' like Nostradamus earlier today. Bynum making me look good. It's just great to have the Lakers back. Soon as we have everyone healthy, we have one of the deepest teams in the NBA. Odom, keep it up, you are the key. Bynum has me so psyched!

Mo Evans is the kind of player we so desparately needed last year. (i'm picturing "the rebound that got away") great free agent pick up, i believe it now.

I'm totally suprised and impressed with this team. But tomorrow is the test to see if we're still that inconsistent bunch who can beat the world one day, then get blown out by the blazers the next. I have a feeling that this squad has grown and matured and when Kobe comes back, he BETTER relent and let this team play. Trust the teammates, Mamba.

btw, my boy sasha. it's only one game, dude. shake it off.

"suck the funs"

Bynum is much more of a threat inside than Kwame; this will force teams to take the center into account when they are planning their defense, which will open up the floor for everybody else.

Biggest shot of the game was the Smush 3 after the Suns had pulled to within 9, although Lamar's three in a similar situation a couple minutes later, and Bynum's 12 foot jumper were also big

Farmar sure saw a good chunk of minutes at the end of the game. Looks like PJ feels pretty comfortable with him right off the bat.

I think the tendency for a lotta people that post here is to be easily swayed, let's keep our heads cool about making outrageous predictions, but I must agree this game was definitely great and exciting. There's a full 81 games ahead though... yet regardless of however those games go, if this game was just a glimpse of the potential that these Lakers have, this is FANTABULOUS. I'm super excited for this upcoming season and I'm hoping we break into at least the second round this year.

Another thing I want to note is just how excited the Lakers also looked and it looked like they were having fun! That's really important and I think it shows how this team is gelling together. I think it's too early to make a prediction but this is some good stuff to start with.

All the pundits will say the Lakers played well because Kobe wasn't there to hog the ball. But who cares! A win is a win, but the Lakers needed this one. Now the team knows they can win on its own and not have to depend on Kobe. They've got to figure it out on their own. Although it doesn't hurt to have Kobe "coaching" on the side.

Bynum played like a man!!!!!!

THE THREE HEADED MONSTER THAT NO ONE WILL BE ABLE
TO STOP- KOBE-ODOM-BYNUM.

THE LEAGUE'S BEST SIXTH MAN- MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Weave-man i think it does. Barkley already has added it. I think that this home heavy schedule is a blessing because like tonight u can ride the crowd to overcome somethings. This is very important because it means that we can make some mistakes while learning to play together and has us really confident when we have to go into the tougher part of the schedule.

My problem is this...We need to get Bynum as much touches as possible because only good things happen when he has the ball. The offense is smooth and it gives other guys wide open shots when he is playing like he did tonight. AT one spell in the game he was dominating the glass...he has got to be a beast on the board!

LO - Dude was a straight beast tonight! There was a i'm going to do what i need to do to win this game look in his eyes tonight! He has gat to remain aggressive i hope he saw what he should be doing every game tonight.

MO Evans was the best pic up so far with Bad Rad havin the injured hand(he did have some solid moments tonight tho). His midrange game has been a surprise and will be a big plus because he will have them all day when Kobe gets back.

Smush played a very efficient game tonight. The biggest problem i had with him tonight is that he is going to have to get smarter because he forgot who he was playin tonight. He was tryin to push the ball at the wrong times particularly when the game was close to being over! Slow it down. Very efficient game considering that this is the team that he plays his worst ball against.

I am stoked by this win! In fact this is the longest post i have ever written.

Bonez
Proud member of the 55win bandwagon
GO LAKERS!

Keifo and Anyone Else:

Here's the FANTASY BASKETBALL info:

League URL: http://fantasysports.yahoo.com/
Register for a "Custom League"

League ID: 187408
Password (case sensitive): golakers
Draft time: Nov 7, 2006 at 8:30pm

I set it for max 16 teams, so please join ASAP! Thanks. GOOD GAME TONIGHT!!

Wow

Great team chemistry - something that's been missing. Bynum has come of age and Farmar isn't far behind. LO is his bad self and Rad is making some gutsy plays through his hand injury.

I hope Kobe can seemlessly integrate his game into theirs - THAT is what will make the difference this year between another 7th or 8th finish and what now looks like a REAL shot at the Western Conference finals.

GO LAKERS!

Hey AK/BK,

I'm sorry for my behavior last night brought by the long summer anxieties reading debates, pronostications, finally I'm back to my old self free of first game jitters. Don't believe any bs messages of those posts, you two are the greatest that happened to Laker fans after demise of Chicks.

Finally, Faith, our beloved Odom came out to play, he was almost traded to draftees last July. Odom will be the next Magic-Scottie combined but put a "jr." at the end of the combo- name due to his half steps and ambidextrous moves. He owns the Phoenix power forwards. Socks OMG socks I can't sleep tonite thinking of Socks, he's no longer 19 yrs, old but a 22 calibre. Kurt Thomas could not stop him, he sat down Amare, he won this game tonite. Now forget the EUPHORIA there are 81 games more to play, tomorrow will be another challenge cuz' Nelson is a laker killer. Let's take one game at a time. Good day to all.

Wow what a way to start the season!! take that GHE crew!:)

Bynum's still the youngest player in the league. And it's early to predict too much from him. But I think it's likely that with some improvement in his technique, some improvement in his strength, and some improvement in his effort (I thought he was immobile at times, especially early in the first quarter) he will be an all-star. And all those improvements are likely. It's not just that he's young - he was inexperienced even for his age when drafted. He has made gigantenormous strides since then, and will almost certainly make even greater strides.

Anybody who says now that the Lakers made a mistake drafting him is unrealistic in what to expect.

BTW - I loved the shot TNT did to Kareem after one of Bynum's moves - just a subtle smile on Kareem's part, an acknowledgement that Bynum is picking things up.

Nice game, forget that run-n-gun Suns s**t. Slow it down, run the triangle, throw it in to the post, bang some bodies, punish the smaller team...we win. When Radi finds his stroke, Kobe comes back healthy...it's just icing on the cake baby!...Man, LO looks determined and Bynum looks so confident for a 19 year old in his first starting role...I AM SO ECSTATIC! The season has finally begun...whew...

Sup Laker Land!!!
AC

did anyone notice that elite, middle, & the rest they posted on TNT? Clippers were in the middle and Lakers in "the rest"

I think the Lakers are going to surprise a lot of people this year including the LA sportswriters. They noticed Bynum tonight, and they'll notice Farmar before too long. These guys look like they are gonna be great.

It was just one game....... but oh damn, what a great game to win. Okay one W in the books.

Tomorrow is going to be a bit more difficult. We're on the road, at a team with a new coach, revamped offense, playing their home opener, and we're on the back end of a back2back. I want to watch Bynum to see if his stamina is better in these b2b's. That is going to be important. We need everyone to cowboy-up tomorrow and give it all they have if we want to win this game.

NICE GAME..
HAVE A NICE DAY GUYS...
I LOVE MY LAKERS..
54 wins to go..
this year Champ.......... LA LAKERS

Its good to see us win our opening game with so many injuries. The only excuse i see for the Suns is that Amare is injured but all we have to say is KOBE DIDNT PLAY!! If Bynum begins to get doubled and Kobe comes back then its gonna be "lights out"!!

SUCK THE FUNS!!!
GO LAKERS!!!

Lamars gonna show the league just what kind of FORCE of NATURE he is... just like in Kung Fu Hustle, when his chi block is released... unleashed... watch out Kobe, LO is in the house baby!

Man, if Smush hadn't sucked so much tonite, we would've won by 30!!!

This is only one game and we HAVE to win tomorrow nite. While Nelson has given the Lakers trouble, this is a team much like Phoenix and we should be able to use the same game-plan. This means SOX doesn't have to learn anything different; and that is a good thing.

One game does not make a championship, but one game has proved all the Laker bloggers right and all the pundits wrong.
The Lakers did not win this game on some emotional effort, they did not play above their heads, they slowly and methodically sliced up the Suns, roasted them on the fire and ate them for dinner. And they tasted mighty good.

Remember destiny is on our side, we will not be denied.

Thank you Laker God for this victory, forgive me for my lack of faith. I will say 20 hail Kobes' and attend Laker games more often.

And the choir said Amen !

Good nite and good blogging.

Aren't I glad that I picked Lamar as my Pick One Challenge player for today. YES! Lamar I believed in you and you came through. LO is so bad ass. Dude and Maurice Evans is dope too. He is going to really do it for us this year.

GO LAKERS!!!! only 51 more wins to go to make me right!!!!

BTW EVERYONE -- join the NBA PICK ONE CHALLENGE and join the LAKERS BLOG league:

http://www.nba.com/fantasy/pickone2006/league.jsp?leagueId=52933

impressive start

Yes Yes Yes - that was a great way to start the season. But, I'm curious to see how this translates to tomorrow's game.

Yet another off topic comment from me - I don't know if anyone commented on this topic on the last blog thread but... how did everyone like the lighting in the Staples center. It truly felt like a special event. I thought it was amazing!!! To quote Usher, "Bright Lights, Big stage... fifty thousand fans screaming in a rage!"

can't wait to see how Bynum and Odom do tomorrow.

Lakers!

Ahlayn

Check it out, Lamar Odom is leading the league in Rebounds and Scoring! I never thought I'd see that, lol.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/stats;_ylt=AtAKTFX3mVonWOQBFZ13Kc.8vLYF

The Lakers did exactly what they were supposed to.

suns = run-n-gun
Lakers = run-n-BANG

The Lakers played the suns game for the first quarter and got killed. The rest of the game, they still ran on that ridiculously sorry D of the suns, but they didn't settle for jumpers. The attacked the bucket over and over and over again, every time down, they were eating up the paint. The suns got eaten alive. The Lakers found the right combo of using enough of the speed they have, and also taking advantage of the size advantage they had, which they actually should have over most teams. EVERYBODY was going inside and posting up: LO, Bynum, Luke, VladRad, even the guards.

It will definitely be different tomorrow. Unlike the Suns, the Warriors actually have SOME idea of what defense is. They're not great obviously, but they got a few big guys that actually know how to bang, which should be a better gauge for everybody, especially Bynum. Still should be a win though. And I have no doubt that when Kobe gets back, he's not gonna disrupt the chemistry. He's smart enough. He'll take advantage of everybody's improvement, push LO to consistently play this way, hand have plenty in the tank to close out games.

By the way, anybody catch that Miami-Chicago score...? haha...

B.
CaliKing

wooaaah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lamar I bet that felt gooooooood....!!!!!!!!

hangover from the series last year? do I get a hangover from drinking ten shots of water??

Can you imagine how Andrew Bynum will be feeling right now?????

I mean its the first game but how about it...

maybe the schedule will work in our favour... kobe can rest and the guys will be able to do well enough to get maximum experience while he gets maximum recovery time.These guys obviously can win games.

great stuff now do it again!

I was surprised as well to see the Lakers winning today. Pleasant surprise indeed!

Just keeping my fingers crossed that this continues and the Lakers play well, Kobe comes back soon and in good shape and the Lakers take the crown.

Maybe its destiny/providence that PJ gets his 10th ring the year after Red Auerbach passes away. Maybe PJ wasnt destined to get that ring till Red was here.

YEAH! Just got back from the West Hollywood Halloween festival. Saw that the Lakers Won. Awesome. Made my day.

Very nice win. Was fun to watch the young guys. They weren't up tight and seemed to be having fun.

"All the pundits will say the Lakers played well because Kobe wasn't there to hog the ball"

What have I been telling you?

Wow, what a start. If Baby gets those sorts of numbers against GS tonite, I will think Im dreaming.

Man I hope Kobe comes back 100%. If he is not 100% i say we shut him down till whenever he is ready to go. NO RUSHING BACK. The only danger in my mind is that he will never be 100% again, like Webber after his knee surgery. Any chance of that happening AK/BK based on the "minor" surgery that 24 underwent?

WAS IT JUST ME????? OR DID I HEAR BARKLEY ADMIT THAT KOBE IS THE BEST PLAYER IN THE NBA?!?!?? WOW, PIGS FLEW.

guys,

notice how old miami looked tonite...pj when u finished using ur cane forwarded to an old friend in the heats who will be needing it before the season is over!!!!....go lakers

Kobe was in everyone's ear and they just believed in each other, picked up their defensive intensity, just an all-around good game after we settled in! You could see it. Never let up. Just play through whatever and stick to the gameplan and execute. We did just that.

U am ecstatic! Let's keep it going and beat Golden state -- winning is infectious and no better way than to start off like that and hopefully it continues.

As for Sasha, I think he was pressing to make an impression..He should be settled in tonight.

If Bynum continues to improve at this rate, and is consistent, will Kobe get credit for "making his teammates better"?

Random Thoughts:
1.) I hope somebody comments on this thought, but did anybody else notice Ernie Johnson had gone bald during the TNT telecast? Moreover, and weirder, I noticed the camera never went to a close up whenever EJ would talk, but whenever somebody else was talking (like Sir Charles, Kenny and Magic) the camera would immediately move to a close up shot. Weird huh? Lemme know if anybody else noticed this.

2.) Probably the most IMPROBABLE Laker victory I have ever witnessed. I mean winning after being down 19 in the second quarter without Kobe and Kwame (and I guess Mihm) against the widely expected 2007 NBA champs is just UNBELIEVABLE!

3.) With that victory, I think we could possibly have one of the deepest benches in the league. We could have a rotation that remains fresh with young explosive talent throughout the year: a dangerous combination for most of the teams in the NBA.

4.) Watching the Heat lose, it is obvious the Shaq trade was a short term gain for the Heat, with the short terms gains being realized last year. If you watched that team last night, it was obvious they were built for one champhionship year (last year), and now the wheels are coming off all those veteran players...especially veterans like Shaq. I think we made the smarter long term move.
Plus could you imagine how this laker team could run all over the Heat the way the young Bulls did last night!?!?! Man I cant wait for the Xmas day match up.

I loved what PJ said before the game:
Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he would not look to forward Lamar Odom to be more of a scorer with Kobe Bryant out of the opener. (LA Daily News)

It was good to hear that BCook got an extension (3 years-10mil).

I can't ever remember a Lakers team that was so deep. With the injuries we've had so far, our depth is really showing.

How about Farmar? 3 for 3 shooting?!

bynum 18/9/5 against the suns.
has kwame ever had that kind of a game against the suns. or anybody for that matter.
I think we found our new backup center in kwame.

Adam,

I heard that a basketball commentator just came back from 4 months of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Could be him.

Adam,

EJ has cancer. I'd assume that's why he's bald now and why they didn't do any closeups.

Adam:
Ernie Johnson has non-Hodgkins lymphoma (cancer). He apparently had chemotherapy in the off-season.

Man last night was a great game. Like I said after the Lakers last preseason games if Baby Bynum is playing like this there's no way you can keep him out of the starting line up. Bynum is improving on defense and is already more polished offensively than Kwame and he's improving on defense.

And when Kobe comes back we'll have THREE PLAYERS that command double teams. There are going to be lots of easy opportunities for guys. Imagine seeing Kobe draw Baby Bynum's man out to double him and Kobe hitting Bynum with a bounce pass for an easy dunk. Bynum's going to draw double teams and leave Kobe open for a rhythm 3-pointer.

And Lamar? Well he needs to continue to do what he's capable of doing. I think I said it best in one of my posts yesterday afternoon.

"Growing up in Miami I saw the best of Lamar Odom in his single season in Miami. I remember one game where LO put up 30 points 19 boards and 10 assists. I had never seen LO play that well before nor have I seen him play that well since. If he can tap into his limitless potential there aren't many forwards in the league better than him.

Here's hoping Kobe and LO can dominate the league, 24-7. "

OK for today it is brag-and-gloat time, well-deserved. Tonight the same primary question -- what will Lamar bring? I wonder what the Lakers record is when Lamar scores more than 30 points AND hauls down more than 10 rebounds? He is good enough to do that day in and day out, so until he shows signs of burning out I say let's put some money down on those Lakers!

Last night's game was awesome. That Lights Out deal is nice...especially when watching TNT in HD baby.

My thoughts on the game...

Lamar started off slow...but finished well for the Lakers. Well...he finished like the Lamar we've always wanted him to finish...tying his career high in points with 34.

Smush rushed a couple of shots down in crunch time and made some bad decisions; however, he was able to make a crucial 3-pointer...and was actually able to hit some free throws in the second half.

Andrew Bynum continued his good play from the pre-season. Socks' footwork is really impressive. He isn't showing the ball as much as he did last year when he was getting his stuff thrown back. Looks more aggressive.

Maurice Evans...he's like AC Green with some offensive moves.

Jordan Farmar has no fear. He's going to be a great addition to the Lakers.

B-Cook still has the nice stroke, but his defense still is lacking.

Vlade started to find his mid-range / low post game.

Sasha's shooting was terrible. He still plays his special "PEST" defense on Nash.

Conclusion: A good Laker win...but I'd like to see what happens tonight against Nellie's running GS team.

Put me down for that 50-Win Bandwagon.

Awesome win. Bynum is the latest of the Lakers' dynasty of dominating centers. The Lakers were very wise to pick Bynum as high as they did. Although one game is not enough to base an opinion, he seems like a Shaq-Kareem hybrid - a strong wide body like Shaq and Kareem's skyhook and solid free throws. The classic center (Wilt, Kareem, Shaq) who can play with his back to the basket is a dying breed around the NBA and teams now opt for the three-point shooting European centers. The Lakers have themselves a legit center who is SO lucky to be tutored by Kareem.

Someone earlier asked about Ernie Johnson going bald. That isn't a fashion statement to match Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Magic Johnson. Ernie Johnson is going through chemo and radiation for cancer - non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Let's wish him the best.

You could tell Ernie had chemo, not only was he bald, his eye brows were gone. I really hope he beats the cancer.

I wonder why all the sports writers didn't mention that great motivational speach Kobe gave Odom when he was on the bench in the 1st qtr? Could it be because it would contredict everything they've beeen saying about Kobe? Odom was rushing things a bit and got 2 quick fouls in the 1st before taking a seat on the bench.. after that pep talk he turned into a beast on the court. That was special to see and was more noticable since he was in a suit and reaching over from the sideline.

Lamar is set for a breakout season, Bynum for MIP, Brown for great 8th man since Mo and Luke will be tied for best 6th man on our roster.. wow that puts Cook at the best 9th man in the league.. we are veryyyy deep!

GO LAKERS!!!!!

1) GRASS IS GREENER GUYS- JUST STOP THE RIDICULOUS
TRADE TALK. THIS TEAM HAS ALL THE PIECES IN PLACE.
2) BYNUM HAS ARRIVED AND WILL ONLY GET BETTER.
A DOM CENETR FOR THE NEXT 15 YEARS. YET THE GRASS IS
GREENER GUYS WOULD HAVE GLADLY TRADED HIM ALREADY.
3) GIVE FARMAR ONE YEAR OF SEASONING AND HE WILL
BE THE POINT GUARD WE HAVEN'T HAD IN A LONG, LONG TIME.
4) WE NOW HAVE A GUARD WITH A MID RANGE GAME.
MR. MO. ANOTHER COMMODITY WE HAVEN'T HAD IN A LONG TIME.
5) RAD-MAN PLAYED WITH HEART LAST NIGHT AND SHOWED AN INSIDE GAME. ONCE HE GETS HEALTHY, HE WILL BE
ANOTHER INVALUABLE PIECE IN THE LAKER PUZZLE.

ONCE AGAIN. GRASS IS GREENER GUYS. SHUT UP.

THE PIECES ARE THERE. DON'T MESS WITH THIS TEAM.

THE GRASS IS GREENER GUYS WILL NEVER BE SATISIFIED
AND WILL ALWAYS WANT TO TRADE OUR POTENTIAL FOR
WHAT THEY SEE AS A QUICK AND SURE FIX.

YOU'RE LIKE IMPATIENT CHILDREN, CRYING "I WANT"
"I WANT" "I WANT"

THIS TEAM HAS ALL THE PIECES.

If you think about it, the Suns shut Sasha down last night because they thought Kobe was going to play and Sasha took Kobe's place in the lineup. Their team was geared to try and stop the shooting guard last night, and it looks like they had pretty good success with that part of the plan. The Suns are going to have to go back to the drawing board for a new plan. PJ and the kids have given the league the roadmap of how to kill the Suns. Hope the Clippers were watching last night. I'd love to see them work the Suns tonight. Sasha should have a better game tonight.

Farmar showed flashes of greatness last night, but also some typical rookie mistakes. PJ showed he isn't afraid to put the rook in when the game counts and that bodes well for Jordan in the future.

Personally, I'm begining to feel really strong at PG, heck I feel pretty strong at every position. This is a deep "flexible" young team. Andrew is the real deal and I'm sure there are going to be bumps in the road for him along the way, but like Magic said, "There's a reason why every GM in the league calls Mitch and wants to trade for Lamar and Bynum.". I don't want to trade for anybody unless we give up only draft picks, S Williams and Aaron McKie. Let's leave the team alone and let them play together for a while. This team is going to surprise a lot of people.

CHITOWN LAKERFAN,

We don't need to worry about anything like that. Kobe and the Lakers will prove everyone wrong. I just saw Skip Bayless on Cold Pizza this morning say the Lakers can only go so far with Kobe as their leader. As annoying as that is I don't sweat it. The Lakers will surprise people.

ERNIE JOHNSON - let's include Ernie in our prayers in his battle on cancer. He's the glue that makes that TNT show rocking with high profile retired NBA stars like, Sir Charles, Kenny & Magic. Just try replacing Ernie with Coach Collins, you'll see the after effects of his absence, this group will not last for one season. Here is an insidehoop's article on Ernie's condition:

http://www.insidehoops.com/ernie-johnson-022206.shtml

Stargazin,

All these fools wanting a trade when we have Smush averaging almost a triple-double per game, and Lamar leading the league in scoring and rebounding, not to mention Bynum being the West's most dominant center.

Anyone who demands a trade is as dumb as someone projecting a single game's box score over an entire season.

When will these people learn?

Wes

wes- say what you will

TRADING AWAY OUR FUTURE FOR A QUICK FIX IS JUST
STUPID.

greetings!!!laker blogers
im on the eastcoast and very hard to watch the laker games but that does not stop me from staying up till 2am to watch those lakers and was so happy that the bulls drained their full bladder into those miami heats, and from this there'll be lots of excuses as always, for example, the ball, tiredness of wade and blah blah blah and then try to sneak in wins when nobody else is paying attention, sneaky heat.
enough of this sneeakiest.....
mom from miami is very proud of those lakers
go lakers yikes!!!!!!

In another year or two, Bynum will be a superstar and Shaq will be an old, broken down fat guy who still can't hit a free throw.

TOO BAD ONLY TWO MIAMI GAMES.

CLASSIC MATCHUP- BYNUM VS. SHAQ.

CAN'T WAIT.

Great Win last night! Lamar was everywhere. What is very important is that Kobe must allow LO to grow, just as Shaq backed off a little when KB8 was banging down the door.He's going to be doing more work in the post this year and his jumper/range has improved. His focus will be tremendous this season. If he stays around 15 shots a night. I don't see how he can't be a 20/10/5 guy.

OH!! by the way
Shaq's stat line last night
24min 3-10/fgm-a, 7pts 5rebs 3 TO
I wonder if he's got a D Wade shrine in that 60,000 square foot mansion...how did it get so bad so fast.

I dont think the SUNS D'd up Sasha, he just missed shots..He had a couple open looks and doinked each of them!

Bynum is really starting to make me look smart. I've been saying that dude would have a great season. People have been bashing me for those remarks. I'm not hearing those same people right about now.

If he follows up with a strong effort tonight, then lookout leage. The Lakers will then have three double-team threats on the floor at one time. That changes everything.

But, tonight is the key.

Farmar didn't miss a shot? He played 11 minutes? This dude is arriving WAY ahead of schedule (which I've been predicting as well).

I'm renewing a couple of vows:

1) Lakers will win 55 games
2) Farmar will start

SUCK the FUNS

Go Lakers!

--FearlessWhackJob

FearlessWhackJob,

Farmar also got trapped at mid-court and had to burn a timeout (rookie mistake) and dribbled around and eventually into the corner for a 24 second shot-clock violation and turnover (rookie mistake).

I thought he played a good game, but let's take off the LakerTom colored glasses here.

Actually, I liked it with both him and Smush on the floor. It seemed to work well.

At first I thought losing Jerry West was a big Lost for the Lakers, but I am starting to believe in Mitch. We are really having a TEAM now. I know it is only the 1st game. But watching the Lakers play all those powerhouse teams last season, the great playoff run, and this year exciting opener with more depth on the team, I believe we will be a force in the west again.

Jerry Buss put it the best, being a Laker fan is like a religion. Once you are a laker, you are a Laker for life. I never have any doubt that we will be back on the top again VERY VERY soon.

SHOWTIME IS BACK, AND IT WILL BE LIGHTS OUT!!!

The guy with the fantasy league...you're having the draft during a Laker game?!?

I honestly think we'll do better than 55 wins this season. Seriously, maybe 58-59.

Damn, this team has great chemistry and incredible coaches with a couple of (deserving) superstars on their team (Kobe, Lamar).

I thought we were going to win the championship next year, but... I'm beginning to think it could be this year.

Kobe will retire with at least six rings.

Quote me.

GO LAKERS!