The Lakers Will, At Some Point, Win Again
That much I can guarantee. Unfortunately I can't say when, and while I'm fairly sure it'll be at some point during their final 17 games, the way things are going I can't say for sure. The Lakers were dropped by Denver 113-86, their seventh loss in a row, the last four of which have been blowouts. The return of Lamar Odom and Luke Walton helped keep the purple and gold afloat for a half, but the final two quarters were a different story entirely, killing any potential for a Rocky Mountain high. Denver outscored the Lakers by a rather nauseating 62-35 margin. Disturbing on a lot of levels. Walton had a solid return (13/7/6, but with four TOs), and Kobe had 25, but as a group L.A. allowed the Nuggets to shoot nearly 54%. Very Washington Generals-esque.
The loss drops the Lakers percentage points behind Denver for the 7th seed in the Western Conference, real estate the Lakers haven't seen in a while. But they'll have a chance to get it back tomorrow, when the Blazers come to town. And yes, that sentence shows I'm still thinking positive thoughts.
BK
Are you kidding??
We all know the outcome for back to back games with this squad.
I think I'll wash my cat tomorrow night!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Posted by: keifo | March 15, 2007 at 11:07 PM
Thanks for thinking positive.
Posted by: Faith | March 15, 2007 at 11:08 PM
kobe needs to take it to the hole. That's the thing that's hurting us right now(hint: it starts with d and ends with fence). But that's one thing that we can easily change that helps us a lot. oh, and playing sasha more minutes.
note: i didnt watch garbage time, so i dont know how sasha played. But it doesn't matter, for he is cool no matter how bad he is.
Posted by: greek dude | March 15, 2007 at 11:18 PM
I can't believe how badly we are playing, especially with Luke and Odom back. Where was Kobe in the second half by the way? He is supposed to be our leader. Does he just not have IT anymore? I'm confused!!! ARghhhh
Posted by: BigLakerFan | March 15, 2007 at 11:21 PM
Greek Dude,
"note: i didnt watch garbage time, so i dont know how sasha played. But it doesn't matter, for he is cool no matter how bad he is."
That made me chuckle.
AK
Posted by: Andrew Kamenetzky | March 15, 2007 at 11:23 PM
BK
Admit it....its the curse of the new blog
Sad, but true
I blame this 7 game loss on Latimes.com Head honchos, not you though :)
Posted by: bobie | March 15, 2007 at 11:28 PM
Stick a fork in 'em, they are done. They keep saying the Lakers are a young, inexperienced team. They look old, slow, and tired. They always start off well but fade in the second half, like a fan's hopes...
The views here will generally fall into two groups. Those who think the season's over and will try to take a small measure of enjoyment out the remaining games, with little in the way of expectations.
Others will continue to believe that the Lakers can still pull it out and mount some kind of charge down the stretch.
Hope springs eternal....
I applaud the latter group. I just hope the Laker brain-trust can take something from this season that will help us get better next year. Some way to bring consistency and the commitment and desire the play some defense.
Here's to next year!
Posted by: Andy B | March 15, 2007 at 11:40 PM
They're getting discouraged too quickly. The common denominator of the past few games: even at the start, then get down by about 12 when other team makes a push, then Kobe tries to take over but misses a bucket here and there, then the other team is up by 14 or 16 - and from there, the other guys look like they're thinking: "Well, if Kobe couldn't get us closer right away, then what chance do WE have of bringing us back into the game?" And while they're thinking too much about the wrong things, they just stop playing defense. Finally, at some point Phil pulls Kobe to see if the bench can help. The bench does not help. And presto.
Reminds me of '04-'05 under Tomjanovich and Hamblen.
They just need to fix it and get out of this rut! I do think it's mostly a psychological problem at this point.
- Miguelinho
Posted by: Miguelinho | March 15, 2007 at 11:41 PM
the lakers lineup i consider is still a decent lineup with kobe, lamar and browin in there. we have 2 superstars and i guess the triangle is not fitted for this team...let go of jacskon and his triangle is a better idea... hire a new coach who has a better system like that of d antoni of the suns...the triangle is obsolete...as i said before, other teams has found a way to stop it.....i like the fast break offense of the suns...this would fit the lakers with kobe and lamar...and not that pathetic triangle....
i just pity may lakers.....
Posted by: sonny | March 15, 2007 at 11:48 PM
Faith,
They will win tomorrow, check me back if I'm wrong. No need of positive thinking but after 7 losses, even in black jack, the next deal will be closer to W.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | March 15, 2007 at 11:49 PM
I've seen more heart in a dissected pig fetus than I see with with Lakers. Their performance isn't as pathetic and mundane as their excuses.
When they would lose to crappy teams during the year's beginning, they would say, "we just played down to their level". For the past couple months, I've now been hearing, "We don't have Lamar", "We just lost Kwame", "Kobe's suspension cost us", "Stupid Vlad Rad made our bench thinner", "Our offense isn't in sync without Luke". People don't tell me that Brian Cook's absence cost us this time around!! Lakers simply do not play!
Posted by: Just Play | March 15, 2007 at 11:56 PM
BLOGGERS ARE THE PROBLEM!
I have just skimmed over the game thread after watching the game and it is absolutely amazing the lack of critical thought and just plain stupidity that pervades this blog.
There is a phrase that has been used called "the dumbing down of America" http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061127033824AAoxgWW
When I read this blog and the outlandish thinking such as "trade Kobe so other players can step up" I am convinced there has been "the dumbing down of Laker fans".......hell, you can include L.A. beat writers also.
It is as if all the bloggers are in a small room and everyone is fighting for air and space, in other words frustrated. However, nobody seems to see the HUGE ELEPHANT in the room breathing all the oxygen and taking all the space. The bloggers begin to blame their frustration on everything....BUT THE ELEPHANT!
Well.....what is the huge elephant in this Laker fiasco? Charles Barkley was on the right path tonight......Did anyone hear him?
He said and I am paraphrasing "Wow.....the Lakers have lost 13 of 16 and 8 in row......MAYBE PHIL JACKSON SHOULD BE FIRED!!
Kenny Smith said....."well.....there goes my Luke Walton theory"
It is time for a Paradigm shift for you Bloggers........Most of you assume that Phil Jackson IS a great coach.......so you never examine the possibility that Phil Jackson IS the problem with this team.......and WAS the REASON for the decline of the Lakers........Most of you are EMOTIONALLY tied to this assumption. Look at it this way
Suppose a rookie coach was hired at the beginning of this past year and had this kind of performance. Coaching a team that consistantly makes the same defensive rotation mistakes.....A coach that insisted on playing Smush Parker opposite Kobe.........a rookie coach that called the last shot for Lamar Odom when you have the best clutch player in the league as voted by his peers and GM's on your team.........a rookie coach that is hesitant to sign free agents because it will take them too long to learn "the triangle"...........a rookie coach that seldomly calls timeouts when his opponent has momentum because he wants his players to "figure it out for themselves"?..........a rookie coach that runs an offense that NO OTHER TEAM IN THE LEAGUE OR ON THE COLLEGE LEVEL RUNS!........ a rookie coach that has just lost 8 count them.......8 games in a row!........and oh yeah, a rookie coach that passes out Philosophy books when he should be scouting the opposing teams.
Are you beginning to see the picture? You would at least raise the question......maybe it's........the coaching?
Can you all see the Elephant in the room now?
Posted by: pfunk36 | March 16, 2007 at 12:10 AM
If too many people start agreeing with me, this isn't going to be as much fun anymore.
Trade Kobe now and you'll get a couple of all-stars plus a first round draft pick, or a combo of similar value.
Don't wait so long that you end up getting nothing for Shaq, and Kobe.
Posted by: sonnybelfast | March 16, 2007 at 12:12 AM
Were fine lamar and Walton just need to get back in game shape
Posted by: Paul Lee | March 16, 2007 at 12:40 AM
I blame the whole thing to the number 24. When Kobe started to
change his number to 24, he seems to be different..totally different
from the usual KB8 we once saw in the past years.
24 is a bad number for him, let him wear number 8 once again
Posted by: shaggy | March 16, 2007 at 12:51 AM
Phil is not going to kill Kobe's legs for playoff positioning. They both know that whether it is the 1,2 or 3 seed, it's going to be a struggle. Obviously, they match up better against Utah than Phoenix, San Antonio or Dallas but would you rather have a rested Kobe against Phoenix or Dallas or a tired Kobe against Utah? Plus, there is no guarantee that even if you squeezed every ounce of energy from Kobe that you could get that matchup against Utah.
Phil has worked really hard all year to give the young scrubs some confidence. He's not going to undo all of that just to try to shoot for a particular playoff matchup.
That said, he's a big believer in seeing what adversity brings out of his players. If some of these young guys implode or start showing a bad attitude (Cook and Smush in particular), it will be noticed and I'm sure it will have an impact on personnel decisions down the road.
Kobe's been playing hurt all year. It's nice to see Odom, Luke and Kwame suck it up and play at less than a 100% too. It will probably take them a few games to readjust to each other (especially on the defensive end). Barring any further injuries, look for them to make the typical Phil run at the end of the season.
Faith Laker brothers.
Posted by: psw | March 16, 2007 at 01:57 AM
Does anyone remember that game this year where we were down by double digits to Minnesota and Phil put in all the bench players and we made a comeback and won? Those were some good times. I wish the bench could play half as good lately.
Posted by: Ben Goldberg | March 16, 2007 at 02:32 AM
Kobe's in a slump...
i mean missing tose fadeaways like he's shooting from half court... those are gimmes for him. With him in this condition we will never win... we only have one star and hes not shining too bright... he has to get it back
You can see it form Kobe's eyes, losing is taking a toll on him... His teammates draw strength from him. He has to get it together.
Hey BK, im with you, Im positive we will recover. I still hold true to my feeling that we will make at least the 2nd playoff level...
GO LAKERS!!!
Posted by: Jaworski | March 16, 2007 at 03:32 AM
Mental Collapses, turnovers, poor shot selection and just plain not putting it in the hole are the problem.
I wanted to see Kwame dominate the paint and really out muscle Nene and Camby but he just isn't in the flow and his confidence is wavering again. Poor Smush couldn't buy a shot and on his performance alone we could have stayed in the game. He is a lost cause- too much time wasted, and time to either let the kid have his minutes or go with Shammond. Lamar and Luke will be OK in a few games, the first 20 minutes of the game gave me hope. Another 3 games and Lamar should be driving and tossing in mid-range jumpers. The 3-point shooting, well I think we all have said enough about Smush. When we are that cold - Coach Phil needs to step up and say Take it to the hole and get your confidence back, go up hard and win a few free chances to make freethrows. Ouch 3 point shooting -we have no business way out there.
Well, It certainly was good to see how well Walton can make that offense click and how the extra pass seemed so effortless. Good things to see and a few bright spots to hold on to. Phil lost the momentum and also trusted Smush way to long. His lack of calling timeouts is just amazing. I thought for sure with all these players just coming back we would need more reeling in and was disappointed to see his lack of keeping them focused. Call a friggin timeout COACH!
A pathetic loss, with a silver lining. Luke made me realize how much he really does help us to shadow Smush, or any of the other guard’s weaknesses on offense. I do have to say, it is a blast to watch Iverson and all of his energy. That guy never gives up and our team could learn a lot from his 'never run out of gas’ approach to the game. The big factor was the guy who just ate up Kobe- Klieza was phenomenal and basically gets the game ball. This Linas wasn’t sleeping in the corner with his blanket and was a nice surprise to discover. I love to find out there are players this solid out there, like that Pavlovic kid for Cleveland who ate up Kobe too! They are out there and Mitch needs to get his eyes open. I am almost at the point of saying lets go zone more like Golden State and work cohesively until we gain a better team defense concept. Kwame is coming around and it is encouraging to see that Phil does understand Bynum can only play a few minutes. Hopefully he will look good enough to still be admired this off-season. Kobe and those knees wow, it is no secret and the rest of the league has to be seeing it. He is too slow and gives up like I have never seen before. Kobe's defense is horrible and we really need Kwame and others to step up and help him until he can regain that lateral speed and strength that might never come back and if so, boy are we screwed. He works unbelievably hard in the off-season so I am expecting a revamped attitude and some fresh legs. That last knee operation has hampered his game immensely this season. The bright side is seeing we have all those pieces with all that potential back in place. This season isn’t over and hopefully the sense of urgency to get back to winning is still in our team. Phil, if you ever worked your Zen magic, get it going now! Good Luck Lakers, there is only one place to go from here.
Posted by: Pete Maguire | March 16, 2007 at 05:09 AM
hey andy b, my motto sense i was young has learned to be not 2 count on it and you wont be disappointed!so i guess you can figure witch group im down with i just hope we make the playoffs then die peacefully,cause i know deep down were much better than were playing right now but for whatever reason(a little bit mental a little pyhsical witch =bad chemistry)it just doesnt look like were pullin it together to do much in the playoffs if we even make it,i mean come on 7 losses in a row plus the last 4 games have been lackluster blow outs its clearly not getting better just worse with each loss.so i say keep your expectations low and it ll be much easyer to deal with when the hammer drops,plus we can alwayz hope for the off season when the front office is forced to make some big changes in the next 2 seasons or like david aldrige says it wont be just everyone saying" poor k.g. he should demand a trade to maybe the lakers so he can have a chance to win a championship with kobe", it ll be poor kobe he should demand a trade so he can....(careful)it makes sense though, young players dont win you championships and kobes got 11 seasons under his belt, how much longer can he wait for the "developement"team to catch up!the lakers management betterstart showing k.b. it worth it(kinda scary)but once again thats just my old dont count on it motto showing its colors as well as my opinion but it appears im not the only one.oh yeah one more back burner thing to look foward to(but not count on )is signing pippin,kobe just said again this week he thinks pip would make an exellent edition to the team,and i say how the hell could it hurt!what we have now is beggin for a shot in the arm,even if it is 41 years old,i'll take a 41 year old pippins talent over some of the stuff ive seen in the past 7 games!and kobe would know better than us hes seen pip scrimmage with the team last year as a special coach and said he looked great we aint seen him play sense 04.anywayz hope that covers it all,sorry it was so long winded but the wait on my chest was very heavy and you gotta admit their some pretty good points to think on....cheers mates!
Posted by: faceuno | March 16, 2007 at 05:46 AM
I've been a Laker fance since knee high....and I will tell you that as long as smush parker starting at point guard and the lakers are still running this boring and stagnent triangle offense.....the lakers cant be serious. You watch all the Contenders....Miami, San Antonio, Pheonix, Dallas, Houston.....there all running, High pick and rolls, screens, back cuts, motion offenses that attack the the hole. those types of offenses create good spacing, draws fouls, and allows the point guard to creat mismatches with pick and rolls to draw fouls, dish to open shooters....the triangle makes the game tooo difficult and is too predictable. No legitimate point guard could excel in the triangle that's why we can't attract the top players. The triangle is not an attacking offesnse like the others...it's a perimeter offense....that's why you'll continually see a bunch of long range shots all day, while other teams consistently put pressure on our defense with pick and rolls, screens.....that almost forces you to draw fouls
Posted by: Dion | March 16, 2007 at 06:01 AM
There are many things here I can't believe...
The Lakers have actually lost 7 in a row. This following a six game skid not but two weeks ago.
Barkley asking if PJ should be fired. (even though it was a joke)
Bloggers saying PJ should be fired (not joking)
Bloggers saying get rid of Kobe
Bloggers saying Kobe is NOT a leader
This would be laughable if I didn't know you were serious. Are you KIDDING? The guy can't do it all himself.
MT asks why we can't use our Euro sharpshooters like that....
Dude, we do not have any Euro sharpshooters! Do you call snowboardin caveman a Euro-sharpshooter? Do you honestly call Sasha Vujacic a Euro-Sharpshooter?
This team wasn't a championship contender this year, BUT they were winning before all these injuries. Now it's very tough to climb out of mentally and physically (walton can't be in solid shape).
I kept hearing how Walton was the cause of all the problems because his defense sucked. I kept hearing how Kwame was the answer to our prayers, guys... who on this team is honestly playing up to their capabilities these past few weeks?
Kobe is doing all he can do... he's only one person!
That's no reason to trade him. And tell me who you plan on putting in there when you fire PJ? There's no one better suited... it's called, a lot of off season work, a good draft pick, and some solid front office moves...
Posted by: Tim | March 16, 2007 at 06:40 AM
It's not psychological. This team lacks something called talent. Outside of Luke, Lamar, and Kobe, most of these jokers can't even make open j's. All the Lakers need are smart players who make open shots, and big men who can finish. The offense will take care of the rest.
Posted by: PhxLkrFan | March 16, 2007 at 07:20 AM
well... the best i can hope is they will be hold able to hold the last spot of the playoff... i'm sad....
:(
Posted by: DaxxMD | March 16, 2007 at 07:21 AM
Lakers needs a "PHSYCO THERAPY" especialy the role players starting from SMUSH and BYNUM...
Posted by: DaxxMD | March 16, 2007 at 07:44 AM
THis is pathetic!!!
THEY SUCK!!!
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
THey would all be fired if this was a real job, including Kobe!
Im tired of this crap!
Posted by: BrandonC | March 16, 2007 at 07:53 AM
I’ve been watching Smush Parker’s play a lot recently. I think he’s been reading this blog and it is hurting his play as he is pressing too much. Guys, think about what you can do to a player’s confidence with all this criticism. I think he should just relax and have fun with the game and he will be a lot more productive. I think he’s stressing too much. When you think about it, he is one of the most skilled players on the squad.
Think about his positive attributes –
Offensively, he’s a constant threat. He has a nice three point shot, and can slash to the hole like nobody’s business. He can dunk like a demon. Remember, he is a former Playground Legend from the rough, tough, gritty streets of New York. He has flashiness that only Kobe can compare to on the team. For all of you Smush-bashers, how many times is he the offensive spark that gets us off to a good lead in the first quarter?
Plus, he doesn’t just accept the losses like other Lakers do and pick up another paycheck. You can see that he’s upset on the court a lot. And he doesn’t take any gruff from Phil, either. Watch the look on his face when he goes back to the bench. Look at the competitive fire when he tosses away his headband. This man demands respect.
On defense, no-one can match his length and quickness. I remember a game last year when he stole the ball twice (2) from Steve Nash. I’ve never seen anyone else do this. Sometimes our bigs don’t play the pick and roll right and Smush takes all the heat for the penetration. He gets criticized but Kobe gets a pass for his man going by him all night long.
So, let’s give Smush a little love and watch his game take off! Remember, the playoffs are just around the corner! No time to destroy our starting point guard’s confidence. Take a minute and think about the consequences of what you are posting. Thanks in advance.
Posted by: Richie | March 16, 2007 at 08:09 AM
Pfunk,
'A coach that insisted on playing Smush Parker opposite Kobe"
Which other guard has shown himself to be better than Smush? You need acknowledge the fact that, at this point, there is no one better on the team than Smush.
You could make a case for saying that they should have started Evans or Farmar instead of Smush, and accept not making the playoffs this season in the hope that the experience gained will make the team better next year. But the tradeoff is a poorer record this year. THEY DON'T HAVE BETTER OPTIONS THAN SMUSH AT THIS POINT!!
Posted by: exhelodrvr | March 16, 2007 at 08:13 AM
pfunk32,
there's one flaw in your theory. Phil Jackson is a coach with 9 rings. and he has a very young team who need to learn adversity the hard way.
Posted by: imrubio | March 16, 2007 at 08:24 AM
IT'S OVER.
Posted by: xtro | March 16, 2007 at 08:33 AM
Brandon
The triangle is not made for Smush Parker. It is made for players that can shoot like Dion said earlier. Maybe Smush doesn't suck as bad as I think. Maybe it is the triangle. That still doesn't give PJ the right to play him. I don;t understand how you can't see the difference in players like Kerr and Armstrong when you look at Smush. Smush Parker is the team killer because he does not fit in the triangle, because the dude just isn't smart enough. It is a shame that PJ is making us go though this.
I mean come on guys, you have to be kidding me not to understand that if you can't stop the other teams ball handler, the person that really makes it easier for everybody, then you guys don't know basketball.
Point guards control the game.
Big men control the pace of the game.
Both are equaly important.
KB24 job suppose to be to close out all the games like Rivera does for the Yankee's.
Right now Kwame and Bynum are doing a pretty good job center's when you compare them to every body else's center.
Smush Parker on the other hand just can't find a way to excel in PJ'S system and somebody needs to quickly recognize before they cost us our season.
The only reason that we will survive this year is because of our remaining games. If our schedule was just alittle bit different, the would be in a sh---- load of trouble. Excuse the tardy mouth, but that is how I feel right now.
Posted by: Zakee | March 16, 2007 at 08:37 AM
i agree that phil may be the problem with the team, but the difference between him and a rookie coach, is phil has an enormous amount of credibility . Ive never really been a fan of him, but Phil may not be as great a coach as some say, but he did coach nine championship teams. It may be all be because of the great players he's had, but phil must have done something right.
wow, i cant believe i just defended pj.
Posted by: greek dude | March 16, 2007 at 08:37 AM
Lakers will make the playoffs and Kobe will switch jerseys to #8 and score 100 plus points...
anyone wanna join this new bandwagon?
GO LAKERS!!!
Im in korea right now but im scheduled for a flight in 2 weeks. I am going JUST TO GO TO A GAME AND WILL MY LAKERS TO WIN...
GOD PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO LAKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: David Whang | March 16, 2007 at 08:38 AM
DaxxDD
With our remaining schedule, if we don't make the playoff, everbody except for Kobe, Kwame, Mihms, Luke, Farmer, and Evans should be traded. Oh yeah and keep Turaif too!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Zakee | March 16, 2007 at 08:39 AM
Dion, everybody has motion offenses, but ours is the only one where everyone forgets to move, and stands around and watches kobe.
Posted by: greek dude | March 16, 2007 at 08:40 AM
I don't agree with the theory that some have posted the past few days saying kobe's slump is due to the fact he is hurt and has tired legs, we had plenty of off days in between...he isn't old, and if people are going to say he has a lot of basetball miles on him, then thats not going to get any better....
when's he's in a slump...lets call it a slump...lets not go with "today he had tired legs"
otherwise we could make up excuses for everyone in the league like smush saying "well he's had a long season and is just tired..."
Posted by: laker32 | March 16, 2007 at 08:45 AM
You know what guys, maybe not making the playoffs will be a good thing for us. Imagine: draft choice and the eyeopener for our front office to make some serious moves. Like most of you reasonable fans said Keep Kobe, Lamar and Luke then get rid of the rest. Uta, Dallas, Minnesota etc... to name a few, all got new young players; looks how well they're performing. We just didn't draft or sign talented players. We need to start with a new GM and some smart trades and drafts. The Lakers organisation have tested the fans patience long enough. If they care about us, they got to do something HUGE not those small little move,nope... SOMETHING HUGE!!!!!!!!!!
Let's call this season off and compete for championships the coming years.
Mamba from the east coast
Posted by: mamba24fan4life | March 16, 2007 at 08:47 AM
do not fire phil. who else you gonna bring in that's better? imagine if we had hired coach k? the only bright spot yesterday was the dukies going out in the first round. can't stand those pansies.
do not trade kobe. unless you are getting either lebron or wade in return. anything else would be another shaq ripoff trade. we've already been down that road once, to do it twice would be torture.
simply attempt to follow the blueprint that has made both of these elite professional successful.
with phil: bring in better talent. phil happens to do well with better players. imagine that...
with kobe: bring in a superior inside presence. a la kevin garnett, who happens to shoot plenty of jumpers. yet with kobe on the perimeter, i am sure garnett would stay lower on the blocks.
if you follow these steps, YOU WILL be a title contender. just check the nine title teams phil had, and the 3 kobe was on.
here are the keepers (either because of performance, effort, consistency, potential, or both):
kobe
farmar
luke
turiaf
bynum
here is the excess fat that needs to be trimmed (due to ineptitude, inconsistency, lack of potential, overrated, liability on the floor, lack of effort, poor quality, often injured):
smush
sasha
shammond
mo evans
vlad rad
lamar odom
kwame brown
brian cook
chris mihm
mckie
i posted the other day that the team may require only minor tweaking.
i may have been incorrect in that assessment, it may require a complete overhaul.
_______________________________________________
kupchak, dr. buss and the entire buss family:
please bring in quality, proven players. and not players that you have a hunch on. or project players that you hope will make you look like a genius one day.
enough is enough.
this cast of jokes, has beens, never will be's that you have assembled is ridiculous and an embarassment to the franchise/history of the los angeles lakers.
you have 2 core components to a championship team in phil jackson & kobe bryant. so please make the executive decision of either:
surrounding them with the necessary talent (a second dominant player and legit role players) of a championship team
OR
firing phil jackson and bringing in an up & coming head coach and trading kobe bryant for 2-3 marginally good players and draft picks.
or better yet, why doesn't the buss family just sell their share of the club to magic johnson? he will bring jerry west back, and things will begin to return to normal.
as long as it's not a tv show, i trush magic's executive/basketball/business decisions.
he has a decent track record, the last time i checked.
damn.
Posted by: tha show | March 16, 2007 at 08:47 AM
You know what, I am excited to see the next 17 games, now that we finally have 90% of the team healty. We lost our dignity in all those games, but now the Lakers are tie in the six position and they will take it much more serious.
I expect the lakers to win 4 in a row now!!! 100% sure!!!! So for all you Lakers fans, Go Lakers!!!!
P.S. When I heard people saying that Kobe is not a leader anymore, let me tell this: You sucks dude! You can't blame him, the guy made 9 assists in the game. Kobe stills the leader, no Kobe, no playoffs, no nothing. No matter if he scores 20 or 50 in a game.
Posted by: Bolivar Lopez | March 16, 2007 at 08:52 AM
It's expected that losses, especially Laker losses, are gonna generate extreme and sometimes irrational responses. We can only speculate, but the only guys who actually know what is actuallly wrong with the team are the ones in it--coach and players--the ones who know whether its execution, lack of personnel, lack of talent, or lack of good coaching.
What is not speculation is that something is wrong somewhere. Lakers statistics in ppg, opponents ppg, fgp, etc. have suffered. Is it the triangle? No. Lakers are not running the triangle efficiently. Is the triangle obselete? No. Triangle is the most effective offensive scheme in b/ball.
Now, let's speculate. Is it PJ? We don't know. He can teach the players how to play, but if the players can't execute, he's not to be blame. He has had very good defensive teams. Is it Kobe's lack of leadership or game? We don't know. When Kobe shoots a lot, the team suffers, when he doesn't shoot a lot the team suffers. He is torn in between the two. Is it injuries? We don't know. They played well before the injuries started piling. It is speculative to say that injuries have cost us. Is it Smush, Cook, Kwame, Drew, McKie? It's speculative. These guys have had some brilliant games. The question is not if they can play on this level. What or who is the culprit? Ha, now you have to start making inferences, natural or unnecessary inference, from facts, stats and what have you.
My conclusion from all this is this (I wanna believe it's level-headed) : Let's give the team the benefit of the doubt, and let them figure out how to stop this bleeding. At the end of the day, if they can't and the bleeding continues, we can start making moves to trade players. In the meantime, let's be fans and give them our unflinching support. We need a W tonight. Go Lakers
Posted by: Ace | March 16, 2007 at 09:03 AM
Next season will be the final season for these guys:
Phil Jackson
Cupcake
Kobe
IF THIS TEAM STAYS THE SAME WITHOUT ANY SIGNIFICANT ADDITION.
Kobe will demand a trade by season's end
Phil will retire in Montana and relax. Sorry Jeannie.
Cupcake will be fired.
Mark my words.
So Cupcake and Jerry Buss, wake up and make something major happen. bring Kevin Garnett and a hi-level point guard. PLEASE!
I can't stand have to endure another season with this crappy team and see Phil and Kobe wasting their years here while we could have being champions already if we had a decent team.
Jerry is in your hands!
Posted by: gugy | March 16, 2007 at 09:06 AM
Well said Ace!
Posted by: gugy | March 16, 2007 at 09:09 AM
tha show. did you just say no trading kobe except for lebron or wade? uh, first he has a no trade clause in his contract. And second, if for wade, he pairs up with SHAQ again, and if for lebron, he could go to ohio. OHIO!!! i think kobe would love ohio over la. And last. What kind of laker fan are you to want lebron or wade over kobe. Even if both are way younger, i would shoot myself if i were to see kobe leave and d-flop come in. both are great players, and they will both get better, but you fickle fans are killing me.
Posted by: greek dude | March 16, 2007 at 09:23 AM
: David Whang
let me be a charter member of your bandwagon. Go Lakers
mamba24
Posted by: mamba24 | March 16, 2007 at 09:30 AM
David Whang,
Count me in me as a member of the bandwagon too!
Go Lakers!
Posted by: Fan of the Mamba | March 16, 2007 at 09:42 AM
Omg, what is going on with my lakers? Where is Kobe? It is like he put on a cape and did a disappearing act?! I keep saying to myself, Kobe will step up, Kobe will save us, but where is he? Nowhere to be found? What happened to his greatness? I am reading that we should trade him? I think that may be smart, to free up the other players to be their best. Kobe doesn't seem to be able to bring out their best. Should we trade Kobe Bryant yet?
Posted by: Olivier Larue | March 16, 2007 at 09:43 AM
greek dude,
first off, you lose all credibility with your unconditional love for sasha.
and yes i said that if the lakers were to ever trade kobe, lebron or wade would be the only players worth his market value.
however, you miss MY ENTIRE POINT.
the point of my post was NOT TO TRADE KOBE. the point was to surround kobe & phil jackson with legit talent.
you're like fox news - you take one sentence and run with it when the entire story is saying something else.
no go and make out with your sasha vujacic fathead.
Posted by: tha show | March 16, 2007 at 09:48 AM
the last remaining great player on this laker squad, kobe bryant, is a jerry west player.
what other great or even good player is a result of mitch kupchak.
this isn't kupchak hating, it's just pointing out a real fact.
we have a marginal gm, thus we have marginal talent.
dr. buss REALLY NEEDS to assess the situation and decide whether or not mitch kupchak is the right person for the job.
nice guy, yes.
great assistant to jerry west, i would say yes.
general manager of the los angeles lakers, ummm no.
once again, not hating on mitch. i just believe he is not good enough for the job.
and if dr. buss thinks that kupchak is good enough, the current situation will soon become the norm.
i mean it was dr. buss who ALMOST made the kidd deal happen near the midnight hour by offering more cash & draft picks.
so if dr. buss is essentially the real gm, why does he need mitch kupchak?
kupchak is simply in over his head a.k.a out of his league.
Posted by: tha show | March 16, 2007 at 09:55 AM
I don't think anyone here is being irrational. This is a forum for us to all vent our frustrations. My guess is that everyone here is shooting from the hip. I don't know what goes on behind closed doors with this franchise (although that would be a dream come true) and I can't speculate as to such. I do know what I see on the court. Kobe's FG % seems to be getting back to more of what it was last season and 04-05. Rationally, on the court I can see that it's because these other players are not taking and or making the shots they should or can. I think it is a simple lack of talent. The difference between these role players and the role players on the Champs teams of the past is that those role players were good enough to start on any other team and didn't. We also had guys in our starting lineup like Rick Fox and Devean George who were very good at making open jump shots when it counted and they were all superior defenders. Kupchak did well with bynum and Turiaf and Farmar. Those guys will develop nicely it well rounded players. There are too many Greats from the history of basketball to let this franchise go down the tubes for good. I believe in the Lakers, but I don't believe in this team because they just aren't talented enough.
Posted by: PhxLkrFan | March 16, 2007 at 09:57 AM
Hey guys, I agree with most of you. I think we should trade Kobe while we still can. I don't see us winning with him on the team and with Shaq gone. Maybe we can still get some value out of him. I like the theory (Bob) that Kobe is actually holding these other guys back. I don't think they feel comfortable with him around. He is holding them back and we need to get rid of Kobe to let them flourish.
Posted by: Stormy | March 16, 2007 at 09:58 AM