Extra! Extra! (5.1)

First off - for those of you who joined the blog during the season - it rocks even MORE in the off-season. Gives us a chance to keep focused on our team even when they're not in the paper daily, and there's fewer entries so there's actually time to read them all.

Now as to this summer (I'm assuming we lose game 5 and I'm just getting a jump on the next phase) - we need MAJOR changes. Buss the younger is DEAD wrong when he says Bynum and Farmar are enough to compliment Kobe. Hopefully his dad will wake up and take control again. When he does....

1) We NEED a new GM. One with a connection to Laker History and Greatness (and no - backing up Kareem for 2 years til your knees blew out doesn't count Mitch). The ONLY three options - Jerry West (the best!), Magic, or kicking Phil upstairs. Like West, coaching may now be too strenuous for the Zenmaster, but with his hoops knowledge he'd be a helluva GM if we can't get Jerry or Earvin.

2) We need a dependable all-star big man. First choice : KG. All NBA defensive team, leads the league in rebounds and his team in scoring, lives in Malibu off season, gets along great with Kobe. How much more perfect can you get? Give the Wolves ANYONE but #24 - any 2 big men plus draft choices. Second choice : JO - I wouldn't give up Lamar for him, but he plays the 5 well so Kwame and/or Bynum plus pick(s) is a fine deal. Kwame is very valuable in these deals due to his expiring big contract.

3) Get rid of the players that don't play with heart. Kwame, Smush, and the Serbian Snowboarder - go pout or laze around or have non-hoops fun somewhere else. We need guys that work 8 hours a day in the OFF season cause they're so determined to win next year.

4) Get another older point guard to mentor Farmar. Kidd and Bibby are probably out if we use our tradeble big men and picks on KG or JO, but someone of the caliber of D-Fish or Cassell. Maybe even Jacque Vaughn.

Do that and we have a championship contender next year. Stand pat or add another Radmanovich and I'm going to quit fighting everybody up here in NorCal (where I moved last year) and start rooting for the Warriors. At least they play with passion.

REPOST:

kb24lal said "Offensively, give Kobe the green light. Let him go mano a mano w/ the Suns."

kb, great strategy. who don't we start kobe by himself against the Suns. there's a great strategy. whY don't we just rename the LA Lakers to the LA Kobes. great insight.

JayJay,
It might be difficult to get rid of Vlad, because of the length of his contract.

I could have sworn it was extra, extra! ( 5:1)

mike

I'm jumping on the "Let Kobe Go Bananas in Game 5" bandwagon. Who's with me?????

LA Kobes. I like that.

I certainly don't want to see any team basketball with this year's team.

Go for it! Give Kobe the ball and step aside.

Kobe has no one to blame but Lakers management for the current state of the team.

Mike T,

Thanks for the pick up.

AK

AK,
(Extra Extra 4-1) lol

Maybe this year is't flying by as fast as I thought.

"Now as to this summer (I'm assuming we lose game 5"

F*ck it, I say it's our year. They came back from three to one, we can do the same.

We all know that we can beat this team anytime we play consistant offense and defense. Phil has another trick up his sleeve, so let's see what it is before calling it a season.

We still have seen Vlad yet(shocking secret weapon, I know), and a few of us were calling him our x-factor, including myself.

If we can somehow find a way to win this game, we are still in it.

Game 6 is in Staples...

and by that time, if we win again, it won't matter WHERE game 7 is played at!!

LAKERS IN SEVENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!

dan

KL Beast, "Why don't we just rename the La Lakers the LA Kobes"
Hey Kl Beast we're friends now right?. I Like the new name by the way.
Any way to answer the question. The only reason trhey haven't because
to paraphrase an oldf commercial " THEY HAVE TO EARN IT" LOL

KB, I'm jumping on the "Let Kobe Go Bananas in Game 5" bandwagon."
Sir, I'm with you, full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes

Jay Jay,

I’m mostly with you with one small reservation. I’m from Memphis and I’m not sure West done such a great job here. If you need a prove look at Grizzlies, worst team in NBA. I think he lost his magic, look at his last trades/drafts/signings and you’ll see what I mean. Another thing to consider, Phil and West not getting alone pretty good, take a look at Lazenby book. In fact I think with current setup of Lakers management, do you honestly believe Mitch or someone else will be able to trade Lamar/Bynum without owner’s approval? Trades for KG/JO or any other ALL-Star never pulled without owner calling all shots, because after all, owner is paying money for those contracts. As you know it’s true not only for the Lakers, but for majority of teams. If Jim Buss will say he will not trade Bynum under any circumstances, what are you going to do? Watching now Jason Kidd playing and Bynum I want to scream, but nothing we can do about it.

"ONE GAME AT A TIME"

Oh, Kobe's gonna go bananas, that's a no-brainer. If we want to win the game, and more importantly, the series, then.the whole team must go bananas!!

If the "Bananas" bandwagon is for those who want Kobe to just shoot the lights out and forget about his teammates..then leave me off of that ish...I'm not ready for summer yet!!

dan

Reality check, everybody. Kobe won't be able to go bananas if there are two or three Suns swarming him at all times. And based on the Lakers' play on Sunday, if Phoenix only worries about Kobe, the odds are in their favor.

Kobe can't get open unless the others are making their shots and playing aggressive defense. If we want the 4th quarter to be "Kobe Time" there has to be something left in his legs and he has to be confident that if he's patient, someone else might get open and hit a big one.

The Suns have a killer instinct the Lakers have shown they lack. Phoenix doesn't want this series to go back to LA. No matter how close Game 5 turns out to be, the Suns will have a greater desire to close than the Lakers will have to keep the series alive.

I GOT A CRAZY IDEA:

let's watch the movie "hustle & flow" to help rectify us being down 3 games to 1 versus the phoenix suns. and instead of working on team defense, defending the pick & roll, free throw shooting, etc. - let's end practice early so the players can take the valid lesson of "hustle & flow" home with them.

yep, that will turn this series around...

oops. phil jackson already beat me to it.

sounds like a coach who has already surrendered.

yikes.

Tha show "Hustle and flow"
Hey! You got to do something to justify that 10 mil. LOL

This organization is delusional enough to take a reasonably close 5th game defeat as a positive sign. I'm not sure what the hell to root for.

Why wait on the development of players that woulldn't have dominated the D league? If Phil stays, just keep enough triangle savvy bodies around to fill in the blanks but add another dominating starter or next year will be Kobe's last as a Laker.

That one game win gave us all the feeling of what a winning Laker team does for this city. It unites. It's bigger than basketball, the Buss boys have a civic duty to put this Humpty Dumpty back together. GO LAKERS

As much as I love Magic Johnson, I think he'd be a terrible GM. Great business man? Absolutely. Savvy player? You bet. Enthusiastic game analyst? Agreed.

But think back on his brief coaching stint, when he got bored about halfway through and the Lakers finished the season with something like 11 consecutive losses. No, let's stick with Kupchak.

One caution about huge trades: Assuming Jackson is back with the triangle, there is a big learning curve to master the offense. The more we jumble up the team, the longer it will take to get on the same page, maybe longer than a season.

LAL fan -

And I mostly agree with you.

Except there IS one thing we can do about it. If they give us the same recycled stinko supporting cast for Kobe next year, then we must act. If enough of us stop buying the Laker product - don't go to games, don't buy gear, refuse to participate in fan events, etc, BUSS WILL GET THE MESSAGE.

When Staples is barely half full, Jack and his star buddies stop coming, and TV ratings plummet, you BET Buss will make some serious changes. Look what happened to Imus - they pulled the plug on him after sponsors cancelled out.

I hope it doesn't come to that, but this is a capitalist free market and its we the fans that keep the Lakers in business. Money talks!

Seems like the lakers are pretty good in the reg season, but they just can't ever beat the Suns. I wish Kobe would play better. He's really talented but he doesn't seem to know how to win in the playoffs. He needs to be more like Michael Jordan and become a real leader. He's got nice highlight reels but not the intangibles that make a great leader and champion like Steve Nash.

Jay Jay,

I agree with most of you said but, I don't think we should give up LO to get KG. Will Minny want him? Prolly, but we have to fight to hold on to him. Yes, having KG and Kobe alone puts us close to the top of the west, but with Kobe, KG, and LO we can easily be the best team in the west. It's hard for me to think about trading Bynum but I think it has to be done. I say we offer Bynum, another player (not named LO), and a draft pick for KG. I know it doesn't seem like much but, Minny should be looking to get younger, and build up cap space so that they can truly build for their future.

JO is a good to great player, but his injury history makes me nervous, and I wouldn't be willing to give up more than Kwame, and a draft pick for him. Once we get a big man, we should be able to get a reliable starting PG, by trading or signing one with the mid level exception. I think someone like Antonio Daniels could be a good stop gap PG until Farmar is really ready to take over. I'm tight that we're struggling in this series but I'm really excited to see what we do in the offseason. Hopefully we can make a splash and be back where we belong.....The Top!!!!!

I am down4whateva..Kobe Go Bananas Bandwagon sound dayum real to me!!

Weave-man,
"I say we offer Bynum, another player (not named LO), and a draft pick for KG"

The salaries won't match. A trade for KG would need to include LO to match salaries.

Mamba24, we cool. no more name calling from me unless you want to have some fun with it. i agree with the let kobe go nuts in game 5 bandwagon. at lease kid kobe can make playoff history.

Anyone know what the next step to the 2007 nba finals is?
Could it be Black "I am the Almighty" Jesus and the only true showtime
vs.
Phil "If only Kobe were Nash or MJ we might have a chance" Jackson and his purple and gold d-leaguers?

I think that we need to get KG. I'd be willing to give up Lamar or Bynum and a pick for him. The best case scenario to win now would be to package Bynum and something else for him.

I'm just not sold that Bynum is going to develop into an impact player. Look at guys like Lebron, Amare, even Kobe. By the time they were 19, we all knew how good they were going to be. Bynum isn't showing that he can be a dominant player like those guys did. Sure he'll be good, but thinking about KG, Kobe, and Lamar fighting for championships sounds a little better to me.

Go get KG!!!
Go Lakers!!

why is wverybody so pessimistic and critical about the lakers???
Here are some position in which the lakers have sought to improve themselves over the recent years:

From Fisher to Smush
From Horry to Kwame "where's my headband" Brown
From Shaq to that 19 yeard old stiff Bynum

And...last but not least wanted to say hi to that retard who always writes at the beggining of each game "GO LAKERS TEACH THEM SOME MANNERS!! ...

greetings craigp here.

LETS GO LAKERS! THey are due for an all around reall good game
I predict the LKaers take game 5 by 24 points, 123-99

I have some thoughts on the NBA in general

I am not feeling Sir Charles Barkely at all these days, I used to consider him a medicore analyst, now I consider him a poor analyst, though still extremely funny. I am begining to seriosuly wonder if he really knows baksetball. The dpeth of his analysis is should a team play fast or slow. There is so much more intricacy to basketball then that that he never gets into.

Next , I want to PRAISE two awesome guys,.

Baron Davis and Ben Wallace.

Just seeing the obvious EXTREMELY high character of those guys is so great to see. This country is IN REALLY GOOD SHAPE when it can produce two fine men like that. Hats off to Baron Davis and Ben Wallace, if there were more people ein the world like them, this world would be even better.

Also Doug COllins, I am really feeling him these days, That story he told about Antonnio Daniels crediting his brother with setting a pick for him so he could score, makes me cry my eyes out in a very good way. INcidentally there is NO SHAME IN CRYING. ANyone who has ever played basketball with there own brother knows how special it is with someone on the court who is truly looking out for out you. I am sure I will think about this story every so often for the rest of life and cry my eyes out each time.

Also how bout that RAFER ALSTON!!!! I thought he really stepped up his game last night as did Shane Battier, and they were the difference in that game.

LETS GO LAKERS!

ONE LOVE!

Jay Jay

You've been reading my posts. jk lol

I agree, except with the GM. It seems the Buss's make the decisions and the Gm is more of a telephone guy relating the messages. West left because he didn't have full control and found it frustrating. Dr. Buss has been a great owner, but if he wants to delegate, DELEGATE. Give the GM the parameters, and let him do the job.

I've seen several Family run business go down hill in the transfer of power. Daddy ran the business brilliantly, but the kids have more interest in "playing" the boss. The smart thing to do is find a GM you trust and let him do the job. Another thing, talent evaluation has always been a strong point of the Lakers. Hiring a VP of scouting, who's prior resume includes, 4 cheeleading jobs, and a Playboy spread, doesn't instill confidence in me, nor can it the coaches or players.

What I'm saying, is that I feel the problem is not necessarily with Mitch, but is systemic. When Dr. Buss was fully hands on, working with West, we had one of the top Org. in the NBA, transferring the power to Jim Buss has taken us down a few notches. Jim Buss is daddy's boy, a Laker Fan, which qualifies him uniquely to run nothing. Honestly, most of the bloggers would do a better job.

My long term solution: When Kobe retires, let him buy the team. Let him run it. This guy knows basketball. Would settle for nothing less than a championship effort every year. And would know how to get you there.

TV show suggestion: A reality show based on the Lakers. You would never run out of ideas for scripts. I'm not sure if it would be a drama, a sitcom, or a tragic comedy. But it definately would be chock full of action and intrigue. And loaded with sexy sizzle. A winner on the Fox network for sure.

You laugh, but look at the cast of characters.

An Owner Playboy: Loaded with money and playboy bunnies on each arm
A daughter playgirl living with the coach, who has untrainable dogs
A son in and out of rebab
Another son who's bar bill is more than the other son's rehab bill
The comic relief of the GM who some how runs the team inspite of the family
The Zen Coach, who's against materialism, but makes 10 mil a year
The star player who the entire world hates even tho the catholic church plans to cannonize him
Add a cast of characters that throw cakes, sneak out and snowboard, players that think there allstars, when they would be lucky to play in the NBADL
Throw in the usual villains from the NBA league office, out to destroy this embarrassing franchise
We have the corrupt weasel of a reporter, Simmers, who's just like the guy in the Natural played by Robert Duvall
And the two repoerters, AK/BK, always fighting to expose the truth, in the mold of "All the Presidents Men" fame

And if you really want to make it good. Tag each scene with a quote from the LATimes Laker Blog which would give some intellectual and poetic insight to the scene.

No need for casting, you can't top what we already have.
The Rating; IMA, for imature audiences
The Name? That's your job.......

Reporting and making sense out the madness
Fatty

Jay Jay,

I agree 100% with your first post.

Time for big changes.

KEVIN GARNET, KOBE AND LAMAR plus a really good point guard, we are in business for another championship.

yeah David you're completely right, they should ban that retard of michael teniente from any blog where intelligent people participate. What about that? these lakers wouldn't be capable of "teaching any manners" to my playground team

KG + Lakers = Makes too much sense = Inept front office won't pursue.

They say to TRUST them that they'll make a key acquisition this off season?

These are the same people who took in Cook, Sasha, Borat, and Smush

And, who also turned down Baron Davis, Earl Watson, Leandro Barbosa, Manu Ginobili

I sure can't wait to see who they pick up this off season.

BRYANT/GARNETT '08

Jeff,
I find it rather audacious that you and all of the other bandwagon Suns fans that will abandon the team after they lose to San Antonio in the second round, have the nerve to refer to the Suns as anything remotely close to Showtime. The Lakers of the 80's went to the NBA FINALS not the Western Conference Finals, the NBA FINALS 8 of 10 Years in the Decade. I'm Pretty sure the Suns have been in the NBA FINALS 2 times in their illustrious 39 year history.
Go Lakers.

I hope Bynum plays a lot of minutes tonight and once again proves to be a fraud. Then again, that would lower his trade value. But, Jim Buss will not trade his little pet so what difference does it make? So sad, so sad. I really don't think we need Garnett, Oneal, or Kidd because we would be giving up a lot to aquire those players. Plus, if you were a GM, would you take in Kwame, Lamar, or Bynum? For the right price the answer is yes, but considering their salary, their proneness to injury, and their inconsistent play, would you? Why not focus on aquring a couple of above average players that are hungry? How about players like Gerald Wallace, Chris Wilcox, Danny Granger, Earl Watson, or Pau Gasol? Just some suggestions, just tired of hearing those big names.

If KG's worried about his legacy without a ring, the move down the expressway to Chicago would be closer to it than to the Lakers. But with the Bulls recent success, they won't want to trade half the roster to make that happen. Our collapse could be just the incentive to make this deal happen but KG would have to be proactive in the proceediings.

Jeff,
Also, on another non-championship note, Steve Nash is not a champion. Not in The NBA, or college, or probably AAU for that matter. Karma is coming for the Suns.

Live from Phoenix
LkrFan in enemy territory

In fact, lets play a game boys and girls.........

Let's make a list of all the players the "wise" front office missed out on since the 2004 season. I will start:

D-Wade (Yes, him because Cupcake could have demanded him for Shaq)
Jason Kidd
Leandro Barbosa
Baron Davis
Earl Watson

Feel free to add to it.

BRYANT/GARNETT '08

Hmmmmm...

Well, being the realist, I would like to see the Lake Show continue, but it looks unlikely. This hurts to see the squad lose again to the Suns, but oh well, at least we did not win 62 games this season only to lose to Golden State in the first round!

Mark Cuban, hahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!

janaya

Vlad Radmanovich will step up big tonight. Like 5 threes big

Fatty,

Believe it or not, that show just got pitched and sold recently. Can't go into details but it will shock and awe the basketball world.

If KG's worried about his legacy without a ring, the move down the expressway to Chicago would be closer to it than to the Lakers. But with the Bulls recent success, they won't want to trade half the roster to make that happen. Our collapse could be just the incentive to make this deal happen but KG would have to be proactive in the proceediings.

Naturally, McHale would ask for everyone we've mentioned but with Kobe and KG running together, there might be a few vets out there that would take a cut to join the party. That nucleus could attract all kinds of positives.

Ex,

You're right, I didn't think about the salaries as much as I was just ranting on what I would do. I still don't think we should offer them LO, so there has to be a package of players we can put together to get him. IDK, maybe I'm grasping at straws but the potential of a starting lineup with Kobe, KG, and LO is just too great not to try to find another way to make a trade work.

Say, anyone know what time it is?

Next step to the 2007 nba finals
Steve "Better than Magic" Gnash and the nba's only Showtime
vs.
Kobe "Where's Shaq? I want anotha ring." Bryant and his Suns punching bags
31 hours or so

Jeff,

Steve has NOTHING but a bunch of assist that only proves that when he passes the ball, someone make a shot.

Nash has no rings. He has good shooters and a good team that has not won anything yet.

I would suggest making Nash a SCORER and bring back that fence of bigs that smothered him in the paint.

Yikes... responses to a couple posts from a few days ago.

Fatty,

"Excellant Work. You missed two of mine on a previous post. Have your monkeys look them up. By the way, are your Monkey's available for hire? I need some new salesmen in the Store."

Do you remember what they were? My crack team of monkeys seems to have a difficult time of understanding the concept of "search." Actually, I'm just blaming it on them when it's me who's just being lazy. Poor monkeys... they get blamed for everything.

never,

"I thought we would have about 8 mil left over if we release Mihm, Williams, McKie (depending on how much our free agents demand) for Wallace?"

Even then if we don't re-sign those three we'll still be over the cap, hence only having the MLE available.

That's it. Jeff is officially another troll. I am going to the azcentral site to infiltrate enemy territory. Recon work. Glad I am wearing my Old Spice deodorant. I'll be back with some comprehensive info on what Suns fans think is so great about their team.

Live from the Surface of the Sun
LkrFn in enemy territory

Generic_One

What is it with all the white shirts at the Miami game? It looks like a Grand Meeting of the Klu Klux Klan. Which Kobe founded.

Chicago sweeps Miami. Of course Shaq will find a way to blame Kobe.

Monkeys: I knew it was too good to be true.

Re-Reporting from Arizona and "Home of the PHX Suns, The only team in the NBA that has never won the Title" Now, that is something to brag about.

Fatty

PhxLkrFan,

This is headquarters in LA. Any word yet on how these trolls infiltraded our Lakers Blog?

they must be stopped at al cost! Please proceed to all Internet carriers and turn off their switches. This must be done in secret. Only Headquarters, you and the other hundreds of bloggers now of this sinister plan.

Now, GO!

Lakers, Win tomorrow!

fatty,
haha, that would be a good show.

damn i thought queens fans were pathetic and irrelevant.

suns fans take the cake. where's kwame "tossin cakes" brown when you need him...

I find it rather audacious that you and all of the other bandwagon Suns fans that will abandon the team after they lose to San Antonio in the second round, have the nerve to refer to the Suns as anything remotely close to Showtime. The Lakers of the 80's went to the NBA FINALS not the Western Conference Finals, the NBA FINALS 8 of 10 Years in the Decade. I'm Pretty sure the Suns have been in the NBA FINALS 2 times in their illustrious 39 year history.

MR. ___LKRFAN,
HEY DUDE, YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOU OUTLOOK ON LIFE, MAN. YOU ARE ALWAYS BEING BITTER AND NEGATIVE. WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH ALWAYS RANTING ON THE SUNS AND SUNS FANS? BRO, ARE YOU THAT UPSET THE WAY THE SUNS ARE BEATING YOUR LAKERS? IT'S A BASKETBALL GAME. HOSTILITY IS NOT HEALTHY. ESPECIALLY OVER A GAME.
BY THE WAY, WHO CARES WHAT THE LAKERS DID IN THE 80'S OR ANY OTHER TIME IN THE PAST? THAT'S ALL IN THE PAST. YOU NEED TO LET GO. WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
YOU NEED TO FORGET ABOUT THE PAST AND LIVE IN THE NOW, DUDE.
YOU'LL BE MUCH BETTER FOR IT. REALLY.
I'M PRAYING FOR YOU.

Pretty funny to see the Lakers show highlights of the Miami defeat. Kind of like the front office telling the fans "see we were right in giving away Shaq for Kobe" They should also include clips of last year's championship with Shaq holding the trophy. The Championship is something the Lakers won't see for a VERY long time. Definitely not with Kobe "leading" the team.

KL beast I may not agree with your take, but I respect you.

I think the thing we should be learning as impatient Lakers fans is how difficult it really is to build a championship team. It was 7 years after West and Wilt played for a title in '73 until Magic & Kareem won it. It was 9 years after Magic, James, & Vlade lost to the Bulls before Kobe & Shaq won it. Look how long it took the Pistons return to glory, the Celtics, Sixers and Bulls have really never made it back (except AI's Sixers laughable attempt in '01). It's really only been 3 seasons. We have to be patient. We still need a great big man to complement Kobe and Odom. I don't think KG is it.

News Headline: "The Lakers hire Michael Cooper as their new coach."

I can dream, right?

I will like to see Nash passing the ball to Kwame Brown, Luke Walton, Sasha, Farmar, Vla, and Lamar.

Those Lakers players aren't good finishers around the basket and all them, except Vla, mediocre shooters.

If Nash play 2 monts with this core of guys, he will ask for exit and ask for a trade, because his assist ratio per game would not have more than 6.

Between Kwame and Amare both finishing plays around the basket, there is a 180 grades of difference and accuracy. Kwame booble 2 of 3 passes he recieve inside. Lamar is a bad finisher around the basket, also. His jumping abilities are very limited. He can grab rebounds because his large arms. Bynum is very unatletic. He can catch well but his jumping abilities are minimal.

What about cook finishing around the basket? A disgrace too.

Lakers need atletics players.

King Lakernidas,

How can you say the Lakers missed out on Kidd, Davis, Barbosa, Watson and Wade?

First, do you think that Miami would have agreed to give the Lakers Odom, Butler, Grant and Wade? The moment that the Lakers would have demanded Wade, the Heat would have done the same thing that we did with the Nets when asking for Bynum.....say no! You can't say we missed it when it wasn't an real option. You might as well say that we missed out on drafting LeBron.....it was never an option though.

Second, how can you say we missed out on Kidd when once again it wasn't an option? Say we had gotten Kidd and lets say...Collins......how do you think we would have done after the trade deadline with Kwame hurt and no Bynum? Do you think that Collins and Turiaf would have held down the middle? You would have complained that the Lakers gave up too much AGAIN.

Third, Baron Davis was never an option because the Lakers didn't have enough to offer for him. Trades don't happen simply because a team says...."I want that guy"! There is something called negotiation and something called finance. You make it sound like the Lakers can just get what they want when they want if they have the right person asking for it. What makes you think that any of the other 29 teams want the Lakers to get better? Do you not realize that teams hate the Lakers more than anybody else because the Lakers have seemingly done the most with every oportunity that they have gained? People will trade with Dallas and Phoenix because despite how many GREAT trades they make....they still don't win titles. However, the Lakers win the majority of the times that they have great teams.

Finally, Watson nor Barbosa were looked at as being potentially great players when they came into the league. In fact, until maybe last season, neither was even perceived to be worth a second look. Barbosa is really working out well in large part because of the free flowing offense with which he is playing in. He would not look so good in another offense. Look at Diaw, he was a superstar in the playoffs last year, but he is just an afterthought this year because of the change in the lineup. Players need to be in the right situation to show their best. ONLY a few can shine no matter what situation. That is what makes them the best. For Instance T-Mac and Kobe have shined as the main stars as well as on a team with a dominant big man. Others need one or the other but can't find ways to shine in either situation.

"Yeah Gary!!!

I've been pestering them on the lakers blog. I got banned as Butler for mentioning Gnash's skin color - they are sensitive about that topic in LA."

Jeff + Butler = 1 Funs fan without a clue

"PHX SUNS ARE HOT!!! YOU AINT CUZ YOU NOT!!! HA HA HA HA..."

"The SUNS are a better TEAM than the SPURS."

I was able to dig up this stunning analysis by the Suns fans. I am not the least bit surprised to find such insight. My reports will continue.

Live from your neighbors frying pan
LkrFan
SunDevil 4 Life

Lakers needs.

---A atletic small forward. Walton speed is worst than Shaq speed. How come we plan to resign this guy knowing his playing time will minimize our chances of succeed?

----Powerfull ball inside isn't necesary the best plan to a championship team right now, only if you have a Shaq or a Duncan, that strategy will be good, but with bynum atletic limitations, the future doesn't look good. Remember, zone defense limits Bigs efectivenes around the basket.

-----Mitch draftees are very unatletic: farmar, sasha, cook, walton,. kareem rush, Turiaf. What's that mean? Disadvantages. Those guys can't play speedy defense. You can draft that way if those guys know how to exceed in other areas, defense, scoring. Non of those qualities can be found in Mitch draft's picks.

-----Lakers need accuracy shooters like Phoenix in order to succeed. Triangle need good shooters by default. Most of the Lakers players are erratic shooters. Why can we make a concerted effort to upgrade in lthose areas?

----If Farmar doesn't improve his outside shooting, he won't be a effective and good player in the NBA. Farmar is very unreliable from outside. I will suggest him to penetrate, but he isn't a athletic and speedy guy, so he will be easy to contrarest in the paint.

JJ,

Another good point about the Baron Davis thing is, before this series against the Mavs he was an overpaid, injury-prone, shoot first PG with a reputation for a poor attitude. He wasn't worth the money he was getting. He was even considered slightly below the level of Steve Francis and Marbury...yikes!!

Just goes to show what 4 games can do for a career.

My guess is, the Warriors ride him out this year and try to sell high in the offseason, making room for Monta Ellis to run the team.

In the Land of the Funs, the Suns will set.
The Spurs will be waiting, to turn off their jets
Another Summer of lost hope
In Phoenix will reign
As they tumble slowly to the Valley Floor
The Funs will be broken,and play no more

Everyone thinks the only deal with Minnesota should be for KG. How about this one.

Kwame Brown and our No.1 for Marko Jaric and Trenton Hassell.

We get a big PG and a great wing defender, they get a big with an expiring, a first rounder, and out from under two of their longer deals.

Works for both.

You are right to say that the Lakers won't see a CHIP for a VERY long time....but you failed to state the root of the problem......and yeah Kobe will eventually move on if things don't change soon but you failed to state the root of problem........you are ALSO right to say that kobe won't lead this team to a Chip but you failed to state the root of the problem....I am sure your root cause is Kobe and his lack of leadership, TEAM play, unselfishness, pride, ego, blah, blah, blah,….. but my question is: who calls the shots for the lakers, I know Kobe takes all the shots, but who calls the shots.......b/c the way I look at it, someone had to pull the trigger on the eventual Shaq for LO and Kwame deal (man we could have used Caron).....I know the tabloids say that wicked little Kobe orchestrated the deal but who was silly enough to trade Shaq for anyone other than an All League big like KG, LO, Dirk, etc. ......while you are trying to figure out how/why kobe did it let me go on........who is responsible for taking B. Grants ridiculous contract, along with the MARQUEE signings of A. Mckie, B. Cook, Smush, Kwame, Half Pipe Radmonovic, S. Williams, C. Mihm.....(I'LL STOP HERE)..... I am sure Shaq would have taken these guys to the Chip.....right! I am not sure Wilt and West could have won the Chip with this UNSUPPORTING CAST......The only smart things Laker mgmt has done IN THE LAST 3 YEARS is sign Phil (this will keep Kobe interested for at least on more year) and pick Bynum (he just may be the trade bait we need to sucker someone into to trade like Riley did Mitch in the Shaq deal)......Kobe is a symptom that can be dealt with....the Lakers could trade him for quality players (hopefully for the Lakers its not KUPCHAK'S definition of quality players.......or Dallas might get him for Diop and D George).......Laker mgmt has displayed a total lack of prudence and business savvy with their OFFKEY Acquisitions.......now we have no team, no money, and soon no Kobe and no Phil when all they had to do was hold off until they got a better deal on the table for Shaq...instead Riley suckered him into LO being the next Magic or Pippen (maybe D. Stern should investigate whether or not Riley drugged Laker mgmt and coerced them to sign off on this idiotic trade)........Fans are starting to speak up....Mgmt is being exposed and blaming Kobe is no longer convenient ........trade him or build around him (he will succeed either way) the ball is in
Kupchak's court and this time Kobe wont' be there to shoot it..

db

Buss don't be stupid get us a big men ( JO or Paul Gasol) without trading Odom and we will be good to go....When you have Low post presents (JO or Paul Gasol) and a dominant outside player (KB24) and a good wing player and warrior in (LO)...Every other piece (veteran to semi young defensive minded roll players) will be easy and chip to get....

Cut the plug on these unmotivated loosers.......
Bynum (Lazy ass)
Kwame ( one day wonder)
Cook ( puppy crap)
VRad (cave man, space caded)
Smush ( I Dont know what to call him at this point)

BY ERIC PINCUS, hoopworld.com

The Los Angeles Lakers dropped game four to the Phoenix Suns on Sunday 113-100. With the loss, the Suns take a 3-1 series lead back to Phoenix where they'll look to close out the Lakers.

It would take three wins in a row for LA to advance.

Though they were competitive Sunday, it's becoming quite clear that they're not in the same league as the Suns.

Barring something extremely unexpected, the Laker season is nearing its end.

The following are impressions from behind the scenes:

Shawn Marion was asked by a Phoenix reporter if he was surprised Kobe Bryant didn't look to score more in the final quarter. In response, Marion just rolled his eyes.

The Suns are not awed by Bryant and frankly they shouldn't be.

While Bryant might have been able to overwhelm the Dallas Mavericks or San Antonio Spurs . . . the Suns are a different animal.

Marion's reaction wasn't an isolated incident. The general impression is the Suns are sick of Bryant and all the hype that surrounds him.

While this wasn't the lone reason the Lakers lost the game by any stretch, the offensive foul called on Kwame Brown early in the fourth quarter that stalled a Laker run was a huge setback. The call was blatantly incorrect. In fact a member of the Phoenix media pointed out to a colleague (on a television monitor) that the Suns' player was inside the restricted area.

Bad calls are part of the game; it's up to the Lakers to overcome the official's mistake . . . even as it resulted in a 5-6 point switch.

Vladimir Radmanovic must have taken a brutal fall. His collar bone juts out about an inch or two from his shoulder. It's frustrating that the Lakers' big summer acquisition is inactive for essentially the entire first round.

Amare Stoudemire wasn't going to let Kwame Brown repeat his impressive game three performance. He seemed insulted that it happened to begin with. He also echoed Marion's indifference to Bryant.

Lamar Odom tried to pump up the crowd which did inspire a small Laker run. After a few plays in which Odom made a dent, Smush Parker missed a three and the Lakers didn't go back to Odom for a few plays.

Of all the areas where Odom struggles, it's at the free throw line where his shoulder aches most. Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat (who has a similar injury) had the same trouble in his return.

Addressing media at his locker, it seemed like Odom was saying goodbye by expressing appreciation for the way LA fans have treated him as a Laker.

Smush Parker is a very guarded interview, perhaps that's why it seemed he was a little smug despite the Laker loss. Does anyone expect him back next year? It seems like he checked out mentally a long time ago.

Had Coach Phil Jackson started Jordan Farmar much earlier in the season would the rookie have the experience needed to at least give Steve Nash a challenge? Admittedly he was trying to salvage Parker's season but did he wait too long to pull the plug?

It's difficult to tell if injuries were the major culprit for the difficult season or just lack of talent. Since it IS debatable, that should be enough to push the front office to making improvements. If it was unquestionable that LA had the pieces then small change would be adequate. Even the most fervent Laker supporter has to recognize that the team just doesn't have the horses. But does the front office have the vision and the wherewithal to implement that change?

The best potential summer acquisition . . . Jerry West

Whether or not the team extends current General Manager Mitch Kupchak's contract, "Consultant" West would be the best man for the job. The Lakers need to do something drastic to elevate to the elite of the league, perhaps the years away from Jim Buss and Phil Jackson have given West a new perspective regarding the team he built.
To be fair, Jerry Buss has been one of the best owners in the sport . . . but ever since West left, the Lakers have progressively gotten worse.

The Bottom Line
Just as the Suns came back down 3-1 last year, so can the Lakers.

Anyone really believe that?

____________________________
AND THAT'S THE TRUTH...RUTH!!!

What's with all these people losing faith in the Lakers?

Lakers have to win these next games, because I said Lakers in 7.

And they will.

I hope Mark Cuban's head explodes if the Mavericks lose tonight.

JJ,

nice rebuttal.

i think the lakers were asking for wade, however pat riley refused and counteroffered with caron butler. and kupchak took the deal.

i think people forget that the nets were never interested in what the lakers were offering for jason kidd (who would be?). dr. buss tried to make the deal at the midnight hour by offering more picks & cash, to no avail.

baron davis is a pipe dream. and a hindsight 20/20 pipe dream at that. love his game, always have. just don't love those consistent injuries.

here's to a positive, productive offseason...

What ever happened to HARD FOULS? Hey Phillip- do you remember what the BAD BOY'S use to do when 23 went to the hole? Let alone what Raja did to Kobe last year? Please remind your "big's" that it's the playoff and Hard Fouls serve a purpose. Nash should have a price to pay when he enters the lane. Bynum is by ar the softest "big" man the Laker's have ever had. And given the fact that we have Kwame, that says alot. Who's going to step-up and ENFORCE the paint? All it will take is 1 or 2 forceful "swats" and the pesky Sons, both Nash and Barbosa, will stick to the perimeter. Otherwise they will continue to be our Daddy's.

db,

EASILY THE POST OF THE YEAR.

we have a world class driver in kobe bryant, a legendary technician with phil jackson, and a '85 ford escort engine roster (a direct bi-product of kupchak/buss/management).

doesn't matter how great kobe drives, or how much jackson fine tunes the engine - we still won't crack 60 mph with this roster.

Ajax,

You are so right. All this so called laker fans losing faith already, it is so cowardly. Like Phil said all we have to do is bring it back to LA and we can.
Even the blog writers are sounding so down and sh*t. It is really sickening for me to be on this blog right now. I pray the lakers win tomorrow, I am tired of the disrespect from the Suns, from Nash to Amare to bell to Marion's occasionally flare up. I believe in this team, one shot again can break back last year memories. I always like the fact that it never seems like Kobe says anything, My boy just goes out and play bball, and he will play like that tomo, I just hope our defense will be there to back him up tomo. We can come back and I will believe. Its always a beautiful day to be a laker fan, and today is one beautiful in Cleveland.

I can only hope that our coffin is purple and gold.

Jorema,

I agree with you on almost all points. You make great arguments and excellent posts. I disagree about Farmar's athleticism. Anyone who has a 42 inch vertical has some explosiveness. His shot does bite, however, unlike most people we have on this team, I would be willing to bet money that he'll be working his tail off on that J over the summer.

As for his driving abilities, I know he can... anyone with his level of athletic ability CAN do it. Remember everyone said he was too young to enter the draft last year, so he still has a lot of upside.

Andrew Z

You're right on about Baron Davis, he's havin' a Bonzi Wells offseason just when he needs to make a deal. Salary caps all over the league are choked by these 4 game wonders.

JJ,

Unfortunately there is a lot of truth to what you're saying. We all adults here and we all agree, in order to get something good you need to give up something good. I'm expecting the trade value of Odom plummeted because of injuries, Kwame because of both injuries/inconsistent play and Bynum because of clouded outlook for his future ‘potential’. Other then those 3 players Lakers don’t have major assets to trade.

Andrew Z,

The problem with that trade is that we are replacing Smush with another Smush at the PG spot. Eventhough, Marko jaric fits the profile of a PJ point guard in terms of size, He is also an inconsistent 3 point shooter, which is needed in the triangle offense. I don't even think he's defense is any better than smush's. However, i like the Trenton Hassell deal, he can bring that veteran savvy, which is lacking in this team.

Ajax/wow,

much respect for the unwavering belief that the lakers can still win this series.

while your faith in this current roster should be commended, it doesn't make you better laker fans.

it just makes you UNREALISTIC laker fans.

reality bites sometimes.

i feel it's better to face it than to carry on like everything is copasetic.

viva the lake show!

JJ,

1st...its a demand that they could have satisfied...they could have said no, but they also could have said yes...and were talking shaq here...not big lazy bynum...so im sure the heat were open ears to what cupcake had to say...you were talking superstar talent center for 3 good players...so it was fair game to ask for wade...they could have thrown in some other pieces if miami wanted

2nd...at this point in time collins would have been a better option than bynum....and a pg that is actually useful would help too...lemme guess...you are on the 'bynum is the future' boat?..that a pile of crap and a joke...he is a joke of a nba player..in fact almost anything is better than that big lazy bum in the middle...when you cant even gain position on undersized kurt thomas...much less get to within 3 feet of the rim...you have problems...when you don't play defense or play with any effort...you have problems...i saw one play on Sunday where the ball bounced right in front of bynum after a miss...and he just looked at it...until one of the suns picked it up...it wasn't an option?!? It sure was an option...but due to the stubborn ass front office...it was nixed...they are too high on overrated talent...which brings us to number 3...the lakers would have been much better after the deadline...a big man who actually rebounds and holds his position on defense...and a pg who has some sense on how to actually play the position

3rd...davis wasn't an option? In fact he was too...the lakers were in dealings to trade mihm, butler, and a 1st round pick for davis...but nope...the wonderful front office at work again...instead they got stone hands brown for basically a similar package...how can davis not of been an option when GS got him for claxton and davis...who are not as good of a package as what the lakers offered...now dollar for dollar that matches up...so I don't know why you are saying it wouldn't work or wasn't even a potential deal...in fact they did want that guy..and in fact they could have got him...just one of those great decisions from horse breeder jim buss...obviously GS had better tactics if they got him for crappier players...whose salaries were basically the same as what the lakers were putting together...

And finally...read what you just wrote...they were looked at to potentially be great? What the hell did the front office just waste a pick on bynum for? For his potential...that makes no sense, completely contridicts, and eliminates your argument there...thats what the nba draft and most other sports drafts are about..potential...the scariest word in sports...we have seen it be good in kobe, lebron, dwight howard, etc...and bad..with the obannon bros and stuff...barbossa had great workouts with people and the organization was actually urged on by the words of a fomer laker to pick him up...but who did they get instead? Puppy crap cook...who is unathletic and seldom hits shots...barbossa would be fine in any offense...he can penetrate and finish off the dribble...he also can make easy passes...the only problem is he plays out of control from time to time...even in set offenses his speed and shooting ability would put many teams in a predicament...and TMAC is crap so don't even bother mentioning him in the same breath as kobe...dont forget they also passed on josh howard...because cupcake has his head so far up europes ass he keeps trying to bring in crap talent from there...oh and carlos boozer...who was great at duke...instead the lakers drafted chris jeffries (who? Exactly my point)...boozer was drafted 8 spots later...hrmmm who is an allstar now?....and its not like it wasn't that hard...boozer was solid at duke...

Stop making excuses for the front office...their lack of ability to assess talent properly and make proper decisions to put a solid team around a superstar has put them into this position (prolly due to jim buss being an idiot and saying 'look daddy, im making decisions')...they need to rid themselves of the big lazy before he has 0 trade value a year from now...while they are at it they can rid themselves of cupcake and ground jim buss...why the hell would you let someone who has no experience in basketball try to run one of the most storied franchises in history?

May 1st: Immigration Day, May Day for the Communists Parade, and bash the Laker Management Day

My complaint:

Vladimir signing. He was the man not only Mitch wanted, but Kobe and Phil begged to get him.
Luke is unhappy. He see's the future, and he's not part of it. The Lakers and Luke can not agree to an extention.
Vladimir is hurt, and has a slow learning curve for triangle.
Luke is passing and shooting well. NOW, the Lakers want to extend Luke's contract. NOW, he is a priorty.
To have a balanced salary team under the cap, you can not afford both of them.

Is this another example of a poor decision? If we stick with Luke, Vladimir will have to be traded. With his long contract, he might not be a desirable piece.

On the other hand, Is Luke that good?
For the first six weeks of the season, Luke was leading the league in three point shooting, passing very well, but was a liability on defense. In the middle December, Luke went cold, defense worsened, and he became a turnover machine. Teams were not even guarding him anymore. A few weeks later, he has a mild sprain. According to Luke, he will only miss 3-4 games. After 60 days, he comes back, hobbling. Why? Tendinitus. He now has a chronic ankle problem. His Defense is worse, his shot has failed him, he his a good passer, and he his a frustrated turnover machine.
But, he is a priority to sign?!

Who do we keep, and how did we get into this mess? If you keep them both, then you help tie the hands of Mitch to get a solid point guard in the summer.

I like most of Lukes game. But not at the price of 5 mil. And on this one I agree with Mike T. Luke is not a starter, or we have one heck of weak team. We need a solid point guard. If we are going over the cap, I say spend the money on a guard.

Fatty

Throughout most of the year and the playoffs, I've been lambasting the Lakers for their poor pefromance. However as of today, I am abondoning my thoughts and cheering with my heart! I know the situation is futile, but the Lakers need to go guns ablazing!

Kobe, if you're reading, do you what you have to do! Sign me up for the Kobe goes bananas bandwagon!

LAL 107
PHO 99 (that's right, you heard it here first)

WE WILL FIGHT! WE WILL NEVER SURRENDER!

(this clip is what Phil Jackson shouls be showing the team..viewer dicretion is advised)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dkKgy3fX1AE

Is this a Lakers Blog or a Suns Blog,

I dont post a lot but I read this blog everyday. Where is the faith? Are you guys really Laker fans? Are the writers on this Blog really Lakers fans? If so, you have a funny way of showing it. The lakers still have a chance in this series, its not over yet. PJ has 9 rings and has been in this business for a long time. He will give Mike a fight. Do you think Dallas fans are rolling over and giving up? NO They should be because although Dallas won 67 games this season if anyone knows how to bet them its Nellie. Goes to show u that the regular season means nothing!!!!! Come on Lakes fans show some love, if we go out lets go out fighting!!!!!

Go Lakers!

Lets whip some A>> tom. and show them how to respect this organization that has 14 banners!

I disagre with DB. The Lakers are Clearly in the hole that their tempramental superstar put them in, and Im not talking not talking about Kobe Bryant!! Think about it. Who was it that:
1) In a preseason game in his last season yelled to Jerry Buss, "Now, are you going to pay me!! " When he was already under contract for two more years.
2) In the same week told Kobe to pass him the ball and if he didn't like it he could get out of town!
3) Chose to negotiate a contract extension pre-maturely so that he could lock up his Laker money before they could spend it on Kobe.
4) Planted stories in the media about how bad a teamate Kobe was and how teamates wouldn't forgive him.
4) Demanded a trade once his plan to force Kobe out didn't work.
5) Refused to go to a team thatcould give us a legitimate superstar for him in return.

Don't be fooled. This is exactly what Shaq wanted and he is the developer of our current roster.

JJ you always have LOGICAL posts ..so Big Ups to you..

I think we need to get defensive minded guys along with athletic guys, and I am not afraid to piggyback on the Trenton Hassell trade potential..Maybe someone like Brevin Knight and or Gerald Wallace, who many have longed politicked for. I know Bynum seems soft but he IS still very young so maybe it will come. I have seen him mutter, "motha EFFER " a number of times during the course of the season to his teammates for not getting him the ball or something so he does have an edge to him!! Just has to grow more confident in that I think he can be the intimidating factor any 7'1 265 pound or however many pound player should be!! But yeah, something has to give this offseason....I don't get into trade proposals and money and that kinda thing cuz that is way over my head. I am like a majority of fans and have an appreciation for the LAKER TRADITION, which has always been a winning one, so whatever we need to do to get back those winning ways, Front office better make it happen. And quickfast....Whether it be KG,LO or Gasol, or KIDD, we need peices cuz us not winning championships is a tough pill to swallow but not even reaching past the first round is beyond unacceptable....

LakersRydeOrDie!

by the way, the thing about Marion not commenting on Kobe..Well, he is smart cuz they know if they say something KOBE can potentially go off on their ass for 75, thing is, they also know, nobody else on the LAKERS may not score ISH, so it is what it is..They can hate but they know what the deal is...

tha show,
while I do think PJ has made some questionable moves , I dont think the "giving them the day off" is such a bad one...

After getting mentally beaten down and dispirted in a decisive game 4 loss, sometimes the best thing to do is "lick your wounds" and get your energy up.

I think PJ has identified this team by now in terms of its character and if this is a team that needs to get over a loss by just chilling out then thats cool with me.

Whats the use of a hard practice yesterday if all that is going to happen is dispirited players not *alive* enough to practice well...

The Lakers team psyche outside of Kobe is fragile which is the first problem, but I think Phil likes his chances of a day off and ONE good practice to get spirits going then the chance of a lackluster practice the day after a game ruining the minds of his players...

It's a tough call on such a flimsy-minded team, but you have to give the guy credit for trying something out and getting their minds refreshed.

I'd rather have those guys rest and get their minds right. IF Hustle was really the reason that we lost last game, then the solution is to get your energy back and give it all you got...

wow, you and i don't agree, but i'll admit you are [or appear to be] a die-hard "LA Kobes" fan. i still think kobe "me, me" needs to show on-court and off-court leadership. kobe "captain" bryant had the nerve to tell shaq to get in shape, why doesn't kobe have the nerve to say, "this is my team and and i'm responsible. if guys don't play hard, guys aren't coming back"? stick his foot up the guys ass who aren't playing hard. it don't take talent to play hard. maybe guys don't respect kobe "me, me" bryant?? like i've been saying kobe "jerk off" byrant reminds me of the guy who's very good at what he does, but is a ass to everyone. AK/BK any insight on kobe as a person?

The Bynun Dilema.

At the begin of the season I was very high in Bynum.
The guy showed some promise while Kwame was injured and having fun at the discos everywhere.

Right now, I thing Bynum is piece of discord for this franchise. In his name Lakers is going south and is unsure of what direction take.

The problem started when Buss, Jim, proclaim that Bynum is the future of the Lakers. Realy? What is Kobe, then. The past?
What about the present? Present doesn't matter? And by present, i mean 3 or 4 years on till Bynum could develop and hopefully be what we expect he can be. (That could is very important, denote uncertainy and a lot of if, if, if...)

So, now Kobe and Lakers Fans see that a faction of Lakers managers are more enthusiastic about future than present. Realy?

Phil and Kobe are mad because they perceive some indiference by the owners to the need of upgrade the team talent.

One more thing...How come with one year of experience we won't see any plus whatsover for the Lakers team when Bynum is playing.

If this guy is the future in some ways he should show desire, tenacity, fire. Even when he is playing bad, you could see his fire and expect great things when he learn to play like a pro. But if he is waiting to gain experience to use the fire and the desire in his game..."no way jose" , this will be a disapointment. Even Brian Cook in his early rookie years showed more desire and fire than him. If the Lakers give this kid a bonafide and guaranteed contract, you will see the real Bynum emerge, the one that preffer play games than practice basket, the one that is looking for Big mAC s and Mcdonnalds to feed his anxiety, instead of being dedicated to a diet that could improve his stamina and his body .

Korey,

i got mad respect for phil jackson. and plenty of respect for the legends he has coached as well.

i just think he has taken on the attitude of his team, the whole "oh well" attitude.

either that, or he has given up on this squad.

a day off, in my opinion, isn't the remedy prior to an elimination game.

a day off maybe worked with mj/scottie's bulls or shaq/kobe's lakers - however, i just don't think a day off does any good for this particular squad.

and i think this where phil jackson has run into problems this season.

he has tried to treat this team like men, even when most of them are still boys (either physically or mentally).

his timeouts have increased, which is a sign that he is willing to change.

however, the practice habits HAVE REMAINED THE SAME.

when shammond williams echos gary payton's sentiments that "we really don't practice defense", that says a lot. shammond said that the lakers for the first time practiced jumping the pick and roll. WOW. this isn't a take from a laker insider, this is an active player on the current roster saying this!

and i know the likes of JJ and zen will argue that THE TRIANGLE OFFENSE SETS UP THEIR DEFENSE, thus they don't need to practice defense as long as they execute on offense. AND I THINK THAT IS THE BIGGEST CROCK EVER. ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE CONSISTENTLY NOT EXECUTING ON OFFENSE.

how can you execute on defense in a real live game when you never practice it??

anyhow, phil has finally had to coach a team without two elite hall of fame players.

and maybe he will adjust next season.

or maybe he'll collect his final installment of $10 million & head back to montana.

i hope HE DEMANDS better players from management and helps make the lakers contenders once again.

Ajax,

You are so right. All this so called laker fans losing faith already, it is so cowardly. Like Phil said all we have to do is bring it back to LA and we can.
Even the blog writers are sounding so down and sh*t. It is really sickening for me to be on this blog right now. I pray the lakers win tomorrow, I am tired of the disrespect from the Suns, from Nash to Amare to bell to Marion's occasionally flare up. I believe in this team, one shot again can break back last year memories. I always like the fact that it never seems like Kobe says anything, My boy just goes out and play bball, and he will play like that tomo, I just hope our defense will be there to back him up tomo. We can come back and I will believe. Its always a beautiful day to be a laker fan, and today is one beautiful in Cleveland.

"I AM TIRED OF THE DISRESPECT FROM THE SUNS............."

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE DILLUSIONAL LAKER FAN. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE LAKERS THAT WOULD DEMAND THE "RESPECT" OF THE SUNS?
YOU SEE, THIS IS THE PART THAT DRIVES MOST LAKER FANS NUTS. THE ANSWER: NOTHING. LET ME EXPLAIN. YOU SEE, THE SUNS WON 61 GAMES THIS SEASON, WON THE PACIFIC DIVISION, #2 SEED IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE, FINISHED WITH THE 2ND BEST RECORD IN THE NBA AND HAD THREE PLAYERS NAMED TO WESTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STAR TEAM.
THE LAKERS ON THE OTHER HAND, FINISHED THE REGULAR SEASON WITH 42 WINS, AND........LET'S SEE, OH, THEY MADE THE PLAYOFFS AS THE #7 SEED..
GET MY POINT?
WHY DOES THIS LAKER FAN FEEL "RESPECT" IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE AFFORDED HIS LAKERS?.
RESPECT IS SOMETHING THAT IS EARNED.

jorema,

"The problem started when Buss, Jim, proclaim that Bynum is the future of the Lakers. Realy? What is Kobe, then. The past? "

The main problem with management right now is that they seem to want to build towards the future AND win now, which is completely impossible. They've either got to be willing to trade Bynum and whatever else it takes to build around Kobe and contend OR they have to blow up the roster and start trading our longer contracts (Odom, Kobe) in order to get the draft picks and young talent we'll need to contend down the road. You can't have your cake and eat it too, so to speak.

Shaq who?

The people that like to put shaq in a pedestal as a truly champion warrior against the Kobe-non leader are just silly and uninformed.

When Shaq came to LA, the team wasn't a instant winner. Remember?
All those players with Shaq? Van Essel, Eddie Jones, Elden, etc, etc.
A talent that didn't match well with Shaq. The team was awfull.

How come Shaq become a champion? Well the emergence of Bryant and the savviness of Phil.

Now is the same equation.

Same.
---We got Kobe.
-- We got Phil.

Minus.
--Not reliable second scorer.
--Players don't match well with Kobe abilities.
Kobe need good shooters and atletic players like Golden State.

What directions, then, are needed?

Even a guy with a little conmon sense will know by far the answer.

Enough said.

KJ,

Add to that list that Shaq disrespected the entire City of LA by saying that LA had no class. When Shaq left, he was bitter and it showed.

KL "the beast" formerly KL666,

Man if you're serious about your Kobe rants then You're a sad sad person. Remember you classified your dislike as personal. You don't know Kobe Bryant, he's not your friend, not your enemy and you dislike a person you don't even know. That makes you a very sad sad person.

I use to get angry with you but now I just feel sorry for you cause you're really really sad. You need help, you need to talk to someone about your dislike and like for people you don't even know personally. That's how psychopaths are born. You hate Kobe and he's never done anything to you personally and you love Shaq and he's never done anything for you personally and by extension you love Wade and without knowing him you have declared him to be a good person.

Your personal dislike of Kobe can't be personal at all. You don't even know him. You may have read things about him, some true, some not so true, but how do you develop a hatred for a person whose never done anything to you. Think about it, you're demonstrating hate on the blog for a man whose never done you any harm. What's wrong with that picture? Think about it man.

Your attitude about Kobe is based solely on your preconceived notions based on stuff you've read.

And now you ask AK/BK to give you insights into Kobe as a person? Do you really think they can? Are you serious?

Wow!

Hey KL,

This is NOT the Oprah Blog, this is the Laker Blog. Why are you so obsessed with Kobe being a nice and sensitive person? If you don't like him, fine, but don't assume the players agree with you. None of your criticism is ever basketball related. Dude, you need to find a girlfriend, or start following the WNBA. You sound like a crazy ex-girlfriend stalker to me. Just move on already! All I want from Kobe is to be a warrior and do everything in his power to win, which he does every night. I know deep in your heart you agree with me. What more can you ask? Michael Jordan was never an angel. In fact, he smacked around Steve Kerr and bullied the sh*t out of Horace Grant. In fact, I wish Kobe was more of an a-hole, like Jordan. Either your hate is completely blinding you or you are just a moron.

Actually Andrew Z, I can't agree with you. Before Davis got injusred two seasons ago, he was looked at as one of the best point guards in the league. And to be honest, if you were paying attention, he's played really well since returning this year. It's not just the playoffs. He's cut dopwn on his threes, so his shooting percentage went up, and he's been punishing guys inside. He's been really good.

Of course, he's still injury prone. But then, so is half our roster.

tha show,
yes, I think you've identified one of the true problems. Phil is trying to coach men but is dealing with boys.

All they are doing is neglecting their responsibility.

I wouldnt be surprised if Kobe, Odom and Walton were actually resting, getting treatment, and reviewing game tape while
Kwame, Smush, and Bynum are playing video games, eating junk food, and staying up late.

I just dont get the feel that a practice would help these guys. Playoff adjustments need to be comprehended and executed with minimal practice time. Coaches cant waste a whole halftime or practice going over one thing.

At some point, players need to be responsible enough and heady enough to get the drift and dynamically execute game plans under unpredictable game situations.

So I think, you are right in that he gave up on this team with intense game planning. I think that he feels the actual 'thinking' part of the game is beyond this team's players and as such it actually hinders their play. He probably believes that the only way we win is if we bring a incredible energy level to the game that allows us to play through mistakes.

The notion that this team can play mistake free ball is gone. Trying to do so is like studying for your exam 30 minutes before the test. All you are doing is complicating things and making it harder on yourself.

For this laker team, unfortunately, playing "smart" basketball is not going to happen. I believe Phil realizes this. The only way we win is energy basketball.

The problem is, we are playing the #1 energy team in bball.

Damn, that sucks doesnt it?

I am not sure how good Bynum is going to be but I wouldnt part with him unless it was for someone that would put us over the top> And I dont think I would waste him for anyone like a jason kidd that may only have a year or two left. Remember most scouts say he would be the 3rd pick if he was coming out this year and he is the same age as the other guys or younger then a lot of them. As for his fire is concerned. I am not concerned with that. Just look at his Mentor, Kareem didnt demonstrate a lot of emotion on the court and Tim Duncan doesnt either. So he could become very good. If we trade him it has to really be worth while.

Sun sationbitchal,

I wasn't even talking to you, go to your own blog, and I am not diiutional. I just hate your team even more because they talk to much. Even if a team doesnt have as good of a record or accolades, you should show some class and some respect. Your team has absoulutely no class and ignorant and arrogant jocks, and it will catch up to them. Don't forget respect is a two way street not a one way street. Its bball, not life. So learn some class. Only reason why I will not rout for the suns is the way their fans and their team acts, classless Son of Suns, hope yall burn in that SUN. LAMESSSSSSSSSSS

That Kidd from the Nets block.

Nets guard Jason Kidd posted a triple-double in Friday's Game 3 win and almost duplicated the feat in Game 4 on Sunday, falling two rebounds short. On Monday, Kidd was named to the NBA's All-Defensive second team.

"It's just another great accomplishment in what is a Hall of Fame career," Frank said. "He's 34 years old and he's playing at a higher level now than he's ever played before. His impact on the defensive end is unbelievable. Jason is the number one reason for our success. Since he's been here, we've added some banners to the walls and a whole bunch of wins. He sets the tone for the entire game."

Yes the one who could have being tomorrow 'the triple double menace", and with Lamar also aboard.

KL,

I am pretty sure Kobe kicked your ugly a$s and made you and Shaq jerk him off. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHAHA

PS
That is some gay sh8t i just said, but it is still funny.

to everyone, i love the feed back. keep them coming. you all get so sensitive whenever i say anything remotely bad about your boy kobe. you all crack me up. half the time, i'm f**cking around with you all. it cracks me up. and yes, i am crazy with no girlfriend. maybe deep down inside you all are in love with kobe.

in a seriousness, of course i don't know kobe personally nor do i care. kobe wanted to be the man in LA, so now he is. if kobe's the "bestest ever", why can't kobe deliver a team better than .500 and 1st round busts?? you all "love" the guy becuase he's a warrior? fair enough, maybe the "warrior" needs a general (like shaq) to win. kobe thus far is a loser, and you all better get real. scoring points and making highlight reels is fools gold. i can't wait to see kobe get old (still a loser) while Lebron, Melo and Wade take over the league. At least Lebron and Wade are likable characters. I'm not sold on Melo yet (especially with the girly slap in NY)

like i said to Mamba24, i'm just joking with you all, please do not take it personally.

jorema, shaq's taken 3 different teams to the NBA finals. Shaq's got 4 rings. how many teams has kobe taken to the finals..........oh that's right......NONE! kobe was riding ass all the way to 3 Final MVP awards. I guess shaq got lucky. Boo hoo hoo, poor kobe's got nothing to show for it. i know this will piss you and Fan of the Mambo off. so sorry. i'm starting to think jorema and fan of the mamba is really Kobe himself in disguise.............hum?

mitchell, i love oprah. maybe kobe needs to smack around the guys. since you seem to know so much about b-ball, tell me why the laker team sucks when kobe is the best ever ("best on the planet" as various announcer have mockingly proclaimed). michell are you the one who made the comment to me about kobe's ass smelling like shaq's ass? i don't remember who made that comment, but it was funny as hell. keep them coming.

let's go Lakers, clap, clap, clap clap clap clap! i'll be a long summer for you kobe-lovers. i'm still on the bandwagon to let kobe no nuts in G5. Maybe kobe can score 101 points and break more scoring records.

wow, pretty funny and a little scary. my gaydar is blowing up LOL.

What this KLbeast want is to disminish the humiliation suffered by shaq
from the Bulls.

Now there isn't any Kobe to blame any more.

He will put thatn franchise in downhill from now on.

Pat Riley is mad with him.
Wade is also mad. He knows Shaq motto and that's why he relaxed against the Bulls.
Teammates know by now that he is disrepectul.
He want's them to play hard the entire year and hold playoff positions, so that he can be out 2 or 3 monts and comeback the last 2 months to demand from everybody to be at the same page and blame others for failiures.
Teammates know now better.

But not more trades, Shaq, to save your ass.

Okay wow you sounded pretty dumb right there and yeah we have no class like you guys. We have to class just because we tell you guys the truth, dude wake up and look at your team Kwame thinks he's the greatest center in the world if he scores a layup or a dunk and the truth is he sucks balls. Caron was way better than him and you guys screwed up real bad. He has hands like a rock and can't catch a ball and that is why amare picked up a second foul last game because he got a great pass bobbled it went up for the layup, amare jumped and kwame lost it again, amare bumped him caused of it and then got a three point play. YOU guys suck and got lucky of not getting swept.

LkrFan Here in Phoenix,
Well boys and girls, it's another long hot one here in the Valley of The Sun. I gotta tell you though, I'm feeling a little cooler due to all of the wind from the bellys of Suns fans. Let's check in with some more of their stunning analysis of the ongoing first round series with the Lakers.

"Come on Suns! Believe in yourself! That's all it take to win.
Believe, believe, and believe in yourself!" (This is come really in -depth stuff Laker fans!)

"I'm in Scottsdale. Pretty dark and overcast, but no rain."
Interesting talk on the B-Ball boards here in Phoenix kids!!

"no one really believes there are any lakers or spurs fans. It's just not possible to worship flopping whiners. Big men who cry like babies over spilled milk, fall to the floor and throw fits when they are caught doing wrong, expect to be given everything their way even when their attempts are pathetic in comparison.
really."
Breaking News folks. This is Serious. Apparently there are not any Lakers or Spurs fans left. Abandon the Blog!!!!

Well, it's been a long day out here in the Valley, but I will continue to work hard to find more exciting Funs Fan analysis and bring it to you Laker faithful live and breaking.

Reporting Live from Hades
Your favorite valley LkrFan

PS. This guy ( Adam5011 ) thinks I am douche. He said so on a Suns board. Check out my MySpace page for further investigation of my Douchehood.

www.myspace.com/jfeig

Well, the Lakers are inconsistent throughout the season, so in the next game it could be W in Phoenix to avoid embarassment and prove PJ was wrong but then, lose again in Game 6 or 7, well because they are the inconsistent Lakers.

On the Shaq trade, it was very clear the former Lakers Riles & Randy Pfund outfoxed Kuchak 1) in giving a $14M player, Brian Grant who had a bummed knee plus his three years contract and 2) they know that Kupchak was in great hurry about trading Shaq to prevent losing Kobe to the Clippers. Laker organization was under the control of feuding star players and the ex-coaches rather than controlling them. That scenario never happened to Jerry West's time. I will trade these players to the dogs of NBA but never threaten the Laker organization whether ur name is Shaq or Kobe. Therefore, trading should not have happened in great haste to settle scores but more on the right moment with fair exchange. It was compounded by another mistake in getting Mihm & Atkins for the Glove and Foxie. Finally, Malone & Kobe severed their fiendship which was the straw that broke the camel's back. I am not well versed on trades but I could have gotten Odom, Butler, CASH & future 1st Rd consecutive years draft picks of Miami. retained Payton, Fox plus I should have reconciled Malone and Kobe, I think that would work at that time even without Shaq. That's the job of the GM to be a good negotiator, prevent mutinies in your ship, achieve small objectives until reaching the final one. With that set up there is experience, youth, and continous flow of first rd. draft picks rather than getting a player with a bummed knee that cost $ 14M and escalated for the next three years. Who is Brian Grant? He was with Portland when they choked against the Lakers playoffs in '00. So everyone knows what Brian Grant can do.

With regards to future trades, well it is within our control to drop or retain F/A's Smush, Walton, Chris, Shammond and Ronny, the rest are still under contract with the Lakers. If Lakers wanted to get KG, Minny has to agree; if JO, you have to pass thru Larry Bird; and others...the question is are they willing to take Bynum or LO or Vlad or anybody? Chances are, they might offer also rejects that further complicate the situation we are in. This is the reason why we need a daring GM who will perform combinations and sell ideas to many teams to initiate a mega trade that will generate enthusiasm among GMs to improve their stocks via mega trade involving the Lakers provided in the end we have KG or JO in our lineup. Will that happen? D/K

If Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak would be deciding the fate next summer, I think there will be no changes except Smush and a retired Mckie There will be new faces on their 3 draft picks, BAE & MLE players that's it. Are we going to be competitive with that scenario? In the minds of Mitch and Jim we will be, but in this blog, we will defend the 7th seed & I see Kobe & PJ bolting out of the Lakers in '08.

dan52515@yahoo.com

Let me see if I can get this straight. Several bloggers seem to think that we should get rid of
Andrew Bynum, blaming him for the teams misfortunes. Of course, the fact that he hardly ever plays means
nothing to them. Instead, their favorite, Kwame Brown, gets the nod, plays like someone in a trance, and they
love him. Points in Bynum's favor are ignored, such as:

1. Far exceeded all expectations for him this year.

2. Durable - has played in every Laker game this year.

3. Lead the Lakers in rebound per 48 minutes during this years playoffs, the top three being -

Bynum 19.6 rp48min
Odom 17.2 "
Brown 9.1 "

4. Still maturing physically

5. Can actually catch the ball, unlike Kwame

6. Passes the ball out of double teams better than Kwame

7. Has recently developed a mid-range jump shot and gives the team more options.

This being said, we need all of the bigs we can get. I can see both Kwame and Andrew being of value
to the team. The only trade I would consider for Bynum ( among those being mentioned ) would be for
Kevin Garnett. Jermaine O'Neal is an injury prone player that couldn't even lead his team to the playoffs.
Of course, Minnesota didn't make the playoffs either, but at least Garnett has shown he is durable. I guess
others would like to see a team with KB & JO. Of course, we wouldn't see much of them in an actual game,
but we could read about how their rehab was going, while Ronny filled in as starting center.

Roger

Jorema,
I completly agree with you man. Jim Buss is banking too much on Bynum. By saying he's our future, he's dissing Kobe Bryant. If you have Kobe, you have a chance to be a playoff team. Just surrond him with some consistent talent and watch the championships follow. I don't know who I dislike more (in terms of ability or lack thereof), Bynum or Jim Buss?

from ESPN's Bill Simmons:

For example, if you watched T-Mac in Monday night's hard-fought win over the Jazz (16 assists!), that was the quintessential example of a great player beating a good team on a night when his shot wasn't falling. Tim Duncan has those games all the time; he doesn't need to score 25 points to control a game. Same for Jason Kidd. Same for Steve Nash. On the flip side, Kobe needs to score to control games and manages to do it on an astonishingly consistent basis. He's a dominant offensive player, whereas Nowitzki is an efficient offensive player. Big difference. Teams can turn Dirk into a complementary player if they try hard enough. Does that sound like an MVP? Didn't think so. When Kobe's team loses a playoff game, you still know he's there.

Edwin Gueco, very nice post. we could have gotten a lot more for shaq and butler. i very much agree that West would not have allowed kobe/shaq to hijack the franchise. oh well, this is where we are.

jorema, are you kobe in disguise? i think you are. if you are kobe, you suck man. you can't ever lead a team out of the 1st round. what's up with you kobe, you're suppose to be the bestest of all time (the greatest who ever played). loser!! j/k. for reals, shaq's better days have passed. at least shaq will ALWAYS have the pleasure to say, I won a ring WITHOUT kobe. haha!

fkillah, you and i don't always agree, but i will say this about kobe, he NEVER gives up (except for Game 7 last year). for reals, kobe usually shows up for big games. i'm on the bandwagon for kobe to go nuts in game5. forget the triangle, just triangle around kobe and let him get to work. i say "kobe 101".

I would like to add, why don't we focus outside of NBA and the draft picks. There are 20 to 30 good players in Europe who are not part of the draft but we can buy th