The Los Angeles Lakers have signed free agent forward Andre Patterson,

Andre "the Kobe Stopper" Patterson

Repost,

"Mike T, but... the weird part is there shouldn't be any story and I was asking the same question yesterday after seeing Bynum's comments and before TJ Simmers story came out.

Why does Kobe flat out lie that he has talked with Bynum? It's just... weird! Kobe could have come clean and said he was going to talk to Bynum but instead he makes up something?"

Do you actually understand what you're saying? In other words Kobe Bryant should be thinking about Andrew Bynum? What has Bynum done in this league to merit Kobe, the best player in the league, having to justify himself over anything concerning Bynum?

When Bynum can defend the post then Kobe can explain his actions. But until Bynum can protect the rim he just an after thought. But according to you and T.J. Simers Kobe should get caught up in a Bryant/Bynum drama over a phone call, text message or whatever?

The Lakers have other issues to give a damn about a phone call or text message between the best player in the league and a player who T.J. Simer will be calling a stiff in his next article.

I mean have you read all of Phil Jackson's comments over the past few days?

Well, if you haven't, I'm going to write about it in the next Jackson Journal entry. It should be ready by tomorrow.

mike

Lakers ultimate evaluation.

(Here is the most fair assesment of our team, (or Jim Buss' Dream team)

Tim Chisholm

How good is Andrew Bynum? How good is Andrew Bynum going to be? Is Andrew Bynum going to be a better player or a more of an impact player than Kobe Bryant?

Regardless of what any LA Laker fan or observer may feel are the answers to these questions, tacitly the Lakers themselves are answering 'good', 'great' and 'yes' to each and every one of them, respectively.

Here's the situation: Kobe Bryant is at an age where has only about six or seven years - by Phil Jackson's math - to be physically capable enough as a player to lead his team to a title. He wants to be able to make good on that ability. In order to do that the Lakers organization has to be willing to make the moves necessary to maximize that window and surround Bryant with the appropriate complimentary players. Does that mean that they need to go out and trade for All-Stars? Not necessarily, but they do need to do a better job of piecing together a team that makes sense around Bryant and under Jackson.

What this team has opted to do instead, however, is sit tight with nary a move made - save for bringing back Derek Fisher - and waste away as a team not competitive enough to win a Playoff round but not bad enough to nab some pieces in the Draft lottery. They are mired in mediocrity, willingly, and they are doing it with one of the greatest guards of all time and perhaps the single greatest head coach of all time in their employ.

And by all accounts they are doing it because they feel Andrew Bynum is such a special player they are willing to lose both Byrant and Jackson to have him on their roster.

Consider that at season's end Phil Jackson's contract with the Lakers expires and he has made it fairly clear that unless he sees improvement within this team he's not re-upping for another term.

Then consider that at the end of next season Bryant has an opt-out in his contract that he will surely exercise if this team isn't significantly improved by that time.

Unless the team makes a significant trade mid-season, they are not likely to be improved over last year and stand a very good chance of losing Jackson as their head coach.

That blow, plus a second summer of inactivity (which would have to include a trade since this team is capped-out financially) would most definitely spell the departure of Bryant in 2009.

And today the key to all of this is Andrew Bynum, a player who may not even be in the starting five for the Lakers in this, his third season as a pro.

This whole scenario revolves around him for two reasons. The first is that he is so coveted by team owner Dr. Jerry Buss' son, Jim, himself an assistant general manager, that he refuses to allow a trade of the centre. Despite the fact that Jackson has had little time for his lack of consistency or development, or the fact that Bynum has demonstrated nothing conclusive as to his worthiness of such a standing in the eyes of team management, he is nonetheless deemed unmovable by the upper brass. If the rumors are to believed, that insistence has cost this team the chance to add both Jason Kidd and Jermaine O'Neal to their roster.

The second reason dovetails out of the first. Right now is the most sensible time to trade Bynum. He is an unknown commodity that can fetch a sum far higher than his current value because of the lure of his potential. If he is given more playing time by the Lakers and it turns out he is not the next great thing at the centre position, the Lakers would be lucky to wind up with pennies on the dollar for him. Sure, there is the very slim chance that he turns out to be greater than anything he has demonstrated he's capable of being so far, but that is a huge risk that the Lakers are running to find out.

Either way, he's still years away from that kind of development - if it is to ever come - judging by his first two years in the NBA, and by that time both Jackson and Bryant could be long gone. Most teams would kill for a chance to be able to build a team designed to win now around Bryant, yet the Lakers have made no effort to take advantage of the opportunity because they see some sort of paragon of basketball in the form of Bynum. Good luck to them on that. Hopefully some other team is able to take advantage of Bryant's and Jackson's abilities before they both walk away from the game for good.

PROBABLE STARTING LINE-UP

PG - Derek Fisher

Finally, another player who will not look completely frazzled by the Triangle Offense. While Bryant has consistently been chastised for not adopting coach Jackson's prized offense, one must understand that it is incredibly hard to run it if you have teammates who are incapable of understanding it and running it with you. At least Fisher will be able to stabilize the production for the other guard spot in the offense, leaving only two more positions to fill (assuming Jackson starts Luke Walton) to make a five-man attack of his system. At this pace this team should be ready to run a fully functional Triangle by the end of the 2010 season. In the meantime Fisher will also be asked to provide the kind of leadership role he played in Utah so successfully last season while also attempting to keep Bryant from going off against any more teammates. He is going to be the one player in the locker room who has his ear and there is no doubt his overblown salary is partly earmarked for that very purpose.

SG - Kobe Bryant

Are his criticisms of the team justified? Yes. Were his methods of disseminating them? Probably not. That said, though, it is hard to say what it is going to take for GM Mitch Kupchak to start doing what he is paid to do and build a competitive team in Los Angeles if the public blasting of his franchise player couldn't do it. This summer he was but to shame by Danny Ainge and the Boston GM's ability to make moves to surround his All-Star with talent enough to prove that they are looking squarely at the present and their ability to win a title. Whether or not it happens, at least he has been able to assess his situation correctly and chose a direction, definitively, for his franchise to go in. Bryant's methods of clearing the air may not sit right with everyone, but the message he had to deliver was right on the money. Fat lot of good it seemed to do him, though.

SF - Luke Walton

Every team needs its role players, there is no doubt about that. But the Lakers are capped-out with no ability to go out and offer quality free agents any incentive to sign in LA and yet the Lakers signed Luke Walton, a restricted free agent, to a 6-year, $30 million dollar deal on the first day of free agency. They made no effort to assess his market value. No effort to see if $5 million per year for six years is perhaps a touch excessive for a player who averages 65 games per year and is a third or fourth option at best. I like the kind of versatility that Walton brings to this team, and I really like the kind of I.Q. he brings to a roster that is seriously lacking in that department, but his salary prevents the Lakers from using any of that money elsewhere, and that could come back to haunt the team. I'm not saying they shouldn't have spent that kind of money on Walton, I'm just saying perhaps it would have been prudent to see if anyone else would have first.

PF - Lamar Odom

Odom seems to get very little respect for a player that brings averages of 16 and 10 and 5 into the season this year. Yes, his troubles staying healthy are worrying to say the least, but he nonetheless would be an excellent option for this team at either forward spot if they had an even marginally reliable centre. While Jackson in the past has won titles with power forwards like Hoarce Grant and Dennis Rodman, bruiser types that make a name for themselves on strength, hustle and more than a little I.Q., Odom is more of a finesse-type, more of a natural small forward who is being asked to ply his trade and apply those skills at the four-spot due to the current makeup of the roster. Sure, maybe being asked to fill the role once filled by Scottie Pippen in Chicago is an unfair expectation to put on him, especially since he's playing out of position, and maybe it would make more sense for him to play in town where the pressures of being Kobe Bryant's running-mate wasn't weighing down his game. Regardless, outside of his inability remain in the lineup, he is the most productive Laker not named Bryant and he is another name this team can expect to lose come '09 should this franchise not get it's act together in time.

C - Chris Mihm

This team so badly needs a stabilizing force in this spot that Mihm is an almost sure-thing to start here come November. Kwane Brown has been given every opportunity to prove his worthiness and inconsistencies and injuries have let him down (good thing Kupchak unloaded Caron Butler to land him). Andrew Bynum and his 8.7 points and 7 rebounds averaged as a starter last season hardly infuse excitement into the hearts of coach Jackson. While Mihm might not be the physical specimen that Brown is or pose much more of a statistical threat than Bynum, at least he brings effort and intelligence to the position. While he's a far cry from the final solution here for the team, he is the best they have to work with right now.

http://www.tsn.ca/nba/news_story/?ID=219706&hubname=nba

******************Isiah Trial********************************

Deciding MSG had harassed Browne Sanders, the jury found the Garden owes $6 million for allowing a hostile work environment to exist and $2.6 million for retaliation; MSG chairman James Dolan owes $3 million.

This should count against their salary cap as well.

T-Woody

Mike T.

Re: Kobe/Bynum, I don't believe you're that naive on the subjects of leadership and team dynamics. I think it's kobeluv blinders are rearing their ugly heads again.

Just repeat after me a hundred times:

PJ - Good, KB - Bad..
PJ - Good, KB - Bad..
PJ - Good, KB - Bad..

.
.
.

Yep, that's it! Keep going, you're doing great!!

Any team with Walton and Mihm as starter is going to get killed. Two defensive liabilities? NO WAY!

mike

Aside from spending some "off" time with his family, Lamar was doing this...
http://www.tmz.com/2007/09/28/laker-lamar-odom-dribbles-on-his-chin/
:-)
Still love you Lamar. I'm all for the All-Star season.

Mike T

"Garnett wanted to come. JO wanted to come. Marion wants to come. Do you think that to play of PJ or with Kobe Bryant? They all said it was because of Kobe."

Garnett specifically stated that he considered coming here but decided against it because of "Kobe situation".

You wanna link with that?

HAB,

Isn't it more likely that he wanted to play with both?

Mike T,

I wasn't trying to entrap you, but are you saying that KEVIN GARNETT is not a Laker TODAY because Kobe told him NOT to come?

EastCoastJessie,

Leave Lamar alone. The guy's gotta torn labrum, okay?

Xodus,

"Isn't it more likely that he wanted to play with both?"

Maybe. Well, Phil and Kobe are both here. Where is Kev?

Thanks for the article jorema, I enjoyed it the first time you posted it too!

This is the best time of the basketball year. Pregnant with hope and expectations. It is like a little blast of spring just as fall is settling in. No bad tastes from seven game losing streaks such as the one I anticipate in Feb (check out the cruel schedule in Feb). No season ending injuries. We haven't found out that the rookies suck or that we are destined for mediocrity.

I Love it!

Following along with my mental optimistic jaunt, the Lakers will be better this year than they are currently projected and here's why:

1. Bynum, Brown, Vlad, and Mihm will all play better this year than they did last year. Bynum because he has improved, Brown because he cares (contract year), Vlad because he is healthy, and Mihm because he will be playing at all. I haven't heard if Evans' knee is better, but if that is healed up, add him to the optimistic brew.

2. A Fish for Smush swap is huge. Global warming big. It is like going from renting a studio apartment that is overrun with roaches to owning a nice house in the suburbs. Sure, the suburban home is no mansion, but it is a far cry better than the dive. Without a doubt Smush was the weakest link. Replacing him makes the whole chain stronger.

3.Kobe is going to play consummate team ball, building the trust and confidence of teammates trust throughout each game and pulling them to greater heights when his talent is the only one in the building that can. Plus a lighter more defensive minded Kobe is likely to appear.

4. A motivated and healthier Phil will help maintain team chemistry.

GHF! GHF!

"I wasn't trying to entrap you, but are you saying that KEVIN GARNETT is not a Laker TODAY because Kobe told him NOT to come?"

It was reported that Kevin and Kobe talked by telephone and Kevin came away with the "Kobe situation." If that's true then that tells you that Kobe's problem isn't with the players. It's with someone else. Here's a hint.

From the Riverside Press:

Broderick Turner

EL SEGUNDO - Phil Jackson walked gingerly and with a cane Monday, still on the mend following hip-replacement surgery in June.

His health remains an issue, but Jackson said that's not the main reason he hasn't signed the contract extension the Lakers have offered.

Jackson wants to be "productive" -- to improve upon a team that was 42-40 last season and has been bounced out of the playoffs in the first round in back-to-back seasons.

"I've got to see that I can physically and mentally get back on beat with this team, and they can get on beat with me," said Jackson, who's in the last year of his contract.

"We want a run for a championship. If we're not going to challenge, I don't want to be a guy that's coaching this team on the kind of salary I'm getting."

See that part that says: I've got to see that I can physically and mentally get back on beat with this team, and they can get on beat with me.?

They are not on the same page. After everything I wrote this summer do you actually think the players are in beat with PJ? After what he did last year and the year before. There is a big trust issue going on and Kevin Garnett is going to change that. JO isn't going to change that. Marion isn't going to change that.

This is about trust and from PJ's statement the players don't trust him. Well, Walton and Mihm do.

Haven't you been reading PJ for the past couple of months? He doesn't believe in this team. Now he talking about making a championship run with this team? No...I think the front office said to him: Hey, if you don't believe in this team...why are you going to stick around this year? So now Phil is talking about making a championship run this year. But before that he has to get "in beat with the team"? And even more "the team has to get in beat with him?"

Clearly there are trust issues with PJ and the players. And that was brought on by PJ for what he did the last two seasons.

Again, Garnett, JO, or Marion isn't going to change that.

mike

Lamar's selling a s***load of wolf tickets with the "stars" haircut and all. Dude better wake up and smell the turpentine. 16-10-5 ain't hardly All Star caliber - especially in the WILD WILD WEST! If he raises his scoring to 20, I might start believing him.

BTW...Mamba, I don't recall being asked to be put on the "Matrix for LO Bandwagon" (or whatever it's called). Take me off, por favor.

By all means, leave me on those other 2. As long as Jim Buss has an inch of power to make decisions for the Los Angeles Lakers Basketball Club, we're ***ked. Period.

Does anyone else think LO, not Kobe, is the leader of this team?

Look at this comment

Q: Other guys say you're the funniest guy on the team. Why is that?

LO: Because I'm always Lamar. I like to keep my guys loose. Camaraderie is very important to me. I'm an only child, so these dudes are my brothers. With some of them, the guys who've been here since I've been here, you become family. It's important to me to keep good energy in a locker room, "

You wont be hearing that about Kobe- the players like and respect Odom NOT Kobe as the team leader.

AK/BK, we could not catch up with you men. You used to introduce thread as slow as a turtle now you're beating the roadrunner, can't catch with your new threads.

Lamar all the way, no more Marion, Bynum all the way, no more Kidd and Phil jackson all the way, no more Mike T. theory. Let's give these Lakers the benefit of the doubt and be silent with this front office. With silence we don't approve nor disapprove, just roll the carpet and go with the show.

With Turner, Patterson, who else can we pick up on the streets and show up as Lakers, can we go all the way with those names? Let's see. I would have suggeted Marc Gasol and Sun Yue but other are more knowledgeable that we picked as 2nd draft picks but we left them with their home countries. Why? It beats me, I'm not knowlegeable on complicated scenarios. I also ask myself why didn't we trade 2nd draft picks to a good player of today who can help us immediately in PF or SF? Another way, why didn't we trade these two 2nd rd draft picks to a future 1st round draft pick. Why? why? why? In life you get into more problems when you don't put clarity on decisions. If you leave other questions unanswered, it could haunt you again in the future. Simplicity is the best way of communication, it provides ease for ordinary mortals like me to grasp and appreciate the working of a complicated mind.

Mike T- This is about trust and from PJ's statement the players don't trust him. Well, Walton and Mihm do.

The players nowadays dont buty into his zen act , and throw away the books he gives them. The league, as we said all last season, has passed him and he needs to move on.

Utzworld,

Being the banner holder, I suggest we add stripes on those stars at the head of Lamar. We don't need Old Glory during the singing of national anthem, just focused the spot light on Lamar's stars and stripes.

Rick,

Simers wrote that Kobe told him that he (Kobe) texted to Bynum and Bynum texted Kobe back. Bynum denies both receiving and sending text to Kobe. No communication of any type. Read Simers column.

TaosHum- well said brother

Your point is absolutely ridiculous. Just because Kobe is a star player doesn't mean he has the right to treat younger, less accomplished players like crap - because he can!

Thats the Kobe lover argument for his selfish, childish behavior. Thats not the behavior of a leader in any way shape or form. Im sure Lebron is ripping his teammates because he can and he "wants to win". Who doesnt want to win?

Mike T,

>>>The "Kobe situation" was something Kobe informed Garnett about.
>>>Garnett called Kobe and came away with the "Kobe situation." If Kobe
>>>hadn't informed Garnett about the situation Garnett would have pushed
>>>for a Lakers trade. Garnett controlled that whole situation. He could have
>>>killed the Boston deal by refusing to sign an extension. He signed off on
>>>the Boston deal because of the "Kobe situation" for sure. But it was Kobe
>>>who informed Garnett on that situation.

That's a lie. The truth of the matter is that Mike T pretended to be Kobe
on the phone and called KG and told him not to come to L.A.

My statement has exactly as much factual support as Mike T's.

Mike T,

So are you saying that Kobe told Garnett not to come because Phil sucks?

On his May radio tour Kobe was praising Phil, talked how close they've become and how he consults Phil on "everything".

I do believe that Kobe told Kevin in that call that FO sucks and for Kevin not to bother with the Lakers because Kobe is outta there soon anyways. Perhaps not in so many words.

THANKS, KOBE!

What will ALL the haters do if the Lakers win 50 plus this year...
You all sound like a bunch of spoiled little brats...14 NBA championships and countless playoff appearances...Many teams would love to have just one championship or playoff visit...
If you don't like Phil or Kobe go root for another team!!!

Mike T and Laker Lover -
If the game has passed Phil by, who would you like to coach the Lakers??
What credentials do you have in making these statements about him? Have you ever even played or coached basketball???
I am sure he knows a helluva lot more about mangaing people and basketball than the 2 of you combined (i.e. Mike T thinks Kwame makes this team better)...Just because the Lakers have not made it to the Finals since 04 you critique Phil and say he does know what he is doing...Look at the team he has had...
I can guarantee when his contract is up over 20 other teams will love to have his services...But when he is gone who would you write your journals about???

This is the way I look at the upcoming season:

Center: I expect Bynum to improve from last year. How much exactly is tough to say. Having Mihm back should also be an improvement. Kwame will probably still be Kwame.

Power Forward: If Odom makes it through the year, that alone will be an improvement over last year.

Small Forward: If Walton makes it through the year, that alone will be an improvement over last year. If Vlad Rad gives us anything at all, it will be a significant improvement over last year.

Shooting Guard: If Kobe keeps his head together and doesn't let his frustration lead to passive-aggressive behaviors, it'll be another stellar season for Kobe. Mo Evans I expect to play about the same as last year.

Point Guard: Replacing Smush with D-Fish is an improvment. Farmar having another year, plus likely being pushed by J-Critt should improve the backup PG position.

Benchies: Sasha? Eh, probably about the same. Cookie? Who knows?

So.........it looks to me like barring significant injuries (a la last year), we should be improved at just about every position. This leads me to think we'll end up being a 5th seed, or somewhere around there, which may facilitate us moving into the second round of the playoffs. I don't expect much beyond that.

It's progress, albeit not as much as I would like to see. Should Bynum and Vlad Rad show significant improvement over last year and Odom and Walton stay healthy, we may even do better than I think. But should Bynum not progress, Vlad Rad continue orbiting somewhere around Venus, and we miss serious minutes due to injury, we're looking at a repeat of last year (at best).

Oh, and BTW Michael T., did you really say this.....

"Do you actually understand what you're saying? In other words Kobe Bryant should be thinking about Andrew Bynum? What has Bynum done in this league to merit Kobe, the best player in the league, having to justify himself over anything concerning Bynum?"

Cripes man, do you understand what the word "teammate" means? Essentially, you're saying "Kobe has no reason to concern himself with any of his teammates."

That's just bizarre.