On one hand, this could mean more PT for "undersized center" Javaris Crittenton
PROGRAMMING NOTE: We'll be online at the LAT for a Lakers chat today at 1 p.m. Go to chat.latimes.com/eve and click Sports Chat.
But on the other, more realistic hand, news of Kwame Brown's indefinite absence from the court doesn't likely provides any tangible positives. The official word on his knee injury is a sprained MCL, an ailment that typically takes between 2-4 weeks to heal up (and perhaps even longer, given Kwame's tendancy to heal slowly). Phil Jackson hasn't named a starting 5 replacement for tonight's rumble against the Pacers, but it is the decided Lakersblog opinion that he'll go with either Chris Mihm or (if available) Ronny Turiaf, in large part to avoid removing Andrew Bynum from a pine unit that's killing with chemistry. An official "Bench Mob" captain hasn't been named, but it's a solid bet that a vote would result in Jordan Farmar with a "C" on his jersey. To put it in "James Brown" terminology, he's their "Mr. Dynamite." Of course, if Farmar's vying for "Laker who's helping Kobe the most" top dog, he may have to get in line.
As you can see, "Kobe" chants prompt a varying degree of inspiration from team to team. Wonder how they'd go over if a certain guy heard them in Miami.
Fight on, Lil' Romeo!
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TUESDAY NOVEMBER 20 2007
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55 WIN BANDWAGON MEMBERS: FOUNDED BY KOREY - 6 DOWN 49 TO GO.
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1) LAKERTOM………………..………....(21) TALIQ………………………………………(41) PURPLE & GOLD
(2) MAMBA24…….…………………..….(22) SLO GAL ………………………………….(42) THIRTY2
(3) LONG_TIME_LAKER_FAN……..…(23) DEREK…………………………………….(43) BLACKMAMBA24
(4) JUNO………………………………..(24) NIK KANAN…………………………..…….(44) JUSTIN
(5) GENERIC_ONE……………………(25 AB……………………………………………(45) OutsiderGua
(6) HOBBITMAGE………………….…..(26) LAKER PHIL……………………………….(46) Violater
(7) MARTY……………………………....(27) LAKERLOVER………………………….....(47) UBU2
((8) DAVID WHANG…………………...(28) COMPLEX_BROTHA……………………..(48) Houston Laker
(9) ROKY…..……………………….…..(29) TSPHERE…………………………………(49) JEFF
(10) KEIFO……………………………..(30) WHITE MAMBA24 ……………………......(50) JANAYA
(11) VIOLATER…………………...……(31) LAKALOVA……………………………......(51) Complex Brother
(12) DICE8UP………………………....(32) EASTCOASTJESSIE…………………….(52) KobesBaaad
(13) HUBBIT…………………………...(33) Q WUOR………………………………….(53) JAN
(14) BD…………………………………(34) LAKERAHOLIC…………………………..(54) FAN OF MAMBA
(15) JONNIN IN JAPAN………………(35) TSIRY……………………………………..(55) CBUCK
(16) ALEXINHO17…………………….(36) DREW
(17) TWOODY…………………………(37) Nestro’s Bistro
(18) KIWI……………………………….(38) BLAZE1BX
(19) FEARLESS WHACK JOB………(39) BZAR
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Members at heart : (56) Bob……………… (57) Faith…………. (58) LakerLover…59) Issang
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READY TO JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON BUT:
(60) RICK FRIEDMAN - NEEDS APOLOGIES FROM KOBE, FO AND ALL CONCERNED
(61) utzworld THE BANNER HOLDER - WAITING FOR JIM BUSS TO RESIGN
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* 60 WIN BANDWAGON
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(1) LAKERAHOLIC (2) MAMBA24 (3) WHITE MAMBA24 (4) JOE
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* KOBE FOR MVP BANDWAGON
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(1) NIK KANNAN………………………..(09) TSPHERE
(2) MAMBA24…………………………..(10) LARRY
(3) VIOLATER………………………….(11) JEFFGROTKE
(4) OUTSIDERGUA…………………..(12) WHITEMAMBA24
(5) LAKERTRUTH…………………….(13) CBUCK
(6) ALEXINH017--------…………….…(14 BLACKMAMBA24
(7) DREREK…………………………...(15) JANAYA
(8) SHAQFAN…………………………(16) EAST COAST JESSIE
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*VLAD RAD BREAKOUT BANDWAGON/ I REMEMBER WHY WE CREATED IT!
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(1) VIOLATER……………………….(4) RICO TICO…………..(7) DREW
(2) MAMBA24……………………….(5) KEIFO
(3) SIXONEZERO…………………..(6) JANAYA
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BYNUM BREAKOUT BANDWAGON
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(1) LakerFaze_________________ (6) LAKER TOM……….(09) WHITEMAMBA24
(2) RDLEE____________________(7) JON KAVULIC …….(10) JANAYA
(3) Violater___________________(8) DEREK………………(11) KOBESBAAAD
(4) RICO TICO________________(9) BENNY BLANCE…..(12) BD
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JORDAN FARMER BREAKOUT SEASON BANDWAGON
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(1) RICO TICO……………….(4) JANAYA…………(5) RICK FRIEDMAN
(2) MAMBA24………………..(5) JEFFGROTKE
___________________________________________________________________________________
START RONNY TURIAF/ RONNY FOR 6TH MAN BANDWAGON
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(1) LONG TIME LAKER FAN………………(5) MAMBA24
(2) JON KAVULIC…………………………..(6) SHAQ FAN
(3) MICHAEL H……………………………..(7) KIKOS DAD
(4) MRBARNEYDANGLE…………………(8) JANAYA
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BENCHMOB BANDWAGON CLUB
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(1) DRIVER AND PRESIDENT - NESTRO’S BISTRO ….(2) XODUS (3) Zen
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KOBE & LEBRON LAKERS TOGETHER IN 2010 BANDWAGON
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(1) DRIVER AND PRESIDENT – TRIO……..(2) MAMBA24
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ELTON BRAND TO THE LAKERS BANDWAGON
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(1) DRIVER AND PRESIDENT – KING LAKERNIDAS…..(2) MAMBA24
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I WISH I WAS KWAME BROWN’S DOCTOR BECAUSE I’D BE FREAKIN RICH BANDWAGON
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(1) DRIVER AND PRESIDENT – WONDAHBAB (2) MAMBA24
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ROLL CALL:
(1) FAITH, MIKE T. TALIQ, Edwin Gueco,, KEIFO, WOLF, Q WUOR, CLEON, EASTCOASTJESSIE
MAMBA24Fan4Life, Fan of MAMBA, WhiteMAMBA24, BlackMAMBA24, AFRO_JOE, LAKERTRUTH,
KIWI, Wow, Peace, J_CooL, DAVID WHANG, AdamKiley, LakersryDeordie, ANGRYLAKER, TSIRY
TIM-4-SHOW, THA_ SHOW, TheLakeShow, WESJOENIXON, BAYWOOD, The_D, SBPIMP, DAXMDD
utzworld THE BANNER HOLDER, CaliKing, Rick Friedman,Thirty2, ExheloDrVr, ) JANAYA,CBUCK
GENERIC_ONE, TWOODY, JJ, Ajax, MITCHELL., LAKERTOM, Charles, BZAR, JUNO, NEVER
JOREMA, VMAN, Korey, Xtro, MCGarnagle, Gugy, GDChild, Laker4Life, BLKTHGHT06, WONDAHBAB
KL BEAST, FearlessWhackJob, MARTY, JANDRO, LAKERFAZE, PhxLkrFAN, PRINCE, AKRASIAN
TexasLaker, BOB, EagleBoy, JR., Zakee, KOBE’S T., ZEN, Purple & Gold, TSPHERE
Tully Moxness, KobeRocks, David Peterson, centralk, FKILLAH, CYRUS(Ventrilquist),
Swettual, Andrew Z, LAL Fan, Brandon C., Kinglakernidas, HUBBIT, GREEK DUDE,
RespectMyAuthorith, Hariyahu, LAKER_STH, KobeFromManilas, RAY RAY, HOBBITMAGE
SARCOCOP,Staples24, Bobby, COMPTONS FINEST, MIGUELINHO, MAN, KSANDHER
TUKLAW, CDUB0512, MRBARNEYDANGLES, BENJAMIN, MJCMAN32, PFUNK36,
SOCALIFE, HAL9000, Michael J, Michael H, Michael A., ALEXINH017, VIOLATER
Gunner24, GINO, FATTY, LAKERGURL, CRITICAL BEATDOWN, LEELO, BLAZE1BX
PAUL LEE, Jay EL, SocalSpider , WEAVE MAN, JON KAVULIC, Tajluck,
Caesar, BERKLEYLAKER, Dice8Up DION, KARL, CRAIG, MITCHELL, B4HOOPS, RYAN
JR, Dascilla, tellitlikeitis, Nik Kannan, GABE, SEAN P., HanSoulFood, HollywoodJack,
RICO TICO, DREW, NESTROSSBISTRO, LAKERAHOLIC, LAKOBER, SLO GAL
Jay Jay, TaosHum, DEREK, Caeser, Obel, CHITOWNLAKER, RealityCheckTime
wiZo, MagicShaq, HugoBoss, OSCAR, RDLEE, RealityBites, LakerLarry, Bucky, Guy
LakerLifer, C.S. Jova, Tripgame3, SIXONEZERO, HOUSTON LAKER, Todd BATTLES
JONINJAPAN(INCANADA), LT Laker Fan, , KATE, TROY, Mainor, East Nyboer
JEFF, ANDY B., SwanWorld, PUPLE&GOLD_4EVA, Benny Blanca, CS in Virgina
TIM IN SYDNEY LakerBake, JMan, Mfeige, Jennifer, Chris H. Lincoln Laker, Reggie
Any_One_mouse, 10milliondollarZen, Shiva, Laker_Hopeful, LakerDawg, RDANEEL,
PHIL JACKSON, KOBE BRYANT, Marc Gasol, Sun Yue, Shamond, Williams,
Ronny Turiaf, V. Radmanovic, Maurice Evans, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher,
Luke Walton, Brian Cook, Kwame Brown, Andrew Bynum, Coby Karl, Mihm,
Jordan Farmar, Jarvis Critterton, Larry Fulcher, SASHA VUJACIC, Linda Pineda
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ALL TOGETHER NOW:
WE ARE THE FREAKIN LA LAKERS THE WINNERS OF 14 NBA TITLES
THE WINNER OF MORE GAMES THAN ANY OTHER TEAM IN THE NBA
THE HOME OF WILT, KAREEM, GEORGE MIKAN, SHAQ, MAGIC, KOBE,
ELGIN BAYLOR, JERRY WEST, PAT RILEY, JAMES WORTHY, SILK
COACHED BY THE 9 TIME TITLE WINNER PHIL (9RINGS) JACKSON AND
NO ONE WILL EVER CONQUER OR DIVIDE US
LAKERS TODAY LAKERS TOMORROW LAKERS FOREVER
Posted by: MAMBA24 | November 20, 2007 at 09:33 AM
Starting to rain in Miami.
Heat coach Pat Riley said he pulled O'Neal to reinforce how the Heat wanted to play pick-and-roll.
"I don't know and I don't care," O'Neal said. "He took me out because I made a mistake. I guess I wasn't perfect enough."
Colorado loves the LAKERS!
Posted by: hugo boss | November 20, 2007 at 09:34 AM
All we need now is for Fish to go down for like a week so that Crit can showcase a little bit of his talents.
Not trying to wish bad luck on Fish, but we can't afford Farmer to go down so Fish is the only logical person to put in that place in order for Crit to see any type of action.
I hope Phil doesn't put him of the D- League team. That would suck and I think it would hurt his game more than it would help.
Posted by: Zakee | November 20, 2007 at 09:35 AM
The Farm Team
Nice that PJ doesn't want to break up the unit. A 5 man substitution is a luxury other teams don't have.
The concept of bench scoring is a bit skewed when you have guys that finish games coming off the bench like Manu. When you're considered one of a big 3, it pads bench stats.
Posted by: Vman | November 20, 2007 at 09:41 AM
i think i am first...
i think we need to chill out on our hope in the bench as a mainstay until at least half way thorugh the season...same as last year...
Posted by: KobeRocks! | November 20, 2007 at 09:43 AM
hmm... after the jump links still skip you to the bottom of the page. Annoying. Won't stop me from reading, but still... :) Keep up the good work guys.
Posted by: Kyle South | November 20, 2007 at 09:46 AM
The Lakers have, and must continue to show the same intensity and energy every night if they are to remain in the playoff picture. The roster is filled with guys either not experienced enough or not good enough to coast or take a play or two off. They have proven that effort and intensity can make up for mistakes (ungodly amounts of turnovers and a 6-3 record), and that's the only way they can remain successful.
I don't know if it's PJ, Kobe, or just the players themselves stepping up, but its been fun to watch this year.
Posted by: Andrew Z | November 20, 2007 at 09:51 AM
I like what is developing with the LAKERS. JORDAN FARMAR is developing into a leader. ( a catalyst, a mighty mouse) He has been awesome as a floor general.
Where we once had only KOBE , now we have KOBE , FISHER, FARMAR .
3 leaders along with two solid vets in LUKE and ODOM that know there role.
We are starting to form a SOLID team guys . Our guys are coming into their own.
Posted by: RICO TICO | November 20, 2007 at 09:52 AM
I wonder which entry am I? I hope mamba gets the first....
Posted by: Charles | November 20, 2007 at 09:53 AM
What's the story on Ronny??
Is he going to play tonight???
Posted by: keifo | November 20, 2007 at 09:59 AM
The ESPN game simulatior predictor thingamagiggy shows us losing to the freakin' Pacers. Apparently they are unaware that losing Kwame actually makes us a better team. More Bynum, less fumbles I say.
Posted by: dustin b | November 20, 2007 at 10:02 AM
(On one hand, this could mean more PT for "undersized center" Javaris Crittenton)
Haha between you guys and Phil's (Brokeback remark) I don't know who's funnier (uhhh not really)
Posted by: Lakeraholic | November 20, 2007 at 10:19 AM
I think if the Lakers can keep doing more of the same – bringing energy and hustle – sharing the ball, crashing the boards, step it up on defense, remain healthy – this Lakers team can be pretty darned good. We also need to keep Kobe here and focused on playing great D of course. The strong start last year was in part to a cream puff schedule and a ton of home games, but then the injuries kicked in and the Lakers lost it. This year we have a tough start against good teams and they are doing well so far.
A reasonable person cannot deny the improvement in this team and if they can remain more or less healthy they should win more games and perhaps get past the first round this year. Here is why I come to that conclusion.
1. Smush is gone. Don’t underestimate the negativity he brought to the squad. Not having him is a huge plus.
2. D. Fish. Sure he can’t contain young quick guards and he hasn’t been that great on the floor but his leadership and work ethic is a wonderful plus. He is helping the team even if it isn’t necessarily evident in his floor time.
3. Kobe has been a beast on the floor defensively. It helps set the tone for the team and as the year progresses I see the team D likely getting better.
4. Farmar and Bynum. Come on now – they are playing way way better than they did last year. Again – it is early and Andrew in particular teased us last year the way he started off. But this year the start has been against some of the better front court players of good teams. He needs to keep it up as does JF.
5. Vlad Rad is healthy. He can shoot and do some things on the floor. Last year he was a wasted roster spot. Gave us nothing – he will give the Lakers more and if he is somewhat consistent – watch out.
6. Phil has done some tweaking of the offense and defense to better suit the personnel. It is paying dividends already.
It is a long season and I expect 50 wins or so if health remains good. I think health, and Bynum in particular are the key determining factors. If Bynum keeps it up and we can put the same group on the floor more often than not – so that the rotations remain more or less constant good things will happen. Come on admit it, this team has a better “vibe” than last year when they got off to the nice start don’t you think?
Eagleboy
Posted by: Eagleboy | November 20, 2007 at 10:25 AM
Rico Tico,
"Where we once had only KOBE , now we have KOBE , FISHER, FARMAR .
3 leaders along with two solid vets in LUKE and ODOM that know there role.
We are starting to form a SOLID team guys . Our guys are coming into their own. "
Great post Rico!
Posted by: Mamba24 | November 20, 2007 at 10:27 AM
CHARLES,
"I wonder which entry am I? I hope mamba gets the first...."
Stop that Charles! LOL! If I could put you first my friend you know I would
Seriously it depends on how fast your browser is. FireFox has 3.0 out now
people you should play around with it.
Posted by: Mamba24 | November 20, 2007 at 10:31 AM
I bubble with schadenfreude at the sight of Shaq weighing the Heat down. Literally.
He'll have them over the league calorie cap for years.
Posted by: The D | November 20, 2007 at 10:36 AM
Mamba24,
Is there a Kobe for Defensive Player of the Year bandwagon? If so, please sign me up.
Thanks
Posted by: LAKER TRUTH | November 20, 2007 at 10:38 AM
EagleBoy<
"Come on admit it, this team has a better “vibe” than last year when they got off to the nice start don’t you think?
I think you're right my friend and I thinkl we are going a lot further than some of the
doubters anticipate. Great Post
Posted by: Mamba24 | November 20, 2007 at 10:41 AM
Interesting match-up tonight.
Even though Granger has been their leading scorer overall, Dunleavy actually led the team in scoring in 3 out of their 4 victories so far (and not once in their losses). Let's hope Kobe plays some of that, "in your jersey" defense and doesn't gamble too much. Tinsley is their big assist guy. He does have the ability to score in bunches but setting up his teammates will be the thing to stop tonight. That means staying home on outside shooters like Dunleavy, Granger and Murphy.
I'm guessing LO will stay at SF and give Granger some problems with his length. They also have the freedom to flip-flop and put LO on Dunleavy because of his size and Kobe on Granger. Whoever starts at PF will probably be guarding Murphy since he likes to hang on the perimeter. That might mean Cook gets the call again. And that leaves Mihm (probably?) to try and control JO in the post.
The Farm team will have to watch out big for one guy - Shawne Williams. If PJ decides to go with Cook to start, then it'll be Ronny's job to stop the guy who is averaging the biggest +/- for Indy. If not, then Vlad is going to have to get physical and bang with the guy on defense and keep him from getting o-boards. Bynum should have a big physical advantage over Foster but Foster's experience gets him a lot of rebounds and could bait Drew into some cheap fouls. Hopefully Mihm stays out of foul trouble and keeps Drew from having to come in early. Daniels has been a big scorer for them off the bench too. That'll be a tough assignment for Mo. Even though Marquis is recovering from a sore knee, he went off for 17 against Utah last game.
That's a lot of "if"s on the rotations. Indy has traditionally been a team that has hung their hat on defense and grinding out games but their offense has opened up a lot this year.
btw - Their scouting report says that Granger is going to defend Kobe. That leaves Dunleavy on LO and hopefully he takes advantage of that.
Posted by: lakers_sth | November 20, 2007 at 10:42 AM
Mamba24,
You always deserve first post. The Kam bros are the Soul and you're the Heart homie!!!!
Posted by: Charles | November 20, 2007 at 10:46 AM
Yeah, WHAT ABOUT RONNY????!!!
Heard that JO is not all the way back from surgery yet. Which should mean that we should be able to make do with Ronny and LO on him.
Not sure who Dunleavy will be guarding tonight - it has to be either Kobe or Odom - but that player will have to light him up.
Stick Kobe on Granger tonight - don't leave that boy alone.
Hey, you never know, Luke might walk into the starting line-up tonight. Wouldn't that be nice? Dunleavy and Walton "guarding" each other?
Posted by: hariyahu | November 20, 2007 at 10:47 AM
lakers_sth,
I think this team is tailor made for us to beat. They turn the ball over more than we do and they like to get up and down the court, jacking up threes. Since we're thin in the middle with Kwame out that should play to our favor.
On offense I couldn't agree more, we need LO to be very aggressive and exploit Dunleavy. JO is still recovering but like you said Foster is a guy whose energy we'll have to balance out with either Mihm or Turiaf.
If we come out with the proper energy levels I expect us to win by double digits.
Posted by: Andrew Z | November 20, 2007 at 10:50 AM
I wish we had a Javaris Crittenton last year when Smoocchee was running the point for the Lakers.
The undersized Center has played only for few minutes and everybody is motivated to play to the best of their ability because the Java man is watching on the sidelines. He's the best 13th player in the nation, if someone becomes an underachiever, Javaris is ready. He is called an insurance, the threat, the challenge and the motivational tool that will whip your butt to work harder. He is the mind of Sasha, MO, Cook, Luke, Chris those who sat on the DNP bench.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | November 20, 2007 at 10:51 AM
AK/BK,
Is there any update on when Turiaf might come back.
Posted by: Xodus | November 20, 2007 at 10:56 AM
------------------------------------------------------------------
KOBE BRYANT DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) LAKER TRUTH
(2) MAMBA24
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Posted by: Mamba24 | November 20, 2007 at 10:57 AM
IMPORTANT REMINDER.. ONLY 61 DAYS LEFT TO VOTE
VOTE NOW AND VOTE DAILY!!
VOTING STARTED ON NOVEMBER 15 AND YOU CAN VOTE EVERY DAY!
MAKE SURE TO VOTE FOR LAMAR, LUKE AND KOBE FOR THE ALLSTAR @ LAKERS.COM AND MAKE SURE TO VOTE DAILY!!
EVERY BLOGGER GO VOTE NOW IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY AT NBA.COM OR LAKERS.COM (DAILY!!)
REMIND EVERYBODY YOU KNOW TO VOTE DAILY EVERYDAY FOR THE NEXT 61 DAYS!
LET THE VOTES STACK TO THE CEILING PEOPLE!!!
**ALSO**
SIDE NOTE FROM TIM-4-SHOW:
"You should add that no one should vote for anyone EXCEPT a Laker. With the All-Star voting, competing players who get votes too would essentially take away the votes we cast for Lamar. In other words, Lakers only + Eastern conference where the votes don't compete against our guys"
http://www.nba.com/allstar2008/asb/eng/ballot.html
Posted by: Violator | November 20, 2007 at 10:59 AM
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KOBE BRYANT DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR BANDWAGON
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) LAKER TRUTH
(2) MAMBA24
Posted by: Mamba24 | November 20, 2007 at 11:00 AM
Xodus-
Talking to Ronny after the game on Sunday, he said he'd make the trip, and assuming nothing goes wrong on the flight in terms of swelling, or whatever, I'd expect him to play. If not tonight, than tomorrow.
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | November 20, 2007 at 11:00 AM
Andrew Z-
There's a team that turns the ball over more than the Lakers? Haha.
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | November 20, 2007 at 11:01 AM
Hey,
Please add me to the:
I WISH I WAS KWAME BROWN’S DOCTOR BECAUSE I’D BE FREAKIN RICH BANDWAGON
Like today!
--FearlessWhackJob
Posted by: FearlessWhackJob | November 20, 2007 at 11:05 AM
AK/BK,
Might want to run a spell check on that front page - I'm pretty sure "tendancy" will make it beep at you.
Posted by: SBPimp | November 20, 2007 at 11:07 AM
I guarantee 55 wins for the bandwagon this year
If this Laker team remains injury free 55 is a for-gone conclusion....Players like Odom and Walton with histories of being brittle i hope can be and aberration this year,as far as k.brown outwardly he is muscular but inside this man is made of cream cheese oh well we can only hope,maybe kwame can come back and be that ( aberration )
Posted by: WHITE MAMBA 24 | November 20, 2007 at 11:15 AM
I guarantee 55 wins for the bandwagon this year
If this Laker team remains injury free 55 is a for-gone conclusion....Players like Odom and Walton with histories of being brittle i hope can be and aberration this year,as far as k.brown outwardly he is muscular but inside this man is made of cream cheese oh well we can only hope,maybe kwame can come back and be that ( aberration )
Posted by: WHITE MAMBA 24 | November 20, 2007 at 11:17 AM
CHARLES,
"You always deserve first post. The Kam bros are the Soul and you're the Heart homie!!!! "
Stop it Charles! Stop it now! LOL! Thanks man but the totality of the Bloggers together
make up the soul of the Blog. And if I say so myself The Blog got just a little better
the day you began blogging brother. PEACE.
Posted by: Mamba24 | November 20, 2007 at 11:19 AM
BK
aparremtly our two 21 turnover games only merit us second place in the turnover derby
it's not from want of trying though haha
Posted by: joninjapan(incanada) | November 20, 2007 at 11:24 AM
Mamba,
Add me to the KOBE BRYANT DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR BANDWAGON!
Posted by: Fan of the Mamba | November 20, 2007 at 11:30 AM
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I WISH I WAS KWAME BROWN’S DOCTOR BECAUSE I’D BE FREAKIN RICH BANDWAGON
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) DRIVER AND PRESIDENT – WONDAHBAB
(2) MAMBA24
(3) FEARLESS WHACKJOB
Posted by: Mamba24 | November 20, 2007 at 11:30 AM
BK yeah the Lakers are tied for 4th in TO per game
People can talk all they want about defense but when the lakers score 100 pts they are 5-1. By my math that makes the Lakers 1-2 when they fail to score 100 pts.
Defense does not win champsionships, outscoring the other team does.
The top 10 teams in pts allowed per game, one measure of a teams defense are
Toronto
Orlando
Nets
Bobcats
Rockets
76ers
Heat
Hornets
Spurs
Celtics
3 maybe 4 of the 10 teams would be considered championship contenders, and some have no chance of making the playoffs.
Posted by: Laker Lover | November 20, 2007 at 11:31 AM
After watching the game tonight please let me know who you were that wanted to trade Bynum and Odom for JO. Thank God Buss isn't as dumb as some here on the blog. Hey noticed Jason Kidds great line yesterday 2 pts 2 rebounds and 6 turnovers and his team blown out.
Lakers 3 game losing streak at Conseco ends tonight!!! Go Lakers!
I say start the 2nd unit and bring Kobe and Lamar off the bench..LOL
Nice to have the best 2nd unit in the NBA but I want to see the best starting five!
Bynum
Turiaf
Odom
Farmar
Kobe
Now that is a team that will scare the NBA! Quit playing games Phil and play your best players.
BD
Posted by: BD | November 20, 2007 at 11:31 AM
Mamba,
Add me to Kobe for defensive player of year bandwagon. And please start a "Start Farmar and Bynum" bandwagon and put me on that too.
Posted by: AB | November 20, 2007 at 11:32 AM
Anyone know what time the Laker game will be on tonight on KCAL?
Posted by: AB | November 20, 2007 at 11:34 AM
I have a very scary question (for the rest of the league, that is); what happens once all these distributors on the Lakers (Fish, Farmar, LO, Kobe, Luke and Crit) finally learn the tendencies of their passes targets -- which is a list that includes each other plus the rest of the guys on the roster, and the turnovers start to come down? This might, realistically, take another month of playing together and defining roles (if the dreaded injury bug doesn't hit again, making guys have to readjust again -- like what Luke's just getting through himself).
The Lakers are averaging 18 turnovers a game. The team they are playing is only averaging about 15 or so. That is a game-wide difference of 2+ additional possessions per game given away by the squad. Proll'y explains why they are only 1-1 in close games so far.
What happens when they are still forcing 15 TO's, but only giving up a respectable 12 or so? With their new up-tempo style plus an established and effective half-court style on hand as a back up plan, the Lakers have a chance to run roughshod over most other teams. Imagine this team playing the way they are now if they give themselves three additional possessions every game over their opponents.
Ladies and gentleman, that would be a difference of almost six more possessions a game later in the season than they are currently playing with now. What kind of record can we expect then?
Don't forget, the Lakers are one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the league, and are therefor a little more insulated against poor shooting than most teams. Getting six more possessions a game for this team is GOLD.
That has been a point that Kobe's been trying to make, and for some reason, the Bench has believed him much more than the starters -- who knew!
The only possible contender for the Lake Squad is San Antonio, which also sports effective up-tempo and half-court styles of offense. The problem with that is that SA is in the West with us. Sux.
We have to figure out how to both win against, and ABUSE SA. Somehow. We need to get into their heads (if that is even possible). It used to be possible, we were once in their heads in the past. Kobe, Fish and PJ know the layout of SA's inner-most psyches. But, is it possible now? SA is the real reason the Lakers aren't championship material. There isn't any other team that can consistently beat us.
I hope Kobe stays. We get cap relief this summer. The role players have turned out to be pretty good. We might finally get our 1 and 1a scoring options to start next season and make a real run at SA and the Finals.
This season will be quite exciting, though. I look for the Lakers to really put one on the Pacers today. Seriously. there is likely to be a little angry in this game. Hopefully Bynum takes the JO trade stuff personally and thoroughly abused JO by himself. Hopefully.
Well, that's all I got.
--FearlessWhackJob
Posted by: FearlessWhackJob | November 20, 2007 at 11:36 AM
Just a word in defense of Marc Gasol in reply to comments on the previous thread. He didn't complain about anything. He simply mentioned differences. Why do you guys get so defensive and assume he's complaining?
Second, his remark about the obsession money was very discreet and there was nothing racial about it. My interpretation is that me he was talking about society in general. The fact is that in the US money is a more obvious driver of behavior than in Europe. Fom what I can see, in any case, it's the agents who are obsessed by money, not the players themselves. Gasol wasn't talking about players.
Third, he really seems interested in coming to the NBA, but he has a lot of good reasons for nott wanting to give the impression that he'd sell his soul to do so. Respect him for that.
Finally, I was the one -- not Gasol himself -- who said he might find his salary undervalued by a plunging dollar, cause that's a basic reality today. It's part of the Bush heritage and strategy. Make everyone else pay for today's military extravagence: our own grandchildren -- who will have to pay back the debt -- and the rest of the world who will suffer from competing with a devalued dollar. But the fact is -- and it's sad to see -- countries and people who used to love getting paid in dollars are starting to refuse, which puts the US in a weaker and weaker position. Thank the administration for that but don't blame basketball players for starting to doubt the interest of getting paid in monopoly money (and in any case, I repeat that Gasol didn't even mention that issue: I did, so put the blame on me).
All this is to say that I think most bloggers (Mike T excluded) expect that this will be Kwame's last year in Lakeland and Gasol may be a fitting replacement who will cost less (whether in dollars or euros) and possibly perform better. That's a pretty good insurance policy. Let's not spoil it.
Posted by: Tsphere | November 20, 2007 at 11:39 AM
NOW IS THE TIME TO GO AFTER JASON KIDD. THAT WOULD TAKE THE LAKERS TO A WHOLE ANOTHER LEVEL. PICTURE IT
KIDD
KOBE
LAMAR
RONNY
CHRIS
WE WOULD HAVE TO GIVE UP ANDREW. BUT LETS TAKE A CHANCE. WE WOULD HAVE THE SHOW DOWN IN THE PLAYOFFS.
KDD VS NASH
KDD HAS A LEAST 3 MORE YEARS LEFT IN HIM. BESIDES KIDD IS REALLY PUTTING UP SOME GOOD NUMBERS THIS YEAR.
OR WE COULD GIVE UP FARMER KEEP ANDREW AND ADD COOK & BROWN.
THE TALKS ARE COMING UP ABOUT KIDD. KDD WANTS TO LEAVE NJ & COME TO THE LAKERS TO PLAY WITH KOBE. PLUS KIID WOULD HELP DEVELOP CRITT. WE WOULD KILL IN THE WEST WITH KIDD WE WOULD MOVE UP TO THE BEST 2 OR 3 SPOT. IF NOT THE #1 SPOT WITH KIDD. ENOUGH SAID IM OUT.
Posted by: DAT | November 20, 2007 at 11:40 AM
Man,
As a Laker fan, I feel sad for Shaq. Only option is for him to retire now. Wade called him out in public, and Shaq can only say "He was right". His past feuds with Kobe and Penny have pre-empted him from responding in kind. Riley benches him within a minute - how does he respond? With another lackluster game - this is not Shaq coasting through the regular season anymore. This is Shaq with no gas left in the tank.
Posted by: hariyahu | November 20, 2007 at 11:46 AM
With the depth we have a center, Kwame is one of the players the Lakers have the luxury of losing and still have the ability to pick up his slack. True, there is no way to exactly duplicate what Kwame does( Be big, look lost, fumble away sure dunks), but I think between our two other centers, and Ronny we should be able to make up for the 5 points and 5 boards that Kwame averages. I doubt that an injury can make us better, but I am not entirely sure that this makes us much worse. After the first nine games, as long as we have Drew and Farmar, I feel very confident about our chances. It is just rare these days that our team will be blind sided by terrible bench play. It wasn't but five years ago, that our team only went as far as our two best players carried us. No our days it seems like a new face is stepping up each game. In watching the NBA, I can not recall this much widespread talent on one roster. There is an argument that Jarvis Crittenton has the potential to be a very good starting point guard in this league. The future looks very bright indeed.
Posted by: Nik Kannan | November 20, 2007 at 11:53 AM
Hariyahu - Even if JO is at 80%, I still wouldn't put LO on him b/c that's a potential mismatch (against) at two positions defensively, PF and SF. Luke isn't going to be able to handle Granger (even if it's just on switches). Besides, having Mihm and Turiaf against their starting line-up seems like a waste since one of them will probably have to spend a lot of time on the perimeter. Think of it like defending Utah. Lakers had their center guarding Boozer and their PF guarding Okur. Same difference here. I bet whoever is playing center guards JO and the PF guards Murphy.
Andrew Z - Totally. PJ deciding to start Cook against Detroit showed me that he's willing to try and preserve LOs advantages. Whenever opposing teams make moves to try and contain Kobe (like putting Granger on him) it often creates something for LO that he needs to take advantage of. Against Detroit, they had to start Rip on Kobe rather than Prince b/c there's no way Rip could guard LO.
Posted by: lakers_sth | November 20, 2007 at 11:57 AM
Mamba24
"Is there a Kobe for Defensive Player of the Year bandwagon? If so, please sign me up.
Thanks"
Yeah! put me on that one too.
Plus I'd like to be the driver and president of the "Jordan Farmar" Most improved player of the year bandwagon.
Thanks
Posted by: Outsidergua | November 20, 2007 at 12:01 PM
Much as I like Farmar, I think Crittenton is going to be even better. Farmar is the perfect second string point guard - very effective in spot minutes.
If I were Kupchak (and there's a reason I am not), I would be on the phone to Atlanta offering them LO, Farmar and next year's #1 for Horford, Smith and Claxton. Joe Johnson gets the veteran help he was promised, Farmar gives them a presence at PG and they get Claxton's contract off their books. LO fits in well at PF in the East while also becoming an expiring contract next year, and the draft picks are the icing on the cake.
For us, we could plug Horford behind Turiaf (for this year) at PF and Smith in at SF - where he could replace LO's production quite comfortably. Claxton is a bad contract that we waive, but we are set at all 5 positions for the next 3 years at least.
I would also offer Kwame to the Suns (at or near the trade deadline) for Atlanta's pick next year and the trade exception they got from the Sonics as part of the Kurt Thomas trade. Kwame is an expiring contract and allows them to play Amare and Matrix at their natural positions. His corn-bred calves would give the Suns the defensive presence they need against Duncan. Suns would rather win now than wait for a draft pick to grow and (hopefully) plug into their system.
If Atlanta were to bomb (again) this year, that could mean we end up with Beasley, Rose or Love. Think about that!
Posted by: hariyahu | November 20, 2007 at 12:03 PM
Lakers_sth,
No one can guard LO. Period. That is the source of the frustation with this guy. He is completely unguardable. Even more so than Kobe.
Un.Guard.Able!
--FearlessWhackJob
Posted by: FearlessWhackJob | November 20, 2007 at 12:09 PM