Merry freakin' Christmas Indeed!
There's only one thing a Laker die-hard loves to see more than cool gifts under his or her tree. A lump of coal in the stocking of every Phoenix Suns player, coach and fan. And that's exactly what the hated visitors received during a holiday showdown at Staples. The 122-115 Lakers win featured all Laker starters in double figures, only one Sun reaching 20+ points (Steve Nash) and a few personal achievements by Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum. Plus, this was just flat out entertaining roundball. 15 lead changes. 35 combined fast break points. Scoring like Colin Farrell at an XTC party. Seriously, what more could you ask from a Christmas afternoon with the purple and gold?
And before some greedy little cuss shouts "well, what about Kobe Bryant passing Tom Chambers to reach 30th on the all-time scoring list," easy, gunpowder. That's part of the X-Mas loot, too.
THE GOOD
The Laker starters: I plan on singling out a few guys in particular, but lest anybody think I'm excluding those without a writeup, fear not. The fivesome of Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Trevor Ariza, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum all deserve praise and they done got it on this here Lakersblog post.
Kobe Bryant: One hell of a game is required to make 8 turnovers feel like an incidental afterthought. Kobe Bryant had one hell of a game. 38 points (26 of which came in the second half). Only 20 attempts required to net said 38 points. 13-14 from the line. 5 boards. 7 dimes. 2 steals. And in what's becoming more often the 2007-2008 rule that highlights any rare exception, an extremely controlled effort where little was forced and teammates were sought out. Such fantastic displays of dominating but unselfish play are joy to watch. Then again, Kobe might have made this section purely on the strength of that twisting, third quarter ending reverse dunk or the flurry of ridiculous turnaround jumpers.
Andrew Bynum: 11-13 from the field. 28 points accrued (besting his career-high 24 set Friday against the Sixers). 12 boards. 4 dimes (another personal best). 2 blocks. And a rather ho-hum effort from All-Star Phoenix counterpart Amare Stoudemire (19 points, 5 of which came during garbage time and borderline garbage time, and a scant 6 boards), meaning his defensive assignment was kept in check. To a large degree, Bynum kept Phoenix in check, period. Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni made no bones about admitting that "Bynum killed us." Phil is often hesitant to lavish too much praise the 20-year old's way, but he acknowledged that Kareem's pupil kept the Suns' D "on edge." Besides, there's plenty of time left for accolades. "At the end of the year, if he's the MVP, then we'll say what a great year he had," joked PJ.
Derek Fisher: I liked the 19 points. I also liked the 6 assists. But what I LOVED was nada in the turnover column. For a team often guilty of costly rock carelessness, this is always a welcome development. Everyone knew Fish could help stabilize a once-fragile and fragmented locker room. But today's performance provided high quality proof that the Threepeat Club member might be more capable of stabilizing matters on the court than many would have expected. And I'm calling myself out as a member of the "Underestimation Posse," by the way. Obviously, there's a lot of season remaining on the ol' calender. But 28 games into the season, it's safe to say that Fisher is playing much better ball than I predicted. It's times like these that I relish being wrong.
Never allowing the Suns to eclipse 50% shooting during any quarter: Phoenix hit an even 5-0 mark during the second frame, but that was as good as it got for a squad that considers 49% shooting an average night. Literally.
Grant Hill playing his 27th consecutive game, his longest streak in eight seasons: A trend that should make even the most bitter of Suns haters happy. Hill's one of the NBA's good guys and it's nice to see him sustaining some health after years of struggle. Depressing to think about how great this guy's career could have been sans a vendetta from the injury bug.
Some cat in the section next to me popped the question to his lady immediately after the fourth quarter ended. While I'm not a fan of getting down on bended knee at a sports venue (I've yet to meet a girl who finds this act anything less than tacky and lame), this proposal landed in the "good" column for two reasons. First, she said yes. Second, dude had the common sense to do it without the use of a jumbotron. No need to put your hopeful wife on the spot. And there's truly no need to risk making a jackass of yourself by getting turned down in front of 18,997 of your closest friends.
THE BAD
A tendency to relax at times: 14 turnovers on the night certainly wasn't ideal, but when you take into account that an octet belonged to the former #8, I suppose an argument can be made that the team as a whole actually did a decent job taking care of the ball. And perhaps the Lakers were so relieved at the lack of roster-wide gaffes that it resulted in overly comforted exhales after made baskets, as opposed to furiously getting back on D. Too many Suns baskets by way of a Phoenician beating every Laker down court. You'll squeak a win every now and then, but make this a habit and the odds favor Nash's bunch.
Third quarter guarding of the arc. Yeah, the Suns are a hot shooting team from distance, but 5-7 is still pretty ridiculous. That 71% clip also represented a period where the Suns appeared set to regain control after spending much of the first with the Lakers in their rear-view. Fortunately, order was restored.
The Bench: Save a few good shots and passes from Jordan Farmar, a pretty quiet night from those entering the mayhem from the pine. Ronny Turiaf can be cut slack due to very limited PT. But during just over 27 minutes of combined work, Sasha Vujacic and Vlad Radmanovic combined for 2 points and 6 fouls and 0 made field goals. Obviously, it's not the end of world, especially in light of the results. And no matter how well the "mob" often plays, you can never lose sight that it's still a collection of role players and role players often play like little more than such a description. But considering how much better this team is with the bench often producing at a high level, it also can't go ignored.
And finally, a few thoughts on a certain bow tie donned by a certain 9 rings owning coach:
"What's wrong with a bow tie? A little holiday spirit." - Phil Jackson (who later added that the tie was purely a "holiday special" and specifically, a Christmas holiday special. When I pressed him whether the neck-wear would get busted out on, say, Valentine's or Arbor Day, PJ shot down the notion.).
"I thought it looked nice, you know what I mean? It was more of an old school thing. You wouldn't catch me in it. But he pulled it off." - Andrew Bynum
"It was a good look. I liked it. Phil is full of surprises." - Lamar Odom
"It was disgusting. I don't know what he was thinking. Somebody asked me, Raja Bell, I don't know, they looked over and said, "Is Phil wearing a bow tie?" I kinda looked down. That was the first time I saw it. I kinda threw up in my mouth just a little bit." - Kobe Bryant
-AK
Let me put another spin on this one:
"In this situation, everything's been done to accelerate Andrew's learning," Jackson said. "From this organization bending over backward to accommodate him . . . we're hopeful that it doesn't change the way he acts as a person. We've had people that have not responded well because they're too young and too pampered. Hopefully, Andrew's going to be one of those guys that understands what the process is and grows into it."
In other words here's what Phil is saying to Bynum.
Hey, kid! You''re doing really really great. And we're proud of you! But we want you to understand one thing. As much as you've improved you're still lacking one thing. That's the ability to contribute to the "team" that will allow us to play Phil Jackson basketball.
Right now we're bending over backwards to get around your weaknesses on the defensive end of the game. It's to the point where we're not even playing Phil Jackson basketball. We're actually playing Andrew Bynum basketball. No offense, kid, but that's not going to win a Championship for us this year. We're feeding you the ball in front of the rim to compenstate for your defensive weaknesses.
We want you to understand that we want to play Phil Jackson basketball because we've determined that it gives us the best opportunity to win a Championship this year. You see, kid, as of right now, this basketball team is all about Kobe Bryant. What we're doing this year has everything to do with keeping Kobe in the Lakers' family. And for that to happen we need to seize the opportunity to play the brand of basketball that will allow us to accomplish that. In other words: We want to win it all this year.
You see, kid, we've bent over backwards to accelerate your development. But understand this: Your development is still taking the backseat to the idea of putting the right personal on the floor that allows us to play Phil Jackson basetball and to keep Kobe Bryant as a Laker. You see, kid, our priority for this season is not your developement but doing everything we can to make sure Kobe has every opportunity to win a Championship this year.
We've determined that with your growth we are a very very strong team. But we've also determined that it won't allow us to win a Championship this year. And in the end that's our priority. To win it all this year.
We hope that you appreciate everything we've done for you but as of this moment, Kwame's defense allows us to do what our priority is for this season. And that is to play Phil Jackson basketball and win the Championship this year.
So if we decide to go with Kwame to get us to that point we expect you to take that in stride and learn to grow as a person and ball player to fit into our philosophy of basketball. One more time: We are not playing our brand of basketball right now because of your defensive weaknesses.
The process, young Andrew, is playing Championship ball. And that revolves around a strong defensive game. And we expect you to grow into it. But as of this moment your defense isn't strong enough to change the pace of the game for us. And if the pace doesn't change then we can't play Phil Jackson basketball. We expect you to understand that and to accept it as a professional and a mature young man.
mike
Posted by: Michael Teniente | December 25, 2007 at 10:56 PM
Smushcalade,
I do believe that Bynum needs help on defense. Just don't think Kwame Brown is the answer.
Kwame Browm COULD be very useful.
But since the guy can't play - I mean NEVER - he is no use at all.
Trading him would keep the roster intact. The roster that plays, at least.
Would be very nice if Kwame could stay healthy. But I'm losing hope on that already.
Posted by: Allan | December 25, 2007 at 10:57 PM
Nemaia Faletogo,
It's not really about who's right or wrong. I'm just saying be prepared if PJ goes in another direction for philosophical reasons alone.
I mean the bottom line is this to me: We're not playing PJ basketball at all right now.
mike
Posted by: Michael Teniente | December 25, 2007 at 10:59 PM
Fisher is the biggest difference why this year we are playing as a team. Fisher isn't afraid of Kobe. He's looking for anyone who'se open. This is the reason this is a real team finally. Fisher is leading the way through his fine example. Thank you god for this gift of a man named Derek Fisher.
Posted by: johnny | December 25, 2007 at 11:00 PM
Would rather have LO than JO. LO is a consistent rebounder and hard worker. He is just not a sharp knife, but neither is JO. Lakers should accept his shortcomings. His length and veratility make him unique. He doesn't have to be the second scorer -- Andrew Bynum is. This allows LO to score low numbers and yet very much contribute to winning games.
JO? Injury prone, overpay and a defense slacker compared to LO. JO is a better shot blocker and scorer, but Lakers don't need it. What the Lakers need is another big man -- which they will have when Kwame returns.
Would rather have Kwame Brown than Travis Knight. Kwame is not as bad as many folks claim. Many teams will seek Kwame, but the Lakers should be careful for what they get in return. At the present, letting him play out his contract may be the Lakers best option as it would give them salary cap flexibility. Don't forget Kupcake has built this team for the long haul.
What will people say when the Lakers beat the Celtics Sunday?
Therrrrrrrrrreee Back!
Let see if 9 rings can become 10 rings.
Posted by: Todd | December 25, 2007 at 11:04 PM
When you interpret Phil Jackson you have to take into account that he's a basketball "purist." What that means is this: It's not about just winning. It's about winning "the right way."
Right now we're not winning "the right way."
That's my opinion.
mike
Posted by: Michael Teniente | December 25, 2007 at 11:10 PM
"Fisher is the biggest difference why this year we are playing as a team."
100% agree. The biggest difference is that Fisher is strong minded. Smush Parker was so weak minded that everything he did was unstable. Fisher takes shot as if it's just a natural part of his game. Parker looked like he was trying to fit in. If he didn't make a shot it shook him up. Fisher missing shots doesn't stop him from attacking like the next one is going in.
mike
Posted by: Michael Teniente | December 25, 2007 at 11:13 PM
Mike T,
We have ALL said this year Bynum still needs to work on his post defense. AND we have ALL been saying he is light years ahead of Brown in the post.
Phil just doesn't want too much pressure put on his 20 year old center. That's all that is.
What is our record since Brown is out? Merry Christmas.
Posted by: zen | December 25, 2007 at 11:15 PM
Mike T wrote,
"Nemaia Faletogo,
It's not really about who's right or wrong. I'm just saying be prepared if PJ goes in another direction for philosophical reasons alone.
I mean the bottom line is this to me: We're not playing PJ basketball at all right now."
mike
Thanks for elaborating further about your view. I'll leave it at that. It's cool that we can agree to disagree and still be Laker fans. I'm with you when it comes to defense, because I too believe that defense wins championships and I hope that the Lakers can improve in that area. Just do me a favor though and let the rest of us know when we play the type of game that is PJ basketball(any game during the rest of this season)so we can discuss it. Have a good one and thanks for your response. Go Lakers!!!
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | December 25, 2007 at 11:16 PM
What is our record since Brown is out? 12-7.
Bynum's record as a starter. 10-7
My projections are that we would be 5-5 or 6-4 on a 10 game scale. That means 12-8, 11-9, or 10-10 over a 20 game scale.
mike
Posted by: Michael Teniente | December 25, 2007 at 11:34 PM
"Just do me a favor though and let the rest of us know when we play the type of game that is PJ basketball(any game during the rest of this season)so we can discuss it."
I can tell you that right now. PJ basketball is this:
1. Defense is the priority. When we play the type of defense PJ wants you'll see the opponent's playing out of a set offense for the majority of the game. When we can do that it changes the pace of the game to serve us. In other words we'll be able to stop the Warriors and the Suns from running. Right now most of the teams we're beating are still controlling the pace of the game unless they specifically play from a set offense. That would be the Spurs, Clippers, and the Cavs.
When you see the up and down game...that's a violation of our philosophy. And I can tell you right now...that does not make PJ a happy camper.
2. Off our defense we create steals and we transition off of those steals. That's called selective running.
When we run just because...that's a violation of our philosophy. And I can tell you right now...that does not make PJ a happy camper.
3. The execution of the triangle offense. That has a lot to do with an entry pass into the post. An actual entry pass into the post is something we're not seeing. What we're seeing is lobs to the rim. That's fine against weak teams. But against the defensive elite...we're going to need to execute the triangle properly.
mike
Posted by: Michael Teniente | December 25, 2007 at 11:44 PM
The defensive priorty is keeping the ball out of the paint. When we execute that properly the opponent will set and reset the offensive play. That allows us to play against the shot clock.
A lot of that has to do with how we play the high screen and roll. That happens on the top of the key. When we disturb the ball movement so far from the rim it dsturbs the flow of the opponent's offense. That brings the shot clock into play.
That is based on the center and the point guard.
The second configuration is based on establishing defensive low post position. When you see the opponent's bigs in the lane a lot...that's not good. When you see a lot of lay-ups...that's not good. Those things are based on the center not being able to establish position and poor rotations.
When you see our wing players collapse to help the center that allows open 3s for the opponent. That's not good. That only happens when our center is overmatched. It's called denying position.
If we do these things well, we would be playing against the shot clock and not the rim.
If we execute these things properly that should lead to a lot of steals and transition baskets.
mike
Posted by: Michael Teniente | December 25, 2007 at 11:55 PM
Let's not get too happy people. I agree with Jackson that Bynum needs to develop his post moves. Bynum is a force down low, but I would like to see him work on his short-range game. He has shown promise by utlizing the left hook and various floaters, but I don't feel comfortable with his fadeaways yet.
The Lakers need to come out with the same passion and execution for Utah. Utah has not been playing well, but they are still a dangerous team. The Lakers need to use this momentum for their matchup against Boston.
I don't expect the Lakers to win against the Celtics but hey I did say the same thing for Phoenix. As a fan, I hope the Lakers make me appear foolish concerning my prediction.
Posted by: never | December 26, 2007 at 12:00 AM
Time for a reality check!
I want to nominate Kwame Brown for team MVP for the first half of the season. Now, before everyone screams, hear me out.
Some boxers have been said to have a 'glass jaw' , well fortunately for us Kwame has a glass knee. His injury and his typically slow rehabilitation has been the his greatest contribution to the team.
Andrew Bynum has been given the opportunity to show that he CAN play against top competition and more than hold his own. He has created a true low post presence on offense. His length and 'hops' make him deadly on the offensive glass. He forces the other teams post defenders to foul and that leads to reaching the penalty stage sooner, which leads to more free throws for everyone.
Bynum is developing into an aggressive rebounder and is already better at rotating and helping on defense than either Kwame or Mihm.
Kwame should be congratulated for his contribution to Bynum's growth. Bynum NEEDS playing time to develop. He needs this time early in the season so the team can jell. Kwame and his 'glass knee' have supplied the time Bynum needs.
So, I want to give Kwame the props he deserves. I say we start a Kwame for MVP bandwagon. I will be the first member. WHAT SAY YOU?
P.S. Does anyone else besides me feel we stole Ariza?
Posted by: reality check time | December 26, 2007 at 12:05 AM
Did I hear that right? I think during the second quarter one of the ABC guys (not SVG, I don't think) said that "Jordan Farmar would be starting on most NBA teams."
E
Posted by: Emma | December 26, 2007 at 12:10 AM
I'd like to question you Mike T. as to why you think that Bynum's current production is any less meaningful because its all "dunks and alleyoops?" Correct me if I am wrong, but Dwight Howard isnt exactly stroking it like Hakeem on the baseline, or Patrick Ewing at the top of the key. Last year Dwight Howard (in his third year) averaged about 16ppg and 12rpg, but earlier in that year he was closer to about 14 and 10. Howard was purely nothing but dunks and put-backs and showed no low post moves either. Actually, Howard is still nothing but dunks and put backs because he is just using his power and its made easier because the Magic spread the floor with Rashard and Turkoglu so the lane opens up. But Howard has yet to show that he has any post moves or a jump shot.
Im not saying that Bynum is this year's Dwight Howard, but I would say that Bynum is last year's version. And last year Howard was in his third year..the same as Drew is this year. Now Bynum will have a different game than Howard because Howard is bigger and stronger due to his natural build. But Bynum's development will come from developing his own shot. But thats ok. If Bynum gives you 13-15ppg on dunks, alleyoops, put backs, and freethrows, how many points will he give you if he develops moves? Thats the key. Bynum is getting these points not by his teammates looking for him, but by the ball finding him. Isnt that what you want? You want Bynum developing a game based on junk points, so that he adds the selfish game later.
Posted by: The Lake Show | December 26, 2007 at 12:24 AM
BOSTON HERE WE COME!!!!
Posted by: | December 26, 2007 at 01:34 AM
Mike T -
Why are you so concerned with "PJ Basketball"?? Last year all you could say about Phil was how he couldn't coach, his substitutions were horrible, etc. etc. etc... all of a sudden this year you're a PJ fan?
PJ isn't preparing the fans for anything - PJ could care less about what the fans think. PJ is all about his players - motivating his players to be the best they can be. His words are aimed squarely at Drew, to make sure he doesn't get a big head and stop working. PERIOD.
Phil doesn't read what you say. Phil would think you were a loony typing at your keyboard in your mama's basement, if he did read what you say, so why would he care about it?
Face it, man. You're a narcissistic, deranged loser with an unnatural fixation on the male body who isn't allowed to live within 1000 yards of schools and parks. Why would ANYONE care about what you have to say about basketball, much less a HOF coach with the ALL-TIME best winning percentage in the history of the game???
Posted by: SBPimp | December 26, 2007 at 02:53 AM
My only concern with bynum is the way he gets his double digit rebounds...most of them are offensive rebound. (although not in every game this happened).
I understand that offensive rebound is actually harder to get, but it would be better (i think) if he could balance his rebound production.
Although i think his lower defensive rebound is probably due to his tendency to try to block every shots (this is a good thing actually, because it means he contested every shots). However, it could also create a space in the middle if he's not careful and also if odom or the other doesn't fill the space, then opponent will grab an offensive rebound, which is bad
so i think this is probably the area that lakers' defense need to look at.
BTW, i love the starting line up of today's game
I hope PJ will maintain the same starting line up.
This doesn't mean though that i don't think walton and kwame is no good for our team. It's just when they don't play, it's kind of hard to say how useful they are...especially if they don't play and Lakers still wins (against SUNS)
PS:
anyone has a youtube link for Kobe's reverse dunk at the end of the 3rd?
i would love to see that.
Thanks
cheers..
Posted by: 1331 | December 26, 2007 at 02:59 AM
great kobe quote:
"We have a solid foundation," Bryant said. "We've got length, we've got speed, we have quickness, we have shot-blocking, we have guys that get after the ball and steal it, we have playmakers. It's looking very solid."
freak yeah.
merry christmas.
*
Posted by: p0s1t1v3 | December 26, 2007 at 03:37 AM
Pick and roll:
Today, Andrew Bynum did NOT get lost on the pick and roll, even in the third quarter when Steve Nash made a series of consecutive 3 pointers. Bynum was clearly told not to play Nash beyond the arc and just stay with the screener. Bynum stayed near the free throw line extended, Fisher, Farmar, and even Kobe got screened and Nash got an open 3 pointer. Bynum made no move towards Nash, but in the fourth quarter, while he was no longer concerned about foul trouble, he "showed" on Nash, and thus gave up no open looks on the pick and roll.
Guys, can you verify this? That it was a coaching decision for Bynum to stay back on the pick and roll through 3 quarters?
But regardless of what the coaches tell you, it was clear to me that it was by design (since neither the coaches nor the players were barking at Andrew to step up and guard Nash).
Posted by: Tom T | December 26, 2007 at 03:55 AM
m.t.(monkey testicles) has no clue of what pj basketball is.Maye phil will give you a job as his puppet so we'll all know what he's thinking strait from his mouth through yours puppet.Im sure pj loves kwame just like you is that why you bash pj every other week. Tunnel vision gets you nowhere look at the big picture simple mind.kwame coming off of the bench will cause him to work harder at well....hopefully everything since he excells at nothing and a waste of a numver one pick.Just ask steven a smith who kwa-may brown is as he would say.He's no one with career avg. of a division 3 player who is way overpaid.if anything he should be picking drews mind and learn from him. Dont ever call me uneducated again prick when all you have to say is kwa-may this and that and have no statistical value for half of the b.s you are talking about.go somewhere else and let real laker fans vent here. go write skip bayless or t.j simmers true laker haters and waste their time idiot.
Posted by: smooth d | December 26, 2007 at 04:29 AM
a few thoughts:
1. bynum makes lamar better. lamar's problem was that he was never a #2 option. now that bynum is 2, lamar can be an excellent #3. that said, i still think trading lamar for marion isn't something we should immediately discount.
2. i agree that fisher and farmer plus crit are better than kid for now and the future. right now we have a perfect mix at that position between youth and experience.
3. i like ariza starting. he brings a lot more than luke in terms of defense and athleticism. that said, i also like lamar at the 3 and turiaf starting at the 4 -- it gives us the biggest front line in the league.
4. mitch has gone from an idiot to a genius over 30 games. he's probably somewhere in between. but he deserves a ton of credit for drafting well, making small but smart trades, and sticking to his guns. this is a special team built for the present as well as for the future.
5. i LOVE kobe when he's playing with his teammates.
6. am i the only one who thinks listening to stu is painful? i too grew up listening to chick and stu. but he's the master of the obvious, he tends to talk like a high school coach rather than a commentator, and he's not very quick. i think michael thompson is a lot smarter, quicker, and more insightful. i know stu is an icon. but at some point you've got to say that the emperor has no clothes. that said, if stu is my greatest problem with this team -- that means things are going pretty well...
Posted by: ben | December 26, 2007 at 05:23 AM
Hey Mike T,
you are absolutely right. I have no idea why people are attacking you. I think your analysis is dead on, and everybody needs to realize that PJ is not going to hesitate benching Bynum for Brown for purely defensive reasons (aka PJ-Ball).
However, I believe there is one glitch in your argument that you failed to address: the fact that Kobe LOVES Bynum at the moment and would probably prefer him as a starter over Brown. That seems to be the logical weakness in your argument. You go on and on about this team being all about Kobe and built to have him succeed this year, but you fail to take account of the fact that Kobe has now become Andrew's biggest fan and would have issues with replacing him with an uncoordinated Brown. PJ basketball or not, it is becoming clear to us, and most importantly to Kobe, that Bynum puts us in the better situation to win a championship this year.
Hey SG, great comments about Trevor Ariza. I personally thought he was the difference maker yesterday with this high octane presence on the floor. I loved his ability to run the floor and outspring any defender on fast break opportunities; something we desperately need.
Posted by: Adam | December 26, 2007 at 05:23 AM
ARIZA is making Luke Walton look like no big deal.
His speed has been great and he's flowed right into the offense better than expected.
A true upgrade over Mo Evans for sure.
He is unselfish and a better defender than Luke.
I give Luke's jumper the edge.
Interesting battle at the 3.
Posted by: LakerBake | December 26, 2007 at 05:27 AM
Ariza,Odom, Bynum,kobe, fisher/farmar.........is La's best staring 5 ......regardless of who we play. there are no weak links outside of Arizas jump shots......which he more than makes up for with Defense, rebounding and attacking the rim offensively.
Kwame coming back means nothing to me......except traid bait. He's never gonna give you what Bynum is giving you offensively and defensively......not even close.
Posted by: Dion | December 26, 2007 at 05:52 AM
To the guy who said Ariza was the perfect SF. Well if he could shoot beyond 5 feet from the basket he would be! Of course, then Orlando would NEVER have traded him now would they!? He is athletic and can provide good defense but the Lakers perfect SF now plays for the Wizards - Caron Butler! If L.A. had not traded for Kwame, the Lakers would have a guy who can score 20 pts and give you 8 rebounds/game to go with LO and KB! We would likely not have been bad enough to draft Bynum but would have been more competitive the last three years.
Was I the only one who thought Van Gundy's praise of Kupchak was too much? Isn't Kup the guy who let Fisher leave and signed Smush? Isn't he the one who traded FOR Kwame? Who gave big dollars to Radmonic? Jerry West would NEVER have done the ill-advised changes Mitch did!
Posted by: Ken | December 26, 2007 at 06:16 AM
To all who say keep the roster intact alluding to resigning Kwame. Lakers'
really can't. He earns WAY too much coin for his overall contributions. Probably the only two centers more overpaid in the league are Ben Wallace ( who got Skiles fired due to deteriorating skills) and Eric Dampier of the Mavericks. Kwame will get interest from other teams but I think any would be FOOLISH to pay him at his current wage of $9 Million. He should expect and accept more like $5 million. Come the off season, I think the Lakers will have about $11 to $12 million in cap space by letting Kwame go and the trade of Cook/Evans. There are some guys, if they are realistic, the Lakers can sign who are very good players (similar in quality to Odom).
Not sure what that guy was saying about Fish not being scared of Kobe? Maybe its not an issue of fear but that Kobe RESPECTS Fish for his work ethic, his experience in BIG games and his friendship! Kobe is not as bad as some think. He's not a slacker. He's got Alpha male tendencies with PROVEN results! He's not Smush Parker who THINKS he should get more respect but doesn't produce!
Posted by: Ken | December 26, 2007 at 06:36 AM
PJ has always played the players that are playing well in each game. Phil could start either Kwame or Andrew and when they sit down, the other one comes in. whoever is playing the best will play the majority of the minutes, regardless of whether they start or not.
Posted by: richard | December 26, 2007 at 07:07 AM
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DECEMBER 26, 2007 5 DAYS TILL YEAR OF THE LAKERS BEGIN
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THERES A NEW SHERIFF IN THE WEST AND ITS
THE FREAKIN LA. LAKERS BANDWAGON
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(1) MARK JACKSON
(2) JEFF VAN GUNDY
(3) BILL WALTON
(4) MAMBA24
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MITCH KUPCHAK EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR BANDWAGON
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(1) MAMBA24 DRIVER AND OWNER
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MITCH KUPCHAK I DEEPLY APOLOGIZE TO YOU BANDWAGON
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(1) MAMBA24 DRIVER AND OWNER
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PHIL JACKSON COACH OF THE YEAR BANDWAGON
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(1) MAMBA24
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PHIL JACKSON IS PEE WEE HERMANS LONE LOST BROTHER
BANDWAGON
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(1) MAMBA24 DRIVER AND OWNER
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DAVID STERN IF KOBE BRYANT DOES NOT WIN THE
MVP THIS YEAR SOMEBODY IS GOING TO JAIL BANDWAGON
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(1) NIK KANNAN OWNER AND DRIVER
(2) MAMBA24
(3) VIOLATER
(4) OUTSIDERGUA
(5) LAKERTRUTH
(6) ALEXINH017
(7) DREREK
(8) SHAQFAN
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ANDREW BYNUM MOST IMPROVED PLAYER IN THE NBA
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(1) LAKER FAZE OWNER AND DRIVER………………(8) DEREK
(2) RDLEE RIDING SHOTGUN………………………....(9) BENNY BLANCO
(3) VIOLATER……………………………………………..(10) BD
(4) RICO TICO
(5) MAMBA24
(6) LAKER TOM
(7) JON KAVULIC
Posted by: MAMBA24 | December 26, 2007 at 07:24 AM
Mike T.
"We're not playing PJ basketball at all right now"
Did it ever occur to you that Phil read all those jackson journals where you were bashing his style of basketball and asking that he be fired. Perhaps he's simply listening to you, so question does the current laker ball resemble anything like 'Mike T' basketball?? If so that confirms my suspicions.
Posted by: Taliq | December 26, 2007 at 07:43 AM
"Scoring like Colin Farrell at an XTC party"
Wow.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | December 26, 2007 at 07:43 AM
Mike T knows as much about basketball philosophy as Kwame Brown does about being an All-Star.
We are 9-2 in our last 11 games, and the 2 loses were games that we should have won.
If we could trade Kwame for Troy Murphy, we would be much better off.
Go Bynum!!!
Posted by: Kwame Sucks | December 26, 2007 at 08:03 AM
Michael T.,
You seem to be the only person who is not finding any notable joy in Andrew Bynum's unexpectedly rapid development. I don't get it. I thought you were a Lakers fan, not just a Kwame Brown fan.
Yes, Bynum has room for improvement, but that's part of the upside of this situation. We shouldn't expect him to be at the peak of his game FOR ANOTHER 8 YEARS!
AND WE SHOULD EXPECT IMPROVEMENT FROM HIM EVERY YEAR (ARGUABLY EVERY MONTH) FOR THE NEXT 8 YEARS!
Wow.
And who's coaching him again? Oh yeah, Phil Jackson, championship-winning center for the Knicks (known for his defense) and Kareem Abdul-Jabaar (one of the top three centers of all time, the greatest shot-blocker, and one of three players to have over 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists).
It is reasonable to be optimistic about Bynum. The only thing to be concerned about is if he becomes too cocky for his own good and loses his humility. But as long as he works as hard as he has since Byrant's "Freakout 2007", everything should be fine.
Now Kwame Brown is another matter....
He has not shown consistent improvement since he has donned the Purple and Gold. His defense has improved, but his scoring ability has not, and his ball movement has only marginally improved.
I hope we see a leap of development from Kwame when he finally comes off the injured list, but I'm not holding my breath.
Personally, I'd rather see Kwame Brown move exclusively to power forward and Bynum and Mihm be our permenant centers.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | December 26, 2007 at 08:06 AM
AK,
What the hell's up with Rad Vlad? I've noticed that in recent games the team has been in the + with him on the court, but he certainly hasn't been scoring AND I'd faint from shock if you said the reason was his "lock-down defense".
What's the story with Rad Vlad?
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | December 26, 2007 at 08:09 AM
Ken,
Actually, we traded for Kwame the same year we got Bynum. So we could have had Bynum, Odom, Caron and Kobe together. Of course, that would have meant that we would have had to rely on MIhm/Bynum more the first couple of years. Not necessarily a good/bad thing, but the possiblities of a Bynum/Odom/Caron/Kobe/Fish 5 would be great, no?
Posted by: hariyahu | December 26, 2007 at 08:10 AM
Now that the Christmas Day euphoria is starting to wear off, an honest assessment of the Lakers suggests that the team may not be as good as its record, right now.
On the plus side:
1. Kobe is pretty good at sharing the ball most of the time. This needs to continue.
2. Bynum truly is coming into his own as the legitimate center the Lakers have been missing.
3. When Bynum is dominating as he has been, Lamar is more effective within his comfort zone.
4. The Fisher/Farmar combo at PG is really working. This becomes clear when you watch the struggles of other teams without any legitimate point guard.
5. Ariza may actually be the answer at a position where the team was weakest.
Concerns:
1. Whether the team wins or loses, most games go down to the final buzzer. I can only remember 2 games where the Lakers were able to be so dominant that Phil could pull the starters at the end, creating legitimate garbage time for projects like J-Crit to get any real playing time. To be a playoff contender, the Lakers have to be truly able to put away their opponent. The team is not there, yet.
2. Ronny Turiaf is getting torched on both offense and defense. He’s clearly hobbled and lacks the explosiveness we’re used to seeing. Ronny needs to get healthy if he’s going to play valuable minutes.
3. VladRad and Sasha are still streaky. The team needs consistent shooting from both of them to be a true threat to teams like the Spurs.
Question Marks:
1. Kwame – how long will it take to find his game once he comes back, and in what role will be most effective?
2. Walton – he really belongs in the second unit but only seems to play well when he starts. Can he make the adjustment to play well in a diminished role?
3. Mihm – he seems to be relegated to the seat at the end of the bench once assigned to Brian Cook. Now that December 15th has come and gone, can we find a team to take him off our hands?
4. J-Crit and Coby2 – Both guys need playing time to mature into the NBA game. Until the Lakers find a way to start dominating games, where will the needed PT come from?
When the Lakers win right now, it seems to be because they’re playing over their heads. At this point in the season a Win is just a win. The team has made great progress since the season started, but an honest assessment says their record is still Fool’s Gold. An even higher level of play is needed to rate the team as a serious contender. It’s way too early for players, coaches, and fans to become complacent.
Posted by: Rick Friedman | December 26, 2007 at 08:14 AM
I like Kwam but Bynum won the starting center position. It's only fair to move Kwam to the four, he's our best defensive post player and our best four period. I like them playing together, knowing Phil that was probably his plan all along.
Posted by: vizardronin | December 26, 2007 at 08:18 AM
Mike T,
Lets compare per game stats for Andrew and Kwame:
Andrew Kwame
Points 12.5 4.3
Rebounds 10.1 5.0
Assists 1.6 1.1
Blocks 2.1 0.9
FG% 62.5% 51.9%
FT% 67% 20%
Minutes 29.0 21.0
Floor +/- +139 -9
Andrew has Kwame beat in every statistic that is relevant for a center, including point differential when on the floor. That is a difference of 148 points!
Do you think Kwame would make up the difference in all the stats in just 8 additional minutes per game? Thats a rhetorical question!
Face the facts, if you think Kwame is better, then you don't know basketball!!
Posted by: Neerav | December 26, 2007 at 08:19 AM
I like Ariza as a starter - much better than Luke. The Lakers are playing much better without Luke's turnovers and unreliable jumpers. One thing Phil should not do especially in the 4th quarter is to play Odom and Walton together. Those two combined just gives me the creeps as it leads to turnovers and missed baskets. Seriously, the team's basketball IQ just drops when those two are playing at the same time. Luke's assets last year were his passing and his shooting but this year they're both liabilities - he makes stupid turnovers at crucial times and he can't even hit the side of a barn if he wanted to! Get rid of Luke, give him to New Jersey, maybe his best friend R. Jefferson would love to have him there!
I say, try to make a deal with another team offering Kwame's expiring contract and adding Luke Walton. Even a headcase like Artest would be appreciated in return for those two. I think Artest just needs to be on a winning environment to keep him straight.
We don't need J-Kidd - especially not if we had to give up one of our young guards. Farmar is a gem and if his turnaround from last year to this year is the gauge, could you just imagine how good he can be five years from now? J-Critt just needs playing time as he's certainly a diamond in the rough - you could see it in his moves.
Posted by: arnie | December 26, 2007 at 08:35 AM
hariyahu,
Wow. That would be a great starting line-up.
Rick Friedman,
I enjoyed your write-up. I think you hit the nail on the head with the concerns department. We are a young team, and in order to be an even deeper and better balanced team, we need to be able to put away teams so that less often used players (Karl, Critterion, etc.) can have playing time so they can develop.
That's not going to happen when we are beating the Knicks by five points in the last seconds of the game.
Something to work on.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | December 26, 2007 at 08:41 AM
Ken,
Even if Mihm decides not to resign (player option), we don't resign Kwame-Ronny-Sasha (we own their birdrights though), and Karl; we will be about $3 million over the cap.
Posted by: Charles | December 26, 2007 at 08:42 AM
Don't understand some of the pessimism. The team is young and producing. When it was just young, pessimism was in order.
The team is better than advertised, Kobe wants to stay, it's all good right now. If not this year, next year looks even better as the Celtics and SA age un- gracefully.
Posted by: | December 26, 2007 at 08:45 AM
Rick,
"An even higher level of play is needed to rate the team as a serious contender"
Hopefully Bynum will continue to improve as he plays more; that will force other teams to focus on him, which will really open up the floor the rest of the team.
As Ariza gets more comfortable with the offense, his game will improve.
Weak areas:
Farmar and Fisher are mediocre defensively; that will probably not improve much.
Odom's shot selection.
Bench is not playing well lately; partly injuries, partly the inconsistency that has always plagued those individuals.
Injuries in general. Not much depth right now.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | December 26, 2007 at 08:48 AM
So did d'Antoni hold up 2 fingers, indicating to Phil the number of games they have left together?
He did that last game, and I thought it was a nice touch, LOL.
Posted by: | December 26, 2007 at 08:49 AM
Why Kwame should start:
1) $8 million a year
2) Kwame would really suck coming in from the bench
3) Bynum could get a major confidence boost beating up on other team's bench center
*Most importantly*, The Mob would be 1000 times better with Bynum in
there...Sasha and Vlad would have open looks all day long.
I don't deny it, Bynum is a much better all around player at this stage than Kwame and alot of it has to do with his superior length and agility. Bynum feels like a Baby Shaq in the making.
However, I think the Lakers do better as a team when the bench can come in and score 50+ points....Bynum was the anchor of that 2nd team. Since Bynum started, bench mob #'s are down across the board. Shooters need big men to command the double. Vlad and Sasha are no longer wide open.
Posted by: Smushcalade | December 26, 2007 at 08:52 AM
Rick F,
I was just thinking of the same thing - we had a great offensive game, but still ended up conceding 115 pts to the Suns. Now, granted they are a great offensive team, but that margin of victory is a little too close for comfort.
For us to win this year, we need to be holding teams like the Suns under 100 - our offense will take care of the rest. And that's what folks like Mike T are talking about when describing it as a "D'Antoni" pace not a PJ-pace. Is it just the pick and roll defense? I think Bynum did a decent job on Amare.
Posted by: hariyahu | December 26, 2007 at 09:00 AM
Forget the Bynum-Kwame comparisons heres the laker truth
1) if Kwame started the game yesterday the lakers lose- instead of 26 points from the center position the lakers would have gotten less than 10.
2) If 9 rings starts Kwame over Bynum, he should be fired for letting his stupid ego get in the way of winning
3) Kwame usefullness is very limited since most teams dont have a post player- and anything he gives you on defenses is offset with his horrific offense.
4) Kobe is not having to work as hard for his shots with Bynum playing sinces hes a threat- Kwame NOT a threat
Posted by: Laker Lover | December 26, 2007 at 09:19 AM
It's gotten to the point where i see a post by mike T, I scroll past without reading. man, put a sock in it. Even if I might agree with you now and then, I am SICK of reading your crap, it's all about you and your wonderful ego.
Posted by: newJtimes | December 26, 2007 at 09:20 AM
Vision Scout says: Jerry West mentors Bryant / Kareem mentors Bynum.
Think about it
Posted by: Vision Scout | December 26, 2007 at 09:32 AM