Lulling them into submission

We are a game up on the freeking Spurs tonight!

Somewhere Mamba24 is screaming

WE ARE THE FREEKING LAKERS!!!

t-wOODY

I wonder if Kwame has aspirations of a 20/20 game?

Just think how good Bynum will be someday when he finally gets his "Base".

Did you notice that Kobe Bryant has made some amazing passes lately? How good can he be?? 11 seasons and he still surprises me...

now sing with me...

olayyyyy olayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy olayyyyyyyyyyyyyy olayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

First to post from Afghanistan!!

GO LAKERS!!!

Am I the first to post?

Anyway, good game today although I feel the Lakers could have ended the game at the end of the third quarter. I'm starting to feel a little cautious when PJ fills the floor with his bench. We have no rhythm during these stretches and are often caught deep into the shot clock.

I hope Javaris is not bummed by today's performance. I know he is trying really hard to contribute and I can only implore him to be patient. I appreciate his game and look forward to seeing him play often. I think PJ should try him as the point guard more than a shooting guard. He just looks uncomfortable at that position.

I know basketball!

I know when you play like Phoenix, running up and down, that's "fun" basketball. It doesn't take a lot of energy...just sprints. It doesn't take a lot of thought.

The type of structured basketball that the Celtics, Spurs, and Pistons play, that takes a lot of mental energy. It is draining!

My message to James Worthy and Norm Nixon is this: Go and get a tape and watch the games between the Celtics and the Pistons. And then watch the Spurs and the Pistons.

Watch how the Spurs rotate. The Lakers are nothing close to that right now. Watch how the Celtics and the Pistons play structured ball against each other. And that's for 4 quarters. That's not like the Bucks who did it for the first half.

Now you watch those teams play each other and you tell me that Andrew Bynum has the wind and the mental energy, and we're not even talking about the strength, for that and I'll call you a liar!

Heck, it's not even Bynum I'm concerned about to tell you the truth. It's the Lakers whole philosophy of ball. The Lakers are barely getting to the point where they are playing structured ball. The Spurs and Pistons have a minimum of 4 years of playing structured ball together. The Spurs are flawless in their rotations.

The Pistons are a serioiusly experienced team. And the Celtics have a player weighing 280 in the middle and you're going to tell me that Andrew Bynum has the wind, mental energy, and strength to play intense basketball at that level in a 7 game series?

To James Worthy and Norm Nixon. Take a tape out of the Bucks game and watch Andrew's face and body language in the first half. He was tired to the point he was making faces.

But before you get to the point of seeing that, look at the reasons why. Look at the Bucks defense and offense, how they played Andrew. That's a poor man's version of what the Celtics, Spurs, and the Pistons do. I was watching that because my perdiction is that Andrew is going to lose his wind.

I was watching the structured game the Bucks were playing just so to see if they would contain Bynum. I was watching it because of my theory. And I swear to you...I caught a glimpse of Bynum's body language and facial experssion at about the 5 minute mark of the 2nd quarter and said to myself...it can't be! Not that I don't expect it but that it's come this soon?

Now do you math! If Bynum is getting bodied up by the likes of the Bucks what's going to happen when he meets the experts?

My advice to both James Worthy and Norm Nixon is to ease up on your selling points because if what I saw is true...this is going to lead to nothing but a serious letdown.

Heck, my message to Kobe Bryant is this: Watch a tape of the game against the Bucks and tell me it's not true. Better yet, Kobe, get some tapes of the Celtics, Spurs, and the Pistons playing each other. And then watch some tapes of your own team. Watch the rotations of this game against the Bucks. And watch the rotations of the Spurs and the Pistons from a few days ago.

I'll tell you this right now. You are light years behind them when it comes to playng structured basketball. If you're thinking about a championship this year, Kobe...you better get your guys on the same page. As a team, break out a tape of the Pistons and Spurs from the other day. Watch how the Pistons are beating them pretty good but watch how the Spurs never, NEVER! give up on their rotations. That is discipline!

Then as a team watch the games between the Celtics and the Pistons. There is no running back and forth. That is structured basketball against structured basketball.

If you really want to get into it...get tape of the championship series when the Spurs beat the Pistons in 7 games. That was a whole series of structured basketball vs. structured basketball and it wasn't decided until very late in the 4th quarter of game 7.

That is sophisticated basketball! You people better work on your rotations because that's what it's going to come down to if you think you're going to win a championship this year.

mike

Good win. I'm really glad to see that Drew didn't follow his lathargic team mates, but instead followed Kobe's lead. Looks like maybe he's turned that corner.

25/17 is pretty amazing. Plus, did you can't in his interview that he already believes the Lakers can be in the Finals this year?

Way to go, Drew!

Kobe was pretty good today, too. :)

--FearlessWhackJob

How funny was Bynums fbomb slip during his interview on the court right after the game?! Probably the funniest laker nation foul up I have ever seen!

Ryan

Say what you will about that win - it was a win, and no one got hurt. For a minute in the first quarter I thought that Kobe had decided to try to break 81 just for the hell of it (don't pretend you didn't think the same thing, just for a moment).

I have a sneaking suspicion that this whole Critter experiment is a deliberate tactic by Phil - earlier in the season, he always had the look on his face like he couldn't understand why he wasn't out there more. I think Phil decided to give him a taste of what NBA action is really like - maybe to shut him up, maybe to get him to realize he needs to work more and has more room for improvement.

Javaris Crittenton is #1 in turnovers per 48 minutes (6.25). Don't let that dishearten you Critter!

AK/BK,

I would love to know the format of these post game interviews. How many people are present? It seems that it's first come first serve when it comes to asking questions, whoever speaks quickest gets their question answered. Is that the case?

At the end of the Bynum audio clip theres an intelligent question which provokes an insightful response from Andrew about his new found offensive confidence. It then seems like the reporter attempts to follow up to their question but is interrputed with a useless question about being a championship caliber team. Who's allowed to ask questions in these interviews?

Java reminds me very much of a young Kobe. It's like he knows he's got all the talent in the world, and is eager to show it...but can't as of yet.

It is after all a work in process, and speaking of work...it needs summers of working hard.

Meanwhile he's showing some promise and some frustration. Keep your head up kid, and learn from your mistakes.

Meanwhile, speaking as an impartial person on the Kwame versus Drew being winded thing lol...I actually think it's great to have Kwame in this team. He gives Drew time to rest, he gives us a defender when Drew gets in foul trouble. For the first time in like years, we have legit centers (starter-backup) and all we're doing is tearing them down. Let them play, let them season. It's going to be a some year, but we're gonna need them both.

Outside of tonight's game Kwame has actually been playing well. While Drew is reaping the rewards of having a backup. Crazy? Well keep in mind that when Kwame was down, it really screwed up our rotation in that we had to play Ronny (whom we all love) back to C and we struggled a bit...but with Kwame as a backup, Drew can play aggressive D, like he's shown.

Nevertheless, Drew deserves all the praise going his way. To me it's like going back in time when Shaq dominated night in and night out and all everyone wanted to talk about was a young Kobe (Jordan in the making back then remember?). If this keeps up, deja vu will be oh so sweet.

P.S. Major props for Kobe for playing with an URI. That's tough.

My head says the Lakers can't win a title this year...but this is the most fun I've had watching the Lakers since 99-00. Don't stop believing!

Mike T......Some really good points in that post.......

1...4 years of playing structured ball together......
2..Pistons are a seriously experienced team....very true...so are the spurs..
3..games between the pistons and the celtics....no running back and forth...

A couple of questions ......I know that alot of people are excited by our play, me included...Why didnt you mention the age of our squad and the amount or rookies being used?

...Why didnt you mention how crap Kwame played tonight and by him being so inept not allowing Bynum a decent break?....You never hammer him for poor play but yet you harp on Bynum and the faces he makes and how much wind he has......You make alot of really good points but dont speak about alot of the other good things going on with this team...The Teams you spoke about are all full of vets...Vets dont come out of college or high school...This team is a project in the making ..just like the others you mentioned were once apon a time .....Playing structured ball takes time...go watch kids play soccer ..the whole team chases the ball around for 90 mins...untill they learn how to play to a structure and were they need to be...

Good things take time

Early indicators are that Java and Critt play the same position and neither looks as good with the other on the floor so far. They're a bit undersized as a duo and Java seems less confident in his role which is understandable.

Nice to have the luxury of shuffling combinations and still win.

mike t... is the one who said that we'll see in 10 games if we can still win with bynum as our CENTER... and now after 20 games we're 16-4.. so i guess he's TOTALY WRONG!!!! we dont need to hear him anymore.. he just a HATER.. the only thing that he's intrested is KWAME UGLY BROWN which is a FAKE CENTER.. 0 Pts, 2 Reb, 2 TO.. yeah that's KWAME BROWN is all about.

ANYBODY-

i was watching espn when bynum slipped the f-bomb on tv. what did he say???

Tim,

" actually agree with you wholeheartedly on this one. There are very few teams out there right now playing an intense defensive scheme. The Celtics actually have the defensive WEAPONS to use against us. Almost all of these teams, including the Suns, do NOT.

Our half court offense isn't strong enough yet for the likes of a Celts."

OK, this is what I've been seeing in these teams that play structured ball. I'm talking about the Celtics, Spurs, and the Pistons. First, you're right there are only about 3 teams that actually play structured basketball. The rest are just playing what I call "random" basketball.

What I mean by that is that they live off of each others inability to play proper or effective defense. That's why you saw Bynum getting a lot of "garbage" points earlier in the season. With the lack of defensive structure Andrew was able to use those long arms to dunk the ball with his elbows at the rim. All of that is based on poor defense by the other team.

Recently, over the last 3 games, Andrew has been working out of the set offense a bit more. And he's been converting. But it's no longer that easy stuff. He is actually having to work for position against teams that have him bodied up. And with that Bynum is also having to take on a lot more responsibilty on the defensive end, too. He's playing a lot more one on one defense in the post, which is just draining. He's getting worked over pretty good on both ends of the court.

And to tell you the truth it's not even the physical aspect of the game that is getting to Andrew. It's the mental concentration that he's having to assert that is draining him.

But as for the structured type of ball I'm referring to, it goes like this:

I was watching the Celtics and the Sonics a few weeks ago. And I saw something very interesting. At first I thought it was a tight game. I thought the Sonics were hanging with the Celtics. But midway through the 3rd quarter it dawned on me that the Celtics could have put the Sonics away at any time. But they didn't because they were practicing their philosophy of ball on the Sonics as if the Sonics were guinea pigs.

The Celtics would set up their offense. They wouldn't make any rash moves. They would set the structure up and then operate. I swear that when they set up their offense they were literally making the Sonics defense position themselves to where the Celtics wanted them to be. Then they would run their play.

Kevin Garnett was missing shot after shot but they still wouldn't do anything outside of what their offensive philosophy called for. It dawned on me that they were practicing on the weak team.

I saw the Spurs do the same thing against the Clippers.

This is what the Lakers are not doing. The Lakers are not setting up the opposing defense's to execute their offense. The Lakers are looking for defensive lapses to expolit. Or relying heavly on the outside shot. There's a huge difference in philosophies.

What the Celtics, Spurs, and the Pistons are doing right now is like what a good boxer does with a lesser opponent. They carry the bum for a few rounds. The Celtics, Spurs, and the Pistons are carrying the weak teams so that they can get their "reps" in.

The Lakers are just going for the kill and in doing so are neglecting the precsion of exectuing their offense, which is going to cost them.

And there's the added fact that Boston does have the defensive weapons to beat the Lakers.

If the Lakers are going to win a championship this year it's going to be because of their defensive rotations and getting stops. The Boston rotations are good and strong enough to stop Bynum's points in the paint. And the Lakers rotations aren't nearly as good. That's why Bynum fouled out of the last Celtics game.

Putting priority on Bynum's offensive game is a mistake because Boston is going to stop it cold in it's tracks. Like I said earlier in the year, the only thing we're going to have then is Bynum's defensive rotations. And that by far is the weakest part of his game. Bynum has three weaknesses.

1. Playing the high screen and roll.
2. Holding defensive position in the post.
3. Rotations.

Right now the Lakers are compensating for that by having the guards and the three spot play high pressure on the priimeter. And the trapping defense to slow the ball down at the other end of the court? All these things are smoke and mirrors because in the playoffs the game slows down so much and gets so physical that these gimmics are going to be exposed.

The playoffs against the Spurs and the Celtics it's going to be 100% physical. That's how the Spurs beat the Suns and the Cavs. The Lakers will win 60 games this season, I believe...but as of right now, with their philosophy...a championship is out of the question.

Simply put. They are not making the weaker opponents play structured ball like the Celtics, Spurs, and the Pistons make their opponents play. The Lakers don't make the weaker opponents play structured ball because they're babes in the philosophy.

mike

mike...as much as i appreciate your concern (not much actually), i choose to just say your theory might only be true for spurs & detroit (they have run for championship)

anyhow, boston and detroit are definitely helped by the fact that they are in the LEASTERN Conf. let's compare it with Western Conf., it has 9 teams with more than 19 win games....that's DEEP.

Ok now, look at OUR LAKERS...they are only 0.5 game behind the leader, DALLAS & PHX...

Lastly, if you don't notice...Lakers are actually now playing withing a system...check Thorpe's True Hoop Analysis on how Lakers use Bynum in offense.

GO LAKERS!!

the laker bench really needs vlad and sasha back
they are older and have better punch

Hey Mike T, buddy,

Tell me, when you take a crap do words come out your bum? Because every time you talk s#!* comes out your mouth!

Sorry. That was uncalled for. But with sentences like these, I couldn't help myself:

"I know basketball! I know when you play like Phoenix, running up and down, that's "fun" basketball. It doesn't take a lot of energy...just sprints"

I think I understand Shaq better now. It's not that he's old, tired and out of shape, but that he's playing smart, structured basketball.

Was that a form of structure Kwame was displaying last night? Because we would have lost that game going away if Kwame would have played Bynum's minutes.

Did you see Kwame last night? He's a living, breathing single single waiting to happen.

Let's face it, Kwame's potential has been spotted, apprehended, booked and locked down (woops, that's dirty-talk in Mike's world, didn't mean to get you excited buddy, I hope channel 5 isn't showing a rerun of "Doc Savage" or you may really go over the edge).

Anyways...

Wes

A few thoughts...

- Van Gundy is so brutally honest that I like him. "That's the difference between Kwame Brown and Bynum. Bynum finishes those plays" Man Kwame was bad last night. Settle down and make a lay-up or dunk. You are bigger than you think. What are we gonna do with this guy after the season?

- If KG couldn't shoot, he'd Lamar Odom. People praise Lamar for his versatility, and I still pull for the man, but the Lakers will be at the next level if he can hit open 15 footers. Fact that he's under 70% freethrow shooter is an embarrassment.

- Ariza is such a pleasure to watch. It's like finding the perfect tool to scratch that one spot I couldn't reach. Lakers really needed that type of a player. It makes a nice contrast between him and Walton which keeps the other team adjusting.

- Fisher is a greatly improved shooter from the first part of his career when he shot around 40%. But more often than not bad things happen when he goes to the basket. He hasn't improved in that area. I love that he's with us though.

"Me declaring early in the live blog that Derek Fisher sinking his first attempt was perhaps the sign of another scorching night: I'll take the hit for Fish's 3-13 finish. Superstitious as I am, I REALLY should have known better."

LOL!

Good teams win games when they have bad nights.

Mission accomplished.

"I know basketball!" - Uncle Mike

hahahaha, crap that was funny. That was a good one. I didn't read anything you wrote after that - sorry, just don't anymore.

I know basketball?! Keep 'em coming, at least you are always entertaining.

mike t,

still at it hunhh .... well co-captain kobe will be the first to tell you we need to keep working hard, so yeah we're not the spurs, pistons and celtics right now but we're a younger team and show more promise than all 3, a major part of this promise being due to bynum's leap in production this year.

So the sportscaster ain't saying we can take the spurs, pistons or celtics in a 7 game series, they're saying woah this team seems to keep improving each day and if they continue at this pace, they just might be a force to recon with come june.

The fact that you can even be talking about structured ball and how we'll need it to win championships otherwiswe we'll be the suns just go to show that even you don't consider it on d same level as calling warriors championship contenders ... we definately better than a 7 seed right now which is where we've been the past 2 years ... we're improving dawg ... take a chill pill, like van gundy said kwame is never starting again so why even bother trying to do d bynum/kwame thing ... and dawgy if bynum keeps improving at this rate then u're gonna have to eat ya heart out when he plays in da playoffs

Lastly, really do you know how ridiculous it is for you to worry about us becoming the suns. We've got 9 rings on the sidelines and not even his harshest critics will argue agains da given enough talent he knows how to win. Every game is another hint that chief triangle just might have enough talent to start another dynasty

Mike T. -

Your posts just get dumber and dumber. Are you really a Kings or Suns fan trying to piss off Laker fans?

Mike T,

You write:
"I know basketball!"
"My message to James Worthy and Norm Nixon is this: "
"Heck, my message to Kobe Bryant is this:"

A simple question:
How many rings do they have? How many rings do you have?

It is offensive enough that you talk down to AK, BK, and your fellow bloggers. It is even more outrageous that you would presume to advise Norm Nixon, James Worthy, and Kobe Bryant.

The Britney comparison becomes more striking every time you post.
Britney to cops: "Don't cover me up! I'm f***ing HOT!
Mike to James Worthy and Kobe Bryant: "I know basketball."

How about a little humility and civility? It will cost you nothing. It will help others to consider your points more seriously.

Until you tone it down, many readers will look at you the same way the paparazzi look at Britney: Just a train wreck here for public amusement.
Is that what you want? I hope not.

Mike T,

I was wondering where you were!

Earlier during the season you mentioned that Bynum would not be
doing well as a starter. That seems to have been proven false. I
say *seems* because the season is early.

Of the teams that play *structured* basketball, we have been
clocked twice by the Celtics. As I recall, twice Pierce has gone
nuts. The 1st time was before Ariza showed up. The 2nd time,
Ariza was still new.

I *really* look forward to watching the Lakers vs. the Spurs &
the Lakers vs. the Pistons as true tests for this team.

Mike T. claims to know basketball and yet thinks Kwame is a great player because he has nice calves. Mike - everyone on this board is dumber after reading your posts. Go back to Sacramento and root for the Queens.

Honorable mention for Turiaf.
I'm in love with the predator...

Mike T.

We've defeated Detroit in the only game we played them this year. We've split with San Antonio this year. Boston has, quite definitively, spanked dat azz in two games. While I think we have a lot more room to grow in this young season, the gap between us and those three teams is no where near what you propose. If we make the next evolutionary leap by April, no one will want to play us in the post season. Not SA, not Dallas, not PHX.

Also, Drew puts up 25 and 17, blocks three shots and makes 10 out of 13 baskets and you talk about his facial expressions in the second quarter? C'mon man, you're just being excessive.

Lastly, I think Phil knows how to craft and how to inject a philosophy to win championships. So, please excuse me if I don't believe that Doc Rivers has the key to what it takes for us to get over the hump. Now, that doesn't mean we're at a Championship level yet, but it does mean that if Phil is cool with where we are, then I'm cool.

I think it's about time to invest in an Andrew Bynum #17 Mitchell & Ness jersey. My only hang up is which color. I have the white Kobe #8, decided not to get the #24 yet...I'm waiting for a championship for that one.

I think I'm leaning towards the home gold Bynum #17.

Isn't it nice to be able to get another Laker jersey now besides Kobe? I sure as heck wasn't going to be sporting no Lamar or Kwame jersey. I'd be a laughingstock if I paid money for the Kwame#??. What is Kwame's # anyway's?

The first Piston game may not have been an accurate indicator but it looked like starting LO at the 3 forced them into putting Prince on him, leaving Kobe to be guarded by Hamilton. That made a difference. That lineup looks like it's been abandoned in favor of him rebounding.

Has LO and his 13 million been reduced to the role of rebounder? Will it be enough against the NEXT level? He's had a couple of good midrange nights, why is he always at the top of the key where he's no threat whatsoever? In the big games, as LO goes, so goes the Lakers.

Villanueva looked very good last night.

Am I the first to post?

Anyway, good game today although I feel the Lakers could have ended the game at the end of the third quarter. I'm starting to feel a little cautious when PJ fills the floor with his bench. We have no rhythm during these stretches and are often caught deep into the shot clock.

I hope Javaris is not bummed by today's performance. I know he is trying really hard to contribute and I can only implore him to be patient. I appreciate his game and look forward to seeing him play often. I think PJ should try him as the point guard more than a shooting guard. He just looks uncomfortable at that position.

Posted by: never | January 12, 2008 at 12:27 AM

I know basketball!

I know when you play like Phoenix, running up and down, that's "fun" basketball. It doesn't take a lot of energy...just sprints. It doesn't take a lot of thought.

The type of structured basketball that the Celtics, Spurs, and Pistons play, that takes a lot of mental energy. It is draining!

My message to James Worthy and Norm Nixon is this: Go and get a tape and watch the games between the Celtics and the Pistons. And then watch the Spurs and the Pistons.

Watch how the Spurs rotate. The Lakers are nothing close to that right now. Watch how the Celtics and the Pistons play structured ball against each other. And that's for 4 quarters. That's not like the Bucks who did it for the first half.

Now you watch those teams play each other and you tell me that Andrew Bynum has the wind and the mental energy, and we're not even talking about the strength, for that and I'll call you a liar!

Heck, it's not even Bynum I'm concerned about to tell you the truth. It's the Lakers whole philosophy of ball. The Lakers are barely getting to the point where they are playing structured ball. The Spurs and Pistons have a minimum of 4 years of playing structured ball together. The Spurs are flawless in their rotations.

The Pistons are a serioiusly experienced team. And the Celtics have a player weighing 280 in the middle and you're going to tell me that Andrew Bynum has the wind, mental energy, and strength to play intense basketball at that level in a 7 game series?

To James Worthy and Norm Nixon. Take a tape out of the Bucks game and watch Andrew's face and body language in the first half. He was tired to the point he was making faces.

But before you get to the point of seeing that, look at the reasons why. Look at the Bucks defense and offense, how they played Andrew. That's a poor man's version of what the Celtics, Spurs, and the Pistons do. I was watching that because my perdiction is that Andrew is going to lose his wind.

I was watching the structured game the Bucks were playing just so to see if they would contain Bynum. I was watching it because of my theory. And I swear to you...I caught a glimpse of Bynum's body language and facial experssion at about the 5 minute mark of the 2nd quarter and said to myself...it can't be! Not that I don't expect it but that it's come this soon?

Now do you math! If Bynum is getting bodied up by the likes of the Bucks what's going to happen when he meets the experts?

My advice to both James Worthy and Norm Nixon is to ease up on your selling points because if what I saw is true...this is going to lead to nothing but a serious letdown.

Heck, my message to Kobe Bryant is this: Watch a tape of the game against the Bucks and tell me it's not true. Better yet, Kobe, get some tapes of the Celtics, Spurs, and the Pistons playing each other. And then watch some tapes of your own team. Watch the rotations of this game against the Bucks. And watch the rotations of the Spurs and the Pistons from a few days ago.

I'll tell you this right now. You are light years behind them when it comes to playng structured basketball. If you're thinking about a championship this year, Kobe...you better get your guys on the same page. As a team, break out a tape of the Pistons and Spurs from the other day. Watch how the Pistons are beating them pretty good but watch how the Spurs never, NEVER! give up on their rotations. That is discipline!

Then as a team watch the games between the Celtics and the Pistons. There is no running back and forth. That is structured basketball against structured basketball.

If you really want to get into it...get tape of the championship series when the Spurs beat the Pistons in 7 games. That was a whole series of structured basketball vs. structured basketball and it wasn't decided until very late in the 4th quarter of game 7.

That is sophisticated basketball! You people better work on your rotations because that's what it's going to come down to if you think you're going to win a championship this year.

mike----

Mike, for some time I have been reading your pro-Kwame/anti-Bynum posts. At first they were interesting, but now they seem more repetitive and with all due respect sort of stale. They make you look like a president who has a Congress in overwhelming control of the opposite party---irrelevant.

4 years of structured ball? When Pistons beat us in 2004, they did not have all that experience under thier belt...in fact, they had a forward (Rasheed) that had only been playing with the team for three months....It wasn't structured ball that beat us, it was youth, speed, and athleticism.

The Spurs? How do you explain them losing to Dallas in 2006...all those teams you mentioned with the expection of the celtics, they all have something working against them...Their age and other thing called the use of their starters, It was evident last year when Flip worked his starting unit into the ground, and the year before that.

These teams are getting old, its not about structured ball, is about making the other team play your game by controlling the way they play theirs.

And whats with this whole body language thing? With all due respect, you read too many sports articles of writers who believe they are psychologists of some kind. I will now return to my world were I usually ignore you, because what would this board be without the lone voice of opposition...at least I don't have to read the garbage that comes from gunner 24 and kobeleast...thank God they're not around.

Continue to do what you do, it seems to be your hobby...don't let my two cents hinder that.

Hey everyone,

What an awsome game. It's good to see us win the ugly one. We would have dropped that one last year. This year, I hope that we get ALL games that are close at the end.

I noticed that some people question why the coach has the bench cleared and lets them figure out how to control the game. One reason and I will give you an example: Can you say the SUNS.

They have three starters out right now and they are not even competitive. They only scored around 60 points the other night with no NASH, MARION or HILL. They looked out of sinc and outright horrible. Like they have NEVER played together.

That's why Phil lets them struggle and work it out. Because of that, the Critter and Cobe 2 will be ready for action and CONFIDENT in their play without thinking "ok...if I miss, will I be benched?"

I have to admit, I am as nervous as anyone watching a good lead wasted, but the playing time and experience is key for our benches mojo.

YO MAMBA! I AM ON THE 55 WIN WAGON, RIGHT?? We are looking better and better.

LET'S GO LAKES!!

janaya

The only reason Andrew hasn't had a 20/20 game is that when he is doing well, the result is usually a blow out and the reserves get more playing time. Last night, the game was close, so they still need him on the floor, and he gets a 25/17 game. One factor in his improvement - he now gets a few calls in his favor which he never got before. Anyone notice that when Bogut shoved him in the back a foul was called - a call that he wasn't getting in the past.

Roger

Mike T. needs love and he is not getting any break, it shows from his structured posts. His structured observations is a full admission that Kwame has been left behind by the surging Bynum, now he is against any establishment praising Socks. He is now Rambo hiding from reality and waiting to be rescued from the thick foliage of those contrarian thoughts. lol!

For the Lakers, whether it is structured or no structure, whether Kobe ois well or sick, whether some players are performing well or not, as long as they win, that's OK. Before the season, nobody expected to win.

Just win, Baby! So Mike T. are you getting out of that jungle and join us cheering this team all the way to Western Conference domination or stay contrarian and just keep on praising Celtics and Pistons?

Regarding Mike T's "structured ball" observations. Yes, those top teams play structured ball (as the Shaq-Kobe teams did too). And in a 2-3 years, this Laker team may be there too. But if an INEXPERIENCED, young team (like this year's Lakers) tries to place that way against an experienced team, it's going to lose. Period.

The only way we're going to beat those teams (and by the way, Mike, in case your TIVO was broken then, we already have beaten all of them, except for the Celtics) is with the STRENGTHS we have this year: athleticism, team movement, crisp passing, Kobe sharing, and Baby flying. One thing about structured teams, they get tired when they have to run more than they're used to. And when they get tired, their structure breaks down. Their defenses get cracks in them and they also start bricking their shots.

And the combination that can do that is: Kobe, Farmar, Bynum, Ariza, Odom. That's the longest, fastest, quickest hands, highest flying, bucket crashing team in the NBA. And put me down as saying this team can and WILL beat the Celtics in the Finals.

It's hilarious how "people" are searching for things to complain about Bynum about. When Kwame went down the story was that Bynum couldn't handle starting and we'd see the results of this over the next 10-15 games, and said "basketball genius" would report on this . Instead Bynum has gotten stronger as the season has gone on and we're 16-4 in our last 20 games.

And we still have yet to see this not highly anticipated "report."

Then the story that Bynum didn't score out of offensive sets, but on lobs and put backs. And we're all "eagerly" anticipating his report on how teams would adjust to this and Bynum would be rendered obsolete. Instead, Bynum's stats are steadily rising and he's scoring out of the post.

And we still have yet to see this not highly anticipated "report."

Now the story is Bynum is doing great! But he looked tired while he was out there scoring 25 points, grabbing 17 rebounds and blocking three shots in 37 minutes! Now we're being warned that Bynum will wear down and we'll be in trouble if/when we play San Antonio, Dallas or Detroit. As if losing to one of the 3 best and most experienced teams is something to be ashamed of when you're the 3rd youngest team in the league. If we're in that position in May or June, I'd say we've had a successful season. And we'll be much better for it in the 08-09 season.

And I'm just hoping we don't see a report.

Van Gundy said last night that there is no way Bynum comes off the bench now! He says only an injury would make that happen! I've been saying this for weeks.

15 out of 18 with Bynum as the starting center.

If Bynum continues to improve, we just might get out of the West.

Suddenly, Javaris Crittenton became so tentative. He is not operating the way he was doing in the first few games or when he was in the Summer Pro League. He is losing his confidence, avoiding to make mistakes and in so doing he gets turnovers. Well, PJ recognized and benched the whole game. I think he's getting a lot of instructions from everyone on how to perform best and thereby loses his own creativity but pattern himself to those instructions. That's dangerous learning curve for a rookie searching for your identity, we need his skills, court creativity as well adjusting with the flow.

Another possibility, he used to be a PG who distributes the ball and determines what offense to undertake, now he is #2 a shooting guard but opting to pass first, than create an opening, that has been his modus operandi in many games looking for Farmar or Ariza and when they are sealed, then he decides to move but it's already too late. This kid needs a little baby sitting from Kobe and Fisher by mixing them in the line up when he is playing, to remove his rookie jitters.

Why is Milwaukee not better than they are?
Redd, Williams, Villanueva and Yi are as good as most NBA teams have.

Bogut is serviceable, especially in the East. They match up with the Lakers well, and we all know the Lakers are the class of the league. Could it be they're better than their record?

I'd love to steal Villanueva for an expiring Kwame contract and pieces but it doesn't look like any GM wants Kwame and pieces. His offensive outburst last night could be part of the reason.

The next five games will another test for the Lakers if they can seize control of the Western Conference. Tomorrow, it will be the Grizz' here at home but it will be a back-to-back game against an old nemesis, Sonics. In the past, they have a hard time winning in Seattle but that was the time when Lewis and Allen were still there. By Thursday of next week, they meet the premier teams namely: Suns, Nuggets and Spurs, by this time, these team will be on target of the scouting report of the full bloom Bynum. All strategies will be geared toward stopping Bynum at the post, I hope LO, Fish and Kobe as well as the bench mob, will explode exponentially to counteract the rugged defense. Anyway, they need these kinds of tests to see if they are real or still one man lacking.

Go away Mike T.!!!

Hey guys......I can watch this vid over and over and it just gets me pumped up to whoop on the "Phoenix Nones"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYJGXpOV9DA&feature=related

For those that question why we have Brown. Watch the take down that he does with the intimidation stand over after his man is on the ground.

Also, check out Lamar defending Walton. It's easy to see why we hate eachother.

janaya

I think some bloggers are correct in suggesting that this team is still not an elite team. I agree 100% with that.

But what I don't agree with is the assertion that the road to true contention somehow goes thru Kwame and not Bynum.

Hey mike, we've been saying for 2 years that the reason we can’t win is the center position and you've fought that contention tooth and nail, always at the ready to heroically defend lady Kame’s righteous name.

So now, now that the position has been fixed by exchanging Kwame for Bynum, you see it as deficient? A bit late, no?

I just wish Kwame would defend the basket as well as you defend him.

Heck, I bet you haven't been that protective of another man since that time they shanked Rico in cell block D.

Badaboom!

Someone needs to not wear his beefcake-tinted glasses while indoors. Very dangerous.

Love always,

Wes

I noticed in a Drew interview how he spiffs up his language with 'super'. Keep doing it, Drew! You're Super!

Superman Returns!

Phil calls the plays from the sidelines. Because the Bucks had average defenders that Kobe could every easily go 1-on-1 against to start the game, he called isolation plays for Kobe to start the game, to hopefully get them out of the gate quickly. It backfired in that everone became a spectator.

for once, i agree with mike t

in the sense that bynum will break down a little this year. Teams will make more adjustments towards him, and he wont have the kind of success he has been used to.

on another note. if we can get to the conference finals, that would be a major step for this team. we need a year deep in the playoffs, so the team as a whole can gain experiece in the playoffs, cause its a different beast. next year is our best chance to win a title. kobe will still be kobe, and the team would have a lot of experience playing together. drew will be even better, as will everyone else. oh, plus boston/san antonio/phoenix/detroit will be older

One more thought...

I think the second unit misses it's shooters. Until Vlad and Sasha can return I would start Ariza and give Luke to the bench.

Wes

CornerJ,
WOW.....I'm on the bandwagon as much as anyone, but am not yet ready to say we'd beat the Celts in the finals. It would be one great series though.

Hope your right.

Xodus,
I forgot about the "Report". LMAO.

I hope it does get posted. Should be good for at least 2 days of serious humor.

>>>>>If this guy is struggling to keep his wind against the Bucks who play a poor mans version of structured ball....what's going to happen when we meet the elite of structured ball?

Posted by: Michael Teniente | January 11, 2008 at 11:11 PM

Basically what Mike T is saying is that we are doomed.

Because Bynum, who is really good, gets tired playing the Bucks, who are structured but suck. So it will be much worse agains better teams like Spurs, Cs or Pistons.

On the other hand, the option we have, Kwame Brown, is even worse.
Because if he can be so awful against the poor's men version of structured ball, imagine what will happen againd elite teams. 8 TOs? -42?

So, none of our centers give us a shot of winning.
Maybe Mihm could be the answer, but he is injured.

That said, here goes a little suggestion to Mike T.
Since you already know, in all your superior wisdom, that this team will go downhill, it would be much clever if you call it for this season.

Wait till next year and we will see what we can accomplish then.
Let us, stupid fans that can't see the obvious, to get illuded and still believe that we can make a run in the playoffs.

Don't be harsh on us. We, inferior minds, need that confort to get through the days.

TO: MIKE T,
We, the Lakers fans don't want to see your face in the Lakers Championship Parade in downtown L.A. this year. Stay home with your negativity (you sound like the guy who was kicked out on this blog, the one who hates KOBE so much. remember him?) Please bring your favorite laker player Kwame, with you when you leave town after this season.

Mike T,

Before you go on and on and on about your "knowledge of basketball," please let me advise you. You are putting yourself in a group of people who believes that they "know basketball." That group is actually composed of 90% of people who lives, breathes, plays, watches, and analyzes basketball.

Your comment is utterly fruitless because your mindset is that "you are right and everyone is wrong." Let me tell you my friend, you are completely wrong. Your comment is your own opinion and it does not make it right. Did the Cavaliers make it to the Finals playing "structured" basketball last year? No. Basketball is basketball. Please do not tell me that the Spurs, Pistons, and Celtics were only practicing when they are playing inferior teams...the Celtics were stuggling against the Sonics in that game; they were not practicing (I was analyzing that game as well). Do not tell me that the Celtics were practicing against an inferior Bobcats team…BTW, who lost that game?

Believe me when I tell you this...the Lakers are playing structured basketball...it's called their "style of basketball." Both "style" and "structure" goes hand in hand…please read up on the “The Triangle Offense.” Here is the differential in team and opponents point total:

Celtics: 12.1 (O: 99.3 D: 87.2)
Pistons: 9.6 (O: 99.0 D: 89.4)
Lakers: 6.7 (O: 107.6 D: 100.9)
Spurs: 5.6 (O: 98.0 D: 92.4)

The Lakers current defense is on key with their last 4 Finals appearance. Do not let that opponent’s defensive stat fool you; the Lakers have been giving their bench players heavy minutes during garbage time. The Celtics are relying heavily on their Big 3; Garnett, Pierce, and Allen are still playing with 1 min left in a blowout game. The Spurs and Piston are relying heavily on their defense to win games. Where are the “structure” in the offense of the Celtics, Pistons, and Spurs? The key difference is that the Lakers have a bench and these 3 other team doesn’t. Do not tell me that the Spurs have a bench because their bench points come primarily from this guy name Manu. Did you see what happened to the Celtics when Ray Allen went down? Did you see what happened to the Spurs when Duncan and Parker when down? Did you see...wait a minute, the Pistons have no "structure" when it comes to offense.

The Lakers are right where they need to be. They are still progressing as a team and “if continued,” their style of basketball on offense and defense will be much stronger come June. The Lakers will be consider a powerhouse come June.

Out!!!!

Joe

Xodus,
I'm afraid that the "Report" may be delayed for some time. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find data to support putting Kwame back in the starting lineup. Research like that can take years.....decades even.

Didn't Jordan do the same thing Crit's doing this year? I think it's pretty typical of rookies to try to hard. The smart ones figure it out.

Bret.. That was so Gay.

Mike T,

How come you don't do your post-game reports? I looked forward to reading them the next day.

Hello everyone.
I have been reading this blog for a long time now but have never posted. I havent missed a single game for years now and feel that I have delved even deeper into my Lakers addiction with the teams recent improvement. I few observations as of late:

1. Bynums improvement is unbelievable. I remember rooting for him while at the same time realizing that he wasnt quite there yet. This year we have seen him dominate the center position in almost every recent game. Outplaying even good centers. I feel he is an all star caliber center right now.
2. The blog has been harping about the lakers need for a #2 scorer for a while. Complaining that Odom is not it because he isnt aggressive or consistent enough. Bynum is now our legitimate #2 and that allows Odom to play a more natural style of ball for him as a #3 scorer. As Odom finds his rythm this team will look better and better.
3. In years past we have seen Kobe dominate the ball both out of necesity, ego, and distrust of teamates. I loved watching him go for big games realizing that we usually needed him to do so in order to win. I also cringed when he would get in a dominating the ball mood because he would sometimes shoot poorly but mostly because it would clearly take the team out of rythm. I didnt necessarily blame him because his teamates would repeatedly miss opportunities when Kobe set them up.
It scared me it yesterdays game when Kobe began to take it over, the team was out of sync. Granted he took the game over because his teammates were sluggish, but in the past he would do this for too long. Yesterday he relinquished control and let the team finally find their rythm. That was good to see and I think demonstrates his recent maturity.

I haven't been this optomistic about the Lakers since the Shaq years. It's a great time to be a lakers fan. We should all just soak it in and enjoy it while it lasts.

I am a man of knowledge! And I can tell you this right now. There are 4 things in life that make for positive experience.

1. Knowledge
2. Understanding
3. Life
4. Wisdom

I said the other day that Andrew Bynum was like one of those life size cut outs of Shaq. Those cut outs have a device holding it up to make it look as if Shaq is there in real life.

That's Andrew Bynum right now! Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the device that is holding him up. And this is how it goes.

1. Knowledge = Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
2. Understanding = Andrew Bynum is listening
3. Life = Andrew Bynum is applying what he is listening to.
4. Wisdom = Experience

Now I remember when I was a young guy. I really didn't have a formal education. I thought I knew how to read and write but I didn't really care because I wanted to be a gangster.

Then something strange happened to me. Through a series of events I started reading the Bible. The book, from the beginning, was pretty easy for me to understand. And I was accumulating knowledge at a rapid pace. Then I came across this one passage that stuck with me and I remember it to this day. That's why I can bring it up now. It goes like this:

First: "And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:

And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth..."

Second: "And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.

And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.

And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings."

Now my experience is this: When I was receiving my spiritual instruction it was sweet as you can't imagine. I was, daily, tearing the Proverbs apart and trying to experience the truth of those saying. I can tell you from experience that my perspective was changing from day to day and it was exciting. A whole new world was opening up to me, in theory, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth.

But then the realities of life started crashing down on me and I had to fight to hold onto the words of truth that I was experiencing. Life was trying to make those words a big fat lie. At that point it became "bitter in my belly."

The reason why is this: When you receive knowledge or are just taught the basic principles of life, you have to testify to the whole world and the world is going to call you a liar by their actions towards you. It's the nature of the beast! That's just the way life is. Kind of like: Are you sure that what you're believing is the truth? The world doesn't operate that way! But you have to hold on to the teaching because you know they're true.

This is Andrew Bynum. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the mighty Angel with the little book in his hands. The heavens have commanded Andrew to take the book out of Kareem's hands and to eat it.

Andrew is eating it and the taste is very sweet to him mouth. He's applying what he's learning from Kareem immediately and it's tasting very pleasant.

But life hasn't kicked in, yet. Andrew still has to "prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings."

Right now Andrew is taking Kareem's teachings and is prophesying to the Laker fans and media and it's sweet! But soon, very soon, Andrew is going to have to take that knowledge he's getting from Kareem and he's going to have to prophesy before many people, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

The many people are the different arenas in the league, the fans. The nations are different basketball teams of the league. The tongues are the different offenses and defenses that Andrew is going to see from the nations. And the kings are the elite of the league. The Spurs, Celtics, and the Pistons.

What that means is this: The kings, who are in authority of the nations, are going to say to Andrew: We don't understand the language that you're speaking. And since we are the kings of the nations, we demand that you show us and not tell us that you belong in our company.

The demand of basketball life has yet to come crashing down on Andrew Bynum and Kareem's teachings. When NBA life comes crashing down on Andrew, Kareem isn't going to be able to prop him up anymore. Andrew is going to be challenged to hold fast what he's learned from Kareem. And at that point it will become bitter in his stomach.

What that means is this: When the going gets tough, will Andrew keep Kareem's teachings or will he start to do things that are contradictory to what Kareem is teaching? If Andrew did that, that would make Andrew a false prophet. And the kings of the NBA will punish him for it and say: Son...go home! You're no prophet and you are in way over your head.

On the other hand, if Andrew holds fast to the Kareem teachings and endures the test of the people's screams, the nations philosophies, and the king's executions...then the forth aspect of life will kick in. Wisdom!

This is my prophesy of things will play out. It's based on Knowedge, Understanding, Life, and Wisdom (experience).

Now, have I not testified to you all that I am, indeed, a pretty good writer? And, do I not belong in your company?

LOL!

Oh the theatrics!

mike

mel,

I'm busy writing some political thoughts. And I don't really like the Lakers philosophy right now. But if you enjoy my reports, I'll get back to it soon.

mike

dacsila,

What I do is called Analytical Writing. This is the nature of it:

"Analytical Writing Instruction

http://www.education.ky.gov/KDE/Instructional+Resources/High+School/English+Language+Arts/Writing/Analytical+Writing.htm

"Analytical writing is an especially important kind of writing to include in our K – 12 schools because it is often called for in post-secondary education, the workplace, service to the community and country, as well as in students' personal lives. The mental skills involved in analytical writing help students develop as critical thinkers and as learners. The communication skills developed through analytical writing help students solve problems, extend our understanding of subjects, and make changes that can benefit our society."

The intention of my writing is to benefit the whole of our Lakers society. I'm talking about Philosophical changes in how the Lakers play basketball.

As for the parade in June. LOL! I never go to those things anyway. I might watch it on tv, but to go in person. No Way!

Once the season is over, championship or not, I'm done the moment we're done.

I always wondered why I give so much attention to sports when in the end, right after a Championship season, it disappears into the air as if...well...all that emotional energy for this?

I get nothing out it! It's just something I grew up with and I can't seem to let it go for more important things.

The only thing that really has me going right now is my ability to involve myself through the blog because until I came across the blog...I was on the verge of cutting sports out of my life because of the vanity of it all.

And I anticipate the day is coming when I will cut sports out of my life and write about different things. To tell you the truth...I feel like I'm cheating myself out of life spending so much time blogging about things that have no bearing on me whatsoever. It's like I'm sinning or something. Just wasting my precious time.

mike

Lakers Outsider,

Couldn't agree with you more. The best thing about Bynum's development is how it allows the rest of the team to fill in behind him. Remember how Fisher wasn't good enough to be our #3 scorer behind Shaq and Kobe? Now we have a legit #3 scorer in Lamar, which allows Fisher to be a legit #4 scorer, and Luke/Ariza legit #5 scorers. No one has unreasonable expectations placed on them, and everyone can thrive. A guy can have an off game and others will pick up the slack.

I would LOVE to see VladRad get healthy and provide that offensive punch off the bench that he was providing earlier in the season - if he showed up to play in that game last night in his early-season form, our second unit would have blown the score wide open.

As for Mike T, the more you poke him, the more important he thinks he is. Please, let's not give him that satisfaction. He's a crazy, narcissistic, small-minded fool. Let's just leave it at that.

mike t quit.

Mike T., please get on to those other things. Write about something else, somewhere else, so the rest of us can be spared your long winded self aggrandizement. Your diatribe never allows discussion, because you're constantly supporting only what you've decided is right.

Part of debate in a forum such as this means accepting the points of others within the framework of the argument. I've never seen you do that. You repeatedly attempt to hammer your idea into everyone else's head until we all lash out and the you proceed to talk down to us as though we're some sort of plebeian mass to whom you owe no respect.

This is the last time I'm going to throw anything out there regarding you or anything you've go to say. You're not a great writer either. Where have you been published? On this blog? If you're such a great writer, why aren't you employed as such? Your self-proclaimed "analytical writing" only reflects opinion. Analysis has to do with fact. You neither accept fact at any juncture in your writing, nor do you discuss it. You only attempt to portray your personal feelings as facts by repeating them to us over and over. When the general public continues to show you evidence to the contrary of your arguments, you still dismiss it. I'm sorry for AK/BK having to endure your continued "analysis' on a day in day out basis.

Please Mike, nobody wants to hear it here anymore. Your points are no more valid than anyone else's.

PhxLkrFan

The fact that the Lakers can beat a Bucks team that always seems to play well against them even though they (the Lakers) didn't play at a high level bodes well for the team. The other night in NO, Kobe didn't need to score as the rest of the team got off. Tonight, his offense was needed and he delivered for his team. Baby was off the chain. Again. You got to love Jeff VG's comments regarding Kwame and Bynum. Ideally, I would love to see Plan B (as ESPN referred to Bynum) play about 32 mins. a game with "Kalfee" Brown filling in the other sixteen. If Kwame is going to be a productive member of the rotation, he has got to carve out a niche for himself and be more than Drew's caddy or a human victory cigar. But, this business about Drew's stamina LAST NIGHT just seems like a certain blogger howling at the moon. We all agree that monitoring Drew's minutes over the course of the season
can only benefit him and the team in the long run. Again, that certain blogger claimed that Drew "crashed and burned" during the second half of the season last year. Well, so did the rest of the team, mostly due to injury. The fact is that Plan B is better conditioned this year, as well as being stronger and a year older. At 20, he's just growing to his manhood. Certainly, the best is yet to come for him.

I love this Laker team. I love watching them grow and compete. Sure, they stub their toes once in a while, but my feeling is that they can compete with any team in the league. They have to continue to take one game at a time...and continue to improve on both ends of the floor, especially defensively. GO LAKERS!!!!

Edwin Gueco,

I don't think it's anything as complex as that. Crittenton is a rookie. That means
he's used to being one of the best 2 or 3 players on the floor in every game
he's played to this point. Now suddenly, EVERY player on the floor is as
good as him or better. It takes all rookies some time to adjust to.

Suddenly that soft pass he made in high school that was easy for his teammates
to catch for a layup on the break is too obvious and slow and gets picked off.

Suddenly his first offensive move (in the case of Critter, slash to the hoop)
usually isn't good enough to get him a good look, and sometimes his second
and third moves aren't any better.

Suddenly the opponent is doing a little pump fake juke and drawing him into
a foul, like he used to do to opponents in college. Or his opponent is so fast
that he just blows by Javaris on his way to the hoop.

Suddenly there's usually a hand in his face whenever he tries to take an
outside shot, unlike in the summer league.

And most importantly, the crowd and the coach and Kobe all want to win,
so they're hoping the second team will hold their ground or even extend
the lead.

So there's pressure. More pressure than he's ever seen before at any
level. And this is only regular season games!

In games like the Philly game, the Lakers were so far ahead, that the pressure
was off (and Philly's defense is pretty poor as well), so he not only played more
relaxed, but he led the team in scoring.

But when he's in tighter games, where the game is still on the line, he tightens
up. Now the basket looks the size of a coffee mug, and it seems like he's watching
everybody else play with the fast forward on his tivo, but he's at normal speed.
Turnovers happen. Bricked shots happen. Getting schooled happens.

If he keeps working hard and doesn't get too discouraged, eventually he'll feel like
he's playing at the same speed as everyone else. And then he won't look confused
on offense (should I shoot? should I pass?) When he has the open shot, he'll take it
and make it. When there's a tight passing lane, he'll make the bounce pass or a lob
so the defender can't pick it off. When he's driving to the hoop, he'll slide to the right
or left to avoid the defender trying to take the charge.

But until then, I think he should only be in for substantial minutes if the Lakers have
a big lead and then only with a couple of the better vets on the floor with him, so that
there's minimal pressure on him to be a main scorer.

mel,

>>>Didn't Jordan do the same thing Crit's doing this year?

Yep, he definitely did. Jordan had times when he looked really good and times when he looked
like a rookie out there. Javaris is going through the same growing pains. Let's just hope he works
as hard this summer as Jordan worked last summer.

A person has got to have some serious issues when he thinks he knows more than PAID color analysts for the LAL such as Norm Nixon and James Worthy who also happen to be multiple time NBA champions. Not to mention that he thinks that he knows more about basketball than a 9 time NBA champion coach. I mean, everyone is entitled to his or her opinion but come on....get real!!

MIKE T,
You were right when you said "you're just wasting your time" We don't need you here, we're just simple minded sports fan that don't use high sounding, higly technical words that does'nt have a meaning at all the way you post your blog. Mind you, I maybe using simple and easy to understand words in blogging here, but I may have a higher education attainment than yours. Needless to say I have an MBA (Masters in Business Administration) degree but I don't use high sounding words the way you blog, that looks like being just a "SHOW OFF' without any substance at all.

Mike T.......You have made alot of really good points since i started reading and posting on this blog but that last post involving the bible is a little wierd........By any chance have you heard of a guy by the name of DR PHILL.......
....Let him finish with Britney then give him a call

"Analytical writing is an especially important kind of writing to include in our K – 12 schools because it is often called for in post-secondary education, the workplace, service to the community and country, as well as in students' personal lives."

The problem with analytical writing on a place like this the amount of uneducated thoughts that cry out when a structured thought is presented to them. In other words the people here are like your basic pesants. The "commons" if you will.

That's why they buy tickets to games and go to parades and stuff like that. I've never done any of that. And I never will. Come on! Buying a jersey of your favorite player? LOL! Are you kidding me? Can you imagine that? Walking around in a Jersey being over 20 years old?

Nay!...I'm actually thinking of getting into classical writing. A Lakers jersey? I just don't see anything in that. I really don't quite understand that thought for an adult. How do you present yourself to your wife? Look at me honey! What does your wife think of that?

LOL!

mike

I'd like to give Luke Walton some props for his defense in the past few games. In the game AT Milwawkee, Bobby Simmons was a big part of their 4th Q. comeback. Luke definitely kept him in check this time, as Simmons only finished with 2 points. Pretty poor production for a starter at the #3 spot. Luke and Trevor also combined to limit Peja in the NO game. Sorry, Faith....but I've got to give Luke a little love for his efforts. LOL!!!

"for in post-secondary education, the workplace, service to the community and country"

You see what this part means is this:

Post-secondary education: People working on their masters and PHDs and stuff like that.

Service to the community and country: The writing is intended to present evaluations to people who are in charge, usually people with post-seconday educations. That would be Mitch Kupchak and Phil Jackson. The experts.

Usually when you talk to the commons with an analytical perspective they have no idea what the heck is being said.

That's 90 percent of you guys.

mike

Mike T
There is a reason that Christ preached about forgiveness and warned against judgment.

Any and all religions or philosophies about "God" are firmly founded upon collective tenets. The first tenet in most if not all monotheistic faiths is that God cannot be understood. He cannot be named, he cannot be defined. For a definition in any human language seeks to confine him. Therefore any conclusions you may have made about the nature of God are wholly susceptible to fallacy. This is where faith is involved. A person who is honest in their spirituality will examine their beliefs and necessarily come to the conclusion that he cannot understand God. Humility is needed. Humility is necessary to even respect God. Therefore Christ preaches (like many others throughout human history including other religious faiths as well as more contemporary examples MLK, Ghandi etc.) to refrain from judgment and holding steadfast beliefs, to forgive endlessly. These teachings appear true because they allow for the overwhelming possibilities of God and understand that his omnipotence must exceed any human understanding. Therefore religious conclusions that suppose to "Know" what pleases God or what is "right" etc etc are all basing their following tenets in direct opposition to their first core tenet--That God cannot be confined in language nor understood.

Mike I am not challenging your faith or questioning your spirituality, nor the merits of said journey, but take those lessons and apply them to your relationships. You cannot be so steadfast in your beliefs and cynical to any opposing views. This self-righteousness is limiting you. You are a talented writer, and you do know much about bball. Stop shouting others down and holding fast to conclusions/players for the sake of being right. Open your eyes and ears and let your mind be free to new ideas, new possibilities.

Peace brother.
Don't stop writing--you bring flavor to the blog.
jandro

REPOST

Note I always read the blogs daily but don't always post even when I really want to. Today is one of those days because of the comments made. Regarding Kobe, Drew and Kwame. We will need Kwame at least ths year to compeat in the playoffs and he really had a bad game today. So he has time to improve before playoffs and for our sake lets hope he does.

As for Kobe shooting too much was not bad. Teams tend to prepare for each other by watching for tendencies by opposing teams. Lakers have consistantly opened games by Kobe starting out sharing and getting others involved. The Bucks probably saw that and figured to send 1 player Ivy on Kobe and cover the rest as Kobe has had some off shooting nights. So to be effective you take what the other team gives you. So if Kobe takes advantage of single coverage (16 1st qtr points is effective) Kobe scores and is effective . Forces other team to adjust double teaming Kobe and opens up shots for rest of team. Makes it hard for teams to prepare for us or as I think Malone or Payton said pick your poison.

Still think we need pf like JO because Bostons success was that they crowded the paint with their bigs so Drew could not get loose as they played him with one big in back and one big fronting him. JO would have helped by stepping out for the 15-20 foot jumper and force Garnet to be honest and go out and play D.

Next no competition Drew is way better than Kwame so please end the debate. And as for Drew sucking wind, what ignorance. I did not see it and I watched the game. But Mike T to give you benefit of doubt or to just argue, Drew played his a$$ off and if he was fatigued you don't know if it was due to conditioning (I doubt that) or youth 20 yrs old should not be not tired. Maybe he had a bad nights sleep, people have those or was catching Kobes viral infection or whatever. But a one game does not make a trend.

JC also had a bad game but the lesson was hopefully learned by him as he played the team won and he got experience. so good deal overall. Also have patience as he is a point guard and is getting PT at SG. So he is learning a new mind set. Looks like he is being played out of necessity with Sasha hurt or the team is grooming him as a combo guard.

Lakers keep winning and improving!

I loved how Kobe patted JC when he came out of the game as to say its ok.

Mike T said...

"Through a series of events I started reading the Bible..."

A book that teaches the virtues of SILENCE, HUMILITY and THE DANGER OF EXCESSIVE PRIDE - qualites of which you have NONE of.

Shut up, boy, and go have some Cake!

Mike T,

I always have liked to read what you have to say whether I agree or not.

Stay strong. It's not that serious, nobody cares what a blog poster thinks anyways.

You have to admit, Bynum is making Kwame look like a clown.

M T
""for in post-secondary education, the workplace, service to the community and country"
You see what this part means is this:
Post-secondary education: People working on their masters and PHDs and stuff like that.
Service to the community and country: The writing is intended to present evaluations to people who are in charge, usually people with post-seconday educations. That would be Mitch Kupchak and Phil Jackson. The experts.
Usually when you talk to the commons with an analytical perspective they have no idea what the heck is being said.
That's 90 percent of you guys."

LOL!! Secondary education is high school. Post-secondary education would be community college or a bachelor's degree program. NOT masters and PHDs.

"they have no idea what the heck is being said.
That's 90 percent of you guys."

Log, meet mote.

Mike,

You're starting to sound like that renowned writer Barton Fink. Keep up the good work.

Wes

Mike T,

When someone goes out-of-the-way to tell people that he is a "man of knowledge," that tells me he is only fooling himself.

Here's the difference between you and people who are intelligent:
When you have to tell people that you are intelligent, you really are not. (You: Mike T.)
Intelligent people do not need to tell others that they are intelligent. (Intelligent People)

Sorry my brother, you are not a "man of knowledge."
Unlike the Lakers, you are a "pretender!!!"

Out!!!

Joe

......Thirty2.......=.......Pesant........You wouldnt know the first thing about me and how far i have gone with my education.............But unlike your good self my ego is in check......I might get into classic gardening.......

Mike T is a pretender alright!!!
What a loser!! LOL...go away old man!

Go Lakers!!

Misty

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/index.html?src=mr

Postsecondary is college.

Post means "after"
Secondary means grade school through high school.

Post/Secondary means after "High School."

College means stuff like degrees. Degrees means AA, BA, Masters, and PHDs.

But why would I expect you to understand that? That was my whole point, wasn't it?

mike

"MBA (Masters in Business Administration) degree but I don't use high sounding words the way you blog"

Of course you don't because your field is numbers and pushing paper. A bureaucrat, I believe. That means no creativity. Usually that means BORING!

LOL!

mike

Mike T. Guess who doesn't care what you think? Mitch and Phil. No Lakers care what you think, and neither do we. Get over yourself.

M T,

"Secondary means grade school through high school."

AS usual, you are wrong. Secondary IS high school. Not grade school, not college.

Hey Mike T.,

Remember all of these things that you said over the summer? When did they happen? Are they still going to happen? I guess Lamar didn't get your message to spread the word to D.Fish. He ended up signing. Who else was on your list?

9. Say what you will BUT NOBODY AROUND THE LEAGUE WANT TO PLAY FOR PHIL JACKSON. Watch how many free agents that can make a difference we sign this year. NONE! They're not coming to Los Angeles. If Kobe Bryant isn't happy you think they're coming around? HELL NO! Are you so lost as to think that players around the league haven't heard the whispers about what it's like playing for Phil Jackson these days? Come on man. Mike Posted by: Michael Teniente | June 20, 2007 at 10:20 AM

8 . If people are going to put Kobe Bryant to the fire then you better put Phil Jackson right next to his ass, too. If Kobe is to blame Phil Jackson even more. Mike Posted by: Michael Teniente | June 20, 2007 at 10:31 AM

7. The idea that they're aren't whisper out there. Hell they're yelling it at the mountain tops...STARTING WITH KOBE BRYANT DEMANDING A TRADE! Get real. Mike Posted by: Michael Teniente | June 20, 2007 at 10:35 AM

6. Hell, all I need is for Lamar Odom to call his N.Y. friends to spread the word. Come to Los Angeles and Phil Jackson is going to chew you up through the white media. Not Lamar? Well, then Kobe can make a few calls. Not Kobe? Well, then Kwame...Andrew....Mo Evans. Word is going to spread because one way or the other Phil Jackson is out of here. Mike Posted by: Michael Teniente | June 20, 2007 at 11:15 AM

5. PhxLkrFan, I don't give a damn what you say. No free agents are going to sign with the Lakers. Not any that are any good. NOBODY WANTS TO PLAY FOR PHIL JACKSON. And if word isn't already out believe by the time thing is all over it will be.
Mike Posted by: Michael Teniente | June 20, 2007 at 10:33 AM

4. Lamar, do yourself a favor. Call Artest and Marbury and get them to spread the word. Los Angeles is no place to be playing as long as Phil Jackson is the coach. Tell them what the white media will do to them if they come to Los Angeles. Kobe, Lamar, Kwame, Bynum, Get on the damn phone and start spreading the word of what it's like to be playing for Phil Jackson and in front of the white media in Los Angeles. , Year after year the white media is always finding ways to trash you guys. This is your opportunity to strike back. Get on the phone and call all of your NBA friends and tell them what it's like to play for Phil Jackson and the white media inLos Angeles. Oh wait a minute. They already made those phone calls from the mid season point that's why the Lakers won't be able to sign any free agents this season. Kobe, Lamar, Kwame, Bynum, and Evans are saying: Damn mike t. you're on the late freight. That was done a long time ago LAMAR, KWAME, BYNUM, EVANS, If you guys had any type of dignity for your race, you'll get the hell out of here as soon as you can. We'll teach this MFer to F with us. Posted by: Michael Teniente | June 20, 2007 at 11:18 AM

3. The Knicks have more integrity than the Lakers do right now. You know why? Because Larry Brown did what Phil Jackson did this year and the Knicks owner fired his ass. Posted by: Michael Teniente | June 20, 2007 at 11:42 AM

(2) . MFers, you want to play hardball? Lets play hardball. By the time I'm done there will be no Superstars coming to Los Angeles. . I told you I was going to punk your asses Mike Posted by: Michael Teniente | June 20, 2007 at 10:41 AM

*****************************(****** AND NOW THE NUMBER ONE MIKE T. SAYING OF ALL TIME ******************************************************
(1) IM MIKE T. MFer! WHO ARE YOU? DO PEOPLE COME ON THIS BLOG TO READ ANDREW WHO? MIKE T. HAS AND ALWAYS
WILL BE HEARD. AND THATS SOMETHING YOU CANT SAY ABOUT YOURSELF Posted by: Michael Teniente | June 20, 2007 at 02:34 PM
***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************

If secondary is high school the Postsecondary is college.

Damn, how ignorant can you be?

This is what I said: "Post-secondary education: People working on their masters and PHDs and stuff like that."

You see that point that says "stuff like that?"

That means everything involved in college. Does a guy really have to explain that to you?

I swear you're one ignorant guy.

mike

Janurary,

What's your point? That people don't come to read me? I said all that all summer long and look at the posts. They still are addressing me.

As long as I continue to post people will respond because what I have to say makes people say things. What you have to say is usually about me.

So what's your point?

mike

Mike T, who are you to judge people? You are a nobody!! Live with it...deal with it...if you didn't hear me the first time...YOU ARE A NOBODY!!

What a loser, what a waste of time, what a dumb boy!!

Am I the only one that thinks Lamar Odom shoud get traded? He's not the scorer that everyone seems to think he is and he never has the guts to pull it off in chunch time.

Kwame Brown NEEDS to be LET go. The Last 2 games the lakers have suffered from his inability to finish strong Box OUT and position him self on defense correctly. Its really sad that his attitude really shows otherwise he is to lax and needs to show urgency. Its about time he can catch the ball and hold on to it. I hope with this playing time that he would be able to establish himself like he did in the first part of the season.