6-12th Men of the Year

Good Morning! I love this blog and I hope our team executes the offense and give us the poetry in motion for a thursday night!

Good morning, Blog Family! (Good morning, Charles!)

Ten in a row tonight!

The drive for 55 is alive and on it's way to 60!

It's Game Day, Lakers Nation! My week is dominated by schedule of the Lakers. I woke up this morning excited and ready to watch the boys go for number 10 in a row. It's been a loooooooooooong time since we've been able to shoot for that, huh? This is one of those "trap" games. I'm hoping that the Lakers come out and put the hammer down straight away. Let's build a 16-point halftime lead and never look back.

Go Lakers!

Hey, first to post. Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeet. I have tix to tonight's game and I can't wait! I was looking forward to yelling at Shaq and calling him a tub of over-paid lard, but I guess I'll have to watch the Matrix crumble in the 4th and D-Wade run into a defender or bump into a gaurd and get to the line 23 times tonight. Go Lakers, people should stop hating on Luke Walton, he's our modern day Kurt Rambis (minus the Clark Kent glasses, which I was happy to see on short shorts night) because he is so forgettable he can impact the game in ways unforseen. L.O. is looking better and better and Kobe may or may not win the MVP based solely on what position the lakers finish in. 1st in the West, 2nd over-all...I'd say it goes to Billups or Garnet. Noone ever mentions Chauncey and he is a stone-cold killer on the floor.

Forgot to say... Good morning, Charles.

Dang...someone beat me. Ah well. GO LAKERS!!!!!!!

PS: I love the Captain's blog, if the NBA had Oscar's Kareem would win the lifetime achievement award.

One last thing: Sasha Vujacic or Jordan Farmar should edge Ginobli (aka the Drunken Master) for 6th Man of Year. He's a starter. He'll start in the Playoffs. Popovich is a great coach, but a real whiner (at least in print, never had a chance to chat him up) when it comes to the rest of the league trying to beat his team. Hey gregg, even though your team ain't playing like it, you ARE the defending champs. For now...

Lifetime Laker Fan (since 1974)

Jamie

Does Larry Bird just love criminals or something? The Knicks and the Pacers are like a basketball version of MSNBC's "Lock Up."

Thank God Kwame "Cake-gate" and "Chickenhead-gate" Brown is gone.

We've got a team we can root for.

GO LAKERS!

Xodus,

I think you're 100% spot on regarding the Shaq trade. Almost all of us knew it was a recipe for disaster, but we also knew Phoenix had little chance of making the NBA finals. As it is now, they have even less of a chance. When they made the trade, they were the "top" team in the western conference standings, and as such, it would be somewhat conceivable that they could be a favorite to come out of the west.

They do have more of a low post presence, but you're correct again in pointing out the obvious (that almost all of the media never really mentioned), they lost their best defender. My guess is, Amare is loving this because he can put up gaudy stats. The only problem is, their team is worse off. If they were going to trade someone, they definitely traded the wrong guy. Then you get into Shaq's bigger than life.... contract. You wonder why I say Pat Riley is the executive of the year? Getting rid of that contract and getting an all-star in return was the most incredible feat I've seen from a GM since he unloaded Brian Grant on us. You can already see, Miami is a better team and they have a MUCH brighter future now, whereas, you're spot on... the Suns will be wishing for that 2010 pick because it will likely be a nice one.

exhelodrvr, you're right, the Suns needed to do something, but the problem is, they're now saddled with a $20 million contract for next season AND the season after! Meanwhile, their other stars aren't getting any younger, and they've perpetually given away their draft picks year after year. This Suns team will collapse worse than the Blazers ever did. Someone said it and I believe it for a different reason, but the Suns have just become the Phoenix Heat, now watch them implode. The question will be, does Amare want to stay there and put up big numbers, or will he want to go somewhere and win?

AK/BK,

No mention of Von Wafer's assassination of the Clippers last night? He played like 30 minutes!

What are the Lakers going to do with a force like Von Wafer dominating the hardwood?

GO LAKERS!

That was a great article about Fisher.

To put in a true leader as well as a very solid player like Fisher in while subtracting a malcontent like Smush, has just worked wonders. I think Fisher's affect on the team is comparable to adding Gasol. Not that he is anywhere as good as Gasol but he is just what we needed and it was at the right time. I like what Farmar said about Fisher being a leader. "...he doesn't push it and try to be a leader. He just is."

Ex,

I think we're going to have to agree disagree until the Suns' season ends and we see the manner in which it ends. Right now we're operating on two different wavelengths. You think the trade was reasonable, I think it was crazy for Phoenix.

I wonder if Patrick O'Bryant would be a good pickup for us in the offseason? He's still young and we've only got friggin KAREEM ABDUL JABBAR sitting here, looking for another "big" to train. The guy wants to play but I'd say he could only do 15-20 mins/game max anyway so he'd be perfect to backup Bynum. Just a thought:

O'Bryant looking forward to leaving Warriors
Thursday, Feb 28, 2008 12:16 pm EST

Second-year Golden State Warriors center Patrick O'Bryant would welcome a move. O'Bryant is all but certain to pack up and go elsewhere once the season is over.

"I'll play anywhere I'll (get a chance to) play," O'Bryant said. "I'm a basketball player, not a basketball watcher." This much is clear: He doesn't plan on signing up voluntarily to serve under Warriors coach Don Nelson again. Obviously, if something weird were to happen, and Nellie didn't (have his option picked up), then maybe," O'Bryant said of a return to the team that selected him No. 9 overall in 2006 but this summer declined to pick up his third-year option.

And if Nelson does get asked by the team to fulfill the final year of his contract? "Then it probably wouldn't be my first choice," O'Bryant said with a wry smile.''

Source: Oakland Tribune

I know we laugh about Von Wafer, but the guy does have athletic talent and some basketball skill.

I tink Von Wafer suffered from Vujacic syndrome... this is where you have a lot of skill, but due to pressure or something psychological, it just does not shine.

The cure for Vujacic syndrome is to get plenty of consistent PT.

Then, in a few months, the fans will cheer your name.

Von Wafer played up to par with Al Thornton last night, and yep, not a mention of it here in the Von Wafer fan club.

O'Bryant sounds like a malcontent.

Looking forward to the roll call, Mamba24... Come on, get us fired up for the game!

Honestly, the Suns is an elite team. The only reason that they acquired Shaq is to win the championship. So, the way to evaluate Shaq is to see if Shaq can bring the Suns a championship. Anything else should be considered a failure. Looking the games that the Suns played with the other championship contenders, it is clear that they cannot. It doesn't matter how Shaq makes his teammates better or the Suns change the entire approach of playing, they are not going to win the championship with Shaq. The Marion/Shaq trade is a wash, at best. On top of that, the Suns play Shaq as if he is an antique china, those that people keep in the closet most of the time and only display them on special occasions. I didn't look at the stat but I can safely say that Marion was a full-time ballplayer. Shaq, shall we say, a part-time center? I made a prediction earlier - by the time Shaq misses his 40th free-throws, Suns' fans will discover the sham and start booing. Otherwise, I give too much credit to the intelligence of Suns' fans.

Bzar - The Outlaw,

Chest Pound and Point at cha'

Tim-4-Show,

The other thing that gets me is that people say that the playoffs slow down so the full effect of Shaq won't be felt until the playoffs. The game slowing down in the postseason is not a rule. It's just that generally, the way you want to beat a team in the playoffs is by limiting possessions and locking in on them in the halfcourt. Now, the way to beat them is to speed the game up because they can no longer keep up.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Phoenix lose in the first round of the playoffs.

Jon K./Tim-4-Show,

I was running late with putting up today's post, and in my rush, I forgot to mention Von Wafer's prowess last night against the Clips. But you are correct. It was a glorious night for the Lakersblog icon.

BK was actually at the game for some other work and got to witness the career night up close and in person. He admitted to being a little giddy.

AK

Sasha is nowwhere near Vonnator status. Dude is a superstar lol, jk. If for nothing else coz of the love the famous K Bros gives him lol.

Kobe: "Best bench in the league." I don't know about that. Considering that overall our bench has struggled mightily with some exceptions (Ronny, Sasha, Jordan). Once we get Drew back and Trevor back, then we'll really have the best bench in the league. I could see us going 11 deep, without losing rhythm.

Jamie Sweet,

Sorry, but you couldn't be more biased in saying Farmar or Vujacic deserve the 6th man over Ginobili. Ginobili is playing lights out and is mentioned as one of the top 10 MVP candidates (which I don't necessarily agree with). I take your point that he has been starting games, but I believe any player who comes off the bench in more games than he starts is eligible for the 6th man. And Ginobili has the award locked down.

The Lakers' second string are second to none!

Kobe's much talked about improvement is obviously a direct result of the major improvement of the young ones.

Give credit to all: the players first and foremost, the coaches, and, of course, Kobe. He was finally able to instill his winning ways to all the guys in the team, that includes the injured players.

And please, the Sacramento Kings use to call their guys "The Bench Mob" so let's come up with something better because our guys are definitely much better!

GO LAKERS!!!

I have to say Utah was impressive last night. They showed a lot of fire and tenacity in overcoming the Pistons. The Lakers definitely have the edge over them, but they would be a formidable matchup in the playoffs.

Lakers are the only team in the L that have at least 3 QUALITY players that can play in each position:
1. Center: Bynum, Gasol, Turiaf
2. PF: Gasol, Odom, Turiaf, Vlad, Walton
3. SF: Odom, Kobe, Vlad, Ariza, Walton
4. SG: Kobe, Sasha, Fisher, Ariza
5. PG: Fisher, Farmar, Sasha
That's why even with 4 injured players at the moment, LA is still leading the L and continue building it's lead. The best bench in the L even when we are down to an 8 man rotation. We should beat Miami, Portland and Dallas in short order.

Miami simply does not have the talent. Wade is not 100% physically. Marion can not beat you by himself- he is a franchise player only in his own mind. Look for a Coby Karl and a Mbenga sighting early in the 4th quarter as PJ rests the starters for a back-to-back.

Lakers will take Portland more seriously next time and will be more focused playing on the road. Their best player Roy may not be back by then. Lakers will expect the physical play and respond accordingly. Just stay away from those technicals!

Game of the week will be Dallas-Lakers Sunday. Our Euro versus their Euro. Gasol will eat up Dampier. LO has the length and the quickness to guard the German fellow. Howard will be a challenge for Luke and if he blows by Luke too many times, we'll see Kobe playing a lot of SF. Too bad, we could have used Ariza on this one. Kobe will dominate Terry or if he switches to SF, Sasha will play SG and can get in Terry's face who is a finesse player anyway. Fish will probably do a better job guarding Kidd than Farmar simply bec. of the experience factor, and Fish has the strength to use against Kidd who is stronger and taller than most PGs.

Our bench versus their bench: Farmar, Turiaf, Sasha versus Stackhouse and their new boy Magliore - I'll take our chances ten out of ten times.
Kobe will be pumped for the Dallas game, and has always eaten up the Dallas non-defense: look for at least 30 points even while he focuses on facilitating instead of scoring.
12 straight by end of Sunday.

Good morning everyone

I have a question, when was the last time Luke was at the free throw line? I really can't remember the last time he got a free throw.

What other team has a bench that can come in and take a lead when the starting unit struggles? Can't think of too many. Bench Mob rules!

Xodus, Tim-4-Show, PJ doubter,

I think the only explanation for the Suns trade is that they panicked. Considering how well they were playing and that they were 2 suspensions away from getting the finals last year, taking such a huge gamble didn't make any sense. I understand the issues they had with Marion, but have people forgotten that the instant cure-all in basketball is a championship? Winning championships was the only thing what kept Shaq and Kobe together for a mini dynasty...

The Lakers have the potential to win 10 games in a row. Sasha, Farmar, Ronny and the bench are playing well. I predict the Lakers to lose today. The West is a very tight race and the Lakers need to keep up their pace. I just threw my prediction in the middle of this paragraph hoping nobody would recognize it.

Good Morning Blog!!!!

Good morning Charles, Jon K, Bzar, The Outlaw, Xodus, Tim-4-Show, AK, BK, TaosHum, Faith, DK, all the bloggers here and Mamba24 where are you for roll call!!!!!!!

10 in a row tonight, let's make Miami look badddddddd on national TV again.

KOBE FOR MVP!!!
KOBE FOR MVP!!!
KOBE FOR MVP!!!

Miami Coach Pat Riley, describing to reporters his happiness after the Heat ended an 11-game losing streak by beating Sacramento on Tuesday to reach 10 victories on the season: "I feel like a mosquito in a nudist colony. I know what to do. I just don't know where to start."

This little mosquito could be tanking games to get that draft advantage. What is good about Shaq's trade, the Suns are stucked with Shaq's for two years more, but Riley started asking questions to Marion & Banks whether they want to continue their career with Miami. With a player's option on Marion's contract next year, this could be an amicable settlement by trading him at earliest convenience in July thereby, Riles found a cap space replacement of Big Cactus plus a low draft pick.

IMO, Riles has been in the arena for too long as President/Coach, he should give other young coaches the chance to provide new ideas. Since he is in town for the game tonight, we should thank him for the memories of Showtime, it sounds like the nostalgic Rag Doll era, the best of the Laker years.

Being a Laker Fan we all love to search the net for Laker stories but a funny thing happened when Shaq was traded to the Suns. I love searching the net for Suns articles that have Sun Fans cutting there wrist and wondering how did this happen to them. I get to laugh for an hour or 2 over my coffee before I even get to the Laker Stories. Can it get any better? Man is it great to be a Laker Fan. I guess this will work till what we all are waiting for: Lakers vs Celtics!!!!!!

Take care of business tonight and tomorrow so we can smack down the Mavs and Kidd on Sunday on Nat TV..

Go Lakers!!!

BD

Xodus,

Phoenix's "improved" ability in the half court set remains to be seen.

Things tend to "slow" down in playoff time because teams up their defensive presence. Showtime ran like the wind in the playoffs, but they also had Kareem and Worthy to work off of in the half court set.

What will KILL Phoenix isn't so much their offense in the half court set, but their DEFENSE in transition and in the half court set (lack of perimeter defenders)...

I also think their short rotation and grueling schedule the next month will catch up to them. These guys are going to be winded just making into the playoffs...
Then they likely have to face the Mavs in the first round.

Tough stuff for Phoenix. Yeah, they were in a position where maybe they needed to gamble... and I know a lot about gambling, you make a calculated bet where your upside is good and should you "lose" your gamble, it's not that bad... with Phoenix, their upside wasn't that great to begin with and it cost them Marion to take the gamble, and should the dice crap out, they're stuck with a giant cement block around their neck while they try to keep their head above water.

Very bad gamble. Phoenix is like the guy you see in Vegas who went on a big run only to keep playing and he's lost almost all his chips back, and now you're standing there watching him put his last red chip on the felt hoping for a blackjack to start another rally to bring him back from the depths of despair...

I think most of us are smart enough to figure out how that story is going to end.

There is an error on the PE article on Fisher and Farmar. Jordan Farmar went to Taft High School in the valley, not LA Fairfax.. I wonder where that Jim Alexander got his information - or misinformation - from. Interesting.

Phoenix is losing while Shaq's playing, Amare's putting up career numbers while the team suffers...

Check this out:

http://www.lyrics007.com/print.php?id=TWpjMU5UWTU

Amare will go were his big ego (just like his new mentor's) will take him.

I think O'Bryant gets the "malcontent" label because the team never really gave him a chance to play. They drafted him high then Don Nelson came in with the run and fun offense which obviously, was not a good "fit" for O'Bryant. How would you feel if, after college, you were assigned to your first job and then basically told to sit in the corner for 2 years with no shot of ever getting to do anything of value? I know some people would love to do that, others like me would be furious. At least the guy has the fire in the belly to say he wants to play instead of rationalizing it. This would actually be a great situation for him if he really wants to learn how to play and make himself more valuable. With the "Mihm" situation, we will need a guy next year to give us 10-20 minutes/game at C and if he wants to learn from the best, instead of being another Darko Milicic, who obviously hasn't learned anything in the last 3 years, where else could O'Bryant get instruction like he could from Kareem? Seriously. He would be practicing every day against Bynum, who will be a monster next year if he adds some offensive moves, which he plans to do. O'Bryant could put in 2 years here and get a big contract to be a starter for someone else.

Just a thought... maybe O'Bryant's agent reads this board and could relay this to him... LOL! I don't know... it makes sense to me...

Faith,

About Sasha, have you noticed that he wears diffrent hair bands to the games? Maybe he should start his own hair band collection and sell them outside Staples.

10 in a row tonight!

50 BEFORE 20!

T.J. SIMERS? NO! KAREEM? YES!

NO MVP? NO PEACE!

GO LAKERS!

Good morning DrewPauKobe!

Go Lakers!

The thing that makes this team click now is that everyone knows their place and abilities.

No one tries to do anything outside of their wheelhouse, nor do they have to. At least not yet. The thing about good teams is that the role players start to get an inflated sense of their skills after a couple of years, or at least other teams do, and then they sign those role players away for a gazillion dollar, 10 year contract.

DrewPauKobe

Chest pound baby!

Sasha's trying to start a new trend.

Like they have specific shoes for some players, and they wear certain color socks for each game (home or away), the Machine is starting his own soccer-band collection lol.

Elle,

I think he was at the free throw line two games ago, but, you're right. He sure don't get fouled much (or at least they don't get called much).

GO LAKERS!

Eric (Phoenix): Hi Chad! With the Suns getting Atlanta's pick this year, who do you think would best fit the team?

Chad Ford: (1:39 PM ET ) I think $3 million will be what fits in Sarver's plan based on past experience ...

Seriously, the Suns biggest problem, in my opinion, is that they've blown it with the draft the past few years. They've had several opportunities to add talented young players at low salaries (David West, Leandro Barbosa in 2003, Luol Deng, Andre Iguodala in 2004, Nate Robinson, David Lee in 2005, Rajon Rondo and Jordan Farmar in 2006 and they've come up empty. If they had just kept their draft picks or choose the right ones, they'd be the deepest team in the league and had zero need to make a gamble on a guy like Shaq.

I always wake up in a good mood when the Suns lose. I agree with Xodus: Suns could easily lose in the first round. If they have to match up with New Orleans in the first, they can start planning their vacations early. And I would LOVE to see that.

Tim-4-Show,

I agree with you 100%. I don't believe Shaq helps Phoenix that much in the halfcourt either for the reasons you detailed. Teams are living in the paint against the Phoenix Suns right now, because Shaq and Amare don't rotate well and can't defend the pick and roll.

And your statement about the Showtime Lakers is spot on and reflects everything I said. People speak as if once the playoffs come around each team is only allowed a limited amount of fast breaks per contest. No, I see the Hornets, Jazz, Lakers, Nuggets, Warriors and yes, even the Spurs running all over them in the playoffs. I expect it to bring a tear of joy to my eyes. Hopefully it's our Lakers who deal the crushing blows.

Chad Ford must've gotten pricked by a cactus when he was young. He's killing Phoenix in his chat.

Josue(PN): Hey Chad You din't answered who the Suns should draft? Do you think they have to get a backup for Nash? Thanks Mr. Ford

Chad Ford: (1:52 PM ET ) They actually need help everywhere. A center (Shaq isn't going to play forever), a Shawn Marion replacement, a younger two guard and a back-up for Nash. At this point I just think they take the best player available ... they have a lot of needs and keep passing on filling them in the draft.

Faith,

Everytime I see Sasha Vujacic hit the floor, I'm reminded of his face as Epony of Les Miserables, so sweet and innocent pleading for foul. But when he makes those long ton shots in the perimeter, his face turned into Che Guevarra ready to take over. I think we should peddle the face of Sasha on a t-shirt, it will sell and make a little money out of blogging. haha!

The Lakers have a great bench mob especially when Socks and Trevor come back. However, we are still a one player type of team, we can't afford to lose Kobe Bryant and expects to win in the playoffs. He still the straw that stirs this Lakers soup, like Yao Ming provided the Great Wall of China to the Rockets.

Good morning DrewPauKobe!

Jon K,
How would we find out how many times he was at the fT line last year and how many times this year?

Edwin,

I want a yellow T-shirt with the words "We win anybody" in the back and Sasha's face in the front.

Sasha always pleads for a foul, he will argue a call even when it's clear that he did foul someone or that no one fouled him. It's even funnier when the play does not involve him and he still complains, it's a game in my house to keep score of how many times Sasha will argue a call, hey maybe that should be a new drinking game, peeps take a shot every time Sasha either asks for a foul or argues that he did not do it, man people would be drunk for days. l think it was Stu that said Sasha "is the only player in the NBA who never commits a foul"

I predict the Lakers to lose today.

Posted by Never

I don't.

No way.

We're winning this game and anyone who doesn't believe will just have to watch the TV tonight a 7 PM.

We're gonna win.

Too many quality players with something to prove.

Remember, the last game was our "could have lost" game, and our bench and Kobe pulled us through.

We win tonight.

We have to. One loss ties us in the Western Conference standings. We can't afford to loose, and we've done satisfied that itch (the loosing itch) plenty over the last 3 years.

We win.

No other way to look at it. When you can’t find the answer to the question you got to reevaluate the question. And this question says we're gonna win.

That's it. Enough said.

We win.

Sheeeeet. You may loose but the Lakers will win.

Wes

I Know our guys are up to winning all the games from here out.....But PLEASE...Don't get over Confident..How many games have we seen them lose to a under 500 team? Pleaseeee go Lakers.....

I know we've talked about this, but I'm still unclear as to the rule...

East Valley Tribune:
"With the deadline for free agents to sign with new teams and still be eligible for the playoffs looming on Saturday, Suns players and coaches followed up general manager Steve Kerr’s visit to the Barry family in San Antonio with phone call pleas of their own. "

The part that perplexes me is the "Saturday deadline"... Saturday being March 1st.

Why does this writer mention there's a playoff deadline of March 1 if it's who gets CUT AFTER that date? The writer certainly makes it sound like a guy needs to be signed by March 1 to be eligible for the playoffs...

Like I said, I know we've discussed this... is the writer wrong, or can Barry sign with San Antonio at any point in the next 8 weeks and still be eligible for their playoff run?????

TaosHum,

With regards to Patrick O'Bryant....

I looked at his box scores, at seven footer, he played in 35 games for an averaged of 6 minutes and his PPG is 1.8 pts, RPG is 1.3 and FT% is 60%. He seemed to be a lazy player.

I would invest more on training our Congoman, DJ MBenga, he could match that record plus the incentive that he's playing for a cause. Kareem is finesse, I would suggest Kirk Rambis to train him into a Gorilla on the loose next year, control those boards and block all post plays for the second unit.

Did ESPN switch their televised game for Friday NIght?

The Lakers schedule I printed out at the beginning of the season says Fridays game in Portland is on ESPN.

But the current NBA schedule shows the Nuggets Clipper game will be on ESPN.

Why would they do that?

Are we ignoring Never? No comments from the LAL blogosphere? One game at a time Never and tonight will be a win. The guys are focused and know they can pick up another game on PHX.

Love the look ahead to Dallas and comments but come on - we have two other games before that. Portland/Rose Garden will be tough tmrw. But the Heat tonight should be fun. Would love to see starters have some rest in 4Q.

Edwin...Eponine wasn't so much sweet faced, was she? Do you mean Cosette...

They were all pretty ugly, I would guess, mired in poverty and never showering and all that.

Still, what a read, eh!

One of my favorites...

But, sentence for sentence, as good as Hugo was he cant quite match Thomas Hardy for prose almost good enough to call poetry.

Go Lakers!

Wes

I recall when we were healthy Pre Pau, Pre Bynum injury; we had an amazing 2nd unit integrated with Lamar.

Turiaf, Odom, Vlad, Sasha, Farmar.

With a Healthy squad and versatility of players we could very well have that as a 2nd unit and have the starters as:

Bynum, Gasol, Ariza, Kobe, Fisher

(Assuming we resign Ariza, Sasha, and Turiaf. We own their Bird rights i do believe)

We win tonight because Miami has a loser's mindset right now. We just need to confirm it and take their heart out of it. Do it early on, weather any small comebacks, and cruise to a win (and free tacos) in the 4th.

I don't want to see Kobe and Lamar in the 4th. I'd like to see Pau work with the second unit though, but with a back to back, I'd rest the older guys. Portland will be feisty at the Rose Garden.

I love game days.

Lakers will loose to Miami by 20...Shaq is going to kill Lakers and Phoenix is the BEST in the West..hahaha

Elle,

NBA.com should have his statistics there.

GO LAKERS!

PsychedLakerGirl,

Never is just superstitious... so he always predicts a loss and then hopes this trend continues. No biggie, we all know he actually does not think they'll lose, nor wants them to.

I have the DVR anti-kryptonite, he just doesn't know it, so he keeps posting those predictions.

Another beautiful day in LA LA land!

Let's make the blog about love today...

We've had enough "hate" to last us lately. Right??

So...

THE LOVE REPORT - SUNS EDITION

1. I love Steve Kerr for trading away Marion for Shaq.

2. I love David Stern for sticking to the "no leaving the bench" rule

3. I love Mike Dantoni for continuing to sport the porn stache no matter what people think.

4. I love Raja Bell for filling the role of PE#1

5. I love Shaq for his dedication to free throw shooting

6. I love Kenny Smith for picking the Suns because he's afraid "The Big Mistake" will sit on him

7. I love Chris Paul for killing Nashy every time

8. I love Amare for his dedication to scoring no matter who wins

9. I love Fire32 for picking fights with this board when we're the hottest team in the L

10. And most of all, I love Suns Fans for their unbridled optimism in the face of all evidence and logic...they're so cute when they get angry.

KOBE FOR MVP!!!
KOBE FOR MVP!!!
KOBE FOR MVP!!!

PsychedLakerGirl,

Never believed in Kwame, remember?

Hey, does anyone know when Rad Vlad will be back? Any word on how Chris Mihm's treatment is coming along? Has Ariza started taking sea minerals and vitamin D three times a day yet?

GO LAKERS!

GARY,

I think we're something like 23-3 against sub-500 teams this year...

You are thinking of last year maybe...

never,

When was a last time you were right on money with your predictions, man? 44-17 out of the West will loose to 10-44 from East? Playing at home? Man this was a great joke, keep going, kind of reminding me our weatherman, never right...

Edwin, actually that IS my point about O'Bryant. He's not lazy, he just doesn't "fit" in the Golden State and the Don Nelson offense. He's never going to get playing time there, that's why he wants to leave. Ariza wasn't getting much playing time for other teams, all of a sudden you stick him on our team and you can see some real value in him.

Again, it's just a thought, not something that will keep me up at night but looking at next year, while I like MBenga and his story, I'm not exactly seeing a particularly strong backup Center in him and Mihm will be going into his 3rd year since the ankle problem started so it will still be unclear as to how much he can play so we'll probably have to go out and get another backup Center. O'Bryant would seem to be a decent guy to gamble on, he's got a couple of years in the league now so he's not going to hit the rookie wall and he should spend this offseason working out - something similar to what Bynum did. If O'Bryant wants to work hard, we've got a good situation here for him to step into, if not, I'm sure we'll find somebody else...

Awww PhoenixFan...

See they are cute!!!

Good Morning Charles and everybody else---another great day to be a Laker fan (and what day isn't--even the bad times are good!)

Tonight's game may show us something about these present day Lakers--I am hoping they come off the slow start of last game with intesity right out of the gate---and then keep their foot on the Heat's jugular throughout. As long as this team learns and grows from every game, like I think they are indeed doing, we definitly have the workings of a new dynasty--yee frickin' haw....

Sean P.:

Yeah for some reason I always thought Perkins had a sub par series in 91, but your stats seemed to indicate other wise. I do remember that Worthy was not 100% going into the series and then did get huirt worse in the game you mentioned--I do think, like I said, that Dunlevy failed to make any adjustments to Pippen guarding Magic and that cost us the series---but I guess there is always a lot of what if's and hindsight and all that---thanks for the reply...

All:

I know I said I wasn't going to mention him anymore unless it's a positive post, but just wanted to augment the fervered debate on Mr. P---besides his overly generous amount of playing time (which with our injuries is a neccessary evil) the bigger problem with him is his contract and the fact that I would rather have and keep Ronny, Sasha, Ariza (as well as giving Bynum the appropriate contract ect.). I don't know all the salary cap implications, but from what I have read on this blog, it sure seems like something has got to give.

If the Lakers can trade away Anthony Peeler for 2nd round picks, then we sure as shooting (Practice Mr. P, practice, practice!!!!!) can trade this guy---the trouble is, is there any GM out there stupid enough to absorb his stiffling contract.

Like I have always said, I do root for the guy, though I scream at him a lot, but I still think on this present team he is at best our 11th man.

I just don't want to lose any of the above mentioned players, who are a lot more valuable to the Lakers and the building of our new dynasty.

WIll the Lakers add a 15th player? Should be interesting---can we expect one more cool transaction this year??

GO LAKERS!!!

A great article about Kobe and how he's developed and matured over the years. Enjoy --

The Evolution of the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant: How a Leader Was Born
By David Neiman | The Score, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, Column

One of the first feature pieces I ever wrote for the Washington Post was about Kobe Bryant. It was November 2002, the Lakers were coming off their third straight NBA title, and No. 8 – as he was then – was starting to emerge from the shadow of Shaquille O’Neal.

As part of the story, I asked Phil Jackson to compare Kobe with Michael Jordan. The fact that I posed the question gives you a sense of how I – and many other people – perceived Bryant at the time.

Phil, as one might have expected, offered what I saw as a politic response:

“A lot of people throw . . . Michael’s cape on Kobe, and it’s not fair to either one of those players,” said Jackson. “Yet they both have this competitive standard that everybody can recognize, a competitive level they carry themselves with on the court.”

The comparisons might not have been fair. Still, in 2002, people were constantly making them, and to a large degree — and I was not the only one who held this viewpoint — Kobe was the cause.

As I wrote back then (and I promise to stop quoting myself after this):

Since leaping from high school to the NBA, he has been routinely hyped and rejected as the second coming of Michael Jordan. For much of that time, Bryant has not only tried to live up to the comparison, but perhaps, encouraged it.

The fact is that whether by coincidence or conscious effort, the similarities between Bryant and Jordan’s mannerisms are unmistakable. The steady, loping strides as Bryant drives the ball upcourt, tongue wagging; the backward strut, head nodding, after he buries a jump shot; even the timbre and rhythm of his speech when he addresses the media are all vintage Jordan. And with Bryant’s new bulk, the physical similarity between the two — they are the same height and virtually the same weight — is impossible to ignore.

At age 24, Kobe was remarkably like Jordan — and somehow, not him, akin to a musical prodigy, capable of playing any sonata the seasoned concert pianist could, yet somehow, lacking the intangible quality that distinguished the genius from the flawless imitator.

At the same time, there seemed to be no “real” Kobe Bryant. He said all the right things in ads for shoes and Sprite, yet even in one-on-one interviews, one never got the sense of him, of a voice and personality that made you feel, “Ah, now I’m speaking to Kobe Bryant.” It felt more like you were talking to someone “playing” the next Jordan. Something was missing, and there was little to suggest that it would ever be found.

Six years later, things are radically different.

THE BEGINNING
To me, Kobe’s evolution from star mimic to true superstar was catalyzed, strangely enough, by his arrest on rape charges in Colorado prior to the start of the 2003 season.

The distasteful nature of that event notwithstanding, it had the effect of obliterating the contrived, plastic, clean-cut image of Kobe that existed at the time. Every major sponsor either dropped or suspended their deals with him. Overnight, he went from NBA poster child to persona non grata, a basketball savant assailed by the public on all sides for his conduct off the court.

The notion of being the next Michael Jordan — and granted, I’m speculating here — was likely far from the forefront of his mind.

In a 2003 column entitled, “Is Bryant’s best behind him with the burden he carries?” USA Today columnist Jon Saraceno wrote:

This season will test Bryant like no year, or defender, has. The mounting anxiety on him will make every night feel like a seventh game. Maybe Bryant thinks resuming his occupation will be good therapy, but I wonder what will happen before, during and after games.

I imagine that even posh four-star hotels can feel like prisons to a celebrity under siege. Bryant may never serve a day behind bars, but that doesn’t mean he won’t understand what Alcatraz was like, even if his solitary confinement includes room service and a cluster of bodyguards.

And can you imagine the catcalls from fans on the road in places such as Sacramento, Philadelphia, Boston, Dallas and, of course, Denver?

“Playing the game of basketball is not difficult for me,” he said. “Going through what we’ve been going through is difficult.”

The column concluded with this sentiment:

Regardless of the outcome, I can’t help but wonder if this young man, whose life once seemed so idyllic, can ever be the same player or person.

I don’t know.

I’m not sure Kobe does, either.

Saraceno was right. The Kobe Bryant we knew — or didn’t really know — was gone, and the question was, who would replace him?

A WINNER IN PURGATORY
The 2003 season saw the end of the Kobe-Shaq era, and what followed it was a period that, it seems to me, perfectly reflected Kobe Bryant, the player. Ostensibly, he was the new leader of the team, yet it quickly became clear that No. 8 had no real experience leading a team. His impressions of leadership reminded me of his impressions of MJ — he said all of the right things, but you still found yourself thinking that he’d rather be playing with two replicas of himself than four other players. His first season, Los Angeles finished 34-48. The following two, the Lakers exited the playoffs in the first round.

Interestingly enough, as these years were passing — and I have to admit, I hadn’t thought about this until now — Kobe seemed less and less like he was affecting Michael Jordan. All of the physical tics seemed to vanish.

Instead, as Los Angeles turned in multiple subpar seasons, Bryant began to cultivate a profound disdain for losing possibly unmatched by any basketball player in the world, past or present — with the exception, ironically, of Michael Jordan — and in time, that disdain transformed into anger.

In the summer of 2007, that anger boiled over, and Kobe Bryant demanded a trade. Not long after, in a parking lot in Orange County, he unleashed a profanity-laden tirade against teammate Andrew Bynum.

My initial response to both acts was disbelief. How could he lash out like this against a franchise that stood by him unhesitatingly through his entire ordeal in Colorado? On the one hand, it seemed like the height of betrayal, and to a degree, it still does.

Looking at it another way, however, these seem like the first genuine acts — misguided, though they were — of an emerging leader. And what we were hearing, for the very first time, was Kobe Bryant finding his voice.

It was impossible to know that at the time, but in the months that have passed, Kobe Bryant’s actions have proven exactly what kind of player, teammate and employee he truly is. His effort has been unparalleled — he is currently playing with a dislocated finger, and will be for the duration of the season, yet he continues to be unstoppable at both ends of the floor. While he was wrong about Bynum and his teammates — before his injury, Bynum was playing phenomenally, and the quality of Los Angeles’ bench has been one of the stunning stories of the 2007-08 season — one could convincingly argue that Kobe’s trade demand and tirade were what shook up the Lakers franchise.

A LEADER IS BORN
The popular take in early MVP conversations is that Kobe deserves it. I agree, but not for the reasons cited by columnists like the Los Angeles Times Bill Plaschke. To Plaschke, Bryant is finally making his teammates better, and thus, should get the award:

He doesn’t scream at his teammates so much anymore. He doesn’t ignore them during moments of frustration anymore.

He has helped turn Sasha Vujacic into a weapon, and Farmar into a pest, and, man, considering he once wanted the guy traded, he has been huge in the development of Andrew Bynum.

In Plaschke’s column, Lakers’ coach Phil Jackson agrees:

“You can see the emphasis in Kobe’s game to get other people involved and to make the rest of his teammates better,” Jackson said.

Earlier in the year, I argued that the entire notion of “making one’s teammates better,” at least as far as it’s commonly meant, is nonsense, the NBA equivalent to giving an NFL quarterback too much of the credit or blame for winning or losing. Yes, Kobe’s teammates are better, but it’s not because he’s suddenly passing them the ball where he wasn’t before. A season ago, he gave them the ball plenty.

They’re better because for the first time, they’re matching his effort.

They’re better because Sasha Vujacic is making open threes where he missed them all last year. They’re better because Jordan Farmar isn’t a rookie, is stronger, and has a much better sense of the pro game. They’re better because Derek Fisher is giving Los Angeles and Kobe trustworthy veteran leadership. They’re better because Lamar Odom is healthy and thriving, now that he’s free of the pressure of being the second scoring option. They’re better because Andrew Bynum is a freak of nature. And they’re better because, in what I refer to as the Immaculate Transaction, they somehow picked up Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies for nothing.

Kobe’s teammates are playing better, and because of that, he has more confidence in them, and looks for them more often. In turn, Kobe’s growing confidence emboldens his teammates to play even better. It’s a two-way street. If you don’t believe me, watch what Kobe does on a night when no one else can find their shot (which is now unlikely, given the Lakers’ multitude of weapons). I guarantee you that the man who makes his teammates better would still shoot 40 times.

If you want to credit Kobe Bryant with something, credit him with putting his reputation on the line to light the proverbial inferno under the entire Lakers franchise. Credit him for continuing to push everyone, from players to coaches to management to ownership, to demand nothing less than what he demands of himself — every last ounce of effort in the pursuit of a championship.

And that, to me, is what ultimately makes him worthy of an MVP award. It’s also a clear indication that Kobe Bryant, a leader in his own right, has arrived.

IN RETROSPECT
Thinking back to that 2002 feature I wrote, I think that I — just like Phil Jackson suggested — had unfair expectations of Kobe Bryant. Yes, he did seem like more of a Jordan emulator than the superstar he has involved into; then again, he was 24 years old. Most 24 year-olds, whether or not they have superhuman athletic or intellectual or musical abilites, have an underwhelming sense of who they are. We, as sportswriters and fans, are applying the same grossly critical eye to LeBron James now. In a decade, we’ll all look back and laugh.

To me, Kobe Bryant circa 2008 is transforming into every bit the player and leader that Michael Jordan was, and I think this season will bear that out.

Who is the best of all-time? Does it matter, really? In his prime, MJ left you in awe every time he stepped onto the floor. Kobe is the same way now.

A jazz musician once told me that he began his career imitating a hero because, “It’s better to sound like somebody than nobody.”

In time, of course, that musician — like Kobe Bryant — became a somebody as well.

I have one...

I love these fans who cause me to enjoy watching their team implode, because otherwise I might have felt sorry for them... now I can just ENJOY the show!

Thank You!

Re: Shaq,

The Suns with Marion had no chance against a healthy Laker squad, especially with Bynum dominating Amare in the paint. Translation - The Suns had no chance to win a title this year with the emergence of the Lakers. Bynum will have a much tougher time against Shaq's size (although I still expect Bynum to win that battle), and Amare has the edge against Gasol. In other words, the Suns with Shaq have a better chance against the Lakers than with Marion, which means they have a better chance at the title. The Suns wil still lose, but at least they increased their odds of winning the title this year.

Elle,

The reason Luke does not get to the line is because defenses see his shots coming from a mile away. It 's no different than a volleyball player setting the ball up for the spike, except in Luke's case, he's setting it up for the opposition. I hope this answers your question.

Hollinger is making the claim that Ginobili is as good as Kobe.

PheonixFAN,

You could at least learn how to spell before spewing all your nonsense.

And I'd be more than happy to take the other side of that 'Miami by 20' wager.

PhoenixFAN,

You could at least learn how to spell before spewing all your nonsense.

And I'd be more than happy to take the other side of that 'Miami by 20' wager.

DrewPauKobe

Good ones, LOL!!!

ONE game at a time but...

Tomorrow night on a B to B and maybe Roy back could be the unthinkable... a, um, well, er, a loss?

I know, I know. Couldn't happen, won't happen, but, as we all know, bringing it up nails down the W.

Top of the day to Laker fans everywhere. Can't wait to watch the game tonight and listen to more haterism from Barkley who said the Lakers would be the 7th or the 8th seed and one and done in the playoffs. We shall see if his prediction holds true or if he has to stick his fat foot in his fat mouth. Kenny Smith has turned into the big waffler with wavering predictions from one week to the next. Go Lakers!!!

Elle,

In 60 games last year, Luke Walton took 145 freethrows and made 108 of them.

In 51 games this year, Luke has taken 62 freethrows and made 40 of them.

But his minutes are down from 33 minutes a game to 24 minutes per game.

Partially due to having his minutes reduced by 25%, most of his stats are down, including turnovers.which are down by 25% as are most of his stats, roughly speaking. Some of his positive stats are only down by around 15-20%.

So there you go.

Go Luke!

GO LAKERS!

Good morning Charles and Co.,

DPK: I Love the LOVE REPORT. That made a smile arise through the hangover.

Another beautiful day for a Lakers win.

The Suns could have easily lost in the first round without making the trade. Have you looked at what their record was against the good teams before the trade? And the other playoff teams in the west are pretty much all on the upswing right now (Houston being the obvious exception.)

Maybe the Phoenix fans can have this guy play for them.

http://www.therainiervalley.com/violin.html

It's not just WE that believe: check out the poll in http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/marty_burns/02/28/mvp.watch/index.html?eref=T1
More than 70% of readers, as well as Marty Burns, believe Kobee gets his first regular season MVP this year. He's a lock as long as the Lakers finish either No.1 or 2 in the WC.

Well well well. We have another Troll in the mix.

They are running in packs....

http://tinyurl.com/2b3o8n

Jesterguru Floyd.

Hello my fam...

exhelodrvr,

They're still going to lose in the first round. The only difference is, now they have a $20 million dollar weight hanging from their neck, holding them down until 2010.

They would have been better off making a trade for Kurt Thomas. If they would have traded Marion in the deal, the Sonics would have cut him (ha ha, I know, but they would have)... then right back in PHX with the team they should have had all year.

Even if that didn't work, they could have brought in *someone* to help fortify their frontline without betting the house on ONE roll of the dice.

Phoenix: Where homeless happens

Hey Sun fan the excitement hasn't even started for you yet. One of the sheer joys Shaq brings to the playoffs is the foul shooting during crunch time in a game you must win. On an avg I think I would lose somewhere between 5 to 7 lbs every playoffs due to all the stress with him at the line. I am glad that is over with, I wouldn't wish that on anyone other than maybe a Suns fan. Laker fans is there anything more scarier than see Shaq at the line when the game is hanging in the balance? I didn't think so... Good luck Suns you will need it.

BD

Elle,

>>>I have a question, when was the last time Luke was at
>>>the free throw line? I really can't remember the last
>>>time he got a free throw.

He got one on an and-one on Sunday at Seattle.

Thanks Jon K. and Tim4show! Kwame - ugh - don't get me started. Love the krytonite tho!
Go Lakers!

Oh BTW - I wasn't an LO fan post trade because I didn't see the fire- but I think he has just been in a fog the last couple years with all his personal stuff.

I think he has really been able to clear his head, physically get healthier and get a little of Kobe's winning attitude- in his own way. I'd like to see a little more NYC attitude from him but he really is playing solid these days......

Charles - LOL

Jester, Tim, LAL_Fan - Thanks!

Jesterguru,

Please prepare yourself for tomorrow night. I'd wait until the Lakers get out to a good lead before starting the MVP chants.

Calling all Laker fans in the Portland area... we NEED you to attend the game tomorrow night to get some Lakers chants going. The team needs you! You can make history by getting an MVP chant going for the first time in Portland.

I was serious about my "megaphone" idea... when the other Lakers fans hear you, they will be emblazened with courage and will began to chant WITH you. But the fans must hear you first. If you can, get the Lakers fans sitting near you in your section to get on the same page with you... that's how you start a wave, and how you will make history at the Rose Garden.

I am amazed by how naive Laker fans are, every day they go at it, they read all the news, gossips and then regurgitate it with their own little twist, living in a fantasy what if world full of speculation. Geez Laker fans wake up and smell the roses and admit that Phoenix is the best in the West. Anyhow I also understand that talking about Lakers gives y’all some sense of belonging for that I feel for you and do not blame you mortals!
Be Happy that you have Lakers to cheer for even when your boss, loved ones, friends are beating up on you ..

Elle,

Reposting from yesterday...Please I hope no one jumps on my back about LW...

Luke Walton rankings on Lakers

Minutes - 6th
Points - 9th
Assists - 3rd
Rebs - 6th
Steals - 5th
TOs - 6th
Assist//TO ratio - 2nd

SEASON FG% FT% P/40 R/40 A/40 TS% Ast TO Usg Reb PER
2006-07 .474 .745 13.8 6.1 5.2 55.1 25.8 11.9 16.4 8.9 14.75
2007-08 .436 .645 11.0 6.0 5.0 48.8 26.8 12.9 14.7 8.3 10.80

His shooting is down across the board, but interestingly his per-40 minute averages are about the same, or at least close.

I think the assist/turnover ratio is the most telling. He really is an assist machine considering his minutes, and his turnovers are very much in line. In other words, he takes more risks to get assists, which will lead to a few more mistakes.

Doesn't seem so bad to me...especially for an injured player
that should be resting but can't because of all the other injuries.

BUT...I understand that stats aren't everything. What we see with our eyes may make us think other things...

Please don't FLAME ME!!!!

(ducking behind the couch, expected beer bottles galore headed in my direction.)

KOBE FOR MVP!!!
KOBE FOR MVP!!!
KOBE FOR MVP!!!

WesJoe,

Thanks for the bail out, yes it is Cossette. That is Sasha.

PhoenixFan, how can you claim that the Suns are the best when they have yet to win anything?

Do you believe we should ignore the troll.

PhoenixFAN,

I believe "fantasy" and "speculation" are perfect words to describe the Suns. Please come back when your "best in the West" team has even made it out of the West.

Can we throw some get-well prayers toward Ariza? I'd love to see him come back a little earlier just to get some extra games under his belt with Gasol....

I'm throwing this out there.....he will be our defensive secret weapon/superstar in the playoffs.....

Do you think it's ICE16 trying to post as another blogger?

PhoenixFan,

"I am amazed by how naive Laker fans are, every day they go at it, they read all the news, gossips and then regurgitate it with their own little twist, living in a fantasy what if world full of speculation."

Phoenix Fan, we enjoy life in Lakerville and these are the best of times of being a Laker Fan. What makes it also enjoyable is that the Big Cactus planted at the middle of Phoenix defense, yes it is a Cactus too thorny to handle but remain as a cactus immovable for the next two years. For that reason, these are your worst of times. We enjoy watching Coach D'Antoni's smirks at Steve Kerr everytime he witnesses those free throw opportunities thrown away..... lol!

Jesterguru - PLEASE - don't forget to wear your protective gear - a cup, a kevlar vest, whatever it takes. DON'T DIE ON US!!! It would be very traumatic to watch you get killed on TV by the Portland trolls. Leave the assassination attempt to KB24.

Upon further reflection, I have to correct myself from this morning. Sasha should win most improved player of the year (I orginally had Bynum in that slot) and we'll let the Drunken Master (Manu Ginobli...I call him that because the guy pivots from his waist like a drunken freak!) be a "6th Man" even though I think he's a starter in a benchies body.

To Phoenix Fan: Perhaps you should experience the glory of being a Life Long Laker Fan...you know, winning championships, having some of the greatest players to play on your team roster, the mystique of the Buss family, a coach who KNOWS how to win in the Playoffs-true, you've smoked us the last couple of years, but give Bob Villa some tools from the. 99 cent store and he's going to build a crappy house.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-gPac1TIZZ4
Perhaps Phoenix Fan, you are sad that you get the Lard version of Shaquille instead of the Dominant version. Shaq 2.0 was waaaay better 4.0 (3.0 was a champion, thanks to the Free-Throw machine that is Dwayne Wade). No matter what, I find your lack of Faith disturbing. http://youtube.com/watch?v=VgGc9kruiLQ
Good luck in the PLayoffs, Phoenix Fan, I'm thinking a 2nd round match-up this year. GO LAKERS!

Charles,

It may well be. If the name is any indication, he/she does sound like a 16 year old kid...

Tim-4-Show,

You're so right. I never understood why Phoenix let Kurt Thomas go. In fact why did they break up last year's team. Standing pat with Thomas and Marion was their best chance to win a title. Very curious moves by the Suns.

Now Thomas is playing with San Antonio.

Playoff run or no playoff run, Shaq was not the answer to the Sun's title hopes. What the heck were they thinking?
Who cares if he clogs up the lane, when you can just go around him. I'm still shaking my head over Phoenix letting Marion and Thomas go and instead getting Shaq to help them win a title.

As my kid says -Oh wow!- translates as I can't believe you're that stupid! LOL

(Said with hands over ears) - LA LA LA LA - we can't hear you troll! Yes we're living in our fantasy land - where championship flags wave from the rafters and the team is # 1 in the conference and....wait a minute....sounds an awful lot like REALITY to me.

So - I guess that means it's YOU living in the fantasy land!

Oh - ok - now I understand the comments you made.

Dream on....

I am amazed by how naive Laker fans are, every day they go at it, they read all the news, gossips and then regurgitate it with their own little twist, living in a fantasy what if world full of speculation. Geez Laker fans wake up and smell the roses and admit that Phoenix is the best in the West. Anyhow I also understand that talking about Lakers gives y’all some sense of belonging for that I feel for you and do not blame you mortals!
Be Happy that you have Lakers to cheer for even when your boss, loved ones, friends are beating up on you ..

Posted by: PhoenixFAN | February 28, 2008 at 12:26 PM

PhoenixFAN,

Thanks for your post. Let me just state the facts here. The Suns have only been the "best in the West" once in their history when they lost in the finals to the Boston Celtics. With the exception of that one year, the Suns have never been the "best in the West" at any other time because that distinction goes to the team that holds the title(Spurs)or wins the title this year(?). That's the only criteria to determine which team is the "best in the West". Although I'm a Laker fan, I'll say that the Lakers have the best record in the West and are playing the best basketball right now(the Rockets would argue this), but won't be the "best in the West" until they reach and win in the finals. The Lakers have been the "best in the West" and the league 14 times. The Suns have only one WC title. Thanks for the discussion.

Ahhhh... the little puppy just pooped all over the blog.

Still cute though.

;-)

Actually I am a Laker fan and was only messing with blood pressure :)..

Peace and Lakers Rock!!

Charles,

Don't worry about the poop. The puppy is just trying to get some attention.

Pull a Caesar Milan and just let the wolf pack take care of the little pups.

Mamba,

Just a shout-out from the past to the original 55-Win Bandwagon Believers…Fun, foresight, and faith in our Lakers.

THE OLD 55-WIN BANDWAGON – 86 BLOGGERS STRONG! – AUTOMATICALLY UPGRADED TO THE NEW 60-WIN BANDWAGON

Here are the official members of the the New 60-Win Bandwagon:

************************

THE ORIGINAL 55:

Korey
LakerTom
Lakersgirl
Deepak
TrueLakerFan

Faith
Jeff
David Richardson
wiZo (7/3/06)
Brylle (7/3/06)

Taliq (7/3/06)
Evan (7/3/06)
Jman449 (7/3/06)
Edwin Gueco (7/3/06)
Xodus (7/3/06)

Fearless (7/3/06)
alexinho17 (7/3/06)
MAGIC=GOAT (7/3/06)
befuddled (7/3/06)
Weave-Man (7/3/06)

Zach Z (7/3/06)
E.JENKINS (7/3/06)
David Gago (7/3/06)
purple and gold (7/04/06)
bronxlakerfan (7/4/06)

Jon Kavulic (7/5/06)
JF (7/6/06)
Mitch (7/6/06)
lakersrydeordie (7/7/06)
CBuck (7/7/06)

ZAKEE (7/10/06)
Kobe24 (7/10/06)
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ocraM (7/10/06)
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Greg The Decider (7/10/06)
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Hunter (7/13/06)
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nmbr1kobe24fan (7/13/06)
Romy R (7/13/06)
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JD (7/13/06)
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utzworld (71306)

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LALAKERLOVER 7/14/06)
Bryan Kim (7/14/06)

OTHER MEMBERS"

onesocalkid (7/14/06)
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Quazzar (7/23/06)
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Nonzki (10/9/06)
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Laker_Girl_424 (10/9/06)
Kayhan (10/10/06)
Roky (10/10/06)

Juno Ignacio (10/10/06)
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Dude (10/10/06)
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mti (10/10/06)

Putrid (10/12/06)
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LOGO44 (10/13/06)
bob (10/17/06)
BlackMamba24 (11/02/06)

And! (11/03/06)

************************

55-Win Wallpaper courtesy of Brylle:

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/2403/lakers2qq3.jpg

Thanks.

Tom

can we all get revved up to BASH Popovich for what we all know is going to happen?

Popovich bashes the Gasol trade, implying the league should set up a committee to approve trades... which, of course, he would be a part of... then... he turns around and trades away Brent Barry only... to eventually re-sign him after he gets released from the team he was traded to...

and that doesn't smell? LOL! Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!

My BASH Popovich tentacles are on high alert!

MAMBA24 - where are you??? We need roll-call!!!

Ignore the troll. Yes - ICE 16 is a cover.

"Geez Laker fans wake up and smell the roses and admit that Phoenix is the best in the West."

Is that the same Phoenix team that is 1-3 against the Lakers, 0-4 against the Hornets, 5th in the Western Conference standings and below .500 with Shaq? Just want to make sure I know who you're talking about as Best in the West PhoenixFAN

Buenos Tardes Bloggers!

Much props to our bench, esp. Sasha, Farmar, and Turiaf. Props to Kupchack/Buss for drafting them and sticking with them. I agree with Faith, when healthy, we do have the best bench in the league.

Mel, you are right about the Suns bad drafting in recent years. In a couple of years, people will look back at when their GM Colangelo left as the start of their downfall.

I love it!! A phoenix fan telling us they are the best in the west when they are clearly #5 in the rankings! Talk about delusional.And he calls us MORTALS!! wow, this really made my day, thanks man.

Wishing you Peace, Love, and Gasooollll!!

Ken and Xodus,

The amazing thing about the Fisher for Smush and Pau for Kwame moves is that they were 3-time winner moves for the Lakers:

1) Got rid of players who were a huge liability – Smush and Kwame.
2) Added players who are huge assets – Fisher and Pau.
3) Opened the door for other key players – Lamar and Jordan.

Finally, the trades really solidified Kobe’s desire to be a Laker for Life and helped restore the images of Mitch Kupchak and the Lakers front office.

Tom

Put me down for the "Bash Pop" bandwagon - LOL

OH - and also for the "55 win - now called the 60 win" bandwagon!!

GO LAKERS!!
The BEAN for MVP!!!

I am amazed by how awesome the Laker fans are, every day they wake up cheerful, full of life and excitement, ready to cheer for their beloved team. Now I can’t say the same about Phoenix fans on contrary Phoenix fans are devoid of NBA title and no wonder are mean, naïve and jealous. Lakers will prevail over the Suns.

So really be Happy that you have Lakers to cheer for even when your boss, loved ones and friends are asking for your time and attention.

DR. Buss “The Best” owner/boss/playa, PJ “The Best” Coach/fly fisherman, Kobe ‘The Best Assassin”, Andrew Bynum “The Best future Center” and Pau “The Best team mate”.

Go Lakers!!

charles, its (the troll) probably not getting enough attention from the phoenix blogs. They're all using the short sword today after getting worked by CP and New Orleans. He's lashing out. I'm with everyone else; its fun to see, but no more fun than seeing JailBlazer fans or Kings fans go down in flames. Just another Laker opponent, whining.

We'll probably get more of em as it gets closer to the playoffs, and as they get closer entering the playoffs as a 5th seed. Bring em on.

Oh well. Might as well throw this at it. See if it bites.
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HEY PHOENIXFAN,
I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU HATE US.

US: #1 IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE
suns: 6-13 vs. WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF TEAMS

US: 3-1 vs. suns. 2-0 with bynum in line up.
suns: 1-3 vs the LAKERS. 0-1 with our OLD center leftovers.

US: WON 3 TITLES WITH SHAQ.
suns: lost 3 games with shaq.

US: 3 TITLES SINCE 2000
suns: Pacific Division "titles", I don't remember or care how many.

US: Championships window will be open for years.
suns: Closing time. Quick, what's the average age of your starters? If its over 30, you lose.

....it won't get any better than that for your Suns. Sorry. Stick around if you want to see a real franchise show you how its done. Ball don't lie, and neither does 14 championships.

I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU HATE US NOW.

Ex,

I know I said we should agree to disagree, but I can't resist haha. If the Suns' have an equal chance at losing in the first round before they did as they did after that qualifies it as a failure for several reasons I've gone over multiple times. We all know what their record against the top teams in the West was before the trade and if they can't beat those teams after what's the point? It's indefensible because there are so many negatives to it and the reasons the Suns gave to justify it (namely, defense) just weren't true. The Suns were talking like they were getting Tyson Chandler when they were really getting Kwame Brown with slower feet and better rebounding ability.

It's like I said yesterday, the Suns have been grossly mismanaged over the past two or three years and Kerr compounded it by making a deal that is a wash at best.

LakerTom,

I was on that bandwagon last year... I got on mid year after the Lakers lost like 3 in a row. I thought they'd fight their way back...
I was just "Tim" back then.

Like Jamie Sweet would say, "Search your feelings... you know it to be true"

LakerTom,

So in other words Kupchak has taken his name off the idiot GM list, but was quickly replaced by Steve Kerr!

Xodus,

Shaq is getting better game by game..He's actually gettting in shape...It will be interesting how the playoffs go.

Wow nice Laker Tom.. That was the ORIGINAL roll call 55 win bandwagon from 2 seasons ago! Kudos.

Everyone has been talking about the remainder of this season being like a college season. There have been undefeated college teams, and for some odd but justifiable reason, I think this years Lakers actually will flirt with the big 33. As long as we don't fall into complacency, I don't see why going 34-0 is far from fantasy. Yes, I went there, but no, I'm not going to start a bandwagon about undefeatedness (is that a word), because look what happened to New England.

We only have one real test coming up in that seven or eight game stretch starting with Toronto, NO, Houston, Dallas, and Utah, not to mention a back to back with GS. Then theres the second to last game of the season. The dreaded Spurs. I think that game will have much significance, seeing that by then we'll have Bynum back. You guys remember the 99-00 season? This is starting to remind me of it.

GO LAKERS!

Being the basketball historian, actually Charles took them to the finals only to lose 3 in a row to MJs BULLS after charles started gloating, saying they were the best team in the league, maybe thats why he hates on 24 so much cause he sees MJ in Kb24. GO LAKERS!!!!!!!! Wipe the floor with MIA. Also when the Suns win a title they will need 13 more to have a say in the Championship talk!!!

Xodus,

I think we should give it more time..I mean any team cannot adjust to Shaq on their team overnight..They are in a major adjustment period right now! And in the playoffs, they dont play back-to-back games, and I think that will help Shaq a lot.

LakerTom,

We're gonna have to update that 55 wins poster. There are two guys on there who thankfully aren't on the team anymore. And another guy 95% of the blog doesn't want on the team anymore. LOL

Tim-4-Show: "Phoenix is like the guy you see in Vegas who went on a big run only to keep playing and he's lost almost all his chips back, and now you're standing there watching him put his last red chip on the felt hoping for a blackjack to start another rally to bring him back from the depths of despair..."

Yeah...and,they're cocky, arrogant and overconfident just like that guy, too! But the real players at the table can see right through his @$$.

PhoenixFan:
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Holla Back when you can count to 1.

WHAT HAPPENED TO PHOENIX?

I believe the problem with the Phoenix Suns is that their veteran players are starting to show their age and their younger players have not proven to be as good as they thought. The bottom line is that the team is over the hill and starting to slide downhill fast and now they don’t have the rising young stars or the draft picks to revitalize the team.

Look at the performance of the team even before the trade for Shaq. The Suns could not beat any of the other top teams in the West. They were humiliated by the Lakers and Andrew Bynum. Nash still seemed to be rolling but Bell didn’t seem to be the player he used to be. Diaw suddenly turned from a trade steal to an early bust. Barbosa all of a sudden seemed to lose the ability to turn a game around. Amare and Marion could not get along. Ownership swapped Kurt Thomas for Brian Skinner.

Look at today’s roster and you can immediately see the problems. First, the Suns traded the wrong guy. They miss Marion’s defense, 3-point shooting, and transition offense. Shaq has no lift and looks like Kwame on layups. Amare can now focus on shooting his jumpers and dunking his drives, who cares about defense and playmaking. Bell cannot shut anybody down or hit his shot. Barbosa is a shell of the force he was last year. And what in the hell are Sean Marks, Alando Tucker, Eric Piatkowski, Linton Johnson, or D.J. Strawberry going to bring to the table?

Then look at ownership and management. Robert Sarver already screwed up by trading Kurt Thomas and draft picks. Now there only hope is the pick they got from the Hawks in the Joe Johnson deal. Their general manager Steve Kerr convinced everybody that Shaq was the right way to go. Ooops. Good luck keeping your job, Steve. Now they have a half-court team that is being coached by a run-and-gun coach who has never played on or coached the t