Freebie cashed in
There's no such thing as a pure gimmie in the NBA, but there are games that come close. One example would be a home game against a shorthanded team that's won 16 games all year, only six on the road, and had lost nine straight. That's what the Lakers had Friday night at Staples when they welcomed the Sonics, and the result was as expected. 130-105 LAL, in a game the Lakers never trailed. The Lakers couldn't have drawn it up much better. Five starters in double figures, eight players overall, meant the Lakers got contributions up and down the lineup. The bench was particularly effective, contributing early and then later as well, allowing the Lakers to sit Kobe and LO in the fourth. The box score shows 36 assists on 51 FGs, shot over 60% from the floor, and generally torched whatever defense the Sonics threw at them, whether man or zone.
The show on the court did nothing to detract from Phil Jackson's pregame declaration that, given their schedule and quality of play, the Lakers have every reason to be considered frontrunners to finish atop the W.C. A few more healthy bodies would help, and along those lines Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol continue to work themselves back into shape. Trevor Ariza is still a ways away from returning, which in part explains the signing of veteran small forward Ira Newble.
Kobe would love, but doesn't need, an MVP award. But this might be the year he gets one anyway. (Fair to say that Kobe has established himself as a success in the NBA, but it does segue nicely into a well thought post on how high schoolers have fared in the Association.)
Jerry West/NYK rumors are floating around, but according to this, the Logo and the Garden haven't yet spoken
With the win Friday night, the Lakers have a full game lead on Houston and New Orleans for the conference lead, and are up a game and a half on Phoenix in the Pacific. The Hornets host the Celtics tonight, and the Rockets will play the Suns in the desert (technically, in an arena in the desert).
Quick reminder that before Sunday's game will be Fiesta Lakers. Pretty sure a ticket is required to get in, but it should be a good time.
coment on "freak flag fly" .. a great song(almost cut my hair)....The Lakers must " CARRY ON"...it starting to feel like "DEJA VU" The vets must keep.(TEACH YOUR CHILDREN".....the young ones gunning..go lakers!!!
Posted by: neil | March 22, 2008 at 11:25 AM
Lamar is beginning to knock down that Mid-Range jumper with consistency which will make him very difficult to contain in halfcourt sets now. Especially when Bynum and Gasol get back healthy. Kobe is doing a great job reading what the defense gives him like a QB and not forcing the issue.
Posted by: kelly | March 22, 2008 at 11:37 AM
What a great season - with the closeness in the West, it's like having an extra 6-7 weeks of playoffs.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | March 22, 2008 at 12:09 PM
To our prodigal blogger, Mike T. It is already Easter and your coveted dream of the Lakers turning around is happening. I am sure you're reading this blog. It is time to post now and come back. By this time, you have recovered from the Kwame relapse, it is a new beginning so aside from your religious blog, come back to lakers blog.
On the other hand, you might jinx the turn around, if you come and visit, so please avoid your usual hard comments on PJ and Luke. Just concentrate on the game and strategies against contenders.
To the other traditional bloggers like Lolo, Stargazin' JJ, jayjay, Arnie, Pete Maguire, lamar fan, Dan smuschcalade, Gaznabi, Guy O, WiZo, Shady, Zach Z, Jorema, Kiwi, bryle, UK laker fan, Chris of Norway, Tom & Jerry, purplengold and many other bloggers, disgruntled to blog after KL or Gunner or Stephen as well as the scrubby performance of Kwame/Smush/Cookie, (they too are now part of the Lakers archives.)
Come back and post again as we usher the new era of Lakers. Zakee is no longer of Smush sucks, LakerTom not prodding of Farmar to start but always dreaming of dynasty, Jon K not posting players' bio-chrono but more engaged on sea minerals and dit- dat-jow whatever it means, it works because Lakers are winning. It is time to post again, don't worry about the trolls (if you talk something back about Luke, you are now a troll. lol!) just focus on the road to Championship.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | March 22, 2008 at 12:18 PM
Once again in this conference, I don't know who to root for. Huston or Phoenix? Huston is half a game ahead but Phoenix could challenge for the division. Huston is, I think, less dangerous overall, so I guess I could root for them. Huston also has the slightly easier schedule, so I should root against them. Yikes!
OK, OK...We control our destiny. All I have to do is root for us and let the rest of the conference sort itself out. Not that that's really possible. But it's a nice ideal.
Go Lakers!
Posted by: Cameron | March 22, 2008 at 12:26 PM
I guess it is official when Charles Barkley and JA Adande are on the KB24 for MVP bandwagon ... This is one of the greatest MVP races ever!
Lebron is tremedous, CP3 is sublime, KG & the Celestials are stratospheric, T-Mac had an unbelievable stretch, AI continues to show that he can play at the highest level, Nash & Shaq may yet prove us wrong, ditto Kidd & Dirk, Baron & Stephen Jack. We overlook 'Sheed, Chauncey, Prince & Rip as a matter of course, and whatever happened to the man-child aka Superman Dwight Howard?
This is beginning to look more and more like KB24 and the Lakers are destiny's darlings.
Posted by: GLenn | March 22, 2008 at 12:27 PM
Supersonic is Supa, but I like Tha Cars That Go BOOM...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaeNelsAOGo
Posted by: ajax | March 22, 2008 at 01:24 PM
Where are we on LO? Trade or not trade.
Playoffs maybe determine. If LO isn't the second option, he bring something unique to the game. My vote is to keep him, although he still makes too many mental errors. Just haven't heard who he could be traded for that would provide more productivity.
How about Vlad Rad? He has earned his minutes and may be a big playoff factor.
Posted by: Todd | March 22, 2008 at 01:33 PM
Meh.
Good Weekend all.
Laker success doesn't breed nearly the fun of losses and panic.
That being said, I'll take the wins in lieu of panic. Even if the wins against bad teams are boring.
Oink Oink
Posted by: "Pig" Miller | March 22, 2008 at 01:49 PM
Edwin,
good post man.
All is forgiven. Everybody takes heat from time to time on diff. topics but itz all in the fun.
The Lakers are back, that should be good for every1!
And the best thing, is we legitimately have a chance to win it all this year!
Posted by: Korey | March 22, 2008 at 01:52 PM
Funny story:
"Sonics forward Chris Wilcox missed his seventh game of the season because of a right pinkie sprain, meaning the Sonics had 10 players in uniform...Wilcox, who said he will not play today, remains adamant that he's not out for the season.
"I can't be away from the game like that; I'm not going to shut down," he said.
Kobe for MVP.
Wes
Posted by: wesjoenixon | March 22, 2008 at 01:54 PM
Good morning Laker Fans
Edwin, entertaining and true posts about the Blog regulars, good stuff.
Great blowout win, just some notes
1) Phil Jackson always beats Don Nelson, it's not even close. Plus the Warriors are a mess right now. Count up 2 more wins Sunday and Monday
2) With the Lakers new ability to beat bad teams handily, the Lakers pretty much have the rest of this month off. Next month revenge against Portland April 2nd.
3) AK/BK will will the Lakers over Mark Cuban's Mavs on Friday the 4th of April
4) We welcome back Andrew Bynum on the 6th against Sacto.
5) The rest will be history
ps. Luke doesn't suck, just give him some time.
Odom haters, what will you do with your supply of Haterade?
Posted by: Bynumite | March 22, 2008 at 02:01 PM
Edwin, thanks for remembering me! Trust me, I haven't left, it's just that I'm in the navy, so it's hard to find time to write! I'm one of those who want Mike T back, i think that he brought a lot of positive things to this blog!
Last night's game was good for us, kind of a pick-up game, good for our confidence. I really miss Ariza and Bynum, we need some defence. The last games has shown that we are more than capable of scoring, but allowing 100+ points against the likes of Sonics isn't good enough. So i'm looking forward to their return!
Love your posts, Edwin Gueco. I'm honoured to be mentioned by you.
Regards Kristoffer from chilly Norway
Posted by: Kris of Norway | March 22, 2008 at 02:06 PM
"Ball Don't Lie!
Luke Walton: 17 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists on 8 for 11 shooting."
Against sonics, 4th qrtr garbage time. That's the truth.
If Luke can do it in important games, that will be nice to see.
Posted by: Staples 24 | March 22, 2008 at 02:29 PM
48 DOWN, SEVEN MORE TO GO!
Posted by: CBuck | March 22, 2008 at 02:47 PM
Phil Jacksons comments in the pregame interview about Vlad's defense bothered me. He was speaking in regards to the Utah game about why Vlad wasnt playing in the fourth. His comment was he didnt have the confidence in Vlad's defense. This was a strange comment since Vlad has really picked up his defense and he has called for Vlad to play better D which he has started doing why not reward him for playing more aggressive. Even Stu Lance has noticed it which is shocking because I've always felt Stu had his favorites and would always pick on Vlad in the past, I thought he was in a relationship with Cook the way he spoke about him and then Vlad would come in and have a good game it would be Ho Hum or if he made a mistake he would jump on him bad. It seems that the political wheel around the lakers have their candiates and fall guys. I think if Stu can see the difference in the play it's time Phil to step up and give some credit for Vlad's efforts. But it's probably easier to keep a foot on his neck in case he needs his fall guy for the game, for the poor rotation mistakes he makes in the game. Sometimes it seems like he just forgets to make a move and then comes up with an old reason no defense in this case, but Phil Vlad has been playing D, maybe it's you that needs to wake up.
Posted by: Ken | March 22, 2008 at 02:48 PM
Edwin Gueco,
Nice appeal to the old time bloggers return.
By the way, I still have to do Bio-Chrono readings for Pau Gasol, Trevor Ariza, and Ira Newble! Expect them soon.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | March 22, 2008 at 02:48 PM
No doubt, the Golden State back to back games are vitally important and must-see games.
As a potential 1st round playoff opponent, I'd like to see how the Lakers do with the up-tempo, perimeter game of the Warriors.
I liken them to a poor-man's Phoenix Suns; a constant offensive barrage without any true (pre-Shaq) big man attack. With Bynum and Pau, the Warriors would be no match. However, with no real bigman in the middle, the Warriors are a team that truly frightens me.
I would hate to face the Warriors in the first round. Their crowd is extremely tough and the Warriors' us-against-the-world attitude can overwhelm a methodical team like the Lakers. I really need to see the Lakers handle the Warriors. If the Warriors beat the Lakers, especially twice in a row, then we should all get very nervous come playoff time.
Posted by: troy | March 22, 2008 at 03:06 PM
i'm going to the game tomorrow and i'm all sorts of stoked. really bummed gasol wont be playing though. tomorrow is def. will going to be a wild game with ridiculous amounts of scoring. i think the lakers will win due to golden states lack of defense and the fact that lakers can score a lot too. hope vlad and the bench mob keep up the good play tomorrow.
also, i've seen a few nba teams wear mexican themed jerseys this year ie. los spurs, el heat, los suns... because fiesta lakers is tomorrow, any chance lakers jerseys will say los lakers?
GO LAKERS
Posted by: mrbarneydangles | March 22, 2008 at 03:11 PM
trading LO always was a dumb idea. People need to learn that great teams are just that == teams. You dont get better by just assembling a bunch of stat guys. Thats why I dont like fantasy leagues. They miss the point that a great team is better than the sum of its parts. LO provides everything the Lakers need and then some. Its like the Patriots. They demonstrate you can be a great team if you find enough guys who are above average, and then play as a team -- but if you break the bank signing an Alex Rodriguez, for example, then you usually cant get those pieces. Not to mention that the team loses faith in itself because everybody looks to the superstar to win every game. This is why Kobe has always been smart to start slow in games and look for assists. He learned the hard way that having the focus all on him makes the Lakers a one-dimensional team that is easy to beat. And Luke looked better last night. If he keeps shooting like that its going to open up his whole game.
Posted by: jeffgrotke | March 22, 2008 at 03:21 PM
Hello all,
Isn't it wonderful that there is such comraderie in Laker land.
See what happens when you support instead of tear down..
Here's to not bashing PJ, Lamar, Vlade, Fish, or Luke anymore. No more trolls, no more arguments. Just friendly conversation about our team without denigration and hostility.
I love you guys
Posted by: Evil Cartman | March 22, 2008 at 03:23 PM
Ken: I share the same thought as you do regarding PJ. I also believe he favors Luke Walton for his basketball IQ.
I have said it before and I will say it again, Luke's basketball IQ works best when he is sitting on the pine!
Posted by: Robyn | March 22, 2008 at 03:36 PM
EDWIN,
You can welcome back all bloggers who stop blogging for quite sometime now, for different reasons, but please DONT ASK KL BEAST TO COME BACK. He's a poison on this blog, All he brings here is NEGATIVITY AND SO MUCH HATRED FOR KOBE.
GO LAKERS!!! I MISS THE PARADE IN DOWNTOWN LA!!
Posted by: dacsila | March 22, 2008 at 03:40 PM
Ken...
I agree with you that Vlad Rad is playing much beter defense than in the past. I think that PJ knows it too; it's obvious. You know Phil and his head games...he probably is pushing Rad's buttons so that he doesn't rest on his laurels and continues to play hard on the defensive end. The Lakers are gearing up for the playoff push and can't afford too much contentment. It's winning time!!! GO LAKERS!!!!
Posted by: bronxlakerfan | March 22, 2008 at 03:57 PM
exhelodrvr....
You're right about this being a very entertaining season. Every night produces a couple of great matchups. Top games tonight are Boston at the Hornets and Houston at the Funs.
Posted by: bronxlakerfan | March 22, 2008 at 04:05 PM
NoCal perspective: Horry's biggest shots
http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/802375.html
Sonnybelfast
Posted by: sonnybelfast | March 22, 2008 at 04:12 PM
KEN..........
Nice post.......
Phil is flakey like that.......I never heard phil take the blame for a lose ( NEVER ) he will never admit when he is wrong.......I hate that........because all of the loses this year he played a role........like not calling time-out when teams go on a run.........are putting the ball in luke walton hands OF ALL PEOPLE,with 4 sec left an down by 3........I dunno.
LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS
HOUSTON.......VLAD IS A +10.........luke is a -12
DALLAS.........VLAD IS A + 14........luke is a -12
UTAH........VLAD IS A +10........luke is a -1
SEATTLE.......VLAD IS A + 38.......luke scored all of his points in the 4th.....in garbage time......I didn't watch the 4th.....but they prolly forced feed him to get his confidence up lol.......
Who do you think is more important in games........
Phil lost alot of credit for that dumb-ass comment.......THAT WAS JUST STUPID.
COMPTON
Posted by: COMPTON FINEST | March 22, 2008 at 04:41 PM
Jon K,
Thanks for the shout out. Love your posts, sense of humor, and Lakers enthusiasm, too.
I bet if you did bio-chrono readings for the whole team, it would probably point to this perfect storm of a season for the Lakers. This team’s karma is beyond believable.
Blog think-sync between us for sure when it comes to Barack and Hillary. Every American should take the time to listen and appreciate the great history-defying speech that Barack Obama gave on race in America. As Richardson said in his endorsement, Barack is a once in a generation leader. He will be America’s MVP much as Kobe will be the NBA’s MVP.
More KB24 and AB17. More Pau and Lamar. Go, Barack.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | March 22, 2008 at 04:42 PM
JohnnyP,
No need to remind me that Luke turning the corner may be illusionary. Luke will probably do that himself the next game. LOL.
The only thing that gives me any hope is the theory that the kool-aid the Lakers drank before the season that elevated everybody’s game is finally starting to affect Luke. LOL. Look at how much better everybody is this year versus last, including Kobe, Lamar, Andrew, Ronny, Jordan, Sasha, and Vlade. Everybody except Luke. So maybe Luke is just soooo So-Cal that it is taking longer for him to be affected. LOL.
Everybody else (Smush, Kwame, Evans, and Cook) who didn’t step up other than Luke was traded or replaced by Fisher, Ariza, and Gasol.
Anyway, once we get Pau, Andrew, Chris, and Trevor back there won’t be any playing time left for Luke except garbage time. Fortunately for Luke, the Lakers will be good enough that he will still see some playing time in blowouts. LOL.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | March 22, 2008 at 04:43 PM
Edwin,
Mike T is now with the Memphis Daily News no.1 blogger for the Grizzlies.
Posted by: Botsoy | March 22, 2008 at 04:46 PM
ex,
“What a great season - with the closeness in the West, it's like having an extra 6-7 weeks of playoffs.”
You are so right, as usual. I think the atmosphere definitely is already at playoffs pitch. For sure, this benefits young teams like the Lakers, Rockets, and Hornets over the older competitors like the Spurs, Suns, and Mavs, giving them more playoff-level experience.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | March 22, 2008 at 04:46 PM
Edwin,
“LakerTom not prodding of Farmar to start but always dreaming of dynasty.”
Great call to come back to many of the blog’s old-time contributors. Keep it up, Edwin. You are the blog’s ambassador.
By the way, while I officially disbanded the Start-Farmar Bandwagon when we signed DFish, I still am high on my boy Jordan. The Lakers made the smart choice between him and Crittenton, as much as I also liked him. But what Jordan has is a Kobe Klone as far as his work ethic, confidence, and desire to win.
The front office has done a good job of building a team with Kobe Klones and ridding the team of guys who didn’t care, wouldn’t work on their games, and didn’t play with heart and soul. When you look at the team now, it is amazing how these guys have worked their asses off and deserve to be #1.
Go, Lakers. The dynasty begins this year.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | March 22, 2008 at 04:52 PM
LakerTom,
"The dynasty begins this year."
Indeed it does.
Laker Nation has spent three years wandering through the desert, and now we have reached the Promised Land.
Good times now. Good times ahead.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | March 22, 2008 at 04:57 PM
Troy,
If we lose 2 in a row against Golden State, the # 1 seed is in serious jeopardy, so we may not have to worry about facing them in the playoffs.
But, we shouldn't be too worried about playing them in the first round. It's a tough place to play in, but we beat Utah at their place and they have the best home record in the league. I think we would handle them in 5 MAYBE 6 games. Especially with Drew and Pau back in the lineup. I'm not too worried about it.
Posted by: gokobego | March 22, 2008 at 05:07 PM
I went to Michael T. website and wrote him an email requesting his return. I suggest others do so as well.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | March 22, 2008 at 05:15 PM
Who to root for in the Boston-New Orleans matchup?
I guess Boston for the Western Conference standings gain for the Lakers.
Also Boston, because Chris Paul will get some MVP ammo if the Hornets beat Boston, something Los Angeles did not do.
But then, KG gets MVP ammo if Boston wins, as they are on a tear through the Western Conference.
Plus I hate Boston.
But I'm a team player, so I will root for Boston, so that New Orleans goes down in the standings, and Chris Paul loses MVP steam.
GO CELTICS (no exclamation mark).
Posted by: Amazing_Happens | March 22, 2008 at 05:17 PM
LakerTom,
Also less opportunity for the older teams to "coast" and save their energy.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | March 22, 2008 at 05:19 PM
LakerTom,
"As Richardson said in his endorsement, Barack is a once in a generation leader. He will be America’s MVP much as Kobe will be the NBA’s MVP."
i'm wondering if u cared about richardson during the primaries or if you cared about his platform.
playing basketball and playing with a country r 2 different things.
but your association is brilliant. indeed, barak bought his wife some great pearls and he also had his "colorado" moment.
i do not care about players "behind the scenes" and especially i do not care, and i do not want to know about bloggers politics. keep it to yourself.
but looking–not always reading–your long posts, i'm not surprised u like long speeches, and now petting edwin on the back because is wants all the bloggers back. (and i agree with him).
some eggs tomorrow hidden in the grass will have hidden grains of wisdom. go find some
Posted by: ZIn Master | March 22, 2008 at 05:35 PM
Thank you ALL for responding. I hope our prodigal bloggers will come back to the fold. It is funny to get into those heated debates on players, on writing styles, on victories and defeats suddenly, we don't hear from them anymore. What we missed were the creative talents from their posts which added flavor and brought fame to the Lakers Blog.
Bythe way, KL will no longer come back, he was buried in oblivion of another blog. I hope he's OK and changed his ways. Mike T. is still in LA, reads this blog but shy to post after saying goodbye.
Finally, on what LakerTom said: "But what Jordan has is a Kobe Klone as far as his work ethic, confidence, and desire to win."
~~Many here have noticed that Jordan is becoming a clone of Kobe, the ballhog that is - shoot first before passing. That's great if it's going in but when he misses, he's no Kobe and if the team losses, hatred posts multiplies. lol! Do we need another faster and taller PG next year? Say Sun Yue. We need another thread to discuss that further.
HAPPY EASTER TO ALL (in advance)
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | March 22, 2008 at 05:35 PM
The passing and team play in both O and D that the Lakers have shown the last 3 games is some of the best I've ever seen from this crew. Even better than what they showed when Pau was playing.
This by no means suggests that they are better off without Gas or AB or TA or CM. But Kobe, Lamar, Vlad, Luke, Rony, Sasha and Farmar have been playing together for almost 2 full seasons now. Fish knows the PJ triangle as well as anyone and has been the backcourt mate of Kobe for years so his arrival has been seamless. With this crew, the Lakers can beat the Warriors 2 nights in a row if they continue their play of last 3 games, especially w/new aggression from LO, new concentration from Vlad, hopefully new shooting from Luke.
It will be interesting to see how Lakers adjust to getting Pau back, then Mihm, then Bynum, then maybe even Ariza, within a few games of each other. I expect the smoothness that we've seen of late to disappear, and the well-oiled machine will need some maintenance to firing back on all cylinders. We'll probably hang on to No. 1 seed but just by a hair due to the adjustments required. Interestingly, if we beat GS back-toback, this may just allow Denver into the playoffs.
Who would you rather see in the first round: Warriors or Nuggest?
Posted by: LakerinBC | March 22, 2008 at 05:42 PM
Present and accounted for. Go Lakers
Baywood
Posted by: Baywood | March 22, 2008 at 05:43 PM
Jon K,
Can you post again Mike T. website with the permission of AK/BK? Let's greet him with Easter wishes.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | March 22, 2008 at 05:43 PM
Edwin, Sun Yue would be good for Lakers even if he sits as 12th man on the bench so that Lakers can do more marketing in China, make more money and be able to pay for the lux tax with all the players we need to resign for mo money.
Posted by: LakerinBC | March 22, 2008 at 05:45 PM
LakerTom,
Zin Master is a Troll.
And I agree with you about Obama.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | March 22, 2008 at 05:52 PM
I just ran Ira Newble's Bio-Chrono chart. Interesting. It's important that the game be approached as "fun" for him to physically play at his best.
More later.
Good to hear that Ira Newble (like Kobe) is aggressively promoting greater Darfur awareness.
Maybe Newble didn't want to play with LeBronze because LeBronze doesn't care at all that hundreds of thousands of innocent black Africans are being slaughtered in Western Sudan. I guess money's just more important for herpes infected LeBron James.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | March 22, 2008 at 05:58 PM
Jon K.
"I went to Michael T. website and wrote him an email requesting his return"
wow, I guess life is boring without controversy. did you manage to get a hold of KL too?
I got nothing against mike t but 70% of the time all the dude did was rile up the blog with his kwame rules and pj sucks posts. If the blog now seems boring without him I'd suggest y'all get creative instead of trying to turn this spot back into a place where 70% of the posts are directed at mike t. cuz everyones wondering is this dude sane?
Posted by: Taliq | March 22, 2008 at 06:01 PM
LAKERS BUILDING A DREAM TEAM…
That the Lakers have once again taken over top seed in the Western Conference despite missing both of their 7-foot front-court stars portends the likelihood that the Lakers are in the midst of building a dream team that will dominate the NBA for the next decade. To think the Lakers are doing this without Bynum and Gasol has to strike fear in the hearts of the rest of the NBA. No team in the league will be able to compete with the Lakers combination of size and shooting. No wonder Phoenix and Dallas panicked.
From seemingly on the brink of destruction, a perfect storm of miraculous events has now elevated the Lakers to elite status and put them precipice of a basketball dynasty, with a roster that is bigger, stronger, deeper, and more talented than any other team. Best of all, the team is so young that it is only going to get better with experience and should end up wining multiple NBA championships like previous Lakers’ dynasties. In fact, this team could eventually end up as the greatest Lakers team in history.
While we may not see our ultimate lineup in the earlier rounds, I think by the time we reach the Western Conference Finals we will see the Kobe-Fish-Odom-Gasol-Bynum starting lineup that may likely be the core five that anchor the Lakers next three-peat. There is no team, including Boston, that can match up against this Lakers starting five. And the way that Lamar has been playing, the Lakers have four legitimate all-stars starting plus a gritty veteran point guard in Derek Fisher who has won 3 rings.
Once Andrew and Pau return to the starting lineup, the Bench Mob will suddenly become much more potent. Ronny and Vlade have been playing extremely well as starters and shown that they can play Lakers basketball. Ronny has defended the rim exceptionally well as our 3rd center and Vlade’s 3-point shooting has added another great weapon to the starting lineup. There could even be valid arguments to keep Vlade as a starter due to his long-range shooting, especially until Andrew is back 100%.
Sasha and Jordan have also played well and continued to shoot lights-out off the bench. I don’t see any friction between the two about which several other posters commented. What I saw, instead, is two young guys who were both supremely confident they could make every shot and weren’t afraid to shoot it, which is exactly what we need. When Kobe takes a break now, the Lakers offense still has sufficient fire power to score at will. I think the Bench Mob is going to win a lot of games for the Lakers in the playoffs.
Trevor Ariza sounded hopeful that he will be able to play once the playoffs begin. The Lakers will definitely miss Trevor’s perimeter defense if he cannot come back this year, although he will remain a solid part of the team’s roster plans for the future. The late season addition of Ira Newbie, who is also an excellent perimeter defender was a sound move and good insurance in case Ariza cannot get back for the playoffs.
Finally, Luke Walton may hopefully have turned a corner and got his game under control. The entire issue with Luke is really one of confidence and playing within himself. If he can do that, then he can become a valuable player in the Lakers rotation as we enter the playoffs. There is no doubt that there will be situations where Luke’s playmaking skills could come in handy, especially to get the offense flowing, but Luke will have to play better than he has shown lately or he will rightly end up buried at the end of the bench.
As the NBA readies to enter another golden age of sensational basketball, the Lakers are poised to be the premiere team again with a newer, more powerful version of Showtime. And on the other side of the country, await the hated Boston Celtics, ready to renew the fearsome battles between Magic, James, and Kareem versus Bird, McHale, and Parrish. Only this time it will Kobe, Andrew, Pau, and Lamar versus Garnett, Pierce, and Allen with the Lakers prevailing as the best team in the NBA for many seasons straight. LOL.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | March 22, 2008 at 06:11 PM
happy jon "Clipper" k. unleashed his "pit-bull" rants. got more kool aid?! or slowly is wearing off.
go back reading Mike T. maybe he will inspire u to repent, or to convert.
Posted by: ZIn Master | March 22, 2008 at 06:13 PM
ex.
"Also less opportunity for the older teams to "coast" and save their energy."
Good point. Maybe that is why the Spurs, Suns, and Mavs are falling behind?
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | March 22, 2008 at 06:18 PM
LakerinBC,
I agree with your post on Sun Yue. Lakers is very popular in China hoopsters next to Yao Ming or Li of Bucks. As the country marches to full development, more people are tuning to the NBA. I totally agree with you that if the Lakers get Sun Yue as the 12th player, the cable subscribers alone can cover the luxury taxes. If the Lakers wins this Championship, this blog will double the capacity of posts from Europe and Asia, that's why I told AK/BK, he might need to open new markets in those areas. lol!
With the addition of Ira Newble opting to be a Laker than join Cleveland, the prospects of the future of this team is becoming brighter. Whatever anomalies or Laker image crated after the disband of Shaq and Kobe and those Kobe's rants last summer, many NBA talented free agents would change their perception especially if we win the Championship this summer. These F/A will be willing to lower their price just to join this team.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | March 22, 2008 at 06:18 PM