Half 'n' half
First things first: If the Lakers and Warriors meet in a seven game series this postseason, I'm asking for a raise. I think I developed carpel tunnel just trying to keep up with this game, which moved so fast that for the play-by-play the PR folk hand out after each quarter, they had to use, like, three point font just to get it on a standard sheet of paper. Just putting that out there. This is the blogging equivalent of hazard pay. But enough about me, how about them Lakers? It wasn't always easy, and it definitely wasn't always pretty, but in the end the Lakers took the away portion of the home and home with Golden State, 123-119 in OT. It's already past 11 and my flight's at 6:30 tomorrow morning, so you'll forgive me if there's not much preamble to tonight's breakdown, which can be found below.
(In the meantime, there will be much debate about the wisdom of the crucial whistle in the OT, where Monta Ellis was called for a charge moving through Derek Fisher as the Warriors tried to set up their final shot. Needless to say, it was controversial. Even Fish said he didn't expect a call there...)
Before delving into the traditional "Good, Bad, and Ugly" wrapup, it's important to emphasize that very little about this game can be so neatly summarized. Nobody performed well for all 53 minutes, and just about everyone stepped up with solid play at one point or another. As for the team, like Sunday, it was a tale of two halves- Golden State controlling the first (more or less), the Lakers the second and then the OT (more or less). Everything is a sort of mixed grill this evening. So with that in mind...
The Good:
- Lamar Odom: Okay, I take that back. One guy played great for all 53 minutes, and I mean that literally. LO played every minute of the game, was 10-15 from the floor, 3-5 from the line, enough for 23 points. On the glass, he hauled down 21 rebounds, the first back to back 20+ board night in over 13 years for the purple and gold. Odom also tossed out five dimes, was aggressive all night attacking the rim on one end and defending it on the other- his five blocks included some monster saves in the fourth when the Lakers cranked up the defensive pressure- and unquestionably left everything out on the floor. After the game, I asked him if he planned on pulling a Dirk and hitting the gym after the Lakers' plane landed tonight. For the record, he isn't.
- The Third Quarter: Just as it was Sunday, the Lakers came out after the break down a healthy margin (in this case, 11 points), and turned things around. They attacked the zone Don Nelson threw at them, taking threes but also crashing the glass and finding soft spots in which to operate. They outscored the Warriors in the paint 18-6, and fueled by five offensive boards racked up 11 second chance points. 15-25 from the floor, good for 60%. Meanwhile, by converting at a high rate offensively and forcing the Warriors to stay home and protect the interior, LA held Golden State to a half court game, allowing a single fast break point. Over that 12 minutes, GSW shot 35% from the field, and was 1-7 from beyond the arc.
- OT: At this point, it was something of a battle of wills, and the Lakers came out on top. The extra frame didn't start well, with consecutive misses from Kobe on isolations where the ball didn't move well, then the Lakers turned the ball over on consecutive possessions (an offensive foul on Kobe, and a horrible play by Sasha where he was totally unaware of Ellis as he dribbled up the floor, and Monta easily picked his pocket). But after a timeout with two minutes to go, the Lakers shaped up. Fish with a triple, and then after LO snagged a Sasha miss, Vujacic got a second chance and drilled another triple. The Lakers sealed the deal with a nice dish from Sasha to Odom, after the oft-shot happy Slovenian passed up a mid range jumper to feed LO cutting to the hoop. Three helps on four buckets in the quarter.
More importantly, the Lakers were stout on the defensive end, holding a tired Golden State team to 3-9 from the floor, and keeping them off the line.
- Ronny Turiaf: His habit of passing out of the post rather than shooting- and drawing three second violations on teammates expecting the ball to go up- needs to stop, but overall he gave a gritty effort on a bum ankle. 32:35, 11 poitns, eight boards, two blocks.
The Bad: Like I said, everyone on the roster (save Odom) seemed like they were gunning for a spot here at one point or another. Kobe had an off shooting night (11-30)... but was 4-8 in the fourth and finished with 30/11/7. Sasha finished with 19 and hit some huge shots, but also was extremely careless with the ball and fired with impunity and made some really poor decisions. Derek Fisher? 6-16 heading into OT... but made two big buckets there and also drew the charge on Ellis that won the game in the end.
See what I'm getting at? So let's focus on team stuff:
- The First Half: Apparently, nobody really learned a lot of lessons Sunday night, though things weren't nearly as bad. The Lakers did a much better job offensively, getting a lot of looks down low early. Except they couldn't hit a layup to save their lives. The 8-26 mark in the first included a lot of missed chippies. On the other end, they held the Warriors to 37.5% but were killed on the break (14-3) in the paint (20-4), and on second chance points (6-0). The Warriors owned the glass, 19-13, and took advantage of every bad LA decision to build a lead. In the second, the Lakers were more effective from the floor (45.5%), but were punished for jacking up too many threes as the Warriors pushed hard, got a lot of high percentage looks (63%) and pushed the lead to 11 going into the half.
The Lakers were burned leaving Golden State open for threes in transition, or had trouble sticking to guys on the perimeter. Too many breakdowns, and they were generally punished for them.
The Mixed:
- The Bench, plus Vladdy and Ronny: Talk about a helter skelter effort? Everyone pitched in with something good, something bad, and a lot of stuff in between. Vlad made a couple shots and grabbed some boards, but also was careless with the ball (three TOs) took some ill advised shots, and was lost defensively. Luke made some good passes and got himself to the line a few times, but had one terrible TO, choosing to pass into traffic rather than take an open 19 foot shot. Jordan Farmar was 0-4 from downtown, but chipped in with three assists, got inside a couple times, and didn't turn the ball over. Sasha was all over the freakin' place. It just shows how with the Lakers short bodies, it exposes some of the role guys. With everyone in the lineup, it's okay if one or two of them don't play well, because the Lakers have options. Shorthanded? Everyone needs to show up every night, and if that crew could do it all the time, they wouldn't be role players.
I'll get the audio up tomorrow, but since so many of you asked why PJ had Luke in the game down the stretch, I asked him. We live to give.
Q: You talked before the game about Luke's struggles, but you had him in late in the fourth tonight. What was he doing, or what were others not doing that made you go that direction?
A: I felt Vladdy, the ball was in danger when it was in hands. Luke obviously gave up the ball late, too, but he got an offensive rebound in the process and was looking to make a pass. But he moves the basketball and does the things we want him to do. He's got a comfort zone to do the right thing and knows how to attack what we're trying to do. So that's important. And I thought defensively tonight he did a good job, too.
So there you have it.
BK
repost from the previous item:
People really gotta chill on this blog, and while they're at it, learn a thing or two about the game of basketball.
In case you haven't noticed, we're not playing five against nothing out there. NOT EVERY PLAY IS GONNA GO OUR WAY. So quit bashing our players for every little mistake. It makes you look idiotic, and takes away from the quality of this blog. I'm as passionate a fan as all of you here, but let's have some perspective people.
And while I'm at that point, you guys gotta stop with the Luke bashing. I'll be the first to admit he's not playing his best basketball and makes a million or two too much annually, but his play isn't worthy of the type of wrath on this blog.
Look at his numbers recenly (7.2 pts, 4.1 rebs, 3.1 assists in 21.5 minutes in March, which are similar to his overall totals). He averaged 4 more points, one more rebound and one more assist in 33 minutes last year, so his contribution is pretty similar this year when you consider the minutes per game.
Which is why I don't understand all the hate. The reason Luke gets minutes is because he brings the little intangibles to the game, something Radmanovic doesn't. We've got a nice setup at the 3 with VRad (shooter), Luke (basketball IQ) and Ariza (defender, super athletic), so quit complaining.
We're gonna be fine.
Posted by: the alchemist element | March 25, 2008 at 12:12 AM
Lamar ... ODAMN was he good!
Posted by: never | March 25, 2008 at 12:13 AM
I love how the Ellis foul at the end is the only one they're talking about as controversial. The Lakers got the short end of the bad-call stick all night, that one foul was hardly up to par with the presents the Warriors got.
That being said, it's very disappointing that both these games came down to refs calls (or lack of calls) in the final minutes. That's not what the fans want to see.
Posted by: J.W. Weatherman | March 25, 2008 at 12:14 AM
Great game from Lamar.
Kobe's shot was off, but he hit the big 3 in the corner and hit the big FTs.
Glad to see Sasha bounce back after the TO with a big 3 and a great pass to LO.
Jordan stills seems to be off, but at least he wasn't jacking up early shots (just 1) and he made a big steal at the end.
Both Fish and Ronny made some big plays and I hope they are both okay.
- Oh yeah props to the Bay area Laker fans who represented at the game, we heard and saw you on TV!
Back in first!!
Go Lakers!!
Posted by: Lakers Legacy | March 25, 2008 at 12:18 AM
Tough win tonight for the Lakers. I had faith we'd win, but I didn't realize how tough it'd be for us. I really thought the Lakers would win easily after Sunday's loss ... but it was fun to watch and frustrating to watch, I think I've lost about five years of my life with the amount of heart stopping TOs the Lakers gave.
One thing about Luke, I think defensively he was pretty good, got some important rebounds and contested layups, but that TO in the remaining minutes of the fourth quarter was U_G_L_Y and so was that TO by Ronny.
The game should have been over by the 4th quarter with the Lakers by 9 or 7 ... still, good to see they gritted it out in OT.
I'll admit, I was surprised by the "controversial whistle too. I thought it might have been a no-call but in the replay it did look like Ellis ran Fish over and needless to say a lot of the referring in this game was a bit shoddy, especially with all the beatings the Lakers took ... but that call really helped cement the game for us. So, yay for the Lakers, I guess. Next time, I hope the Lakers won't be in another close game situation so people won't be complaining that the refs always favor the Lakers (because it's not true).
I except to see blow out wins against Charlotte and Memphis. Nothing less or else the Lakers will be in serious doo-doo.
Posted by: PeanutButterSpread | March 25, 2008 at 12:21 AM
There have been several games including the past two against the Warriors where Kobe should've had a triple double if his mates would make some easy layups or wide open jump shots. LO is playing the way many thought he could play and it couldn't be happening at a better time for the Lakers.
BK,
Do you know what PJ said to Vlad on the bench late in the game? PJ actually stood up and walked over to Vlad and appeared to chew him out. Thanks for the breakdown. Go Lakers!!!
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | March 25, 2008 at 12:36 AM
Nemaia-
I didnt see it, but I doubt it was good.
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | March 25, 2008 at 12:38 AM
Tough to watch that lead evaporate but GS is good and these games are also good for what's about to befall this young team in the playoffs.
It would be nice to see PJ show some confidence in Vlad, let him work through that haze he gets into. No reason why, with his length, he can't learn to D up more consistently. He has his moments but you have to like the way he draws defenders away from Kobe on the offensive end.
Posted by: Vman | March 25, 2008 at 12:41 AM
Also,
I don't know how our salary cap is going to work out next year. We definitely need to pay Ronny a lot more than the 700 thou he is getting this year. Although he's been committing costly turnovers lately, it's not like he's being paid as much as Walton. Luke hasn't been earning his money. I hope he's not one of those players who just settle down after receiving a contract extension. I think we should keep Sasha but at the most pay him at 2-3 mil each year.
My primary concern for the future is our point guard, forward, and center positions.
I don't know how long Fisher could keep up this play and Farmar has experienced several dry spells during the year.
Lamar is playing like Lamar ODAMN but he's had a history of inconsistency. Luke has been puke. Vladimir still is a space cadet but can shoot the 3.
With Gasol and Bynum likely to play together next year, Ronny, an undersized center, is better suited playing the 4. Mihm's play is uncertain.
Here is a list of available free agents who can facilitate those positions next year.
Emeka Okafur: C/PF
Ben Gordon: G (Triangle Offense favors a combo guard)
Luol Deng: SF (Luke is being paid more than this guy)
Daniel Gibson: PG
Monta Ellis: PG (GS will probably lock him up but it's worth a try)
Kareem Rush: G (familiar with the Triangle and Luke's good friend)
Shaun Linvingston: PG (I hope he doesn't break easily..literally)
Kwame Brown: C/PF (at a very minimum price)
Jannero Pargo: PG (another player familiar with the triangle)
Andre Iguodala : SF
Josh Smith: F
Antawn Jamison: F
Posted by: never | March 25, 2008 at 12:41 AM
BK
You have any tidbits or advice on how to do a play-by-play? I'm starting my first job covering an amateur league and have to do the recaps for the games, and was wondering if you had anything to toss my way.
-Ant
Posted by: EpicMess | March 25, 2008 at 12:42 AM
Can you people quit making aspersions towards Sasha's sexuality? I swear that people (and you know who you are) have been singling out Sasha for whatever reason. Sasha had a great game. 5-11 from threes including that critical trey during overtime. I believe he also had another critical shot during regulation as the shot clock was about to expire. He did have a costly turnover but he sure was MAN enough to take that three let alone nail it.
I become upset with Sasha as I am with the rest of the Lakers. I do not, however, resort to deragatory name-calling that borders homophobic slander.
Somone commented that during the Ellis offiensive foul , Sasha had "[unusually]" grabbed Fisher as Fisher was laying on the floor. I only saw a teammate looking out for another teammate. Nothing else. Let's drop it people.
Posted by: never | March 25, 2008 at 12:54 AM
Man the lakers came out big tonight.........i thot it was ugly but it goes to show out depth that even in the most uglyest games we can come out on top so props to them....i thot lamar kick butt and everybody else did a good job making the little contributions........luke did a pretty good job on D tonite so props to him though i do think he is one of the better defenders wen he wants to be but all in all they came up with a win one way or another so im a proud fan rite now...
Posted by: LakErs aLL dAY! | March 25, 2008 at 01:00 AM
As was mentioned by someone else in a previous thread, kudos to the K-Bros for the game summaries they post. Unable to watch or listen to the game online tonight, and living in New England, this summary is my addiction fix.
Thanks men.
And now.......looking through those rose colored binoculars.........I think we need another bandwagon started.
Mamba24????? Are you the official in charge of the whip?????
The official "I HATE THE CELTICS" bandwagon for the increasing possibility of crossing paths in the finals.
--MiloRambaldi---Team Prophet.
(I'll let someone else do the driving.)
Posted by: MiloRambaldi | March 25, 2008 at 01:05 AM
whew...good games. Glad to see the Lakers come back and take the victory. Lamar has been playing huge. Yeah a few days ago i think mentioned on this blog that Lamar was basically putting up Shawn Marion stats since mid-December...Lamar basically playing an All-Star type level...not sure what got into him..but hes playing like he wants to be In L.A. and like he wants a championship...Kobe must be ecstatic that Lamar made a game winning play and such a game-changer throughout
Posted by: The Lake Show | March 25, 2008 at 01:25 AM
I was a Laker fan that represented at the game tonight. :D
Damn it nice to see all the Laker jerseys also. Good W. I like to see better D when Bynum and Gasol comes back. Time to play full quarters. Too much up and down will not go well in the playoffs.
Can't wait for another game... it's been 14 years since the last one I went to!! (Playoffs @ The Great Western Forum)
Posted by: Steven Loi | March 25, 2008 at 01:26 AM
Folks I was at that game and let me tell you this.... Fisher made a great veteran move on monte, was it dirty/sneaky? yeah but it was a hell of a gamble and smart play too. i had great seats at mid court and could seee fish pull monte down on top of him as he ran into his chest. At first i thought it would be a double foul but the ref didn't see fishs arm wrapped around montes back and called a charge.
It was a smart play in that had they called the foul on fish monte ( a second year player) would have had to make 2 pressure freethows, if he made them both that still left the lakers with the final shot and the chance to win. There were other missed calls that went the warriors way there was a bogus illegal defense call, i saw one player literally pull walton to the ground as he was going up for a rebound.
It was a great game and to hear those warrior fans bitch and whine about the ending was oh so sweeet becuase they deserved it. When kobe went down after a hard foul and was rolling around on the floor in pain those assholes were applauding the fact he was hurt. Very bad sportsman ship. I understand we're in the land of the raiders but damn show some class oaktown. I was talking with some of the oracle staff after the game and they say baron was really heartbroken in the lockerroom over tonights game because he says kobe was holding him on one of the last plays of the game and the foul wasn't called.
I was decked out in my lakers gear including the lakers mardi gras beads ( for those of you who don't have one are missing out) and damn near got into 3 different fights with pissy warriors fans. Luckily they were smart enough not to fight a 6'1'' 300 pound blk man whose not afraid of confrontation,lol. Overall it was an absolute great game minus the knuckle heads who either drank to much or take a simple basketball game way to damn seriuos.
AK/BK
Do you know if it was a new california attendence record for last nights game? It didn't seem like it even though the place was packed.
Posted by: richtown | March 25, 2008 at 01:41 AM
I was going to be really annoyed with Odom for his lane violation (which is too typical of his late game brain farts), but I think there's an extent to which it was caused by Kobe stepping into, then stepping out of the key during the OT free throw. I think Kobe was thrown off by an ambivalent free throw shooting motion and that Lamar (like a defensive lineman) was thrown off by Kobe's step in, step out.
It still shouldn't happen, but it was forgiveable because there's a reasonable justification for it.
I would have been bummed if I had to get annoyed with Odom because of his mistake because he has been playing really well of late. He really is a terrific rebounder (which I already knew), but seems even better than I realized.
Glad things worked out for the Lake Show. I'm not sure Fisher fouled Monta on the inbound (it looked like they were both fouling each other and both fell down as Monta forced Fisher off balance), but I do feel like we got off lucky a bit in this game. We had a lead that we had no business blowing. We took horrible care of the ball at the end of regulation when it truly mattered most. It was a second game of a back to back for both teams so that's not an acceptable excuse.
Fun, if not somewhat scary, game.
Posted by: Benjamin | March 25, 2008 at 02:14 AM
the alchemist element,
Don't tell me what to do. If I can't get on a player's case for not playing up to their potential, I don't have nearly as many things to talk about. :P
Many of our players aren't quite earning their paycheck and are making costly, fundamental errors. For this team to be successful we need people to step it up a bit and play like they have this season and with a proper adjustment to playoff intensity. It's no time to let up.
For the record (and to fulfill my promise to others that I'd eat my words if Odom kept up his high level of play after the Gasol trade), Odom is playing great and worth what we're paying him now.
never,
relax. People were probably just trying to be funny. And if Sasha is gay I'm sure he can find a nice place in West Hollywood. I couldn't care less about his sexuality. I'm not like that homophobe Jerry Sloan.
As for the Fisher-Ellis thing, I think the ref should have made it a no call. He didn't have a good angle and guessed which is always bad officiating.
I don't know if others of you haven't noticed, but Fisher gets a lot of good calls. I've never seen a guy get the benefit of the doubt when a call could be made as much as he does. He doesn't get phantom calls or calls with minimal contact, however. If it could be a blocking foul on him or a charge on the other guy, he gets a charge every time I've noticed.
As much as Luke has frustrated me this year with so so decisions, TOs, not taking absolutely necessary shots (that shot clock violation one was unforgiveable), I've noticed the Lakers tend to play better with him on the floor than Radmanovich. That's even with Radman's recent improved defense.
Posted by: Benjamin | March 25, 2008 at 02:33 AM
Kobe needs to rest more! The guy is going to be crawling into the playoffs at this rate. Did you notice how well the Lakers played during the one or two minutes Kobe was on the bench? The ball moved much better and GS defense had trouble adjusting. Plus, Kobe had a bad night and had no business taking 30 shots (11 for 30). I think Kobe's great, but he would better serve the team and himself by resting 10 mintues a game.
Vlade had a space cadet night. His defense was non-existent. He deserved his front row seat.
Jordan still hasn't loosened up. I 'd like to see him get more minutes to shake his game free. Earlier in the season he often provided the needed spark and we'll need that from him come playoff time.
As for the playoffs. Can any Western team survive the playoffs and then meet an Eastern team that has been on vacation except for the Eastern championship?
Posted by: LiveLakers | March 25, 2008 at 02:59 AM
Near the end of the game, Phil did his full on leaning over his player, hunched sideways with his hands on his waist thing. He looked like he was lecturing a child and to him, it probably felt like he was.
I've noticed he usually only does that when he's really got something that bugs him, that's fundamentally unsound about someone's play.
Vlad probably made the same mistake a few times.
Posted by: Benjamin | March 25, 2008 at 03:53 AM
I expect nothing less from LO. Give him the rock, and good things happen.
Posted by: joey numbers | March 25, 2008 at 04:02 AM
we need pau back!!!
PURPLE & GOLD BABY!!!
Posted by: juanman888 | March 25, 2008 at 04:47 AM
Nice win (albeit a little frustrating) seeing as how we had a nice lead but then gave it away. But good teams have the ability to overcome their own mistakesin the long run and this win proved we can do that even when we are severely short handed. Which brings me to my next point.
I think Phil has been playing Luke so much because we are short on bodies. If Gasol and Bynum were healthy I don't think we would see Luke or Vlad nearly as much. And then in crunch time, Phil has to make a choice, Spaceboy or Beachboy, and while Vlad shoots much better than Luke, Vlad doesn't do any better than Luke in any other category. Both have brought some cringeworthy moments to their games recently and Luke has been struggling with consistency all season long, And while there are a hundred better players in the league than Luke, he is one of the few that knows the triangle really well. His skill set (if you want to call it skill) is such that Phil can find some very specific uses for him during a game. Unfortunately, when Luke tries to go away from his capabilities he tends to look flustered, like a lost puppy sniffing his own pooh trail to find his way home, but when he finds his way home the owners will still smile and say, "That a boy Lukey, that a boy". I understand why we have been tough on Luke because as passionate Laker fans we have a very very low tolernance for losing and for costly mental mistakes.
When it comes to the playoffs though, I believe that we are as scary as any team out there (when we are healthy) and that nobody wants to face the Lakers, spaceboy and beachboy included, in a seven game series.
I'll say it here now, if Lamar Odom continues to dominate the glass and frankly the whole game the way he has, it won't matter if Bynum comes back 100 percent because with the Bean, Gasol, and Odom we are damn near unstoppable.
To all the other teams in the league, we are putting you on notice, if you want the championship this year, it goes through the LA you don't want none of that!
Go Lakers!!!
Posted by: thedropper | March 25, 2008 at 05:03 AM
WHAT A GAME! Another MVP worthy showcase by Kobe. His composure is amazing and talk about toughness? The guy was getting slaughtered, even getting a boxing-style cut, and managed to keep cool and step up when it counted.
Big Props to Odom. He was a magnet to the ball, attacking the glass like a beast. It's great to see him taking it to the hole and extending his reach for those one-handed lay-ups..his confidence is high, you can tell.
I agree to AK that the role players were exposed tonight. It shows that they really need to tweak the little things out there; ball control, court awareness, and composure. There were some flashes of their potential tonight, luckily at the right times that brought us out with a win.
Close call, but we managed to pull through. As for Luke, the guy is amazingly sorry. Please stop showing sympathy for Luke. This is Los Angeles Lakers basketball, we accept nothing but GREATNESS here. Luke is simply a sorry basketball player. People talk about his "basketball IQ" but the guy makes huge turnovers when it counts or reads the offense horribly, gets burned, and allows the other team crucial points. The guy is not a smart basketball player, he is a kid living in the shadows of his father's greatness. Plus, he has no authority, he is always getting killed on the box out. Watch one Laker game and just focus on Luke, you will see how horrible he is. Regardless, Luke can be a great bench player, like Greg Kite or something. I just hope not for the Lakers.
I was watching videos on Youtube of Bynum's old games..WOW! all I got to say is that the LEAGUE IS NOT READY FOR BYNUM-GASOL-KOBE.....DYNASTY...LAKERS WILL ALWAYS EMBODY GREATNESS
www.myspace.com/lamental
"U CANNOT HOLD THE GLORY...FROM WILT MAGIC TO KOBE"--L.A. MENTAL
Posted by: L.A. MENTAL | March 25, 2008 at 05:18 AM
Im sorry to point this out, but i think our season turns on the play of Vlad Rad. If he can score atleast 15 points, the more likely our chances to win. Especially since we are missing two starters in the low post.
Phil needs to just keep Vlad Rad on the floor for more minutes.
Posted by: Adam | March 25, 2008 at 05:21 AM
GOOD MORNING: CHARLES, BOZZ, PIG MILLER
RICK FRIEDMAN XODUS TSIRY TALIQ KEIFO
*__________________________*
LAKERS WIN OUT - STARTING
MAR.24 BANDWAGON
*__________________________*
(01) FEARLESS WHACK JOB - Driver & Secret Owner
(02) MAMBA24 - Riding Shotgun
(03) GLENN - Reports directly to 9Rings
*_________________________________*
LEAVE FARMAR ALONE HE WILL BE OK
BANDWAGON
*_________________________________*
(01) RICK FRIEDMAN - Driver and Owner
(02) TIM-4-SHOW riding Shotgun
(03) MAMBA24 –
(04) BOZZ – Director of security
(05) PIG MILLER – Director of Overtime
(06) XODUS – Director of Publicity
*_________________________________________*
THE LAKERS 2008 CHAMPIONSHIP BANDWAGON
*………………….…ALL ABOARD!..............................*
[__________________________________________]
01 ANDREW Z - Owner
02 RICK FRIEDMAN – Driver
03 MAMBA24 – Basking in the glow
04 KEIFO – Chief of Staff
05 JEFF – Security Chief
06 XODUS - Head Reporter and part time enforcer
07 utzworld - THE BANNER HOLDER - Bearer of the Laker Flag
08 THE OUTLAW - He's reformed
09 KOBESBAD – And that’s good.
10 WHITEMAMBA24 - Route Director
11 TSIRY – Passing out the championship hats
12 AB – Crowd control director
13 LAKERTRUTH - Judge, Jury and Executioner
14 HAPPYDAZE - Director of Morale
15 LAL-FAN - Freakin La Laker Fan
16 TSPHERE – keeper of the Flame
17 STAPLES24 -
18 JUSTANOTHERMAMBAFAN - Just a Super mamba faN
19 LAKERS LEGACY - Keeper of the Flame
20 THA SHOW - Just keeping us real
21 ANDO – Superstar in the making
22 JESTERGURU – Waiting for Driving Assignment
23 NIK KANNAN – Blog Team Trainer
24 BZAR – Publicity Officer
25 DOC4daLakeShow – Blog Doctor
26 HAPPY GILMORE - Team Motivation Officer
27 TRIO – 3 Laker Fans in 1
28 FIRE32 Burning with Laker Pride
29 LAKER NORTH – In charge Of all things North
30 JUSTALAKERFAN - Director of Fan Protocol
31 JUSTANOTHERMAMBAFAN – Director of all Blog Mambas
32 BROWNMAMBA – Asst. Director of all Blog Mambas
33 DK - Reports directly to Jerry Buss
Posted by: MAMBA24 | March 25, 2008 at 05:32 AM
Long Time Laker Fan,
can we agree that you are really a short time Laker Fan because you obviously dont have a "long" term basketball view?
Sasha's quick shots are maddening. They will save you and kill you. I'm being hyper-critical? Oh ok... Well what does Phil Jackson think:
""Most of the irritation [Sunday] night was created by Sasha's foray into the court and shooting one-on-three," he said. "If we had 15 guns on the bench, there would have been 15 holes in Sasha at the moment. Sasha can do that somewhere else but not here. I didn't have to say anything to him. They all jumped on him collectively."
Hmmmmm....
"Spoken like someone who didn't bother to watch the game tonight?"
Uh what? How do you think we got down by 6 in overtime? Sasha pulling the trigger quicker then John Wayne! Then Sasha finally makes 1 in overtime to put us ahead and SMARTLY realizes to stop firing away and passes to Odom for the game winning play.
Sasha is who he is. An unconscious gunner whose a turnover waiting to HAPPEN anytime he tries to dribble the ball up the court.
How do you explain getting ripped point blank by Monta Ellis dribbling up court?! That's ridiculous and you know it.
Sasha Vujacic is just NOT a player your rely on night in, night out in the clutch. He'll shoot you in and shoot you out the game. I'd rather NOT have our #1 seed hopes rely on that.
If someone could just slow this kid down he would be a 50% shooter from 3, I swear....
But you wouldnt know that, you are short time Laker fan being a long time imposter...
fall back, or better yet watch the games before you talk...
Posted by: Korey | March 25, 2008 at 05:58 AM
*____________________________*
I HATE THE CELTICS BANDWAGON
*_____________________________*
(01) EAST COAST JESSIE – Driver and Owner
(02) MILO RAMBALDI- --Team Prophet.
(03) MAMBA24 – Riding Shotgun
Posted by: Mamba24 | March 25, 2008 at 06:08 AM
Vlade sucks! I tremble when he has the ball. Always think something bad is going to happen!
Posted by: zz | March 25, 2008 at 06:11 AM
yeh... boo celtics boo...
on second thought, they will play agianst the suns...
just this once... go celts go... beat them damn FUNS...
Posted by: juanman888 | March 25, 2008 at 06:26 AM
Another great practice game for the playoffs for the Lakers. The benefit from this game will be much greater than from the next two where the intensity will not be there and the talent level is substandard.
The Warriors are a good opponent and force the Lakers to play in a faster pace. I actually think that the Lakers do better against these types of opponents who do not slow down the game and make every defensive posession important.
Finally, the Warriors are so small inside and the number of shots in their games is higher. The result is that Lamar Odom would lead the NBA in rebounding by five if that is all we played against. Match ups are wierd.
Mark
Posted by: markythearky | March 25, 2008 at 06:57 AM
Hey peanut butter,
I highly doubt the next two games are going to be blowouts wins (absent Gasol), but we really really really need to win them.
However, if VLAD RAD drops 15 or more points, blow out victories are not inconceivable.
Posted by: Adam | March 25, 2008 at 07:01 AM
PROJECTED FINAL STANDINGS IN WESTERN CONFERENCE
1. LAL 58-24
2. NEW ORLEANS 56-26
3. SAN ANTONIO 56-26
4. UTAH 53-28
5. HOUSTON 55-27
6. PHOENIX 54-28
7. DALLAS 51-31
8. DENVER 50-32
9. GOLDEN STATE 50-32
Lakers should be happy with this alignment.
Posted by: Justin Young | March 25, 2008 at 07:01 AM
Colin Cowherd had a good segment this morning comparing the likely playoff matchups in the east versus the likely matchups in the west. The difference between the two is pretty incredible.
So Portland likely misses the playoffs - they still have their draft pick this year, right? So they get to add Oden, plus a high pick, to this year's team? The Lakers have another year of experience for their young players, plus a training camp/pre-season to figure out the best way to integrate Bynum/Gasol/Odom. The West is probably going to be deeper next season than this season!
Posted by: exhelodrvr | March 25, 2008 at 07:05 AM
PROJECTED FINAL STANDINGS IN WESTERN CONFERENCE
1. LAL 58-24
2. NEW ORLEANS 56-26
3. SAN ANTONIO 56-26
4. UTAH 53-28
5. HOUSTON 55-27
6. PHOENIX 54-28
7. DALLAS 51-31
8. DENVER 50-32
9. GOLDEN STATE 49-26
Lakers should be happy with this alignment.
Posted by: Justin Young | March 25, 2008 at 07:06 AM
Benjamin,
"As for the Fisher-Ellis thing, I think the ref should have made it a no call. He didn't have a good angle and guessed which is always bad officiating.
I don't know if others of you haven't noticed, but Fisher gets a lot of good calls. "
I think once the third player fell, the ref had to call something, and if he was going to call something, Ellis deserved a foul more than Fisher.
I agree that Fisher gets "the benefit of the doubt" more than most when it comes to charging/blocking fouls. I think a lot of that has to do with his attitude. He isn't constantly whining to the refs - Kobe could learn from him in that regard.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | March 25, 2008 at 07:13 AM
There has been mention about Kobe's shot being off but HE is injured and when it matters, he is very reliable in most all other aspects on the game when he is on the court, whether he is giving encouragement, instruction, yoking rebounds, a steal, a free throw and yes a fallaway 3ball in front of the opposing teams bench with the shot clock winding down. That type of play is very demoralizing for a player, a team...That's the killer instinct that Kobe possesses, that's what makes him the most dangerous player on the court at all ti mes. Lets also keep in mind, he made plays for others when it mattered in the clutch and he continues to draw double coverage and find holes in the zone so it opens up shots for everyone. There are gonna be times when won't always be able to bail the Lakers out, but one thing is for certain is that he the belief than he can is always present. A belief that has now trickled down to the other players..Hence, Lamar, Turiaf, Sasha, etc. Gotta love it.
Any ole wayz, that's my two cents...I hope those guys get their SOAK on and relax with some R&R cuz they deserve it.
Posted by: lakersrydeordie | March 25, 2008 at 07:14 AM
LA Mental, you bust me up!! LMAO I feel you tho..
Posted by: lakersrydeordie | March 25, 2008 at 07:16 AM
Tough win!!! I would like to add a comment or two! 1st off.. Golden State had to get up for this game..and we as always play down to our compitition. This win did nothing more than give us alil breathing room in the standing.were as Goldne state took sunday nights win as a confidence booster were its possible we may play them in the playoff. Its annoying cuz they played there hearts outs against a severly depleted Laker team just so they can get blasted next week by..say...Memphis..or the Clippers. This game showed me nothing..All the hooplah in golden state won't take away from the fact that we played Laker ball half a game..and they play Warrior ball the whole game and they still loss. I'm not worried about rotations and player stats..we gunna have off games..all I want is for everyone to be healthy..and start the playoffs the right way. Oh and Lamar..geezzz man..are you freakin kiddin me..back to back 20-20 games..ok I know I said I'm not worried about player stats but cmon man..thats borderline dominant..makes me wana go get a LO jersey
Posted by: lakeraholic | March 25, 2008 at 07:21 AM
As long as we don't have a true center, the games with GS will be close. If we get one or both of our bigs back, they won't be as close because we can pound them inside. As for Luke, he needs to realize he's not going to start anytime soon. Just work on your shot and watch tapes of Rick Fox!!!!
Posted by: DOC4daLakeShow | March 25, 2008 at 07:27 AM
With Luke, he is, what he is....He is obviously struggling confidence wise but somewhere therein lies a skillfill player, passing wise and defensive headiness, as far as a slap of the ball outta bounds here or there, a steal, an offensive rebound. Yet, I don't think that qualifies Luke as a HIGH IQ player and I think that term has been overused and overblown with regards to Luke. Yet. I think he has been pressing quite a bit, trying to do things he is physically incapable of doing, and the pressure of trying to succeed is taking a toll on him cuz he simply is unable to meet the challenge. I think his basketball career is gonna be a short one not because he cannot play, I think that other teams (a San Antonio, Miami or Dallas or Phoenix) would LOVE to have him on their team. I just think his creaky ankles and lack of mobility will cut his career short..Just my feeling..
In any event, he is a LAKER so I want to root for him but its hard when he is out there, I just see him doing something to PHUKK up the flow and he usuallly ends up proving me right..He is a wild card I will say..He got that rebound last night, that all important rebound and you could see he got nervous cuz the double was coming as two Warriors were gonna converge on him and next thing you know, he loses the ball??? Golden state scores..Just momentum changing things like that.He has to get his head back into the game and lessen his mistakes just like Lamar had to do..That's got to be something Luke has to work through cuz they haven't given up on him obviously, he's in the game and they are passing him the ball to make plays or hit shots..He has to do that..As for that Sonic game, that was an aberration game for Luke cuz he was on the court with the 2nd and 3rd stringers......So I wasn't all that impressed. I still think he can help but again he needs to stay within the capabilities of his game, which is rebounding and sometimes a strip here and there, and lastly making a good pass..
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: lakersrydeordie | March 25, 2008 at 07:32 AM
I found this on HOOPSWORLD and wanted to share..
Jerry West:
"You give the same amount of shots to everybody else and they're not making that many, I know it. Players are jealous of greatness. Kobe is a unique talent and a unique person." (after Kobe's 81 points)
Pretty cool huh?
Now how bout an MVP for my main man Kobe Bean Bryant!
Posted by: lakersrydeordie | March 25, 2008 at 07:53 AM
LakerTom,
You asked what we saw on that Derek Fisher/Monta Ellis foul.
I watched it on replay about 20 times, using slow motion.
Ellis ran into Fisher, causing Fisher to lose balance as he went backwards. Once Fisher lost his balance, his left arm came up on top of Ellis. I didn't see him "grab" Ellis with the left arm, but it did look like the "bear hug" the announcers were complaining about.
The problem with their complaint is they missed what caused Fisher to lose balance in the first place.
The ref on the play was out of position. But, on replay, there was a ref standing right there with a great angle, and he did not dispute the call.
You could go "no call", but since both players hit the deck (and then at least one other), a call was needed. Ellis ran into Fisher, Fisher lost balance... it's that simple.
I can see what "they" are saying, but they never pointed this out.
Not a grand conspiracy. Not enough to cause the ref to "get sick when he sees the replay"...
Just an old fashioned, GOOD CALL.
Posted by: Tim-4-Show | March 25, 2008 at 08:12 AM
Fish has always gotten away with sneaky 'veteran' crap....he tackled Ellis. Left hand on the shoulder, right on the uniform. Warriors should have been shooting free throws.
Posted by: Fred | March 25, 2008 at 08:20 AM
richtown-
dude, if they had called the foul on Fish, they would have got one free throw and the ball back. That could have been a disaster.
Posted by: McGarnagle | March 25, 2008 at 08:27 AM
woooow!!!.......another thrilling and hearth pounding game....good thing we got the W.
ALLEZ LAKERS!!!
Posted by: | March 25, 2008 at 08:27 AM
Last night's game was extremely intense. The Lakers should have won the game in regulations oppose to overtime. I am the first to admit I am not happy with Luke Walton's play this season. Yes he brings intangibles to the game such as his knowledge of the triangle offense, but he hasn't improved from last season. I measure a player according to how much they've improved from last year and Luke hasn't whatsoever. I commend players who have stepped up (Rony & Lamar) and have played outstanding basketball. The confidence of Lamar is unbelieveable and it's great to see him play to his full potential. Someone made a comment about Lamar's inconsistencies, but ever since Pau went down with his injury, Lamar has been consistently pulling down 10+ rebounds a game and scoring at least 15 points. He's been a beast!!!
I also noticed how awfully this game was referreed. I was starting to believe I don't know the game of basketball when the refs were not calling the Warriors for push-offs, elbows, and straight-arming the Laker players.
Posted by: SFLakerGirl | March 25, 2008 at 08:44 AM
*_________________________________*
IT’S PLAYOFF TIME & IF THEY WEAR PURPLE
& GOLD, GOOD OR BAD I’M FOR THEM
BANDWAGON
*_________________________________*
(01) RICK FRIEDMAN - Driver and Owner
(02) TIM-4-SHOW riding Shotgun
(03) MAMBA24 –
(04) BOZZ – Director of security
(05) PIG MILLER – Director of Overtime
(06) XODUS – Director of Publicity
Posted by: MAMBA24 | March 25, 2008 at 08:47 AM
Vlad was so so on defense but 2 nights back to back of chasing Jackson, Davis, Elllis and others is going to run it's course for a player who's used to playing 21 mintues a game. But still you can see he wants to do well playing with some passion even if it's not 100% focused. The thing he does well though cannot be overlooked because you can see when Luke is in the game people drop off him and focus on Kobe. The games slows and turns stagnet, the lane closes. Look and both Kobe's and Phil's comments verfiies this about how the defenders werent going to let him score, so if Vlad's not in the game that person that's in has to score to open up Kobe. Vlad's reputation as a shooter open's the lane even if he's not on that hight. That's why he's valuable on the floor. Yeah he had a couple of turnovers but he's got to be given that experience in those tough situations to learn how to deal for the playoffs too. When it comes down to clutch time is it going to be Luke on the floor taking the last second shot, why wasnt Vlad in at least for the last shot in regulation?
Posted by: Ken | March 25, 2008 at 08:52 AM
Good Morining Mamba! Good Morning Charles! Good Morning Laker Nation!
Well, I've gotten over the 72 point half from Sunday (coundn't even bring myself to post yesterday), and am far from thrilled over the 63 last night, but we got the (very ugly) win. This team needs to mature and understand that no matter how well they play second halves, they will not go anywhere in the playoffs giving up huge points in the first half.
Focus! Start the first quarter with your second half intensity so you can rest the second half! DEFENSE must be a 48 minute effort! Make the other team play your game, not theirs!
LET'S GET IT GOING LAKERS!!!!!!!!
Posted by: toad | March 25, 2008 at 09:04 AM