Lakers Blog is so big, it brought David Stern to Staples
Of course, the Commissioner will claim he's here for tonight's game, a contest featuring one of the league's hottest and high profile teams (to clarify, not the Clippers). But I think we all know it's all about a certain blogosphere phenomenon sweeping the nation and Stern wanting to see the magic happen firsthand. Come off it, Dave!!! We see through his charade you're putting on.
(Note: You have to give "charade" with the English accent to get the fullest effect: As in, "shah-rahd."
But for the sake of argument, let's just pretend that the Commish is actually here primarily (or even solely) to watch some competition, with this blog playing little to no role in his decision. Were that the case, by definition, he's pretty much admitting to being a standings watcher, since a Laker win or loss could result in some mix and match results in the ultra-tight Western Conference. Is Phil Jackson also a voyeur along these lines. Not so much. Jackson admitted to thinking on Thursday that because of their previous day's defeat of Phoenix (combined with Golden State losing to Charlotte), the Nuggets were now in 8th place and the Warriors in ninth. As his staff informed him, not so much. Not that Phil really cares about being incorrect. "I'm not really watching that, no. We're still fifteen games away from that. The last eight, ten games, then I'll start watching what everybody does." For that matter, he doesn't feel his players need to be standings watching, either. "I just think they have to look at the teams in the next two to three games. teams get hold and cold streaks this part of the season. They just have to watch those teams coming up ahead of us."
But that doesn't mean Jackson doesn't appreciate how high the stakes are down the stretch in the West. Nine Rings would see this only as a good thing. "I've always felt that it is. I feel it brings the best out of a team. They'll stay sharp because of it." Finely focused teams are the kind that know how to step on an opponent's neck and put them away. In Jackson's eyes, the 2007-2008 Lakers can't put that skill on their resumes. "They don't quite know that yet, but that takes some time," explained The Zen Master. I asked if they were at least on the right track. Depends on which side of the ball you're talking. "What they do well is offensively play the game really nice. They move the ball and run the court. They play off each other well. They're still learning about defensively how to shut a team down."
Finally, there's some talk from Stern. The final question comes from yours truly. Stern acts like he couldn't hear me the first time, but I think we all know, he just wanted to be a part of Lakers Blog for as much time as he could pull off without making it too obvious.
Again, the shah-rahd... it's a fah-sahd.
AK
Download phil_pregame_3.7.08.mp3 (Phil Jackson)
Download david_stern_pregame_3.7.08.mp3 (David Stern)
As AK mentioned after practice yesterday (and the papers reported this morning) Chris Mihm is feeling a lot better these days. First things first- he's wearing two shoes now. "I had a bunch of left shoes thrown in the back of the closet. They were collecting dust, and I didn't think I'd ever be back." But the coolest thing about his recovery effort- beyond his description of how they removed the screw that was irritating his Achilles tendon from his foot ("They just backed (it) out like you would from the wall. Bone carpentry.")- was one of the procedures he had after the operation:
"I had a PRP injection, where they took my blood and spun it down to just the platelets. It's a new procedure they've had a lot of success with in tendon regeneration- people with back problems, ACLs, MCLs, and Achilles tendons obviously. So they injected the tendon I had surgically repaired while they were at it, and then I had three injections around my Achilles tendon. It's a supercharged healing shot of your body's own platelets and plasma."
So are you bionic now?
"Sort of. I know more about the foot than I ever thought I would, that's for sure."
BK
"no MVP for Kobe"
David Stern can't handle the truth
Posted by: YOU EVER NOTICE | March 07, 2008 at 07:38 PM
Do you think Stern will come out for the championship pah-rahd in June?
Posted by: exhelodrvr | March 07, 2008 at 11:02 PM
Go Mihm!
Posted by: Benjamin | March 07, 2008 at 11:33 PM
Am I the only Laker fan out there that can see that D-Fish is the worst finisher (driving to the hoop) in the NBA. Let me qualify this by saying that I love Derek, but OMG he cant make a layup to save his life. PAss it to him on the wing, hit him on the outside on the move, but please dont give it to him when driving or let him drive down the lane and expect him to score......not going to happen. He looks like a fullback going up the middle rather than a basketball player with athletisicm. He is probably a 40-45% shooter from 10 -20 feet from the hoop and a 10-15% shooter from inside 5 feet. Please somebody prove me wrong!!!!
Posted by: kenwalsh | March 21, 2008 at 09:12 PM
WELL THE LAKERS GOT THEIR LUNCH HANDED TO THEM. SKOBIE DID HIS DISAPPEARING ACT AND WENT TO JUMP SHOT CITY. HE WAS AFRAID TO GO TO THE HOOP AND TAKE THE PUNISHMENT THAT REAL MVPS ARE WILLING TO TAKE. INSTEAD HE PUNKED OUT AND BECAME A JUMP SHOOTER. THIS IS THE SAME THING HE DID WHEN THE LAKERS LOST TO DETRIOT 4 YEARS AGO.
SKOBIE WANTED THIS TO BE ' HIS ', TEAM AND WHEN THE MONEY WAS ON THE TABLE HE CHOKED.
THE BOY IS AN IDIOT, HE WAS PLAYING WITH THE LAST GREAT PURE CENTER WE WILL SEE FOR A LONG LONG TIME, AND HE RAN SHAQ AND PHIL OUT OF TOWN. HE THEN ALLOWED PHIL TO RETURN, AND NOW HE CHOKES.
THE LAKERS MORTGAGED THE FUTURE TO GET GASOL AND NOW THEY ARE IN REAL TROUBLE. EVERYONE IN THE WEST IS RELOADING AND THE LAKERS DON'T HAVE ANY CAP ROOM AND NO FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICK THIS YEAR AND IN 2010.
Posted by: george987789 | June 21, 2008 at 04:12 AM