All's well in So Cal
The Laker Nation's world waited with bated anticipation yesterday afternoon, fearing the ugliest of shoes dropping with news that Pau Gasol's ankle suffered negative effects from playing Wednesday night. That the swelling was through the roof. That the ankle would require amputation and a transplant. But fear not, purple and gold bleeders. Gasol went through Thursday's practice like a dude ready to rock and roll and will be available for action during tonight's brouhaha against the Mavs (7:30 pm PST, ESPN). Also with plans to suit up? One Dirk Nowitzki, who made a rather speedy recovery from ankle (and knee) problems of his own. This could be a problem for the Lakers. Dallas' problems, however, have been more about Jason Kidd, to a large degree. He isn't playing badly, but his presence hasn't exactly translated to a run of wins. Certainly not in the fashion felt by the Lakers' upon Pau's arrival. Win or lose tonight, stat guru John Hollinger figures the Lakers to finish as a three seed, but doesn't rule out a higher outcome. But can they go all the way? That's heavily dependent on the successful reintegration of Gasol and Andrew Bynum into the mix.
Kobe came in a scant ten technicals too high to be the Pacific's nominee.
K-Mart suspended a game for rough play? No, you get out of town, because it's true (and could possibly affect the Western Conference race).
Shaq's been playing the victim. The Miami Herald ain't buying it.
Paging Dr. Kavulic! Yao Ming, paging Dr. Kavulic!
What does Donnie Walsh's presence mean to the Knicks? Well, if you ask either SI or ESPN or Yahoo!, that Zeke Thomas will be at the Garden next season only as a paid ticket holder. Unless, of course, you ask ESPN again.
While the Blazers' desire to lose Darius Miles from the team and the payroll is understandable, isn't it a touch ghoulish for Kevin Pritchard to be publicly "optimistic" his knee injury will be ruled career-ending? They're called "closed doors," dude.
Wow,
"That was a great commercial. But I believe Kobe more, just because they have worked much harder than Shaq.
WE'RE EVALUATING COMMERCIALS NOW ON WHO WANTS IT MORE? UNBELIEVABLE! COME UP FOR SOME AIR FROM TIME TO TIME.
Posted by: Gunner | April 04, 2008 at 05:25 PM
ON THE TV COMMERCIAL....
Watch how Kobe's eyes blink while Shaq eyes stay focus on the camera.
I don't want to say it over and over again, but leader is never flinches.
The NBA. Where Amazing Happens!
Posted by: Gunner | April 04, 2008 at 05:28 PM
FearlessWhackJob,
“Even at 100%, Bynum may not be savvy enough. The analogy I chose at the time was the way a young Shaq let an old Hakeem school him all over the court during Shaq's first visit to the finals when he was with Orlando.”
What’s up, you used to be Fearless? Now you’re afraid of a washed-up, over-the-hill won’t-be-able-to-get-it-done fraud like Shaq? LMAO. I had to check to make sure it was not still April 1st. It’s the whackjob appellation addendum thing that’s screwed you up. I never really understood why you changed your name. I mean, you were never a whack job and now Fatty comes back as Fairweather Fatty when he wasn’t a fairweather fan. Is it like Kobe changing from 8 to 24? LOL.
Anyway, I just finished my daily viewing of “The Making of a Beast” to get my GHF juices flowing for the day so I thought I would remind you that Andrew Bynum is the beast who will destroy Shaquille O’Neal should the Suns be fortunate enough to make it far enough. While Shaq may be salivating at a chance to play the Lakers in the Finals, I think you’ve forgotten that it is Drew who’ll be salivating at a chance to pay Shaq back in a big way. And trust me, Drew will be back 100% and dominating by the time we hit the Finals. He will flush Shaq down the crapper so many times that Shaq fans will be crying and praying for the series to end before Shaq has a mental breakdown and begs “no más, no más.”
The thing about Andrew is that he plays above the rim more than any other player in the NBA today, including Dwight Howard. He grabs defensive rebounds so high above the rim that no other player has a chance to even touch the ball. And his soft glue-like hands grab any ball that he touches. Laker players quickly realized that on lob passes all they had to do was make sure the toss was very high because Drew would go after the ball just like a rebound, grabbing it well above the rim and every other player. I truly believe that Drew has the tools to possibly be the greatest center in Lakers and NBA history.
The level to which Drew improved his defensive prowess this year was also astounding, especially considering he is still just 20 years old. I still revel in Kareem’s recounting of how Drew suddenly grasped the concepts of angle and spacing of how-to-block-a-shot that Kareem had been trying to teach him and in a period of just THREE days made it impossible for anybody to get an easy shot off inside in Lakers practices. And we all saw how that translated into great low post help defense by Drew in actual games.
In this perfect storm of fortune that has vaulted the Lakers back to the top of the NBA, there was no bigger event or greater occurrence than Andrew Bynum’s phenomenal emergence as a dominating all-star level NBA center. The Lakers MIGHT win the NBA title with just Pau Gasol back but the single player who is going to make all the difference in the world is Andrew Bynum, who ironically might end up beating Kobe Bryant for Finals MVP. He is going to be that big a force in the playoffs. By then, hopefully, you will also be able to see this, having dumped the whackjob baggage and again become Fearless.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | April 04, 2008 at 05:34 PM
J.W. Weatherman, that is the funniest clip I've seen in a long time. Love hearing babies cry!!
Posted by: SoCalGal | April 04, 2008 at 05:39 PM
Hello my fellow Suns fans!!!
Glad to see us all together giving these Laker fans trouble on a Lakers blog. I think its great to show how bad we want to be like the Lakers that we come over here and invade their blog every day. I mean we hate the Lakers but yet we are always watching their games, checking their scores, and always trying to get Laker fans to notice us. But we are Suns fans, don't forget our great Suns history of Pacific Division championships and losing in the finals!! So take that Laker fans with your 14 banners.
I mean PJ is overrated but now we are using simple versions of the Triangle with the same player that PJ helped win 3 championships. And Pj never teaches defense like our Mike D'Antoni does.
Kobe is the best player but he'll never win a championship like our own Steve Nash. Oh wait he never won one, my mistake. But I know Kobe won't win one because I am a Suns fan and I know about winning things!!
Go Suns, hang another Pac. Division banner!!
Props to other Fires and Trolls on this blog.
Posted by: Fire69 | April 04, 2008 at 05:43 PM
I don't know if anyone else mentioned this or not, but this is Jemele Hill's article about the MVP race. The logic is the most flawed that I have ever heard....Check it out, but bring something to puke in.....
By the way my comments are under the name of finalsmvp2008
Sorry about the long link....
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=
hill/080404&sportCat=nba&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab6pos2
Posted by: pslakerfan | April 04, 2008 at 06:23 PM
knicks are playing tough and utah is winning, could potentially be a great night for lakers fans.
GO LAKERS
Posted by: mrbarneydangles | April 04, 2008 at 06:26 PM
Hornets and Spurs both losing....there is a God, and he is a Laker fan.
Posted by: pslakerfan | April 04, 2008 at 06:54 PM
gunner,
My apologies if you assumed I was talking to you...rather I was talking through you!
Posted by: LakerGurl | April 04, 2008 at 06:57 PM
Hey fellow Laker fans!!! Just droppin' in to show some love before the game begins. Spurs are losing big right now at Utah and the Hornets are in a fight with the Knicks. Go Lakers!!!
Posted by: | April 04, 2008 at 07:03 PM
BTW people
stop saying bynum at 80% is enough. Have you been watching the NBA?
Have you seen the teams your about to face in the playoffs?
Bynum needs to be 100% to do damage, the only thing you guys are going to get with bynum at 80 is
bynum raising the chances of getting hurt again.
For those who have played sports before, you know what I'm talking about.
Posted by: Fire32 | April 04, 2008 at 07:04 PM
hey lakers brothers.
Who else thinks that after reading that Shaq story from the Miami herald..that he is the BIGGESTBABY ever...
Shaq has zero respect now..he should.
He has always been about talking high and mighty then when he moves on..he badmouths the other teams owners...players....everything.
remember when he arrived in Miami with his water gun, his big truck and all the hoopla...yah ok...when he ESCAPED *basically he left Miami...b/c he couldnt stand losing...right?...wrong!*....b/c he wanted to bail...
kobe is 200000 more of an athlete..a man ..a competitior than shaq...he would never talk bad about the lakers..i dont think...in fact i know he wouldnt.
shaq=the Biggest Loser.
period...i dont care he "helped" us win some titles....
whatever.....he has always escaped situations that werent the greatest for greener pastures....well i cant wait unti lthe FUNS are knocked out of the plalyoffs...and i hope it will be by our LAKERS!
go purple and gold tonight..you guys KNOW how much I despise the MAVS....
lets beat them
SAN antonio is now losing by 18 pts to utah......we NEED to win to be tied if SA loses...
i like it....n orleans was beating the knicks...bah.i hope they lose too.
Posted by: Lakers4Realz | April 04, 2008 at 07:10 PM
I GUESS THE MEDIA OWES KOBE AN APOLOGY FOR SHAQ STEALING HIS FINAL MVPS? YOU, KOBE APOLOGISTS ARE SO AMAZING WITH THE LOVE YOU HAVE FOR HIM. NOW, LETS JUST WORRY ABOUT OUR SHINY BOY GETTING US OUT OF THE FIRST ROUND.
Posted by: Gunner | April 04, 2008 at 04:35 PM
==============================================
while I agree with you that we haven't beaten them in the last 2 years... let us not also forget that, PHX always have 3 allstar those three years... while we have basically marginal players playing alongside KOBE these three years...
And by the way, SHAQ, never, these years played without 1 or 2 allstars around him... in fact the last time he played in the playoffs, his team went 0-4... lest you forget.
Just getting the perspective right...
Posted by: dice8up | April 04, 2008 at 07:10 PM
The infestation may be at an all time high.
Looking for big games out of Sasha and Rad tonight. They will be key.
Faith,
Thanks for posting the definition of a troll. It's not likely that they'll self identify though.
Posted by: "Pig" Miller | April 04, 2008 at 07:14 PM
Of course not. It's the crazy ones that think they're sane lol.
Posted by: Faith | April 04, 2008 at 07:27 PM
THE SIMPSON BANDWAGON
ALL LAKER HOMERS WHO DON'T HAVE THE GUTS TO CRITICIZE OR AT LEAST ACKNOWLEDGE POOR COACHING, PLAY, AND EFFORT.
Posted by: Troll Man | April 04, 2008 at 07:29 PM
Spurs lost by 24 to Jazz tonight. That makes it easier to regain #1 Lakerssssss!! Lakers to win by 8 against Dallas tonight. GO LAKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: RD | April 04, 2008 at 07:29 PM
Does Home Depot sell any troll repellent? We sure could use some....
Oh I know - all the Lakers have to do is WIN and they'll go away. Which of course they will do.
I smell a win coming - smells an awful lot like BBQ'd troll and tacos!
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: justanothermambafan | April 04, 2008 at 07:35 PM
Is Vlade decide to pull Luke on us? Two SF neither playing - can not take it...
Posted by: LAL_Fan | April 04, 2008 at 08:41 PM
Does any Vlade BIG FAN out here? I think he is trying to out do Luke today... Maybe we sould play Ira
Posted by: LAL_Fan | April 04, 2008 at 09:17 PM
Huge win if we can hold on. We'll tie SA who got stomped by Utah and clinch the series against the Mavs.
Posted by: Xodus | April 04, 2008 at 10:09 PM