LO summed it all up in pretty neat fashion
"We got our (butts) whipped tonight."
I paraphrased Lamar Odom's quote to make it a little more PG-13, but I think that version of his capsule review for the Lakers' 112-103 loss to the Trailblazers works just as well. Yet another "L" in the growing pile of defeats going down in the Northwest neck of the woods. After the game, Phil Jackson joked again about negative effects the area's rain causes his squad ("They were raining pretty good out there, I'll tell you that"). Soaked weather may or may not be the true culprit, but it's nonetheless clear that drops of water falling from the sky doesn't bring out the best this purple and gold crew has to offer. The Lakers got behind the eight ball during the first quarter, allowing Portland to shoot a... wait for it... blazing 57%, setting a tone for a night where Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Channing Frye (subbing for an injured Joel Przybilla) scored 20+ each. The second quarter ended with a ten point spread that could have been even bigger. The Lakers came to life some down the stretch, making a game of it during sections of the third and especially the fourth quarters. But by the time any box score became official, the Lakers were looking at the bum end of a decision.
The breakdown is below.
The Good
The fourth quarter (relatively speaking): I wouldn't go so far as to suggest each Laker player order copies of that frame's stat sheet and pin it to their respective fridges. Mistakes were made down the stretch, opportunities missed and momentum went unsustained in more than fitful periods. But this quarter did feature the lowest Blazer FG clip (44%). It was also the only quarter where the Lakers won a board battle (12-5) and the good guys outscored the hosts. A little more from the outset of what we saw down the stretch and the Lakers might have taken this one.
Kobe Bryant's second half: 24's opening twenty-four minutes of 4-12 shooting, one board and no dimes didn't do much for me. But after some halftime Gatorade and orange slices, The Mamba played a little more like what we've come to expect from him. 23 points on 7-14 shooting. 10 trips to the line (reminiscent of more time spent attacking the rim). Five assists. Four rebounds. And a nice job getting between an angry Vlad Rad and the official drawing his ire after the former was called for a foul. Bryant's calm handling of the situation may have left Radmanovic's wallet a little heavier.
Pau Gasol and Vlad Rad's offense: Note, I emphasized "offense," because both were as guilty as anyone on the roster when it came to not locking down their opponent. But points are an essential part of any winning formula and the pair combined for 38. Vlad went 5-9 from downtown, including a couple biggies to make the last quarter interesting. Gasol also deserves props for his 13 boards.
The Bad
Pick a stat, just about any stat: Seriously, just go down the line if you're looking for an explanation for this loss. Portland's FG%: 51. Lakers: 44. Portland's 3P%: 46 (10-22). Lakers: 37. Portland's percentage at the stripe: 83. Lakers: 79. Portland rebounds: 40. Lakers: 37. Blazer dimes: 25. Lakers:21. The steals also came out 6-4 in favor of the home squad. Save two fewer turnovers than the baker's dozen coughed up by Portland, the Lakers pretty much fell short in every major offering. Difficult to win when that happens.
Derek Fisher: 1-4 from the field for just 3 points, a tally that actually tripled his combined assists and rebounds while equaling his foul total. Yikes. His play on the other side of the ball didn't do much to make up for it, either. Fish got subbed out in favor of Farmar with about five minutes left in the third and never reentered the contest. Farmar had his own issues (2-8 shooting and a few bad decisions), but at least racked a "6" in the assist and rebound slots. It may have not have been the Bruin's best outing, but bottom line, he outplayed his starter by a pretty sizable margin.
Lamar Odom: The knock on LO has always been his aggressiveness, a charge that's gone mostly silent over the last few months, especially as Odom's done terrific work stepping up while Pau Gasol went down. Tonight wasn't one of those nights. He's had past games with only eight field goal attempts where I may have wished he hoisted a few more, but I didn't necessarily feel like he wasn't part of the action. Seeing Odom only grab five boards, however, clinches the notion for me.
Energy: Phil Jackson and Odom cited their disappointment in the purple and gold pulse on display throughout the evening. I'm not about to debate them. "We didn't come out and play hard," lamented PJ. "We gave up easy baskets in situations where we didn't have to."
Put it this way. I wish the Lakers showed as much scrap over 48 minutes as they did during the 48 seconds or so when everyone got chesty after Odom's flagrant on Roy.
AK
Download lamar_odom_blazer_postgame.mp3 (Lamar Odom)
Download pau_gasol_blazer_postgame.mp3 (Pau Gasol)
Download phil_jackson_blazer_postgame.mp3 (Phil Jackson)
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JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED…
“Jackson didn't rule out a little PT for Andrew Bynum during this weekend's action against New Orleans on Friday or San Antonio on Sunday. He figures Trevor Ariza, however, as a no go.’—Andrew Kamenetzky.
I usually don’t visit the blog after a loss as it usually leads to making overly aggressive posts or trying to start a fight to exorcise the demons from the loss. Tonight, I logged on to post that the loss to the Blazers clearly showed how much we need Andrew Bynum back in the lineup. And lo and behold, what a pleasure to find out that Phil is thinking the same thing. Drew is exactly what the doctor needed to prescribe to heal the Lakers ills. He will protect the rim AND help our perimeter defenders play better defense.
One thing that jumped out during the game was that we are probably going to be playing the Blazers for the West for many years down the road. It’s going to Bynum vs. Oden and the Lakers vs. the Blazers for supremacy of the West, which means we need to find somebody who can keep the Blazer guards from driving straight to the hoop. None of our guards, including Kobe, could stop Roy, Jack, or Blake from penetrating. And none of our big men were able to step up and protect the rim effectively. Drew will help but our guards need to step it up. Our backcourt was seriously outplayed tonight.
With the Hornets loss, the Lakers had their destiny in their hands tonight and blew it. All they had to do was win out, including against the Hornets on Fri, and they would have tied the Hornets and captured the West due to a better conference record. Now, they have to win out and hope that the Mavs can upset the Hornets next Wed in a game that may be meaningless, other than determining whether Mavs play the Lakers or Hornets in the first round of the playoffs. If we keep playing like tonight, the Mavs may decide that they prefer to play us instead of the Hornets.
Time to unleash the Beast. Time to stop the bleeding and start dominating. Go, AB17. We need you to save the day.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | April 08, 2008 at 11:41 PM
Laker Tom,
You are right on in your post. Time to unleash the beast and for the Lakers to stop playing soft. It's time for the return of AB17.
Posted by: | April 08, 2008 at 11:54 PM
Pig Miller step right up and get up in my barbecue pit sir.Pigs cook better in what grease or butter hhahahhahah i will be right back and bring back some friends hahahahahah
Posted by: Fire 3 | April 08, 2008 at 11:09 PM
Posted by: Fire 3 | April 08, 2008 at 11:58 PM
I'm so disappointed. But in this roller coaster season, the times I've been most disappointed have been followed with my most excited times. I hope this means the Lakers are going to run the table to end the season (yes, that includes the Hornets and Spurs) to catapult them into the playoffs. Mamba24, start up the bandwagon!
Posted by: Amazing_Happens | April 09, 2008 at 12:14 AM
THE UNLEASHING OF THE BEAST…
Phil Jackson blatantly challenged Andrew Bynum tonight to show in practice that he was ready to play against the Spurs on Sunday. This is important news as it indicates two changes: (1) Andrew must be closer to being ready than expected and (2) Phil realizes that the Lakers need Andrew back in the lineup as soon as possible to plug the huge hole in the Lakers ability to protect the rim.
"I'm not going to rule it out," Jackson said before the Lakers faced the Portland Trail Blazers. "There's a chance.”
"It would have to be under a situation in which he could practice on Saturday in a way that would convince me to play him on Sunday."
"He has to play well in a practice and run well and feel comfortable and move the right way, all those types of things," Jackson said when asked what he needs to see from Bynum in practice. "But right now, we're not counting on that. It's a longshot."
-------------
Phil also remarked that having Andrew back would be critical if the Lakers draw the Suns as their first round opponents.
"He would be an important person to have on your team because he's got the bulk and the size to put himself out there and stop some of that bull nature that Shaq has," Jackson said.
-------------
Considering the upsets just tonight, it is almost becoming a joke to try and predict the final standings in the West, especially the battle between the top 3 teams for #1 seed as well as the competition between the bottom 3 teams to not get left out of the playoffs. Nevertheless, it is becoming very obvious that the Lakers will need to have an effective Andrew Bynum back if they want to win the NBA championship this year. He may not be 100% but we need his defensive presence and size to succeed in the playoffs. The sooner he get going, the better for the Lakers.
Unleash the Beast. The rest of the league will tremble in fear. The Mavs will find a way to beat the Hornets just to avoid playing the Lakers in the first round.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | April 09, 2008 at 12:19 AM
Another troll? Honestly?
Posted by: Caliphilosopher | April 09, 2008 at 12:27 AM
MORE ON BYNUM POSSIBLY PLAYING SUNDAY…
Lakers: Bynum might play Sunday
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-lakerep9apr09,1,850863.story
Bynum could return Sunday
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_8858324
Lakers' Bynum "a long shot" to play Sunday
http://www.pe.com/sports/basketball/lakers/stories/PE_Sports_Local_D_lakers_notes_09.43598a8.html
Time to unleash the Beast.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | April 09, 2008 at 12:27 AM
i have a pretty sure feeling that kobe wont win the mvp this year. the lakers blew it on this game. it was their chance to get the no.1 spot - but they didn't grab it. the media types (who gets to vote for the mvp) are gonna see these three bad losses to memphis, charlotte, and portland down the stretch. new orleans are gonna be the first seed. and if chris paul beats kobe on friday..that would be the nail in the mvp coffin. chris paul will get it. oh well, cant really say he doesnt deserve it, but would be nice for kobe to get one. but he has to do something really really REALLY special to get the votes from the media.
lakers cant defend the pick and roll, and they dont know how to attack the zone defense - sad but everybody knows it.
Posted by: lent | April 09, 2008 at 12:29 AM
glad to see that AB's return is here. i'm glad we won't be seeing Portland any more this year, but it's always like that up there. Portland's been a scary place for the Lakers since the '80s. onward. learn from it and move forward.
Posted by: man | April 09, 2008 at 12:32 AM
AK/BK
how come Farmar never makes it in the BAD department but always mentioned when he has a 10 point game as GREAT. or bad, but with accolades and touches of brilliance.
or just a side effect of the Kobe bias
i wish to have a Kingdom for a point guard
Posted by: ZIn Master | April 09, 2008 at 12:36 AM
my favorite moment of the game:
lamarcus aldrige's monster block on FARMAR
not in our house you little PUNK. 42" leap is not enough.
i hope makes it on the NBA block of the night for April 8th, 2008
especially that it came after the 2 on 1 when he did not pass back to kobe. maybe he learns his lessons and his ROLE on the team.
Posted by: ZIn Master | April 09, 2008 at 12:46 AM
ALL THAT MATTERS IS GETTING ANDREW BACK…
The bottom line is that getting a healthy and capable Andrew Bynum back is the key to the Lakers winning the NBA championship, not whether we win the #1 seed or have home court advantage and not which team we have to play in any round of the playoffs. Like Kobe said, we’re playing for the championship, not just to get out of the first round or make the conference finals. To win the championship, we need to get Andrew back.
The news reports that Andrew may get a chance to play in the last two games of the season, including the big matchup against the Spurs on Sunday on national TV, is a sure sign that Andrew is further along in his recovery than expected as well as an admission from Phil that we need Drew back to end the layup drill that has resulted in his absence.
While it may take some time to work out the offensive nuances of the Triangle Offense with Pau and Lamar, it is Drew’s ability to protect the rim and defend in the low post that we desperately counting upon to help us better defend heading into the playoffs. That and his rebounding are the missing pieces to our championship puzzle.
So forget your playoff brackets, matchups, and seeds. All we really need is Andrew back. I urge every Laker fan to say a prayer tonight that Drew is up to Phil’s challenge and healthy and able to show Phil he is ready to go. His mere presence in the lineup, even off the bench, will inspire and ignite the Lakers ala Willis Reed. It will be the boost that the Lakers need to raise their effort and game in preparation to the playoffs.
Time to unleash the Beast. Time to stop the bleeding and start dominating. Go, AB17. We need you to save the day.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | April 09, 2008 at 12:52 AM
Well, that was a letdown. On a night when NO lost to the Jazz. It seems like they don't want the no. 1 seed after all. Their effort was lacking especially on D. There were a lot of open Blazers all night. It wouldn't have been so bad if the Lakers would have shot the ball well but they surely missed a lot of shots. Oh well, on to the next game.
On a happier note - The Beast will soon be unleashed! I can just imagine the ovation he will get at Staples. Go Bynum!
Posted by: SamII | April 09, 2008 at 01:07 AM
This is the angriest I've been about a game all season. Hopefully the guys are just as pissed and rev up the engines for the final stretch.
Posted by: Critical Beatdown | April 09, 2008 at 01:24 AM
Hmmm.
I'm losing my patience with both Bynum and his coach.
Bynum needs to get his big lazy a$$ off the futuretron and a $#@%*& game. And Phil you *&%$# son of @ &*%, you had better start coaching or I'm gonna @$%& your @##$% from here to Temechula.
I've had it with you %@#$^&.
Love,
Wes
Posted by: wesjoenixon | April 09, 2008 at 01:43 AM
AK,
How come Kobe never gets his share of the blame for frustrating losses? Instead, you actually praise his 2nd half when he played defense just as poorly as he did in the 1st?! Stop drinking his Kool-Aid and kissing his butt. If he wants to be the leader of this team, he should take responsibility for the poor defensive efforts that seem to happen every night nowadays.
First team all defenders do not let opposing players drive at will on them. They do not lose sight of their man on out of bounds plays. They do not yell at and blame teammates for the lack of help. Where is the Team USA defender that everyone keeps talking about?
I haven't even mentioned how Kobe shot the Lakers out of the game in the first half, neglecting to run the offense. It seemed as if he was playing to win the MVP award instead of the actual game. The sad thing is, he probably lost that award based on his horrible play in this game.
Posted by: Hank | April 09, 2008 at 01:58 AM
I respond refuse complete sentence will no longer ever until win team important game.
Wes
Posted by: wesjoenixon | April 09, 2008 at 02:26 AM
GUYS,
i've been peeping for some two years now within the confined walls of this blog. although there has been comments of pure negativity i firmly believe that this place connects all lakers by heart and soul.
And win or lose, i am a laker.
I will alwyas be one! :p
Posted by: isang | April 09, 2008 at 04:03 AM
If they want Paul to be MVP, so what!! They seem happy giving the award the last tree years to players who played ABSOLUTELY no defense!!! Paul, Nash, Dirk...none play any defense. I thought defense is what makes a player complete, not just his offense.
Posted by: DOC4daLakeShow | April 09, 2008 at 05:05 AM
Dear Pig Miller
Oh how i love the fragrance and aroma of PIG meat as i wake up in the Valley of the SUN. Let me state some facts Morons.
1.I dont like Hollywood and its Liberal agenda.
2.The great Laker Legends cant shake a stick at amare and Stevie Nash.
3.The BIG CACTUS will steamroll pau.
4.Laker Bloggers suck.
5.And the SUN train will hang a NBA banner.
Posted by: Fire 3 | April 09, 2008 at 06:04 AM
Good Morning Charles
Good Morning EastCoastJessie My Latina Queen
Good Morning Laker Nation
D@MMMMMMMMNNNN
If we had won that game there would be a virtual 3 way tie for 1st place
THAT’S ALL FOR NOW! MORE TO COME.
Posted by: Mamba24 | April 09, 2008 at 06:10 AM
*______________________________________*
9RINGS ON SUNDAY UNLEASH THE BEAST
& WELCOME BACK BYNUM BANDWAGON
*______________________________________*
(00) LAKER TOM – CEO
(01) PIG MILLER – Owner
(02) JON K. Driver
(03) DELILAH – Riding shotgun
(04) MAMBA – Johnny come Lately
(05) JUSTANOTHERMAMBAFAN – Playmaker
(06) SAMLL – Director of Enforcement
(07) TOAD – Director of Security
(08) THA SHOW - Just keeping us real
(09) TSPHERE – SuperDelegate - Got My vote!
(10) MARKYTHEARKY – Director of Mirrors and reflections of teams behind
(11) MILO RAMBALDI- --Team Prophet. – Predicts Bynum greatness
(12) HMRHED – Director of determining when to unleash
Posted by: Mamba24 | April 09, 2008 at 06:21 AM
A truly disappointing and frustrating loss, but I still like our chances in the playoffs (with AB, that is).
Posted by: DK | April 09, 2008 at 06:28 AM
Too many players that are either inconsistent or one-dimensional. That makes it very difficult to go far in the playoffs, because you have to count too much on your players being hot, and the other teams' players not getting hot.
Not impossible, but very difficult.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | April 09, 2008 at 06:31 AM
AK,
"But after some halftime Gatorade and orange slices..."
Is this for real or is it humour? The reason I ask is that when I lived in the US as a kid I played soccer and they gave us Gatorade and orange slices at halftime. It always struck me as funny, since we don't do that over here, but I assumed it was just a kid thing.
Do the pros really have Gatorade and orange slices at halftime? Inquiring "ferners" want to know...
Posted by: David in Spain | April 09, 2008 at 06:32 AM
Whats up with your 9 ring coach?
3 healthy bodies on the bench, 2 of which are shot blockers and 1 who is all about defense
but phil still sticks to a 8 man rotation.
BTW that technical foul phil got looked so fake.
Question- Who do you want in the second round?
Posted by: Fire32 | April 09, 2008 at 06:35 AM
I don't get it.
Are you telling me that if it's game seven of the NBA finals we can't beat the Trailblazers? You have to be telling me that, or you're telling me that the Lakers didn't give their best effort last night.
I have to believe that this Portland team as well as the Bobcats and Grizzlies are good enough to defeat the Lakers in a game seven with the NBA title on the line. I must believe it, otherwise I have to believe that even with home court throughout the playoffs on the line this team was unprepared psychologically for last night's contest.
I don't know if I can accept this. How can they not be prepared for last night's contest? How? The Pacific division crown on the line. The Western Conference championship on the line. Home court in the playoffs on the line. MVP on the line. All this and you're not ready?
Someone tell me how it happens. How can we expect to win games against the league's best if we cant win against it's worst?
It's not like this game snuck up on us. Everything was lining up for us and we loose a string of games to lottery bound teams.
Bo-gus.
Wes
Posted by: wesjoenixon | April 09, 2008 at 06:52 AM
THIS IS A GOOD LOSS FOR US. I'M GLAD WE LOSS THIS GAME.
Now we can sit in that #3 spot and play Houston. I said it before, we do not want to play Phoenix or Dallas in the first round. That will be too long of a series.
We won't to play a team we can get out of the series quicker. Because San Antonio will be waiting in the next round IF KOBE AND FINALLY LEAD US OUT OF THE FIRST ROUND.
ANOTHER NOTE. KOBE DON'T NEED TO BE MVP.
TEAM SUCKS ON DEFENSE. NO LEADERSHIP ON THE DEFENSIVE SIDE. AND WINNING THE MVP IS "FOOLS GOLD"
JUST ASK DIRK.
Posted by: Gunner | April 09, 2008 at 06:56 AM
Hypothesis Tom,
"1) 58-24 Lakers (31-13 conference record – win out)
2) 58-24 Hornets (29-14 conference record – loss to Lakers & Mavs)
3) 57-25 Spurs (loss to Lakers)
4) 54-28 Jazz (loss to Hornets & Spurs)
5) 55-27 Suns (loss to Spurs)
6) 55-27 Rockets (loss to Suns & Jazz)
7) 52-30 Mavs (loss to Jazz)
8) 50-32 Warriors (loss to Suns)
Utah 27-24 at the end of the first quarter. Go, Jazz!
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom"
OBVIOUSLY, YOU WERE TALKING OUT OF YOUR #%$$.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SO, I'M WAITING ON THE NEXT BRAINLESS THEORY YOU HAVE FOR WHY YOU FEEL THE LAKERS WILL GET TO THE #1 SEED SPOT.
OR BETTER YET, HOW YOU SECOND GUESS YOUR THEORY AND NOW SAY AB17 WILL HELP THE LAKERS WIN NO MATTER WHAT THE SEED THEY ARE.
waiting.....waiting....
Posted by: Gunner | April 09, 2008 at 06:58 AM
ISSANG SAID:"i've been peeping for some two years now within the confined
walls of this blog. although there has been comments of pure negativity i firmly
believe that this place connects all lakers by heart and soul. And win or lose,
i am a laker.I will alwyas be one! :p"
NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! GIVE THE MAN SOME
SEASON TICKETS!!
WESJOE NIXSON SAID:"IBynum needs to get his big lazy a$$ off the futuretron
and a $#@%*& game. And Phil you *&%$# son of @ &*%, you had better start
coaching or I'm gonna @$%& your @##$% from here to Temechula.I've had it with you %@#$^&.
WTF! LMFAO Wes now take several deep breaths and repeat after me . I
T'S ONLY A GAME! Snap out of it soldier. We lost a little skirmish but the major battle awaits.
No more of this $#^%$$# in the
^&%$##@F%$%^%^ ranks. LOL!
Posted by: Mamba24 | April 09, 2008 at 07:06 AM
Heard on Dan Patrick show this morning that a Cleveland paper polled 45 of the 120 MVP voters, and Kobe was the leader.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | April 09, 2008 at 07:18 AM
you know, Josh at RespectKobe.com was pretty right on when he wrote about how the Lakers have done better than expected with all the injuries, trades, and stuff ( http://www.respectkobe.com/?p=28 )...
...BUT...
last night PISSED ME OFF!!! We needed that game. It could be the difference between a #1 seed and a #3 seed... which look at what the bracket would look like, currently, and the #1 seed has a MUCH easier schedule than the #3 seed...
ALSO we need to get #1 seed for KOBE to get the MVP he deserves... and that might have been our last chance to position ourselves to take it from NO.
damn lakers... no excuse for losing that one...
Posted by: Pissed Off | April 09, 2008 at 07:22 AM
AK/BK,
Is it just me or were the Blazers fouling the hell out of the Lakers all game long with a surprisingly small amount of it called?
That was a rough loss. I got really angry watching the game.
Even though Kobe had some defensive deficiencies for parts of the game, I thought he still played very well.
I wish I could say the same for everyone else. It was very frustrating watch our team play so so defense and leaving open guys throughout much of the game. They played like abused stepchildren with no confidence. You could see it in their body language, shot selection, and just general style of play. The Blazers physical play with tons of fouling seems to really throw the Lakers off of their game.
I'm also getting really f'in tired of watching the Lakers gamble on defense and face their men sideways as if to route them into a trap, yet there's not a ton of help D or shotblockers and most of their team shoot well on jumpshots. We need to just stay in front of their guys and stop screwing around trying to gamble and get steals. It's really frustrating to watch in all games.
I was particularly disapointed with Vladimir Radmanovich. Phil needs to question his manhood far more often.
Posted by: Benjamin | April 09, 2008 at 07:26 AM
I love it when we try to blame Kobe for BRoy getting off last nite.
First off, BRoy was getting superstar calls last nite that were ridiculous. get to the lane, put his head down, and flail. All of a sudden it's FOUL!!!
Over all the plays, I saw Kobe make like two D. mistakes.
OTher than that, he was attached to Roy's hip on every drive simply waiting for the help-side defender to close off the lane.
That's what good D is in case you guys didnt know.
IT's funneling a player to your 7-footer and letting that guy close off the lane and force tough shots.
Why is Tim Duncan so good? He either steps up to the driver EARLY so they can't take off OR loads up and blocks the shots.
I blame most of our penetration woes on Odom and especially Gasol being SOFT defensively.
Good pressure D forces penetration. That's going to happen. No NBA player is going to STOP someone from driving. IT's the help D that makes it Great TEAM D.
Posted by: Korey | April 09, 2008 at 07:26 AM
Good morning Laker Nation,
I am not going to spend the day crying over spilled milk. There are four regular season games left for the Lakers to finally tune-up to Playoff level.
The psychology of the team is what seems to be in question. In almost every game of late, the Lakers' opponents have come out with more desire to win than the guys in Purple & Gold. When the other team wants it more, only bad things can happen. Even when the Lakers win, they don't play like they're in a domination mindset.
Frankly, it is scary that after being MIA in a game, it is always Lamar who is the first to speak out, "We got our **** kicked."
Every one of the next four games is a question mark. We could easily go 2-2, if the mindset doesn't change. Are the 2007-2008 Lakers a team of destiny? We're about to find out.
Posted by: Rick Friedman | April 09, 2008 at 07:28 AM
for those who missed this, watch the 4 blazers on the floor... instead of checking on their all-star brandon roy, they all go for odom
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZRsNDzEr0aQ
http://www.sendspace.com/file/a6x0py
Posted by: dave | April 09, 2008 at 07:29 AM
Dear Pig Miller
Oh how i love the fragrance and aroma of PIG meat as i wake up in the Valley of the SUN. Let me state some facts Morons.
1.I dont like Hollywood and its Liberal agenda.
2.The great Laker Legends cant shake a stick at amare and Stevie Nash.
3.The BIG CACTUS will steamroll pau.
4.Laker Bloggers suck.
5.And the SUN train will hang a NBA banner.
Posted by: Fire 3 | April 09, 2008 at 06:04 AM
Posted by: Fire 3 | April 09, 2008 at 07:29 AM
Predictions for the playoffs(based on current standings):
If we finish...
6th in west (heaven forbid): we lose to Phoenix in round 1.
5th in west and play Utah, we win if we have home court, lose if we don't
3rd in the west and play Phoenix: we win in 6, lose to SA in second round
2nd and play Dallas: We beat Dallas in 5, beat SA in round 2, beat NO or Utah in WC Finals, lose to Boston in Finals
1st and we play GS/Den: we beat GS/Den in 5, beat Utah in 7 in round 2, beat SA in WC finals, lose to Boston in Finals
We must finish 1st or second in the west! Bynum must come back strong, we must get our defense together!
Posted by: rdlee | April 09, 2008 at 07:33 AM
Good Morning Laker fans!!!
We blew it. If the Lakers will not clamp on their defense, my fearless prediction come playoff time is................
THEY WILL LOSE IN THE 2ND ROUND!!!!
GO BUCKLE UP LAKERS
Posted by: Botsoy | April 09, 2008 at 07:38 AM
I am just really down about this loss...seriously...what is going on...the lake show is in the thick of everything and they needed to win...why the hell would we want to be facing phoenix in the first round...i cannot belive they lost and it is really pathetic that this really may cause kobe the MVPand the lake show number one seed...how upsetting, i seriously can't belive it...they needed to give everything and they didn't...
Posted by: KobeRocks! | April 09, 2008 at 07:39 AM
Good morning LAL friends! Hello AK/BK, Mamba24, Charles, Laker Tom, etc. Thanks Rick F. - the vodka last night was incredible, just what the Dr. ordered. But in my haze the Dr. said AB17 was playing Sunday ... I must have been really drunk.
The vodka did tell me that this is one game against a non-playoff team hyped up by being the spoiler knowing they could keep the Lakers from getting closer to #1.
My biggest issue isn't the loss altho W's are always great. It bothers me that the mental aspect of this Lakers squad is still not playoff ready. Where is the fire, eye of the tiger, killer instinct, take no prisoners atttitude? All of our championship teams had that no matter who they were playing. At the end of every season there was that glimmer which translated on the court to FOCUS and DEFENSE.
That's what is bumming me out today.....well that and the protesters here in SF who are forcing me to leave work early today to avoid them at all costs (but I will get over that pretty quickly)
But at least in the playoffs we play 1 team for minimum of 4 games and we can focus and bring it and make adjustments. It's the idea that these are only single games until then that is excruciating. Thankfully, we only have 4 more single games remaining.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: PsychedLakerGirl | April 09, 2008 at 07:41 AM
Playoff defensive adjustments:
When healthy, a defensive lineup that includes Ariza, Odom, Bynum, Kobe and Fisher should help a bunch. We will get killed by SA or Utah in the playoffs without Bynum or Ariza unless Turief gets a lot of minutes and plays out of his mind. I'm interested to see how Gasol does at the 4. He sure isn't the defensive stopper at the 5.
Posted by: rdlee | April 09, 2008 at 07:42 AM
Good morning, Laker Nation.
I'm still cleaning up my room after smashing everything in it last night. Can you put together a shattered sofa with duct tape? I should hope so. Gotta love duct tape. The great equalizer between man and Nature.
Anyhoo...
Yeah, last night, how about that? Yeah...
Oh well, I guess I jumped on the 57 win bandwagon (as opposed to the 58 win bandwagon) for a reason. Yeah...
I'm becoming convinced that Portland spikes the Lakers gatorade with "lazy juice" every time we play up there in slug-land.
Anyhow, thank God Andrew Bynum will be back soon.
By the way, isn't three months for a broken bone in a foot an INCREDIBLELY long healing period? Can't someone, ANYONE, get Trevor Ariza some Dit Da Jow and some liquid sea minerals? How about a glass of milk? Can somebody please get Trevor Ariza a fricking glass of milk? This has become ridiculous. We sure could have used Trevor Ariza's defense last night.
Next time one of you season ticket holders sees Gary Vitti, please throw a half-gallon of 2% milk at him for me. Urgh.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | April 09, 2008 at 07:43 AM
Good morning Everyone!
Good morning Charles, Jon K., and MAMBA24!
Tough loss last night - hopefully it'll serve as a lesson that every possession counts for the playoffs. Just as long as we can win the pacific, we should be ok.
And we as bloggers (and our team) must be doing something right - we keep getting all these haters who try to rile us up because 1) their respective teams aren't doing as well; and 2) because they hate on everything L.A.
Let's Go Lake Show!
Posted by: Caliphilosopher | April 09, 2008 at 07:53 AM
EXTRA!
Special to the LA TIMES BLOG
In a regrettable and most tragic but clearly avoidable incident, the "57 WIN" and "TIME TO WIN OUT" bandwagons crashed head on into each other last evening. Riders were all reported to be faring as well as could be expected after such an incredible and disappointing occurrence. Official spokesmen were at a complete loss to explain the atmosphere which allowed this incident to occur.
A spokesman for MB24 Bandwagons, LLC, once again assured the riding public that the bandwagons had been properly manufactured and inspected, and that the owner/drivers had no part in the incident. "Factors outside our control caused this tragedy" a spokesman was quoted as saying. "When the Bandwagons are not properly maintained with the appropriate focus, intensity and defense, these things can occur" continued the spokesman. Concern in the Laker Nation grew that the efficacy of the remaining bandwagons may be compromised "unless the appropriate maintenance schedule is religiously adhered to" said the spokesman. This would include the return of the Beast, and a complete re-dedication to the intensity and focused approach which had the bandwagons moving forward relatively smoothly earlier in the year. A complete dedication to defense will also be required to prevent future incidents such as this. "We are also dedicated to making whatever changes are needed to make next year's models more resistant to these type of occurrences" said the MB24 Bandwagons, LLC spokesman. "But bottom line, performance of the bandwagons is subject to the performance of others, and we can not tolerate or take responsibility for the lack of attention to the maintenance checklist not being adhered to. We are extremely disappointed that the opportunity to place our '08 model bandwagons in front of all others may have been irreparably hampered".
Posted by: toad | April 09, 2008 at 08:08 AM
I feel for you Laker Tom, but I don't think it will be fair to expect the kid Andrew Bynum to save the Lakers. Perhaps, that's what his teammates are thinking too and if so, shame on them. We don't know how AB will be when he gets back and it will take time.
One good thing to count on is that PJ and his coaching team have always been the best at coaching for and through a playoff series. PJ has the winningest coaching record in the playoffs and there's a reason for that. His teams have always been super prepared for whoever opponent they are facing. I think in the regular season, with different opponents every 2 days, his style doesn't work as well.
I also agree with a previous comment that KB didn't play the Laker's offense in the first half. KB also gets a lot more serious on defense in the playoffs. The Lakers are simply a different team during the playoffs versus the regular season. In fact, we probably should be hoping that KB does not get the regular season MVP award bec. that will leave him playing for the playoffs MVP award.
Posted by: LakerinBC | April 09, 2008 at 08:12 AM
Good Morning Mamba24, Good Morning Charles, Good Morning Jon K, Good Morning Laker Nation!
I am always a GHF type, but I simply do not know what to say after that debacle last night. The Jazz gave us the opportunity to control our own destiny, and we just pi$$ed it away. There can be only one word to say today, and for the remainder of the season and playoffs, and that is:
DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEFENSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: toad | April 09, 2008 at 08:14 AM
David, it's a joke. The pros get whiskey and cigarettes. Unless you are talking about baseball, in which case it's hookers and steroids.
Posted by: The D | April 09, 2008 at 08:15 AM
Pig,
Don't you find it hilarious that Suns fans think they're actually going to have a banner someday? Hilarious!
Mark my words! The Big Mistake is going to turn the Suns into the Miami Heat and it will happen SOON!
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | April 09, 2008 at 08:16 AM
While I am glad to hear from PJ that the Beast will be unleashed very soon, I do not believe that his mere presence in the coming games will be a big impact. However, this is a clear sign to me that PJ is finally getting serious for the playoffs.
I believe PJ is holding back AB from returning because of several reasons (Yes, I am suggesting that AB could have been in the lineup if PJ really wanted to!), one of which is to keep the opponents guessing as to how the twin towers will be implemented.
PJ likes to play mind games with the press opponents, unfortunately this is hard on the fans to take.
Have faith on the guy with the 9 rings!! We will prevail in the end!!
Posted by: Robyn | April 09, 2008 at 08:17 AM