More panic moves by two franchises who used to have a clue.

Johnny,

While I think individual match-ups definitely make a difference on how well Luke plays, the single main reason Luke is playing better right now is that he is once again playing with confidence. You can see if when he shoots, goes for rebounds, and plays defense.

Whether you’re playing in the NBA or on the playground, basketball is first and foremost about confidence, about believing in your game and your abilities. When you have it in spades, the rim is four feet wide and everybody else is moving in slow motion. When you lose it, it’s as if your feet are stuck in quicksand and every move you make uncertain.

Luke has always been a very smart basketball player who was somewhat limited by his lack of physical ability and lack of confidence. We have seen in the past how his lack of confidence often led him to make mistakes by not taking shots at critical times at ends of games, by allowing his lack of confidence to undermine his high basketball intelligence.

With several lingering injuries holding him back, his shot clanging, and his confidence waning, this was a very tough season for Luke, especially considering he had just signed a 5-year $30M contract. All of a sudden, Luke became Puke, the blog-wide target for disgruntled Lakers fans, which I am sure was trying for a longtime favorite like Luke.

Finally healthy, however, Luke slowly has worked himself back to where he is able to use his high basketball IQ to be successful. Luke, much like Lamar, is the type of glue type of player who looks to pass first and helps the Lakers be so dominant in their Triangle Offense. Now that he has his confidence back, Luke once again, like Lamar, is filling the Lakers stat sheet with points, boards, assists, steals, and even blocked shots.

We really owe Phil Jackson a great thanks for sticking with Luke when most of us – me included – would have exiled the guy to the end of the bench until next year. Now, Luke is playing even better than he did early last year and the Lakers have a total of 12 players on the roster playing the best basketball of their entire careers as they peak steamrolling through the playoffs as the only undefeated team.

Tom

I WONDER WHY?

Why is there a shortage of new coaches coming into the NBA league?

Why the same old coaches get hired with such great accolades (blaha blaha blaha) and then few years later are fired?

Why don't these coaches have pride to not come back and knowing that they will be fired?

Why are these OLD fogeys of coaches hanging around for some owNers to throw bones at them?

I say why why why?

Why is Doug Moe still around?

Why is Dick Motta not wanting to come back?

Why is Hubie Brown not wanting to make another come back?

Why is Jack Ramsey not wanting to coach again?

The DEEP THOUGHTS!!

I disagree with that firing. Success takes a process. Dallas needed a hardcore, vocal veteran who could instill aggression and passion in the Mavs. Avery seems to be a passionate coach, but with wimps like Dirk leading the pack, I can see how his team became gutless. It wasn't his fault. Too bad for Avery. I hope they get D'Atoni next.

Et Tu Brutus,

I was also disappointed that Bynum was partying during the playoffs when he should be home rehabbing or resting his knee.

But it's not the end of the world. He should have a taste of college life, even if he passed up on college. It's good for him. He just needs to wait until the playoffs are over before he starts hitting frat parties.

Regarding the Hornets....

The Hornets aren't all that scary to me... Chris Paul is.

Farmar and Fisher are going to have to practice taking charges and moving quickly to their lateral left, because if you watch Paul, he's damned quick, but he always goes to his right. He's so quick that if you're able to block his path, it'll trap him into getting a charge foul.

Stepping quickly into his path as he rushes the net and not getting sucked into a double team is the way to stop him. If you double team him, he dishes it off to one of his shooters. Farmar and Fisher are going to have to stop him one-on-one.

God, I hope Ariza is back soon. He can stop that kind of penetration.

GO LAKERS!

On the Dan Patrick Show, Larry Bird said that coaches have about three years before they start getting tuned out. The exceptions he stated were Jerry Sloan, Phil Jackson, and Pat Riley.

Jerry Sloan just has ultimate job security, so the players know they're not going to force him out, so they can't tune him out, or they will be gone.

Pat Riley, well, he only coaches when the circumstances are in his favor. Same could be said of Phil Jackson - BEFORE he took the current job of the Lakers, so that's out the window.

I think that really is PJ's calling card, the way he doesn't grind his players into submission, but lets them find their way through his guidance. He doesn't burn teams out.

LUKE is a very smart player simply because it is in his DNA, besides he fits like a glove into Lakers Triangle offense. I for one have never questioned Luke's abilities and felt he was unjustly criticized by fair weather Laker fans who drank beer and got noisy for the occasion and then threw up on Luke's lap.

The only adjustment that Luke had to make was coming out from the college program where he was the go to guy and a star and then with Lakers being a role player. Kudos to Luke for making the adjustment. Luke can play and is a very valuable asset.

Go Luke may the power be with you son!

Deep Thoughts!

There are all kinds of lessons re: poker, business and life in comparing the very different reactions of Cuban and Buss to adversity.

Bynum went to a party with his girlfriend and her friend who go to UCLA. He wasn't skipping a rehab session, wasn't seen drinking, he wasn't breakdancing, and most importantly he wasn't arrested on suspicion of rape like someone else who was supposed to be rehabbing his knee in Denver, CO a while back.

Get over it.

Charles, in a similar idea to that,

NBA top 5 Gangsta players (or wanksta)
Not talking about looking like a thug, but actually affiliated with them.

PG - Jarret Jack (seen him thrown signs at the camera)
SG - Allen Iverson (Dynasty Raiders?)
SF - Paul Pierce (throwing the B)
PF - Stephen Jackson (hangs red bandana in his locker)
C - ?

Posted by: Lakers Legacy | April 30, 2008 at 11:47 AM

Sabonis? Ukraine Mafia? Lol. Don't know bro got me on that.

I think it'd be perfect if Avery and D'Antoni just switched jobs.

D'Antoni could run n' gun with Kidd, Howard and Dirk, while Avery could slow down the game and teach the Suns how to play defense...

I might be remembering this wrong, can someone help me out?

In the very first play of Game 1 vs. the Thuggets, didn't Kobe block AI's jumpshot?

Just trying to settle a personal bet.

Frank1Rizzo speaks the truth: why the hell would you think that frat party attendance somehow means a dude is ready for playoff basketball?

partying with gyros isn't my idea of a good time but am i really supposed to fault the dude for partying with college girls? "Hey 'drew, we're having a party - plenty of free drinks and girls ready to party!" He's supposed to say no? you expect him to stay cloistered until lawrence tanter introduces him as a starter? please...

in the meantime, put me on the ARIZA CAN BRING US A CHAMPIONSHIP BANDWAGON!!

Mike D is a gonner!
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/jack_mccallum/04/30/suns.dantonio/index.html

"Are you ever going to write something co herent that has more than one sentence or be a smart ass with one liners?

If you must know then call me BIG DADDY and not Et Tu Brute..oooh maybe you like thme brutes LOL

Big Daddy"

Posted by: Big Daddy | April 30, 2008 at 02:16 PM

You mean as coherent as typing "co herent" and them as "thme." Nice too see you multi post again. It was just a question. Don't be so insecure little papa.

The Kamenetzky Blog: Where Big Daddy Cares...

oxOXOxoX For you that means:
little hug - little kiss, Big Hug - Big Kiss, Big Hug - little kiss, little hug - Big Kiss

On Bynum~

The kid has been busting his butt trying to get back. On Kareem's blog the Capt. mentioned Drew is having a tough time coping with his first NBA injury, not playing or being available for the biggest playoff run of his time with the Lakers. So in my book there is nothing wrong with him being at a party, perhaps clearing his mind. Remember he's 20 yrs. old. He's not on the active roster, and as far as I know no one got hurt by his appearance. Lighten up or get a life!

I feel like both Phoenix and Dallas made moves to win now. I feel like neither team gave their new guys enough time to integrate into the team. Gasol's rapid integration into the Lakers was very anomolous.

At the same time, I've seen what look to me like serious mistakes in execution from both Avery Johnson and D'Antoni, particularly in the playoffs. Both are obviously great regular season coaches. D'Antoni should have been able to do better with such a talented roster, but he didn't and that tells me enough.

I do believe both franchises are making panic moves (I mean Shaq for Marion now--you gotta be kidding me), but it seems unfair if the coach's are penalized when they can't completely change how they're playing with 35 games left in the season.

I'm starting to really wonder about NBA players. It seems that many are lazy and just do whatever the hell they feel like doing. I talked to a strength and conditioning guy recently and he told me almost no players in the NBA will work with strength and conditioning coaches during the regular season. They don't listen to coaches unless they think the coach can't be fired. It's just crazy. There must be a way to give coaches and training staff more power over the players. Otherwise, you have teams like Dallas, Phoenix and Denver not going far in the playoffs with some of the most talented rosters. As an NBA fan, I don't like that. It's the athleticism and talent that at many times is the most entertaining part of watching the game!

Does anyone have an update on Andrew Bynum in regards to where he's at on his rehab other than what we already know??? Has he improved? Will he get another evaluation on his knee anytime soon? Has he been officially been ruled out for the entire playoffs? Help!!!!

We may need him if we match up against the Spurs in the WCF, especially if they start Kurt Thomas alongside Tim Duncan.

Phil on PTI, try find it if you can.

Could have gotten Pau last year but would of meant busting up the team.

Basically dissed (expressed surprise) that they went too Hack-a-Shaq.

Also felt for Shaq because they kept calling him for lane violation when taking free throws.

Good stuff.

If I were a 20 year old millionaire athlete, I'd be at a frat party too. He's at a college party, at a university with probably the 2nd best looking women in the Pac-10 conference (ASU, #1). Let the kid be young and work on his social skills, he probably feels awkward as it is being 7'1" and being the star that he is. I hope he was with Jordan Farmar or something, just to keep things right.

I honestly hope that Bynum develops mentally and socially. Kobe had a tough time in early adulthood, I hate to see the same stuff happen. Lucky for him, most of the guys are young or easy going. Kobe must have been really lonely most of the time, and he would have probably loved being on a team of his peers.

That multi-posting, Bynum bashing Troll should be ignored. It's a non-story.

MikeD should stay in Phoenix and stew. Or not. Who cares. I just want to see what the Suns say when "the Big Cactus" is mysteriously injured for 3/4 of the season and their miracle worker trainers are baffled by their own helplessness. Can an aging Nash and egomaniacle Amare, possibly in a slowed down system, keep them in the race...for third place...in the Pacific??

Anywho,

GO LAKERS!

Nemaia Faletogo, good one!

C - Tyson Chandler
backup C - Keith Closs

backup C - Keith Closs

Posted by: Lakers Legacy

LMAO! Another good find bro.

Charles, #4 thanks and good post as well!

Tyson Chandler added to the wanksta list. Dude couldn't bag his way out of a paper bag in Compton. But yea, he fits the profile.

Hearing Larry Bird's comments on Kobe made it all worth it. Its like one of the awards shows where the guy can't except the award... Umm, thanks everyone but I'll leave this hear for Kobe. (NASH,NASH/DIRK -I'll never get over these two)

mel,

Are you saying that Phil Jackson was on PTI today?