All kidding aside, it really is about how you finish
Because tonight's 100-92 win over the Spurs, a victory that vaulted the Lakers into the NBA Finals, was hardly secured by what they did over most of the opening half. In fact, the first 20 minutes or so came pretty close to guaranteeing a Game 6 on Saturday. Lamar Odom suspected his team came out amped to knock out their opponents in a style more suitable for a diamond than the triangle. "We came out batting like a DH," smiled Lamar. "Trying to hit the home run, trying to get them right out of the game really early." But instead of long balls, the Lakers were putting up long jumpers, most of which clanged rim and all of which eschewed the ball movement (especially inside) that's become a 2008 Laker staple. Down 17 at one point in the second quarter, the Lakers concluded the first half on an 11-2 run, with points mostly coming off layups. Perhaps inspired (or simply slapped into reality), the Lakers spent the second half knuckling down on both sides of the ball. Chipping away at San Antonio's lead, slowly but surely putting their foes back enough in the rear view mirror.
Kobe Bryant's 26 second-half points were obviously huge (making the 39 total even bigger), but contributions came fittingly from every Laker who stepped on the court. Pau Gasol's 5-15 shooting was offset and then some by 19 boards (10 offensive) and a quartet of blocks. Vlad Radmanovic led his teammates in the first quarter with five points. Jordan Farmar provided a big spark of energy off the bench, with his fellow mobsters following suit in their quest to make a mark or two while on the court. In the end, the team that's talked happily about its all-important bond found success through a group effort, creating a box score that accentuates a truly remarkable season.
The breakdown is below, courtesy of BK.
AK
The Good:
- Kobe Bryant: 39 points on 16-30 from the floor, and the dude flat out owned the fourth quarter. 17 points on 6-11 from the floor, and 4-4 from the stripe. It was a particularly effective brand of "Kobe Takeover," one that suited the team well. While there were a couple miraculous shots - my particular favorite being the step back J from just beyond the free throw line, over the outstretched arm of Tim Duncan (he's tall) with 2:22 left in the fourth - if there's such a thing as a team effort in a one-man show, this was it. The Lakers consistently freed Bryant off of screens, running him baseline, getting him loose on pick and rolls, and giving 24 the space to operate effectively. He was able to see the floor and attack it, and create high-percentage looks (by his standards, at least). Very little of the isolation that occasionally will plague the team. He was huge in the fourth, lifting his team and sinking the Spurs in the process. Lakers getting him the ball in space late - takeover mode, but a good version of it.
- Jordan Farmar: He finished the night with eight points on 4-8 from the floor, and added three dimes as well, in only 16:39 of burn. Most importantly, only one of those shots was from downtown. That means Farmar was doing more of what he does best - attacking the rack. He was able to get inside and give the team a lift, both in the second quarter when he contributed six points to a strong effort from the second unit, and in the fourth with a kick to a wide open Luke Walton in the right corner for a three, followed by a nifty driving layup to help the Lakers go from down one to up four. He needed a measure of redemption coming into the series, and after the last couple games, it's fair to say he's found it.
- The Second Unit: They didn't necessarily blow up for big numbers - Farmar had his eight points, Sasha had nine (three coming on a pure-Sasha three as the game ended, ticking off a ton of people in Vegas, I'm sure), and Walton logged five - but as a group they were a big factor in L.A.'s ability to both hang early (a nice 6-0 run in Q2 cut the Spurs' lead from 17 to 11), and force the issue late. All three of those guys had clutch moments. Farmar I mentioned, along with Walton's monster triple. Sasha's three with 7:16 to play was a huge moment for L.A., and as it's been throughout the series, the effort was there on defense.
- Defense: There were long stretches of tonight's game where the team
seemed content not to run the offense, developed a crush on the jumper worse than the one I had on Belinda Carlisle in the mid-eighties, and as a result had trouble putting the ball in the hole. The reason, then, they were able to come back from a 17-point second quarter deficit was their work on the other end. The Lakers gave up 28 points in the first quarter, again due in large part to inefficient work on offense, but then put the clamps down. 20 points in the second, then 15 in the third. Over the first four minutes of the fourth, the Lakers kept the pressure up and were able to build a lead. Overall, the Spurs shot 48.6% from the floor, but that mark fell to 38% in the middle two quarters. Tim Duncan was 7-19, Manu Ginobili 3-9. Only Tony Parker (11-22, 23 points) was able to do damage efficiently. (It should be noted that, with 19/15/10 plus a blocked shot, that Duncan hardly stunk Thursday night...) Popovich credited the Lakers D, not any issues they had offensively. Once the Lakers really got going in the second quarter, the rotations and switches were strong. Six blocked shots helped defend their basket. There will always be breakdowns, but the Lakers didn't give away a lot of points.
The Bad:
- Offensive Discipline: As I mentioned, they were jumper happy, especially in the early going, and didn't seem to have the patience required to run the offense. On the night, L.A. finished with only 16 assists on 38 field goals, a very low figure for them, especially at home. Obviously things improved as the night went on, but footage of Game 5 will not be sealed in the time capsule so that Future Man might learn to effectively run the triangle. As has been the trend through the season, in moments where the Lakers aren't effective offensively, they tend to break down on the other end.
The Mixed:
- Eh...: Not the best of games from Derek Fisher (2-7, 5 points), who both struggled offensively with his jump shot and had trouble tracking Parker. The latter is certainly understandable. Lamar Odom did some good things, including a great coast-to-coast layup+1 near the end of the second quarter that helped cut San Antonio's lead heading into the half and another strong driving hoop in the fourth. Overall, though, it was a mixed bag for Odom. Not quite as pronounced as Games 1 and 3, but LO had trouble finding his groove. But as it's been with Gasol, even on those nights where Odom isn't a force, he's still a contributor, which indicates where his game has gone.
The Commendable:
- Pau Gasol: He wasn't dominant offensively, but as it was in Game 4, he did some good work on Duncan, and was a powerful force on the glass. 19 overall, including 10 offensive rebounds. The five assists and four blocks also give an idea of how involved he was, despite a poor shooting night (5-15 plus 2-2 from the line, good for 12 points). There were other contributions that didn't show up in the, or at least my, scorebook (intangibles, people!). He was very active on the screen and roll down the stretch, helping pave the way for Kobe's fourth quarter Festival of Scoring. Gasol still shortarmed some shots and struggled with contact inside, but I think he answered PJ's challenge to play (literally) stronger. "He played well," Jackson said. I would agree.
The Classy:
- Gregg Popovich, with this assessment of the game and the series: "I'm proud of the work our guys did. I thought they busted their butts. That doesn't mean you wholesale change things. It means they're pretty damn solid. They just played a team that was better. That's why the Lakers won... The better team won. You get a seven-game series, you win four games, you're the better team."
VIDEO:
BK
AUDIO
My favorite quote of night. Vlad Rad was asked what it felt like when the clock finally counted down to zero. "Well, it felt like zero." Big laughs, but I knew right away what he meant. You're happy, but mostly just relieved the "W" was actually cemented before something bad happens. "You want that game to finish," admitted Radmanovic. "It was a really tough game. A lot of ups and down. Our team showed character again."
AK
Jon K,
Nice post and story!
Posted by: Charles | May 30, 2008 at 09:22 AM
PICK YOUR POISON:
LAKERS HAVE A BETER CHANCE OF WINNING PLAYING AGAINST THE PISTONS THAN THE CELTICS
So folks that are rooting for the Celtics are deluded.
Posted by: PICK YOUR POISON | May 30, 2008 at 09:25 AM
Jon K,
Perhaps it's time to put your car on dit da jow. haha
Glad it worked out.
AK
Posted by: Andrew Kamenetzky | May 30, 2008 at 09:27 AM
Edwin Gueco,
>>>And in this blog, when the Lakers lost in Game 3 or
>>>Utah Jazz tied the series in Game 4, read the posts of
>>>our fairweather bloggers ready to jump off the
>>>bandwagon
Or worse yet, remember back in March when Gasol went down
and they lost to Charlotte and Memphis back to back? There
were so many rats jumping off the ship that those of us that
stayed on were riding much higher in the water.
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | May 30, 2008 at 09:27 AM
Jon K,
Perhaps it's time to put your car on dit da jow. haha
Glad it worked out.
AK
Posted by: Andrew Kamenetzky
Dare I say "Dit Da Car"
Posted by: Charles | May 30, 2008 at 09:31 AM
Worse than that, LTLF, was the reaction (mine included) after the events that took place 365 days ago:
http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2007/05/adios_for_reals.html
Posted by: utzworld THE BANNER HOLDER | May 30, 2008 at 09:34 AM
The entire Philippines is ecstatic!
We are so proud of Kobe and the Los Angeles Lakers!
Great job guys!
Next up: the NBA Finals.
Metro Manila and the PHILIPPINE aRChipelago will be cheering on the purple and gold.
Mabuhay!
KOBE IS MY IDOL
www.professionalheckler.wordpress.com
Posted by: Loi Reyes Landicho | May 30, 2008 at 09:36 AM
Hugo and PsychedLakerGirl , I have Seattles Best with Caramel Vanilla cream... yummy lol I was watching First Take and really surprised to hear Skip Brainless, dog the Spurs( Manu) and give Kobe props. Greg A took it a step further and declared " if Kobe can win a title with this crew, his legacy will be BETTER than Jordans" Shocked me, but Greg is Kobe's BIGGEST Cheerleader today.. go figure.. I forgot how good playing hooky felt. This feels like I skipped school or something back n tha day lol When we win the title, I'm taking another sick day!!!! I forgot how being lazy can be fun.
Posted by: complex brotha | May 30, 2008 at 09:37 AM
I think I'm going to cry!!!
Posted by: keifo | May 30, 2008 at 09:38 AM
I miissed my series prediction by one game. We did it in 5 instead of 4. My pre-series prediction is Lakers in 5 if we play the Celtics, Lakers in 4 if we play the Pistons. I dislike both teams and will enjoy us beating either one.
Edwin, I quit reading Simers a while ago. I think he has a personality disorder.
Mamba 24, nice recognition to the classy Spurs organization and fans. I second your props to them.
Posted by: Laker Kev | May 30, 2008 at 09:40 AM
Laker Kev:"Edwin, I quit reading Simers a while ago. I think he has a personality disorder."
I could not have said it better myself sir. LOL!
Posted by: Mamba24 | May 30, 2008 at 09:45 AM
Edwin,
Thats part of the reason I stay in my cave and dont post as often as I'd like on the gameday threads. Its pretty funny reading the comments during the game i.e Luke Sucks, Phil Sucks blah blah blah when things arent going well, but the minute we pull it out, its all cheers and Yay's lol When we were down 15-17 last night, my phone didnt stop ringing !!!! Hahahaha, you guys suck, your boys are gonna lose and its going 7 blah blah blah.. Inside, I was MAD... I'm talking steam from the ears MAD.. but I never gave up hope and I have the fingernails to prove it!!! lol
Posted by: complex brotha | May 30, 2008 at 09:52 AM
Where can I get game 5 Laker Tickets?!!!
I went online to ticketmaster and nooooo luck .. It was TBD...
AK/BK, help?!!!
Posted by: Korey | May 30, 2008 at 09:55 AM
LTLF,
Haha. OK. But how much more could I do without people leaving skidmarks trying to get away?
Jon K.,
The best blog I've seen from you (only because I did not see the original Cap+Pau=skyhook beauty post). Well told, my friend. I love it when life seems to sync up like that. Bar-stool drink sync?
However, I am little uncomfortable that you drove home after you probably drank quite a bit to calm your clearly frayed nerves. j/k
Go Lakes!
Posted by: Jesterguru | May 30, 2008 at 10:09 AM
Jerry West said something interesting on the Dan Patrick show this morning.. He said that the Lakers will have trouble with Bynum and Gasol on the floor together..He was mainly concerned with transition defense with the smaller, quicker, teams.
Posted by: zen | May 30, 2008 at 10:09 AM
IT AIN'T OVER YET!!!
We still have Boston to play..The old ghosts of Boston will come out, and I'm not feeling too good about the series right now..
This will be the worst year ever if we lose to Boston in the finals. This is when it really counts!! The Lakers need to win game 1, or game 2, or both, if they want to have a chance.
Posted by: zen | May 30, 2008 at 10:14 AM
Damn.. that game had me on the edge of my seat all night...
Glad they pulled it out...
My boss n the guard here at work is saying the Lakers aren't good enough to beat the Celtics or Pistons...
We jus had this big arguement... LoL... People these days... All I said was... "We'll See Who's Holding the Trophy"...
Loving this feeling... Finally... After years of negativity... We're back... Shaq?? Where u at dude?? LoL..
Posted by: Cdub0512 | May 30, 2008 at 10:17 AM
GREETINGS TO ALL LAKERS FANS FROM ZULU, AFRICA:
ALL THE ZULU WARRIORS SEND HAPPY TIDINGS TO THE WORLDS BEST PLAYER KOBE AND HIS TEAM.
WE LOVE THE LAKERS HERE IN ZULU LAND
WE ALL DANCE AND WILL BE CHEERING IN THE NEXT ROUND
BEST REGARDS
MUGURO
Posted by: zulu warrior | May 30, 2008 at 10:20 AM
Out of our 60 years, we have been in the finals 29 times.
Amazing.
The greatest sports franchise in the world!!
Posted by: Lakers Legacy | May 30, 2008 at 10:26 AM
29! 29! I had no idea how unbelivable the Lakers franchise has been. I can make a case for the Lakers being the primere WORLD sports franchise of the 20th and 21st century.
29 times in the finals out of 60 years of exisistence. Are you kidding me? The magintude of that accomplishment is completely mind-blowing. 23 times since moving to Los Angeles
Los Angeles is the proud and lucky 'owners' of the most amazing sports franchise, that to me, has ever existed. Look at what we have gotten to enjoy over the years: Chick Hearn a great announcer and a great man, West, Baylor, Magic, Kareem, Kobe, Wilt, Worthy, Wilkes, Shaq, Copper, and on and on.
A truly great coach in Phil Jackson and not a bad one at all in Riley. Bill Sharman, great owners in Buss and Cooke. It is just unbelivable how wonderfully charmed we have been as a city and populace.
And no the Celtics do not compare. They had the single greatest era run of all time. But we were better in the 80s and they until this year have been non-exsistent in the 21st century. The Lakers franchise has simply been an amazing success for EVERY SINGLE DECADE it has existed.
29...29....I can not get over that. EVERY OTHER year on average we are not just in the playoffs but in the finals. That is just mind blowing. And no the Yankees do not compare because for most of their exisistence they went straight to the World Series. It is not the same as having to win multiple playoff series in one year.
And the Celtics teams did it in an era with fewer teams and not as much free agency.
Lastly the Lakers have had a lot of luck on their side, which all champions do. But the Lakers MAKE much of their good fortune. The coin flip for Magic was lucky, but Bird was phenomonal as well. The Kobe trade....darn good scouting and foresight. And The Busses father and son have to be given credit for Bynum. Think about this, the ONE YEAR, yes ONE YEAR the Lakers do not make the playoffs and get to pick in the first dozen or so, they nab a potential franchise center that will work awesome along side Kobe.
The Clippers pick higher almost EVERY year and almost never get a Bynum. For an organization to be so good for so many years is just an awesome awesome gift to Los Angeles. And we all should be very thankful. Not only great players but DRIVEN players. Well honestly not Shaq. But West, Magic, and Kobe are three of the most driven players in the history of the NBA. What do they all have in common? Not only Lakers but LIFETIME Lakers.
I want to thank the Busses, Mitch, the FANTASTIC coaching staff. I hope we get Boston btw because Phil wants to win against Boston BAD. And of course the players. They are not only winning but having fun and enjoying each other and the fans.
Just plain thanks to everyone. I ironically live in Texas now but I was born in Los Angeles in 65, I went to my first Laker game in the magical 71-72 season and did not get to Texas until 2001. So I have been an Angeleno almost my entire life. Austin is actually pretty cool. Anyhow it has been a great joy to have the Lakers in my life. I remember only 2 really down times. When the Walton Blazers were really good in the late 70s and the couple of years pre-Shaq and pre Phil. Other than that almost every year (ok not the last couple) there has been a championship or the chance for one.
Whew long post but long live the love affair between team and city. Lakers THE GREATEST SPORTS FRANCHISE...EVER.
Posted by: Larry of LA | May 30, 2008 at 10:29 AM
Zen,
I'm confident the Lakers would win either game or game 2. If they lost game 1, for example, Kobe & Fish would have a team dinner to discuss what went wrong and how to improve, etc... then game 2 would be a blowout in the Lakers favor.
If the Finals goes 7 games it would be because the Lakers were outmatched, and I don't think they're outmatched.
Also, I agree with Jerry West regarding potential trouble with the big line-up next year. A smaller team could run circles around us, yes... AND Lamar is much more suited to play the 4 than the 3.
It doesn't much matter.... if Gasol & Bynum can't play well together on a particular night, just have one of them playing 6th man. Seriously, how hard is it?
It's a good problem to have.
Posted by: Tim-4-Show | May 30, 2008 at 10:35 AM
Tim-4-Show,
I see a problem with this..Bynum or Gasol are not going to want to come off the bench..Jerry West said Gasol is one of those players that would refuse to come off the bench.
Will the Lakers give Bynum his 75 million extension? It seems like a good problem to have, but I see some players not being happy about it.
Posted by: zen | May 30, 2008 at 10:52 AM
-What a great day for Laker Nation! Are you not entertained? ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?
-Jerry West’s speech was a thing of beauty. What a special moment for all Laker fans. I always felt Jerry West’s proudest accomplishment from his non-playing career was trading Vlade Divac for Kobe - the deal of the century. Unlike Magic, you could see how proud and happy West is for Kobe. All of the championships and special memories the Lakers have provided in my lifetime are because of this great man. All hail the Logo!
-Tim-4-Show, You are absolutely right. That was a great adjustment by Phil to go exclusively to the pic&roll, after replacing Lamar with Vlad to spread the floor. San Antonio’s strategy has been to give Lamar the outside shot, and use his man to double Kobe or guard the paint. This has been a pretty effective strategy that I’m sure Boston or Detroit will duplicate. If they do, the Lakers need to pic&roll them to death.
-Lamar looked pretty bummed out after being benched in the last four minutes. He will have to work on his outside shot this summer to prevent teams from employing this strategy next year.
-If Kobe missed a few more shots in the fourth quarter, and the Lakers lost, all we would be hearing today from the media and their Kobe-hating clones is how he played selfishly, didn’t pass to his teammates, blah, blah, blah. AK would’ve stated something about how Kobe went away from team ball to the detriment of the team. Fortunately, Kobe made those clutch shots and the Lakers won, so I guess Kobe took over “in a good way” this time.
Posted by: LAKER TRUTH | May 30, 2008 at 10:59 AM
AK,
Whats up with the story on LA times by TJ Simers...that Kobe's Wife Had cussed you with 4 letter words...He said you looked at her daughters...She cried just looking at her daughters?? really??
Posted by: Disgruntled, Frustrated Laker Fan | May 30, 2008 at 11:06 AM
Mamba 24
I always enjoy my coffee at work as well but my job's computer won't let us post on blogs. As far as the day, everyday is a good day.
Home coffee always tastes better especially after a win.
I even did some yard work this morning. :0)
Colorado loves the Lakers!
Posted by: Hugo Boss | May 30, 2008 at 11:07 AM
Hugo Boss:"I even did some yard work this morning. :0)"
Now see you had to go and spoil it with the yard work.
You were my hero until then.
Posted by: mamba24 | May 30, 2008 at 11:14 AM
AK,
Yeah, I follow Disgruntled Lakers Fan's request. Could you please comment on T.J. Simers article?
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | May 30, 2008 at 11:22 AM
Digruntled, Frustrated
In a nutshell, that's basically what happened. A couple of times, while waiting for the locker room to open up, her daughter and I made a few goofy faces at each other, like people often do with little kids. I was at a very good distance and didn't actually speak to her. The daughter seemed amused. Vanessa, not so much. Cue blue streak. I handled it very calmly and all witnessing parties felt she was way out of line. I respect any protectiveness she may have for her children, but there's clearly a better way of handling the situation.
I chose not to write about it, in part because I wanted to take the high road and in part because I don't consider Vanessa Bryant's behavior, bad as it might be at times, to be "newsworthy" (at least not in this context). At the risk of sounding dismissive, she's just a woman married to Kobe and has nothing to do with my gig. I'm not a paparazzi and this isn't TMZ. In my mind, it wasn't really a "story" as much as just a bizarre experience.
AK
Posted by: Andrew Kamenetzky | May 30, 2008 at 11:31 AM
Hello Laker Nation
One year ago to the day, Kobe says he wants to be traded.... What a differance a year makes, Kobe is the MVP, the Lakers are the WC champions waiting for either the Celtics or the Pistons. Who would've thought it..
I still want the C's, lota pay back due them!!!
Seven days is a long time to wait for my fix.
Posted by: Laker_1959 | May 30, 2008 at 11:58 AM
WOW
Skip Bayless just annointed Kobe the best player on the planet on ESPN's "!st and 10", and he dumped Manu and his man crush on him
Posted by: Laker_1959 | May 30, 2008 at 12:09 PM
AK - way to take the high road. This space isn't TMZ and I for one, appreciate you reporting as such. She does sound like a "young, new $, B****" who would throw out MVP's name wherever and whenver to get her way. One day soon, she will learn she can't act like this because people will turn on her.
But separately, I think there is a genuine safety concern for their kids (sucks being a wealthy parent these days). I guess the public school they wanted their kids to go to turned them down because they couldn't supply enough security.
Anyhoo - back to the LAKERS!!! I noticed on nba.com that there is a chance Finals start June 3. Would that happen if C's win tonight? Otherwise it's June 5? Please confirm.
And the whole Jerry West speech had me tearing. It was awesome to have the full circle of Laker love happening at that point in time. Although, I do agree with an earlier posting and what PJ said - we still have work to do and we shouldn't be satisfied with a WCF trophy.
GO LAKERS!!!
Posted by: PsychedLakerGirl | May 30, 2008 at 12:14 PM
AK,
That really sucks about Vanessa Bryant. Too bad that Kobe's married to a crazy woman who loves Pommerianians. I should have known by the Pommerianians alone.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | May 30, 2008 at 12:15 PM
Jon K. "I should have known by the Pommerianians alone."
ROFLMAO!!
Posted by: Mamba24 | May 30, 2008 at 12:22 PM
RG,
Thanks for the props about the Lioness dig at Pau. I loved your post about Kobe’s great shot selection and the variations this time in Kobe Time. It was a great adjustment that I thought really worked great, having Kobe come off screens and pick and rolls. He was far more difficult to defend for the Spurs and the movement and involvement of the other players was excellent, contrary to situations where the team tries to isolate Kobe. And like KB24 said, he had to increase his offensive efficiency with easier shots so that he could still shoot a high percentage even if he wasn’t able to get the refs to call fouls to get him to the line. Great adjustments by a Hall of Fame coach and superstar.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | May 30, 2008 at 12:31 PM
LONG JOHN,
Welcome from Spain. The World Wide Lakers Blog. Cool. Excellent post about Pau and his favorite player. Ignore any Pau hating you may encounter from trolls and make no mistake, the Lakers and Kobe love Pau and what he brings to this team. Like you said, he will do whatever his team needs, even if it is playing out of position at center where he is physically but not mentally overmatched. Wait until Pau and Drew and Lamar get that opportunity to play together. They will be the greatest front court trio since Parrish, McHale, and Bird. And far superior to Perkins, Garnett, and Pierce.
Lakers in 4 or 5 for their 15th NBA Championship, launching the Lakers 4th Dynasty.
Bravo Pau and all Lakers fans in Spain.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | May 30, 2008 at 12:39 PM
lakerlandspain,
No disrespect meant to Pau with the lioness comment. Just that he is not afraid of the feminine side of his personality but still is a killer competitor on the court. After all, in the jungle, it is the lioness who makes the kill and protects and feeds the family. Pau does, however, need to stop throwing up some of those weenie shots and complaining to the refs. Otherwise, he will still be saddled with the false label of being too soft.
Pau is the perfect fit for the Lakers with his high basketball IQ, great length and coordination, and fabulous talent and skill set. He is being asked to replace Andrew Bynum, who is the power player to Pau’s finesse player. He has played great since joining the Lakers and will be a leading part of the greatest Lakers team to ever be assembled. So be proud of Pau, Spain. He is a winner and a champion. Next year, after having some time to work with Kareem, we expect Pau to earn his second all-star game appearance, this time as one of the league’s best power forwards.
Bravo Pau and all Lakers fans in Spain.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | May 30, 2008 at 12:48 PM
rhon.salmon,
Great post. I had forgotten about the 2009 free agent plan that had been concocted was part of the reason for Kobe's going ballistic during last summer. Thank God that plan was never implemented and we wisely spent our salary cap money on our young players and held onto Drew. I still cringe whenever I remember Mitch saying that we would not have traded for Pau if Drew had not been injured. Hopefully, that was just a brain fart and Mitch really didn’t mean it. Kwame et al for Pau was why we will win this year’s championship. Keeping Drew is why we’ll win many more titles during the next decade.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | May 30, 2008 at 12:59 PM
Mamba,
Thanks for the props but I'm just another fanatical amateur like yourself who gets off on sharing ideas and insights with other equally fanatical and purple and gold loving Lakers fans. I would say as props to all of the great posters on this blog, however, that unlike most sports blogs, the posters on this blog truly deserve to be called bloggers as their posts are as much the original content of this blog as the contributions from the Kambros.
Take a well-deserved bow, Lakers Bloggers. You are what really has made this blog the greatest sports blog in the blogsphere. Now all we need are those occasional free Lakers tickets and other rewards and spiffs from the connected and beneficiary Kambros. LOL.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | May 30, 2008 at 01:07 PM
PJ has a week to get the roll players and bench back up to scoring. And having a week is nice cause it allows you to get Ariza playoff ready and in sync with the team.
Posted by: the other Tom | May 30, 2008 at 12:35 AM
HaHa
Good luck with that. H e has had Ariza practicing for 2 months now and he is not ready yet? Yeah right.
Posted by: JustaLakerFan | May 30, 2008 at 01:55 PM
Jon,
It's obviously your starter. I had the same problem before. Glad to you finally got to your lucky seat in time. LOL.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | May 30, 2008 at 02:32 PM
Mamba,
Put me on the new car for Jon bandwagon. Jon needs that Aston Martin that Kobe jumped. LOL.
Jon,
When I had that same car problem, moving the car physically even for just a foot would sometimes make the starter work. Maybe somebody can explain why that worked but it was funny. I ended up always parking on slight hills. Car problems. Almost as bad as moving and looking for a job. LOL.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | May 30, 2008 at 02:41 PM
I can see the Logo's point about that big line-up having trouble in transition (and who would disagree with him, huh?), but check this out. The problem that I see for the opposition is that these three (AB, PG, and LO, or TA) are all such gret ball handlers and passers that thy won't turn the ball over much, and what team will out rebound them on a consistant basis? They'll need to turn the ball over or miss a lot of shots and get out rebounded to get beat in transition.
I just think this long armed line-up with Shasha at PG will be so dominant on D, blocking shots, hands in passing lanes, and just generally disrupting the flow of the opposing offense, that they can afford to give up a transition lay-up or two when that does happen.
I really think this kind of a line-up may revloutionize the game as we see it today.
Posted by: bruzer | May 30, 2008 at 03:22 PM
PsychedLakerGirl,
Thanks for the props. Always enjoy your posts and enthusiasm, too.
I tell you, if I was not 100 years old and married for 40 years, I would be licking my chops over all of the smart, passionate, and adorable female bloggers who grace our blessed online community. You young guys are lucky to have a chance to meet a special someone on the blog like PsychedLakerGirl, Faith, EastCoastJessie, SimiLakerGirl, LakerGirl, or lakersrydeordie – females who truly appreciate and share your love and enthusiasm for the Lakers. What more could you want in a lady than one with brains, good looks, and great personality who loves the Lakers and hates the Celtics. That’s a match made in Heaven, like Chick and Marge.
Thank God this is not just a guys only site. Lakers fans come in every sex or shade of gender that exists. Like the Lakers, we are international and diversified and eclectic as well as electric. There’s no other place on earth quite like Lakersville. Thanks, Ladies, and my apologies to those others whose names this old timer can’t remember.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | May 30, 2008 at 03:22 PM
AK,
Class all the way, Andy. You are a true pro and we appreciate how you and Brian handle yourselves and the blog. Many thanks.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | May 30, 2008 at 03:32 PM
Fish may not have the best of games but that 3 he hit late in the first half to cut the lead to 9 was HUGE!
Posted by: bronxlakerfan | May 30, 2008 at 04:33 PM
AK,
You did the right thing. Thanks for the answer. But TJ Simers is a Real Jerk trying to stirr up something. He definitely don't have any stores or Laker players dont give him enough Love. I hate that Guy.
-DFLF
Posted by: Disgruntled,Frustrated Laker Fan | May 30, 2008 at 05:18 PM
A few years ago, I truely believed that Kobe would make or break himself with the team around him. Since day one we all knew it was a matter of making the people around him better. Help them feed off themselves ,instead of always needing to feed off of kobe. At the end of last year, we almost saw if crumble in our hands. What hurt is that he not only wanted be traded, but more so that he had a mind set, championship, and he refused to reach that goal with the current players around at the time. Sure he could have done it somewhere else but he would have never gained the same amount of respect by doing it here. I've always been pessimistic, but to see the changes come around (gasol and ariza), players play to their potential (L.O./Sasha), stars brighten more (kobe/fisher), and to have a bench (Luke aka mike, Jordan, Turiaf) that carries so much LOVE for the game, and I truely mean love is the greatest combination any team could have. And yet bynum is still expected back for training camp...so as I sit here and wonder where my pipe is, remember one thing...it's just one....we need a minimum of 4, and after that, we'll find out how long we truely want to take this thing for.
Pack a bowl, open a beer, and get your shit talking together because we've made it to the finals and all these haters, now need to be HATED ON, for hating on us all year.
P.S. We've only lost 3 games in the play offs... -_-
Posted by: Lakers Stumpy-pook | May 30, 2008 at 05:20 PM
i keep seeing whining about Sasha shooting at the last second and I have to say it strikes me as just sour grapes. if the game was over and it doesnt matter, then it doesnt matter. Sasha was celebrating as much as he was shooting. If he had thrown the ball straight in the air nobody would have said a thing, this was about the same. To me there is basically some racism against Sasha. He is white and European and most of the NBA players dont like him playing the black man's game. He takes more cheap shots from other players than anybody ive ever seen, and now people want to make a big deal about one silly meaningless shot. He honors the game by hustling and playing defense, something about 80 percent of the NBA players only pretend to do. So "classless" is just a matter of perspective.Its also ignorant to criticize his English. Try going to Slovenia and learning his language before you criticize Sasha for being fairly conversant and sometimes even funny in English. But that is typical American ignorance for you.
Posted by: jeffgrotke | June 01, 2008 at 12:27 AM