Mamba24

"STOP GIANTSQUID! YOU SPEAK HERESY. I fear the
gods of basketball will strike you down for saying
such things."

What? I said they won fewer games without him. They also only made it too the eastern conference finals where the refs cost them a trip to the finals. And I said "really, really great". How can the gods object? (sorry, but I don't believe in the basketball gods although ironically I do believe in basketball hell.)

Vman

Giantsqu?

Well at least you didn't call me giantsquaw or giantsquash. Although giantsquash is ok, I prefer colossal squid as an alternative to giantsquid. Squid is fine too.

LakerTom

You can refer to me as "Lieutenant Miguel" if you like. Fatty shouldn't suffer due to my silliness. You're right, I couldn't pull it off. Too bad. I was trying to lure Mike T. back to the blog to protect his reputation. Sadly, I failed.

Mambaaaaaaa.... we predicted it baby...it's Lakers v. Boston and I'm taking you up on a promise.

Just to remind you...you said you'd come out here to Boston in your purple and gold speedo (ala Duke's speedo guy). I'm waitin' for you baby.

I'll be at both games this week proudly wearing my purple & gold.

VMAN/Mamba24/JustAnotherMambaFan/LakerTom,

You guys honor me with the bandwagon. Thanks.

Lakers better get that fire in the belly!

This is for history!

GO LAKERS!

Tsiry:"Since there's no Lakers game for a while I had the time to make a quick illustration of RONNY! If u wanna check it out."

Tsiry - QUICK illustration??? MAN - that was GREAT!!!! I couldn't do something like that if I had art lessons & 100 years to try!!!!!!!!!!! Good job!

Mamba24 - I notice that there are several more bandwagons rolling! The blog is keeping you busy, man! Add me to all of them please - job descriptions up to you!

I AM SOOOOOO READY for Thursday!!!!! It's ALREADY DONE - can't you feel it? Can't you taste it? Can't you smell it? Lakers are going to a parade this year ladies & gents! Start saving now for the gas $$ it will take to get you there!

4 to O'Brien...........

Mitch,

Bynum ain't going fricken nowhere.

Dynasty begins now.

GO LAKERS!

Mitch

I was so excited(?) I missed your post. Sorry about that.

Muchisimas gracias guys!

Mamba24, how can I forget?? I do appreciate man.

Ajax, perhaps, I didn't exactly pay attention haha!

And I just dont agree with anyone saying Turiaf is the Lakers weakness! Not to mention his impact on the team's harmony, I think he played good defense against Duncan.
Still, he can improve.

Go Ronny!

"The moral of the story is: if you want something really bad, don't just sit back hoping it will come to you, but go after it aggresively."

Posted by: LAKER TRUTH

I agree completely. I don't understand why some fans still ask Kobe to apologize for he only wanted the Lakers to be where they are now.

Edwin Gueco,

Sam Cassell is a whining, loudmouth, E.T. looking turncoat.

It makes me sick the way he jumped ship on the Clippers after guilting them into an expensive contract. Jerk.

GO LAKERS!

Waiting for lakerTom to respond:

ANDREW BYNUM FOR SALE?

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=8917

I say strike the iron while it is hot. TRADE BYNUM!!

Trader Joe

Mamba24,

Sign me up for the "Let's get the Big Español Gasol to .500 in
the Playoffs" Bandwagon!

¡Gracias!

giantsquid

haha, Apologies. Sometimes that cut and paste thing has a mind of it's own.

So, now that Paul Pierce is flashing Bloods signs, can we arrange for the Crips or the Surenos to greet him when he arrives in L.A.?

GO LAKERS!

giantsquid,

So, then the Clippers are going to have Chris Kaman AND Andrew Bynum? No way.

Hey, I think Elton Brand is as great as anyone, but come on...

Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum throwing up assassin skyhooks. Picture it.

Bynum's not going anywhere.

GO LAKERS!

This was my response to the "trade Bynum" article from Hoops World.

Wow, I don't even know where to start. There are so many flaws in this I had to take notes. Literally. At least you left out the political commentary (yes that's a shot on you Bill).

First of all you are quoting Bynum's average stats for the year. This is a total statistical mistake. Similar to saying that Kobe is not that great because he only averages 25 ppg for his career. Of course if you throw out the first 2 seasons when he barely played that number jumps up quite a bit. At the time of his injury Andrew Bynum's numbers were ahead of Dwight Howard across the board per 48 minutes. Granted he couldn't play 40 minutes per game at his age, but the numbers don't lie. Bynum's real greatness lies on the defensive end where he was blocking shots, altering shots, at a ridiculous rate. Again better than D. Howard. You barely touched on that part.

I also disagree that Kobe will automatically be the first option with the '08-'09 lineup. Obviously he will get his points as necessary, but I see Bynum/Gasol being the first option. I don't think the PPG leader is necessarily the first option by default.

Next question is "why now"? Why trade him now, why not wait until this team can see what they are capable of instead of making a rash decision. (This is why Mitch Kupchak deserved the EOY this year, because of his patience, not just the moves he made). Bynum is still under contract this year and there is no reason to do something stupid. If things don't work out you move him to the bench. Now you have the deepest team in the league and you can get something for him the following year.

Gasol is a natural Power Forward and would be a better fit there as evidenced by his lack of strength, and ability to defend in the post.

The only thing I agree with in this article is WWOD "what will Odom do". This is the big question mark for the Lakers, but is still worth trying.

"Gasol is who the lakers hope Bynum will be in a few years" Huh? No one wants him to be like Gasol, maybe like Shaq, but not at all like Gasol. Maybe you meant as good as Gasol?

"Bynum hasn't shown he will be a great player". I guess this depends on what you consider an adequate sample size. I think he has more than shown that he will be great in his consistently "great" play in December and January. Like I said, I cannot necessarily argue with you because your required sample size may be bigger than mine.

To summarize, I appreciate your position, and it is not necessarily unique, but I really think you are reading box scores and not watching many Laker games as your information is not especially accurate.

And for the record I don't think this will upset Laker fans as much as confuse them.

Question to anyone who's been checking on the C's this year.

JUST HOW MENTAL ARE THEY? Were their 60+ wins a fluke or are they just that good? Someone pointed out that the bulk of their wins came at the hands of East teams (and 2 from us during the Stone Age of Kwame Brown - when we were MENTALLY out of sync with one another). Yeah, they're raw, talented and have tons of dash and flash...

...but can they mentally, psychologically handle us? 7 games against Atlanta. 7 games against Cleveland. 6 games (with the last one a 4th quarter comeback) against the Pistons.

On the other hand, you've got us masterminding 2 seperate comebacks from 20 & 17 points against the defending champions.

Can they handle that?

Hoopsworld article is to just stir up bad karma out of the East coast. It's just to get media attention during this torture week of no bball.

Although, the one comment I hate to admit thinking is the rumblings that his knees are not that structurally sound. The kid is 20 and has had the "top" knee specialist in the country for "years". That's a bit scary to me. Laker Tom - I feel a response coming on and I don't want to be on your bad side this week.....so I will probably just stick to the pending series and not delve into next season. AB is next season's business - we still have to close out this season with a big gold trophy!

4 to 15!

GO LAKERS!!!

=== HOW THE WEST WAS WON by 5 Phil Jackson Moves ===

article: http://www.basketballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=358

by Anthony Macri

Everyone will remember Kobe Bryant over the last half of the fourth quarter of Game Five, and rightfully so. However, it was sequences earlier in the game, ones that did not involve best player on the planet, that gave #24 a chance to prove that the MVP voters made the right call. These series of plays, usually coming after a timeout or stoppage in play, were pivotal in allowing the Lakers to stay close early, to give them a chance take a lead toward the end of the third quarter, and to finish off the game a few minutes into the fourth.

Here are the five most critical sequences that keyed the series-clinching victory for the Los Angeles Lakers.

First Sequence - 8:42 remaining in the second quarter, San Antonio ahead, 33-16

The Lakers and Spurs battled early to an 11-11 tie with 6:37 remaining in the first quarter. San Antonio subsequently went on a 22-5 run over the next nine minutes, putting Los Angeles in a 17-point hole. Lakers coach Phil Jackson, always calm, played right to the media timeout. Following that timeout, the Lakers came back on the floor with their three leading scorers (Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom) all on the bench. However, Jordan Farmar brought energy and life to Los Angeles with his driving layup on a clear-out situation. A stop at the other end led to an alley-oop set play for Farmar from Luke Walton, as Farmar passed to Walton on the wing and dove to the rim on a backscreen. Momentum now in the Lakers' favor, Ronny Turiaf stuffed Duncan's baseline drive, and after a few missed opportunities on both ends, Farmar scored a transition layup, capping his personal 6-0 run.

While Farmar's injection of offense is easy to point to in this sequence, it really was the vitality and vigor of the Lakers' defense that made this series of plays a reality for Los Angeles. It came at a critical time, as the Lakers had looked moribund throughout the early going. It was notable, as well, that this spark came with the Lakers' leading scorers on the bench. So revived, the Lakers would continue their better play through the rest of the quarter.

Second Sequence - 1:05 remaining in the 2nd Quarter, San Antonio ahead 46-37

The Spurs had responded to a Lakers run in the quarter, taking a 15-point lead. However, a 6-0 run by the Lakers prompted a timeout by Gregg Popovich. Pop called a set play that had been successful for the Spurs twice earlier that quarter, involving a handoff in the wing area from Tim Duncan to Tony Parker, giving Parker room to operate in the middle of the floor off the screen created by the handoff. The Lakers had other ideas, however, and their strong ball pressure prevented an easy handoff, forcing Parker to shoot an 18-foot jump shot. He missed the jumper; Lamar Odom snagged the defensive board and showed his versatility with a dribble push up the floor. Odom went directly at Kurt Thomas, who was back defensively. Making the layup, Odom was fouled by Thomas and hit the free throw, cutting the Spurs lead to six. Though they would trade baskets to end the half, the Lakers still went into the intermission down just 48-42 after being down as many as 17.

Again, the Lakers defense keyed this play. Coming out of a timeout, Coach Popovich wanted a stabilizing play to give his team a sense of strength to end the half. However, the Lakers swarmed the ball, disrupting the ease with which San Antonio had operated its offense. This is what led to the sterling play from Odom, and allowed the Lakers to be within striking distance going in at halftime. At this point, all the momentum favored Los Angeles; the Spurs would need to regroup. Losing a 17-point lead, despite the fact that they were still up going into the half, would take its toll.

Third Sequence - 2:42 remaining in the 3rd Quarter, San Antonio up 58-56

Coming off a 4-0 run to bring the Spurs lead to just two points, most coaches might attempt to ride the momentum and continue their attack as is. Phil Jackson, however, wanted a chance to discuss their next possessions and how critical a point this was in the game. Coming out of the timeout, Jackson called an isolation play for Lamar Odom to go against Kurt Thomas. Though Odom missed the jumper and the Lakers failed to score after an offensive rebound, the Lakers came out in attack mode, knowing this was their moment to strike. On the ensuing possession, Manu Ginobili was fouled while shooting and made both free throws. The Lakers, however, were undeterred. Kobe Bryant answered with a quick three-pointer as Bruce Bowen was playing him for the drive. Manu missed his chance to respond at the other end, and Kobe started to sense that his time was now. Receiving the ball on the wing in nearly the same position as he had just a moment earlier, Bryant read Bowen's closeout as too aggressive, and he put the ball on the floor toward the middle, getting into the lane and hitting a short jumper. This gave the Lakers a one-point advantage, their first lead of the game since the opening minutes. The teams would trade scores to finish the quarter, but Los Angeles would end the period up one, 64-63.

The gaining of a lead in this situation was as much a symbolic marker as anything. The Lakers had completed, in full, their comeback attempt, and had put the Spurs on their heels going into the final period. Kobe Bryant's ability to execute one-on-one like no one since Michael Jordan put them in this position, and it would be Bryant's killer mentality that would carry the Lakers down the stretch in the fourth quarter.

Fourth Sequence - Start of 4th Quarter, Los Angeles up 64-63

To start the fourth quarter, the Lakers elected to run a set play they had not gone to much in this game. It was a play they used with some success against the Utah Jazz in the previous series. While Los Angeles had used a mix of isolations, transition ball screens, offensive rebounding and the Triangle offense thus far in Game Five, this set was a welcome change and in many ways seemed to catch the Spurs off guard. Coming off a double screen, Kobe Bryant sprinted out to the arc, received a pass from Jordan Farmar, and drilled a three-pointer to put the Lakers up four, 67-63.

This was the perfect way to open a quarter and ruin whatever advantage San Antonio might have wanted to gain from the stoppage in play. Riding the hot hand, Phil Jackson wanted a play that would guarantee a good shot for his star performer. This was the kind of moment Kobe Bryant lives for, and he relished the opportunity to put a major nail in the Spurs' coffin. The double screen was executed flawlessly, and though Kobe is not your classic catch-and-shoot player, he came off the screen with only one thing in mind, and finished the play.

Fifth Sequence - 9:04 remaining in the 4th Quarter, Los Angeles ahead 72-68

Following a Farmar layup, the Spurs called timeout, knowing that any spurt here from the Lakers would be fatal to their hopes in the game and the series. Out of the timeout, the Lakers came out in full-court man-to-man pressure, which bothered the Spurs. Unable to get into the set they wished because they were pushed out on the floor, the play ended with an offensive foul committed by Kurt Thomas. On the opposite end, Kobe Bryant scored on a driving layup to put the Lakers up six.

Like a shark circling its victim, the Lakers smelled blood in the water. They would, just a minute later, increase their lead to seven, and though they were briefly challenged, it was following this timeout from San Antonio and the defensive stop from the Lakers that they were never really threatened. The MVP made sure of that with his clutch play down the stretch. Again, the Lakers can point back to their ability to get a stop when they need it as the defining factor not just in this game, but really, in the series overall.

While Kobe Bryant will get the praise for his superhuman performance in the closing period, it was a set of masterful moves by Coach Phil Jackson combined with perfect execution by Bryant's teammates that put Bryant in a position for his heroics. The Los Angeles Lakers have the look of a championship team. Their ability to execute, throughout a game, on both the offensive and defensive end, is why they are the likely 2008 NBA Champions.

pslakerfan,
did you really write this to someone:
"I also disagree that Kobe will automatically be the first option with the '08-'09 lineup. Obviously he will get his points as necessary, but I see Bynum/Gasol being the first option. I don't think the PPG leader is necessarily the first option by default. "

so, the 2-time NBA scoring champ and best scorer in the league isnt the #1 option in the offense?

Kobe IS what makes the Lakers go and will so for the next 5 years.

IMO, you destroy any other legitimate points you make suggesting something like "Kobe isnt the 1st option"...

c;mon man... come on...

So, does anyone think that Kobe Bryant is not going to play the NBA Finals of his life against the Celtics?

I thought not.

GO LAKERS!

Trader Joe,

It’s already been posted. Wake up – Andrew Bynum is the Lakers next franchise player.

I’m going to stand up for Drew like Mike T. for Kwame, be more alert for anti-Bynum posts than ex used to be for hyperbole and as persistent as Zakee posting “Smush Sucks.”

You want to talk trade? News for you: you’re on the wrong blog. Try the Suns, Mavs, or Spurs but get your sorry self out of here. We’re keeping everybody on this team. LOL.

Tom

NEW KOBE BRYANT NIKE COMMERCIAL AT

http://goldenarmor.wordpress.com/

This one is pretty sweet. I wish the video quality was a little better, though.

Read this bit of info over at the Celtics Blog link posted above:

"Compare that to where the Lakers started off the year, with Kobe demanding a trade and throwing his teammates under the bus. Please tell me when Kobe has willingly sacrificed anything for the greater good of his team. It hasn't happened. He plays by his rules and demands that you fall in line. I guess you could say that's one way to create team unity. I wonder what will happen when things aren't going so well."

That, ladies and gentlemen, is called HUBRIS - a false sense of pride.

It's obvious that these folks know nothing about the team dinners, the watches, the 99.9!% team attendance at the MVP ceremony. They're stuck on that Gunner/KL 2005-06 "KOBE IS A BALLHOG" mentality. Boy are they in for a rude awakening!

I dare ya, Celts! I quadruple dog dare ya! Double Team Kobe all you want! Whatcha gonna do when Pau goes 38/16 every night? And LO goes 17/17 on top of that?!

I know it has been great to be a Laker and I am one of those billions people who are happy to see the Lakers in the finals and rooting for them to win it all but somehow I just feel like the Lakers are the underdog in this series.

Boston play the type of defense that is annoying and plus they have hustler players on the bench who are a little to better than those of the Lakers team when it comes to rebound and defense!

There is one player who I will never doubt of the bench and that is Sasha!

I hope PJ is working with the bench mob and forcing them to never relax as Turiaf sometimes does when he on the court. We'll need to use all those seven players from: C.Mihm, Turiaf, Ariza, Sasha, Farmar, Mbenga and Luke Walton.

Other than Kevin Garnett who I expect to eat Gasol alive, Big baby Davis who is such a hustler, K.Perkins and Posey, I don't see anyone else who can give this laker team a headache!

Pierce and Kobe will be a dogfight out there

R.Allen and Radmanovic uhmmm... I think the guy is to fast for Rad unless Rad believes he's better and younger and can really contest Allen.

Rondo uhhhh Fisher... reminder: The guy can dunk and gave Billups some problems.

At the end:

Lakers in 6 if they take game 1

Lakers in Seven if they win the second game in Boston

I would not rather think about if they lose the two first games!

Maxx