Well, I for one am apologetic at the way I treated Paul Pierce on this blog -- I had no idea the man was suffering from a debilitating disease --- the Dunning-Kruger Effect.

""Most people think they're better than they really are, but they're too stupid to realize it. And that same stupidity makes it difficult (and sometimes impossible) for them to recognize skills and competence in the non-stupids, which perpetuates their cycle of idiocy and megalomania.""

http://tinyurl.com/3mkcfp

I know we all wish Paul a speedy recovery.

Don't sleep on my boy Brandon Heath nicknamed "Bottoms" in the neighborhood dude can flat out shoooooottttt doesnt believe in missing open shots.

But I know he's a long shot to make the team but give him a chance. Man I'm so happy for him he's an ex-teammate of mine and worked so hard to get to this point he's got alot of support in his hometown of L.A.

>>>SHACK WILL LEAVE WITH 6 RINGS

Only if his ex gives him his wedding ring and his engagement
ring back.

BUTLER, "SHACK WILL LEAVE WITH 6 RINGS
Oh yes LOL.

Suns Fans: The Delusions Continue Posted by: Xodus | September 12, 2008 at 08

THE NBA CARES.....
Even for their dlusional Sun Fans

SHACK WILL LEAVE WITH 6 RINGS Oh yes.
Posted by: BUTLER | September 11, 2008 at 10:59 PM

NO BUTLER, HE WILL LEAVE WITH 8 RINGS. HE ALREADY HAS 6 RINGS....OF FAT
AROUND THE MIDDLE THAT IS.

S.I.

>>>Jordan just has too many individual accomplishments
>>>that seperate him from Kobe,

If Kobe were to retire today, that is entirely true. But you seem
to neglect the fact that Kobe is in his prime and still will be
for at least 3 or 4 more years. If he pulls off a couple more
championships, a couple more MVPs, a 100 point game,
a 73 win season, and other malarkey like that, then even
the staunchest Jordan worshipers will have to admit that
it would be worthy of discussion whether Kobe or Jordan
was better.

Honestly, I don't think Kobe can catch him, but I admit there
is still the possibility.

>>>the 5 mvp's,

Kobe probably won't equal that. I could see him getting
up to 2 or 3 though.

>>>being undefeated in the championship round,

That's just spin on a statistic. Antoine Walker only ever
made it to the championship round once, but he's
undefeated there. That doesn't put him in the discussion
for GOAT.

I could just as easily spin finals stats in Kobe's favor (though
only mildly so).

Michael's teams only made it to the finals 40% of the time.

Kobe's teams have made it to the finals 42% of the time.

It's all just spin on statistics at this point.

>>>>We just need to let Kobe be Kobe

And that is the key. There will always be people who mock
Kobe and say he'll never be Jordan, but Kobe has never
tried to be Jordan. It's the league and the media that put
the "next Jordan" label on Kobe early. If they had placed
that label on Joe Johnson instead (just throwing out a random
shooting guard) and left Kobe alone, then probably people
wouldn't even be making the comparison now. They'd
just be enjoying Kobe for Kobe.

Brandon Heath is a nice pick up. He's a tough player who can shoot and create his own shot.

I agree with ex though, it's going to take a lot for him to make the team. While he's got the skills and quicks, his lack of strength will get exposed in the NBA. And he's the type of player that needs to play with the ball.

Although, It's good to see that the all time leading SDSU scorer got signed by the Lakers. It would be cool to see him make the squad.

Go Lakers!

>>>Dwayne Mitchell has hops, but everyone's not losing
>>>their minds over him are they?

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!!!

Dwayne "The Manatee Prince" Mitchell has me thinking
of joining the 80 win bandwagon.

hominahominahominahominahominahominahominahomina

Sorry, I lost it there for a minute.

lakers win 75 this year 75-7 GO LAKERS Posted by: DERK |
September 12, 2008 at 08:42 AM

Come on now 75 let's not be delusional.
Now if you said 74 I'd agree. LOL!

Gooooooooooood Morning Laker Blog!

I think that Kobe is making a good decision, as has been debated in this blog many times, it has been statistically proven that his pinkie is not overtly affecting his shooting, his dribbling or his defense. It won't get in the way of his conditioing.

The R n R that he is getting now will be invaluable as he would've had literally just a fewdays of rest if he did the surgery.

I think the whole team is chomping at the bit, which brings me to my morning quandry...does anyone think the Lakers are going to come out of the gate too pumped up?

Is that even possible? Could you be so hyped for the start, you have agreat camp, feeling unbeatbale, come out flat in the first game and then it snowballs for some of the younger guys.

I don't think it can, but I've seen it happen. However, we have an ace in the hole in the mental preparation dept. Phil Jackson.

It has been said, here on this blog, that Phil is "overreated" and "not worthy of the HOF", and "he had Jordan and Shaq and Kobe". OK, but he ALSO had J.R. Rider, ol man Mitch Richmond, Dennis Rodman, among countless other cast off centers and shaky bench players. Michael Jordan didn't go out and score 74 pts a night in order to help the bulls win all of those rings. Shaq and Kobe didn't go out and shoot 80% and play body fitting D winning their 3 rings. The coach and his staff kept those ships from sinking and, despite all odds, kept the focus of the group sharp and in the moment. I don't know how many bloggers here have sub-ordinates that they manage, but I'll bet most of them haven't grown up think ing that they are the prime time super star of their universe and everyone who thinks otherwise better get out of the way. This is the predicament that NBA coaches, HOF or no, have to deal with. The coaches job is threefold

A: Create a team concept that the GM can use to find the right players to put into the system.

B: Prepare those players for the game by drilling into them the basic tenents of said concept. This takes the form of practice and viseo sessions.

C: Make minute in-game adjustments, alert the players to developments that they see on the floor and make in-game substitutions.

Phil Jackson is perhaps the best coach of all time in regards to A and B. It is C for which he is most maligned, that and his funny chair, and I find that to be a matter of opinion and generally, people who hate the player getting put in the game (what up all you Luke Walton haters?). They look at it in terms of their emotional connection to the player and then blame the coach for making a call. For some reason people seem to think that Phil is a do nothing coach. He just sits there, sometimes staring off into space, while Kwame Brown misses a dunk, drops a pass, bricks a jump, drops a pass, misses a lay up and then two free throws, drops a pass, misses a defensive rotation and then drops another pass.

Were we sitting in that chair, coaching the Lakers, we would have yanked him after, say the second dropped pass. But to what end? Would our harsh treatment of an obviously emotionally juvenille young man give him a chance to develop into the player people foresaw him as? Would a three game stint on the pine make him better at catching an entry pass? Is it Phil's fault that Mitch signed Kwame and as a result Kwame showed up at training camp? No. Like a cook with mediocre ingredients, he's got to make what he can with what he's got. Why treat a player who, unfortunately, is the best option at center (at times Kwame was the only guy who could play at the 5 with any impact at all) like a dirt bag insuring that he will be detatched and un-enthusiastic? People trash Phil because he doesn't jump up and down and get red in the face (Mike Dunleavey), carp at the refs all game (Larry Brown and Doc Rivers) or call timeouts when the sh** hits the fan (all coaches, except for Phil).

I say that those are the reasons that I respect and admire Phil. He holds the millionaire babies responsible for their actions, something diffcult for pro-athletes to do. You want to hold a candle to his feet for putting Chris Mihm in the game during the Finals? Fine, but also give him props for getting that rag-tag group of guys ready for the regular season, for allowing Kobe to have his fit of anger in training camp, for nurturing Lamar, Farmar, Vujacic, and Ronny. And really, was putting Chris Mihm in for two minutes the deciding factor of the NBA Finals? No, it allowed Mihm the opportunity to see where he stood physically, what kind of work he would need to put in for this years run and it gave Mihm the confidence that he could play. Phil knew the chances of retaining all of the squad into next season were remote at best. He knew he'd either lose a valuable shooting guard or an energetic role player and I'll bet he and Mitch saw eye-to-eye on which of those two to break the bank for (a little bit). As much as I respect and admire Ronny Turiaf, he will never be the impact player that Vujacic has already become. Ronny was too indecisive, he does not play solid defense and his shooting was suspect. His team first mentallity was amazing, he has lived an inspirational life and he was a great guy to have in the locker room. But fun and hijinks don't win rings in June.

Dang this is a long post. I'm out!

Brandon Heath is a baller and a gym-rat. He did need some more time to develop to the NBA level which I have no doubt he did over the last 2 years. It would be sweet to see him on the roster, but I don't know why the Lakers keep signing guards, maybe for good practices? I would expect Heath to gain PT on some team out there, he's good.

Paul Lee - it's nice to hear some support and a personal connection to Brandon Heath. I'm sure he's excited about the opportunity. Playing on the fringes can be a tough road and I have all the admiration in the world for those that pursue their dreams.

Hey, I had fun in the NBA fantasy league that someone here
set up last year. I'm thinking of starting up a league on
espn.com. Anyone interested?

Here is how I plan on setting it up:

12 teams (might consider slightly more if 14 or 16 people
want to jump in)

Rotisserie scoring

Standard 8 or 9 categories
(turnovers or no turnovers. that is the question)

Live draft - standard snaking type (1-12, 12-1, 1-12, ...)
It would happen the last Sunday before the season starts.
And the way it's set up, you can set up a prioritized list
and it will auto-pick for you if you can't make the live draft
(but why would you want to miss that, it's one of the best
parts).

PG SG G SF PF F Util Util
plus 3 bench players (or 2 bench players if we do more
than 12 teams).

unlimited trades with league approval

It's all free, of course. And if you were in the one last
year, you'll remember that Yahoo stopped updating the
real-time stats a couple of weeks into the season and
wanted to charge you for them. One of the selling points
of the ESPN leagues is that real time stats are included
for free.

I'd consider changing any of these parameters if most
people want a head-to-head league or an auction type
draft or something like that, but I thought the basic
methods keep it the simplest.

If you're interested, either post here that you might want
to join or get my email from the kambros. Also, you might
want to indicate if you have other preferences about
whether turnovers should be included or not.

LTLF aka SashaVujachamps,

I'm down for the fantasy league.

If Lamar Show is still doing his league, I'll join that one too.

Good Morning Guys.

Xodus, do you have another link to Ab's last game?

Thanks

Charles

Jamie Sweet,

As sweet and informative is your post, I have only one comment. I think it was Phil who encouraged Mitch to get Kwame, I don't know why they offered Caron. Perhaps, to match salary not abilities. Kwame was a gamble in high stakes. Phil is known for love of big men that would support his triangle and even during his Bulls' run he has these men who are not really that good but they can rebound, hassel in the post and support the main casts. Unfortunately, the gamble went kaput b/c of so many t/o's, so as a player he has more liabilities than asset that resulted total loss of confidence. Going back to the past, if the Lakers put up a group of players that summed up to 8M at that time and retained Caron Butler, Wizzards would take that bait just to get rid of Kwame. Well when W's got Butler together with Arenas suddenly they became competitive.

I'm down for the fantasy league and turnovers should be counted.

I wonder who the disappointment this year will be. Two years ago it was Vlad with his snowboarding accident. Last year it was Luke and his forgettable season. Wonder if anyone will really slip this year? Only one I could see being a "bust" is Ariza but I think he's too athletic to see that happen. And I'll be a fan as long as he keeps dunking like he does.

Lamar = Laker for Life

GO LAKERS

mamba24,

Start that bandwagon up my man.

How about just 73+

We Laker fans can settle for 73, 74, 75 don't care as long as the record is BROKEN. lol

Nawh but on a more serious note.. I think as long as this team is healthy.. anywhere between 55-73 is possible.

go LAKERS

Here's a nice little video on Heath. I really hope he takes the 15th spot even though thats a long shot.

http://tinyurl.com/4uux4t

Lamar = Laker for Life

GO LAKERS

the bodies don't speak well for Coby Karl's chances of sticking with the team, now, instead of competing only with the 2nd round draft pick, there's like... 5 guys who all play the same position as Coby Karl and there's some pretty decent talent in there.

Oh, who cares... Coby Karl... pfft! THIS TEAM IS STACKED!

and...

The MOST INTERESTING man in the world is... Trevor Ariza...

If Ariza improves enough to become our starting SF... we could trade Odom for some future young stud and this team would be stacked beyond belief for the next 5 years. How about Odom for trash and a top 5 pick in the draft next year - gambling on a trade with a lottery team?

If Farmar has topped out, that pick could be a big PG, like a Deron Williams type.

LTLF,

If there's still some room, count me in on the Fantasy too!! Yes on TOs. I've never done fantasy on ESPN, so I don't know how similar it is to Yahoo, but I'll look into it when you send the details. Thanks.

I watched the links sent by Mr Barneydangles, it looks Brandon is impressive. He just beat Kobe there as a college graduate. His stats are also impressive at 19 ppg, 40% FG 75% FT, 3 rpg and 6'4" PG, he just beat Fisher and Farmar. I think Farmar has to create miracles to avoid being shipped out with LO, LW. If Josh Powell can play and these new kids on the block standing, parking and lurking - our old reliables become endangered species. Remember Farmar will be the next Bynum next year asking for salary hike of at least 60M for 4 years. Do you think the 88 year old Jerry Buss will pay all these fellas if some upandcoming youngsters can do the job at 99 cents per minute? Think about it those who are avid fans of Jordan and LO.

mrbarneydangles,

Brandon Heath does have a nice story, but I think I'll take Coby "Swish" Karl's story of almost dying twice of cancer as a better story, quite frankly.

Hey, I'm a Defenders fan! Brandon Heath would make a great Defender!

Go Defenders!

GO LAKERS!

Shaquille O'Neal giving his retirement date is a statement of surrender amidst a greater psychological breakdown.

If he was truly committed to winning a Championship, he wouldn't give a retirement date. Basically he is stating, "I've given up, but I'm not giving up $40 million over two years, so I'm going to walk through these next two years, but keep up a good front, collect my paycheck and then kick up my feet and explode to 400 pounds before I make sponsorship money from Jenny Craig."

The Suns are going to be a trainwreck over the next two years. They're not even going to make the playoffs. Shaq has given up, but he's too selfish to refund the Suns organization their money. Thus, the fans will show their ire against Shaq and Suns management, Shaq will turn on his teammates and coaches, management will infight, and bad mojo will be everywhere.

Yep, Suns are done.

GO LAKERS!

AK,

Dude, you gotta start a "Shaq Has Set His Retirement Date.... Already" thread.

We gotta discuss The Big Mistake/Aristotle/Homicidal.

GO LAKERS!