For those seeking a Bynum update...

bynum and gasol will be a good pairing next season assuming kobe remains a "good" teammate.

Bynum + Kobe = Championship

Bynum and Pau will rule the Baseline next season.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qls5ydibAb4

Bynum would've easily been the 1st pick in this years' draft, which would've been his eligible year if he didn't sneak in before the age rule change.

So essentially the Lakers went to the NBA Finals and then added the #1 draft pick, who also happens to have 40+ games of NBA experience under his belt. The rest of the league is crying while everything's coming up Lakers!

Lonely Warrior,

Can you put the link in Tiny URL form? It's the standard we're trying to enforce on the blog. Go to tinyurl.com, if you have any questions.

Thanks,

AK

"bynum and gasol will be a good pairing next season assuming kobe remains a "good" teammate.

Posted by: KL"

I'M STILL WONDERING IF KOBE IS GOING TO GET THAT SURGERY. IT WOULD BE A SELFISH MOVE ON THIS PART IF HE WAITS A COUPLE OF WEEK BEFORE THE PRESEASON AND DO A SHAQ AND GET SURGERY.

More than anything, Bynum brings a bad ass attitude in the middle. Kid knows how to scowl.

BK,

Once again I want to say that your video blogs are a really good idea to carry into the regular season.

I also want to ask you your opinion of how Bynum and Gasol would mesh together as far as spacing. It seems that since Gasol does well in the high post, because of his passing and his solid mid-range shot. But do you know if Pao can live in the high post, because he'd be shooting mostly jumpers. And if he did go down low, wouldn't it be too crowded with Drew and Pao?

Thanks Greek Dude. We're actually going to shoot a couple more tomorrow. Perhaps we'll address that topic!

Thanks for the idea. We need 'em during these slow summer months (haha... but seriously if anyone has any other topics they'd like to see addressed, let us know).

BK

From AB blog

"Congratulations to the entire United States Olympic Basketball Team especially Kobe, way to bring that gold medal back to the States. Pau Gasol also deserves to be congratulated on his silver medal performance.

I hope I get a chance to continue the U.S dominance in London, 2012."

How do guys like that?
Does that mean that he will interview for the next World Championship?

No doubt with AB in the US team. We will be back to punishing the international front courts.

Mr. JSNV,

um first of all that struck my mind, Jordan Farmar is NOT a spot up shooter. He is the classic drive and dish point guard. At UCLA, he averaged about 5 assists per game which at the College Level, is really good. His assists are low atm due to a variety of factors such as being in the triangle offense (which is tons of passing), being on the bench and too much flashy passes. When he is a starter in the future, Jordan's assists should go up as well. That will go against Lamar being a point forward. In an ironic switch to some people, I'd rather having Jordan develop his game and his passing skills rather than let Lamar be a Point Forward unless it is in the starting lineup.

That's the problem with Ariza's offensive game, like you and i agree he doesn't have a very good jumper even compared to Lamar. Ariza is great at fast break with the dunk on Grant Hill with the best example of that. Ariza may also drive a bit better than Lamar but he has no post moves and by denying the paint to Trevor, he will almost be non existent on offense.

Defensive wise, Trevor has some advantages over Lamar while having disadvantages. Trevor is faster in running, a bit more quicker, and is like Sasha a pest and while being like Sasha in intensity, he has a good wingspan and a better lateral quickness than Sasha. Lamar's advantages include a bigger body to go against the really well built Small Forwards (Josh Smith and Lebron James are notable examples), plus has a really long arm which helps a ton, not to mention height advantage over most Small Forwards. Neither Lamar nor Trevor can really "stop" Lebron and Josh Smith, at best at the moment Lamar has a small edge over Trevor due to experience against Lebron and Josh Smith as a Laker in the past (he played Small Forward in 05-06 and had to guard these guys with OK results).

I know the point of him bringing him off the bench Mr. JNLV, in my debate with Hobbitmage and even Laker Tom in the past that's the argument they have made. If Sasha were to be a *GOOD* defender, I wouldn't argue at all with Trevor starting and Lamar on the bench. However, too many of us Laker fans think Sasha's defense is actually *GREAT*. Pesky/intense is one thing, results is another. The finals exposed this and he was consistently shot in his face by Ray Ray Allen and was easily negated by the pick and rolls (his arm length isn't really long and suffers from bad lateral quickness). He wouldn't have been successful in my opinion, against Manu "do the voodoo" GINOBILI! in the Western Conference Finals had GINOBILI! not been hobbled by an ankle injury. I'll say it and please forgive me Faith but:

Sasha's defense=over rated.

I'm not saying Sasha's defense "sucks", it's certainly much better than in years past plus going against shooting guards rather than Point Guards helps so much as he was consistently beaten by point guards when guarding them. The point is that Sasha's defense isn't the type of defense to be considered lock down that Laker fans think it is. And therefore, that leaves a HUGE opening on defense for the bench. Mihm can block some shots and Pau is better but neither one are really true post defenders (Pau is a better one on one defender and is so under rated). Who can guard the real good perimeter guys? Lamar Odom at SF and/or Trevor Ariza at SF. Had this been it, then Lamar at SF as 6th man would have been fine, yet there is one last thing going in Lamar's favor and ironically, Trevor is the one who is responsible.

Trevor brings energy in games. During Game 4, when he was inserted into the 2nd quarter, despite missing many games and not being 100% himself, Trevor brought his energy out and his hustle helped the bench stay afloat in the 2nd Quarter before the Celtic rally. Lamar doesn't have it and being on the bench will not energize the bench to do their best. Having Trevor on the bench will certainly bring energy more than Jordan and Sasha can and his hustle will make the bench play far much better than Lamar could (the bench would feed from his hustle and energy).

Hobbit don't even dare,

What I pulled out was the most relevant thing that talked about Lamar's defense at Small Forward. Talking about "athletic" and saying how it works against him playing Small Forward in terms of defense isn't relevant to what the topic we are arguing about. Plain and simple "can guard both forward positions" is the most relevant part of the URL in talking about his defense at Small Forward. Don't try to smear me with that "he only looks at the parts that support his line of reasoning
and ignores everything else."

Did the URL say he has trouble guarding quick SF/SG?? I haven't seen one word of those. Why don't you show me where it "says" that.

AK/BK and everyone else.

SI.com has a break down of the Pacific Division I thought I'd pass along to the blog.

http://tinyurl.com/6yhp94

AK thanks for the info for both posts.

25 mins into the "road to redemption"

Kobe says: If you can lock someone down and rebound
the ball, you'll win the game.

fascinating ...

We are winning the Championship next year.

We are.

Thank you, God, for providence.

Lakers maniacs aside. We are going to see some BEAUTIFUL basketball next year. This team is going to be as much a pleasure to watch as Showtime was, perhaps more.

What a wonderful time to be a basketball fan.

Seriously, ignore the haters. We are about to be blessed with the basketball year of our lives. A year to remember.

Everything has worked out perfectly.

Bynum is hungry and feels he owes the Lakers something and is in a contract year.

Gasol lost the Gold and feels he has something to prove.

Kobe won the Gold and can relax a bit.

Fisher is wiser.

Farmar has someone (Sun Yue) breathing on his shoulder, which makes him play harder.

Chris Mihm is in a contract year and is pissed after not playing for so long.

Ariza was hurt last year and is hungry.

Luke screwed up last year and has something to prove.

Rad Vlad has to prove that he's the player he knows he is.

Odom can relax. When he relaxes, the fire comes out.

Seriously, build team unity and this team is going to destroy other teams. I cannot wait. This is going to be fricken amazing.

I CANNOT WAIT!

GO LAKERS!

The Celtics' best front court - Bird, Parish and Mchale.
The Lakers' front court today - LO, Gasol and Bynum.
Teams with SFs who can't defend the outside win.

Ya, Ya, LGC, C's arguably better but Lakers have Kobe.

Join me Jon K - Dy-Nas-Ty!, Dy-Nas-Ty!, Dy-Nas-Ty!

Preach it, Revered Kavulic! haha

thekobebryantblitz,

I just want you to know. Sasha is coming.
You've been disrespecting him in favor of
Mr. Inconsistent. That long haired pest
is going to make you eat crow by the end
of the season, barring injury. Mark this day
on your calendar. Sasha, the long-haired
multi-millionaire is coming & he's going to out
play #4th option. That's 9.3.2008. Sasha, the
slovenian assassin, is going to make you eat
crow. [ Trevor will peak at the end of the season. ]

I read your comment about Lamar's energy.
I find it incredible. Incroyable!

you said: Trevor brought his energy out and his hustle helped the bench stay afloat in the 2nd Quarter before the Celtic rally. Lamar doesn't have it and being on the bench will not energize the bench to do their best.

If Lamar can't bring energy & hustle off the bench, per
your own words, why on earth do you want him to
play for the lakers?

Jon, thanks for an excellent post.

Hi guys,
Just a reminder to Kobe don't do a Shaq and destroy your career by being stupid get the surgery as soon as you can coz if you don't, you will prove that everyone who ever called you "SELFISH & Self-Centered " are right.
Any news if the lakers will resign DJ Mbenga or if they are looking at anyone to replace him.
Go Bynum, Go Lakers!!!

BK,
Not to be pesimistic or anything but I can think of 80 million reasons why Bynum might want to lie about his condition!

You cannot sit there and say there is no reason to lie!

zen-

I get where you're going, but honestly, I don't see that as a problem. A, he's already had a visit from Mitch, who basically reported the same thing. Second, you don't think the team would work him out thoroughly (or simply watch him play) before entering an extension? I can't believe they'll log on, read his blog post, and fax over an offer.

Nobody's gettin' nothin' until the team sees he's good to go.

BK

Just ask Chris Mihm..

Ouch!

BK,
Yes...I won't believe anything though until he goes through a full training camp with no issues and plays at least the first 30 games with no setbacks or pain..

One thing I dont understand though is why everyone keeps saying Bynum has never played a full season. He was the only Laker to play all 82 games two years ago and he wasn't in good shape then.

I brought this up the other day, but I guess I did not explain my perspective well enough. Maybe now, with people talking about Lamar coming off the bench, it is time to bring this up again. OUR WEAKEST LINK IS AT POINT GUARD! We have incredible starters and depth at every position except point guard. Derek Fisher and Jordan are both above average subs, but neither is as good as the rest of the talent at their respective positions.
There has been a lot of talk about Pau being soft. He is a soft 5 – but a huge 4! Playing Bynum and Gasol starter minutes, we can be assured of dominating the boards and scoring inside and from midrange. Playing Kobe and Ariza started minutes at the 2 and the 3 respectively, give us plenty of firepower from long range as well as slashing to the bucket.
I would experiment with LO running the point. We know he is at his best as a distributor and runs the floor with the best of them. I believe he has the length to back off the quick point guards and enough quickness to stay with their drives.
If in fact PJ goes with this starting lineup of Bynum, Gasol, Ariza, Kobe, and Lamar, and plays Sasha, Fisher, Farmer, and Radmanovich 8-12 minutes apiece, we will do the following according to last year’s stats - per minutes played:
1. Lead the league in scoring
2. Lead the league in rebounding
3. Lead the league in blocked shots
4. Be fourth in steals
5. Be fifth in assists
I believe with LO committed to the role of PG – we will see an increase in his assists and a drop in his rebounds, but we will still lead the league in that respect.
Regardless of the lineup we go with we are dominant 2-5 no matter who we play! It is worth experimenting to see what we can do with the point.

LOL Hobbit, now you go on attack mode and go on to say "this will happen" similar to Mike T' style about promoting Kwa-may. I've stayed true and always backed up my argument with solid evidence and never went on saying "Lamar will prove you this and that" and I won't since I don't stoop that low. For a while you stayed true and backed your arguments with proof too despite the "one" article by Mitch.

Like I said, I don't over rate players, I give their just do. I don't go on saying Lamar Odom is the next Scottie Pippen nor do I say Pau is the best Power Forward ever and that kind of thing (Duncan is the Best Power Forward and I can back that up). I don't go saying Trevor Ariza is Raja Bell and that kind of thing, I give him his fair due as a defender and a slasher. And don't mistake it, I LIKE SASHA very much as a player. I loved how he manage to shake off people who said he couldn't help the Laker bench and suddenly became a real 3 point threat. I loved how Sasha is having more confidence and that his results paid off. If Trevor really does improve I will give him credit for that. Until then Mr. Unproven hasn't earned anything for him to be the lock down defender that you say he will be other than a little article by Mitch that was posted more than a year ago.

Since when did I say Sasha is a bad player compared to Lamar Odom? LOL!

I'm not over rating his defense. He clearly showed it in the finals and like I said, he will improve. I *didn't* say it sucked, I said it was over rated and that's a fact, don't mix *intensity* with *great defense*. Same crap was said in 05-06 and yet Steve Nash and other guards proved that otherwise! Well Ray Ray did it this Finals!

I take it the 4th option is no longer Derek Fisher since you don't think Lamar can't score? Or does that mean Sasha is the new starting shooting guard and Kobe into Small Forward? There goes any idea of starting Trevor from you. LOL!

"I read your comment about Lamar's energy.
I find it incredible. Incroyable!"

I find it more incredible you didn't notice how I don't think Lamar is the kind of guy that could brings energy off the bench into the game until NOW! LOL That my friend, IS incredible.

"If Lamar can't bring energy & hustle off the bench, per
your own words, why on earth do you want him to
play for the lakers?"

Hobbit you misunderstand *energy player*. Ronny, Trevor, Andy Varejao, the wild dudes can be considered *energy players* in that while their stats may seem indifferent they have other things which bring positive energy into the game kinda like intangiables. Don't even mistake it that they are not "good players" since you obviously tie one thing with another aka fallacy. Trevor is a defender and Andy Varejao has skills as well despite his obvious flopping. Gary Payton couldn't bring great energy to the court back in according to Phil back in 2003-2004 that Fisher could, does that make him not a good player? You can bring Bruce Bowen off the bench and he wouldn't give the same energy Trevor does and does that make him any less of a player or a fantastic defender? I'll give Trevor even more credit, for intangiables, even with his limited offensive skills he at least tried plus his defense is very solid too if not Raja Bell level. And did I say Lamar doesn't hustle? That would be a BIG NO! If he didn't hustle, well he wouldn't and shouldn't be in the NBA! That honor belongs to Michael Olowokandi and Kwa-may Brown respectively. Again you took something like *hustle and effort* and tied it in with an *energy player*.

Here's some advice my friend: Calm down and try to use evidence rather than the Mike T. approach to bring into debates. I enjoy more debates where you argue in a nice way and have better ways to argue your position than "Sasha will make you eat crow". If you want to continue with those tactics okay but sorry but I don't have time for debates like that.

-blitz

The Lakers will win the title! But Luke has nothing to prove in my opinion. He is a scrub and will always be one, that dude flat out can't play worth a hill of beans! and as soon as some of you weed smoking rookies realize that the sooner Luke will go into the barbque business fulltime and sell weed on the side!

P.S Luke thanks for the ribs and weed tell your dad I said
what's up!

AK/BK/Lakers Nation -

Odom Update:
http://tinyurl.com/57hg89

Apparently he had tendinitis in both knees during the final two rounds of the playoff's and considered surgery in the offseason....

BK, I posted this question before but never got an answer. If Lakers give Bynum an extension of 80mil for 5yrs. What effect would this be on Odom who is also due for contract renewal. Can the lakers still afford him? Will he agree to a pay cut?

"Peace and let's look for some good blogging with you [Gunner] and KL." --LakerTom

my goodness. what is this world coming to? perhpas this isn't the same old blog after all? how times have changed.

as far as the lakers go, 2008 was an outstanding year. as a "long time laker fan" (pun intended for my buddy LTLF), i was happy to see the development of guys like Bynum and Farmar.

my favorite player (*sarcasm*), Kobe, showed good leadership as the "man". don't get me wrong fellas, i'm still a kobe hater, just not as much and hopefully not at all before his time is up. i would have liked it had kobe apologized for being a butthead towards bynum, kupchak and buss. recall, "ship his [butt] out" or "buss is an idiot"?

ps, gunner, between you and me, i questioned the severity of kobe's injury. i know Kobe Lovers are going to rip me a new one for saying that, but my first reaction was "how severe is this injury?". kobe lovers will say, "kobe's dedication blah blah" while kobe haters will say "kobe was pretending blah blah". me, I'll abstain from commenting, but i was leaning towards the latter. just my opinion.

just10-

Regardless of what happens to Drew, LO isn't going to be resigned by the Lakers at his current salary, nor do I think he'll get that on the open market. He's almost assured to take a pay cut no matter where he goes. Assuming the Lakers do well this season- and Odom does well too- if they wanted to bring him back it would likely need to be at a discount not just to what he's making now, but also to what he could get on the open market.

I'm terrible at guessing what guys could get, but if Odom plays well, he could be in line for Maggette money or something like that, but then again, who knows what kind of money will be out there (in terms of cap space) once he's actually an FA? There's always a sign and trade, too, as well.

It's also possible that no matter how well the Lakers play, they will deem it too expensive to keep LO around because of where they'll be in the luxury tax situation. Every team has a budget, and it ends somewhere. Hope this answers your question. LO, if he wants to remain a Laker, will likely have to do so at a discount to what he could get on the open market (which I think will be less than he's getting now, by a fair amount), and even then, the team might just decide it's too expensive.

His status is one of the more interesting aspects of the upcoming season, in my opinion.

BK

It seems to me nothing has changed.

Kobe fans baiting has always been the trademark of KL and his buddies. But when in Rome???

Getting back to the team...I find all this LO vs. Trevor talk interesting. At the end of the day, both players makes us that much stronger. Provided of course one or both of them stay healthy.

This season isn't going to be based on what little tweaks in rotation we do (give Sasha more playing time! haha, jk), but how well we play defense as a unit...and the health of the overall squad. It's all well and done to say..."if only we had Bynum"...well the Cubs are spending years saying, 'if only." We're the Lakers, we're all about winning, not if we win lol.

So stay healthy Lake-show. Let's go!

thekobebryatblitz,

you wrote: I find it more incredible you didn't notice how I don't think Lamar is the kind of guy that could brings energy off the bench into the game until NOW! LOL That my friend, IS incredible.

my response: actually I did notice it. However, I often
disagree with your definitions for the words/nouns that you
use. That's why I've given you back your own words, so
you can't change the definition. Of course, you did anyway..

Unless I'm horribly mistaken about this, when Fisher played
for the Jazz, he didn't start. Coming off the bench, he
played hard/well. He was a key component of their
team. If Lamar can't manage to do the same as Fisher,
to be a team player and do whatever is necessary for
the team to win, *I* am uncomfortable with him having
a place on the team.

you wrote: Calm down and try to use evidence

my response: I am calm. I did use evidence. I gave stats,
just like you. I posted links to articles, just like you. I
quoted the GM of the Lakers verbatim, unlike you.

You wrote: I enjoy more debates where you argue in a nice way and have better ways to argue your position than "Sasha will make you eat crow".

my response: Is the "hobbit" being mean to you? Oh, you
poor thing. Let me go fix a bottle of warm milk for you
and Lamar. For the record: My comments on Sasha were
not about having a debate with you. I have made a
declaration as to Sasha's performance. Based upon
your stated opinion of Sasha, you will be wrong when
the declaration becomes fact instead of hyperbole. Then,
if you're man enough, you will enjoy your plate of crow.
Just like I did with Mitch.

You've made a number of statistical arguments for why
Lamar at SF/SG works. You have skimmed over the
attributes that don't support your view and continued
with the mantra of: "Lamar must start".. [ No. you
never used the word must. Might I suggest you use
a dictionary and look up the definition? You'll find
that "must" is an appropriate word. ]

Ist. I hope that Phil sees things differently than you.
2nd. If he doesn't I hope you're both right.
3rd. If we play the C's again and Lamar is the starting
SF/SG I'm probably going to put money on the C's. Lamar
does *NOT* have a championship mentality. That is what
Lamar has shown me. That is why his 14.5 million
dollar behind would be "ridin' pine".

BK,

You are right about Odom. Everyone (including himself) knows he's making too much money. I, personally, believe he will stay and return for "Magette money" as you termed it.

GO LAKERS!

bobie,

Thanks for the Odom link. Lamar is a lot tougher than people think. This guy has gone through a lot in his life. If there is justice in this life, God will bless him with a Championship. He deserves it.

Lamar Odom = Laker for Life

GO LAKERS!

"Yo Z, I can't wait until next season."

http://tinyurl.com/5rryx2

YES! YES! YES!

When I was working in the film industry, I had a friend who was a gaffer tell me a story of a commercial he did for the NBA in which he worked separately with Magic Johnson and Shaquille O'Neal.

He didn't like Shaq and what it came down to was something as subtle as the way Shaq held the basketball. He said Magic cradled the ball like it was an infant. You could tell JUST by the way he touched and played with the ball that he loved basketball. It was something immensely special to him.

In contrast, Shaq held the ball like it was a tool. As if it was a means to an end. As if there was no actual adoration for this thing which had brought him fame and wealth.

Notice how Dr. Z notices the same thing. The way that Andrew Bynum cradled the ball like an enfant, something to be nurtured and loved.

These little things make all the difference in projecting potential. The physical is important but it's not THAT important. If it were Kwame Brown would be on his way to a Hall of Fame career. He's not.

People like Kobe, Kareem, Jerry West have that fire in them that makes Greatness. They take their physical gifts and multiply them.

People like Shaquille O'Neal preserve their gifts.

People like Kobe Bryant multiply them.

From what Dr. Z says on that link, it looks like Andrew Bynum has the potential to multiply his physical gifts, which I might add are formidable.

If we build team unity next year with a collective and competitive work ethic guided by the best coaching staff in basketball, things are going to get crazy.

70 win season.

I can hardly wait.

GO LAKERS!

p ang,

>>>The Celtics' best front court - Bird, Parish and Mchale.
>>>The Lakers' front court today - LO, Gasol and Bynum.
>>>Teams with SFs who can't defend the outside win.

Not a good comparison. Bynum and Gasol may actually
match up okay with Parish and McHale, but Larry Bird was
way way way way better than Lamar Odom.

>>>One thing I dont understand though is why everyone
keeps saying Bynum has never played a full season. He
>>>was the only Laker to play all 82 games two years ago
>>>and he wasn't in good shape then.

Yes, but if you remember correctly, he would get gassed after
only about 10 minutes on the court. That's why he was only
able to average about 20 minutes a game, despite the fact
that Kwame and Mihm were out injured. You're a lot less
likely to get injured if you play limited minutes.

I'm hoping all this conditioning and yoga will help with Drew's
durability and he'll make a full 82 + however many games
it takes to get 16 wins after that.

Just10 & BK-

I think Odom will remain a Laker at a significant pay cut. Lamar has so many business ventures like his rap label that he will do whatever it takes to stay in LA. I don't think it will be too easy to run a rap label out of Milwaukee or Oklahoma City. Also, Lakers will give Odom the best chance to win, something he clearly cares about.

This next year is going to be a big one for both the Lakers and Odom. If it the frontcourt works then expect the Odom resigning to occur, if it just doesn't work, no matter how much of a pay cut there is, Odom is out. I expect Odom to play the best basketball of his career next year.

bobie-

Thanks for the Odom update. It was nice to see that Odom was fighting through the pain and not giving any excuses. I'm glad the pains gone and he will be a 100% by training camp. I hope Lamars taking it hard to PP and letting him know next years gonna be different with Bynum.

Lamar = Laker for Life

GO LAKERS

KL,

I know you're inclined to think the worst when it comes to Kobe, but doesn't the fact that Phil, Mitch and Jerry Buss told him to get the surgery during the season tell you that it's a fairly serious injury? I mean the dude has a torn ligament in his hand. I've never torn any ligaments but that has to be painful.

I'm just hoping he gets the surgery within the next few days or something so he won't miss too much of the preseason and acclimating to the new front line of Bynum, Pau and LO that Phil will likely use.

bobie,

Let's hope LO's training this summer involved taking 500 corner 3's a day.

Xodus,
Thanks for the link. I guess a lot of people are down on LO.

Bobie,
Thank you too. I hadn't realized that LO averaged that much against Utah. I'm glad they didn't make any press excuses during the play offs.

Good Morning Everybody,

This is awesome news. Kobe is rubbing off with his dedication to the game. It has been seen with Caron Butler over one stint with Kobe. Farmar and Vujacic have learned that from the Mamba also.

However, I will say that Drew seems to show the "off season Warrior Ethos" the most. Especially for a big guy to work this hard. It should have been easy for Drew Deezy to go the Amare route and just be an offensive minded, cash cow. But no, between the Cap - Kobe - Rambis and PJ have all influenced AB the right way. This kid is something else.

To his credit, he wants to be a force.

Yao-Howard-Stoudamire-Oden-Bynum could be the big men breed of this generation. Exciting times...

Does anyone know the status of Kobe's pinky finger? Do we know if he will be undergoing surgery soon? Thanks!

Joe

Training Camp & Regular Season Roster Forecast (2008-2009)

Training Camp Notebook……
1 – Sign DJ Mbenga to a non-guaranteed veterans’ minimum contract in time for training camp.
2 – Waive both Dwayne Mitchell and Coby Karl; 15-man official roster to start the season.
3 – After the first 2 months of the regular season assess the lineup; if it is not working, orchestrate a trade sending out Lamar Odom and either Vladimir Radmanovic, Luke Walton, Chris Mihm, Joe Crawford or Sun Yue. The target would be a starting small forward, reserve forward/center and future draft pick.

Regular Season Playbook……
*The key to the Lakers success for the 2008-2009 season will ultimately be the flexibility of their lineup.

Regular Starters: Fisher, Bryant, Odom, Gasol, Bynum
Active Reserves: Farmar, Vujacic, Crawford, Ariza, Walton, Powell, Radmanovic, Mihm
Inactive Reserves: Yue, Crawford, Mbenga

Minutes Distribution/Regular Rotation

Starting Lineup: Fisher (24 min), Bryant (36 min), Odom (36 min), Gasol (36 min), Bynum (36 min)
Remaining Rotation: Farmar (24 min), Vujacic (24 min), Ariza (12 min), Radmanovic (9 min), Mihm (6 min)

Qtr 1 (6 min): (PG) Fisher, (SG) Bryant, (SF) Odom, (PF) Gasol, (C) Bynum
(3 min): (PG) Farmar, (SG) Vujacic, (SF) Bryant, (PF) Odom, (C) Gasol
(3 min): (PG) Farmar, (SG) Vujacic, (SF) Bryant, (PF) Radmanovic, (C) Mihm
Qtr 2 (3 min): (PG) Farmar, (SG) Vujacic, (SF) Ariza, (PF) Radmanovic, (C) Bynum
(3 min): (PG) Farmar, (SG) Vujacic, (SF) Ariza, (PF) Odom, (C) Bynum
(6 min): (PG) Fisher, (SG) Bryant, (SF) Odom, (PF) Gasol, (C) Bynum
Qtr 3 (6 min): (PG) Fisher, (SG) Bryant, (SF) Odom, (PF) Gasol, (C) Bynum
(3 min): (PG) Farmar, (SG) Vujacic, (SF) Bryant, (PF) Odom, (C) Gasol
(3 min): (PG) Farmar, (SG) Vujacic, (SF) Ariza, (PF) Odom, (C) Mihm
Qtr 4 (3 min): (PG) Farmar, (SG) Vujacic, (SF) Ariza, (PF) Radmanovic, (C) Gasol
(3 min): (PG) Farmar, (SG) Vujacic, (SF) Bryant, (PF) Gasol, (C) Bynum
(6 min): (PG) Fisher, (SG) Bryant, (SF) Odom, (PF) Gasol, (C) Bynum

Notes……
1 – Fishers’ minutes will be monitored and limited where possible. Farmar will get those minutes unless injuries and/or game time situations dictate otherwise.
2 – One starter will be on the floor at all times, sustaining the Lakers performance throughout games.
3 – Bryant, Odom and Gasol will split time at alternate positions.
4 – Walton and Powell could see action if the regular reserves are not performing well.
5 – Bynums’ minutes will be monitored early in the season.
6 – Mbenga can replace Mihm on the active roster at any time if necessary.
7 – Yue, Crawford, and Mbenga will see some actual in game time at some point in the season.

Er, so when is Kobe having his surgery?

Amazing_Happens,

Oprah, Uma.

Uma, Oprah...

Jon K. sez:

"People like Shaquille O'Neal preserve their gifts.

People like Kobe Bryant multiply them.

From what Dr. Z says on that link, it looks like Andrew Bynum has the potential to multiply his physical gifts, which I might add are formidable."

Is this why SHACK has 4 rings, a spot among the top 5 players of all time (along with Steve Nash), and the respect of every coach and center in the NBA?

And if kobee is multiplying his gifts, he must have gotten into a temporary subtraction mode when facing Nash, Paul Pierce and Tayshaun Prince in the playoffs.

JJ,

Have you ever coached basketball? Just curious.

GO LAKERS!

Welcome back JJ.

I like your comprehensive proposal that you suggested. Right now, the way I look at it, Mitch recruited new people to push the oldies who have been comfortable with their job description and contracts to work harder or else....I don't think he will cut Dwayne and Karl that soon unless it is really clear that they have no place with Lakers rotations. I also wondered why attract a lot of guards, are they preparing for Kobe's exit? He's the Laker for life, unless you can offer alternatives of players that could replace him. He is the giant Marketing player that sells the Laker so why kill the duck that lays the golden eggs. There are less PF's or Center attraction on Mitch lineup in off season, but on the other hand, how many good Centers are still available or not contracted? Secondly, with the luxury caps of the Lakers how can he compete for good players w/o reducing one of the four highly paid players? So this is the best deal he could come up from the stringent situation.

The success of the Lakers will depend on how they pan out in the off season or preseason. They have to develop a strong chemistry to one another now that Gasol is aboard as well as heathy Drew and also Kobe. Develop rapport and camaraderie as a group not competing egos or trying to compete for positions and playing time. We cannot just say we will blow up other teams b/c we have strong individual resumes of players, they have to blend to their individual strenghts too and review their pitfalls last season. Time and again, we kept on hammering the concept that an ideal body produces to ideal decision-making comes game time. Get to the track run faster, jump higher, throw farther w/o incurring any injuries. Get to martial arts and expose to body contacts like judo, jujitsu and learn how to fall, bump, sweep, smack and so forth, they have black belters: Kareem, DJ Mbenga to teach them some few fundamentals. With those little knowledge on other sports that can be helpful to basketball, perhaps we get an injury-free team next year. With a healthy mind and healthy body, now we can confidently say, they're ready for Western Championship.

KL,

'i would have liked it had kobe apologized for being a butthead towards bynum, kupchak and buss. recall, "ship his [butt] out" or "buss is an idiot"?'

Welcome back, and I like your new style of hating. haha! Anyway, that's understandable everyone have their own freedom how to look at things. Being a broad minded poster(positive to negative), you have to understand where is Kobe is coming from? After those messy years with Shaq, then a 380 degrees change with Tomja and his new teammates, three years keeping the Lakers afloat with a bunch of scrubs who kept on committing t/o's or bricking balls and without any relief at sight of new help, I guess even if you're paid for 20M you just say ENOUGH w/ all this garbage. He too, is entitled to have freedom to shout: "Let's have a good team or ship me out." Well, after the Olympic events and Lakers going deep in playoffs with new teammates, those issues are now water under the bridge. If water is free flowing without hurricane at sight, we have a new KL, we have a new Kobe it is a new day.

PS. Hobbit and KB blitz, can you not wind up w/ your never ending debates? LOL!

I just praised Kobe to the hilt in the previous posts but here is also the bad side of Kobe, he is a big gambler. You will see it in his game, in the sexual escapade in Colorado, his rants last summer, his defensive assignment w/ Coach K team, there is a lot of gambling involved in it. I surmised this happens also with his treatment on that pinky. While the doctors advised him a surgery in March but was able to do away and played well w/ 9 fingers and became comfortable with it. Like an overgrown child, he is again gambling on prescribed surgery at his own sweet time. I like the advice of Coach K to him: "we may not be able to give your millions if you play at Duke University but I can assure you of earning a college degree." He should gamble on this idea too.

If the cure for his tendinitis is rest, how does Lamar avoid the same scenario next June? Dit da jow?

Good morning,

The countdown to training camp is obviously on. I wake up to posts from Charles, Laker Tom, and Faith, and the return of KL and Gunner. Just like old times! (Welcome back, KL. I'm glad to see AK and BK give you a reprieve.)

We've all got so much anticipation and so many unanswered questions. When WILL Kobe get his surgery? How long will it take AB to regain his form and his timing? Can Chris Mihm REALLY come back? Will Mbenga not only return, but actually earn some playing time? Will Coby Karl make the team, again?

For the first time in memory, I'm unable to work up any excitement about the NFL as a way to pass the time until the NBA cranks up. This blog is all there is to keep this sports fan's juices flowing.

re: LO

It remains to be seen which of the following will be more valuable to the Lakers...

What the team can get in return for LO's $14.5M expiring contract

or

What contribution the team can get from LO who is playing for a new contract

I'm guessing the front office isn't rushing to unload LOs contract b/c it would mean basically adding that salary to next season and possible years to come based on the contract(s) of the player(s) they get in return. Since they feel like the roster is Championship calibre, my guess is they're hoping LO will play out of his mind, that will help the team win a title this year and they'll figure out LOs future with the team next off-season.

Xodus,

i'm not questioning the injury, just the severity. if an injury is that "severe", an operation is not optional. i've played organized ball in high school and torn my meniscus (cartliage) and couldn't staightend out my knee.

my insury was "severe" becuase I couldn't walk. now if kobe's injury was that "severe", how in the world could the guy play 1/2 a season, playoffs all the way to the finals AND the olympics?

i'm going to inject a bit of politics to the blog. kobe is not well liked in the media. we can all agree. i believe kobe still cares about individual greatness instead of team greatness (i'll concede the degree has changed), so playing up an injury to win the mvp is not out of the question.

now, does kobe deserve the mvp last season? absolutely yes. did kobe win votes from the media who don't like kobe due to this alleged injury? i say yes.

what say you?

Andrew Bynum is still young, but I saw a lot growth in his maturity last season. This was highlighted when he got kicked out of a game. I feel that although it is always a bone head move to be kicked out of a game, It is really important for a young kid like him to experience those things, so later on down the road he knows to controls his emotions. What I have seen from AB is a fire that all competitors’ need to have to be successful, what we need him to grow into is someone with composure and leadership. All great big men of the NBA have been great leaders. With Kareem behind him, I really feel that AB will mold himself into a unique center, the likes of which we haven’t seen since Captain Retired in 1989.

Health and SF are really the two biggest question marks the Lakers have. Health is something you can’t always control and we had a lot more question marks going into last season than just SF. As long as it may seem, the season is seriously right around the corner. It is great time to be a sports fan.

Edwin Gueco,

Thanks for the comments. I think that Mitch has a recent history of bringing in several guards into training camp that either end up in the D-League or never actually make the team. I don't think this off-season should be viewed any different. Crawford is the only one of the three that provides something unique while also having the potential to excel in the NBA. I do see both karl and Mitchell making it until some time during the preseason. They may see some action in preseason.

Kobe isn't going anywhere. The arrival of Pau Gasol and emergence of Andrew Bynum ensured that. However, Lamar Odom could be leaving before the trading deadline if the Lakers are not looking good by that time. I suspect that they will be.

Your concern over them "gelling" as a cohesive unit is a little misplaced. Not much has changed for the roster since June. Andrew Bynum, although not healthy as that time, was still around. He is ONE player to be inserted....the others are already functioning well together. I don't expect Powell to see much action early, but if he maintains in practice, he could replace Mihm's minutes by the playoffs. As for Bynum and Gasol.....they will be spending so much time on the court together during training camp that they will learn how to play together. They have a natural fit similar to that of Olajuwon and Sampson, Duncan and Robinson, MicHale and Parish. They will be fine.

Jon K.,

No....just watch a lot of basketball and read a lot as well.

KL,

I don't think Kobe was the one that played up the injury. He doesn't go out and flex his hand over and over and say that he's playing through injury, he just goes out and plays. The media had more to do with how we view the injury. They said that he had a torn ligament in his hand with a bone chipped in it and he decided that he'd play through it despite the reccomedations of doctors and the higher ups in the Lakers organization.

AK/BK

Do you guys think that phil will be watching Kobe's minutes this next season? I mean im sure with this team they will have more blowout games and with kobe now turning 30, playing in the olympics, and the long season last year; You think phil will nurture his minutes like he did with fisher last year? and if so, how do you think Kobe will respond to that? being he is ultra-competative?

Go Lakers

tkbb,

You may have some valid points with regards to Jordan. I didn't see him play for UCLA and my opinion of his game is based on his role in the triangle offense. He has the skills to be a drive and dish player, but I really haven't seen it. It may very well be there, but for his role in the Triangle, it's not. He doesn't seem like a playmaker/distributor, ala CP3 or Nash, but maybe this skill will be developed post-PJ or if he leaves the Lakers. I really don’t see him “leading” the offense in the second unit, as opposed to him finding his spot on the floor. Maybe he’ll change this season…that’ll be a nice wrinkle.

As far as energy off the bench, why can't it be Jordan and Sasha? I agree, that though Sasha's D is good, it's not GREAT, and if he were even better, having that defensive presence off the bench would make the argument for Lamar as a 6th man even stronger. You wrote, “Ariza may also drive a bit better than Lamar but he has no post moves and by denying the paint to Trevor, he will almost be non existent on offense.” My argument for Lamar not starting kind of goes with that point. How much of an offensive threat is Lamar in a line up that has Kobe, Pau and Bynum? Lamar’s outside shot is better than Ariza’s, but not by much, maybe Lamar shoots closer to 45% while Ariza is closer to 40%, but how many shots do you expect them to get? I think this is where having Ariza on the floor, to utilize his quickness and athleticism surpasses the Lamar’s extra length and 3 inch height differential. Regardless of who’s out there at SF, their offensive contribution early in the game will not be as important as getting (KB, AB and PG) off first.

What I meant for Lamar’s role as a “point forward” I didn’t mean always bringing up the ball, though he’s quite capable of doing so, I meant more of dictating the offense. Lamar plays better when he can get touches and handle the ball. He’s never been the player to spot up and knock down open jumpers of screens, and he will not get those touches with our first three options on the floor. Lamar coming off the bench not only gives the team more depth, but he will be able to run the offense when Kobe’s resting, which he has done with some success. He will also be playing against “inferior” bench players or “winded” starters. When it comes to guarding some of the bigger name SFs, help defense will be more important than individual D anyway.

The more I think about it, if Vlad played with more heart on the defensive end, he’d actually be an ideal fit for the starting 5 since he can just camp out on the 3 point line, but I have my issues with that guy, which is a completely different thread. I think he’s been pretty close to disappointing as you can get.

TrueLakerfan,

"Do you guys think that phil will be watching Kobe's minutes this next season? I mean im sure with this team they will have more blowout games and with kobe now turning 30, playing in the olympics, and the long season last year; You think phil will nurture his minutes like he did with fisher last year?"

No, I don't see that happening. In the past, when Kobe was coming off an injury, Phil always talked about keeping tabs on Kobe's PT, then let the guy play 40+. He tends to defer to Kobe. I expect to see more of the same next season, including Kobe ending up among the league leaders (as always) in minutes played.

If anything, there have been more times when I've wondered why Phil still had Kobe in a game well in hand than noticed any appearance of minutes monitoring.

AK

JJ sez:

"They have a natural fit similar to that of Olajuwon and Sampson, Duncan and Robinson, MicHale and Parish. "

AHAHAHA!!! We're jumping the gun here a bit, aren't we?

For starters, these two men have never played a game together in their lives, and second, they will have to prove themselves against the likes of SHACK and AMARE, Duncan and Oberto, KG and Perkins, Oden and Aldridge, heck, even Kaman and Camby in the same building!

Good to hear the byenumb is feeling great, but he has a long road to recovery that really begins when he actually plays and subjects that knee to pounding from the aforementioned beasts.

And then, there's that little question of chemistry. It could be a bust, or it could be a nice pairing.

re: Pau/Bynum/LO front court

Having watched all the Lakers and Bulls teams deal with learning the Triangle over the years and watching new players come in and out, it seems to me that the offense "gelling" is more predicated on each player's comfort level and experience in running the offense. If everyone is on the same page, rotating when they're supposed to and to where they're supposed to, then it's very smooth. When you take a look at the recent Lakers teams, it's clear that this past season, there was a quantum leap forward in how the offense was being run. It almost got to the level of the Shaq-Kobe teams where the passing and cutting was crisp and quick. Almost instinctual. Because of that, I'm not as worried to see how Bynum and Pau will gel on the floor at the same time or how LO will handle playing SF. There are no newbies to the offense except for the guys at the very end of the bench. Everyone else has multiple years of the Triangle under their belt and with each other - the least of which is Pau and he seemed to pick it up very quickly.

Defensively, it'll be all about communication. There was a point midway through last season where it was clear the team had taken a major step forward in how they were communicating and rotating to help their teammates. That defensive communication waned a bit in the post-season. I'm hoping that it will continue to be there at a high level this season. Bynum's ability to block and alter shots shouldn't be an excuse to continually let yourself get burned on the perimeter but having him as the last line of defense will be an asset and something the team missed during the second half of last season.

TrueLakerFan-

I think it'll be much like it was last year, where Kobe plays a lot of minutes, but they do their best to get him off the floor when they can. I don't see them stretching his bench time much during games, but come the fourth quarter, if the Lakers are up with a nice cushion, he'll sit. That's what they did last year. I don't necessarily think it'll be any more than it was a year ago, despite the lack of rest this summer, but I certainly think they'll try to take advantage of those times when he can get a little extra rest.

But mitigating his minutes like they did Fish? I don't think it'll be like that.

BK

Hey, question...

I just moved to Woodland Hills and I was wondering if anyone knew of a good bar nearby that has Sunday NFL ticket? I gotta be able to watch my Chargers (born and raised SD).

On that topic too, we should all get together sometime soon and during the season to talk and watch some Lakers bball. Let me know if anyones interested.

Lamar = Laker for Life

GO LAKERS

KL,

Wassup? Is that really you? Good to have you back, well at least the new and improved neutered version of KLBeast. lol.

Regarding Kobe's pinky, the Kobe-hating media reluctantly gave the MVP to Kobe because they finally ran out of excuses. I don't think the pinky injury had much of an impact on MVP voting. It seemed as if the media pretty much disregarded the pinky injury after the first week. If the same injury had been suffered by Chris Paul, Lebron, or any other MVP candidate, the media would've made a much bigger deal out of it.

It's not very likely that Kobe will win back to back MVP's, no matter how deserving. The media will think of new excuses to take it away from him. BUT, if Kobe leads this team to 70 plus wins, which is very possible with a healthy roster, the media will have run out of excuses once again, and will be forced to give him back to back MVP's.

Mitchell

TrueLakerFan

I really hope PJ monitors his PT. Elton Brand went through playing a season after the Olympic trials didn't he? And it affected his performance. But then again, he's a pf.

Either way, with age and mileage; I hope he is preserved and the Trees work well with the MVP.

mrbarneydangles and all southern cali heads,

can you guys hangout this saturday? email me through the kbros and let's hang.

BUTLER,

In response to your comments concerning my note about Gasol and Bynum having a natural fit similar to that of some past big men combos, I think you went in a whole other direction than what I meant by that statement.

I was not referring to the quality of their play as a unit compared to any other unit. I was simply referring to how they have different games, that based on past performances, should not be a problem meshing together. Gasol has a mid-range shot, and he is more comfortable facing the basket, complimented by a very good passing game. Bynum is a finisher at the rim already having a keen sense of timing as it relates to being in the right place to receive the pass. He has great hands and a soft touch around the basket. He is also developing as a back to the basket player with a hook/flip shot. He is a solid free throw shooter, yet he doesn't appear to have a mid range shooting game yet.

I see those two games being able to mesh well together similarly to how the two games of Duncan and Robinson meshed well together. It may not happen.....I was just pointing out what should be a natural fit of games.

You saw the comment and got all excited and wanted to demonstrate why you thought it was a crazy statement. Calm down and take a few minutes to understand what another poster is really saying before you try to criticize them.

mrbarneydangles and all southern cali heads,

can you guys hangout this saturday? email me through the kbros and let's hang.

sounds like we're going to have to limit Lamar's minutes somewhat this year, perhaps this is a blessing in disguise? It makes it easier to get him to buy into playing more with the 2nd team.

AK/BK

Yeah both of you are probably right. Personally I would rather see kobe get some rest during the first quarter or half of the season if possible, but phil does tend to rely a lot on Kobe (as he should).

Charles

I agree that phil should monitor his minutes maybe not to the extend of fisher but certainly i wouldn't like to see kobe being among the league leaders this year. Afterall, kobe played every single game last year, that would take a toll on any player.

Go Lakers

"Wassup? Is that really you? Good to have you back, well at least the new and improved neutered version of KLBeast. lol. "

neutered?

i see what you're doing and i ain't falling for it. you're not going to bait me into thowing insults.

as for kob's mvp, the dude deserved it. plain and simple.

as for the injury, i don't know think it's really that serious, but it's moot i suppose.

what i'd like to see is kobe taking a step back turning bynum into an all-star, build up his confidence, lead the team to another run deep into the playoffs, winning the title, then the coveted finals mvp will be awarded to kobe as the leader of the team.

you think kobe will be willing to take a back seat for the benefit of the team?

hard to say, but i venture to say "no".

why "no"? remember in the playoffs when gasol had 30 and 15? after that, kobe took over and no more gasol.

just saying, can kobe learn to encourage teammates to step up? guys have proven they can do it.

JJ sez:

" Gasol has a mid-range shot, and he is more comfortable facing the basket, complimented by a very good passing game. Bynum is a finisher at the rim already having a keen sense of timing as it relates to being in the right place to receive the pass. He has great hands and a soft touch around the basket. He is also developing as a back to the basket player with a hook/flip shot. He is a solid free throw shooter, yet he doesn't appear to have a mid range shooting game yet.

I see those two games being able to mesh well together similarly to how the two games of Duncan and Robinson meshed well together. It may not happen.....I was just pointing out what should be a natural fit of games.

You saw the comment and got all excited and wanted to demonstrate why you thought it was a crazy statement. Calm down and take a few minutes to understand what another poster is really saying before you try to criticize them."

Ok, I'm calm now. I'll proceed with like manners and intelligence.

Your response is reasoned and well thought out.

Of course gasal and byenumb have a good chance of meshing their respective games - and a chance to impede each other's respective games, too.

Both are good finishers, and can block shots, so I foresee many dunks and swats this season.

The challenge lies in the spacing. Byenumb's role was uncluttered and defined the last time he played, but now, gasol takes up much of the same space on the court.

The other effect will be lamar o's role - rebounding has been his strong suit, yet he will now have two 7-footers clogging the paint...so where does he fit in?

It will be interesting to see two 7-footers such as AB and PG on the court together, no doubt. But another question looms - their backups. Mihm? Mbenga? No Turiaf?

Things are thin in the frontcourt, and with the history of injuries in the starters, it's best to be cautiously optimistic.

Kobe's playing time will probably be dictated like always on how well we hold the lead.

Or remain defensively solvent lol.

"why "no"? remember in the playoffs when gasol had 30 and 15? after that, kobe took over and no more gasol.

just saying, can kobe learn to encourage teammates to step up? guys have proven they can do it."

Do you mean the next game when Kobe dropped a beautiful 49 and 10 on the Nuggets or the rest of the playoffs where we went 12-4 through the West.

Either way I don't see how one can complain unless you're a cynic. And I don't mean that as an insult. I think it's fair to say that you're cynical when it comes to Kobe.

Beckham gives Kobe props. A great athlete giving props to another great athlete.

http://tinyurl.com/6yy5ls

Yo KL/Gunner, hate that!

BUTLER,

First thing....his name is "Bynum". It looks stupid when you mess it up like that.

Second, I can agree with you on the fact that it could NOT work. Although I think that goes without saying. Until it is proven to work, there is always a chance that it won't. There was a chance that bringing Phil in to coach Kobe and Shaq wouldn't work.....yet it did. So, you are not exposing some uncovered truth to say that it might not work.

Third, I am finding it hard to understand why people are so questionable about Lamar. His greatest asset is his ability to mesh well WHEN not required to be strong in any one area. The presence of Bynum now makes it possible for Lamar to become what some would call the Fourth Option. Some nights he may have great games, some nights he won't. The Lakers are equipped now to handle that.

Finally, I recommend that you take a few minutes to read my earlier post. In it, I identified how minutes can be distributed next season as well as lineups adjusted. Part of what makes the lineup adjustments good is that they allow for guys like Lamar to move down to power forward at spots during the game. It also allows for Pau and Kobe to do the same. It also allows for Kobe Lamar and Pau to fill the front court together like they did at times last year to much success. Finally, there will be times when Bynum will be on the floor without Pau....allowing him opportunities to work in the post without anyone else around. Just read my post.

Anybody see LeBron get schooled on Venice Beach yesterday? D Kalb killed the king.

http://tinyurl.com/69lcb3

BUTLER,

You wrote:
Things are thin in the frontcourt, and with the history of injuries in the starters, it's best to be cautiously optimistic.

Please keep this in mind when you talk about SHACK and STOUDEWHINER!!

Charles

We don't have your email. If you can send it to kambrothers@yahoo.com, that would be great.

AK

Bynum appears to take the game of professional basketball very serious and gives a sense of determination to become a land mark player. If he fits into the back court with Gasol and Odom, the Lakers could be a very special team. However, it will be a difficult and very competitive season with the likes of Portland, Houston, New Orleans, Pheonix, and San Antonio providing a road block. The Lakers need to toughen up, even with Bynum they will be tested.

JJ,

I got ya. It works in theory, but as we'll be saying all damn month, we have to wait until we sees things on tha court.

I'm in basketball withdrawal..

lakergurl lol.

Seems like the girls eye to eye? Haha, jk.

The game has degenerated to Euro and foreign b-ball levels given the flop job and histrionics a la Vlade Divac, Manu Ginobili, Raja Bell and the entire Spanish national team. I reckon when the going gets tough, the so-called tough goes flopping. Folks, we cannot afford to watch this deplorable display that tends to get our superstars in foul trouble and impact the tenor of the game.

AK/BK, have we heard anything further from the commissioner's office on the new anti-flopping rules in the NBA. Hopefully, Stern and Stu will mitigate such malfeasance and keep those miscreants honest.

mrbarneydangles,

There are two bars on Victory Boulevard immediately west of Topanga Canyon Boulevard that are pretty cool. One's called "Scotland Yard" and is really cool Scottish themed pub.

The other bar (the name escapes me at the moment) is just next door and plays live Jazz a few nights a week with some hardcore old time Jazz musicians who are just incredible.

Enjoy.

GO LAKERS!

JJ,

During the recent summer league, Karl has better standing than Crawford. Don't you think Crawford should linger first in the D'League while giving Karl the break. He's a good perimeter shooter and a knack of basketball. If Sasha can improve so is Crawford. We have not seen Dwayne Mitchell but his clips on Y-tube are impressive, similar to Ariza.. Let them all play and compete so with Walton and Vlad. Bynum is the key but we need insurance out there, right now it's Gasol and Mihm as the insurance. Powell at 6'9" has no chance of competing with the tall centers. Gelling, rapport and camaraderie are the secret of success of good teams, not so good teams that competed for Championship.

JJ

Nice to see you posting again. I agree on your breakdown but you wrote if it doesn't work well Lamar would be moved by the trade deadline. That sounds like Lamar is a question in your mind as well as others. HIs contract is up, teams will test his perimeter shot at the 3 and other issues you're obviously aware of.

He might not be a 4th option luxury the FO wants to afford.

KL

WHEN DID YOU GET BACK, NICE TO HAVE YOU...

IS MAMBA STILL AROUND AND WHERE IS ROLL CALL!??!?!

FILL ME IN PEOPLE

KL

"you think kobe will be willing to take a back seat for the benefit of the team?"

Well, if he was able to do it in the Olympics, he can also do it with the Lakers. He got his gold, his MVP, next his Championship and he knows he has the visa as well as passport to enter that realm with Gasol at the wing and Bynum at the low post. If you're an old fella, do you want to punish your body for 82 games for fame and fortune. NO, the latter have been achieved, it's now the legacy that matters and his debt of gratitude to the Laker fans as the apology that you have been waiting for, in form of Championship. We have bright hopes but no need of chest thumping like some bloggers here! hopes first should be turned into reality by getting surgery on that pinky and remaining healthy for the other players.

AK/BK, any news on Walton's surgery, ah, on the second thought never mind, healthy or no healthy. the results will be the same. lol!
,

Rollo.....Thats a pretty big statement to make.....What so before the Euro player influx to the NBA Karl Malone wasnt flopping.....Fisher has been tagged with that as well......That line of thinking was used in 2004 and look what happened to team USA .....Same in 2006...............Careful now

Edwin Gueco,

Karl had better offensive stats than Crawford...yes. However, he doesn't provide anything to the Lakers long-term. Plus, he has had a year already to prove himself including D-league time last season. Crawford, may not be quite ready for the big stage either, but as the 15th man, he can spend some time in the D-League. The Lakers are deep at guard right now because of the number of minutes the regular 4 consume at the two guard positions. It is of no benefit to have Karl on the Inactive List for the Lakers.

Dwayne Mitchell came with high praise from Chucky Brown for his D-League play. He has a slashers game and defensive minded game similar to Ariza. That is great, but he lacks a perimeter game and with Ariza already, is it necessary to have a second Ariza?

Maybe you don't understand but I am in favor of them playing through training camp and part of the preseason. However, the Lakers are required to cut their roster down to at least 15 by the end of preseason. I'm not concerned as to when the cuts happen....only that they happen. Plus, Walton and Radmanovic have guaranteed spots which these guys are not competing for. Really the 3 are competing for 1 spot since Yue has a guaranteed contract as well. Plus, the Lakers can't retain a player only to send him to the D-League. He counts on their roster if that is the case.

Gasol already proved to be a very capable center for the Lakers. If Bynum were to go down next season, Gasol can fill that position again. Mihm is one player to help back him up. However, they need another which is why I suggested Mbenga in my earlier post. Powell will be a help at power forward as needed.

The Lakers already have gelled. Where were you last season? They are already gelling and have had a summer where the only piece they lost was Turiaf. Chemistry will not be a problem.

AK/BK

Hi guys, I've noticed your new policy towards using tinyurl.com instead of actual links.

I can see how formatting long links is bad for the blog as it stretches out everything.

But for short links, I think it's better to use the actual link itself. I run a webhosting company and tinyurl is a big no-no most of the time)
1) Most importantly, by using TinyURL, you are not giving credit to the site that is passing on the info/videos or what not. It's like people quoting writers, I'm going to quote you but not give you credit for writing it.

2) Page ranking. As google searches this site, they also award brownie points to links so let's say i have a site and I link to your blog here. But instead of using "lakerblog" as the URL, I use TinyURL instead. That means your articles get no brownie points in the webisphere.

Why are these points important? Because the more points you get, the more importance you get in search engines.

So for long URLs, tinyurl is great but I think it should only be used on an as needed basis and not for everything. I fully believe in giving credit where it's due, no matter if its a writer from ESPN or some little blogger writing his life away. TinyURL takes away from their efforts.

Again, just some info as I don't know if you know the impact tinyurl has on marginalizing the work of others to its own advantage. It's your blog so I'm sure you have your own reasoning and right to run it however you see fit.

As always, I think you two gents do a great job and by far the best sports blog anywhere.

JSNV sez:

"Things are thin in the frontcourt, and with the history of injuries in the starters, it's best to be cautiously optimistic.

Please keep this in mind when you talk about SHACK and STOUDEWHINER!! "

The SUNS for once have good quality backups at both positions, Robin "the new Tim Duncan only different looking" Lopez, and Boris Diaw.

The lakers are short quality backup bigs...which could be an issue, as evidenced by the Finals performances of the non-Turiaf backups.

Vman,

I did not suggest Lamar out of a snese of feeling as though Lamar is a problem right now or will be later. It is simply about looking at the team and assessing what will be needed to win a championship and what assets they have to get those pieces. IF (and that is a strong if) the LAKERS aren't thriving after 2 months, they will need to look at making a change if they hope to not waste an opportunity. Lamar is the option that makes the most sense. Trading Bynum would not give the Lakers enough in return because of his current contract being so low. Gasol fits so well in the offense that it would be crazy to trade him. Kobe is not on the table. Lamar is left. He has the most tradeable contract and it could get the Lakers a lot in return. Perhaps Miami would seek a trade by that time for Marion. Other teams may also be interested at that time. They may also be more inclined to take back another Laker "Bad Contract" with him.

I don't want to trade Lamar, BUT you have to have a back up plan just in case......that's just smart business.

So....don't try to read too deep into what I said when it is pretty simple.

After watching Pau play so well with his brother Marc in the Olympics, there's no doubt in my mind his game will mesh well with Bynum's. Filling lanes, cutting to the basket, lob passes, the Triangle...Are you kidding me? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????

This is going to be an insane season. We may not hit championship stride for a month or two, but when we do, I have a feeling this may be the most entertaining Laker season since Showtime.

AK/BK

Just as an example, your blog has a Google Page rank of 6 and the first to come up in a search for Lakers Blog. Links to your blog are all over the place and every links gets counted towards your rank of #6. Rank of 6 is pretty good as its a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest.

As a comparison,
Lakersground is #5
TinyURL is #7 because their links are used all over including this blog
ESPN rank is #8

Now if everybody linking to your blog & writings were using TinyURL, your rank would drop like a rock and lower Page rank means your articles start appearing lower and lower in search engines.

Violator: K-buddies (my shamless attempt at butt kissing), gave me a parol hearing and i passed (barely). No more schtick, just b-ball talk.

lakergurl: big mac? kidding.

KL,

Welcome back!

But stop acting like once the season started, the Lakers didn't have a great season. They did. Kobe and the guys jelled and it took them to the finals.

Don't keep making the same claims when the game has changed. If Andrew Bynum becomes an all-star it'll be his play that dictates that. Kobe was great at getting the ball to Shaq and others as recent replays of the Laker dynasty films have shown, he'll do the same for Andrew and the other guys. If you watched last season, Andrew received most of his touches from Kobe. Passing for Kobe is not a problem KL so move on to other things. Including faking or rather should I say the injury not being as serious as the media portrayed. Kobe never used it as an excuse, end of story KL.

KL,

I wasn't trying to offend you by calling you the neutered KLBeast. Just messin around.

Regarding Kobe, the best player in the game shouldn't take a backseat to anyone. It would not be beneficial to the team if Kobe took a backseat (at least not while he is still in his prime, and not until Bynum reaches his prime). Before Bynum got hurt, Kobe was making teams pay for over-fucusing on him by feeding Bynum for easy dunks and layins, and he will do the same this upcoming season. Even if Kobe takes 2 shots for the entire game and Bynum takes 20, it's not about taking a backseat, it's about taking advantage of how defenses play the Lakers. This isn't the old Lakers when Kobe had the likes of Kwame, Smush, Cook and Luke to pass to. Back than, if he wanted to win (make the playoffs) he had no choice but to "ballhog". He finally has REAL options now, and just like last season, he will take advantage of those options.

Edwin Gueco,

I agree with you on Coby Karl. I've read that he really stood out during Summer League.

JJ,

Great to have you back and posting. Don't be a stranger.

GO LAKERS!

JJ,

Nice break down. However, Lakers have to be very careful about who they bring (in trade) for LO expiring contract. In other word, Lakers should not bring back a starting SF with more than double digit (in mil) salary who has 3 or 4 years left on their contract. Because

LO expiring (15.xx mil) salary = Andrew Bynum's new contract

Lakers must also include either garbage Luke (5 mil) or Radmanovic (6 mil ) contracts in LO trade in return for not more than 10 mil for a starting SF and 10 mil expiring contract.

The trade should target for
1. A starting Small Forward (wish list: Luol, Deng, Tayshaun Prince, Andres Nocioni, Stephen Jackson, Caron Butler, Shane Battier and etc.)
2. Reserve Power Forward/Center (Chris Wilcox, Drew Gooden, Nick Collison, Tony Battie, Dan Gadzuric and etc.)
3. A veteren defensive Point Guard

"my insury was "severe" becuase I couldn't walk. now if kobe's injury was that "severe", how in the world could the guy play 1/2 a season, playoffs all the way to the finals AND the olympics?"

because, dammit, it's a friggin pinky finger. ligaments in your leg are far larger and cause for greater immobility. a pinky finger won't stop you from playing, but it's not to say that the tear isn't sever and in need of surgical repair.
he chose to work through it..why is that so hard to believe?As for the severity and need for surgery, played up by the media more than anyone on the team, including Kobe

i tore a ligament in my left pinky in the past. i never played bball then, but i could have. i still played rugby. every time i looked down it felt and looked uncomfortable, but beyond that I doubt that Kobe had any trouble dealing with it.

Who's calling Kobe selfish if he waits a couple of weeks to have his pinkie surgery?
If anything the guy deserves a little break.
Best for all concerned for Kobe to bide his time and make sure his pinkie is fully healed before coming back.
I'm pretty sure the Lakers can hold down the fort until a healed and refreshed Kobe returns.
Selfish my arse (at least not in this circumstance)

Drew is back in LA.

Grabbing dinner at Mr Chow:
http://tinyurl.com/5hw4u6

A poster at lakersground had this to say:
"Bynum is in great shape. I coach football at El Segundo High and he was out on our track today running with what looked like a conditioning coach. He looks ripped and toned, hes actually very fast for a 7-footer.

The trainer worked him hard, having him do combinations of 1/4 and 1/2 mile runs and sprint intervals. We should all be excited about his return this year, Mitch was right...its obvious he worked hard while out with injury because the guy has almost no body fat and is looking fast."

"my response: Is the "hobbit" being mean to you? Oh, you
poor thing."

Nah, if I were to be serious, I would be kicking hobbits as field goals at Mission Viejo. Haha!

http://tinyurl.com/6yhk7b

Yes you were horribly wrong. Fisher at the beginning of the 2006-2007 Utah Season was a backup but by November he was a full time starter at the SG position which is not his position really. In fact, he's stats actually were worst off playing with the Jazz as SG with Deron Williams compared to playing PG with Kobe Bryant. Kind of an ironic twist to KL about Kobe not making his teammates better.

Based upon
your stated opinion of Sasha, you will be wrong when
the declaration becomes fact instead of hyperbole. Then,
if you're man enough, you will enjoy your plate of crow."

Wow, I just been honest about Sasha and his past performance and you accuse me on hating on the poor fella. LOL! Plain and simple: Sasha, good shooter if a bit streaky at times and a decent but not great defender. Already made comparisons to Brent Barry which is a good and fair comparison (even Laker Tom had to shoot down that comparison since it was too good compared with Brent Barry's IQ and athleticism). What you want me to say he's an all star next year? That he's the next Glen Rice? How about this:

Sasha averages 20 ppg on 47% shooting and at least 44% on 3 pointers, combined with a 1st defensive all team selection, then I will eat crow deal? (Yes 1st defensive all team, since you praise how "great" Sasha's defense is, he has to get 1st team all defense and beat out Kobe!). Has to be both or else I won't eat and instead tomahawk dunk all the hobbits in the Shire hehe.

"You have skimmed over the
attributes that don't support your view "

Show me the "attributes" that I skimmed and please make it relevant, i mean being athletic is much less relevant than "can guard both forward positions" when it comes to "Defense".

"I am calm. I did use evidence. I gave stats,
just like you"

Haven't seen *one* statistic website that can clearly show that Trevor is the lock down future defender of the Lakers. Oh that's right you quoted Mitch who while getting Pau Gasol and traded away the future Big Mistake, has blown money to Radman and Walton not to mention to untradable contracts atm? I give Mitch props for trading an all time bust for one of the better big men in the NBA atm but I see it more as a redemption for trading away Caron Butler for Kwa-may Brown in the first place. That's right "Mitch" is always right! Hehe, future defender? We *hope* he can develp into a future defender, like he *hoped* Kwa-may Brown was the inside presence of the future along and Chris Mihm as well. Only good deal beyond Pau Gasol and trading away Shaq was maybe getting two out of prime veterans called Gary Payton and Karl Malone. I like Mitch as our GM but I'm not blind to every of his faults and hold his word as always *facts*. Really, try to provide more than Mitch's little article alright, maybe you would be more credible instead of trying to accuse me of posting urls that support Lamar is a solid defender (which you admitted to) and the better all around player than Mr. Unproven. I'm actually hoping he can turn into a good defender since Kobe will be old one day and Sasha will not provide that same defense. (yes I said it but I don't go around and saying his defense is already great :P)

"Ist. I hope that Phil sees things differently than you.
2nd. If he doesn't I hope you're both right.
3rd. If we play the C's again and Lamar is the starting
SF/SG I'm probably going to put money on the C's. Lamar
does *NOT* have a championship mentality. That is what
Lamar has shown me. That is why his 14.5 million
dollar behind would be "ridin' pine"."

Seems like I'm getting underneath your skin to the point where you want to put money on our rivals just to show me that Lamar is a garbage player (hint what a way to show you are a Laker fan :P, reminds me of Mike T.). Really Hobbit, I don't intend this to be a rivalry thing but heck just fire away as you please, I already said I don't think what either of us said to each other, we won't be convinced of each other's position but unlike me you don't want to end lol. Alright then, it's your choice.

Ediwn, I would love to talk about other subjects than the Lamar vs Trevor debate. I really like both players (though Hobbit probably thinks I hate which is completely not true, and should you decide to use this quote in your rebuttal Hobbit, here's something for you: I don't think you are a Lamar hater either). But I guess Hobbit will not rest until I admit I am wrong I suppose, a shame though, he's beginning to act more like Mike T. which I don't want him to be like.

Any Edwin, I have a question do you think a Odom-Ariza-Walton trade with Detroit could work for Prince-McDyess-Afflalo combo? Jon K and Laker Tom I would also like to know how you guys feel about a potential trade like that. Thanks.

-Blitz

>>>The Celtics' best front court - Bird, Parish and Mchale.
>>>The Lakers' front court today - LO, Gasol and Bynum.
>>>Teams with SFs who can't defend the outside win.

Not a good comparison. Bynum and Gasol may actually
match up okay with Parish and McHale, but Larry Bird was
way way way way better than Lamar Odom.

I agree with Long Time Laker Fan though the McHale comparison is too low for Andrew who I think David Robinson is a better ceiling. Besides comparing Odom to Larry Legend? If Odom is nowhere near Scottie Pippen then why compare to Larry "Legend" Bird?

Edwin, Coby Karl pl