got to rest, he's getting old - players like kobey that rely on athleticism are the first to go.

NASH, like Stockton, relies on his wits and inner greatness to stay effective into his 40s.

did I hear him call the twin towers PauByno?

Those pictures and video of media day are cracking me up. The ones with Kobe and Bynum especially are fun to watch. Anyone else notice the shine in Kobe's eyes every time he's standing next to Bynum? Holy smokes, he looks like a kid on Christmas morning.

It's crazy, really. Kobe now has his team of overachievers as the favorites in the Western Conference and instead of looking stressed or worried about handling these new sort of expectations, Kobe looks like he's relaxing on the beach in Cancun. No worries at all.

Kobe's a unique guy with a unique leadership portfolio. As the absolute, 100% leader of this team, the other players are given a unusual freedom of playing without the opponent’s focus being squarely on them.

Basically, the other 4 players will be playing 4 on 3 all year long because of Kobe's double teams. And that means Bynum goes one on one, Gasol goes one on one and Odom goes one on one. This team is going to be hard to stop.

The only hope teams will have will be to go small to make our size a disadvantage or hope their best perimeter defender can handle Kobe mano y mano so they can double our bigs. But which big gets the double? Gasol or Bynum? I see a lot of give and go exchanges with Gasol and Bynum to neutralize any defensive strategy opponents try to use against our center position. Both are mobile, so both should be able dart in and out of the paint and wreak havoc on the opponents.

I think going small will be the option for teams without a dynamite perimeter defender for Kobe and Kobe one on one will be the option for teams with guys like Posey, Prince and Artest.

Just thinking out loud.

Wes

•___________________________________________*
• THE COMBINED NUMBER OF WINS FOR *
• CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON BANDWAGON *
•___________________________________________*
(01) FATTY – We're going to ride that Purple and Gold bus down Figueroa
and not stop till we get to Disneyland 60 + WIN BANDWAGONNER
(02) JUSTANOTHERMAMBAFAN – 60 + WIN BANDWAGGONER
(03) DEREK – 70 + WIN BANDWAGONNER
(04) TOAD – WER’RE FAVORITES FOR A REASON
(05) NAJJA aka BONUS – Riding in on the IRAQ delegation
(06) SAMLL – 60 + WIN BANDWAGGONER
(07) JAMIE SWEET – 70 + WIN BANDWAGONNER

Cue the music:

"Rollin' down the Imperial Highway
With a big nasty redhead at my side
Santa Ana winds blowin' hot from the north
And we as born to ride

Roll down the window put down the top
Crank up the Beach Boys baby
Don't let the music stop
We're gonna ride it till we just can't ride it no more

>From the South Bay to the Valley
>From the West Side to the East Side
Everybody's very happy
'Cause the sun is shining all the time
Looks like another perfect day

I love L.A. (We love it)
I love L.A. (We love it)

Look at that mountain
Look at those trees
Look at that bum over there, man
He's down on his knees
Look at these women
There ain't nothin' like 'em nowhere

Century Boulevard (We love it)
Victory Boulevard (We love it)
Santa Monica Boulevard (We love it)
Sixth Street (We love it, we love it)

I love L.A.
I love L.A.
(We love it) "

LAKER BASKETBALL BABY!! NOTHING LIKE IT!!!!! PnG ALL THE WAY!!!!!!!!!

Good morning Mamba24, Charles and the rest of this unbelievable LAKER MORNING CRUE and the AWARD-WINNING K-BROS!!!!!!!!!

Another great day to be a Laker fan!!!!

Mamba24 - thanks for my place on the 60+ win bandwagon! We're rolling baby!!

Charles - absolutely - just name the place & time!

KBROS - please give my email address to Charles - thanks!

BUTT-ler - you're still here?? Class is in session man. The teacher has called attendance & (surprise) you're not there. You need to go back to Grade 3 and brush up on your math....and spelling....and history.....Do they teach logic in Grade 3? Maybe you should take an after-school class in that as well. I think you post here because you get responses from people about your idiotic rantings. You must love the attention - even if it's negative. I think you should also do some after-school counseling with the class psychologist. Maybe she can explain to you why you're a moron, and why and how you can - AND SHOULD - stop. You're embarrassing yourself to the point where we understand why you don't post on your own Funs blogs - they don't like you either, but you feel better about yourself here, because our disdain for you borders on pity.

BUTLER,

Do you actually not know what you're talking about or do you say crazy stuff on purpose.

Kobe Bryant is as fundamentally sound as any player in the league. I would think that you of all people would know that since Kobe has been lighting up your boy Raja Bell for years now (like when he dropped an effortless 41 on him during "SHACK'S" Suns debut).

Watch Lebron James and you'll see a player that relies on his athleticism.

Watch Kobe Bryant jab step, fake, etc. and you see a guy that's worked on polishing his game.

longtimelakerlover

I live in PHX as well, and Fatty is an AZ resident too. We should get together and hit up a game this season. You'll be surprised at all the P&G at US Airways. It's almost like being at Staples.

*_________________________________*
• THE CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION*
• CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON BANDWAGON *
•________________________________*

(01) FATTY – We're going to ride that Purple and Gold bus down Figueroa
and not stop till we get to Disneyland 60 + WIN BANDWAGONNER
(02) JUSTANOTHERMAMBAFAN – 60 + WIN BANDWAGGONER
(03) DEREK – 70 + WIN BANDWAGONNER
(04) TOAD – WER’RE FAVORITES FOR A REASON
(05) NAJJA aka BONUS – Riding in on the IRAQ delegation
(06) SAMLL – 60 + WIN BANDWAGGONER . The motto for this year should be NO COMPLACENCY
(07) JAMIE SWEET – 70 + WIN BANDWAGONNER
Cue the music:
(08) LONGTIMELAKERLOVER - We're gonna ride it till we just can't ride it no more
(09) HAPPY GILMORE – A 34+ game winning streak, a 73+ win season & 2009 NBA Championship?
(10) LAKERGURL - My prayers will be for the good health of all especially the players till we get
the first of the coming championship trophies and the next one, and the next one and the next..........
(11) EDWIN GUECO – We have a sustaining force that will lead us to victory
(12) #4 - This year, the championship is ours for the taking; the Lakers WILL be ready to
snatch it from whomever the East brings (it won't be the Celtics this year!!!).
(13) JANAYA - My summer hibernation is over. I can't wait! Lets get this party started already!!
(14) PUDDLE - I've got a great feeling about Drew this year. The boy is now a man and is hungry for a title.
(15) THEKOBEBRYANTBLITZ - "The real question is...........Do we have the right coach to put the pieces
together.........successfully?" That is a definite: YES.
(16) OTIS CAMPBELL - Where is the Bar? I'm going to be very thirsty this year.
(17) FAITH - I'm encouraged about the desire to be better defensively. God knows we have
enough weapons to click offensively. But still, can't wait to see lol.
(18) BD - Phil you better be all over Lamar this year because if you can't win it this year you will be
gone just like Lamar.
(19) MRBARNEYDANGLES - I don't care where or when Odom plays as long as he stays on the
Lakers... Lamar = Laker for Life
(20) JG - Big year and years to come. I'm excited.
(21) JON K – 70 WIN BANDWAGGONER – BIO CHRONO HEALER -

I Love LA - longtimelakerlover

To all Mamba & Yankee fans too, don't forget to watch our Los Angeles playoff teams in the Fall MBL Series, NL Dodgers game at 3pm and AL Angels at 7pm. These are the first games on the way to Freeway Series. The eastern sportsmedia favors our opponents, that's OK, nobody loves LA except fellow Los Angelinos.

Ecstacy adicted clam!

That's fricking priceless!

The caption for the photo of kobey should read, "If I want to achieve true greatness, then I will have to first ascend to Nash's level and have at least two of these babies!"

Hard to do that when you've got tired legs and a quickly deteriorating shot, and your spaniard forward is worn down too.

GO SUNS!

70 win bandwagon here, por favor. Kobe for his second MVP, and a 4-game sweep of the Celtics in the Finals.

The Blitz sez:

"These stats showed that Lamar played good defense against Perkins who had torched McDyess in the Detroit series. Sorry Butler-boy again you didn't see the evidence and got served."

Get those stats outta my face, son! You must be one of them fantasy freaks, as Mahorn sez.

Put the #s aside and watch the games. If Lam-Od did such a swell job vs. Boston as a "defensive stopper" then why was PJ Brown schooling Lam-Od again and again? Why was Boston controlling the paint the entire series? If Lam-Od isn't the type of playa to be effective in the paint, then why didn't PJ assign Lam-Od to cover Paul Pierce?

Because - Lam-Od is no defender.

But, like I said, I'm glad you believe in him so. The rest of the NBA is hoping Lam-Od stays a lacker, instead of getting traded for an improvement such as Shane Battier or Travis Outlaw.

*_________________________________*
• THE CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION*
• CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON BANDWAGON *
•________________________________*
(01) NAJJA aka BONUS – *** LIVE FROM IRAQ*** , & glad to be back in the fold.
Didnt think I would be able to chime, but technology is a beautiful thing. Basketball
is back, all is right with the world again. *********************
(02) FATTY – We're going to ride that Purple and Gold bus down Figueroa
and not stop till we get to Disneyland 60 + WIN BANDWAGONNER
(03) JUSTANOTHERMAMBAFAN – I know I'm about excited as I can get without
blowing out blood vessels in my eyes!! FINALLY - Laker season has arrived!!!!
I'm rolling on the 60+ win bandwagon this year - I'm feelin it! 60 + WIN
(04) DEREK – don't forget about the 70+ win bandwagon. i'm driving
that bus. there are many open seats, bandwagon should be filled up by seasons end.
(05) TOAD – WER’RE FAVORITES FOR A REASON
( (06) SAMLL – 60 + WIN The motto for this year should be NO COMPLACENCY
(07) JAMIE SWEET – 70 + WIN Cue the music: Ecstacy adicted clam!
That's fricking priceless!
(08) LONGTIMELAKERLOVER - We're gonna ride it till we just can't ride it no more
(09) HAPPY GILMORE – 34+ game win streak, 73+ win season & 2009 NBA Championship?
(10) LAKERGURL - My prayers for the good health of all especially the players till we get
the first of the coming championship trophies & the next one, & the next one & the next..........
(11) EDWIN GUECO – We have a sustaining force that will lead us to victory
(12) #4 - This year, the championship is ours for the taking; the Lakers WILL be ready to
snatch it from whomever the East brings (it won't be the Celtics this year!!!).
(13) JANAYA - My summer hibernation is over. I can't wait! Lets get this party started already!!
(14) PUDDLE - Great feeling about Drew this year. The boy is now a man & is hungry for a title.
(15) THEKOBEBRYANTBLITZ - "The real question is...........Do we have the right coach to put
the pieces together.........successfully?" That is a definite: YES.
(16) OTIS CAMPBELL - Where is the Bar? I'm going to be very thirsty this year.
(17) FAITH - I'm encouraged about the desire to be better defensively. God knows we have
enough weapons to click offensively. But still, can't wait to see lol.
(18) BD - Phil you better be all over Lamar this year because if you can't win it this year
you will be gone just like Lamar.
(19) MRBARNEYDANGLES - I don't care where or when Odom plays as long as he
stays on the Lakers. Lamar = Laker for Life
(20) JG - Big year and years to come. I'm excited.
(21) JON K – 70 WIN BANDWAGGONER – To quote Trevor Ariza "I don't understand
how people are going to be able to stop us." RIGHT THE FRICK ON
(22) LALAKERLOVER - BYNUM IS DA BEAST !!! LO will have a great contract season !!
LAKERS 65-17 !!
(23) TSLICKK - damn...it looks like bynum is ready for war! let's do this!
(24) SID - Being 36 years old and being a Laker fan since age 10, I'll be moving
back to CA to watch my boys win this years NBA title.
(25) DICE8UPCUP - MAN...THIS IS PRETTY EXCITING TIMES FOR LA LAKERS....
(26) BYNUMITE - WOW! Bynumite will be a BEAST!!!
(27) KSDAX - Hey all we need to do is keep everything in front of us and stay focus.
(28) SBPIMP - I'm blowing the dust off the 65 win bandwagon from last season, revving
her up, putting the top down, and taking her for a spin down the Ventura Freeway
along the coast. Peace to all my brothers and sisters!
(29) FATSAM - 70 win bandwagon here, por favor. Kobe for his second MVP, and a
4-game sweep of the Celtics in the Finals.
(30) MOB WAGONEER - last month I started calling this season at 65 wins.
Mihm with a breakout year, which is as important as a VP debate. Okay, more
important than that, but you get my point. – YES SIR I DO!!!
(31) BUTLER - Hi I'm Butler! I'm in 3rd grade. I can count to 6. That's how
many more Dynasties the Lakers will have.
(32) MAMBA - THE FREAKIN LA LAKERS - WHERE DYNASTIES HAPPEN

Nice moment there Glenn. I'll take it as an omen for great Laker things to come. So much Laker history in that game--wait a second, wasn't Kobe born around then?

I just checked. He was born August 23 1978, so, he was just over a month old when that game was played. So, in a way, that was Kobe's first game too. The first game his father played in a NBA game with his new bouncing baby boy waiting at home. The first time his father came home from a game and kissed his bright-eyed Laker prodigy was the Magic / Kareem buzzer beating hug fest? Wow. Holy smokes. And, I’d bet good money Kobe’s mother had the game on the radio since her husband was playing in it.

I see it all clearly now. Some mixture of Kareem and Magic’s game sweat and maybe a strand of a frayed Laker jersey must have traveled home with jellybean after the game (I guess he didn’t shower that time because he wanted to rush home to his new baby boy) then these tiny Laker genetic structures--under the stimulus of Chick’s dramatic post game interviews--combined in a hitherto unknown matrix just before falling unseen into Kobe’s milk bottle when his dad heated up some supper after walking in the door.

It’s the only explanation, really.

That's Laker magic (pardon the pun).

Wes

I found this interesting....http://tinyurl.com/3z83pw

From the desk of Philip D. Jackson, coach of nine NBA champions:

"....Summing up the key issues for camp: the Andrew Bynum situation, the small-forward situation, the rotation situation, the power situation and the “Aha!” situation. (“Situation” is my favorite bail-out word when I speak, and I can’t help but even overuse it here while in this writing sit- … hmm, this writing position.)

1. Bynum situation: Shaquille O’Neal is long gone but not forgotten. My plan for Drew, besides proving his left knee is sound, is what I preached annually to Shaq, another center who loved to score: Drew’s foremost responsibilities must be to defend, rebound and serve as the easy entry point for the triangle offense – things we need more than his points. If he does those things, he’ll make his teammates better – my true test for becoming a great player. And I’ll be sure to point out during practices that he is asking to be paid like a great player with the maximum salary he’s seeking in a contract extension by camp’s end.

If Drew doesn’t show he knows how to use his improved lateral quickness on defense, it could be a problem for a lot of guys. Pau Gasol hasn’t played that many face-up scorers in his career and will have to now – and he isn’t a really committed defender anyway. So if Drew isn’t great at clogging the middle, I might have no choice but to start Trevor Ariza ahead of Lamar Odom at small forward. Seeing what kind of elite defense the Drew-Pau-Lamar frontcourt can play together is the biggest thing I need to watch this camp.

2. Small-forward situation: We’ve got Odom, Ariza, Luke Walton and Vladimir Radmanovic there – and we know Kobe can and will slide up to that wing spot when Sasha Vujacic is at guard. Even though I call him a “toilet-tissue” guy for how easily he comes apart, Luke’s my guy and he’s going to play a decent amount to offer stability. Maybe it’ll have to be at power forward? Lamar and Trevor are both much better in the open floor than in the halfcourt, so whichever one doesn’t start might actually be better off getting his individual offensive opportunities with Jordan Farmar’s up-tempo bench unit. But both Lamar and Trevor have such huge upside that it’ll be awfully interesting how they work in camp.

Every time I see the “Philip” atop this stationary, I can’t help but think of J.R. Rider, who once told the writers covering the team: “Go ask Philip.” Loose cannon J.R. won a ring with us in 2001 – though I never played him in the postseason – and I guess it’s conceivable something like that happens with space cadet Vladdy, who like J.R. should be so much more.

3. Rotation situation: Vladdy, Chris Mihm and Josh Powell will have to earn anything more than bit parts, because our standard nine-man rotation shapes up as Bynum, Gasol, Odom, Bryant, Derek Fisher, Ariza, Walton, Vujacic and Farmar. I need to figure out how much center Pau should play and how much small forward Kobe should play in light of how I must limit their minutes after their Olympic summers.

To strike the match that gets that potent second unit to be an inferno is what I really want. We should be able to blow open a lot of games at the starts of the second and fourth quarters with Farmar running and gunning and everybody getting involved.

4. Power situation: Obviously we have good length, but do we have muscle when we need it? Hard to complain about Drew developing and Pau coming in trade, but we still don’t have the tough-guy insider that I longed for early last season. That manifested itself against the Celtics, who just stuck us in the basket and ate our lunch.

For us to be truly dominant, I’ve got to get Drew playing like a big man and not “Big Baby,” as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar used to call him as a rookie in ‘05. Maybe in a twist on my splicing of movie scenes into postseason game film, I can use some violently powerful footage from Drew’s “Halo” Xbox play and fire him up. I guess giving Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea” to Drew when he was a rookie didn’t really alter his course from being a video-game junkie to a connoisseur of great literature. (But man’s man Hemingway wouldn’t have let the Celtics push us around like that in Game 6.)

5. “Aha!” situation: Sometimes guys get stuff, sometimes they don’t. I wanted Kobe to be our “push guard” and lead fast breaks last training camp, and he tried but just couldn’t do it. Farmar, meanwhile, took to the role swimmingly, and I adjusted the entire offense to open up earlier for him. This training camp, someone’s going to “get” something – I call it the “Aha!” moment when the hard work finally creates clarity – and I’ve got to shuffle the deck to take full advantage whenever it occurs....."

This is an interesting post, but probably not important enough to bump Chris Mihm's interview off the front. Couldn't you have fit this somewhere behind the other one?

NEXT UPDATED PREDICTION LISTING TOMORROW
POST YOUR PREDICTIONS NOW FOLKS
Thanks AK & BK I know I exceeded my limit

Larry(Mamba24

Good morning everyone!

Butler, go home and take your meds!

Sean714 sez:

"4. Power situation: Obviously we have good length, but do we have muscle when we need it? Hard to complain about Drew developing and Pau coming in trade, but we still don’t have the tough-guy insider that I longed for early last season. That manifested itself against the Celtics, who just stuck us in the basket and ate our lunch."

Given that Perkins and KG dominated both byenum and gasal last season, and the lack of any quality tough laker bigs in the paint - "dogs", I have to agree.

The lakers lack a physical presence inside, and especially now that turiaf is gone, there isn't anything in reserve either.

BUTLER,

You must not know who Travis Knight, Samaki Walker or Sean Rooks are.

SHAQ IS NO TEACHER!

Robin Lopez will be lucky if he has a career half as good as theese guys' were.

Good Day lakers community with a little mix of a phoenix fan

the lakers are gonna go 80 and 2 they will lose one game because of foul trouble and one with bad calls and they will go on magic and thunder....(put me in the bandwagon 80-2 mamba)

on this day October 2 2008 (damdamdamdam)

i declare the start of

THE ERA OF THE BEAST

every player in the league will bow to our team laker nation don't doubt about it butler kobe is gonna make haters eat their words about not winning it all without shaq...

bynum will be unstoppable dunking on shaq in their every meeting and blocking howard's dunks...

pau is gracefully gonna shoot over the top of duncan boozer garnett with beauty and finesse..

odom is gonna be a stealth assasin and gonna crash boards every time a shot is miss...

fisher is gonna hit cold blooded threes in the face of nash kidd williams paul and not to mention rondo....

vujacic is consistently gonna hit threes with hands in his face but his trade mark will be his pesky defense and will annoy every star player in the league including lebron who will throw a punch but will miss and will be suspended by the time the playoffs starts...

farmar will drive and dish and shoot threes and make plays and the only thing he will not do is become a starter...

rad vlad will be our kukoc who will crash boards and will shoot treys with consistency...

luuuuke will be the surprise in this team as he will become the 6th man of the year averaging 10 pts 5 ast and 5 rebs.....

mbenga and mihm are gonna be a smaller yet more physical version of our twin towers....

trevor will become the lakers most improved player he will learn to become a solid 3 pt shooter and will become the leading 3 pt% in the nba....

sun yue will sit most of the year but will hit clutch threes in the west finals against houston and his home buddy yao...

LET HELL BE RAISE LAKERS!!!!

THE FUTURE IS DECIDED!!!!

80-2

KOBE = MVP

BYNUM = DOPY

LUKE = 6TH MAN OR MAYBE TREVOR ^^

ODOM - MIP

GO LAKERS!!!

GO MAMBA!!!

Training camp report: there's not a thing worry about.

If you're a Laker fan, that has to make you uneasy.

steven v sez:

"His accomplishments were the results of weighing more then those who guarded him."

Just like Danny Fortson, then?

"Shaq sucks. He always has. "

What does that say then about kobey, who can't win a ring without a playa that sucks?