82-0! Lakers 96, Portland 76
When the basketball overlords convened inside their pebbled leather-and-ivory tower this offseason and emerged to declare the Lakers as clear favorites in the Western Conference, they did so with some of the following in mind:
- That Kobe guy.
- Depth and balance.
- Length and scoring in the frontcourt.
- Sun Yue.
Okay, maybe not that fourth one, but the rest of it certainly holds true. For their part, the Lak
ers spent the preseason talking about an increased emphasis on defense, dotting all I's and crossing all T's on their end of the floor. In Tuesday night's 96-76 season opening victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, everyone was right. The Lakers had a typically solid game from the NBA's MVP, as Kobe Bryant scored 13 in the third and finished with 23 (along with 11 boards and 5 dimes just for window dressing) while spending most of the fourth quarter in sweats. Depth and balance? Try 11 from Trevor Ariza, eight from Vlad Radmanovic, nine from Jordan Farmar, and so on. Length in the frontcourt? Pau Gasol destroyed the Blazers early, going off for nine in the opening 12 minutes en route to 15 for the game.
But devotees of the purple and gold will relish a defensive effort that held the Blazers to 53 points through three quarters. The rotations were sharp, the closeouts fast, the pressure intense. Portland had a terrible time getting to the rack, and were generally limited jumpers with a hand in the face. Shots frequently came late in the clock or not at all, as the Lakers limited the Blazers to 29.2% shooting in the first, 33.3% in the second, and 34.8% in the third. Chalk up some of that to disorganized play from the Blazers, but as Phil Jackson pointed out after the game, part of the reason Portland looked bad was because the Lakers facilitated the process.
Click below for the breakdown.
The Good: Just about everything the Lakers did was positive, to say the least.
- Kobe Bryant: Did this game look familiar to anyone? Early, Kobe was cool and controlled, helping facilitate the action and set up teammates. In the third, he hit the accelerator, driving hard to the basket, making jumpers from outside, and controlling the flow of the game. Best of all, he was able to get some rest, playing under 33 minutes on the night. (Apropos to nothing in particular, my favorite bucket of the night came in the third, when Kobe bodied down Travis Outlaw in the post, then used a nifty drop step to earn the easy layup. Sweet.) The blueprint says the Lakers get the best of both worlds this year with Kobe- a guy who doesn't have to carry the load every night, leaving him able to impact a game in ways that go well beyond scoring. It certainly played out that way Tuesday.
- Trevor Ariza: We all knew that a healthy Ariza, with all his athleticism, would make a big impact on the Lakers this season, and it showed tonight. He was a major player all over the floor, whether elevating for rebounds, swatting away a Jarryd Bayless layup attempt in the fourth, or aggressively attacking the basket. But the biggest boost might have come from the two triples he drilled, one in each corner. If he hits that shot with regularity? Yikes.
- Lamar Odom: He didn't pile up gaudy numbers, but overall he had the impact with the second unit that PJ was looking for, active on both ends and helping push the pace. There were a few kerfuffles, including a couple bad decisions that led to three TOs against one dime, but I thought Odom was a positive influence on the game. The Sixth Man Thing will still take some getting used to for all involved, but tonight Odom ran for just under 30 minutes, right in line with the starte
rs. Plus, he had a great SportsCenter moment in the first quarter, driving and dishing to a wide open Sasha standing in the corner... except Sasha wasn't actually in the game at the time. Classic stuff. - Vlad Radmanovic: Eight points, including two of three from downtown, but more importantly Vlad was very active on the boards and defensively. Five rebounds and four steals made the effort very well rounded. Granted, a couple of the picks came on some terrible passes from the Blazers (particularly Outlaw), but that notwithstanding, Vladdy deserves credit for staying involved in every facet of the game.
- Team D: The Blazers were limited to just under 35% from the floor, as the Lakers harassed and hassled them all night. In the half court, the Lakers were very effective, contesting nearly every Portland shot and keeping the Blazers away from the rim. The second unit added a layer of upcourt pressure that was also very effective. Inside, the Lakers blocked six shots on the night, and were effective on the glass, particularly early in building a 10 point lead at the end of the first. There was a speed and symmetry to the rotations, traps, and recoveries that was fun to watch. If this is the sort of defense fans can look forward to all year, it'll be a fun campaign.
- Shot selection: The Lakers took 10 threes, making seven. Obviously that's a generous shooting percentage from distance, but part of the reason they were effective was because nearly every long distance shot they took was wide freakin' open. No indiscriminate launching for the purple and gold on Tuesday.
- Pau Gasol: 15 points in the first half, including nine in the first quarter. He was strong around the rim, made some mid-range jumpers, and helped drive the offense early. In the third, despite not scoring Gasol grabbed five boards, making himself useful without gaudy numbers on the other end. Solid work.
The Bad:
- Andrew Bynum: Very clearly geeked up for the nationally televised matchup with Greg Oden, Bynum was off his game from the start. His first shot in the post was blocked with authority by the bearded rook (wouldn't have been much different had I tried a turnaround hook in the lane against Oden), and from there things went downhill. Bynum finished with eight points on 4-10 from the floor, only three boards, and five personals in 27:39. He did block three shots and influence plenty of others, and while Jackson agreed it wasn't a Dear Diary day for Drew, he was quick to point out that Bynum influenced the game despite struggling to get going offensively.
The encouraging thing, of course, is that it didn't matter, which again emphasizes the multitude of ways in which the Lakers are capable of beating opponents. Where an off night from Brandon Roy (like the one he had Tuesday, scoring two points in the first half) might sink the Blazers, a bad game from Bynum, Kobe, Pau, or LO doesn't have to mean a Lakers loss. Often it won't. There's enough depth and talent on this year's squad to absorb that type of thing.
BK
One of Kobe's responses struck me as both interesting and- in terms
of a belief in this season's potential- quite encouraging. I asked if,
considering that some of the ring-less players may still not quite
understand what it takes to win a title, he enjoyed seeing them start
out the season on such a focused note. Kobe didn't so much answer the
question as correct me altogether.
"No, we know what it
takes. That's the beauty of going through what we went through last
year. We were young when we went through it. Now we know. We know
what we have to do. It's time to go out there and do it."
I think it's safe to say this is not the same Laker team he wanted to leave around this time last year.
Other Quotes
Trevor Ariza
On the grade he'd give the team for their win
"Around a B. We still have a lot of stuff to work on, a lot of
improvements to make. That's just a scratch of what we've got going
on."
On whether holding Portland to 34 first half points
"A combination of both. We played the way we wanted to play and we made
them take tough shots. That's something we've been working on."
Vlad Radmanovic
On whether tonight's defensive success was due to a bigger emphasis at
training camp, better focus or a better understanding of their schemes.
"I think it's a little bit of everything. Now we know exactly what
we're supposed to do and we're trying to do it each and every time on
defense. We have to get better at it."
On what he expected from the Clippers tomorrow night
"I expect them to lose."
Kobe Bryant
On the team's defense
"I think we did well. This is a team that always tests us and I think
we did a good job tonight. I felt like (they) were making a run and we
got a little stagnate, so it was our responsibility to try and pick
things up."
On winning by such a big margin
"I'm surprised by it. This is a team that gives us a lot of trouble
and they have a lot of depth. But we played well and I am very
pleased."
Pau Gasol
On the defense
"We worked very hard defensively and we played together as a group. We
just had so many weapons to use and we just had that talent that we
need to win. The defense is something that we have to work towards
every day and we did it. We were able to work together as a team."
AUDIO
- Kobe Bryant: Download kobe_bryant_postgame_10.28.06.mp3
- Lamar Odom: Download lamar_odom_postgame_10.28.06.mp3
- Trevor Ariza: Download trevor_ariza_postgame_10.28.06.mp3
- Vlad Radmanovic: Download vlad_radmanovic_postgame_10.28.06.mp3
AK
On what he expected from the Clippers tomorrow night
"I expect them to lose."
haha!
AK-
good episode tonight, but only 4 more left!!
Posted by: ajax | October 29, 2008 at 12:21 AM
I was heckling JA and you guys during the game. Great recap and live blog though- i was just giving you a hard time!
Posted by: Michael | October 29, 2008 at 12:40 AM
Bynum will have better nights.
surprised there was no mention of Farmar, he seemed to rush a few things tonight. he had at least 1 layup that he rushed and left short, and some of his passes were a little off.
mixed bag tonight, but i still felt he played well.
is anyone on the Lakers going to average over 35MPG this year?
Posted by: joninjapan(incanada) | October 29, 2008 at 12:47 AM
I'm feeling it guys, 82-0 baby!
Posted by: miker | October 29, 2008 at 12:50 AM
This is a Re-post but could also be a good one for this post as well.
YOU EVER NOTICE,
San Antonio, Detroit, and Boston do use trapping defense. They just don't do it like we did it against Portland. There are more ways to do defense than simply 1-2-2 trap. It really varies. Even if you played man to man defense, you can still bring in a second man to double which is part of what the trapping zone defense is.
Boston laid out a box in one zone and had 4 Celtics to be near Kobe. That is the object of the zone: To force not only the main guy to be forced into contested jumpers but to have other people take long jumpers which while being wide open, still isn't a high FG% as it would be if it was closer to the rim. Look at Jordan Farmar and while his close to the rim shots also didn't go in, even wide open from mid range his shots didn't go in. There are times even the greatest shooters get ice cold and the longer the distance the shot, the more chance it will miss.
Detroit does the same thing. People tend to try to make them as the Isiah Thomas led Bad Boy Piston defense. While they do play good defense it isn't as physical as the Pistons were when they put 3 defenders on Michael Jordan and have 2 other defenders defend the other 4 Bulls. San Antonio also does trapping just not in a zone defense.
I mean who on the Celtics are considered lock down defenders? Posey is gone so at best Garnett is their best defender. Only Bowen and Duncan can be looked on the Spurs as elite man on man defenders. And in Detroit since Ben Wallace is done Tayshaun Prince is the last true great defender on the team while Rasheed is good, he isn't as good as Ben was. We shouldn't consider Rip Hamilton, Chauncey Billups, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Manu GINOBILI!, or Tony Parker as great man to man defenders.
In a zone defense, even the poorest of defenders may seem good. Pierce isn't a lock down defender yet in Boston's defense he made many plays defensively in the finals since he could afford to come and help out and take charges.
In the San Antonio series, Kobe faced not only Bowen but also against other defenders. Because San Antonio doesn't use a zone, Kobe had more ways to find opportunities to pass or shoot since Pop's defense doesn't include zones to make up for the price of double teams.
Against the defense of Bowen and San Antonio: Kobe shot an outstanding 53.9% from the field.
In the finals against the zone (and other factors) Kobe shot less than 41%.
Boston used zones, San Antonio did not use zones but used similar trapping and clogging the lanes to win. Duncan's greatness and the defense of Bowen combined with trapping on man to man defense gives them the edge.
Detroit did the same exact thing as San Antonio, which is how a team that only has 1 true great defender, Tayshaun Prince, manage to become one of the better defensive teams in the league. Detroit really lacked a real defensive presence in the post since Ben Wallace left Motown and yet they played great defense.
San Antonio at first just let Bowen against Kobe and Kobe recognized this and because he had more talented guys around him Kobe could play more isolation against Bowen since Pop used his man to man defense to cover the other Lakers. Kobe made the Spurs pay since he got some good shots even against the tenacious defense of Bruce Bowen. When the Spurs used their traps they had no zones to cover the exposed parts of their defense and the Lakers managed to pass to wide open team mates and they made the Spurs pay that way too. In the finals because of the zone Garnett or other Celtics were there to clog the lane so the wide open shots that used to be there when Boston trapped weren't and instead 2 other Celtics would be in the lane instead or even 3.
This is Game 4 from the WCF. Against the Spurs look how Kobe got isolated shots against Bruce Bowen and when the Spurs went into trapping, because of their lack of zones there were Lakers wide open and they made them pay.
http://tinyurl.com/5bwugv
If you want I can put at certain times to particularly look at when the trapping by San Antonio and the man to man defense they played led to easy Laker baskets (yes even the contested ones like Kobe's since it was only 1 man defender and not a double/triple/quadruple team he faced in the Finals).
Feel free to disagree.
But I do agree with you on one thing:
"AB's last pre-season games was against the Thunder, always consider the opposition. He looked bad tonight, really bad. 3 rebounds, and most of his points came late. Truly unworthy of a max contract."
Same here. Drew cannot average 20 and 10 with the kind of rebounding with Odom and Gasol in there. Heck Kobe got 11 rebounds and he's a SG! Plus the Lakers have so much options at offense like Kobe, Gasol, Radman, and not to mention the bench.
-blitz
Posted by: kobeblitz | October 29, 2008 at 12:54 AM
DEFENSE WINS RINGS.
DEFENSE WINS RINGS.
DEFENSE WINS RINGS.
I hope the Lakers learned from last year's whipping by the Celtics.
A good job for starting the year.
Now they have to work hard each and every game to shut the other team down.
DEFENSE WINS RINGS.
DEFENSE WINS RINGS.
DEFENSE WINS RINGS.
Posted by: James Katt | October 29, 2008 at 01:03 AM
Bynum needs to work on his finesse moves a little more. He should try mixing it up with some pump and head fakes, and possibly develop Duncan's bank shot or the skyhook. But more importantly, he needs to have fun.
I'd hate to be in Chris Kaman's shoes tomorrow though.
Posted by: AndrewT | October 29, 2008 at 01:14 AM
8 pts and 3 rebs for bynum in 28 minutes? I think I hear Kwame Brown chuckling to himself.
So Lamod threw the ball to sasha, who was still on the sidelines? Another addition to the collection of odom brain lapses over at basketbawful.
Posted by: BUTLER | October 29, 2008 at 01:17 AM
I don't know a thing about basketball.
I knew Portland was going to give us all we could handle like last year. They got bigger, stronger and more experienced over the summer... but then we played the game.
GOden and Andrew were supposed to happen but were a non event.
And after all the ink and talking heads, that Kobe guy gave us all a demonstration in what a guy that deserves a max contract plays like.
Posted by: VMan | October 29, 2008 at 01:19 AM
Tell Vlad that I'm the only one with the predictions. Hopefully he didn't jinx them.
Posted by: never | October 29, 2008 at 01:38 AM
Hey buttler
Rudy Fernandez is looking like a real star in the making ,
didnt your team draft him? Your owner sold his rights to
portland for money, lol..... And now theyre touting dragic
as a stud,lol.... Trading for shaq was the biggest brain
lapse a team has done this year.... Trading Rudy
Fernandez might be a close second brain lapse made
by your passe team... By the way are you related
to Ralph Wiggum?
Posted by: grand canyon | October 29, 2008 at 02:38 AM
Showtime baby!
-bozz-
Posted by: bozz | October 29, 2008 at 04:52 AM
A Kobe diehard from Manila, Philippines here.
I was down with flu when i watched the Portland-Lakers game.
Before the fourth quarter was over, i felt that i have been healed!
***
Good job Kobe! Kudos to the whole team!
Mabuhay!
Posted by: Loi Reyes Landicho | October 29, 2008 at 05:25 AM
DEEEEEEE FENSE!!!
everyone's just gonna have to not care about individual stats. collectively shutting down every squad is what's gonna bring the parade to LA.
no worries about Bynum.
i think Portland fans are starting to feel like they have a Sam Bowie part deux... they have bigger problems with their 7 footer than we do. Fingers crossed Bynum's wheel doesn't fall off like Oden's.
GO LAKES!!!!
SIX IN THE PHILIPPINES
Posted by: sixonezero | October 29, 2008 at 05:33 AM
Thanks for the great post AK, especially for the selected quotes.
Posted by: LakersWorld | October 29, 2008 at 06:06 AM
A great way to open the season. Lakers kept everyone rested for a back to back. Blazers were the team that gave them problems last year because of penetration. Either the Blazers forgot how to do that or else the Lakers fixed the defense for the first game. I am thinking the latter. Eighty one more games till the pre season is over.
Mark
Posted by: markythearky | October 29, 2008 at 06:15 AM
w00t nice game baby
really feel bad for oden.. damn it really sucks for him
sup fatty and sup everyone else...
got international league pass this year so im so happy...
ready to watch 82 wins in a row
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: David Whang | October 29, 2008 at 06:24 AM
Yeah sign me up to the 82 win bandwagon!!
Classic response from vlad right up there with the 'I dont know much about the angola but I know they in trouble' Barkley call
Poor Greg Oden...poor portland
poor Kobe did you see that vid on truehoop on last years finals?
poor celtics they've just had their last ring ceremony
poor Lebron MVP's dont miss big freethrows to put their team out of contention - Kobe 1 Lebron 0
Poor league....
GO LAKERS!!!!!!!
Posted by: Kiwi | October 29, 2008 at 06:26 AM
A good, optimistic feeling. Lakers seem to have every position covered with competent player, which is important considering how injury prone our Lakers tend to be.
Besides defense, I'd like to see the Lakers concentrate on not giving up huge leads this year. I think that should be their number 2 priority.
Also, I'm glad to see Luke on the bench where he belongs. Pal seems more comfortable. Hoping he's more effective this year.
Posted by: troy | October 29, 2008 at 06:27 AM
Good morning everyone!
What a great way to start the day, and the season. I was up until 0:46 am to see only the first half, but it was worth my sleepiness today. The way they played defense made me have sweet dreams. Even Radman looked pretty tenacious in D, and that is, in my opinion, a good thermometer of how the mentality an the disposition has changed.
GO LAKERS!!
Posted by: MrNano | October 29, 2008 at 07:26 AM
I was very disappointed by Bynums attitude last night.
Look at him in the replays of the Oden injury and tell me what you see.
I am not worried about his numbers and production, it was just one game and he will be a beast and I love him, but he was playing for himself and not Laker basketball.
Posted by: jay el | October 29, 2008 at 07:27 AM
Good Morning, Laker Nation!
I was going to write-up my own evaluation of the game, but I figured "why when BK's write-up was spot on?"
Anyhow, we looked great last night and even better... there are A LOT of things that we can improve upon! The kind of things that are generally improved upon simply through playing time (timing issues mainly on offense).
This team is extremely good and will improve as the year progresses.
Good times to be a Laker Fan!
[One word of note... David Lee is out of his cotton-picking mind if he thinks that we're going to give Andrew Bynum a max contract right now.]
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | October 29, 2008 at 07:47 AM
Highlight of the game?
Lamar Odom's pass to a Sasha Vujacic standing near the bench.
The look on Sasha's face was classic. Just awesome.
I love this team.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | October 29, 2008 at 07:58 AM
2nd and 3rd quarters can be summed up into three letter word: WOW!
GO LAKERS!
GO LAMAR!
GO EVERYBODY!
Posted by: isang | October 29, 2008 at 07:59 AM
Man, Jordan Famar is quick!
Mighty Mouse was a fricken bullet out there!
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | October 29, 2008 at 08:01 AM
Good morning Mamba24, Charles & the fabulous Laker morning CRUE!!!!!!!!!
Well - 1 down, 81 to go (not including playoffs!) and the game certainly did NOT live up to the hype. However, I was very impressed by the swarm of Lakers that were wherever the ball was. Looks like defense actually WAS discussed and improved upon. Let's just keep it up!!!!!
Play of the game - LO to the Machine on the sidelines! Loved the look on Sasha's face! Even so, LO played solid - he will be a Laker for life.
NEXT!!!!!!!! Tonight we take on Little Brother. Kaman's going to need his mommy......
GO LAKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: justanothermambafan | October 29, 2008 at 08:03 AM
Great game last night. It was a little sloppy at times but that's to be expected early on. Now we know what we're going to get from Kobe, Fish, Bynum, Pau and the rest of the starting gang but I have to say I have been most impressed by Trevor Ariza. The guy's fearless out there and I love that.
I'm looking forward to many more sleepless nights here on the east coast. Now I'll get back to sleeping at my desk.
Posted by: EastCoastJessie | October 29, 2008 at 08:07 AM
Trevor Ariza making three-pointers! Fricken awesome!
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | October 29, 2008 at 08:08 AM
I get to watch my two favorite (and only teams I care about) teams battle it out tonight! Awesome!
I, however, echo Rad Vlad's statement "I expect them to lose."
I also expect the Clippers to play with a lot more fire than you saw from the Trailblazers. Thorton, Gordon, and Jordan on the Clippers all play with great energy and fire.
Go Clippers!
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | October 29, 2008 at 08:13 AM
Good Morning Charles---Good Morning Everyone....
An auspicious start indeed--I thought we looked like a team that will dominate this year to say the least....
Hopefully we keep up this swarming active defense (and even improve it as the yeaar goes on)--it can really define this team, along with pushing the tempo in transition etc.....
Oden has cornered the market on the Amish beard scene....he should do an ad for those Amish heaters---I'd buy one ....
Lamar's backcourt outlet passes make me want to puke out my lower intestine...hopefully he watches some game film and makes some adjustments...either that or pass the ball to a guard that is right next to him maybe.....
The depth of our team should be inviting the rest of the league to collectively soil their collective shorts....scary good indeed!
Again, this is just the tip of the iceberg Captain Smith.....
Too bad Doug Collins didn't get that coaching job with the Bulls and we have to suffer with him when the Lakers are on TNT (I much prefer Hubie)...Collins is the master of the obvious (not to mention a Laker hater), almost everyone that makes a lay up is a great player in this league, and he has about 307 favorite players in the league...sometimes he says the lamest crap...I would almost rather listen to Johnny Most (well maybe not)....
Collins must have a kick back clause in his contract where he gets a royalty ever time he mentions Michael Jordon (which he manages to do at least once per game, if not several times)--the same with Ginobily---if he ever goes an entire game without mentioning those two players no doubt his head would implode or at the very least he would have to ritually disembowel himself on national TV---which come to think of it, may be a lot more intertaining and welcome than his "commentary"....
I can't wait for tonight's game---this is going to be a season for the ages as it were, seemingly....
AS ALWAYS, AS EVER, YET ANOTHER GREAT DAY (AND SEASON) TO BE A LAKER FAN !!!
GO LAKERS !!!
Posted by: Floyd | October 29, 2008 at 08:14 AM
Good Morning Laker Nation,and others the Lakers were on vaction for the Summer and so was I. Nice "W" last night for a season opener. Buckle up everyody we going for a ride this season.
Posted by: Laker Fan | October 29, 2008 at 08:15 AM
what did i tell you lakersbloggers? this will be the year that a team will win 80-2 they will lose 2 games due to bad shooting night but 80 wins is assured never fear for kobe bynum pau odom farmar vujacic ariza is here it feels good to say the lakers have lots of weapons.... man last yr i was like what we have? odom? bynum? and kobe and fisher that's why a year can make a pretty big difference a 40 win streak is assured people we will defeat boston on christmas day with kobe shooting on the face of paul (im the worlds greatest basketball player) pierce this year this team this time is ours
LET HELL BE RAISE LAKERS!!!
GO LAKERS!!!
Posted by: hellraiser(certified mamba fan) | October 29, 2008 at 08:15 AM
I hear Greg Oden is a nice guy and I was by no means happy to see him injured, but, man, that guy is not the best looking human being on the planet.
He's 20 years old going on 42.
I'm almost positive he's got Margan Syndrome. The same condition that Abraham Lincoln had.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | October 29, 2008 at 08:19 AM
AK, BK,
If you get a chance, could you ask Kobe about Przybilla??
You know what I'm talking about!!
thanks
dan
Posted by: dan the man | October 29, 2008 at 08:20 AM
After being harassed by Greg Oden, Andrew Bynum should
humbly go back to Abdul-Jabbar and say... "Can you help me
work on that sky hook thing?"
The sky hook is exactly the shot that Bynum is missing that
would have worked wonders against Oden. Drew is used to
playing mostly centers who are smaller &/or weaker than him,
so he gets really good looks at the basket. To get past someone
like Oden and his 17 foot wingspan, the sky hook is the way to go.
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | October 29, 2008 at 08:24 AM
One of my favorite numbers from last night.
Lamar Odom: 29 minutes played!!
I it so important to cut Lamar's minutes this year, Last year, he was averaging 40 and was burnt out when we needed him the most.
We coulda won this thing last year had Lamar not been so tired!!
Posted by: dan the man | October 29, 2008 at 08:28 AM
I would just like to point out that Kobe is currently leading the league...
in rebounding.
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | October 29, 2008 at 08:35 AM
Did anyone else notice that the space-time continuum seemed to fold for a nanosecond, right after that LO-Benched Sasha pass? I'm not clear on what was cause and was effect.
Posted by: The D | October 29, 2008 at 08:40 AM
Floyd,
I feel the same way about TNT commentary. It's just awful. It's best to just keep the sound off until halftime when Charles "Pumpkinhead" Barkley says something entertainingly ridiculous.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | October 29, 2008 at 08:47 AM
Good Morning Guys!
Thank you Joe Priz for getting Kobe going! The Trailblazers were only down by 8 points then. Then the silent strike of the Mamba took place.
Regarding Bynum.
AB always had problems with heavy guys. It's still a learning process for him. The "Monster" in him takes advantage of lobs, alley oops and smaller Center-Power Forwards defending him. Also, when AB shines; his offense is predicated of Pick and Roll Guard play and hard cuts to the basket.
His one on one offense needs to be polished. But that will come. In regards to defense, I thought he was doing ok.
At this point, before we proclaim him the beast; maybe we should let him learn some more. He will have his OMG games against the smaller guys, I await for AB to learn how to counter the heavier banger's in the league. After all, sky is the limit with this kid.
Sasha
After two games his will to shoot is getting stronger. I like that. Once he get's his timing back he will be bombing 3's like ICBM's.
Overall we look like we are in mid season form. And I am grinning all throughout the game!
Peace
Posted by: Charles | October 29, 2008 at 08:51 AM
I would just like to point out that Kobe is currently leading the league...
in rebounding.
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | October 29, 2008 at 08:35 AM
Laughing without care. Nice one "Pusha!"
Posted by: Charles | October 29, 2008 at 08:54 AM
lake show looking real nice.
i like the aggressiveness, the swagger.
they aren't waiting for things to happen, they are making them happen.
a great start.
let's make sure to give the "dips" a dose tonight.
c'mon lake show!
side note: stub hub and other ticket brokers must be have dollar signs for eyeballs right now...with that much talent on the floor...there is no ceiling on ticket prices...
face value means nothing.
peace.
Posted by: tha show | October 29, 2008 at 09:00 AM
PJ coached one of his best games last night! He appeared to know which buttons to push and still keep Luke happy!
Kudo for Phil! P.S Luke looked great on the bench!
Posted by: chuck23 | October 29, 2008 at 09:02 AM
Vman,
I don't know about coaching as well but I have watched a lot of games so my take will be based on that score. I believe the following are the Lakers improvement this season:
1. The re-appearance of Drew and Ariza was a great deal, it provided a reliable sentry inthe post and a finisher from Ariza.
2. Kobe's masterful domination of defense and reading the play of the opposing team. His Olympic experience provided him a tremendous leap on his knowledge of the game. He became defense-oriented, team player and deliverer of the master stroke when needed. No longer the ball hog Kobe and shooting at will.
3. The improvement of Farmar as a real PG with lots of confidence in going to the hoop and always on the eye of feeding Socks andPau. It's hard to read Farmar moves whether he will go for a lay up, perimeter shot or execute the play for Drew and Pau.
4. The improvement of Vladrad, he now defends, intercepts, rebounds and dunks the ball with gusto, no longer the lazy snowboarder wandering on the perimeter. Sasha may have improved as well tho' he has not played long minutes due to injury during preseason.
5. The appearance of Bynum and Farmar playing long minutes, rested Gasol, Lamar and Fisher. Because of this rest they became more effective when they get into the floor. The team is no longer dependent on Lamar to produce or Gasol to control the boards or Fisher to chase the younger PG's. They just contribute once they are inside and impede plays.
6. Although we have not seen them played much in yesterday's game, Walton and Mihm also improved during their performance in the preseason and I believe they will contribute too during short stints. Powell and Yue are still adjusting with the triangle and Lakers defense, it may take time before they become assets to the Lakers.
7 Lastly, the improvement of the Zen triangle. During the dark days of Laker seasons, it used to be slow and methodical inside and outside game. Once the outside shooter like Smush or Cook misses, that's the end of the triangle. Nobody rebounds they are all bystanders. Last year, PJ incorporated speed but the team was not prepared for it so they were committing lots of T/O's in its implementation. Well, this year, the speedy triangle crossed the preliminaries, now it's now at advance stage, a triangle in fast breaks, trapping defense, anticipating passes from the beleaguered player, clogging the posts no easy layups or dunks, everyone is rebounding, triple teaming the 5's of the opposition and sealing the lanes of pick and roll. As you can see, Blazers were totally lost during the first half and they relied on long shooting of Outlaw, Fernandez and Blake. Without them, the score could have been 30 to 40 pts. This is like Magic team that dominated opposition for three quarters and usually surrendered the fourth in submission.
Of course, that is just the first game. What is great, we saw reality not mere fantasy or optimistic forecasting. Let us see if they can be consistent.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | October 29, 2008 at 09:03 AM
Vlad & Trevor, enough said.
Posted by: VMan | October 29, 2008 at 09:05 AM
Last night's classic moment...Lamar's pass to Sasha on the sidelines. I laughed my ass off. Sasha's facial expression was priceless.
Posted by: EastCoastJessie | October 29, 2008 at 09:05 AM
BUTLER,
Good thing our team is good enough to win by 20 when Bynum has an off night.
You're really grasping at straws with stuff to talk trash about now that the season has actually gotten started.
Posted by: Xodus | October 29, 2008 at 09:08 AM
Charles,
I agree...that foul by Przibilla pissed Kobe off and he suddenly got that killer look in his eyes. Love when that happens. I could almost hear Nate MacMillan asking Przibilla "man, why'd you piss that man off?". It was great!!!
Posted by: EastCoastJessie | October 29, 2008 at 09:11 AM
Charles
"before we proclaim him the beast"
I second that. With the memory of a younger Shaq reasonably fresh in our minds, the idea that this intelligent young man, tutored by one of the most physically fit and cerebral of finesse players, doesn't bring the term "beast" to mind. If he is to dominate against big players, he'll have to listen a little closer to Cap.
With LeBron roaring, head and shoulders above the rim last night in Boston, "beast" came to mind... a beast that lost again.
Posted by: VMan | October 29, 2008 at 09:17 AM
ONE DOWN
One down 81 to go
Are we Cocky? No, no NO!
So I’ll make this poem short & Sweet
The real Beast tonight will be quite a Treat
ROLL CALL IN 1O MINUTES
Good Morning CHARLES
Good Morning CRUE
Posted by: MAMBA24 | October 29, 2008 at 09:19 AM
FOLKS I THINK BUTLER HAS BECOME A LAKER FAN
WHAT SAY YOU BUTLER? TRY IT YOU'LL LIKE IT!
Posted by: MAMBA24 | October 29, 2008 at 09:20 AM
Bynum is still getting comfortable with his game and with the team.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | October 29, 2008 at 09:21 AM
OH AND GOOD MORNING TO MY LATINA PRINCESS
HOW BE YOUR EAST_COAST_JESSIE
Posted by: MAMBA24 | October 29, 2008 at 09:21 AM
Vlad & Trevor, enough said. Posted by: VMan | October 29, 2008 at 09:05 AM
And you said it well my Brother
Posted by: Mamba24 | October 29, 2008 at 09:22 AM
Edwin
Nice take. Truth is, as in show biz, "nobody knows nothin'". Kobe wouldn't make much of a GM and the blog is wrong as much as it's right.
A friend ran into Mitch in a private moment last week, and he mentioned Trevor and Andrew as big positives but he's always reserved because there are only a handful of players you can count on in this league, and we have the best one.
Posted by: VMan | October 29, 2008 at 09:23 AM
Kiwi,
>>>poor Lebron MVP's dont miss big freethrows to put their
>>>team out of contention
Yep. I was watching the end of that game as well. I was
actually cheering for Cleveland to win, since it would get the
Lakers a quick head start on that home court advantage over
the Celtics.
But Cleveland gave the game away. Mike Brown is a complete
idiot as a coach. How the hell does he put Lorenzen Wright
on the floor at all? And how do you have 3 good offensive
players like LeBron, Ilgauskas and Mo Williams and not
design the offense to get more out of them? And with your
team down by 3 with 15 seconds left, why have a crappy free
throw shooter like LeBronze drive the lane? Why not get
a 3 off by Mo Williams or Boobie Gibson (or even LeBron)?
And then LeBron sealed the deal, missing 4 free throws
and traveling once in the fourth quarter. Not really MVP
level work.
Of course, this was against the best defense in the league
(until the Lakers keep playing like they did last night and
prove that they're better). LeBron will have much better
nights.
The next two games for the C's are Chicago and Indiana,
so we can assume they'll make it to 3-0. Then comes next
Tuesday, when they play Houston. That will be the next
real test for the Celtics.
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | October 29, 2008 at 09:26 AM
>>>Also, I'm glad to see Luke on the bench where he belongs.
There was a lot of hate for Luke last season, but you've got
to realize that he was playing on a bum ankle because the
two guys in front of him on the depth chart (Rad and Ariza)
were BOTH out with injuries for extended periods of time.
And while he isn't as good as Ariza (or Rad if Rad keeps
playing defense like he did last night), Luke is still a good
enough player that the team didn't collapse with the loss
of their #1 and #2 SF.
I agree that I'd be happy if the Lakers stayed healthy enough
that Luke only had to play 3 minutes a game this season. But
it's good to know that if Rad or Ariza does go down for some
period of time that their 11th man off the bench will fill in
without being completely incompetent.
And if resting his ankle gets him back to full health, maybe
we could see some good play from him in deep bench minutes
this season as well.
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | October 29, 2008 at 09:32 AM
I saw tremendous improvement in Rad Vlad's lateral movement which is crucial to improved defense.
I CANNOT WAIT FOR TONIGHT'S GAME!
Go Clippers!
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | October 29, 2008 at 09:34 AM
We would have won by 30-40 if the Minutemen hadn't gotten so darn cocky in the 2nd/4th Quarter. Dumb turnovers and botched alley-oops. Get focused, gentlemen. TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED! Play 4 quarters of CONSISTENT basketball from now till June!
Save the swagger for next June when it's Game 5 of the Finals when we're up by 22 with 3 minutes left in the game and we have a 3-1 series lead.
Posted by: utzworld - THE BANNER HOLDER | October 29, 2008 at 09:36 AM
Bynum's defensive strength combined with Gasol's offensive skill is just a fantastic unit.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | October 29, 2008 at 09:38 AM
jq,
charles
XO
Posted by: jq | October 28, 2008 at 02:34 PM
I'll up you. xoXOxOXo
Posted by: Charles | October 29, 2008 at 09:39 AM
Great game last night, Staples was rocking, everyone got a sweet shirt, some tacos because of some great D, and a schedule magnet, pretty good stuff. Everyone was giving Oden a really hard time from the start, at times the crowd was changing Oden Sucks, Oden Sucks.
The play was fantastic. Our team D was phenomenal. Everyone played really well and there weren't any disappointments. At first I thought Drew should have played better but then I realized it was his first regular season game in some time and that he is only 21 years old. It would have been out of this world if he would have dropped 20-10. He will eventually get it going.
Ariza also played very well, especially with those 3's. And Kobe was Kobe, he played excellent and dazzled the crowd. Only screw up was he missed his free throw (I think his first) with the whole place chanting MVP.
The only real thing I didn't like was the numerous attempts for alley oops. It doesn't bother me in the preseason and its exciting to try a few times during the real games but we had to try at least 5 last night and I'm pretty sure we failed at the majority of them, especially with Drew. I'm sure the timing will get better as the season rolls along.
Can't wait for the Clipps tonight, gotta keep the 82-0 dream alive tonight. We should be fine as long as we don't get too tired.
Lamar = 6th man of the year
GO LAKERS
Posted by: mrbarneydangles | October 29, 2008 at 09:40 AM
AK, why not 98-0? If we're going to be facetiously optimisitic, might as well make it a record-breaking championship run as well.
Posted by: #4 | October 29, 2008 at 09:41 AM
Xodus - It's a long season. The lakers are still the team that brought shame to the Western Conference with their decision not to show up in Game 6 - sorry, but a victory over the youngest team in the league (whose beast hardly played) ain't impressive!
Instead of the softy schedule the lakers need to get off on the right foot, how about opening back2back in san antonio and new orleans? PHX is getting right into the fire, where men go.
Posted by: BUTLER | October 29, 2008 at 09:41 AM
man, I feel for Greg Oden. Clearly, he's 2-3 years away from being a real impact player. He can be good on defense but offensively... this was the first time I've seen him this year and man, that dude needs 2 full years of work just to be serviceable.
Fan expectations are through the roof though... I remember Farmar's first year, he came in, was nervous and did something to his ankle, it wasn't severe enough to take him out of the game but he got it because he wasn't moving fluidly, more like a bundle of packed nerves. I think that's what happened to Oden when he chucked that bad shot up and wanted to make something happen to "fix it".
I hope the Portland fans get off his back or we're looking at Kwame Brown II. He seems like a good guy but there is no way, no way at all ANY offense should run through him, he's got those same Kwame Brown short arms. They should just tell him to try to be the next Ben Wallace until they can develop SOME kind of offensive game for him.
Posted by: Stay Thirsty My Friends | October 29, 2008 at 09:42 AM
EastCoastJessie,
Did you catch Kobe and Cheryl Miller at the end of the game? Kobe was being shy about admitting it, but he did.
Kobe is the all in one player of this generation.
Posted by: Charles | October 29, 2008 at 09:44 AM
Hey Mamba,
Nice to be back with the Laker family. So glad summer vaca is officially over.
Posted by: EastCoastJessie | October 29, 2008 at 09:45 AM
BUTT-LER,
>>Instead of the softy schedule the lakers need to get off on
>>the right foot, how about opening back2back in san
>>antonio and new orleans?
Already making excuses for 0-and-2? You haven't even
played the games yet.
Really, Butler, you shouldn't get so down on your team.
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | October 29, 2008 at 09:48 AM
My STH Experience - Opening Night
Part I
My gf camped out early with her son and sister so I arrived finding them first in line to get in. When the doors opened, we grabbed our free "The Road Starts Here" t-shirts and rushed up to the AMEX lounge where we were given wrist bands and luckily found some decent seats. Say what you will about the LA fans, we are a community. One thing that struck me was everyone saying hello to each other after the long off-season. It was as if we are all picking up where we left off, not just the team.
The concessions: I went to Big Dawgs to get my fav Texas Dog only to find that they took away the ingredients I always asked them to leave off - the bacon and cheese - leaving only the good stuff, the bbq sauce and onion strings. Man, that's a good hot dog. I also noticed that they're now offering 3 different types of Robeks smoothies. Here's a tip: The garlic fries in the lounge and restaurant are shoestring and a lot tastier than the ones you get upstairs on the terrace.
The preamble: Jeffrey Osborne did an amazing job in his 25th year singing the Star Spangled Banner on Opening Night. The pre-starting line-up video was amazing. Set to the opening theme of the Dark Knight, it was a series of player clips coupled with shots of an LA sunset talking about the journey and how our time is now. Gave me chills.
Bynum: I don't know if you could here this on the broadcast, but Oden's rejection of Bynum's turnaround drew a really loud "Ooooh!" from the audience. Anyone who read my thoughts going into the game knew I was afraid exactly that would happen. Even though it was just one play, it had an obvious impact on Drew's game. Everything after that became forced. He was in a really bad mindset. The one play that struck me in particular was Vlad's dunk where Drew was on his butt. The other 4 players were high fiving and feeling good, while Drew lumbered back on defense, clearly stuck in his own head. But here's what's great about this team... it didn't matter and they gathered around Drew to try and lift him up. Pau and Fish got aggressive offensively. The team tried to get Drew some easy looks but the ball just didn't bounce the right way. The team defense put Portland in such a hole that there wasn't anything to worry about. The other thing that struck me was that, in the fourth quarter, Pau spent a lot of time talking to Drew during the timeout and gave him a low five and a smack on the back before he got back on the floor - seemingly giving him some veteran big man advice and Drew responded with a respectable quarter.
Posted by: lakers_sth | October 29, 2008 at 09:48 AM
I'm going to enjoy watching the enemy I respect (the Spurs) slap around the enemy I don't respect (the Suns) tonight.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | October 29, 2008 at 09:49 AM
Great game last night.
Too bad for Greg Oden. He really would be trouble for Andrew if he's healthy. He's stronger, can get up just as high, if not higher, but his offensive game right now is just terrible compared to Andrew. Overall, Andrew did not look very good going against Oden offensively or defensively.
I'd like to see Andrew come back strong tonight with a good floor game. He needs to build his confidence through his defensive play instead of his offensive play.
But for the first game of the season, a very good start. I want to see these guys stay humble and consistent. And we need to continue to focus on our defense.
Go Lakers!
Posted by: Rocky | October 29, 2008 at 09:50 AM
By January, Butler will be babbling about how stupid Steve Kerr was to bring an ex-Laker into the Suns organization.
Posted by: utzworld - THE BANNER HOLDER | October 29, 2008 at 09:52 AM
AK, why not 98-0? If we're going to be facetiously optimisitic, might as well
make it a record-breaking championship run as well. Posted by: #4 |
October 29, 2008 at 09:41 AM
*98-0 BANDWAGON
(01) #4 - DRIVER
(02) MAMBA24 -Riding Shotgun
Posted by: mamba24 | October 29, 2008 at 09:52 AM
BUTLER,
You're a joke. Your team hasn't even made it to the Finals and isn't getting there this season. We brought shame to the West when you guys lost the season series 3-1 and we beat the team that beat you in the FIRST ROUND 4-1.
You're talking about us beating a young team when you're depending on a young guy name Goran Dragic who sucked overseas and another who looks like Sideshow Bob.
And yes, I'm sure Steve Kerr asked the league to have them open with SA and NO. I'm positive that's how the NBA creates their schedules, by the requests of each team. Have fun playing against the team that's knocked you out of the playoffs three times and another that swept you in the season series. Maybe you'll be able to pull out a win since Ginobili isn't playing.
Posted by: Xodus | October 29, 2008 at 09:53 AM
I'm very excited on Fish rubbing off on Farmar. I have already seen the opposite.
Last night Fish came out like a player who wanted to show he still had the aggression and attack skills of a Farmar. Farmar, on the other hand, never got into a slow, protect the ball, mode.
Anyhow, that makes Farmar fun to watch. As someone wrote, he averages 35 mpg. But when he becomes a little more like Fish, we'll have a premiere play making guard.
GOOOoooOOOO LAKERS!!!!!
Posted by: JohnnyP | October 29, 2008 at 09:55 AM
wow, checking out the Chicago boxscore, could this be the year Tyrus Thomas breaks out? You want to talk athletic freaks... Milwaukee has a very strange lineup... though Mbah a Moute got 26 minutes of playing time...
Posted by: Stay Thirsty My Friends | October 29, 2008 at 09:55 AM
Lamar 4 life,
DId you hear when they played overheard conversations by Lamar last night? He was as pumped, enthused and excited as any person in the arena. You have got to love that energy.
And again, on two obvious plays that come to mind, Gasol and Sasha's hustle made the difference. When I see that kind of relentless hustle, I feel as excited as Lamar and optimistic because I know we have the will to win.
GOoooOOO LAKERS!!!
Posted by: JohnnyP | October 29, 2008 at 10:00 AM
I loved watching the team commitment to defense. AK nailed it: the rotations, switching, and weak-side help made this game a lot of fun. This team has awesome offensive potential every night, and a strong defensive philosophy will take them to the promised land.
Side note: I like how Ariza wants to dunk on everybody. That kid takes it to the rack!
Go Lake Show!
Posted by: The Outlaw | October 29, 2008 at 10:03 AM
STAY THIRSTY MY FRIENDS,
I've felt all summer that the Blazers were being overhyped and it's by fans and media. Yeah they've got talent, but they're very young and have a lot to learn.
That 13-game winning streak overhyped them in a couple of ways in my eyes. Yes, it was impressive but it was only one month of the season. They still ended the season 41-41, meaning they were 28-41 in the other 5 months of the NBA season.
It also caused Roy to get a all-star berth he didn't deserve. There's no way he should have made the team when Ginobili, Deron Williams and Baron Davis all missed the team.
And Oden should be good but people have to remember that he's a rookie coming off microfracture surgery. They're a team of the future and I could even see them winning 45-46 games (which I think may be enough to make the playoffs in the West this year), I don't seem breaking 50 like a lot of other people do.
Posted by: Xodus | October 29, 2008 at 10:03 AM
I did Charles. He started to deny that it upset him but he couldn't hold back and gave that little evil grin when he started to laugh. Gotta love it.
Let's hope a Clipper makes the same mistake tonight.
Posted by: EastCoastJessie | October 29, 2008 at 10:04 AM
My STH Experience - Opening Night
Part II
Kobe, Pau and Fish: These guys really stepped up and took the load offensively at different points of the game. The thing is, none of them had to do it the entire game and all were effective. If this continues, the wear and tear on this team will be greatly diminished as the season goes on and that'll pay huge dividends in the post-season. This team is so deep that players have the luxury of picking their spots.
Vlad: Homeboy had 4 steals. He's really sharp on his rotations and great in the passing lanes. However, his on the ball defense still needs some work. Outlaw lit him up in the third. But overall, a nice controlled game. Solid.
LO: His jumpshot wasn't falling early which illicited some groans from the crowd. But, he fell back on his rebounding as a way to impact the game in a positive way. The "pass" to Sasha was classic. Right up there with LO walking it inbounds awhile back.
Sasha: Personally, I thought he should've shot that ball immediately, machine-style, when LO threw it to him. You could literally see Sasha shake the rust off on a couple of shots before the machine got his stroke back.
Turnovers: The active Laker defense led to some great turnover opportunities, but there were a couple of instances where they gave it right back. One of Vlad's steals and Ariza's block on Bayless come to mind. Hopefully the defensive intensity will stay and the bad outlet passes and poor fast break execution will go.
Defense: I've said it before. The Team D was good. The on the ball D could've been better. But something I noticed last night was how the Lakers mixed it up and gave Portland a lot of different looks. Makes me think there might be something to Rambis being appointed defensive coordinator.
Portland: Other than Outlaw and Fernandez, the Blazers didn't show up. Honestly, I just think their shots weren't falling in the first quarter, but I would've expected them to recover better than they did. Roy is was too passive for his level of talent (Kobe and Ariza helped out with that). Aldridge should've been more effective but I think a steady diet of Pau and Drew kept him in check. On the whole, I think they really need to establish more of an offensive identity. They ran a few set plays, but for the most part they were playing one on one basketball out there and with all that talent, they might as well be the Knicks if they're going to do that. Lastly, I hope Oden's injury isn't too bad. That guy is going to be scary once he gets comfortable out there.
So, Randy sang, confetti and streamers flew and everyone got 2 free tacos. My gf's kid grabbed some streamers and hung them up in his room when he got home. A great start to the season. Bring on the Clips!
Posted by: lakers_sth | October 29, 2008 at 10:09 AM
Will Camby be playing tonight? I foresee some more respectable competition for the lakers compared to the opener.
Don't forget about Baron, if he's playing that is. That dude is fired up to take over LA as the best guard in town.
Posted by: BUTLER | October 29, 2008 at 10:09 AM
Mamba24, thanks for my own bandwagon!!
It'll be a long and arduous journey but 98-0, here we come!!
Posted by: #4 | October 29, 2008 at 10:24 AM
Butler,
You can clone Camby and Davis to fill up the Clippers roster and they still wouldn't be a championship team. Just accept the fact that L.A. belongs to the Lakers.
More respectable competition for the Lakers...maybe.
A real threat...no way in hell.
Posted by: EastCoastJessie | October 29, 2008 at 10:27 AM
Jon K -
I do that all the time whenever games are on cable (TNT, ESPN) or on ABC - I'd much prefer to watch the game in silence and analyze it than to hear some hot air blowing my way.
Good Morning Everyone!
Posted by: Caliphilosopher | October 29, 2008 at 10:35 AM
Mamba24, thanks for my own bandwagon!! It'll be a long and arduous journey but 98-0,
here we come!!Posted by: #4 | October 29, 2008 at 10:24 AM
LOL! If you gonna dream, dream big that's what I say.
Posted by: Mamba24 | October 29, 2008 at 10:42 AM
Buenos dias! Ah everything feels better after a Lakers win :)
Posted by: Elle | October 29, 2008 at 10:42 AM
lakers_sth,
Thanks for the perspective. Good stuff.
Posted by: Rocky | October 29, 2008 at 10:49 AM
Happy morning all....
We are going to be very, very good. I may have rose colored glasses on but 65-70 wins is probable in my eyes.
I wouldn't read too much into the games played by Oden and Bynum last night. Both were geeked and both looked bad. But both are going to be serious and consistent impact players sooner rather than later. Heal well, Greg.
I'll ride the 98-win wagon. Why not? If Ariza can hit threes on a regular basis, anything is possible. But again, I'm honestly thinking 70....
Posted by: Jesterguru | October 29, 2008 at 10:49 AM
Laker STH
Great take. Takes me back to my STH days. Young, old rich and not so, famous and not, all come together for this team. No other force in LA can unite like that.
You'll be pleased to know that Phil agreed with you about Portland's shots just not falling. He was pleased with the defense but didn't take credit for their open looks not going down. He mentioned that the focus of the defense was to simply take teams out of their comfort zone. Which is an apt description of Portland last night.
Posted by: VMan | October 29, 2008 at 10:52 AM
Caliphilosopher,
You can always get hot air blown here at the blog!
Posted by: Charles | October 29, 2008 at 10:54 AM
Hey Elle,
How come you didn't make it to the blog viewing party?
Posted by: Charles | October 29, 2008 at 10:55 AM
Xodus,
"They're a team of the future and I could even see them winning 45-46 games (which I think may be enough to make the playoffs in the West this year), I don't seem breaking 50 like a lot of other people do."
It's relatively easy to get to the .500 level; making the step to 50 wins is A LOT harder.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | October 29, 2008 at 10:58 AM
Oh yeah, four words: Pick and roll defense!
(Haven't seen that in a long, long time.)
Posted by: Jesterguru | October 29, 2008 at 11:00 AM
Got sick, am still sick, everyone in my house got some form of "the super flu that wont go away" at first I thought it was allergies but then it just kept getting worse, now I seem to have infected my family members as well.
Posted by: Elle | October 29, 2008 at 11:03 AM
PHX fans are looking at the SUNset of a once good team. Not great...no rings. The window is closed. Getting OLD. There's a good chance Portland will make the 8th spot knocking you out of the playoffs. I'd put the Clips in the running as well. The Blazers are better than their 1st game jitters indicated. The Lakers are ready to roll and you know it so take the weak smack back to your own blog.
Posted by: HawaiiD | October 29, 2008 at 11:10 AM
Wow.. Kobe turned it on but definitely big kudos for the hustle that Radman put in last night's game. I was impressed that he did what he did to contribute to the game.
Posted by: kobebumbaye | October 29, 2008 at 11:15 AM
elle - hope the game tonight acts as good medicine.
lakers_sth... add my thanks along with the others, great stuff.
jon - i'm totally looking forward to the clips game... they should be a whole lot of entertainment this year. i know what you mean about oden's look but i doubt it's marfan... they test dilgently for that in the nba because of the heart connections, etc.. when i was in high school, many moons ago, a family doctor thought i had marfan cause i was tall and skinny and had knee problems. i went to scripps and they put me through a battery of tests and said nah, you don't have marfan syndrome, you're just tall and skinny with bad knees.
Posted by: dave m | October 29, 2008 at 11:41 AM
i was never particularly a Vlad Rad fan, but after reading that quote, "I expect them to lose," he's now one of my faves.
Phil Jackson, please tell the team, "Whenever Lamar has the ball, everyone on the bench sit down. This includes coaches, trainers, heck, even the ball boys and moppers." hopefully this will eliminate the errant, to the bench passes.
interesting observations on Bynum on here. i hope his offense picks up a little tonight. i want to see at least one of our bigs average 20 ppg (if not, we'll prob. only have 1 all star).
Posted by: leonardbast | October 29, 2008 at 12:41 PM
Yes Xodus, Bynum is a beast but a gay beast last night. LOL!
Thanks for the report Lakers_sth, as always your report is very informative and down to earth.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | October 29, 2008 at 01:13 PM