Lakers, Bynum agree on extension

LakerTom,

I humbly submit to your correctness of the timing of this signing, and will forever praise you in glory and awe.

LakerTom is the greatest.

Money makes the world go round!

Amidst all the euphoria of the first two games, I'm still inclined to pinch myself a few times to make sure this is real. The regular season still has 80 games to go, and it is a long time between now and the end of June.

Watching AB17 bounce back after a crappy first game makes me ok with his big money deal, but I sure hope the $$$ doesn't go to his head. He is still young and in many ways immature, and that's lots of dough. Even LBJ has yet to prove he's worth all his money and hype.

Seeing all three units on the floor on Wednesday night has convinced me that this edition of the Lakers has the potential to surpass any before it. Like I said, I still need to pinch myself a few times, but it is hard to deny what we are witnessing.

What's best is that if the team can keep up this level of play, both Kobe and Fish have the ability to save their legs for June, when they'll most be needed.

It's another great day to be a Lakers fan. Go Lakers!

OK Mitch, looks like your done for the rest of the year, enjoy some time off. Remember to keep that phone on vibrate in case we get any injuries and start hawking those jersey's to get the $$$ to pay these guys. That's your new job.

Long live the Lakers!

AB's the center cat - I'll drink to that!!

Where is Laker Tom screaming "Hallelujah!"?

GO LAKERS!

Great news. Super.

And...news out of Cleveland has the Lakers possibly in need of clearing out some cap space. How else are we gonna we pay for LeBron?

From cnnsi:

Privately, LeBron James' circle had been telling people that they don't just expect him to leave in the summer of 2010, but in the words of one James associate to a high-ranking league official: He's gone. With the Knicks, there are two teams a source familiar with James' thinking says intrigue him: The Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks.

Wes

Edwin,

This deal won't kick in until next season.

Johnny P (and others)-

Remember, the auto scroll function can be disabled, so the screen won't jump after each comment is posted. And you're also given the option of muting the sound if you don't like it.

BK

Johnny P,

If you click on the circular icon next to the volume icon on the bottom right hand corner of the new live blogging screen, you'll get rid of the automatic scrolling feature.

AK

Xodus,

did somebody say hell??? beating the hell out of teams...

HAHAHA told you people that this year our los angeles lakers will raise hell and will not stop until they get their gold it feels good to watch our lakers play hungry, more physical and with more focus every single player in lakers' bench is looking to score, looking to block a shot to steal a pass this is laker basketball at 3rd best (of course theirs there's the showtime era and kobe-shaq era) but this one is the era of the beast/mamba nobody can stop us!!!

LET HELL BE RAISE LAKERS!!!

GO LAKERS!!!

GO MAMBA!!!

How much is the cut of LakerTom in initiating, promoting and insisting a higher figure on the blog and finally got his mark at 58M? He deserve at least 10% plus options, bonuses and privies compared to David Lee's contrarian approach. LakerTom's posts are more objective, fair and justifiable in signing the beast.

Xodus,

I know. I am just giving you a preview of what the luxury taxes would be in the next season w/o the inclusion of other players increments.

AK/BK

Can the tiny window problem be ameliorated?

Is there a way to detach the send button from the return key?

GO LAKERS!

I liked what I saw from Bynum in terms of his game last night. I did not like that he seems to have caught Sashaitis. Dude, you're too good to complain after bad calls. Keep the emotion but drop the attitude. Just play, stay injury-free and you'll win 70 this season.

So glad he's locked up though.

Wow. These Lakers are very, very good and will be for a while.

Losing Turiaf, I hate to say, may have been a blessing in disguise. Love Ronny, of course, but did you get a load of Chris Mihm last night? Our third string center is better than many starters in this league. And the rest of this league...is in trouble.

Pig,

Thanks for the challenge. This is an easy one. Who would you rather have close out a game, Kobe or LBJ? LBJ has yet to prove he's a great closer. And until LBJ leads his team to a championship, even his marketing team admits that he hasn't truly arrived.

Two games in, and, all homerism honestly put aside, I can't fathom another team in this league challenging us for a GAME, much less a series.

I know, I know - we haven't really played anyone yet, it's a long season, we'll have some off nights, any given team, yadda yadda yadda. But the thing I notice is, these are the teams that have given us the most trouble over the past few years. Last year's Finals aside, we typically do well against the quality teams out there - it's the Bobcats of the world that have given us fits. For Lakers fans, there has been nothing more frustrating or mystifying than how we can shellac San Antonio at home, then turn around and lose a home game against Charlotte the same week. Watching the Purple and Gold law down the law against these speed bumps was like freaking Christmas.

What's great about playing 10 deep is that, even if someone is having an off night, that just means that another dude who is hungry for extra minutes gets his wish. It's like keeping your attack dogs slightly underfed - it makes them lean, hungry, and extra nasty. Fish having an off night? Guess what - more Farmar. Vlad Rad not getting it done? Ariza's coming for your children. Kobe needs some time off to go to Vegas? No prob - The Machine and the Bench Mob will get it done.

HOLY CRAP DO YOU REALIZE THAT IN THE SPAN OF TWO YEARS LUKE WALTON HAS GONE FROM OUR THIRD BEST PLAYER TO OUR NINTH BEST PLAYER????

Kobe keeping these guys focused and right, the FO keeping things cool with Bynum and the new contract, Lamar like a giant Fonzie coming off the bench, everyone clickin like chicken on the court - I say call me W. and BRING IT ON.

SETTING THE PACE…

That’s what the Lakers are committed to doing this year as they set their sights on the best record in the NBA and home court advantage throughout the playoffs. You have to love how the team has come together. There is no doubt in my mind that we are going to break through and win the Championship this year. Injuries are all we really have to fear.

Phil and the coaching staff have done a marvelous job getting this team to accept their roles and the challenge to up their energy and effort, especially on defense. Seeing Tex Winter sitting next to Phil brought a smile to my face on opening night. Seeing the Lakers push the ball in transition at every opportunity also reminded me of how valuable Tex’s guidance has been to Phil and the Lakers. This is not your father’s Triangle Offense.

But speaking of defense, this is also not your father’s Lakers defense. I love how the Lakers are playing aggressive pressing and trapping perimeter defense. I have been blogging for over a year that this is the style of defense that best fits the abilities and demeanor of our team’s players. With Drew and Pau anchoring the paint and protecting the rim, the Lakers perimeter defenders can play much tighter perimeter defense, jumping the passing lanes and forcing steals and turnovers to fuel a Showtime-like transition game.

Let the Rockets and the Celtics and the rest of the boring pack-it-in collapsing defensive teams that try to turn opponents into jump shooting teams play Mike T’s “seal the lane” style of defense. The Lakers are going to make the talking heads on ESPN and FSN swivel in circles with their exciting, crowd inspiring, in-your-face perimeter defense anchored by the best shot blocking front line in the Association. Basketball is a game of transition and I have always believed that a defensive system that is aggressive like the pressing and trapping the Lakers are currently deploying is much easier to get players excited about than a passive sagging and collapsing defense. There is no soft in this defense – just tough.

I also love how Kobe has reprised his Olympic Gold role of defensive stopper and offensive closer. He has continued the same aggressiveness that he displayed in leading Team USA in the Olympics. I loved how he went right after Baron Davis on defense and how when the Clippers fought back to take a 1-point lead in the first quarter last night, Kobe the closer went to work and put the Lakers comfortably back in the lead. There were a lot of doubters when I proposed that this team had enough offense that the best use of Kobe was to reprise his role from the Olympics. After watching the first two games, it should be obvious that this is the Kobe we need to win the championship. Kobe is setting the pace on defense.

While we have only played two games, there are some obviously promising signs of what we can expect going forward. First, the starting lineup has really come together. Kobe has been inspiring. Drew and Pau and starting to play together superbly. Fisher seems to be revitalized at the point. And Vlade has been playing great and providing that long range shooting threat the lineup needed. The Lakers starting lineup is probably the strongest in the league and will only get better. As many of us surmised, moving Lamar to the bench as 6th man has resulted in a better more balanced and effective starting lineup.

Second, the primary 9-player rotation that Phil is using plus the fact that there are going to be a lot of routs is going to really impact in players’ scoring averages and playing time. We may not see a Laker player average over 20 points per game other than Kobe, who I predict will end up averaging in the low 20’s. This team is so deep that team stats may well become more important than individual stats. The big difference between this year and last year, other than the injuries, is that from top to bottom, the young players on the Lakers have taken their game to another level, especially Farmar and Ariza, our Bruins Duo.

When Lamar, Jordan, Trevor, and Sasha combine with Drew or Pau, our second unit is better than most team’s first unit, as they proved last night when Jordan Farmar took over the game and the second unit killed the Clippers. I watched Tony Parker run rings around Shaq and the Suns in the first game and then saw Jordan Farmar do the same thing to the Clippers. I wonder if anybody else saw the great similarities in their styles. Tony is still a step quicker but Jordan has a better outside shot. I was also greatly impressed at how aggressive Jordan was staying on defense, even after being screened out.

Amazingly, this team is so deep that when Chris, Luke, and Josh get into the game, it doesn’t even seem like garbage time because they are playing so well. It is so great to see Chris Mihm playing well at last. He has been unkindly maligned by so many bloggers when all the guy has done is given his all to the Lakers. And anybody who wants to continue to call Luke by derogatory names needs to wake up. As AK said, any team with Luke as the 11th man has to have a hell of a roster.

Finally, proof positive that there is never too much good news when it comes to the Lakers, congratulations to Andrew Bynum on his new contract. As I have stated many times, I was always confident that the Lakers and Drew would come to an agreement. As I said before, there was no way that the Lakers were not going to allow Drew to even sniff free agency. And after seeing the damage we can do as a team, how could Drew – or Kobe or Lamar down the road – not be willing to take less to keep this team and dream intact? The 4-year deal for $58M was fair to both sides and it was good to see it not go down to the wire. We should all be grateful for the great job done by Mitch in locking Drew up.

Hopefully, the bloggers who doubted Drew or wanted to let him become a free agent or thought he was only worth $10M per year will now jump on the bandwagon. Drew is not even playing as well as he did before getting injured last year but has added great interior defense and toughness. Give him a month to get his game fully going and you will see that the Lakers got a bargain. This Lakers roster has the potential to be one of the greatest teams in the storied history of the Lakers. Bring on the rings and parades because these are not your father’s Lakers. Can anybody doubt now that God is a Lakers fan?

Tom

blitz,

you wrote: Don't expect Trevor to shoot 40% shooter, that is not the strength of his game.

The lakers will win big this season that is the only certain thing.

Trevor has been shooting well make no mistake but don't think that Trevor will be shooting great all the time and be a shooter that Radman is, that is just as the same as believing Kobe will be the leading rebounder on the Lakers with Bynum and Gasol.

Or have you forgotten that Luke Walton also was shooting well in 2006-2007 but cooled down?

my response:

Long ago in a far away land, *I* TOLD you that Ariza would be working on his game during the summer. I'm
not going to get into the world of stats because as I
said before: There are lies, damn lies and statistics.
Therefore, I will make no comment about shooting 40%.

We are now in the regular season. Lamar is neither
the starting Point Forward, SG, SF or PF. He came into
camp "not in the best of shape". Ariza came in hungry.
Should Vlad do a "space cadet" routine, expect Ariza to
take his place over Lamar.

What I'm *really* saying is: You need to look at the quality
of the player vs. the ideaology of "our veterans before our youngings". So far, Ariza is out playing Lamar.
Admit it.

Go Lakers!
Go Kobe!
Go Trevor!

Now people can talk about something other than his impending extension...

GO Lakers!

Deal seems fair. They're giving him a little more per season than I anticipated but if he starts playing like he played right before the injury, he's worth it.

58 is the number du jour. We win our first two games by a combined 58 points and we give Bynum $58 million.

It's great to be a Lakers fan.

Off topic: Player watch on ex-Laker Ronnie Turiaf.

Warriors lost to Hornets by 5 pts. Ronnie played only 24 minutes, 4 R, 4 Blks, 4 PF and 0 pts. Corey Maggette made 27 pts on his first debut as a Warrior. They missed Baron's court leadership and Ellis who is suspended until December due to the leg injury in a non-Warrior athletic event considered as a personal activity and negligence of Mr. Ellis. The issue is very contentious and may go to Player's grievance committee. There is also a rumor that Warriors and Pistons are discussing possible trade of Prince and Stephen Jackson. Harrington wants out of GS while Nellie just signed extention of 2 more years.

Ronnie Turiaf must be having some remorseful thoughts of what a rich contract can do in form of implied pressure to be a productive player expected by the Coach, Management and Warrior fans. Had he stayed with the Lakers for less pay maybe a million less per year, he would be on the bench having a sweet time dancing, cajoling during garbage time with Mihm and Walton. Decisions, decisions, decisions, Lamar, think about that scenario.

Edwin-

The key sentiment there is dancing during garbage time. If he stayed, Ronny wouldn't play very much. In GS, he has a chance to establish himself with 25 minutes a night, and maybe make himself into a starter.

Due respect to the notion of "the most important thing is to play for a championship," it's hard to begrudge a guy for taking the chance to play over the chance to cheerlead for less money.

And when you talk about taking a million or so less, that's a substantial pay reduction given the terms of his contract.

BK

I had to come home late yesterday
hoping and expecting to see some good old 4th quarter basketball.
and what do I get?
GARBAGE TIME!!!

Man, this year's team is incredible.
They basically finish the game in 36 minutes.
And I'm happy, yet a little bit worried that this might happen on a regular basis.

I can almost hear a Suns fan saying:
"Not like the Lakers, my suns always treat their fans well,
they give us full 4-quarter games, and sometimes more!"

Man I just love my LAKERS, to see how this team has developed into their own is amazing and wonderful. When I watch the recordings of the games, sometimes 2 or 3 times a night, I make an effort to watch the fans and the opposing team players. I truly believe that you can see in their faces the feelings that runs through them about the LAKERS. They go through a rebuilding phase and 2 years later they are contenders for the championship again. LAKER are a professional franchise that knows how to take care of their players and fans. THANKS TO ALL IN THE LAKERS ORGANIZATION you have provided me with great entertainment through out the years.