Sun Yue, high achiever
Forget the Chinese Magic Johnson comparisons. At least in regards to significant others, Lakers rook Sun Yue is more like the Chinese Marko Jaric.
In other news, Phil Jackson, who missed Tuesday night's preseason opener with swelling and pain in his legs, was back at practice Wednesday, and wasn't impressed with the work of Lamar Odom's performance at the Honda Center.
"I just got through telling him that this is really basketball now," Jackson said this afternoon. "He looks like he's either curling or doing some other kind of sport. He's not playing basketball."
On the brighter side, Andrew Bynum was a little rusty, but had a successful return to full speed game action. For Dwayne Mitchell, though, his DNP-CD Tuesday will go down as the sum total of his 2008-09 Lakers season. The team announced his release this afternoon.
BK
BK,
How many of the cut players from training camp do you think COULD end up on the Defenders' roster?
Go Defenders!
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | October 08, 2008 at 06:22 PM
The thing that was concerning from Andrew from yesterday was in fact his personal defense and when he turned over the ball. About 2-3 turnovers was him turning around and having a secondary defender strip him the ball. Plus when he was out in the high post defending he usually got his personal fouls during screen and roll. It may have been his first true game back but it looked almost as bad as Kwa-may Brown on the screen and roll defense (fouls). I would imagine though if Pau started they could have Gasol on Okur and that would help with defending him.
-blitz
Posted by: thekobebryantblitz | October 08, 2008 at 07:05 PM
Why didn't Vujacic play?
Posted by: Justin N. | October 08, 2008 at 07:29 PM
Jon K.
>>Where the hell is Laker Tom?
He's still pouting because AB didn't start yesterdays game. LOL
Posted by: Eric M. | October 08, 2008 at 07:42 PM
* Repost*
PARTY ALERT!!!!!!!!!!
Hey all. We (me, Charles, Simi Laker Girl, Lakerman420, hopefully Elle) are getting together for a Laker viewing party this Sunday Oct. 12th at 6:30 to watch Lakers vs. Kings. If you are interested in joining us please send a message to myself at www.myspace.com/pslakerfan or Simi Laker Girl at http://www.myspace.com/augie5581. She or I will respond with the location if you are interested. I would give out e-mail, but the K-Bros frown on that :-( It is a sports bar, not a private residence so everyone will feel comfortable.
We have been trying to get one together for a while and if you can come that would be great. It will be in the general vicinity of the SF valley.
Thanks,
pslakerfan
Posted by: Simi Laker Girl | October 08, 2008 at 08:39 PM
That girl is a supermodel?
I guess.
Posted by: Caliphilosopher | October 08, 2008 at 09:08 PM
Justin N,
The Lakers wanted to rest Sasha's ankle more.
don't worry about it Pre-season the Lakers pretty much screw around with experimentation anyway.
-blitz
Posted by: thekobebryantblitz | October 08, 2008 at 09:08 PM
Have we not seen enough of the "LAMAR CAN DO EVERYTHING" ODOM...
I think what last year showed is that ODOM CAN NOT HANDLE multiple responsibilities.
When Odom was left to be the #2 man the last years he has failed miserably...
Only wen Odom has been limited to ONE THING in his career he has succeeded.
Ask him to rebound alongside Bynum or Pau, he's good...
Ask him to score and get others involved.... he sucks...
Let's realize this early.
Posted by: Korey | October 08, 2008 at 09:11 PM
Re: How many of the cut players from training camp do you think COULD end up on the Defenders' roster?
Article XLII Section 1(a) of the NBDL rules says that "the player will be placed on the NBA Team’s Inactive List." My understanding is that each team only has 12 active players and up to 3 inactive players, for a total of 15 players. Since Dwayne Mitchell got waived earlier today, LA has 18 players, which unfortunately means we have to cut 3 guys. Candidates?
1. Mbenga
2. Karl
3. Giles
4. Heath
5. Crawford
The three that I'd keep on the inactive list?
1. Giles
2. Karl
3. Mbenga
For me, Mbenga gets the nod over Heath and Crawford just because I'm not quite sold on Mihm's ankles / productivity, while I'm confident that we have enough guards.
I'm curious what the Lakers Blog thinks?
Posted by: Jeremiah | October 08, 2008 at 09:20 PM
Go Lakers!!!
Posted by: Lake Fan 24 | October 08, 2008 at 09:32 PM
Let the Lamar ODOM trade rumors BEGINS!
I did not see anybody in the Lakers line up that was not ready for the season if it started yesterday except Lamar Odom.
Posted by: Staples 24 | October 08, 2008 at 09:54 PM
For people who want to trade LO, keep into consideration that they would most likely get other players' contracts in return. If you take into consideration the Laker's current salary total, along with the fact that Andrew Bynum is looking to get a SIGNIFICANT PAY RAISE, LO wouldn't be traded for anything but expiring contracts. Would a new person coming mid-season w/ an expiring contract be effective in the triangle?
The only way around this is to pull off a deal like what Denver and the Clippers did with Marcus Camby. Though honestly it's the first time I ever saw a deal like that. Could anyone point me to another similar deal involving a player making a good amount of money being traded for nearly nothing?
Posted by: 130 | October 08, 2008 at 09:59 PM
Korey,
Welcome back, preseason is indeed in the air, the veterans are coming back, next will be Paul Lee.
I think Lamar would excel as PF in the second team/third team mix and three players on rotating DNP. Since it is preseason, PJ is experimenting where Lamar can excel most for this team, however Lamar may have negative feelings with the demotion to 2nd team. Imagine, if he can perform well in those three positions, he just widen his market after his tenure with the Lakers or his future role as utility player of the Lakers. Here are the mix of 2nd and 3rd team.
1 Farmar/Yue
2 Sasha/Karl
3 Vlad/Luke
4 Lamar/Powell
5 Mihm/Mbenga
Starters
1 D'Fish
2 Kobe
3 Ariza
4 Gasol
5 Bynum
The successor of Fisher will be contested by the three PG's: Farmar, Yue and Crawford (the latter will be cut but asked to join the D'Fenders). In due time, Yue will be wild card whether he is a legitimate 1 or 2 or even 3 with his height, he is a good shooter and slasher.
Being the team to beat as picked by scribes, the pressure is always ON in every game the Lakers play. That's the heavy responsibility of being the No. 1, I prefer our role last year when nobody was minding us b/c of Kobe summer wishes.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | October 08, 2008 at 11:01 PM
To keep it in perspective lamars got a new role (which I agree is not the right one) and has aid he wasn't able to train.We shouldn't expect much fom him at all right off th bat.They'll find a way to get him contributing but it sounds like his attitude is pretty shaky...thats the concern.
...and whats with all this 'Bynum isn't practising hard' business.Wasn't this the only guy that couldnt wait for training camp to start.Isn't this the guy thats got loads of money coming to him in the next few months if he can just keep his head down? isnt this the guy that was injured with something to prove?
what IS with this?
Posted by: Kiwi | October 09, 2008 at 04:27 AM
http://www,sacbee.com/100/story/1300211.html
Sonnybelfast
Posted by: Sonnybelfast | October 09, 2008 at 05:44 AM
Good Morning Charles
Good Morning Toad, Pig, JAMambaFan, Edwin,Taliq, Faith
The rest of the Morning "Crue"
GAME DAY BABY! RISE AND SHINE!
ROLL CALL IN TWO HOURS!
FALLOUT!
Posted by: Mamba24 | October 09, 2008 at 06:41 AM
In SHACK news, here are some details of the SUNS' debut last night. Although they lost by 4 to the hawks, the SUNS played their reserves for half the game, and played without Amare or Leandro B.
The Suns got an impressive and economical 21 points (on 9-for-14 shooting) and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes from Shaquille O’Neal. The Hawks didn’t have a post player to deal with O’Neal, and Porter’s offense leaves him in a much more comfortable position in the low post, where he can shoot or dish after drawing defenders to him.
“I can do what I do and get everyone else involved. That’s how games are won,” O’Neal said. “If they don’t double me, I go to work. If they do, a lot of guys will be open and I have a lot of shooters around me."
Posted by: BUTLER | October 09, 2008 at 07:05 AM
Caliphilosopher,
SUPERmodel? No. Hot? Yes. Mononucleosis infected? Yes.
Staples24,
I'm really not in the mood for five months of Lamar Odom trade rumors and bizarre/unrealistic trade packages/suggetsions.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | October 09, 2008 at 07:25 AM
TheBlitz -
Tell us again how ardently you support the magnificent D and decision-making of Lamar O. Your flourish of superlatives about his game seemed to have escaped phil jackson somehow.
Posted by: BUTLER | October 09, 2008 at 07:41 AM
Bill SImmons wrote a very good column on Elgin Baylor:
http://tinyurl.com/46poy9
Posted by: exhelodrvr | October 09, 2008 at 07:53 AM
Sonnybelfast,
Thanks for the Elgin Baylor article. Yes, Donald Sterling has no class and has insulted a Laker Great.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | October 09, 2008 at 08:00 AM
Good morning Mamba24, Charles, Jon K, Pig, Toad and the rest of this unbelievable, caffeine-plied morning CRUE!!!
It's GAME DAY BABY!!!!!!!!!! Let's get it on!
Mamba24 - present & accounted for SIR!
Jon K - I'm with you, man. If I hear another rumor on LO being traded, I think I'll lose it. It's getting old and it's only the PRE-season for crying out loud. PEOPLE - give the man a break. It's PRE-season. I mean if it was the regular season, but it's not - it's PRE-season, right? I mean, it's PRE-season - we're talking about PRE-season here. Not the regular season. PRE-season, ok?
BUTT-ler - I forget. Are you thick or brain-dead? No one here cares about what the Funs and the Big Homicidal are doing. They are a non-factor this year & for many years to come. It's time to take off the rose-colored glasses you wear (and quit the illegal drugs you take) & get back on your prescription meds. It's still not too late to save yourself.
T minus 11 hours and counting.........
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: justanothermambafan | October 09, 2008 at 08:05 AM
exheldovr,
That was a great article.
"Why was [Elgin's] better than Wilt's 50 per game or Oscar's season-long triple-double? Because the guy didn't practice! He was moonlighting as an NBA player on weekends! Wilt's 50 makes sense considering the feeble competition and his gratuitous ball-hogging. Oscar's triple-double makes sense considering the style of play at the time -- tons of points, tons of missed shots, tons of available rebounds. But Elgin's 38-19-5 makes no sense whatsoever. I don't see how this happened. It's inconceivable. A U.S. Army Reservist at the time, Elgin lived in a barracks in the state of Washington, leaving only whenever they gave him a weekend pass ... and even with that pass, he could only fly coach on flights with multiple connections to meet the Lakers wherever they happened to be playing. Once he arrived, he would throw on a uniform and battle the best NBA players alive on back-to-back nights -- fortunately for the Lakers, most games were scheduled on the weekends back then -- and make the same complicated trip back to Washington on Sunday night or Monday morning. "
Just incredible.
I wish more people knew of the importance of Elgin Baylor's legacy.
Donald Sterling is a real classless jerk.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | October 09, 2008 at 08:12 AM
justanother sez:
"No one here cares about what the Funs and the Big Homicidal are doing."
Except for laker fans who wish SHACK was out of shape.
Battle for the Staples begins tonight. My bet is on Kaman and Camby wiping out the lakers bigs!
Posted by: BUTLER | October 09, 2008 at 08:29 AM
Here.
It's the preseason. My League Pass doesn't kick in until the 28th.
Yawn.
Posted by: "Pig" Miller | October 09, 2008 at 08:34 AM
The Lakers should bring Elgin Baylor to center court at half time and tell his story to the crowd. It would certainly contrast the professionalism and respect of "Lakers Family" versus "Clippers Family".
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | October 09, 2008 at 08:56 AM
Thanks EX & Sonnybelfast on Elgin Baylor articles.
He is one of my favorite Lakers. Before West, Magic and Kobe, the face of the Lakers was Elgin, he lost in ignominy as a superstar of the Lakers and settled on the corner of the Staple rafters. He was overshadowed by West who got the blessings of Jerry Buss as the Lakers GM. Clippers gave him a title without any powers or imagination, it was always tied up with umbilical chord to Donald Sterling who treated the Clippers basketball as a piece of real estate. Donald loves all these counter offers or delayed response on contracts either being frugal or just plain tight brinkmanship on who would yield. Elgin absorbed the blame without any complaints or fanfare. The mainstream media always lay the blame on Elgin Baylor for all the mistakes, well he may have some bad judgement too but organization was designed to fail at its onset. Did Elgin move away from Los Angeles? NO, he stayed with the city that he love and sacrificed year after year in embracing the "let's make a deal" owner. We heard of failing companies giving their CEO's with golden parachutes, well Sterling version of parachute or cuff links was a letter blaming Elgin for all Clippers miseries including the abrupt personal decison of Elton Brand. Indeed, Don Sterling proves again that he truly belongs to the league of owners like Al Davis and Mark Cuban as the Royal Pumpkinheads of every league.
My previous post on Elgin was not posted and I was suggesting that Jerry Buss should hire him as a consultant of the Lakers and head of scouting. If Kareem was able to transform Drew, Elgin can help our budding Forwards and that includes, Kobe and Lamar to raise their game to the next level. He can help Mitch and Jim Buss a lot as they chart the future destiny of the Lakers. More than anything else, the City of Los Angeles, Laker fans and NBA fans will be forever grateful for Elgin's efforts in promoting and in educating Americans on the sport despite harrassment, insults and prejudice in the basketball courts of Old America.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | October 09, 2008 at 09:08 AM
Lucky fricken Marko Jaric.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | October 09, 2008 at 09:10 AM
Hello Mamba24,
Please put me on the "I don't want to hear more about trading LO" bandwagon. When he reads this blog it will dampen his spirits. Furthermore it dampens mine. Where is the love for this Laker? LO is no Sun Yue. This is someone of the Lakers family of whom, partially due to his sensitivity that hinders his game, I have become fond.
Would you all like to read trade rumors about Kobe and Fish over and over? These are LAKERS FOR LIFE.. Don't diss my team!!
LO is not a fly by night rookie nor a terrible liability for this team as Kwame was. Give the guy a little love.
LO = Laker for life.
GOOOOOooOOOOOOO LO!!!! and
GOOOoooOOOOO LAKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: JohnnyP | October 09, 2008 at 09:19 AM
130,
>>>For people who want to trade LO, keep into consideration
>>> that they would most likely get other players' contracts
>>>in return. ...
>>>LO wouldn't be traded for anything but expiring
>>>contracts. Would a new person coming mid-season w/
>>>an expiring contract be effective in the triangle?
Not necessarily, but possibly. What if it was Lamar Odom
for Shawn Marion. Forget about the triangle, Marion is
a much better wing defender than Lamar. Sure, his
contract would expire at the end of the year, but having
him shut down Paul Pierce for one finals would be worth
the deal.
Also, a trade doesn't have to be 1 player for 1 player.
The deal could conceivably be for 1 expiring contract and
1 good player on a contract much closer to the MLE. Some
examples:
Lamar for
Ben Gordon (expiring) and Andres Nocioni
Lamar for
Malik Rose (expiring), Jerome James (one more year),
and David Lee (the real prize)
Lamar for
Wally Szczerbiak (expiring) and Anderson Varejao
Lamar for
Raef LaFrentz (expiring) & Travis Outlaw
Lamar for
Jason Collins (expiring) & Mike Miller
and my personal favorite (which will never ever happen)
Lamar for
Shane Battier, Steve Francis (expiring) & either Carl Landry
or Chuck Hayes.
The thing is, it's a strategical conundrum.
In the ideal situation, the Lakers keep Lamar, they find a
configuration that works and that the players are all happy
with, and the Lakers go on to win a championship and then
Buss REALLY opens the coffers and goes deep into luxury
tax to keep the core team together.
And in that ideal situation, Lamar would be playing great
and half the teams in the league would gladly trade for
him, but the Lakers wouldn't be willing to trade him.
But if you get less than the ideal situation, it means that
the Lakers are ineffective with the Sequoias front court and
that Lamar isn't happy coming off the bench. In that case
Lamar probably won't be playing as hard, so his performance
will be below average, and very few teams will want to trade
for him, so they'd get a lot less for him.
If they wait until the trade deadline to trade Lamar, they
might as well just play out the year and let him expire, as
they're not likely to get much value back for him. Unless
someone like Memphis is willing to give up their first round
pick for him, or something unlikely like that.
OTOH, if they trade Lamar right now, then the player[s]
they trade him for would have time to become familiar with
their teammates, learn a bit of the triangle, and be ready
for the playoffs. But if they trade him now and he has a
great season and the players they trade him for don't, then
that would suck pretty hard.
For example, let's say they trade Lamar to the Knicks for
David Lee and bad role players with mostly expiring
contracts. I'm sure David Lee would be a very good backup
at PF and C (way better than either Powell or Mihm). But
in a D'Antoni system, Lamar could really shine, make his
first all-star game and lift the Knicks into the playoffs.
So there is risk to trading Lamar and there is risk to keeping
Lamar. The one big advantage to keeping Lamar is that
he's a reasonably good big who knows the triangle pretty
well now. So if either Bynum or Gasol got injured, the
Lakers could still field a very good starting 5, which might
not be the case if they trade Lamar off for someone who
doesn't know the triangle.
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | October 09, 2008 at 09:23 AM
Mamba24,
Please also put me on the "I don't want to hear any more rants about trading Lamar Odom" bandwagon.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | October 09, 2008 at 09:37 AM
Edwin Gueco,
>>>The successor of Fisher will be contested by the three
>>>PG's: Farmar, Yue and Crawford
Crawford's not a PG. I agree with you that he'll probably get
asked to join the D-Fenders, but he's definitely a SG.
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | October 09, 2008 at 10:28 AM
Good Morning Charles (and thanks for rememberin').....
Good Morning Everyone...
I totally agree with Jon K and justanothermambafan---Lamar trade senerios are way too premature--lucky for us we have the scroll key that we can put to good use etc...
Does anyone know if tonite's game is going to be available on TV or on line?
Elgin Baylor was the template for the modern players that followed him--hopefully he can be invovled with the Lakers in some capacity again.....
AS ALWAYS, AS EVER, YET ANOTHER GREAT DAY TO BE A LAKER FAN !!!
GO LAKERS !!!
Posted by: Floyd | October 09, 2008 at 11:04 AM
Remenber Lamar will be worth 14 mil (or whatever) if we win the championship.
If we win a chip, regaurdless if Lamar walks at the end of the season, it will be worth it.
But I think that we need to get better in order to win it all this year, and I don't see it with this squad. I don't trust them.
I saw the Celtic/Philly game yesterday, and I've got to say... DAMN!!!!!!!!!!!! They have not lost a step!!!!!! No doubt, better than the Lakers I saw on the court Tuesday and I hope I don't see today.
Now I know some people will say:
"It's only preseason, it means nothing." But I know bloggers will agree: YOU CAN TELL. TRUST ME!
If we keep Lamar and fizzle out just like we did last year, The Lakers are to bame.
Jerry West even defined insanity by the way of repeating the same act and expecting different results. Even though we have Bynum back, I still say that this won't be his breakout season, but next year.
AND SHAME ON THE LAKERS FOR PUTTING THAT MUCH PRESSURE ON A 20 YEAR OLD KID. Because they are teling Bynum "Win it for us." "We couldn't do it with this exact same squad last season, BUT WITH YOU IN THE LINEUP!!!"
Give me a break Lakers, I see errors in your ways....BIGTIME
Trade Lamar...Let's get better.
And cool it with Andrew, HIS TIME WILL COME!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: My two cents... | October 09, 2008 at 11:26 AM
Long time laker...nice post
Posted by: Kiwi | October 09, 2008 at 12:31 PM
My previous post on Elgin was not posted and I was suggesting that Jerry Buss should hire him as a consultant of the Lakers and head of scouting. If Kareem was able to transform Drew, Elgin can help our budding Forwards and that includes, Kobe and Lamar to raise their game to the next level. He can help Mitch and Jim Buss a lot as they chart the future destiny of the Lakers. More than anything else, the City of Los Angeles, Laker fans and NBA fans will be forever grateful for Elgin's efforts in promoting and in educating Americans on the sport despite harrassment, insults and prejudice in the basketball courts of Old America.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | October 09, 2008 at 09:08 AM
==================
Gotta agree with you. EB was a very good judge of talent and picked some very good players. The problem was once the picks developed and wanted pay raise Sterling would let them go and not pay and stasrt over. Elgin brought in good players but Clips always let them go.
Posted by: JustaLakerFan | October 10, 2008 at 10:47 PM