Running with (sometimes too often) the Bulls: Lakers 116, Bulls 109
Ex-NBA star Dennis Rodman, probably best remembered for his time with the Chicago Bulls, once penned an autobiography called "As Bad as I Wanna Be." And during tonight's 116-109 win over that same franchise, the Lakers were often a team as good as they wanna be. At times, that meant being utterly dominant, especially when pounding the ball inside to Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, a duo of seven footers whose length and skills are nowhere close to matched by Drew Gooden, Joakim Noah, Tyrus Thomas and Aaron Gray. That also meant forcing the Bulls into some contested shots and flat out offensive futility, best evidenced during a third quarter in which the Lakers racked up three blocks, three steals, forced six Chicago turnovers and a field goal percentage at a lowly 32%.
Unfortunately, the Lakers also spent plenty of time as inattentive, loose and sloppy as they wanna be.
Sometimes that meant abandoning the inside game to run with their
opponents, which not only robbed themselves of a decided advantage but
also played directly into one of Chicago's strength, a speed game that
rookie point guard Derrick Rose converted into 23 points and nine
dimes. Sometimes that meant offensive execution that would be
charitably described as "careless," which further aided Chicago's track
meet yearnings. But mostly, it meant coming off like a team rightly
aware an opponent was outmatched, meaning they could take their foot on
and off the gas as needed and still crank out a winning box score.
Yes, that instinct proved correct. And yes, the Lakers weren't the
first elite team to do something like this, nor will they be the last.
But they need to be careful, because that can occasionally equal a spot
of trouble against a good team. Sometimes against a bad one, too.
The breakdown is below.
THE GOOD
- Pau Gasol: According to my Spanish language-fluent fiancee, the phrase "en fuego" means "on fire," which definitely describes the first quarter enjoyed by the power forward. He put the Lakers on the board five seconds into the game, then went 7-9 from the field for 18 of the home team's 30 points, later adding a sweet 16 before the night was done. And beyond just accruing a game-high 34 points, it was Gasol's impressive variety of moves on display while dropping the Spalding. Baseline hook shots over Drew Gooden. Shimmy shakes to the bucket. Jumpers. And ones. Dunks. There was even a bit of handle on display. Late in the second, after being met by Gooden en route to the paint, Gasol backed up, took a couple of between the leg dribbles, then
shuffled a pass to a cutting LO, who heads to the rack unfettered for
the dunk. Long of the short, it was basically a "fluidity" clinic.
After the game, when a writer mentioned to Andrew Bynum how the Lakers' starting frontcourt dominated for a combined 52 points, 17 immediately wrote off his night as one spent catching lobs and rebounding. In his mind, Gasol was the one shaping the contest. "I just want to give big ups to Pau. He played great tonight. He really dominated. I didn't do too much dominating. He played extremely well." - Lamar Odom: An odd game for the Laker sixth man. He attracted whistles like a short skirted gal at a sailor bar, a flurry so strong that his DQ came with 8:30 remaining in the fourth, done in only 22:14 of burn. "I was shopping at Target today," shrugged Odom with a sly grin. "Fouls were two for one." Unless he's their new celebrity pitch man, it was clear Odom disagreed with some of the calls against him. But sometimes big impressions can be made in small doses, and along those lines, LO definitely impacted a stat line in just 22 minutes. 10/8/5, with a trio of steals and swats (and he really should have gotten four blocks, but a stuff of Ben Gordon's layup that didn't come close to glancing a wrist led to one of those frequent whistles). He also provided highlight reel material going coast to coast on rebounds, whether taking it to the rack or setting up Gasol for an easy bucket. Similar to Judi Dench's "Shakespeare in Love" best supporting actress Oscar win (basically a masterful cameo), a little went a long way for LO.
- Kobe Bryant: 21/5/6, with three steals and two blocks, one a sensational play coming in from behind
Gooden under the bucket. But in my mind, Kobe's continuous proximity to the night's most entertaining (albeit not always intentionally) action stood out the most.
There was a Lambeau leap off both feet and over a pair of courtside fans, followed by a nonchalant "You doing okay?" check that starkly contrasted the spectators' slack jawed reaction (me thinks they ain't forgetting that thrill anytime soon). A third quarter alley oop pass to Trevor Ariza's came out a mite (okay, a "much") too casual, leaving the small forward no choice but to pass back out to Bryant. With every Chicago defender gathered around the bucket in anticipation of a dunk-to-be, a wide open Kobe was able to dribble out behind the arc- body language hilariously "Dude, I didn't plan to shoot, but fine"- and casually drain the triple.
Best of all was a Showtime reminiscent sequence off an Lamar Odom rebound/Hail Mary outlet caught by Kobe facing away from the Bulls' rack. No problemo. Just dribble the ball behind your back to turn yourself around, which puts you in perfect position to whip a behind the back pass to a trailing Pau Gasol. Every bit as sensational as it sounds. - Andrew Bynum: As mentioned before, The kid wasn't all that impressed by his night. But the Lakers were still plenty happy to accept his "subpar" 18/9.
- The D (at times): 11 blocks and 16 steals, with Derek Fisher and Vlad Radmanovic (whose presence was barely felt, period) the only players with 18+ minutes and no representation for either stat. In particular, the swats did a lot to fire up the Staples crowd, whether you're talking Jordan Farmar skying to thwart Derrick Rose or LO on a springboard to send out of bounds a shot from Aaron Gray, who was well funneled into trouble by Bynum. As for the grand basketball auto, Sasha Vujacic's quartet of steals was tops among Laker defenders.
The Bad
- Concentration/Focus: Like I said earlier, the Lakers looked like a team capable of being as good as they wanted to be. And at times, that simply wasn't very good. Not because they looked like a bad team, but rather an extremely unfocused one. During the first quarter, Bynum kept allowing Gooden a clean look on outside shots, despite continual proof that he was capable of purity. After pushing a second quarter lead up to 17 with just under four minutes remaining, the Lakers headed to the locker room up only five, mostly due to lax play and the shunning of detail. From there, the lead again ballooned during an outstanding third quarter (only 18 Chi-Town points allowed) before the Lakers wrapped things up by never truly putting the final outcome in danger, but playing loose enough that the Bulls never felt a boot on their neck, either.
For what it's worth, the Lakers may have played like a team with their head in the clouds, but they weren't oblivious to this trend. When asked about Chicago's ability to hang around, Bynum wasted no time labeling the culprit. "Bad defense. We're gonna have to play better on Thursday, especially when we play against Phoenix." When I began to note those times where the Lakers clamped down on Chicago, Drew quickly cut me off. "Yeah, but you can't relax like that. We did great for three, four, five minutes like that, relax, and they come right back into the game. You can't do that." - Alley oops: Kobe previously mentioned gaffe wasn't the only example where a Laker seemed to think he could chuck the ball up anywhere and a slam was inevitable, no questions asked. And they often led to Chicago opportunities on the other end. A little more judiciousness is order.
AUDIO
- Andrew Bynum: Download andrew_bynum_111808.mp3
- Lamar Odom: Download lamar_odom_111808.mp3
- Phil Jackson: Download phil_jackson_11.18 vs. Chicago.mp3
AK
Aha! I'll bet you all these other posters are asleep but not me, NEVER!!!!!!
Anyway,
Has anyone seen Vlad or even Luke? I heard we're paying them 4-6 mil each. I hope somehow we can get Caron Butler. They're not doing too well and I'm hoping Mitch can pull another Kwame-Pau trade. Lamar has the highest expiring contract. I seriously think if Washington is still doing horrible heading into February, the Lakers can give up Lamar for Caron and another player.
If we can land a solid small forward, we would be deadly. No disrespect to Lamar or Ariza. They can't necessarily spread the floor and have opponents respect their one-on-one game.
Posted by: never | November 19, 2008 at 01:11 AM
correction: Actually i believe Bibby has the highest expiring contract at 14.9 mil.
Posted by: never | November 19, 2008 at 01:13 AM
What am I thinking?!! It's actually Marbury with the highest expiring contract...I know it's 1:17 a.m.
Posted by: never | November 19, 2008 at 01:17 AM
FINAL CORRECTION:
Jermaine O'Neal at 21 mil
JO=21 million
Starbury=20 million
Bibby= 14.9
LO= 14
-Out of all those players, I think Lamar probably has the most to offer in terms of skill set.
Posted by: never | November 19, 2008 at 01:21 AM
not to nit-pick but Jermaine Oneal has another year before his contract expires.
1) AI 21.9
1) Marbury 21.9
3) J Kidd 21.3
4) Marion 17.1
4) Steve Francis 17.1
6) Bibby 15.2
7) Lamar 14.2 or 11.4
8) Rasheed 13.6
9) Szczerbiak 13
10) Andre Miller 10
11) Artest 8.4
Posted by: Do You See What I See | November 19, 2008 at 02:07 AM
Please, don't make any jokes with Marbury. Lakers are a good team and a good human group. Do you want to risk all that with somebody like Marbury???
Better to leave things as they are...
Posted by: DeSilsky | November 19, 2008 at 02:25 AM
Never ....What about Iverson?.....
Posted by: Thirty2 | November 19, 2008 at 02:40 AM
i realized that..
kobe can jump over a moving aston martin.
so happy!
:p see you guys on thursday!
Posted by: isang | November 19, 2008 at 03:40 AM
Of course, if you hadn't corrected yourself in the first place, everyone would have just assumed you meant "highest expiring contract ON THE LAKERS".
But hey.
I'm just sayin'.
Posted by: Benjamin | November 19, 2008 at 04:20 AM
good morning never! Great game! ready for more prey Thursday. One day's rest is more than enough. Pau is looking real good out thee. Clicking with Bynum was just a matter of time. Does Boston still have a basketball team? Let ya know later.
Posted by: LakerBandit | November 19, 2008 at 04:41 AM
i thought this is never's personal blog..... ??????
Hi never.. just joking...
Go lakers...
Nice observation AK!
I thought too that the lakers just wasn't interested at times... a bad sign for a team aiming to win the championship this season...
Anyway, nice win...
What can I say... we're 8-1....
Go lakers!
Posted by: dice8up | November 19, 2008 at 04:43 AM
******FOLKS PLEASE NEXT TIME TALIQ & MAMBA24 TELL YOU A GUARD FROM
CHICAGO IS THE REAL DEAL LISTEN! I'D TAKE ROSE OVER TONY PARKER
STRAIGHT UP RIGHT NOW. AND THE BOY HAS NOT EVEN BEGUN TO SCRATCH
THE SURFACE.******
Posted by: MAMBA24 | November 19, 2008 at 05:13 AM
Good morning,
Waking up, feeling good about the W. The young Chicago team played with a lot of heart and energy. Derrick Rose is the real deal. But at the end of the day, the overwhelming talent of the Lakers -- and especially a very impressive Pau Gasol -- sealed the deal.
Sure, the Lakers allowed too many points. Yes, there were moments of sloppiness. But it was a fun game to watch.
Another great day to be a Lakers fan. Go Lakers!
Posted by: Rick Friedman | November 19, 2008 at 05:50 AM
PJ needs to start and play Jordan Farmar over DFish. Its time. DFish is too slow on defense and CAN'T finish at the hole. We don't need a veteran we need the best player ... Jordan Farmar is a potential all star. Yes, all star.
Posted by: Todd | November 19, 2008 at 06:34 AM
OK, we won, but I'm not impressed.
Lakers were lazy at times, and just toying with the young Bulls. PJ was applying the mercy rule and refused to keep the foot on the throat and win by 30.
Almost everyone had impressive moments, but equally bad moments.
Now on to Phoenix. The Lakers are coming into Pigs and Fatty's territory. (any other Lakers fans out here? speak up)
We promise to defend the Lakers honor with all our might the next two days. Abuse has already started in the mall I work at.
Suns fans are hopeful that a rested Shaq will push the Lakers around, while opening the court for Phx shooters.
No room for the Lakers to be lazy or the unthinkable could happen and Fatty will have to call in sick on Friday following the game.
I won't be at the game because of minor surgery on Thursday, but our store will be showing the game Thursday night.
More later, as we play the biggest game of the year so far in this early season.
Fatty - Prepared to die, in defending the Lakers honor in Arizona.
Posted by: Fatty | November 19, 2008 at 06:47 AM
Aha! I'll bet you all these other posters are asleep but not me, NEVER!!!!!!
Posted by: never | November 19, 2008 at 01:11 AM
That's because you did your sleeping yesterday when you predicted
The Lakers would lose.
Posted by: Mamba24 | November 19, 2008 at 06:58 AM
Bynum looks like he isn't quite all the way back physically at this point.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | November 19, 2008 at 07:18 AM
Did something happen between Trevor and Sasha?
Not the most dominant victory, but a win.
I think I am seeing the beast stirring. Getting so outdone by Gasol nightly might be emasculating. At times he seemed to want the ball. Come on BEAST!
Did something happen between Sasha and Trevor?
GoooOOO LAKERS!!!
Posted by: JohnnyP | November 19, 2008 at 07:31 AM
OK, a win's a win...good job. But lack of effort on defense bothers me much, much more than not being able to push around Kwame and Dampier in the post (no one can do that). We need to be a 48 min. a night defensive force. Period.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Cameron | November 19, 2008 at 08:03 AM
"No, D-Fish is fine for the Triangle. If we were a team that ran a more traditional offense, I'd rather have CP3 or Deron Williams than Rose"
EJK
Let me get this straight........Are you saying that the triangle offense would nullify to an extent the talents of CP3 and Deron Williams??..................Making D-Fish a better fit? Is that what you're saying?.
Posted by: pfunk36 | November 19, 2008 at 08:05 AM
Whew! Lakers got another W under the belt. I hate how they're letting the lead slip away to make it close. I want them to kill their opponents. KILL THEM!
Pau was superb. I love him at the 4. LOVE HIM. Hope this team starts playing some more of the beautiful D we saw during parts of the game consistantly. Makes all the difference in the world.
I LOVE LA!
WE LOVE IT!
GO LAKERS AND KILL PHO ON THURS!!!!!
Posted by: longtimelakerlover | November 19, 2008 at 08:07 AM
Got to see the game last night (even though this darn thing froze up on me, crappy Internet...I come home in two weeks!) Anyway, the Lakers still need to develop a killer Instinct.
I'm sorry but Lamar Odom, despite his stat-filling night needs to be moved, I wish they could just dangle his expiring contract to the Wizards and they could be either stupid or desperate enough to take LO in a package for Caron Butler...Man, every time I see LO play it hurts me because we traded the wrong guy. Its kinda like watching that one girl (or guy depending on who's reading this) two years after the breakup, she is an 11 out of 10 and you just wanna kick yourself for letting her go. He is always doing something to make you go "huh?"
Bynum needs to get more touches and I sense that he's starting to feel left out of the offense, excluded and they are playing with a time bomb much worse than a younger Kobe. I don't know what to say about Farmar, his defense on his counterparts playing the position is poor at best. Iverson obliterated him on Friday. I hope the Lakers can play better than this because....well because.
V-Rad's game lately has started to look like a hinderance to what the Lakers are doing offensively. And do you know why the Lakers' offense has such a low percentage? They often take low percentage shots.
All in all, they beat a bad team and thats what great teams are supposed to do. I'm pretty sure they'll come out better against the Suns on Thursday and they must be aggressive on the boards, it won't be an option.
GO Lakers!
Posted by: Rhon Salmon | November 19, 2008 at 08:07 AM
Don't get me wrong, I'll take a win regardless of how it comes... afterall, you only have to win to take the trophy.... but....
Am I the only one that felt like I was watching a loss because the Lakers couldn't keep the Bulls under 100pts?
It was kind of sorry.
Come on Lakers, you can tighten this down.
In other words....
We want tacos.
Posted by: Tim-4-Show | November 19, 2008 at 08:13 AM
Good morning Mamba24 & the fabulous Laker morning CRUE!!!
Where's Charles.....?
Another ugly win, but we'll take it. Looks like the guys lose their focus when they get ahead, and then get a little too loosey-goosey. Oh well - a W's a W.
LO played great last night. As I said before, I can take a couple of "huh??" plays from him anyday, if he's going to fill up the sheet like he did last night.
Can't wait for tomorrow night's game!!
Fatty - get better soon. Don't die for no good reason - lol!
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: justanothermambafan | November 19, 2008 at 08:24 AM
Soft as a marshmellow = 34 points.
So what does HARD AS A ROCK equal?
Posted by: utzworld - THE BANNER HOLDER | November 19, 2008 at 08:24 AM
never,
we could have had Caron Butler had we never had the Kwa-may Brown trade but then we wouldn't have had the Pau Gasol trade (since Brown was key to getting him).
Can't have everything in the world.
No Pau must be the one who receives touches in the post. Until Drew learns his own post up moves (more mentoring on Kareem this summer for post moves instead of working out on conditioning in Atlanta) Pau should be the one who receives touches in the post. Pau when aggressive can put up big numbers and that frees up other guys as well. Kobe also doesn't have to work too hard on the offensive end. Plus Pau also is a much better passer out of the post than Drew is also. When Pau is on the bench resting, then Drew should be the one who is trying to use post moves so that the lane can be less clogged (his jumper is useful here) and when Pau is on the bench he can pound it inside more.
-blitz
Posted by: kobeblitz | November 19, 2008 at 08:26 AM
Go Fatty!
Best of luck under the knife.
Go Lakers!
PS. Is your store in a Flagstaff mall? What is it called? email me the name so I can check it out.
Suck the Funs!
Posted by: "Pig" Miller | November 19, 2008 at 08:31 AM
Shot Selection Shot Selection Shot Selection...
Ariza Gets It:
"Ariza apparently wasn't thrilled with Vujacic's shot selection and wanted more ball movement from him.
"Trevor let it out, and it was unfortunate to see that on the floor," Jackson said"
THANK YOU ARIZA!!!
Posted by: Korey | November 19, 2008 at 08:31 AM
8-1.
Biggest game of the season tonight.
Remember 2006.
Remember Raja Bell's clothesline.
Remember 2007.
Remember summer of 2008 "Kobe! Tell me how my ass tastes!"
We owe the Phoenix Suns a beatdown.
SO LET'S BEAT US DOWN SOME SUNS!
What do we play for? RINGS!!!!
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | November 19, 2008 at 08:43 AM
Considering the size of Gray's calves, it's miracle we pulled this one out.
CP3 and Rose are "the one" poster boys. Even if the Farm let his whole game out, he'd be behind that curve.
The Pau / Andrew experiment should get better with the rhythm created by more games. Andrew isn't living up to blog predictions but that bar's too high too soon.
Posted by: VMan | November 19, 2008 at 08:46 AM
While I'm not happy with Andrew's performance on the court ( seems tired/hurt at times ala he doesn't have that bounce in his step back, seems to have forgotten all his post moves though they weren't that many to begin with) ... it's good to see him demanding the ball more ... good to see he aint happy with the status quo either
And as for the dude dreaming of Caron Butler in a laker jersey, why stop there ... why not dream up Lebron while you're at it ... Butler is the wizards best player and you expect them to trade him for who again?
Posted by: Taliq | November 19, 2008 at 08:48 AM
I know we may lose some players this offseason (though I strongly hope we don't), but isn't it a little early to be discussing the 2009 offseason?
It looks like we've got one of the best Lakers teams of all time here. Maybe a top three team of all time. I think we should keep ourselves focused on the present, focused on the team we have than the team we could have.
It's a good time to be a Lakers fan. Let's enjoy the now.
What do we play for? RINGS!!!!!
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | November 19, 2008 at 08:50 AM
Mamba24,
Would you please start a "GET BETTER SOON, FATTY! LAKER NATION NEEDS YOU!" BANDWAGON?
Please make sure justanothermambafan and I are on it.
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | November 19, 2008 at 08:51 AM
Fatty - get better soon. Don't die for no good reason - lol!
Posted by: justanothermambafan | November 19, 2008 at 08:24 AM
FATTY DIE, HA! Fatty will live forever...Much like my Thong. he he he.
Posted by: Mamba24 | November 19, 2008 at 08:51 AM
Yesterday was the warm-up...
Today is GAME DAY!
LET'S GO LAKERS!
LET'S GO!
LET'S GO LAKERS!
LET'S GO!
GOOOOOOOOO LAKERS!
What do we play for? RINGS!!!!
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | November 19, 2008 at 08:53 AM
Kobe was exaggerating with his laugh when Odom fouled out last night. I mean it couldn't of been that funny and everyone on the bench giving Kobe that courtesy smile, like yeah Kobe you funny.
Posted by: Magia32 | November 19, 2008 at 08:55 AM
How about Rose? That guy has some of the fastest moves I've ever seen. He whipped by kobey and bynumb a few times, and you could almost feel their amazement from their body language.
Bulls aren't a bad team, they play physical ball and although they lack scorers, they had lots of open looks last night that didn't drop. Gasol had anything he wanted without any real opposition to his height, however. Sloppy but decent win.
BTW, sahsa's non-dunk is about the most hilarious thing I've seen this season - almost felt embarassed for the dude the way he reacted with that whiny face. And when did odum become such a whiner after obvious fouls? That's painful to watch.
The Suns will be rested tomorrow night with 3 days w/o games. That's a nice thing for Shack and the other grandpas in purple and orange. Should be a war in the paint...sure, someone will get hot from outside, but the battle for dominance in the paint will be awesome to see.
Posted by: BUTLER | November 19, 2008 at 08:55 AM
Exhelo and Ron
AB is not elevating like last year. Is it a post injury problem, a lack of timing or a little of both?
His confidence is lacking, but that is to be expected with missing so much ball
Shaq won't be testing his lateral movement, just his strength down low on Thursday.
Can't wait for the Match up: "The Duel in the Desert"
Shaq "The Big Cactus" vs Kid Bynum
Shaq will throw his sizable weight around, while Kid Bynum will dance, weave, and duck Shaq's elbows.
Look to see Kid Bynum try his new 'Rope a Dope' spin move for a dunk and knock down of the 'Big Cactus' ego.
Fatty's card will have Kid Bynum winning in a 4 round, TKO.
Rhon - Stay low, keep your eyes open, and your wits about you, as you stay safe in keeping us safe.
Posted by: Fatty | November 19, 2008 at 08:56 AM
I could have sworn that, about halfway through the fourth quarter last night, the crowd started chanting "Thong Thong Thong Thong!"
Posted by: exhelodrvr | November 19, 2008 at 09:05 AM
Never, never ever sleep, never ever made a right prediction. therefore, never ever take never seriously.
Kareem told Bynum: "Patience." He should have said: "Keep moving and free yourself from your guard so that they could find you." I saw this Socks in his first Summer League and showed tremendous progress but not enough to be paired with the Lakers great centers. However, the potentials are there if the learning curve continues to go up not static.
Farmar made a great stride at the oldie Lindsey Hunter but just watched Derrick Rose's layup that summed up his defense. Whether it's Linsey or Derrick, the effort should be the same, great guards like Rodman and Rick Fox do not choose any foe, just smack them!
Anyway, Lakers win, the next game is another test of wills of the big fella' " I shall return or I shall not only the future can tell if I'm still welcome."
Drew, you saw Kwame last Friday and have prepared for so long to give his best for one night. I think the same mindset on the big fella' who has been out of loop of media recognition from marital problems, stalking and talking trash after the Finals, he's waiting for this moment.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | November 19, 2008 at 09:05 AM
"Bynum looks like he isn't quite all the way back physically at this point.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | November 19, 2008 at 07:18 AM"
I disagree EX, When I see Drew paly I see much better decisions on the defensive end. Do we want Drew to be absolutely dominant with a stat line of 12/20/5???
Of course we do. However, we need to realize that it is not going to happen. Drew is doing better with fouls, making decision on when to try to block a shot when not to try to block a shot (so he avoids a possible silly foul).
He is making better decision on the offensive side. When he gets the ball and realizes that he doesn't have a shot he throws the ball back out. There was one play last night where Drew had the opportunity to take a legit shot. Instead he fed to ball to Gasol who proceeded to score. Showing that he is not going to force the ball just for the sake of trying to get points.
I do not see Drew and not being back %100 physically, i see it as more of an issue where Drew needs to continue to work on his offensive game. He does not fluid on the low block the way Pau does.
Posted by: steven v | November 19, 2008 at 09:06 AM
Good Morning Mamba and the AM Purple Crew!
Fatty and Pig are willing to do our part to help the Lakers in Arizona and save Mamba's thong from enemies of the Purple and Gold.
Fatty - Where Arizona Loves the Lakers more each day
Posted by: Fatty | November 19, 2008 at 09:09 AM
Justanotherfanofthemamba
I be Ok - Thank you
Utzworld
Don't forget Pig and Fatty in your prayers.
Pig and Fatty - Lakers Special Ops serving behind the enemy lines and.....loving it!
Go lakers!
Posted by: Fatty | November 19, 2008 at 09:13 AM
As bad as it seems that Vlade is playing, the Lakers as a whole do well when he is on the floor. Last night he was + 16
Go figure
Posted by: You Ever Notice | November 19, 2008 at 09:17 AM
Fatty,
Best to you, my friend.
Posted by: Rick Friedman | November 19, 2008 at 09:20 AM
Fatty,
"AB is not elevating like last year. Is it a post injury problem, a lack of timing or a little of both?"
Probably some of both, combined with being a little tentative.
Steven,
For whatever reason, he is pretty clearly not getting the elevation he was last year.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | November 19, 2008 at 09:21 AM
Jon K and others..
Thanks for your concern. Its just a minor procedure, out patient deal. I will be back to blogging full strength on Friday.
In the mean time, we have a game to win and title to take.
Let's go Lakers!
Posted by: Fatty | November 19, 2008 at 09:26 AM
Jon K,
The Lakers play the Suns tomorrow night. Pace yourself.
AK
Posted by: Andrew Kamenetzky | November 19, 2008 at 09:27 AM
"Fatty - Where Arizona Loves the Lakers more each day "
If you live in AZ Fatty, we ought to make a bet on the game. How about you shave your head and wear Suns jerseys for a week if the lakers lose, and I'll state on this blog that kareem is almost as good as Shack if the Suns lose?
Posted by: BUTLER | November 19, 2008 at 09:27 AM
Bait=Buss
Hook=Kobe
Catch=Lebron
Release=Kobe
Posted by: Do You See What I | November 19, 2008 at 09:30 AM