Suns, Suns, Suns: Here it comes
Upon paraphrasing those famous Beatles lyrics, the "it" referenced no longer remains the sun itself, but the hype surrounding Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal squaring off during tonight's Lakers-Suns roundball contest (TNT, 7:30 pm PT). Mind you, the two aren't really "squaring off" to begin with, given that whole "they don't guard each other" thing. Technically speaking, Kobe will go against Raja Bell and Shaq's tangle is with Andrew Bynum, whom the Diesel sees as a typical 7 footer. But as long as the Mamba and the Big (Fill in the blank) are in the same zip code, people will find reason to gossip, especially after Shaq claimed that Phil Jackson orchestrated the feud between the Threepeat era stars. Actually, check that. Shaq maintains that PJ is "a great guy" and such nefarious accusations never came from him... until informed the article quoting him was written by trusted writer buddy Scott-Howard Cooper of the Sacramento Bee, and if that's the case, well, maybe he did say it.
In fairness to Shaq, it is difficult to keep track of every statement that ever left your mouth- much less their validity- when that yap never stops running. Maybe it wouldn't be the worse idea in the world if a "less talk, more rock" mindset were adopted.
(AK's note: I also took the Beatles class mentioned by fellow USC alum Arash Markazi. Like the SI scribe said, easy "A" at the hands of a very wise and thought provoking teacher, one Bill Biersach, whose intro-level studio recording techniques class I also took. Happy to both give props to an excellent instructor and bring another layer to the fab four lyrics in this post's title.)
But if Shaq does wanna keep babbling, maybe he should keep his comments limited to those pertaining to court matters. Like how the 2008-2008 retooled Suns ain't the run n' gun squad Lakers fans have come to hate over the last few years. Not that they can't still put up points with the best of them or hoof it when needed, but neither is the #1 focus of before, especially not with Shaq being utilized differently than under Mike D'Antoni. If nothing else, Shaq's season is off to a better start than Vlad Radmanovic's, and PJ thinks the Serbian dog needs to be fed more.
OTHER NOTES
- Robin Lopez plays for Phoenix. His twin brother Brook plays for the Nets and has been dealing with heavy doses of self-doubt.
- Shaq may still get geeked by playing the Lakers, but for Ben Wallace, going against his old Day-Twah squad ain't all that anymore.
- Upon fielding the 1000th question about his mildly impending free agency, LBJ is starting to get tired of it.
- Even Doc Rivers is over his Celtic team's trash talking.
- In news that can only be described as "shocking," Larry Hughes is unhappy with his role.
- The economy may be hitting George Karl where it hurts the most. His wine hook up.
- Agent Zero is getting a statue at the D.C. Madame Tussauds museum. Seriously. Then again, his blog is all the rage, so maybe it's just inevitable for him. And maybe even the K Brothers???
- If you haven't joined the Blog's Facebook network yet, do so! The community is growing fast!
Thur Nov. 20, 2008 – Lakers vs. FUNS
Real MVP KOBE VS. Fake MVP GNASH will you be there
The NBA, Where Laker s extinguish Suns forever Happens
*
Good Morning: Sir Charles (Without whom the blog is not complete)
Good Morning: JustAnotherMambaFan ( Head of the Mamba Clan)
Good Morning: Morning Crue (Heart & Soul of Laker Nation)
Good Morning Fatty (Greatest comic since Redd Foxx & Richard Pryor)
Good Morning Laker Blog!, Laker Nation (Rulers of the NBA!)
Welcome: DESILKY, TODD, GUILLERMO, GUARDIOLA, DION, CHUAHUGO, TOMY
Welcome Back: RDLee (Rumored to be a secret Jedhi Master)
All Praises to :The 2 Time Blog Trophy Winning & Famous FATTY Award – KamBrothers
FREE WESLEY SNIPES – NO JAIL CELL CAN HOLD THE BLADE, YOU HEAR ME!
http://tinyurl.com/6428my
RUMOUR – JESSICA ALBA TO REVISE DARK ANGEL ROLE ON BIG SCREEN!
SECOND ST
*
DEDICATED TO THE FUNS
When they gave him the first you just asked why
When they gave him the second you knew it was a lie
Though a flashy player with undeniable skill
2 MVP’s are like giving me a cyanide Pill
They couldn’t pick Bron, they couldn’t pick Wade
Durn sure couldn’t pick Kobe, I think a deal was made
A player who scored more points than an entire team
Then scores 81 points as smooth as ice cream
Sorry Kobe Bean we can’t give the MVP to you
But this FUNS guy Nash will surely do.
So for 3 more years the Mamba had to wait
Before receiving acknowledgement that he was great
And that’s why it’s nothing personal you see
When The Lakers get on the court and kick your B-U-T
It was a pathetic sight I thought it was a gag
When you were so excited about your WC flag
But here in Laker Nation we wipe our noses on those things
The only thing that matters is a Finals flag and the rings.
So you went out and rented from Sea World SHAMU
Hey wait a minute, that’s no whale it’s SHAQFU
You Tried to imitate Show Time and it was 2nd rate
So now another Laker Dynasty you seek to imitate
Give it up dear Funs and do what you do best
Win a round or two and then flop in the west.
There’s a new Sheriff on the Blog and in the NBA too
May God have mercy when The Taliq and the Lakers get you.
Then you’ll squeal like a pig oh won’t that be fun
The Fat lady Shaq has sung it’s over it’s done.
*
ROLL CALL
*
Faith, Bob, Keifo, Charles, Edwin_ Gueco, Fatty, TP, Jon K., BD, #4, Taliq, Vman, RDLEE
WesJoeNixon, ANGRYLaker, XODUS, Dave_M, EAST_Coast_JESSIE, DICE8UP, EJK
Utzworld_THE_BANNER_HOLDER, You_Ever_Notice, Six_One_ZERO, P_ANG, MAGIA32
ELLE, J_J, Lakerman_420, SAMLL, LAKERTOM, ERIC_M.,The OUTLAW, BENJAMIN, BD
ThaShow, Tim-4SHow, The_Lake_Show, Pig_Miller, Jamie_Sweet Laker_Bandit, FKILLAH
KobeBLITZ, ZAKEE, SBPimp The_D, BOZZ, TOAD, HMRHED, Generic_One, FEARLESS
CALIPHILOSOPHER, HOBBITMAGE, ANNA-IN-BONDI,.JOHNNY_P, RICK_FRIEDMAN
LakerGuru_From_India, NAJA aka BONUS, JESTER_GURU, KIWI, COMPLEX_BROTHA,
MAGICMAN, LONGTIime_LAKERLOVER, LEONARD_BAST, DAVID_WHANG, PFUNK36
RESPECTMY_AUTHORITH, EXHELODRVR, LAKER_TRUTH, AMAZING_HAPPENS, MD
HELLRAISER(certified mambafan), T-MELT PUDDLE, COMPTONS_FINEST, CAMERON
LAKERGurl, SFLAKERGirl, PsychedLAKERrGirl, SimiLAKERGirl, BocaLAKERGirl, NEVER
LAKERGirl1980, HOUSTON_LAKERGirl, LAKERSRYDEORDIE, LAKERLASS, SHEKOBE,
MIKE T, LAKERLEGACY, CHRIS_H. TSIRY, NEMIA_FALETOGO, JUSTIN N.,CHUCK23
JUSTANOTHER_MAMBAFan, Brown_MAMBA24, White_MAMBA24, BLACK_MAMBA24,
FAN_OF_MAMBA, MAMBA24_FAN_4LIFE, JUST A_LAKERFAN, THIRTY2, GRAIL
BAYWOOD, PS_LakerFan, CDUB0512, TOMK., TROY, BLUE_SKY, RHON SALMON
HAPPY_GILMORE, PAUL_LEE, PASSIONATE_LAKER_FAN, S_TAN, AJAX, MEL
Mr_BARNEY_DANGLES, JANAYA, Laker_STH, LAKERBAKE, CHICKEN_LITTLE
CBUCK. HTP, KIWI, CORNER_J, MR_NANO, BLUE_SKY, WEAVE_MAN, TEEJ
Tsphere, Tower_Of_Power, WOLF, JANDRO, CBUCK,, VIOLATER, True_Laker_Fan
ALLAN-BRAZIL, HUGO-SPAIN, HUGO-BOSS, DAVID-IN-SPAIN, MICHIGAN_LAKER
TWOODY, Laker_HOLIC, HARIYAHU, BRANDON, FLOYD, STAPLES_24, BONEZ
JONINin_JAPAN(InCanada), VIOLATER, DARK_ANGELSK, LAKER_FAZE, MUD
DESILKY, TODD, GUILLERMO, GUARDIOLA, DION, KEN, HYACINTH, TOMY
Stay_THIRSTY_MY_FRIENDS, DPOD, BZAR, STEVEN_V., XTRO, MARTY
BMAC, BOBIE, MITCHELL, CHI_TOWN_LAKER, VEGAS, Big_Laker_Fan3408
ADRIAN_PALOMAR, Vi_Laker_Fan, 1978, LAKER_North, JMAN,JCC79, QS
LAKERPHIL, LEBANESE_MIKE, DK, IN_THE_ZEN_MASTER_WE_TRUST,
BYNUM_Believer, , FRANCESCO, BIG_Fence_Defense, Bronx_Laker_Fan
Lakers_4_REALZ, 130, EHOMP, Greek_Dude, LAKER_Larry, MACHIAVELLY
ChiLaker_FAN, LAKER_FAN_FROM_NY, EVIL_CARTman, HAWAII_D
DARLEEN MCCUTCHEON, CDUB0512, GD_CHILD, THI, BIG_DAWG, OSEJ
DAVE ROSENZWEIG, CALI_KING, LAKER_IN_BC, ,JASON GRAVES,
Dan_the_Man, HUBBIT, DORKIS, KENE_SLOW, LAKAFOO, GIANT_SQUID
Loi_Reyes_LANDICHO, Lakers_World, Marky_The_Arky, Bad_FINGER,
PURPLE&GOLD_FOREVER, PEDRO-BRAZILLIANLAKER, FRANK_FRIZZO
DrewPauKobe, KobesBad, SLO_GAL, JCOOL, JAY_EL, LAKALOVER,
SmoothD, BLAZE1BX, EAST_NYBOER, LAKER_FAN_24, LAKER_HOPEFUL
MASTUDA, MAYOR_of_KOBE_TOWN, NEIL, ROOKIE, ATL_LAKER_FAN
DOC4daLakeShow, SEAD94, KARYNANAR, BRAD, BLKTHGHT06, SEAN714
EPICMESS, StrangerInTheNight, BYNUMITE, USC_LAKER, GO_LAKE_SHOW
T_SENSEI, BerkleyLaker, CHICK_4EVER, LONG_LIVE_CHICK, ALEXHIN017,
HEAD-MBENGA, LAL_FAN, Look_LONELY, LOTECH8, KIKOS_DAD, HEN1040
SALTLAKER, LAKER_DAWG, EAGLE_BOY, PK-IN-the-MESSA, DYMANDAVE
RYAN_DUNLAP, Black_RAIDERS, ,TINIDORS, VALLEY_LAKER, JOREMA
WondahBap,Cyrus(Ventrilquist), LINDA_PINEDA, NESTROS_BISTROS
CriticalBeatDown, RealityBites, AALOOS, RICO_TICO, CANNIBUS_HOG
TELLitLIKEitIS , Lakers4Lyfe, He_Who_HOOPS, B4_HOOPS, LADIES_MAN
McGARNAGLE, AFRO_Joe, DASCILLA, Laker_Fan_Canada, JHLANNERY
Stockton_SHOWTIME, REALITY_CHECK, LAKER_FAN_CANADA
MobWagoneer,, Houston_Laker_Fan, Texas_Laker, Brazillian_Laker
YOU_EVER_NOTICE-------------------------HOLDING The Line Against CHAOS
*
ALL TOGETHER NOW
*
WE ARE THE FREAKIN LA LAKERS THE WINNERS OF 14 NBA TITLES.
THE TEAM WITH THE BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE IN NBA HISTORY.
THE ONLY TEAM WITH 2 HOF COACHES. THE TEAM WITH THE MOST
PLAYERS ON THE 50 GREATEST PLAYERS OF ALL TIME LIST(6). THE
HOME OF REIGNING AND FUTURE MVP – KOBE BRYANT. THE HOME
OF WILT, KAREEM, GEORGE MIKAN, SHAQ, MAGIC, ELGIN BAYLOR,
THE LOGO(JERRY WEST), PAT RILEY, JAMES WORTHY, BOB MCADOO,
GAIL GOODRICH ,SPORTSCASTER CHICK HEARN THE LEGEND,
COACHED BY 9 TIME TITLE WINNER PHIL(9RINGS)JACKSON & OWNED
BY THE WINNINGEST & BEST OWNER IN SPORTS DR. JERRY BUSS
& THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN EVER DEFEAT OR DIVIDE US IS US
LAKERS TODAY LAKERS TOMORROW LAKERS FOREVER
PRAYER PLEASE – CHAPLAIN utzworld THE BANNER HOLDER
Posted by: MAMBA24 | November 20, 2008 at 09:44 AM
LET'S GO LAKERS!
LET'S GO!
LET'S GO LAKERS!
LET'S GO!
GAME DAY!
PHIL JACKSON IS A CYLON AND HE HAS A PLAN!
Lakers TODAY... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | November 20, 2008 at 09:45 AM
its the most wonderful time of the year.
Posted by: tp | November 20, 2008 at 09:47 AM
Yes Phil Jackson is a Cylon,
but didn't the Cylons lead the Humans to the promised land only to find contamination?
In Phil we Trust?
PHIL JACKSON IS A CYLON AND HE HAS A PLAN
See the exciting sequel, coming in June
Posted by: You Ever Notice | November 20, 2008 at 09:59 AM
Questions About the Big Question
Is SHaq's traveling circus more act than neurosis?
How would Ali have been remembered had he not seen Gorgeous George? Something less than cultural icon?
How great would Shaq have been if his #1 priority was basketball before side show?
How many TNT promos feature a player having as weak a season as Shaq?
Is the Shaq show good for the NBA? Good for basketball?
Would Kareem have a better job now if he had added panache to his post game?
Is Magic Johnson the quintessential NBA personality / basketball talent? I'll answer that one... YES.
Posted by: VMan | November 20, 2008 at 10:01 AM
Just a "typical 7 footer" huh? If this doesn't motivate Drew, I don't know what will. Shaq has a way of disrespecting every other center in the league. It's been like that since he came into the league, with the exception of Hakeem.
It's plainly obvious that Shaq would love to return to LA and retire here. If he were willing to come for the mid-level or below, the Lakers should consider it. Hopefully his work ethic and free throw shooting won't rub off on Drew.
Posted by: EJK | November 20, 2008 at 10:02 AM
Misquoting Beatles lyrics?
Sacrilege!!
Posted by: Mayor of Kobe Town | November 20, 2008 at 10:04 AM
its the most wonderful time of the year. Posted by: tp | November 20, 2008 at 09:47 AM
You got that right!
Posted by: Mamba24 | November 20, 2008 at 10:08 AM
Yes Phil Jackson is a Cylon, but didn't the Cylons lead the Humans to the promised
land only to find contamination?
In Phil we Trust? PHIL JACKSON IS A CYLON AND HE HAS A PLAN
See the exciting sequel, coming in June
Posted by: You Ever Notice | November 20, 2008 at 09:59 AM
You Ever Notice JON K. Take the Purple and Gold Pill. Hurry.
i
Posted by: MAMABA24 | November 20, 2008 at 10:11 AM
Mayor of Kobe Town,
"Misquoting Beatles lyrics? Sacrilege!!"
No. Read the first sentence. It's an acknowledged and intentional paraphrase.
AK
Posted by: Andrew Kamenetzky | November 20, 2008 at 10:12 AM
AK & BK must be Cylons, I saw my post, then boom, it hyperspaced into another dimension. lol
Posted by: You Ever Notice | November 20, 2008 at 10:12 AM
EJK,
>>>>>Pau is by far our best post player. He definitely needs more touches in the post,
>>>>>and our offense should run through him more often than it has. If he continues
>>>>>to be aggressive and develop a mean streak, there's no reason that he shouldn't
>>>>>make the All-Star team this year.
blitz,
>>>>>Dunno why some of us wants Drew to be it when Pau is at the moment more
>>>>>talented than Drew is to be our man in the post. It's like trying to replace Kobe
>>>>>with Sasha Vujacic at SG.
Could it be that the Lakers with Pau were only good enough to make the Finals whereas the Lakers with Drew will win the championship? Don’t get me wrong, I agree 100% with what EKJ posted about Pau. If he can keep this aggressiveness, he could be the BEST power forward in the game by the end of the year.
Nevertheless, Pau is a finesse player and does not have the physicality in the post to consistently score against the tougher inside players, who physically outweigh him and can overpower him defensively in the low post. Drew, on the other hand, is much bigger and stronger than Pau and has the physicality to dominate other power players, provided he gets his game back to the level it was before he was injured last year.
Last year, we played great with Drew and then great with Pau. The key this year is to play great with both of our low post players, who really complement each other. We are not saying to stop focusing on Pau in order to focus on Drew. What we are saying is that this team needs the low post power game of Drew as well as the low post finesse game of Pau. Double-Trouble should be the nickname that the rest of the NBA gives to the Lakers duo of 7-footers. It is not Drew vs. Pau. It is Drew AND Pau. Only a fool would NOT want to play inside-out basketball when you have two guys like we do.
If Drew gets back to playing like he did last year, he could be the BEST center playing the game. Bottom line, Drew is a power player and Pau is a finesse player. The answer to the Lakers’ toughness question is Andrew Bynum, which is why he needs to be included in our inside-out strategy. We need to feed Drew the ball to accelerate his return to the Beast.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | November 20, 2008 at 10:16 AM
I'm not too worried about Vlad's shooting...it'll come back to him eventually. Shooters need to shoot their way out of slumps. What's more concerning is his passing. He's the worst passer among the starters and possibly the worst on the team. I cringe every time he inbounds or passes from the wings. He has a way of telegraphing his passes and throwing lazy passes.
It'll be interesting to see if Mitch tries to trade either Vlad or Luke this season to relieve the logjam at SF. I can see teams wanting to trade for Vlad...you can never have too many shooters are on your team.
Posted by: EJK | November 20, 2008 at 10:16 AM
My fav espn headline of the day:
"Bobcats make moves, eye McDyess for frontcourt"
Is this like that scene in Napoleon Dynamite where Napoleon waves to Pedro and Deb dancing at the prom but they don't see him?
Posted by: lakers_sth | November 20, 2008 at 10:22 AM
Honestly, the Lakers are going to have a tough game. The Suns are going to come out blazing and I know they marked this day on their calendar. I predict the Lakers to lose! The Lakers need to stop their slow starts. Bynum, you need to throw the ball down with authority! Don't let Shaw pogo stick you again.
Posted by: never | November 20, 2008 at 10:22 AM
lol Mamba24. Now you got hollywood buzz too?
I am looking for a beat down tonight. The Suns may be playing "better" but we're still heads and shoulders better. We should tower over them.
Lakers play D, do your job, we got ourselves an easy win.
Go Lakers!
Posted by: Faith | November 20, 2008 at 10:28 AM
Mamba24
Very eerie we started that "Phil Jackson is a Cylon" spoof with the end results of both the TV series and the Lakers just a little too ironic.
Send me a Bottle of those purple and gold pills
Posted by: You Ever Notice | November 20, 2008 at 10:30 AM
QUOTE OF THE DAY
We need to feed Drew the ball to accelerate his return to the Beast.
Posted by: LakerTom | November 20, 2008 at 10:16 AM
AMEN!
Posted by: MAMBA24 | November 20, 2008 at 10:30 AM
NEVER!
No you didn't just predict a loss...aren't you always right?
Ugh.
Let's hope you're wrong this time around lol.
Lakertom, the "toughness" argument was as weak as the previous...Kobe can't get us to the playoffs by himself argument lol. The team needs to do its job, all its members. We're not going to "get" tougher just because of Bynum. We're already tough, we need to get more "efficient" in our defensive sets and offensive sets.
Posted by: Faith | November 20, 2008 at 10:31 AM
Good Morning Guys,
Been really swamped at work and haven't had a chance to search through this weeks threads. Hope all is well.
Charles
Posted by: Charles | November 20, 2008 at 10:31 AM
LakerTom,
At this point, Drew is more like Tim Duncan than Dwight Howard. I would hardly categorize Drew as a "power" player. Yes, he can throw down dunks, but he has a difficult time establishing and maintaining low post position. Drew really needs to develop a stronger base to be a more effective post player.
While Pau is skinnier than Drew, he is much more polished in the low post. Pau's got a variety of moves, can use either hand to finish around the rim, and is a better passer from the post. All this means is that Pau should be our established #2 option on the court. Drew will get his touches, but Pau deserves more touches in the low post at this point.
Posted by: EJK | November 20, 2008 at 10:31 AM
EJK,
You are absolutely correct about Shaq. I would love him for the MLE in a couple of years. Plus, the reason Shaq gives Hakeem props is because Hakeem thoroughly outplayed him -- took him to school -- in the Finals.
Every other opposing center has been torn to shreds by Shaq (when he's been; a) in shape and b) motivated).
I think that even if Shaq had taken that match-up seriously, Hakeem would have still beat him. Hakeem was a monster.
--Fearless
Posted by: Fearless | November 20, 2008 at 10:33 AM
GAME ON!
They say that one man's trash is another man's playground. One could adapt that saying to mean that one man's failure is another man's success. In light of the Troll Infestation that has come upon the LA Times Lakers Blog over the past few months, that saying especially rings true.
This was supposed to be a WAKE for Butler. But I don't feel comfy doing that. The more I think about Butler, his love for Gnash, his riding of SHACK's BOZACK, his worship of a coach who abandoned his team when the fire got to hot, I have nothing but...PITY.
One man's success is another man's failure. Let us analyze The Glory of Butler as we face today's matchup.
Steve Nash's multiple MVP's: SUCCESS!
Amare's double doubles: SUCCESS!
The 7 Seconds or Less philosophy: SUCCESS!
Consistent Best Western Conference Season Records: SUCCESS!
A plethora of Pacific Division Championships...but only 2 - yes, 2! - Western Conference Championships: SUCCESS!
SHACK in a Suns uniform: SUCCESS!
Beating the Lakers in the First Round twice: SUCCESS!
Another Playoff appearance this season: SUCCESS!
All those examples in BUTLER WORLD: SUCCESS
Apply those same examples to Laker Nation: FAILURE
As brother Jon K., Mamba and the Patriarchs have stated: We don't play for MVP's and Pacific Division Banners. WE PLAY FOR RINGS!
ANYTHING LESS THAN A CHAMPIONSHIP:
F
A
I
L
U
R
E
When they pass out the year-end hardware in May, Kobe can win another MVP, Phil can win Coach of the Year, LO can win 6th Man of the Year, Ariza can win Most Improved Player, Bynum can make All Defensive 1st Team, we can have the best record in the NBA and sweep through the entire Western Conference without breaking a sweat!
But it don't mean a thing unless we win a ring.
This is the mindset of a CHAMPION. This is the voice of a spirit whom has tasted and seen the Promised Land. This is the soul of a unit whom has reached the Mountaintop!
Butler, on the other hand, is content just to climb the mountain only to come stumbling down. Year after year. It is impossible for me to feel nothing but PITY towards him.
HE KNOWS GNASH doesn't have the eyes to see the Promised Land.
He KNOWS Amara doesn't have the strength to reach the Mountaintop in and of himself. So they had to go get a rusty old fieldguide to show them the way. Problem is, he's lost his grip. The trail is more steep in his old age. The rocks are more jagged around the edges. So what's the old fieldguide's response?
To ditch the Suns in 2010 and to return to the MOUNTAINTOP RIDERS to have one more taste of ultimate glory.
Pity...
LET US PRAY:
So now Lord, we of Laker Nation ask Your mercy upon our poor brother Butler tonight. Truth be told, he needs his Suns to win tonight more than we need our Lakers to win tonight. We see our poor brother Butler as a tortured soul trying to ice skate uphill, trying desperately to find a needle in a haystack, trying to take hold of one small piece of "glory."
A win by the Suns tonight is just that: One small piece of glory. He needs it. He thrives on it! He needs Shaq to do 30/15 against Bynum. He needs Amare to do 25/12 tonight. He needs Steve Nash to split the D & drive the hole.
He needs his glory, Lord. See the emptiness and the hurt inside and comfort him, Lord. Have mercy on Him Lord...
...and when the Lakers win tonight, remind him, like you reminded our 8 previous victims, that it ain't nothing personal. Destiny is calling...and we had to answer the phone!
Confront every Phoenix Suns fan in the building tonight and convict them for their jealously and hatred. Silence the entire arena tonight!
Reveal to them how they atttached themselves to the spirit of defeat when they signed a coach who knows a thing or 2 about the UNSTOPPABLE FORCE of LAKER NATION! Yes...we know Terry Porter. While we were making annual trips to THE BIG STAGE, he and his TrailBlazers were on the outside looking in - looking for their own shot at glory!
Remind them of the fruit of that 7 Seconds or Less (which was nothing more than a blatant ripoff of SHOWTIME) mindset: ZERO RINGS. They excel at sprints. CHAMPIONS RUN MARATHONS!
And we Praise You, Lord. For we are a team built to run this MARATHON. One Team. One Destiny. One Purpose...ONE GAME AT A TIME!
Let our Lakers shine. May they make us proud again on tonight!
AMEN!
Posted by: utzworld - THE BANNER HOLDER | November 20, 2008 at 10:43 AM
At long last, the SUNS have the opportunity to exact a little revenge following last Feb's loss to the lakers in Shack's 1st game as a SUN.
Tonight's game will be different. Shack gets a more favorable matchup this time with bynumb. Amare and pau have had good battles over the years with pau's length going up against Amare's athleticism.
Also much different, the SUNS' goal now is to pound it inside, and let Nash create off defensive stops rather than go balls-out on O. And Terry Porter will actually play his bench unlike D'Antoni.
I have to say, the Shack-kobey stuff bores me to pieces. What happens on the court is all that matters.
Can't wait for this game!
Posted by: BUTLER | November 20, 2008 at 10:44 AM
Laker Tom,
We need to run the Pick and Roll for Drew to get jump started!
Posted by: Charles | November 20, 2008 at 10:46 AM
People,
I think we are still getting way ahead of ourselves with this Pau vs. Drew nonsense. We are looking at maybe 80% of Drew right now, and he still put up 18/9/3 in his last game?
That is amazing.
Let us look back to last season right before his injury; Drew was catching lob passes with his elbow above the rim.
The rest of the team weren't even looking at the basket anymore when they threw up the lob. They were throwing no-look lobs that were sometimes not even close to the rim, and Drew was catching and hammering them down while on the move.
Remember that completely ridiculous lob Kobe threw Drew last year when Kobe was triple-teamed on the side of the court behind the 3-pt line with his back to the basket? Kobe just threw the ball over his shoulder in the general vicinity of the rim and Drew deftly caught it and jammed it all in one fluid motion.
It was like poetry.
In the last game, Drew is only up to having his wrist above the rim. That one rim-shaker that he was about to throw down while taking off from the FT line (but, he got fouled instead), he only barely got his forearm above the rim (still impressive for a dude his size, but still not 100%).
One blogger (I forget who, sorry) previously noted that Drew will probably not get to within 100% until maybe January at the earliest. We really have to be patient and see what develops then.
Pau, on the other hand, seems to have particularly benefited from playing in the Olympics because his timing and conditioning are clearly in mid- to late-season form. He is in fact our only sharp Laker so far (though, Ariza looks awfully good).
Kobe's conditioning looks really good post-Olympics, but his timing is clearly off. I suspect it is his finger again, in that he is having to readjust to the scar tissue he's developed. Plus, he has to unlearn shooting with the tape that he no longer wears.
You know, it's the same reason Rip never takes the mask off, and why Worthy continued to wear his goggles. Kobe might benefit from putting the tape back on.
But, then again, who am I kidding? Kobe always has been able to adjust to change. He'll be alright in the end.
People, we are watching something very special happening here. But, like all great things, it is going to take a bit more time to completely come together.
Patience.
--Fearless
Posted by: Fearless | November 20, 2008 at 10:51 AM
utzworld,
Thanks for your inspiring prayer, but be careful:
if you say Butt-ler 3 times, he appears. The same with Mike T.
Posted by: MrNano | November 20, 2008 at 10:55 AM
Mamba24! Jessica Alba?
Posted by: Charles | November 20, 2008 at 11:00 AM
People, we are watching something very special happening here. But,
like all great things, it is going to take a bit more time to completely come together.Patience.
Posted by: Fearless | November 20, 2008 at 10:51 AM
NOW THAT''S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! MUCHO PROPS SENOR FEARLESS!
Posted by: MAMBA24 | November 20, 2008 at 11:01 AM
utzworld sez:
"Remind them of the fruit of that 7 Seconds or Less (which was nothing more than a blatant ripoff of SHOWTIME) mindset: ZERO RINGS. They excel at sprints. CHAMPIONS RUN MARATHONS!"
Well, the SUNS did send the lakers fishing two years in a row, which brought SUNS fans not a little pleasure.
Posted by: BUTLER | November 20, 2008 at 11:06 AM
And God Bless utzworld THE BANNER HOLDER
AMEN
Mamba24! Jessica Alba?
Posted by: Charles | November 20, 2008 at 11:00 AM
That's what the buzz is.
t
Posted by: mamba24 | November 20, 2008 at 11:17 AM
I'm not sure what LBJ is complaining about. He could just come out and say he wants to be a Laker in 2010. That would stop all the questions about his free agency. I see him either staying in Cleveland or maneuvering his way to LA.
Posted by: EJK | November 20, 2008 at 11:17 AM
utzworld, Thanks for your inspiring prayer, but be careful: if you say Butt-ler 3 times,
he appears. The same with Mike T. Posted by: MrNano | November 20, 2008 at 10:55 AM
And If you say Thong 3 times Mamba24 will appear.
Posted by: Mamba | November 20, 2008 at 11:19 AM
"...be careful: if you say Butt-ler 3 times, he appears. The same with Mike T."
You scared? I'm not.
Posted by: utzworld - THE BANNER HOLDER | November 20, 2008 at 11:21 AM
"Well, the SUNS did send the lakers fishing two years in a row, which brought SUNS fans not a little pleasure."
See what I mean?
Posted by: utzworld - THE BANNER HOLDER | November 20, 2008 at 11:23 AM
The main damage will or could be done when Shaq is on the bench.....This team is as thin as a crispy cream box at center once Shaq hits the bench....Then its time to strike...
Posted by: Thirty2 | November 20, 2008 at 11:25 AM
Been really swamped at work and haven't had a chance to search through this weeks threads. Hope all is well.
Charles
You better get busy with ur speed reading, buddy!
Posted by: dave m | November 20, 2008 at 11:30 AM
Why this obsession with Drew getting "touches"? Part of the problem Drew is having (IMO) is that he is putting too much pressure on himself. Concentrate getting your conditioning/explosiveness/confidence in your knee back, on rebounding and defense, and on establishing yourself in the post, and the "touches" be there if that is the best option at the time.
Gasol is one of the better offensive bigs, and is playing very well offensively right now. Kobe is the best offensive player in basketball. The bench is playing very well offensively.
The Lakers don't need a lot of offense from Bynum for them to have an exceptional year.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | November 20, 2008 at 11:32 AM
Butler, on the other hand, is content just to climb the mountain only to come stumbling
down. Year after year. It is impossible for me to feel nothing but PITY towards him.
Posted by: utzworld - THE BANNER HOLDER | November 20, 2008 at 10:43 AM
OH LORDY LORDY. THAT POOR MISGUIDED CHILD. HE TRIES TO DO RIGHT..
HE DON'T MEAN NO HARM.I t's all because of those durn Lakers. He thought
his team the FUNS was a good team, what he didn't know was that they were a
FUN team. Then what Happened. The coach went crazy and shipped the
power forward to the Heat. Then when he saw how good a real team such as a the
Lakers could be. He went and got a retreaded Laker so he could try to copy them
but it did not work just like it did not work when he tried to copy The Lakers Showtime.
So the durn fool coach went crazy and up and quit now they have some new dude
and poor BUTLER so alone. BUTLER JUST WANT TO GO HOME. H-O-M-E
BUTLER WANT TO GO HOME.!! Now scat you lil rascal
Posted by: Mamba | November 20, 2008 at 11:32 AM
utzworld,
A-FRICKEN-MEN!
What do we play for? RINGS!!!!!
Lakers TODAY... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | November 20, 2008 at 11:33 AM
God bless the Banner Holder!
Lakers TODAY... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | November 20, 2008 at 11:35 AM
The key to tonight's game is going to be which frontcourt can stay out of foul trouble longer than the other. If I were the Lakers, I'd attack the rim mercilessly and get Amare and/or Shaq out of the game ASAP.
I can see Jordan Farmar having a big game, taking advantage of Steve Nash's porous defense and attacking the rim.
I'd like to see Ariza snap out of his mini funk and get back to being the energizer bunny.
Posted by: puddle | November 20, 2008 at 11:38 AM
Fearless,
Kareem preaches patience, but I'm sure he's also aware that Shaq recently rapped that he is better than The Captain.
Kareem, Kobe, Bynum, and The Zen Master are going to want to teach The Big Mistake a lesson.
Patience begins Friday. Thursday calls for victory.
Let it be done.
Some of the most valuable lessons in life are the hardest ones to swallow.
Scourge the Troll.
Lakers TODAY... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | November 20, 2008 at 11:39 AM
EJK,
Lebron isn't going to be a Laker. He's going to be a knicks guaranteed.
Nike was willing to offer Kobe 100 million dollars to play in NY. How much are they willing to "add" to Lebron's 100 mil? Esp considering the dude is all about the benjamins...having said already he wants to be the first billionaire athlete.
Posted by: Faith | November 20, 2008 at 11:40 AM
utzworld,
not scared. But it's like when you left your window open when you are cooking and a fly come over.
Posted by: MrNano | November 20, 2008 at 11:45 AM
MrNano/utzworld,
We owe Butler and Michael T. a debt of gratitude.
Their infection has only strengthen our immune system.
Boldly now we proceed forward!
What do we play for? RINGS!!!!!
Lakers TODAY... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | November 20, 2008 at 11:47 AM
Me no likey this piece of information:
>>>When the media was allowed into practice, Lakers
>>>center Andrew Bynum was sitting on the sideline with
>>>his left knee wrapped in ice. Bynum, who had surgery
>>>on the knee, limped toward the team huddle after
>>>practice.
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | November 20, 2008 at 11:47 AM
Not too concerned about scoring by AB17, VladRad and the rest of the Lakers.
What we need to see tonight is a return to the stellar Defense that won us the first seven games.
Have Faith. Go Lakers!
Posted by: Rick Friedman | November 20, 2008 at 11:48 AM
SECOND QUOTE OF THE DAY
Patience begins Friday. Thursday calls for victory.
Posted by: Jon K. | November 20, 2008 at 11:39 AM
Posted by: MAMBA24 | November 20, 2008 at 11:48 AM
I have so much confidence in Rad that I added him to my
Fantasy team (in the head to head league).
It's kinda like betting on red after you've seen black come up
5 or 6 times in a row. Eventually Rad's gotta have a night when
he hits his shots.
(and of course, if he sucks tonight, I'll dump him and pick up
Luke, who will eventually take his place if he continues to
shoot like doo-doo)
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | November 20, 2008 at 11:49 AM