Luke Walton to play in Wednesday's Game 2
The headline gives away most of the important information, but it's good news for the Lakers.
Luke Walton, who missed Game 1 with a left ankle injury suffered in Game 4 of the Utah series, practiced and will play on Wednesday in Game 2 against Houston.
More below the jump.
After practice, Walton stayed on the floor to do extra work, running the floor and testing the injured joint with a series of hard cuts and movements simulating offensive sets. While Walton and Phil Jackson had spoken about playing in Game 2 after Sunday's practice, that he was able to go hard today made his participation Wednesday far more likely.
While Walton said he felt good Tuesday, he's clearly not 100%. "I mean, it's good enough to play," he said. Missing Game 1 was tough, but all in all he feels fortunate it won't be more. "To be honest, (when I hurt it) I didn't know what it was. I had nothing to compare it to," he said of the injury, which turned out to be a partial tear of a deltoid ligament. That's saying something, since Walton is no stranger to ankle and foot problems.
It's never a good thing to view Walton as a cure-all, and I'm certainly not going to do that, but like I mentioned last night, against a team that is very effective defensively adding another guy who can move the ball effectively can only help. Defensively, if he has enough strength in the leg, Walton is a larger body to put on some of Houston's bruisers.
Basically, his presence adds another element to the second unit, and gives PJ more options. Choice is always a good thing.
BK
For the benefit of the visiting trolls:
Luke Walton is our savior!
There, now go make believe that Laker fans think he's our Willis Reed type savior.
Posted by: #4 | May 05, 2009 at 02:24 PM
Derek Fisher doesn't play wit a lot of emotions. He's slow and doesn't play defense. It was pretty obvious. L.O is L.O ...never shows up when we need it him to step up. How could you go 1-6 from the charity stripe.
Posted by: Victory | May 05, 2009 at 02:47 PM
Pau Gasol is the Lakers savior, he plays like he normally plays in the regular season Lakers will take this series. Pau struggles Houston wins. Luke will just make it worse for the LAkers sepecially at not 100%. Sasha and Ariza are much better contributor than Luke. I hope Luke does not play.
Posted by: Staples 24 | May 05, 2009 at 02:52 PM
If Luuuuuuuke plays well he'll make a difference.
That's a big if.
No, I don't hate Luke. I'm just sayin'...
And I haven't noticed a bunch of trolls on the board, just a bunch of yappy small dogs. Yes it makes sense. Just go with it.
GO LAKERS!!!!
Posted by: longtimelakerlover | May 05, 2009 at 02:52 PM
I'm probably the first person to criticize Luke in this blog...well not quite haha.
But I think part of what went wrong last night (aside from the abysmal shooting) was the passing. The passes just weren't crisp enough, nor were they in a position where the person could do damage. Luke will help with that.
Ok I'm done lol. You can officially say today is the day you'd never think to hear such a thing from me haha.
Posted by: Faith | May 05, 2009 at 02:52 PM
OK, who is posting using Faith's name?
Posted by: exhelodrvr | May 05, 2009 at 03:13 PM
Let me get this straight
A hobbled Luke, remember he partially tore a tendon in his ankle last week, is going to come in and guard Artest and Scola and make crisp passes to his teammates for easy scores, and help us win the series.
I'm sure Houston is pretty scared right now. Oh no, Luke Walton is Back.
I think I just puked.
Posted by: You Ever Notice | May 05, 2009 at 03:20 PM
1. Happy to see Luke back. It always means you have to throw in one obligatory "Luke's Bonehead Play of the Game" but he usually makes up for that.
2. If Drew's defense is a concern and his knee is no longer quite such a concern, would PJ considering bringing him in off the bench to put LO back in the starting position? Getting Lamar's head back into the game could be a huge pickup for the team. It seems like Drew isn't getting much out of starting ...
Posted by: kt | May 05, 2009 at 03:24 PM
LOL Ex.
Can always count on you :-)
You Ever Notice, I don't think anyone is saying Luke is the savior...no more than Bynum is. But he's just another body we can throw out there to help. Look at how Jordan Farmar in what little time he had showed he too can help.
Posted by: Faith | May 05, 2009 at 03:24 PM
A lot of people says that Houston victory is a fluke.But when you make defense and effort a priority, as the Rockets have, you can expect similar results from game to game. They say it's only Game 1.That's how critical Game 1 was, the difference between inevitability and doubt. Complacency isn't the issue now. It's been replaced by urgency. And what the Lakers lack as a group is familiarity, a common knowledge of what it's like to successfully climb out of a 1-0 playoff hole.
Posted by: NINOY | May 05, 2009 at 03:43 PM
Hello Laker Land,
Well... its a brand new day. The sky is blue, the sun is shining- believe me- you'll enjoy Wednesday once you get here!
Why am I so happy, I hear you ask? Well, I was looking @ ESPN.com this morning and reading Bill Simmons and it made me laugh for two reasons; the first is that I was up to this part:
"Postgame note after the fact: Kobe has attempted a total of 44 FTs in six playoff games (7.2 per game). Last spring, he attempted 194 FTs in 22 playoff games (8.8 per game). For the regular season, his FT attempts dropped from 10.2 (2005-06) to 10.0 ('06-07) to 9.0 ('07-08) to 6.9 ('08-09). So, no, Kobe doesn't go to the hole as much. Let the record show MJ averaged 10.6 FTA in the '98 playoffs and Wade averaged 10.9 FTA in the '06 playoffs. I'm just sayin'.
(Cue up the Laker fans shrieking, "Yeah, the difference is that Kobe never gets a call!" They're the best.)"
The reason I was laughing is that by the time I got to the parentheses I was already shrieking, "Yeah, the difference is that Kobe never gets a call!"
The second reason I was laughing is that Simmons apparently watches The Hills.
So- its a good day. Our team had a good hard practice (and a good hard look at themselves!). We'll have shaken off the rust. And with the best road record in the league I'm not concerned about two games in Houston. Nuh-uh.
And for those writers asking "do the Lakers still have it?" (I'm looking at you, Adande)- I respond:
"Excuse me, have we met? We're the LA FREAKING Lakers!!!!!!'
Posted by: Anna in Bondi | May 05, 2009 at 03:55 PM
Thank God.
What do we play for? RINGS!!!!!
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | May 05, 2009 at 04:03 PM
Practice report up.
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | May 05, 2009 at 04:05 PM
Yes, Luke will score 20 points and Lakers will beat Houston. After the game, Luke wiill say Phil and Kupchack are genius because they keep on believing in me.
Posted by: Smith | May 05, 2009 at 04:10 PM
Faith-
But I think part of what went wrong last night (aside from the abysmal shooting) was the passing. The passes just weren't crisp enough, nor were they in a position where the person could do damage. Luke will help with that.
This is quite accurate and succinct. Many passes were almost over someones head or at their ankles. This is my biggest qualm with Ariza, Brown, and Farmar. They are not accurate passers. Sure they can drive and kick, sometimes throw an ally-oop, but they don't enter the ball into the post in an advantageous position for their team-mates, they don't get the ball on the numbers, and they ussually don't use the all-too-forgotten bounce pass off the dribble.
Fish, Vujacic, Kobe, Lamar and Luke "The Savior" Walton can. I think even Gasol can. This is what makes them exceptional passes and what people mean by basketball IQ. It's not that they majored in basketball, or got a masters in basketball, or wrote a book and got it published in order to garner the very first basketball PHD. They instinctively do the right thing at the right time.
Sounds simple, right? I can't count the amount of blown post-entry passes by Farmar and Ariza this year. Telegraphed, over the head, lazy floating lobs that are easily picked off and run the other way. This was one of the problems that Gasol has. His post psoition is often dictated when a player decides to pass and in what manner he does so.
Luke is excellent on the second unit because he allows our non-passers to play other roles. It allows Brown, Farmar and Bryant to operate off cuts or (in Kobe's case) out of the pinch post. It allows Gasol and Bynum to get deep knowing that Luke will either back his man down, resulting in a pass to a big or that funky-white-boy-turnaround that just gives me goose bumps.
Now, you can argue that Ariza has the ability to do this, as does any other basketball player on our bench.
But they don't.
They throw over the head lobs to Bynum and Gasol that either get picked off or force them to forsake their position and come to the ball.
That is weak, non-playoff basketball.
That is Boy's Club crap.
Welcome back, Luke.
GO LAKERS!!!!!
Posted by: Jamie Sweet | May 05, 2009 at 06:14 PM
Luke adds intangibles to the team, particularly The Bench Mob that only a person who has watched/played a hell of a lot of basketball appreciates.
With Luke back, I feel a lot more confident about tomorrow.
We're going to win this series.
And the next.
And the next.
No More Mister Nice Guy.
What do we play for? RINGS!!!!
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | May 05, 2009 at 08:12 PM
Lakers are better off without -
Dr Buss who forced off JW and hired incompetent MK.
Gasol, try to remember NBA does not stand for No Banging Association; try to play like 7 footer and go after rebounds. If a Brook ventures into paint, put him into stands.
Bynum, stop trying to show your low IQ. You should focus on rebound and intrerior defense, rather than trying to post off Yao.
Then there is Lost O (LO); do you ever practice shooting? You should do Lakers a favor and leave.
Derrick, you really do not belong in this league.
Now, which idiot gave Farmar, Walton, Laker contracts?
Oh, that's right idiots named Mitch and Buss.
Phil, I know you can coach better than you've shown lately. Your team was unprepared, unfocused, and characteristically soft. If you can't prepare your team to play in playoffs, it's time for you to retire.
Kobe, unlike incompetent Laker GM, you and JW understand players like Shaq, Garnett, Artest, bring championships. Too bad it was more important for you to be like MJ then 3 more titles with Shaq.
Posted by: west | May 05, 2009 at 11:42 PM
That's good news. Believe it or not, I think that the Lakers need Luke Walton for this series more than any other. He'll help make the offense flow with his passing skills and ability to space the floor.
http://www.dailysportspages.com/forums/register.php?referrerid=811
Posted by: Showtime | May 06, 2009 at 06:49 AM
Why is this good news? Luke has to be one of the most insecure shooters in the NBA. Despite all the claims of his great BB IQ, he tends to make very dumb plays at the end of quarters. I'd rather see almost any other bench player get time before Walton.
Posted by: Mark | May 06, 2009 at 04:02 PM