Lakers vs. Hornets: Sunday morning reading
The beautiful southern California morning looks a lot better than the Lakers roster heading into Sunday night's game against the Hornets at Staples (6:30, FSW). Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum will both be on the sidelines, Gasol's seventh straight game in a suit, Bynum's second. The Hornets will start Devin Brown at the two next to Chris Paul, giving him the unenviable task of marking Kobe Bryant. Not sure how much time Brown has spent defending guys in the post, but given Kobe's performance Friday night against Memphis and the continuing absence of LA's bigs, expect that he'll get the opportunity tonight.
Many, many, many opportunities, actually.
Kobe's production in the post is one reason he says he's scoring more with less work (productive teammates help, too). Paul, conversely, is doing just about everything for the Hornets (and doing it incredibly well, averaging 28.5 ppg on nearly 64% shooting while dishing almost 10 assists a night). They're not winning much in the early going, something that isn't sitting well with the hypercompetitive PG.
Other news and fun Sunday reading:
-Forum Blue and Gold looks at tonight's game.
-Silver Screen and Roll breaks down Kobe in the post.
-More on Larry and Magic, from the NY Daily News.
-Hard to believe the Warriors are having trouble finding takers for Stephen Jackson. Who would have thought? And you can add Allen Iverson to the "thanks but no thanks" pile. Apparently, AI and Lionel Hollins just weren't communicating well, at least in the eyes of Iverson.
-Brandon Jennings has done well in the early going with the Bucks, but the road for young high schoolers who choose to go play overseas isn't an easy one. Here, the NY Times has a great look at Jeremy Tyler, currently playing in Israel and aiming for the 2011 NBA Draft. Things aren't going well.
BK
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Tom D,
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>>> But I'm rooting for the guy. I hope I'm dead wrong.
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In the end, it’s all up to Jordan. I think you are right that he is the guy the Lakers WANT to succeed Fish at the point. They have time and money invested in him and have seen that he has the talent to do the job but the question is does he have the ability to harness that talent by making the right decisions. It’s the same problem that Shannon and Sasha have, too. They all have some fine talent but don’t yet have the mental prowess to efficiently tap that talent in the context of the team. I am rooting for all three to succeed and would be thrilled to score a Meatloaf 2 out of 3 ain’t bad.
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tomK,
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>>> Well WAYNE, Gasol hurt himself in a LAKER practice during pre-season, NOT at the
>>> Euro Finals, and he's not cleared by the doctors to play. As for Andrew, accident prone,
>>> perhaps but injury prone NO ! there is NO WAY you can put last years injury with all
>>> 220 lbs of Kobe, flying into Bynum's knee, on Bynum. And as far as his arm, go back and
>>> look at the replay, he got wacked HARD on the elbow, if it had been Kobe. Lamar,
>>> Mbenga or Powell, they would be the one out injured right now!
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Bravo. Well said, tomK. I watched that replay and thought they should have called a flagrant.
That foul was harder than the ones that Drew got called for flagrant fouls in the past.
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Thomas,
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>>> He was like the dangling string that the kitten is obsessed by but can never quite
>>> seem to get his claws into. If he keeps that up I don't see how you can defend that.
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Welcome to the blog. We can always use another smart Tom. Excellent take on Kobe.
He is the process of reinventing himself and catapulting his game to yet another level.
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hobbitmage,
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>>> We are blessed to live in the Age of the Black Mamba.
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Loved the diatribe on Kobe. While the wheels are coming off the LeBron bandwagon and
Father Time is slowing down the Spurs resurgence, Kobe Bryant is working hard to find
ways to dominate the opposition and lead his team to victory.
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Wes,
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>>> One wonders if Byron Scott will get a place on the Lakers coaching staff when the year is over.
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All the bloggers who think Byron Scott is a good coach, should wonder why his teams always seem to get worse the longer he coaches. Watch closely tonight and you will see why this guy will never coach the Lakers. His players don’t play hard, smart, or tough and he’ll be lucky to survive the year.
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>>> For shame Horry. My god man...
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ROTFLMAO. That was the flop of all flops. Thanks, Wes.
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Rick,
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>>> When we dissect our younger players like Andrew, AmMo and Jordan, it's easy to overlook
>>> the challenges of maturing in an environment as demanding as is professional sports.
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It is not only Sports Center’s focus on dunking and ESPN’s relentless pimping LeBron as the King that result in players who lack basic fundamentals but also the breakdown of the family and the lack of parental guidance and influence that leads to kids like Tyler being unprepared to manage life.
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Keith Derek,
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>>> If the Lakers don't repeat as NBA champions don't blame it on Ron Artest.
>>> Blame it on Pau Gasol.
>>> And Bynum should be coming off the bench, backing up Mbenga and Powell.
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ROTFLMAO. That was funny, Keith. At least, I hope you were trying to be funny. LOL!
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Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | November 08, 2009 at 11:24 AM
Bynum is a creampuff. No one an deny this. If he is the future of the Lakers then the Lakers should fold. What a shame.
Posted by: Mike Tyson | November 08, 2009 at 11:26 AM
With only one loss, Pau resting on the sidelines, developing DJ / Josh, working in all sides of Ron's game, and posting Kobe giving opposing coaches one more thing to draw up on the board, this has been a great start if not a gaudy one.
Early domination is highly overrated.
Posted by: VMan | November 08, 2009 at 11:46 AM
A CHANCE TO UPGRADE AT POINT GUARD?
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There is one player out there who I think could be a dramatic upgrade for the Lakers at point guard. He is a former NBA champion who is capable of playing tough physical lock down defense and has a reputation as a clutch shooter. Last year, he led his team in scoring as well as assists with 20.7 points and 6.5 dimes per game. He is 6-8 and can play and defend both guard and small forward positions. And he can probably be traded for right now without the Lakers giving up any of the top 6 players.
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He is of course Stephen Jackson, Ron Artest’s former teammate and brawl co-defendant from the Indiana Pacers who has demanded a trade from the Golden State Warriors after they reneged on their promise to upgrade the team with more veterans during the offseason. Captain Jack just signed an extension with the Warriors last year and thus has a 4-year contract paying him $7.6M this year and $8.5M, $9.3M, and $10.1M the following three years. Stephen is 31 years old, same as Kobe.
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The Warriors are desperate to trade Jackson and so far there are no takers. It is possible that Golden State might accept in trade a combination of the following Lakers bench players totaling near $7.6M: Jordan Farmar ($1.9M) + Luke Walton ($4.8M), Adam Morrison ($5.2M), or Sasha Vujacic ($5.0M). The Warriors would be willing to do the deal because they get rid of a disgruntled player and the last 3 years of his contract. The Lakers would get another lock-down defensive player who could play the point as well as backing up Kobe at the 2 and Ron at the 3.
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Needless to say, there are also strong negatives against the Lakers making such a deal, the biggest of which in my mind is that they do not need to do anything at this point. They are the champions and favorites to repeat. They already have the equivalent of 2 new players to integrate counting Ron and a healthy Andrew Bynum. Nor do they want to take on the remaining 3 years of Jackson’s contract, which would require other salary savings moves to help compensate and reduce the luxury tax hit.
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While I doubt the Lakers have any serious interest in making a trade at this point in time, there are very few players whom I think we could realistically add to the team who could have the impact that Jackson could. Yes, he is in some ways a bigger risk than Ron Artest but his unique combination of height and length, defensive prowess, all-around toughness, and ability to share the ball and hit the open shot make him a unique candidate who could be the perfect fit as the Lakers point guard.
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Would I pull the trigger if I were the GM? Probably not but I would definitely have a talk with Ron Artest and Kobe to see what they thought. I remember there was a time when almost nobody on the blog thought Ron Artest would be worth the risk. Stephen Jackson to me is a similar player who just might be a perfect fit on this team. Add him and we would be potentially be a great defensive team.
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Just something to toss around before another in-season “pre-season” game. This game should be a rout. I predict Byron Scott will be fired as the head coach of the Hornets before the end of the year.
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Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | November 08, 2009 at 12:15 PM
LakerTom,
Stephen Jackson to the Lakers? That's crazy talk, brother.
What do we play for? RINGS!!!
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!!!!
Posted by: Jon K. | November 08, 2009 at 12:49 PM
wesjoe-
those aliens must have been around for a long time, since Thomas Malthus in the 1700s and the early eugenicists at the beginning of the 20th century wrote extensively about killing off the population with strange virii and injections...
those dogging Pau and Drew really need to relax...
Posted by: mud | November 08, 2009 at 12:49 PM
I think we should bring up Lamar to the starting 5 and let Ron play with the bench. Ron has too much playmaking ability and scoring power to let it waste with our starters. The bench would flourish IMO.
Posted by: Daniel L. | November 08, 2009 at 12:52 PM
Tom - Stephen Jackson? Noooooo, say it ain't so! Don't even go there, even in theory. We've got a great team and good team chemisty, we got the workable role player PG platoon, right? Don't be going off the reservation now, all Rambo like. We have good ol' Fish, we got young hothead Jordan, we got UPS against bigger guards and once Pau and Drew are back we can break out the tall trees lineup now and then. Just, not Jackson.
Posted by: dave m | November 08, 2009 at 01:27 PM
can we cut off ANY rumors about Iverson coming to LA right here and now?
Also, the ones who want to have Byron Scott come here to coach the Lakers.
Please, Please, PLEASE completely DESTROY AND DEMORALIZE anyone who even starts up either rumor as they are both HORRIBLE ideas and will NEVER happen in this timeline or in any other alternate universe.
Posted by: Porky Pig | November 08, 2009 at 01:33 PM
Daniel L,
"let Ron play with the bench. Ron has too much playmaking ability and scoring power to let it waste with our starters."
I like the idea.
What do we play for? RINGS!!!!
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!!!!
Posted by: Jon K. | November 08, 2009 at 01:36 PM
I can't wait for tonight's game. The days, the minutes, the hours.
How about proof President Bush is controlled by aliens?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMQgHBLLLUs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjee-kgFctE&feature=fvw
Go Lakers!
Wes
Posted by: wesjoenixon | November 08, 2009 at 01:48 PM
My Laker Family,
Just a quick question. What if the Lakers were to pick up Allen Iverson if the Grizzlies decide to waive him? What if we were to start him and bring Fish off the bench but still give Fish the same amount of minutes he's been playing? What are the pros and cons of adding an Iverson to the Lakers? Thanks everyone for your anwers and responses. Go Lakers
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | November 08, 2009 at 01:51 PM
BK,
"on the off chance that I'm getting paid by the word"
You might also try wider margins or a larger font.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | November 08, 2009 at 02:01 PM
Ex-
That is very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very good advice.
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | November 08, 2009 at 02:06 PM
Hey Laker Fam,
Quick follow up question regarding Iverson. Even at his current age is Iverson better than Farmar and Vujacic? Could he play PG for us and backup and along with Shannon back up Kobe at the 2?
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | November 08, 2009 at 02:20 PM
Nemaia
Iverson will be cancer. He will not pass the ball to Kobe, who is the best player in the game, in order to shoot himself. He does not play defense, probably worse than Farmar. The answer is NO; the Lakers should not sign him even if Memphis waives him. That being said, I wonder if Phil Jackson will want to take on another challenge. However, Artest is a handful already.
Posted by: Tom | November 08, 2009 at 02:28 PM
Laker Tom - as a Celtics fan you might think I was all for the acquisitions of AI and Captain Jack. Such is NOT the case. I think it would be a huge error in judgment to bring either one here.
AI - even if he is promised to start, he could not exist with Bryant. And, he is still under contract to Memphis, anyway, so that would require a trade, I believe. They will not just cut him
Jackson - He cannot play the 5, he cannot play the 4, he cannot play the 1 (since you already have 3 of those). That leaves the 2 and the 3. Bryant is taking over 40 mins per game so far at the 2, leaving 8 mins for Sasha and Brown to fight over. No, he can only play the 3. You already have Artest there, trying to get acclimated to the triangle offense, and he is playing better. Jackson is used to big minutes, and the best he could hope for would be splitting the time with Artest. Neither one would be happy with that, and neither one is noted for their patience.
While I don't think the lakers should stand pat, I don't think either of these two players would help them right now. AI needs to back to Philly and Jackson??? Utah or Phoenix may be good fits, but at what price?
Thanks for reading!!
Posted by: Giant Green Bald Headed Lunatic | November 08, 2009 at 02:50 PM
Nemaia - it's not crazy talk but I'm not sure it's the best thing for our team, emphasis on team. Phil's always been intrigued by AI and he's most definitely one of the most gifted athletes of his generation, brilliant in the open court. But, he also has a very stubborn mindset... not selfish, just stubborn. Some vets can come in and thrive in this system but a lot can't (Rice, Richmond, Payton)... their habits are just too ingrained. We took on Artest and while everyone knew the risk, there was also a compelling reason to roll the dice - his huge defensive presence. It's worked out nicely so far. I wouldn't put AI on the same crazy train as Stephen Jackson but I'm still not convinced he's for us. That said, I'm sure that management and the coaches have thought about it.
Posted by: dave m | November 08, 2009 at 02:58 PM
Even though we criticized the contract our2nd unit, why would the Lakers trade for headaches in Iverson and Jackson while destroying the chemistry of the team. It is enough to have the Thriller as the calculated risk, don't add more. Is it not possible to trade those medium high contracts to future draft picks like what they did with Mihm and get those guys who have been cut like: Joe Crawford, guard; Gaffney, forward. What are the advantages in those picks? We need utility men, the role players willing to sacrifice their body for much needed defense and rebounds and yet they are decent shooters. Secondly, it is best to cut that luxury taxes threshold and prepare for 2010 draft.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | November 08, 2009 at 03:39 PM
Laker Nation must be awfully bored with winning, even if it has been winning ugly. So what to do? I know, let's dream up some totally wildazz trades!
Stephen Jackson...Allen-I-Put-The-I-In-Iverson...cool. Why not just toss a grenade into the Laker's locker room if you are so bored you want to see how often they win after you blow up the team? I'm totally with dave M on this and not screwing around with the great team chemistry we've got.
Once Pau and Bynum get back, let's see what this team can do at full strength before you fantasy traders start dreaming up more chemistry experiments. In the meantime, give it a rest.
Posted by: CornerJ | November 08, 2009 at 04:16 PM
Nemaia Faletogo:
I wouldn’t want AI if he was free. AI is a team killer and always has been, even when he had that one great season with Philadelphia. He is not a winner, not now and not then. Someone on here yesterday pointed out that even Marbury knew his role when he was with Boston. AI is all about AI, he is irrational-nothing worst then someone who’s irrational. Besides he doesn’t fit the system or our need for a “starter”.
LakerTom:
It makes me laugh to read some of the trade proposals on here. They are usually along the lines of trading Morrison’s expiring contract with Farmar, Walton, and picks for ten years to get Chris Paul. I wanted Artest two years ago when he was with Sac; I was elated when we “swapped” for him. I always thought he was crazy and different, but I never thought he was a bad guy. Jackson on the other hand, well I don’t know.
I think Artest has more respect for Kobe and Phil, where Jackson is too head strong and stubborn. Saying that though, I do think he would be worth the gamble just because of his talent and you wouldn’t lose much. As far as basketball, it makes perfect sense. I would make that trade in a second for him if all they wanted was Morrison’s contract, Farmar and Powell (they need some size).
He would fit in perfect on paper as far as his game and our system. Can you imagine having another great defender on the wings? Players like him are fine as long as they’re winning like he was in San Antonio. On the other hand it might be a bit too much for the team chemistry, I don’t know. The one thing I do know is you can’t dismiss a trade for a player like him for the right price. I would like some kind of trade for Hinrich somehow, that’s the trade I'd like to see.
Posted by: NBA4ever | November 08, 2009 at 04:20 PM
Anyone with any sense would not even mention AI playing for the lakers
Posted by: Big Chilly | November 08, 2009 at 05:07 PM
NO Ron Artest is a starter not a benchplayer he needs to stay where he is how about letting the coaching staff do what they do and you self proclaimed coaches sit back and enjoy the season
Posted by: Big Chilly | November 08, 2009 at 05:10 PM
I want to say something else about Iverson... and I'm sure his name will be coming up a lot more simply because of what's going on with Memphis right now. While I don't think he'd be a fit for the Lakers, I'd never put him down. It's hard for a marquee player to face the end of his career, to know that he's no longer the man. AI gave people a lot of great years of basketball entertainment. The guy was fearless going to the hole. Going to Memphis was a horrible decision but he wasn't ready to quit the game. He obviously didn't make things any better with his attitude and comments there. Never one to avoid controversy but an awesome baller.
Posted by: dave m | November 08, 2009 at 06:26 PM