I think for Lakers fans there will be less games of interest because some of the teams' stocking of talent. Cleveland and Phoenix will be less appealing with Shaq in Boston and LBJ in Miami and Amare in NY.
EAST: Orlando, Boston, Miami will be the ones I will mark as "Must See." Playing Chicago should also be fun.
WEST: I will be more apt to watch us play OKC than previous years since they showed so well against us in the playoffs. I think Dallas may be our greatest challenge out west. I want to see Blake Griffin as a Clipper. Portland always gives us fits, so i will want to see us smash them. Denver, Phoenix, San Antonio have lost their luster for me.
OVERALL: The big three in the east will be the funnest games to see. The west doesn't excite me. That's what happens when you are as good as the Lakers have become. Expectations are very high. It will be hard to exceed them.

Oh thank goodness we won't have to hear all that NBA gave the Lakers a cushy schedule, like we had to all last year...

First 25 games will tell us a lot...

How the new players are acclimating to the team and our system...
The rotations PJ will be using...His distribution of playing time...
Will Artest still be making progress in finding his niche in the offense...or will he go backwards and regress...
AB and how his aggressiveness level will be...Will he come out attacking, or a little overly cautious...
Will our boys still be hungry...the main criticism last year was keeping focus...will the team keep playing down to the level of the competition...or will they need to be put behind the 8 Ball to get motivation...
Finally...we will get a peek of Mitch Kupchak's off season moves...will it force him to make other moves before the trade deadline...Hopefully we get some sort of measurement...Artest move from last year was not fully answered till the final game of the season...

Mad props from Bill and Kerr for Kobe too. Kerr says he'll always pick Jordan over Kobe, but if he was to ever take off his cap of subjectivity he'd say Kobe is more skilled overall, where Jordan had more strength. He likes Kobe's shot better but Jordan's ability to get to the rim better.

Oh, and they both think LeBron is much closer to Pippen than Jordan.

Wes

Ultimately the "DISS-ision" was a blessing in disguise for the Kobster, at least for his image. To hear others (not just fans) like sportscasters and athletes already talking on how Kobe could be this year's MVP, before the season has even started, well that's just special and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

We tend to take for granted that Kobe, although more interested in winning championships and getting the Finals MVP award, probably does covet in small part the chance to be recognized as the regular season MVP. You could see it in his face and mannerism in 2008. You just knew that it affected him more than he really let on. It would have been sweeter to add a Ring that year as well, because if you stop to think about it, had he won over Boston then, that next season he would definitely had been a stronger candidate for the MVP award more than LeBron. That's how I feel about it at least.

As far as this year's upcomoing schedule is concerned, it does appear to be a bit more balanced this year than last, which someone pointed out shouldn't give all the haters any kind of ammo on how cushy our schedule is. Plus as I see the Feb road trip, it could be Great for the team because we all know how Kobe views road trips positively because of the cohesion & bond that he feels happens to build within the team when together like that for an extended period. Also a good thing for the newbies to get acclimated with the rest of the squad.

Aside from the typical games that we're all looking forward to, I'm circling both games with the Bobcats and both away games against Portland... man we gotta break those curses!!!

Lakers bench is now made up of 4 former starters. Ratliff, Odom, Barnes and Blake. It is going to be a big difference from last year.

1000 PLUS POST LEADERS
_____________________
(01) LEWSTRS - 111
(02) ART-FL LAKERS FAN - 103
((03) LROB = 77
(04) HUMANOMALY = 68

though it's not a concern at all, but I would love to see Miami Heat vs. Cavaliers first game on Cleveland's turf.

@Mari. G., Thanks for everything!

I was just looking at some +/- stats for last year's playoffs, and noticed this:

http://tinyurl.com/2at52dt

This is the top 5-player +/- combinations for the 2010 NBA playoffs.

Note that Fish-Kobe-Artest-Odom-Gasol was the most effective team. No surprise there. That was the most common 5-man combo the Lakers played for the playoffs.

But check out the 4th best squad. Kobe, Artest, Odom, Gasol... and Jordan Farmar. That squad was more effective than any lineup played by the Cavs, the Spurs, the Suns, or any other lineup but one lineup each by the Laekrs, Magic, and Celtics.

And if you look closer, the lineup with Farmar at PG was much more effective on a per-minute basis. They out-scored their opponents by more than 5 times as much as the Fisher at PG lineup.

In fact, of all lineups that played together at least 30 minutes, the Farmar-Kobe-Artest-Odom-Gasol lineup was the MOST effective per minute of any team in the playoffs.

The reason I rule out less-than-30 minutes teams is this: a lineup that doesn't play together much can get lucky for 5 or 6 minutes and look really good. But if the coach played them significant minutes, it wouldn't really work (maybe it was a small ball lineup specificaly to attack a certain team's weakness or something like that). If you play together 30 minutes, then that's a lineup that the coach trusts and uses regularly, at least as a regular backup squad.

Note that the next most effective lineup for the Lakers in last year's playoffs was Farmar-Vujacic-Kobe-Odom-Bynum. Five guys with more experience in the triangle, and more experience playing with each other on defense.

But just thought I'd point out that the Farmar + four key Lakers lineup was the ONLY lineup that played more than 30 minutes together in the 2010 playoffs and averaged better than a point a minute more than the opposition.

So diss him all you want, but when his number was called in the playoffs this year, Jordan came through.

@Lewstrs, man I was shocked when the count added up like that. A couple other people Like Adrian Palomar and Joe Corad are up there also. So Lewstrs all I have to say to you sir is...OUT FREAKIN STANDING SIR!!!

@ART-FL LAKERS FAN, job well done also young man between you and LEWSTRS almost 1/5 of the Post was done. WOW! So to you LROB and HUMANOMALY also ...OUT FREAKIN STANDING SIRS!!!!!!

@MARY B. CHANDLER, Nice seeing you Post again dear!

>>>First 25 games will tell us a lot...
>>>
>>>How the new players are acclimating to the team and our system...

Agreed to some extent

>>>The rotations PJ will be using...His distribution of playing time...

Disagree. Remember that Trevor Ariza didn't start starting for the Lakers until late in the season in 2008-09. That season started out with Radmanovic starting for the Lakers, and then Luke took over for awhile before generously giving up his starting spot to Trevor. By the time Trevor was starting, Rad wasn't playing at all, so they dumped him off to Charlotte for Shannon, who immediately stole a lot of Sasha's minutes.

I think you may see some similar jockeying for minutes among Barnes, Brown, and Vujacic, and I don't think we'll know for sure who's getting the lion's share of the backup minutes until late in the season.

Rick,

Thanks for sharing the info on Lisa Leslie. She is the epitome of class. I was really rooting for her to go out with a ring last year.

@LROB, if we add in the guy who must not be named to the total, the five of you have almost 1/2 of all the Post! Now that is mind boggling!

Wow,Lewstrs,111 posts You are da man!!Wes, Thanks for the article on Simmon's and Kerr. I love our bench and I think we're going to kick some Azz!! Laker's "2011" CHAMPS. I wish it was Oct.26th

True, we all know he will do this, still...I'm still in favor as his number being retired as a Laker a oule years after he retires!
Posted by: mamba24 | August 10, 2010 at 02:20 PM

----

Mamba,

I knew you would come to the light. Welcome aboard...just don't get it twisted and start rooting for Shaq.

Ok - I'll bite - WHY aren't you going to call her Princess Jimmy anymore, Mamba24? Posted by: justanothermambafan | August 10, 2010 at 03:55 PM
*
Do I have to explain this again. Isn't it obvious? LeBron has gone insane. The boy is mentally ill and I will not speak ill of the mentally ill. So until such a time as the miracle of modern medicine can bring LeBron back to the dirty, rotten, uncaring normal cad that he was...he shall be called LeBron by me.
Besides I never hated the boy...Now MJ, I hate that MF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope when the NJ Nets visit the Staples Center on Dec. 12, we give Farmar the well deserved reception, and once the game starts I want to see the match up of Famar and Blake.

With a schedule like this #17 IS ALL BUT IN THE BAG!

The 2 long road trips only amount to 3 significant opponents, HELL YA!
But we do have charlotte on a B2B night after Orl, dang it! is this some kinda mantra with MJ or what. The Second road trip is before the All-star break will give us plenty of rest to ham this baby up as WESTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS!!!!

March and April will provide a good challenge and final tweaking heading into the playoffs. Especially the 4 gm trip with SA, Atl, cheats and Dal then starting the homestand with Orl.
The last 4 homers finishing it up with Den, Utah, OKC, and SA will be a great indicator about how much better we are in the West.

U can't ever say enough for 5 less B2Bs, especially when we are GOING FOR THE QUADRUPLE TRIPLE for PJ!!!!

2010-11 will be PJ's QUADRUPLE TRIPLE, and 2011-12 will be the Lakers' QUAD-PEAT(or any good term?) (Motto: Kobe can win without PJ)

puddle,

>>>1) Can Kobe win a 2nd regular season MVP now that Wade LeBosh will
>>>steal each other's thunder?

Yes.

>>>2) Will this be Phil's last year for sure?

No. I think if he wins it, he'll re-up for one more year and try for his first 4-peat. If they lose, I think he's done.

>>>3) Who will play more minutes over the course of the season: Fisher or Blake?

Fisher. Although Blake is over 30, so perhaps PJ won't disfavor him as much as he disfavored Jordan.

>>>4) Can Caracter give the Lakers what Blair gave the Spurs last year?

I wish. The problem is twofold - the Lakers have a lot more talent in front of Caracter than the Spurs had in front of Blair last season. And PJ doesn't like to play rookies. I think it will take an injury by either Odom or Gasol to get Caracter on the floor for more than a few garbage minutes here and there.

>>>5) Can the Lakers - Kobe especially - stay healthy?

Yes. And as he's shown the last couple of years, with Kobe it doesn't matter much. A tiger could eat one of his legs and he'd STILL fight like mad in the playoffs. I'd really really really like to see Bynum, Odom, Gasol, and Artest all healthy for the finals.

>>>6) Can Kobe continue to fight off father time and keep his game sharp?

Oh hell yes.

>>>7) Will Andrew Bynum become the force we all hope he can be?

Magic 8-ball says... don't know... ask again in February.

>>>8) Will Sasha be traded mid-season?

I think the only way this DOESN'T happen is if Sasha has a really good shooting year and nobody else is hitting the 3's nearly as well. Sasha's shooting was a real asset in 2008 and could be again. But if Blake, Artest, and Brown (or Barnes) could all hit in the neighborhood of 40%, then Sasha is more valuable as an expiring contract than anything else.

>>>9) Has Shannon Brown reached his full potential?

I don't think so. He had a streak in the playoffs where he shot 3's really well. I think if he could focus on it and really work hard, he could improve his 3-point shooting to be consistently 40% plus. That would be HUGE for the Lakers and would help answer question 8 as well.

>>>10) Can Ron-Ron stay focused and motivated now that he's won his ring?

Yep. In fact, I think he'll start to become more fluid in the nuances of the triangle, and I also thing that PJ will work some wrinkles into the game to get Ron-Ron more shots (whether posting up or taking corner 3's).

Ron-Ron's a lot like Kobe in that he's never had a problem being motivated or playing hard. His big problem is keeping his emotions in control, and I think he'll be able to do that as well.

@Mari. G. Thanks, you helped me come to a decision on a 3-peat of my own.
Wow what a summer! See ya!

There are 2 glaring differences between last years and this years schedule. 9 of the first 21 games are on the road, last year it seemed early on as if the schedule maker's were alergic to asigning the Lakers to play any road games, evident by how few they played.

The second difference in my opinion, oozes with the feel of Laker nepotism, which is a beautiful thing, for the LAKER-NATION. Last year the Lakers played Denver, in Denver, the second night of a back-to-back. Needless to say, without Pau, out due to hamstring issue's, the Lakers lost by double digits. On the contrary, this year we play 5 less back-to-back games. More importantly, in key match-ups like, Bos, Mia, and Okc, they have a day off beforehand, giving them the recooperative time they need to be at their very best. It's not to far off to assume the NBA understands the timeline of their best player, playing for their best team. It doesn't take a mind like Russell Crowe in the movie, "A Beautiful Mind", to see that.

What I'm focussing on this year is our bench production and the way Phil, play's with different line-ups. We can go big, small, experienced with a sprinkle of athletisism. This team has the potential to come at in waves, more powerful than the ones Patrick Swayze(R.I.P), sout out in the movie, "Point Break".

46 day's and counting until the start of training camp.

My question to LAKER-NATION, is, how many boring things are you going to subject yourself to, killing time while waiting for the season. That's the million dollar ?.

Untily next post....

LAKERS4LIFE.........

2 things LAKERS must accmplish during 2010-2011 season

1. Gain home court advantage throughout the playoffs
(remember this saved us last playoffs?)

2. Be HEALTHY!!
(we have plenty of talents but each talent is essential to win games and during playoffs. especially Bynum)

Great Christmas Gift

Lakers remind the world that basketball is a team sport (something they in turn learned from the celtics) and that its not that hard to pinch down the production of 2 great players to win the game.

Defense, teamwork, and balanced scoring beat 2 great star on most days....if the referees don't throw the game

MM, what was your 5th "game to watch"? You only listed four...

IF I am not mistaken, every team plays as many home games as away games. That is why the argument that the Lakers had an easy schedule last year was idiotic, especially considering the amount of back to back games they had. All in all, I think last years schedule hurt them, because at the end of the season when players often get burnt out and injured, they had their toughest games. I like this years schedule much better, and look forward to seeing them get stronger as the season progresses. You never want to climb the the steepest hill at the end of a long trail.

"Trevor Ariza stands off to the side."

Too bad Trevor won't get to experience that as he just got his azz traded.