Lakers Thread

[Fresh8]

If you take last season as a precedent, you would note that homecourt meant a lot to this team so I do think that it is even more important this season - as Andrew has stated. You would be a fool to say that it doesn't count. I think that it is imperative that the team locks up a top 2 seeding. If they are the 4th seed or any lower, I would have trouble sleeping come April/May.

[Lamrock]

Boston and the Lakers had their bouts of complacency last season, and look where it got them. They'll be fine. What Lakers fans should be worried about is how much better the West is this season.

[Fresh8]

What Lakers fans should be worried about is how much better the West is this season.

+ 1

I told you Dallas would be good.

[shadowgrin]

I told you Dallas would be good.

They consistently are...in the regular season.

[Andrew]

They certainly bounced back against the Hornets. Just fourteen field goal attempts by Kobe for a much more efficient 20 points than the 21 on 27 field goal attempts against the Spurs.

[Fresh8]

I told you Dallas would be good.

They consistently are...in the regular season.

Let me put it into contect... Back in the offseason, L-Train was telling me that Dallas was going to be crap and struggle to make playoffs while I told him they would be a top 3 team.

[Andrew]

Lakers’ new drama draws low ratings

There might be some merit in that, though in a couple of days we could be seeing a column from him on how the Lakers have turned it around starting with the win over the Pistons and anyone who doubted them even for a second was foolish. I like Wojnarowski's writing, but he's kind of fickle like that, almost to the point of being bi-polar at times.

[shadowgrin]

Pau Gasol overslept before loss

"My alarm didn't go off so I woke up past the time," Gasol said. "I still went to shootaround, just a little later than I should have been."

But a team official said Tuesday that Gasol missed the team's entire morning shootaround.

Three Lakers in all said they did not get up on time because the alarm clocks on their iPhones malfunctioned that morning, but Gasol was the only one who didn't show up at all, sources said. Luke Walton was one of the other two Lakers who arrived late. The third Laker was not identified but sources said it was not Kobe Bryant.

Gasol had 10 points, eight rebounds and five turnovers with no assists in 32 minutes of action in the Lakers' 104-85 loss (to Grizzlies).

LMAO

[rise]

The Lakers will find excuses for their losses. Other teams live with the fact that they lose some games and carry on. Face it, Lakers, you're not winning games this season because you don't have Adam Epicstachemorrison on your bench.

[Martti.]

It's because Kobe is back to his shot-chucking self.

[rise]

That too. I don't believe the Gasol sleeping in bullshit though. If Gasol hadn't overslept would the Lakers have scored 19 more points than they did or held the Griz down 19 more points? Probably not. Big night for Kobe though. Didn't play great, but hit a big milestone: #10 all-time scorer. I applaud even if I hate him.

[Fresh8]

Milestone means nothing if he can't get his shit together and start leading this team to some wins!

Lakers need to play off of Pau and Andrew, not Kobe.

[Andrew]

Gasol said Lakers head coach Phil Jackson did not bring up his or his teammates' tardiness in the locker room Sunday night following in the loss to Memphis.

"No, I don't think that would be fair," Gasol said.

Jackson did however feel like the shootaround absences did have some consequences on the outcome of the game.

"I always think that it affects the team's performance when everybody is not in their places ready to go when it's 10 o'clock in the morning and we're supposed to be ready to go through a film session," Jackson said. "Then everybody is behind a little bit and everybody is wondering what happened to somebody else and then the messages conveyed aren't there in the same way. So, it affects [the team], but you have to be grown up enough to know that you can't let that affect your own game."

Gasol had 10 points, eight rebounds and five turnovers with no assists in 32 minutes of action in the Lakers' 104-85 loss.

Sources say Gasol's absence only fueled Bryant's frustration with the team, underscoring the lack of commitment and focus the two-time defending champions have displayed for most of the season. The loss to Memphis was the Lakers' fourth in the last six games.

It doesn't sound like they're blaming the loss entirely on Gasol oversleeping, rather it's just another example of how not everything is clicking/not everyone is on the same page right now.

[deihatein]

Has there has been a milestone of Bryant that doesn't end up in a loss?

[Jackal]

Will Nowitzki ever win anything?

On a more serious note though, you guys can't let this topic go down that much? Shame Laker fans, shame!

I've watched every Laker game this season and I have to say, Ron Ron came to play against the Knicks, I loved him in the last game. Bynum ejection was bullshit, what a travesty that whole thing was. Kobe being hacked numerous times was just as annoying.

I love this kind of basketball though, the fact they kept pounding it in to Drew? Lovely. Most people know I love big men (in the NBA and in real life). That dunk on Amare was suhweheet.

Barnes.
Brown.
Bynum!

Oh and for God's sake...make Lamar a fuckin' All-Star already.

[Triple J]

Well dei ... he did score 81 points .. in a win over the Raptors.

Milestone without losing? check

[Fresh8]

As bad as it is to see Barnes injured, it's going to help Ron tremendously as he has not been himself all season. Perhaps he was starting to doubt himself as Jax kept going to Barnes in the fourth quarter of games.

The game against the Knicks is how the team has to play every night. Defense, crashing the boards and feeding the big guys.

[Triple J]

Kobe was 13-21 from the field in the Warriors game!

[kibaxx7]

The game against the Cavaliers is how the team has to play every night.

Fixed.

[Jackal]

Exciting game against the Warriors, if Kobe was cold he'd have shot us right out of that game.

I loved Kobe passing it to Artest despite him & Ellis going a bit back and fourth. I felt really good for Ron-Ron that he hit that one.

Make. Odom. an All Star. Faggots.

[Jackal]

I'd like to see Phil Jackson play a line up of Bynum - Gasol - Artest - Bryant & Brown against teams with PG's like Westbrook/Rose/Parker.
Neither Blake nor Fisher have the ability to stay with their quickness and I think from a defensive standpoint it would be a lot more effective. Not like they need a pass first PG running the triangle anyways.

[Bruce]

I'd like to see Phil Jackson play a line up of Bynum - Gasol - Artest - Bryant & Brown against teams with PG's like Westbrook/Rose/Parker.
Neither Blake nor Fisher have the ability to stay with their quickness and I think from a defensive standpoint it would be a lot more effective. Not like they need a pass first PG running the triangle anyways.

I think why this is not happening is that when they have to rest kobe and brown, they would have to use blake and fisher. Then quick second string guards like tony allen, pietrus, nick young maybe even bayless would have their way on offense. In some stretches they do use kobe and brown together. And PJ is very particular in his subs and rotation, to the point that he will let stars sit even if the team is down. I think the current lakers team is more about versatility, and so they can field a half court unit or a quick lineup anytime they want.

If they could get a sweet deal like they did when they acquired brown and the 'stache for radman, then maybe they could. I do not know if there is an effect, but the experiment of converting smush parker to a P really left a bad taste in the mouth.

[Jackal]

I didnt mean as a starter by the way, or converting him to a PG, as I said that wouldn't even be his role with the triangle offense. All they'd need is a big guard who can pass it in to the post to start the offense.

I was thinking more from a defensive standpoint, perhaps when Barnes is back we can see them playing that lineup a bit longer against quicker opposing team guards.

[Fresh8]

Grrr... Jason Kidd picked a bad time to break out of a shooting slump

[dare]

Grrr... Jason Kidd picked a bad time to break out of a shooting slump

I was cheering for him when he made a threepointer but the Lakers were up by 7 (I think) so it was okay. Then he led the run in the third quarter. I love Kidd but the way the Lakers lost just hurts.