Legendary Coach Zen Barbatrucco

[CoachZenBarba]

For immediated release
Contact: David B. Falko
Matricola settemilaottocentoventinove barra bis


LOS ANGELES (Sep, 2016) - The following statement was released today by Barbatrucco, trough his personal attorney and business manager David B. Falko, Chairman of Falko Associates Managment Enterprises, INC. (FAME) located in Los Angeles (CA), in response to questions about his future career plans


"I'm back"

[CoachZenBarba]

"His return was a surprise. I didn't expect it. Now this will no longer be the last year of my career, for sure. I'm doing ten hours of yoga a day to be better prepared. I get up every morning at 4 a.m. to train before training. When I sleep? Never. With Barba I won 17 NBA titles, 12 Finals Mvp and I have no intention of stopping. Old? He knows me, he knows how to handle me. Kareem has played four NBA Finals and won three rings from 38 to 42 years old. That is my goal.

[CoachZenBarba]

LOS ANGELES (Dissociated Press) - The Los Angeles Lakers announce they have reached an agreement with three European players, as requested by 18-time Nba champion Coach Zen Barbatrucco: italian PG Daniel Hackett from Olimpia Milan, french PG Nando De Colo from CSKA Moscow and greek SF Kostas Papanikolaou (FA).
As requested, PG D'Angelo Russell was assigned to the Minnesota T'Wolves in exchange for 20-year-old SG Zach LaVine.
The Lakers will begin the 2015-16 season with the starting five consisting of Lou Williams, Jordan Clarkson, Kobe Bryant, Brandon Bass and Roy Hibbert.
Nando De Colo, Zach LaVine, Kostas Papanikolaou, Julius Randle, Robert Sacre, Daniel Hackett, Tarik Black and Ryan Kelly will came out from the bench.
God damn.

[CoachZenBarba]

The whole Lakers season will revolve around Kobe. In a moment of his career on the balance of two demons, a past as a ruler and a future in decline, Kobe will fight them both, well aware that the latter will be unbeatable.
But he will fight it anyway, with all his strength.
And it will be a real blast.

[CoachZenBarba]

Big trouble in litte D

Buried under 27 points in Salt Lake City against Utah and sunk to -23 at the Staples Center against Atlanta. A single common denominator: a chilling defense.
It was to be expected. The Lakers are the poorest team in the entire league and the arrivals of LaVine (6/25 shooting in the first two game), Hackett, De Colo and Papanikolaou are not those who change a season. The team lacks both in offense and, above all, in defense. Kobe at 37 and returning from severe injury to the Achilles tendon does what he can (28 in the second game against the Hawks).
The surprise, but not for Barbatrucco, is Papanikolaou so far. At the debut against the Jazz he put 17 on the bench, with 3/6 from three. There is still a lot of work to do.

[CoachZenBarba]

"I don't care about personal stats (13.0 ppg from the bench in the first two games), I just want to win and starting 0-2 with over twenty points defeat it wasn't what we expected. Are you surprised for my game? You shouldn't. I won 4 NBA titles with the Lakers in the old-generation xbox360 with Barba, two Euroleague, two Greek championships, a Spanish championship and gold medal at the Under-20 European championship with Greece. I'm certainly not afraid of NBA game. When you play and win in the Euroleague the NBA seems to you little more than college basketball on a technical level."

Papanikolaou

[CoachZenBarba]

Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams join the Knicks for 2016 first Draft pick

Los Angeles (Dissociated Press) - As requested by Barba, the Los Angeles Lakers traded 29-year-old PG fresh 6th Man of the Year "Lou" Williams and Draft picks to the New York Knicks in exchange for their 2016 first Draft pick.
Barba's move promotes the French Nando De Colo, formerly San Antonio Spurs, as the PG starting five of the Lakers.

[CoachZenBarba]

LaVine is a case: 9/43 shooting in the first 4 games

Two other loud defeats for the Lakers (0-4) who lose at the Staples overwhelmed by New Orleans Pelicans (67-84) and away from home by Orlando Magic (67-87) in a game, the latter, where for the first time Bryant & Co. seemed to be able to control and even win. Then, as usual, the third quarter collapse came, the leitmotif of this season. In the third quarter, after taking a small break, the Lakers melt like snow in the sun and sink under unreachable twenty points margin.
Against Magic, howewer, there was another excellent game from the bench by Kostas Papanikolaou who scored 12 points, with 1/1 from two, 2/2 from three, 4/4 from free throws and 4 assists, while the dramatic shot moment continues for twenty year old Zach LaVine.
The former UCLA (1/11 against the Magic...) is shooting with 9/43 from the court in these first four games.

"I am not worried about LaVine's shooting performance - says Barba - he will improve his shoot with time. What is important is that he's taking the shots that the 'shot who is open' has called to him. He is not pulling back"

[CoachZenBarba]

LaVine's answer gives the Lakers their first win of the season overcome 17 points deficit in the last 7 minutes

The decisive tactical move was made by Barba with three minutes left: Ryan Kelly and Robert Sacre for Brandon Bass and Roy Hibbert. Boom!
At -2:16 Sacre grabs a key offensive rebound and serves Clarkson who scores the jump shot for -5 (74-79)!
1:23 from the end Sacre deflects a pass for Greg Monroe, Clarkson retrieves it, passes it to Kelly serving LaVine: dunk, 81-81
0:39. LaVine, 2/12 behind the arc in the previous four games, hit the three overtaking Lakers, 84-83!
0:08: Sacre closes all speeches with a dunk (83-88)!
Thus matured the Lakers' first seasonal victory against the Milwaukee Bucks overcoming 17 points deficit with 7 minutes left. A game that has a great protagonist in the most discussed player of these first games, Zach LaVine. Former UCLA closed with 27 points, 12/20 shooting and 3/6 for three, including the triple overtaking with 39" left. Great game also by Jordan Clarkson, who scored 5 key points in the final, Kobe and Daniel Hackett who served 9 assists against O.J. Mayo, the one who broke his jaw as a teammate in the days of USC.

"What did I tell you a few days ago about Zach?" Says Barba


37 y.o. Kobe scores 24 points

[CoachZenBarba]

"I am not surprised that Barba put me in the starting five vs O.J. Mayo. I know Barba since the xbox360 old-gen days, he knows how to spur us on. And I have been waiting for this moment for years, ever since Mayo broke my jaw with an elbow in the days of USC. Stats? I don't care about personal stats (9 assists vs Bucks), I'm only interested in winning. And today we did it."

Hackett

[CoachZenBarba]

Two more defeats for the Barbalakers (1-6)

Everyone knew how this season of the Lakers would go. It requires patience. Lots of patience. Two more consecutive defeats for the Barba team make the purple and gold and a disaster record of 1-6. In a 29-game season, the year is already compromised. The first defeat comes into the Staples Center, against the Sacramento Kings. A game the Lakers have literally thrown away. The mistake was made by Barba who did not ride the excellent shape of the Hackett - LaVine - Papanikolaou benchers trio, authors of a huge fourth quarter, removing them in the last 3 minutes in favor of the freshest starters. So far in rhythm, the Lakers got lost, electrocuted by an interception with lonley fastbreak and bucket by Darren Collison on the 80-80 with 40" from the end.
In the next game against the Bulls in Chicago, however, there was no history. An angry unstoppable Derrick Rose in 2011 mode and the defense of Jimmy Butler both on Kobe and on LaVine, immediately put out all hope for L.A.