Lakers Week 2 Recap

Not much changed from Week 1 to week 2 except for our win-loss record. A slow week but that didnt stop the Lakers from completely annihilating their competition.

Clippers at Lakers

Bent on not to repeat the slaughter that was opening night for the Clippers, they actually hung with the Lakers strive for strive until the Lakers finally decided to show up. A close game going into the last 6 minutes of the game ended up being a double digit victory for the home team. The Lakers shot terribly throughout the game but a 22-0 run similar to the 17-0 run in the first meeting sealead which was eventually an 18 point victory for the Lakers. Kobe led the scoring with 27, Andy Bynum held down the interior grabbing 17 boards and 4 blocks. Lamar Odom had his best showing of the early season with 15 points and 9 rebounds off the bench. The Clippers really didnt help themselves as their key players were in foul trouble throughout the game. Marcus Camby added 4 blocks of his own and Al Thornton led the Clippers with 22 points. Mike Dunleavy was so impressed that he stated the Lakers should run the table in the West this season...fun fact for you, Mike Dunleavy was once the head coach of the Lakers, thanks Mike check is in the mail!

Rockets at Lakers

After the Lakers disposal of inferior teams, they would face their first real test of the young season with the Houston Rockets in town. Ron Ron and company got off to a great start leading by 12 points at the end of the first and built a lead up to as much as 16. The Lakers finally shook the rust off (not having played a game in 3 days) and went to work on the Rockets tying the game in late in the 2nd quarter and eventually taking a small lead into halftime. A couple of Carl Landry elbows to Pau Gasol's jaw awoke the Spaniard as he was instrumental in the comeback. And as usual, The Bench Mob was out causing havoc again. The Lakers started to seperate themselves in the 3rd quarter building up a 7 point lead and in the 4th as it has now become a trend with the Lakers, applied more pressure to the Rockets neck and choked the life out of them outscoring them by 22 points and closing the book on another lopsided victory. The Lakers posted 10 blooks and held another opponent to less then 40% shooting. The Lakers defense was stimy again as Kobe and company shut down Tracy "Mr. Glass" McGrady to only 3 points on 1-11 shooting and Artest to 8 points on 2-11 shooting. Kobe led the way again with 23 points, Gasol had 20 points and 15 rebounds and Jordan "Paul Revere" (Minute Men, get it?) Farmar led The Bench Mob with 16 points and 6 assists. Were'nt the Rockets supposed to be the team that was going to dethrone us..I know, I know may a little to early...Houston, you have a problem!

Buss-ted

We havent heard from our fear-less leader in a while but that doesnt mean the old playboy isnt paying attention. Dr. Jerry Buss much like most of us are at peace now after a tumultous off-season prior to the 07-08 season with Kobe venting and trade rumors. Well what a difference a year makes! The king of the castle touched on a number of issues. First priority for Dr. Buss is to retain both Kobe and Phil. Dr. Buss touched on Europe courting Kobe and stated "They have fewer games, smaller arenas and cheaper tickets and very little television," Buss said. "I can't see it, but there are people who are wealthy enough in the world that could make astronomical offers, and I certainly couldn't compete with that. But quite honestly, I just don't think that's a real threat." Lets hope not!

As for the being over the cap and luxury taxes, Dr. Buss is also prepared to do whatever it takes to keep a championship caliber team in tact: "We have to do what we have to do," he said. "I certainly don't like to pay the luxury tax, but if that's what it takes to win, then we're going to pay it."

We have all had discussions about the Lakers possibly beating the Bulls all-time single season record of 72-10, how does Dr. Buss feel about it..."I think the West has improved so much that something like that would be very difficult," Buss said. "I thought that we could come close to 60 wins." A short pause followed with "I'd be happy with 73, though." Once a winner always a winner.

Interesting to note Dr. Buss main motiviation for buying the Lakers back in 1979, was it to own a storied franchise, to collect the millions in revenue they Lakers produce, to get all of Hugh Hefners women???

Well heres your answer:

"One of the biggest reasons I bought the Lakers was to beat the Celtics, If you were a Laker fan prior to my ownership, and you sat there and watched the Celtics whip us so many times, and how close we came -- one shot in one particular series -- you just got it into your soul that you couldn't stand the Celtics anymore."

Spoken like a true Laker!

Lets Get Physical, Physical!

Have you noticed when teams try to get physical with the Lakers, it almost always back-fires on them. Last night both Ron Artest and Carl Landry tried to rough up Kobe and Gasol, only motivating them more. Its amazing that people out there have this soft tag on the Lakers which I still dont understand. Last year, the first time all season I heard the soft label was during the Finals against Boston. Being a "soft team" is different from being an "under-manned team" which is what the Lakers were in the Finals last year, you cant be a soft team and win the toughest Western Conference race ever.

Well I certainly hope more teams will strategize with this misconception in mind. That will set them up for a rude awakening. The more physical teams get the more motivated the Lakers look, plus that only spells foul trouble for the opposition. Sometimes I think the best thng that could have happened to the Lakers was that thrashing Boston gave us in Game 6, you can only talk smack and bully for so long until the other guy decides to do something about it. Heres to the other guy!

No rolling of the McDyess

Antonio McDyess who was recently traded to the Nuggets may be available for the Lakers once the Nuggets buy out his contract but the Lakers aren't really interested. Phil's take: "He's a good guy," Jackson said. "He's a good player and he's experienced. But right now in our situation, other than just watching what's happening, there's no interest that I can call right now."

D-Leaguers

After Joey Crawford was cut earlier this season, the Los Angeles Defenders of the NBADL drafted the kid to play for them. The Lakers are also planning to allocate Sun Yue who has been inactive for the first few games to the D-League also. It worked out great for Jordan Farmar!

Week 3 Preview

This upcoming week will be a whole lot different from last week. The week kicks off with a back to back on the road with the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday and New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday. The week ends with the new look Detroit Pistons and Allen Iverson in town. Some tough oppenents this week, then again wasn't Houston supposed to be tough?

Sources:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/

Written By VicDaRuler
CBS Spoortsline community member

Lakers Week 1

So far so good!

3-0 and looking as impressive if not more then most us thought. Three wins spoiling a season opener for the Blazers and home openers for the Clippers and Nuggets. Here's a little recap for the week that was opening week.

Blazers at Lakers (Opening Night)

Well it was much anticipated, Lakers vs. Blazers, a very familiar rivalry rejuvenated now. I liked the comment that Nate McMillan head coach of the Blazers made which was "The Lakers are the present, we are the future", but what I liked even better was Kenny Smith (who by the way picked the Rockets to dethrone the Lakers this season) corrected Coach McMillan by stating "The Lakers are the future and the present"...Well opening night certainly was a memorable for Lakers fans and forgettable for Blazers fans. Much was hyped about this much anticipated match up, Mychal Thompson (a former Laker & Blazer and now the Lakers color guy on AM 570) proclaimed the Blazers as the runner ups to the Lakers in this years West Finals. A nationally televised game on TNT, Greg Oden vs. Andrew Bynum, Brandon Roy vs. Kobe, Rip City vs LA LA land!

When it was all said and done, the Lakers gave the Blazers a harsh reality check that they are no where close to being the super power that some experts have made them out to be. Greg Oden gets injured a couple minutes into the game (out 2 to 4 weeks) and looked very raw and awkward offensively, the Lakers defense was the major stand-out as they played tremendous team defense. Kobe and Ariza locked down Brandon Roy and the Lakers front court did exactly what we know they are capable of which was nothing easy inside and forcing teams to make outside low percentage shots. Andrew Bynum didn't put the numbers that we know he can but none the less played a key role in holding down the interior. The Lakers start off the season with a 20 point Blazer extinguishing.

Lakers at Clippers

Now to get the first of 19 back to back series out the way and spoiling cross town rivals (okay more like the red-headed step child) better known as the Clippers home opener. It may be the new look Clippers but its still the same old sad song and dance. The Lakers jumped on them early but let Baron Davis and Clippers get back into the game about mid-way through the 2nd quarter, and from there it turned into a good old fashioned Clipper massacre. The bench came in and sparked a 17-0 run to pull away and by the start of the 4th quarter the Lakers starters were basically told to call it a night. Every Laker scored more times then my hot mature promiscuous neighbor has been scored on, every Laker had at least 4 points with 8 of them in double figures. Baron Davis stated that the Lakers are the bar and it was a reality check for them to see how far they are from it. Kobe scores 16 and the Lakers still win by 38!?! you know it was a good night!

Lakers at Nuggets

The first real road test and against one of the highest scoring teams in the league last year. 7-0 last year against the Nuggets including a 4-0 sweep in the first round of the playoffs, but the Nuggets playing their home opener and with a chip on their shoulder started off the game matching the Lakers strive for strive. Of course the Lakers shot atrociously in the first half shooting in the 30-40% range all game, which was also a foul plagued game which saw Kobe, Bynum, Odom and Vlad Rad with 3 fouls each by half-time. The Nuggets looked like they might just pull it out but that was until the Black Mamba himself awoke in the 4th scoring 14 of his 33 Despite all the Lakers shooting woes, in the end they pulled out a 7 point victory.

Note: The Nuggets traded away Allen Iverson to the Detroit Pistons earlier today in exchange for Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess.

"We really haven't done anything"

According to Kobe...I know us fans can get caught up with the early season success and hype of our team, but its good to know that Kobe seems as focused, grounded and as driven as ever.... (click to read)

D- fence!

After the Clippers game, Andrew Bynum stated that one of the teams goals was to hold more then 6 straight opponents to under 80 points per game which would be an NBA record after they held the Blazers to 76 and the Clippers to 79. While they did allow a few more against the Nuggets at 97, the Lakers did manage to hold their first 3 opponents to under 100 points, not too shabby if you ask me.

Clearly the main thing that stands out is how improved the Lakers team defense looks and in particular Andrew Bynum. For the non-observant eye, before you start to criticize Andrew Bynum by just analyzing the stat sheet, just watch the game when he is in there. Andy is doing exactly what is being asked of him which is being a defensive presence. There were a number of shots that he altered against the Nuggets, Clippers and Blazers and a number of shots that opponents are thinking twice of taking. Already his impact has been greatly felt.

Show me the money and the bar!

Andrew Bynum celebrated his 21st birthday with a whopping payday from the Lakers. 4 years, close to $58 Million..You can pick up your jaw from the floor now. This was actually a smart move on the Lakers part, the deal is really a 3 year window for Andy where he is guaranteed $42 Mill, his last year though is an option year for the Lakers if they choose to pick it up or not. Now all signs lead me to believe that Andrew is the real deal and in these upcoming 3 years, we will all get to see how great he can be. The deal might have actually helped the Lakers out in the long run. Rather then taking a chance and not meeting the deadline of Oct. 31st by waiting to see how Andrew does this year and allowing him to become a restricted free agent, the Lakers made the smart move by locking him up now and saving the headaches in negotiating with him next off-season. With a couple of teams with cap space next year, Andrew could have been offered a max deal which would have been worth around $17 Mil to $18 Mil per year that the Lakers would have to match, by signing him now they save some significant cash to use to resign some other important pieces.

Next in line for Contract Extensions

Well the obvious is Kobe as he does have an option to opt out but lets take a look at Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza. If the Lakers don't resign Lamar this coming off season, they clear about $14 mil off their books but Lamar is open to a pay cut if it means a longer term. When asked if he was willing to take a pay cut he had this great analogy:

"Who wants to take a pay cut?" Odom said. "Nobody. A garbage man, if he makes $8 [an hour] one day, he at least wants to make $8 or $9 the next day. He works every day. He doesn't want to take a cut."

I think every week I do this blog entry I will cite a Lamar Odom quote and call it "What Lamar say now?" Oh and when Lamar was asked what he wanted to be for Halloween, he said he wanted to be Rick Flair, can you just imagine a 6-10 black Rick Flair outside your door on Halloween night yelling....Hooooooooooooo!, give the Nature Boy some candy, baby!

As for Trevor Ariza, a home grown product and isn't too worried about it either. He stated that things will take care of itself, unfortunately for him his agent is also the same idiot David Lee that represented Andrew Bynum and couldn't keep his mouth shut which probably resulted in Andrew not getting a max deal.

Where's Pauldo?

The trend has been to get Pau started early and let Kobe handle the second half. Well Phil wants more balance from Pau in both halves citing we want to use all our weapons and will look to give him more touches in the second half.

Reboundersssss, mound up!

The Lakers have collectively out-rebounded their first 3 opponents 148 - 114...still don't think Bynum would have made a difference in the Finals last year?

Who you calling soft?

Earlier last week Vladimir Radmanovic was asked by Steve "Hater" Hartman (local Sports talk Radio DJ) how Vlad Rad felt about being called "soft"? Vlad responded "Tell them to say that to my face", I got your back bro, now back to listening to terrible Euro-trance music with Sasha!

Apparently Phil also doesn't feel the Lakers had shed away their "soft" image (I put this in quotes because I don't believe we are a soft team...cant be a soft team and run through the west like we did) He explained that

"Mentally they were a tough team, but physically they weren't a tough team," Jackson said of last season's Lakers. "We're not a bunch of wrestlers or tough guys who can slug it out. We haven't solved that problem. I think quickness is what we've tried to do to eradicate that. I think speed is going to have to help us do that."

While i get his point, its just nice to know we are playing in the NBA and not the WWE!

Future Forecast

It will be a slow week this week for the Lakers with only 2 games scheduled, Wednesday against the Clippers on our home court (not like it will ever be their home court) and a possible West Finals preview with Houston coming to Staples. It gets a lot tougher the week after with Dallas, N.O and Detroit on the schedule.

Stay Tuned!

Written By VicDaRuler
CBS Spoortsline community member

Los Angeles Lakers Season Preview 08-09

After a tumultuous, frustrating & chaotic off-season...oh wait that was last year. I guess we just aren't accustomed to having a quiet off-season but this was a welcomed one. Here's my take on the Lakers upcoming "championship caliber" season.

THE BREAKDOWN

Perhaps the best move we did was not to make a move. The return of Andrew Bynum to an already contending team is comparable to adding a big name free agent. Along with Andrew's return, getting back another vital piece in Trevor Ariza can only be a good thing.

Key losses: Ronny Turiaf, while we will miss his spirit and charisma, not to mention his all out effort and hustle, there just wasn't going to be enough minutes for Ronny with the return of Andrew that would justify the type of contract that he was tendered in Golden State. The Warriors will use him more then we would have so he deserves it, there's not a better locker room guy in the league then Ronny and I wish him all the best...and a hopeful return back home when he is done in Golden State (hey we got D. Fish back!)

Key Additions: Besides the return of a healthy Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza, the loss of Ronny Turiaf was countered by the addition of Josh Powell. I am a fan of this kid (except for the kwamish braids) and he has been decent in the pre-season. He is a solid bench player, a big physical body and while he wont replace all the intangibles that Ronny brought to the table, he will be sufficient enough when needed. Last season towards the end of it when Chris Kaman was sidelined, he did a solid job filling in for the Clippers.

Resigning The Machine Sasha Vujacic was also a big move. A lights out shooter, streaky at times but dangerous, a pesky defender and key role player. He had a breakout season last year which earned him 3 more years and $15 Mil deservingly so.

Stand-Outs

Andrew Bynum: Potential is the word that is always being thrown around with this kid. I have to admit there was a slight moment of concern during the first couple of pre-season games but he progressed like he has his whole career as the pre-season rolled along. I thought that his biggest challenges would be playing with the lingering concern about his knee and with the way he has been playing, it looks as if that injury never happened. Another challenge would have been to get better acclimated with Pau Gasol offensively and after they looked "slow and clumsy" in the first 2 pre-season games, it looks like they are starting to gel beautifully. As the regular season progresses, its only going to be a matter of time before we see a Tim Duncan/David Robinson type of combo down low.

Jordan Farmar: I was one of those who had some doubts if Jordan could be our future PG, but the kid was nothing short of impressive. His confidence is almost parallel to Kobe's. I like that he is the mind state where he doesn't feel that anyone can stop him from getting to the basket. His jumper has looked impressive along with his long range. He looks active on defense and always looking to push the ball offensively. His decision making has vastly improved and he looks to be a true leader for us. I have high expectations for Jordan Farmar, I look for him to be Paul Revere to our Minutemen!

Trevor Ariza: Lightning in a bottle, that's the best way I can describe him. What I have noticed the most in the pre-season is the array of skills Trevor possesses. He can slash to the basket, always aggressive, always active on both ends...when one part of his game isn't working, he elevates another part. Trevor may not be the starter and for a good reason, he is still a bit raw and given the dynamics of the starting squad, probably isn't the best fit as a starter...but he will be a monster coming off the bench, he's like redbull, if red-bull was on speed!

Question Marks & Concerns

Lamar Odom: When the biggest problem or question mark you have is where to put Lamar Odom, then is that really a problem? What it is, is a welcomed problem. After pouting about his role in the beginning, Lamar was accepted it and looks like he has adapted to it in the latter parts of the pre-season. Lamar is going to be instrumental in our run, we all know he is at his best when he is un-noticed and is relieved on any pressure. The bench role suits him perfectly which gives the Minutemen a valuable weapon.

Health: Injuries are a part of the game, last year we were able to overcome injuries and still had a shot to win it all. Even as deep as we are, injuries have to be contained in order for this team to play at its max potential. This team if healthy has a chance to be one of the most powerful and versatile teams the league has seen in a very long time...with that said lets all knock on wood that we don't see the same types of injuries we did last season.

The Dynamics

Starters: Vlad Rad looks to be the starter at the SF after Phil tinkered and experimented with the lineup throughout the preseason. I am at an understanding that this would be the best option because Vlad will be able to spread the floor better then Lamar or Ariza could. My hopes are that he regains his form when he was with the Sonics and Clippers where he was a deadly sharp shooter. He is the ex-factor.

As I mentioned it will only be a matter of time with them. Bynum is an unstoppable force, at times he does look like he is trying to do a little too much whereas he is only asked to rebound and be a defensive presence. He reminds of a young Kobe in the sense that you cant contain this kid's talent, we had growing pains with Kobe too but we all knew that he was something special. I think Phil wants to unleash his potential in small doses much like it was done with Kobe but in a more controlled manner. Pau is making a concentrated effort to look for Andrew as is Kobe and the others. Andrew has a great supporting cast around him to set him up for success, but as it is in any young potential superstar, patience is a virtue!

Pau and Kobe's numbers will slightly diminish from the norm and that's not really a bad thing. Minutes will be down for Kobe, as will points per game. With presence of Andrew, I look for Pau's scoring numbers to go down as he wont have to be the primary Center in this lineup, but I look for his assist numbers to be better. D. Fish is still a rock at the PG and his veteran presence is alone a valuable asset. There will be a lot more reliance of D. Fish perimeter game as he will also be able to spread the floor effectively. His is a bit older but D.Fish has always been a bulldog for us.

The Bench Mob: Or also known as the Minutemen feature a lineup good enough to be an up and coming team themselves. With Jordan Farmar, Lamar Odom, Sasha Vujacic, Trevor Ariza & Luke Walton, this will be one of the fastest and most active lineups. Their ability to run at a much more faster pace style then our starters will give us a great edge against teams that are one dimensional defensively.

Role Players: Sasha Vujacic will also benefit from Andrew Bynum in the lineup. Although he

wont start games, he will be there at the end as he is one of our deadliest and also one of our more consistent shooters. He is an inter-changeable player that can fit in both with the starters and the bench players. Luke Walton is always an anomaly, he could be as valuable as he was in the Denver series or as non-existence as he was prior to that and after that. If we can get anything better then we did last season from him, then its already been a success in regards to Luke. Chris Mihm can also be in that category, injuries have plagued him for the last 3 seasons but it does finally look like he is in actual game shape. While I don't think he will ever be the same player he was when we first acquired him, he will be heavily counted on if there are injuries sustained to our front court.

Longevity

Of course no dynasty has ever lasted just one or two seasons. With the impending financial questions that need to answered in order to lock in our key pieces, the Lakers have some questions to address. The main one being, Kobe Bryant who has an option to opt out after this season...there might be a realistic chance that Kobe can go to Europe and take the ridiculously lucrative offer that he will be presented and honestly who wouldn't. But it would all boil down to whats more important, to play on an international stage or to solidify his legacy here amongst the best players in the world.

Andrew Bynum is our future, but understandably pre-cautions must be taken, better safe then sorry. Andrew and his agent are looking for the max and want it before the season starts, but the Lakers are taking the safe bet and waiting and seeing what he can do in the season ahead. If he has the season we know he is capable of then he will warrant what he is looking for.

Lamar Odom has been the center of trade talks with concerns to the Lakers seemingly almost forever. But with the uncertainty of his role now with the team and for the future, the Lakers could look to move him by mid season if he cannot adjust or they can just let him walk freeing up cap space to resign other hopefuls like Trevor Ariza.

The Outlook

I know we have high expectations and why not. With as versatile, deep and motivated team as we have ever had in recent years led by one of the greatest if not the greatest coaches of all time, this team has the markings of a championship dynasty. This year could be something special given they gel the way we know this team can. The western conference doesn't get any easier this year. Houston is a legit contender with Artest and are just as deep, the Hornets have added a nice weapon in James Posey and I look for them to be in the mix all season long with the Lakers. Utah is still a strong team. S.A and division rival Phx may have lost a step or two but are still formidable foes. The rest of the west is better with the emergence of the Blazers and Clippers and teams like Dallas and Denver can be either a hit or a miss. With that said, we still rolled through the west in the playoffs last season short-handed so my real concern is shot at redemption. Boston can always that they may have exposed us but the reality is that Boston didn't face a complete Lakers team and this year barring any crucial injuries, I am hopeful that we can redeem ourselves and if we happen to run into the Celtics again, the Lakers can show them and the rest of the league what a true champion looks like!

Predictions

Record: 63-19 - best in the league.

Andrew Bynum - Most Improved Player

Mitch Kupchak - GM of the year

Kobe will unfortunately not win the MVP, Lamar Odom will probably not get traded but will not get resigned with the Lakers.

The Lakers will dominate in the playoffs and will redeem themselves in a rematch vs. Boston as they will beat them 4-1 in the Finals with the championship clinching game in Boston. Kobe will win Finals MVP.

Written By VicDaRuler
CBS Spoortsline community member