Comments on: More Than Treading Water

By: Todd

Todd — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 00:02:30 +0000

Please please please let’s not sleep on the Spurs. So many fans do that every year. Perhaps their D has been a -bit- softer this year….but these guys are like Michael Jordan in their execution and in the fact that Jordan didn’t need to crow about taking out a team’s heart after he did it. He was just matter-of-fact about it. Same with the Spurs. They are ALWAYS dangerous as long as Pop and Duncan are there. And for those who wonder about the supposed ubiquity of ice storms in TX….you really need to visit.

By: Manhas N.

Manhas N. — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 21:29:39 +0000

Not a single word about the reason why we’ve been winning all these games. Can you say KOBE! He has turned into a great leader and best of all he finally understands the only way to win games is to trust your teammates. Even w/o Lamar Odom and KB Kobe still hasn’t had to score an extreme barrage of points to save his team.

Anyways the Laker role players have also stepped up to fill in the gaps of the Laker lineups. Although they’re not greatest natural shooters, scorers or definitely not defenders they play well off of each other for them to get a good enough shot to win the game.

As I see it the Laker should give the Suns a run for their money once all their players are healthy again.

GO LAKERS!!!

By: Kurt

Kurt — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 19:38:14 +0000

Cory, stay warm, drive safe and be sure to post (or email me) some in-person recap notes.

By: Cary D

Cary D — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 19:06:41 +0000

Yep, ice storms in Texas! Strange but true. Just knocked an inch of ice that was peeled to my car. Reminded me of my 8 years previously in Chicago.
Can’t believe anyone on this blog takes what the LA Times says seriously. I think this Laker squad will keep playing well, with a few rough patches (see last week in Memphis and Houston), but for the Times to say we’ll lose more than we win is clearly not seeing this team and their depth. Off to San Antonio!

By: DrRayEye

DrRayEye — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 18:46:31 +0000

With this year’s Laker’s, there is a huge gap between “expectations” and “hope” for me.

Before the season, most analysts predicted the Lakers to repeat 2005-2006 at best, barely sneaking into the first round of the playoffs–if Kobe and Lamar stayed healthy. When Mihm failed to heal and injuries piled up, many experts backed away from these “realistic” projections, saying that the Lakers would be lucky to be a .500 team. Those who expected more were labeled “myopes,” and many real Laker fans kept their hopes inside. We hoped that the Lakers would win the NBA championship this year.

Since the Lakers seemed to be carefully proceeding on a rebuilding program, I could have lived with a .500 or worse record. I liked many things about the team. They were fun to watch. The joy of this year is that the Lakers have been performing closer to my hopes than analyst expectations.

Things haven’t changed yet. This morning’s LA Times seemingly anticipates losses not only in the next two games, but in a large portion of “away” games to come. I can live with it if they are correct. But wouldn’t it be interesting if analysts reminded themselves that this is not the Laker team that their smoke and mirrors crystal ball “realism” predicted at all from the gitgo? The Lakers could lose the next 12 or 13 and drop to .500 ball–but it hasn’t happened yet. Maybe they have hopes too!

By: John (Vancouver)

John (Vancouver) — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 18:22:01 +0000

What? Hold on a second.

Ice storms?
In TEXAS?

By: Cary D

Cary D — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 17:48:53 +0000

Alright fellas, I’m heading to the game in San Antonio tonight. Can’t wait to be there. The weather is really terrible in Central Texas with ice storms and all, but I’ll make it. Hoping that arena is a little barren so i can move up and annoy some Spurs fans a bit. This is a game i really feel we can win, but our defense is the only way to make it happen. The Spurs ride the ebb and flows of a game better than anyone around, very much like the Patriots do in the NFL. All they care about is being in it in the 4th quarter to make a run. They can ALWAYS turn it on. We have to do what the Bulls did and flex our defensive muscles. Then, let our offense carry us to a road victory. These are the games you don’t expect to win, but if we play well, you never know these days with this Laker squad.

By: Craig W.

Craig W. — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 17:05:26 +0000

Richard,
You really hit it on the nose!

When Kobe does it the sporting world just takes it for granted and continues to discount him. It would seem only the players and GMs give Kobe his due.

Certainly not the sportswriters, for heaven’s sake.

Also, us fans; we tend to take Kobe for granted in LA. We just assume a player averaging 28ppg, while a ways from full health, and running the team for his teammates is something we will always have. This ain’t going to go on forever so we in LA just better really enjoy this while we have it.

Go KOBE!

By: Richard

Richard — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 15:35:54 +0000

I told Legler the same thing. How soon they forget. I guess when Kobe does it, it’s somehow routine, but when anybody else gets close to the same thing, then stop the presses and shoot off the fireworks. I love Agent Zero, but come on, be real here. Not since Jordan, my ass. Credit where credit is due.

By: Exick

Exick — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 15:24:27 +0000

Yeah, maybe the Daily Dime crew missed the stretch of 23 games from Dec. 10 to Jan. 31 last year when Kobe averaged over 40 points a game. He scored less than 30 points only 4 times during that run, which means he had 19 games out of 23 where he scored 30 or more. Gil has also scored 30 or more 19 times, the only difference being it’s over a span of 37 games. I’m not trying to take away from what Arenas is doing, but how can one’s memory be so short that you can say you haven’t seen a scoring spree like that since Jordan when you JUST saw one a year ago that was even better?