Vs Pistons: 111.68 ORtg using 19.15% of Lakers possessions. 38.89% EFG, 47.03% TS

Vs Bulls: 91.59 ORtg using 21.14% of Lakers possessions. 37.5% EFG, 47.17 % TS

I’ll grant you that the Bulls game numbers are merely good, not great. But Kobe had a great game against the Pistons offensively. Yes this is due in part to all those assists, as his EFG and TS were nearly identical in those games.

Also, a 47% TS is low for Kobe, but it does help show that he’s been more valuable offensively than it might seem at a glance. Shooting 47% is a world away from shooting 36%.

Good point KA. Though I love seeing the Lakers play the triangle also uses a 2 man game too. I.E. Passing the ball into a post-up man and the wing (usually a PG/SG) using the poster as a screen who dishes back to the wing for the easy layup. Walton, Evans, and Odom have the strength to run this as well as our centers. The PFs are the only ones who have trouble running this. Even Turiaf. But they spread the floor and reduce the defenders proximity to the paint.

I agree that Bynum needs to get more touches, but the Lakers cannot look at him every time. Farmar and Bynum have a good thing going. Both Summer Camps, Farmar was the only one who could successfully pass the ball in to Bynum and work the 2 man triangle game with him.

That combo needs to share time on the floor as they work together well. I agree with the majority of the posters on this board that you cannot let them start. Especially one without the other!

I agree with Mike on this one. If Lamar had previously been consistent, I would not be concerned at this point. But he appears to be going back into the same pattern (if you can call inconsistency a “pattern”). That would be acceptable from the standpoint of what is needed to complement Kobe offensively, if Bynum, Farmar, Turiaf, and Vlad continue to improve. But from the standpoint of what is needed out of that big a piece of the salary cap, it isn’t enough.

Meanwhile, Jermaine O’Neal is also struggling coming back from an injury. He’s shooting under 40%, is the 4th leading scorer on his team, and just put up 8 and 5 against the Jazz.

Since our bench relies on being skilled basketball players rather than great athletes to be effective their nickname should be reflective of this. I vote for roundballers of unusual skill.

In other words, we should limit Farmar and Bynum to 5 min/game to save them for the last 4 games of the playoffs (or better yet for next season). As a bonus, they will be fresher for those entire 5 minutes, which will only enhance productivity per 48 minutes. Also, imagine if we only put Farmar and Bynum in the game we the other team is resting its good players…that will to wonders for their + – stats. I really see no downside to this strategy.

To all those that think we should reward people that work hard and perform outstandingly by increasing their minutes, thereby reducing the minutes of those that are not as effective and making our team more effective, you know nothing about the nuances of basketball.

My guess is, since Fisher is such a stand-up guy and a real leader, he will eventually voluntarily relenquish the starting spot to Farmar once Farmar has proved himself consistently.

I also have to say I’m a little disappointed in Lamar. I hope he’s just rusty and not in game shape yet, instead of going back to his inconsistent ways. If he does seem to be going back to his incosistent performance mode we should really considering packaging him with Kwame’s expiring contract for a true veteran all-star e.g. Jermaine, Marion, Kidd, etc.

The Lakers would have been in a more celebratory mood if Kwame Brown hadn’t been helped off the court in the first quarter after sustaining moderate sprains in his left knee and left ankle. X-rays were negative, and he will miss at least three games.

Brown will not go on the Lakers’ three-game road trip that begins Tuesday in Indianapolis and concludes with games against Milwaukee and Boston. The ankle in question is the same one on which he had reconstructive surgery in May, although Brown said the knee felt worse than the ankle.