From Ramona Shelburne, ESPN LA: Don’t get too used to Kobe Bryant as the Lakers’ point guard. Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni said Monday that Jordan Farmar would “probably” start at point guard when he is able to return to the court. Farmar has missed five games after suffering a torn left hamstring in a December 1 loss to Portland, but has already resumed shooting and basketball-related activities. He will be re-evaluated after the Lakers return from their four-game road trip on Wednesday.
From Drew Garrison, SB Nation: Pau Gasol had a down year in his first season under head coach Mike D’Antoni. Some players enjoy bounce-back years after spending a summer rehabbing and preparing for a fresh start. Gasol has not. Instead, he’s shooting a career-low 42.8 percent from the field on a career-high 16.8 attempts per 36 minutes. Pau’s nosedive last season has only become steeper, and the tension between D’Antoni and Gasol is firing back up one cryptic quote at a time.
From Corey Hansford, Lakers Nation: Anytime Kobe Bryant goes to the ground, the entire Lakers fan base collectively holds their breath. Bryant went down holding his knee in the third quarter after appearing to hyperextend it while attempting to drive around Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen. While Bryant did eventually return to the game, he could be seen grimacing and flexing his knee throughout the remainder of the night. After the game Bryant, spoke with reporters and explained what happened, via Time Warner Cable Sportsnet:
From Mike Bresnahan, LA Times: If this were college football, it would’ve been the Injury Bowl. The Memphis Grizzlies played without Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, a big problem it turned out, while the Lakers continued to play NBA games without any healthy point guards. When it was over, the Lakers would have been the ones joyfully hoisting a brass trophy of a guy on crutches. Or parading around with a priceless crystal sculpture of a swollen ankle. They outlasted the Grizzlies, 96-92, Tuesday night, adding just enough feel-good indicators to finish their trip with a 2-2 record. Tempering potential enthusiasm, the Lakers played against only one of Memphis’ three solid players, and Zach Randolph had an awful shooting night (seven for 22) at FedEx Forum. But Kobe Bryant had his best game since coming back from a torn Achilles’ tendon and Pau Gasol stepped into the past with a memorable night in the post.
From Dan Feldman, Pro Basketball Talk: Chris Kaman, after doing it with the Mavericks last season, knows playing on a one-year contract comes with all kinds of complications. Before the season, he said: “There’s just so many things that can happen, and the biggest one is that you’re on a one-year deal and you’re worried about it the whole time and it stresses you out.“But you’ve got to just play basketball. That’s what I’ve been doing for 10 years and that’s what I’m trying to focus on doing now.” Easier said than done.
Robert says
Game: Awesome win and desperately needed. Memphis is playing horribly and is depleted, but so what – it was a win on a B2B !
Kobe: Just another gutty performance. He is certainly not at “elite” level yet, but I do believe he is already up to his infamous “25th” level. Hopefully the knee is OK.
From Above: So Kaman is stressed out? What are we doing to alleviate that? : )
MannyP: Your last couple of posts have rocked like a Synyster Gates guitar solo.
Terri: “By acting on the extension its now at least two plus years away.” Keeping in mind – I write the Kobe Alert. BINGO
sufian: We have a ways to go, but we are “probably” on that path (coaching change). Unless the Lakers decide to coast again next year. In which case, as I have said – MD is fine.
Lil pau: I am with you. Ceiling with Kobe? We know where that is. It is not the ceiling – it is called The Wall (2 numbers). We have a few years left however !
5D2: Keep posting. You are clearly a front court player. Your posts hit the target for a very high percentage, and you do not like the system : )
rr: So what’s is going to be? Perhaps we could go to your two team system. We start off with a vintage, slow, menacing tempo, and then bring in the fun bunch for periodic bursts of energy? Did we not do this to some extent during the Bench Mob days?
KenOak says
Great article by Kevin Ding-
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1893309-has-kobe-bryants-love-for-the-game-reached-a-new-zenith-at-age-35
Obviously I can’t speak for the majority of this board, but I love watching the end of this great movie that is Kobe Bryant’s career! The ceiling for this team without Kobe was probably 41-41 and (maybe) a playoff birth. I’ll soak up every single minute that this guy plays because he’ll go down as a top 5 player in the NBA and maybe the best Laker of all time. I’m with Robert- Give me some more contested fade-away 25 footers please!
Glove says
Here is an article about Xavier Henry on Grantland today about his NBA journey.
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/10120670/the-resurrection-lakers-forward-xavier-henry
BigCitySid says
With the current roster, if the Lakers can ever get healthy this season (big if), would the Lakers be better served playing Kobe at 2 or 3?
rr says
Robert,
There seems to be relatively broad agreement that the Lakers are in the “entertainment business” right now. Some people are entertained by Kobe; others are entertained by the D’Antoni’s Devils playing SSOL ball, and in short bursts, it can work. Darius Tweeted this yesterday:
Henry/Meeks/Young/Williams/Sacre: 10 minutes, OEff of 136.1 & DEff of 105.6, 24 points scored, +5.
That group is actually the exact 5 that I suggested as the Chaos Squad, so MDA more or less did this yesterday to some degree–we will see if he makes Farmar the starting 1 when JF returns.
R says
Re: Gasol – I’m thinking the main problem is the guy is simply worn out from all his years playing a long NBA schedule followed by playing for Spain all Summer. Nothing left in the tank.
It’s certainly not because he hits the weightroom too hard …
PurpleBlood says
from the Bresnahan piece:
`Not to be forgotten, this was Bryant’s fourth game in five nights, all on the road.´
___
not to mention the enitre team´s.
I too like rr´s notion of two dissimilar squads being characteristic of our style of play.
To that end, in Greek mythology there exist The Aloadae, two giants who attempted to storm Mt. Olympus, & in some accounts Rome as well. (On a more positive front, the Aloadae were bringers of civilization, founding cities and teaching culture to humanity.)
Despite their smallish stature, for giants of myth that is, their height of 12-feet didn´t stop them form taking on the VIP´s up high on the mount. In the end however, they speared each other going after a fleeing Artemis, who´d changed into a doe to help herself escape, & met their end.
I surely woudn´t mind our Purple&Gold making the likes of the Thunder, Warriors, Spurs or Trailblazers feel like they would really have to hunker down in a playoff series if they had to meet up with us as the basketball embodiments of these two far-out big fellas!
___
As to Memphis being depleted, we need any break we can get, & it isn´t like we´re not;
PGs & someone down low to protect the rim are certainly in need.
Warren mentioned Omer Asik earlier, any thoughts on him?
MannyP says
rr- you are becoming scary with your analysis. Are you sure you don’t work for the NBA?
Robert: Thanks for the compliment (I think it was a compliment?), but I would prefer to be compared to Angus Young 😉
Ken says
These posts are getting way to intellectual for a guy like me.
Only thing a know about is Wine and the Lakers and some would question the 2nd one.
JeffT says
With Farmar at least a week away, does that point to a Xmas return for our point guard? I have been through the pain of a torn hamstring myself, which hobbled me for at least 4 months. It is amazing that these players can even think about returning in just over a month’s time. It is also always a possibility that he could re-tear his hamstring, so he may be gradually inserted back into the line-up.
Mid-Wilshire says
JeffT,
Yes, I think a Xmas return for Jordan Farmar is a possibility (but not a certainty). Even so, that’s kind of pushing it. Hamstring injuries are really delicate things. I had a similar injury in college (I played on the tennis team at Arizona). Luckily, it happened before the season started. But I was still sidelined 8 weeks. I came back successfully and the doctor was amazed at the “speed” of my recovery.
If Farmar returns on Xmas day, that will be a 24-day recovery…which would be truly amazing. My only advice to Jordan would be this: “Be careful. Take your time.” Hamstrings can be very touchy.
That said, when he returns, I expect Farmar to make a big difference.
Tra says
Good point JeffT. While far from a Doctor, it does seem a lil too soon for Farmar to be coming back from a torn hamstring. And even though he said that he wouldn’t, I hope that he isn’t rushing back; seeing that we’re in dire need of a floor general.
Tra says
More Pau news –
http://m.espn.go.com/nba/story?storyId=10159195
Aaron says
Mid-Wiltshire,
Small world. My college roommate played for the UofA tennis team. Graduated in 2004. His name is Paul Rosen.