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Laker Games We’re Looking Forward To

Rey Moralde —  August 1, 2012

So as you have seen earlier this week from our man, Zephid, he had a breakdown of the Lakers’ season schedule. As he had mentioned, the Lakers have 16 back-to-backs. Also of note is that the Lakers are starting their schedule out home-friendly as usual; 9 of their first 11 games are at the comfort of Staples Center. And their longest road trip is during that annual Grammy road trip; they will have a 7-game trek out of Staples. I’m just glad that we’re back to the normal, spread-out 82-game schedule so there will be none of those wacky back-to-back-to-backs.

So what games do we have marked on our calendars? I asked the Forum Blue & Gold Crew on what three games they are looking forward to the most. Let me start it off then I’ll have the rest of the guys take it from there.

R.R. MAGELLAN

OCT. 31 @ PORTLAND: We know that the Blazers and their fans always get up for the Lakers. Even though they’re kind of going through a rebuilding phase at the moment, they have their prized rookie point guard, Dame Lillard. He dominated Summer League and I’m curious how he’ll do on his very first NBA game. And what a test it’ll be for him.

FEB. 7 @ BOSTON: It’d be kind of silly if we DON’T have this marked on our calendars. We know how this goes. Lakers Vs Celtics. And this will be their first meeting of the season (they meet again on February 20). It’s a revamped Laker team against a revamped Celtic team. They may no longer have that “Big 4″ but they still have Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo. And they now have Jason Terry, who has climbed his way amongst the ranks of “Laker enemies.” Either of these teams haven’t won a title since 2010 but that doesn’t make this game any less compelling.

APR. 7 @ L.A. CLIPPERS: This is the final meeting in four games between these Los Angeles teams but this one is deep into the season and can have some major playoff implications. I expect the Clippers and the Lakers to fight tooth and nail for playoff positioning and the division championship throughout the year. And with the rivalry only growing, this is a must-watch for me.

Okay, dudes. Take it.

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ZEPHID

DEC. 7 @ OKLAHOMA CITY: The Lakers first return trip to the place where they got knocked out of the playoffs last season. How will the old, new-look Lakers match up with the young, same-look Thunder? Who is MWP going to foul hard in the first 10 seconds to set the tone?

JAN. 30 @ PHOENIX: Steve Nash’s return to Phoenix. How will the Suns crowd receive him, and will Kobe continue to put on a show against the Suns, even with 100% of those SSOL Suns gone?

FEB. 20 v BOSTON: In the first game back after the All-Star break, will the Lakers look sharp for the stretch run against their hated rivals, or will they come out lethargic? Who is MWP going to foul hard in the first 10 seconds to set the tone? (Who am I kidding? We all know it’s gonna be Paul Pierce.)

DAVE M.

NOV. 2 v L.A. CLIPPERS: I would have had a Friday night game against the Clippers penciled in anyway but there’s the matter of Lamar Odom and Grant Hill. I’m always intrigued by player dynamics, old friendships, history, rivalries, whatever. Here, it’s more than that – it’s Lamar coming off a train wreck of a season with Dallas and returning to the team that drafted him, and memories of his younger days with Brand, Maggette, and the Kandi-man.

DEC. 7 @ OKLAHOMA CITY: By this point, the weather will be getting nice and chilly, and another great Friday night match-up for a nationally televised game. Any game against the Thunder will be one to watch this year. They’re an elite team, they stand in our way, they have been denying us, and this one will be on their turf. We get to see what we’re made of here.

APR. 14 v SAN ANTONIO: This is all the way at the tail end, the second to last game on the schedule. Anything can have happened by this point. It could easily be one of those games where Pop rests his starters but we won’t know the playoff implications until we get there. I always look forward to the Spurs match-ups; there’s a lot of history, veterans against veterans, and watching Popovich coach is one of the great joys in basketball for me.

J.M. POULARD

NOV. 23 @ MEMPHIS: The Lakers will face their first true physical test at the Grindhouse on the road when they take on a tough and physical Grizzlies team that features too bruising big men in Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. It may be an early season game, but this will be one of the team’s first big tests of the young season and it will give Mike Brown a semblance of idea to how his roster responds to a a team whose identity is all about hustle.

DEC. 13 @ NEW YORK: Kobe Bryant has very few years left in the league, which also means that his trips to Madison Square Garden are close to coming to an end. With Spike Lee in the building as well as a passionate Knicks crowd, expect Kobe to have a game to remember at the Garden.

JAN. 20 @ TORONTO: Steve Nash makes his lone appearance in Canada when the Lakers travel to take on the Toronto Raptors. For whatever reason, the Raptors have had a knack for playing well against the Lakers at the ACC but have seen Kobe burn them repeatedly down the stretch of games. Combine that with perhaps some mixed reactions from the fans in attendance about Nash picking Los Angeles over Toronto — an easy decision really — and, well, we have something close to resembling a playoff setting.

PHILLIP BARNETT

OCT. 30 v DALLAS: There are few things I love over the course of an NBA season than opening night. As someone as consumed with the NBA as much as I am, the off-season always makes the days move at a snail’s pace. It’s not the most glamorous Opening Night game, but it’s a return to hoops and hopefully the beginning of another title run.

FEB. 5 @ BROOKLYN: It’ll be the first time the Lakers play in the new Barclay’s Arena against the New Je… er Brooklyn Nets. I’m not as interested in the matchup as I am in the newness of the arena and the jerseys.

FEB. 14 v L.A. CLIPPERS: We saw how chippy the Lakers/Clippers matches were last season, this year they’ll get to play on Valentine’s day for the collective heart of the city (cue Jay-Z). Point God v. Point God. Blake Griffin trying to murder the Lakers front line. Kobe. Staples Center. Divisional positioning. What more could you ask for?

EMILE AVANESSIAN

NOV. 2 v L.A. CLIPPERS: Finally!

Lamar Odom once again playing home games at Staples Center. Steve Nash and Grant Hill back under the same roof. Sort of. The two best point guards of the past decade – both acquired via trade by the Lakers, one successfully – squaring off for the first time as residents of the same building.

At long last, pro basketball in L.A. has some storylines to follow.

DEC. 13 @ NEW YORK: C’mon now! It’s New York! The city that never sleeps, Rucker, Spike Lee, the Mecca… seriously, how many opportunities does one get to grapple with a solid #7 seed, in front of 18,000 Finals-priced seats- before Christmas?

(Yeah. I’ll be in one of them. Sigh.)

Plus, our almost-40 point guard can smoke their almost-40 point guard. So that should be fun.

JAN. 30 @ PHOENIX: Barring a disappointing effort from the Lakers (crazy talk, I know, but humor me), the drama should not extend too far past the opening tip. That said, for as long as this contest is close, it will be must-see TV.

One of the greatest and most beloved players in franchise history, returning to the floor he so artfully ruled for nearly a decade, to the fans he repeatedly refused to leave in the lurch. Unfortunately for the locals, there’s not a uniform they’d less like to see him in.

As giddy as I am to have Steve Nash on the Lakers, my heart will go out to Suns fans during this one.
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So what games are you guys looking forward to the most? Discuss!

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Interview With Lakers Assistant Coach Chuck Person

Rey Moralde —  July 14, 2012

After the game between the Lakers’ summer league team and the Golden State Warriors (the Lakers looked like a disaster but, hey, it’s Summer League!), we talked to Lakers assistant and summer league coach Chuck Person about a few topics.

FORUM BLUE & GOLD: The key young guys like (Darius) Morris and (Andrew) Goudelock. What do you need for them to improve?

ASST. COACH CHUCK PERSON: They need to come out and slow down. Obviously, the summer league guys come out and they’re frantic with their breakneck pace. We need to have them slow down, see the game, make the right play, make the right pass, and then defend. The one thing that a Mike Brown team does is we defend so we need to make sure they do that first.

FB&G: Do you expect them to be contributors on the bench next year?

PERSON: Well, there’s an opportunity. We have a core group that we play with but there’s a chance for a guy like Goudelock to come in… Christian Eyenga… and Darius Morris to get some minutes. If they come out and do the right things and impress Mike and our staff, I think they have a chance to play.

FB&G: What was the biggest problem last season?

PERSON: Down the stretch, we didn’t score the ball like we thought we could. We only shot 42 percent in the playoffs and our defense struggled a little bit, at times. For the most part, we played okay. We just ran up against a tough Oklahoma City team.

FB&G: And, lastly, Steve Nash. You have to be excited for this one.

PERSON (smiles): Well, one of the greatest point guards of all-time. He knows how to run a team. He can facilitate very well and he can make threes. So we’re looking forward to having him our team and being able to get more guys involved in our offense.

We’d like to thank Coach Person for his time as well as Lakers’ PR John Black for letting us have access.

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Lakers/Thunder (Game 5): The End

Rey Moralde —  May 21, 2012

Box Score: Lakers 90, Thunder 106
Offensive Efficiency: Lakers 94.7, Thunder 111.6
True Shooting %: Lakers 55.7%, Thunder 55.5%

Ya know… I don’t even know how to start this as I have the unenviable task of writing this Game 5 recap. I’m going to be all over the place (I’m probably not even going to make sense) and I’ll try my best to be my usual upbeat mood. But it’s tough when your favorite team gets eliminated from the postseason.

And that’s what happened today to the 2012 version of the Los Angeles Lakers. After quite the rollercoaster of a season, the Lakers’ campaign is done after losing Game 5 to OK City, 106-90. Yes, there were times when the Lakers outplayed the Thunder… and we even had fleeting hope that they could pull off the upset series win over Oklahoma City. But the difference between a good team and an elite team is that they make the big plays under pressure. And that’s what the Thunder did when they snatched away Games 2 and 4 against the Lakers.

In this game? At times, it seemed only Kobe Bryant (42 points… and he was killing himself in this game carrying the team on his back) wanted to go to a Game 6. Andrew Bynum’s selective focus this game basically summed up his year: all-world center at times… and goofy space cadet at other times. It’s frustrating but we all put up with it because he was so friggin’ good. Pau Gasol had an otherwise good game (14 points, 16 rebounds, 3 blocks) but they seemed to have little impact on the overall game itself. Metta World Peace tried hard on both sides, too (11 points) but it was amazing he only had five shots. The flagrant foul was a bad call but, ultimately, that’s not what lost the Lakers the game as bad calls happen throughout each game.

Ramon Sessions, aside from having a couple of moments in the playoffs (big three-pointer in Game 4 against Denver), never looked comfortable out in the bright lights, including tonight. This is where we appreciate guys like Derek Fisher (who is doing decent in the postseason) because they’re not afraid of those moments. Steve Blake was invisible today after having an up-and-down postseason. Jordan Hill, at least, showed some hustle and life that you wished you saw out of the other bigs.

Mike Brown did all he could. Yes, we all wished he could’ve made better in-game adjustments but no coach is perfect. He did what he could with the talent and as far as I’m concerned, he did a good job taking the Lakers to the second round of the playoffs. If it’s any consolation, this group won one more game in the playoffs than the group from last year.

Oklahoma City Thunder showed why they’re a great team. Kevin Durant (25 points, 10 rebounds) is cold-blooded. The scoring champion seems to get 30 at will and is the most dangerous player with the ball in his hands in the waning seconds of a game. Russell Westbrook (28 points) is the guy that keeps the Thunder afloat or within striking distance. He was so phenomenal in this series, hitting big shot after big shot. And James Harden did all the little things off the bench. Kendrick Perkins (11 rebounds) did a great job battling Andrew Bynum and Serge Ibaka (3 blocks) was awesome with his help defense and protecting the rim. They’re going to have one hell of a battle against the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.

As for where the Lakers go from here? We’ll have weeks and weeks to dissect that. But we should keep this in mind.

Kobe Bryant is 33 years old. He just finished his 16th season. I know some of you are irritated by some of his on-court decisions but we are watching one of the greatest ever to play this game. Let’s appreciate him while he’s still here because one day, that day will come and we’re all going to miss him. Kobe Bryant is truly the ultimate warrior. With him on your team, you always seemed to have a chance to win the game.

As far as the Lakers go? We should be happy that the Lakers are always in the hunt for the championship. Yes, the Lakers have 16 NBA titles but each and every one of them are earned. We have to realize how hard it is for teams to go after an NBA championship. Only one team wins it every year… and there are still some franchises and players that haven’t won one. Teams like Phoenix and Utah have been around forever; those teams haven’t won championships. Great players like John Stockton, Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, Elgin Baylor, and Charles Barkley haven’t won a ring. Let’s not take this team for granted, guys (though you kinda wish that certain players didn’t take it for granted, either).

Thanks to all of you that have gone to this site for some Laker talk and, on a personal note, thanks to all of you that read my goofy and unfunny recaps. I enjoyed doing them and, hopefully, Darius thinks I’m good enough to do some more writing on this wonderful site next season.

In the meantime, be safe out there. After all is said and done, remember that this is still… just a game. Let’s not do anything drastic just because our favorite sports team lost.

Have a good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

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Lakers/Nuggets (Game 7): Temporary Relief

Rey Moralde —  May 12, 2012

Box Score: Lakers 96, Nuggets 87
Offensive Efficiency: Lakers 112.9, Nuggets 102.4
True Shooting %: Lakers 51.0%, Nuggets 47.2%

Say it with me, everybody.

WHEW!

As a basketball fan, it was one hell of a game. As a Laker fan, it was like taking the test for your driver’s license. Yes, there were some rolling stops on the way. Yes, there were times when the game was going too fast or too slow. But in the end, they passed. The Lakers are going on to the second round.

There are a lot of “who would’ve ever thought” moments in this game. And for the Lakers, they were good moments. First off, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol finally got on Team Bring it and had monster games. Pau had 23 points, 17 boards, 6 assists, and 4 blocks. He was phenomenal. HE WASN’T SOFT TONIGHT. Bynum brought the pain (but don’t do it literally on other players, please) with 16 points, 18 rebounds, and 6 blocks. Pau and Bynum combined for 20 offensive rebounds although they were killing a lot of bunnies out there tonight. Bynum could’ve shot better (4 for 15), sure, but all we asked from him was effort and he brought it. Pau shot a decent 9 for 19 and made some clutch freethrows. Well done, big men.

Steve Blake! He brought his Daniel Bryan self and came up huge with 19 points off the bench (YES! YES! YES!). He was NOT hesitant like he was most of the year and shot 5 for 6 behind the arc. That’s how you handle the pressure cooker, Ramon Sessions. Hopefully, Sessions knows better in the next pressure-packed game.

The return of Metta World Peace was huge. He played fantastic defense everywhere (Danilo Gallinari was 1/9, Andre Miller was 1/10, Corey Brewer was 2/9) and provided timely perimeter jumpers. MWP had 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2 blocks. Just in time, Ron. Just in time.

Kobe Bryant played like a classic point guard (17 points and 8 assists). He didn’t shoot extremely well (7 for 16) but he did his best to get everybody involved. It was a pleasant surprise since I thought he would come out gunning. But his presence got open shots for his teammates. And in the end, he put in a 3-point fatality to put the Lakers up 8 with 48 seconds left. We just all love it when Kobe drives stick-shift because you know he can handle the clutch.

Denver wasn’t going to go away easily. Ty Lawson is one hell of a player. He finished with a 24-5-6 line and took over the 3rd quarter. As much as we start punching walls (I hope you guys don’t punch glass) when the Lakers lose big leads (Lakers were up as many as 16 points), we gotta give credit to Denver’s resolve. Our favorite Ninja Turtle, Leonardo, er, Al Harrington scored 24 points was big for the Nuggets also. Good thing, he turned to Michaelangelo in the 4th quarter because he started chucking early in the clock in hopes of recapturing the lead.

Denver and Lakers both shot 35 for 89 (39.3 percent). That’s how close the game was. But again, we gotta give credit to Denver. That’s a pretty damn good team… and I admit to have underestimated them. Watch out for them in the next few seasons.

Good thing that the Lakers won or I would’ve been the most upset ever since Zack and Kelly broke up in Saved By The Bell. So I guess Mike Brown won’t be fired tomorrow, right (I never really believed he was going to get axed, anyway)? Anyway, we can enjoy our Saturday nights; there’s still time to go clubbing for us West Coasters.

NOW we can all focus on Oklahoma City. But in the meantime, I’m just going to go have a few more beverages. Cheers, everybody.

By the way, Siri, did the Lakers win?

“Yes, they did.”

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Lakers/Nuggets (Game 6): Full Of Vomit

Rey Moralde —  May 10, 2012

Box Score: Lakers 96, Nuggets 113
Offensive Efficiency: Lakers 101.1, Nuggets 118.9
True Shooting %: Lakers 53.0%, Nuggets 59.6%

Well, before the game, Kobe Bryant was said to have a stomach ailment. Everyone and their mothers and pets immediately compared this to the Jordan Flu Game of 1997. Never mind that this is a first round contest while Michael did this in the Finals.

The game was sick. And Kobe was sick.

Both literally.

The box score really doesn’t indicate on how bad the Lakers played. The Nuggets KILT the Lakers tonight. Not even KILLED. KILT. The final score doesn’t indicate how bad it was, either. Granted, the Lakers had a chance to do something after halftime as they were only down nine. But nope. Ty Lawson was running circles all over them. And he was making pretty much everything (well, nearly… 13/18 from the field and 5/6 beyond the arc for 32 points). But even still, the Nuggets could’ve started Vicki Lawson from Small Wonder and the Lakers would probably get smashed.

The effort of the Lakers? Pretty much pitiful. I feel like I bring more effort to toasting bread than what the Lakers brought in Pepsi Center *sips Pepsi* earlier. Only Kobe seemed to bring it… and HE’S THE SICK GUY that was pretty much ready to throw up all over the bench or maybe Andrew Bynum’s fro. Speaking of Bynum, he was bullied by the Nuggets bigs. Even if JaVale McGee didn’t have a big game due to foul trouble, the others picked up the slack. Once again, don’t be fooled by Bynum’s 11-point, 16-rebound, 4-block… “effort.” He seemed to be loafing a lot of the time and I’m quite surprised he was able to get those numbers (seriously, you can’t defend his performance tonight). Imagine if he was actually following his note to himself after Game 1.

This is the worst game I’ve ever seen Pau Gasol play. He, too, was getting bullied by the Nuggets. His line DEFINITELY tells the whole story. 1 for 10. Three points. Three rebounds. People tweeted me that last year was worse… but Gasol never scored less than eight points in a playoff game last year. THREE POINTS. THREE REBOUNDS. Those stats alone tell the story.

Ramon Sessions played scared. He’s had so many open looks as the Nuggets treat him like he’s Rajon Rondo. When he penetrates, he’s fine. But the Nuggets are daring him to shoot the perimeter jumper and he’s like a teenager who has never touched a girl ready to go on his first date. Ramon has stage fright and he HAS to get over that VERY SOON.

Matt Barnes still can’t make a shot (2/8). Devin Ebanks is, well, Devin Ebanks. Steve Blake is just about what you expected (but, hey, he didn’t turn the ball over?). At least, it looked like Jordan Hill tried (8 points, 6 rebounds) but he’s not enough help for Kobe. Kobe should be commended for even going out there and playing his ass off (31 points, 13/23) but it’s obvious that he needs more help. And the bigs failed him.

The Nuggets, meanwhile, have confidence that is absolutely sky high right now. Kenneth Faried outhustled everybody the entire game (16 points and 11 boards). Danilo Gallinari is getting a little more dangerous with his outside shot and passed the ball well (12 points, 7 assists). Andre Miller continues to school everyone with his rec league game (12 points). And this was Corey Brewer’s flu game except without the flu (18 points). I wouldn’t be surprised if Brewer gained all of his hair back after this game; he was that awesome tonight.

The Denver Nuggets seem to be clones of Mortal Kombat’s Kano tonight; they absolutely ripped the Lakers’ hearts out. I don’t know if the Laker fan would be more disgusted of watching this game, last year’s Game 4 against Dallas, or 2 Girls 1 Cup. The margin should’ve been 75 at the end of this contest. It was bad. Putrid. Disgusting. Filthy. I wish Kobe did really throw up all over Pepsi Center. And at this point, I’m just doing word vomit so I should end this write-up soon.

The good news? There’s STILL Game 7. It’s at Staples Center. But I don’t blame you for not being so confident about it. After all, the Nuggets beat the Lakers in their house in Game 5. If the Lakers match Denver’s intensity on Saturday night, then the Lakers should be okay. But in this up and down season, we’ve nearly seen everything and I’m sure you guys aren’t going to be surprised if the Lakers do something wacky in their most important game of the season.

Another tidbit? Ron Artest/Metta World Peace returns. He’ll provide some much-needed D and he’ll be unfairly asked to save the Lakers’ season. I honestly don’t know what to expect. Will he give a boost or will he be so rusty that it’ll throw off the Lakers’ chemistry? Oh, hey, joke’s on me! THEY HAVE NO CHEMISTRY RIGHT NOW.

But in a way, this Game 7 is all bad news. The Oklahoma City Thunder (Derek Fisher is giggling like a schoolgirl) are waiting in the wings, licking their lips on what they’re going to do to either the Lakers or the Nuggets. And if the Lakers do advance, how the hell are the Laker guards going to handle Russell Westbrook? Well, we probably shouldn’t even think about that. Remember when I said not to talk about OKC in my Game 4 recap? And then Bynum mouthed off that closeout games are easy? Yeah.

Oh, well. That’s that. I’ve said enough. Go ahead and complain on the comments below. I’m going to go listen to Boyz II Men now.

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