Twelve games ago Byron Scott decided he wanted to shake up his starting lineup. The move was a controversial one as he demoted Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell — the two players most considered cornerstones of the team’s rebuild and future — from the ranks of the starters to reserves. The young players have said […]
Fast Break Thoughts
Lakers Basketball Is Back, Thank Goodness
My longform thoughts on what I believe the Lakers can and will be this year are pretty clear. If you don’t know them, click the link! While that’s how I think things will go, though, that’s not why I watch. Whether my predictions or analysis holds up as the final word of truth isn’t why […]
Fast Break Thoughts
It’s late August. There is no NBA action anywhere in sight. What better time for a hodgepodge of links and notes than now? Onto our latest edition of Fast Break Thoughts… *Yesterday we talked about the pressure D’Angelo Russell is facing as a #2 overall pick and playing for a Lakers’ organization looking for their […]
Fast Break Thoughts: Free Agency Edition
The moratorium has been lifted and free agents are able to sign the contracts they verbally agreed to during the dead period of July 1st through the 8th. If you’re logged onto twitter, expect to see a lot of team accounts posting pictures of players putting pen to paper, making the deals official. We’ve already […]
Quit Trying to Fix the Lakers in One Off-Season
After two consecutive seasons of being one of the worst teams in the NBA, those who cheer for the Lakers are ready for a change. An escape from wondering about lottery odds would be nice. Meaningful games in April and May would be nice. Anything but the awfulness of the last two campaigns would be […]
Embracing the Old with the New
I will forever be fascinated by team building and the construction of rosters contrasted against the direction of the league. How players are grouped and assembled to form a team + the defining style of play of winning basketball will almost always go hand in hand as general managers and coaches look to steal ideas […]
Fast Break Thoughts
The playoffs have been a great mix of high quality, intense games and top flight teams dispatching their more inferior foes unceremoniously. Some might disappointed with the lack of drama the latter brings, but I’m more of the mind that the cream really rises in the second season and if you’re a team that can’t […]
Fast Break Thoughts: The Fork in the Road
There is no better indicator of a season gone awry for the Lakers than what was experienced over this past weekend. On Saturday the playoffs started and rather than participating, the Lakers found themselves at home for the 2nd straight year. This, the fallout from a season that saw them lose their most games and […]
Fast Break Thoughts All-Star Weekend Edition
The Lakers enter all-star weekend with only 13 wins to 40(!) losses. I remember back when Phil Jackson was the coach and the Lakers were competing for a top seed in the conference, his philosophy was to always try to get to 40 wins before getting to 20 losses. The thought was, if you could […]
Happy Holidays from FB&G
The Lakers’ win against the Warriors on Tuesday night was both surprising and fun. The team played with energy, played together, and had one of those nights where their shots were falling at a very nice clip. This allowed the fans to get into the game which only perpetuated the good feelings in the building. […]