Forum Blue And Gold

A Lakers Blog. Thoughts, reflections, and the odd rant on the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA (even the Clippers).

Fast Break

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Just clearing out the inbox on a Monday morning:

• Updated: Using better math ideas provided by the people at APBR, I have refigured some thoughts along the lines of the passing post below, trying to figure out roughly what percentage of Laker assists went to three pointers last year compared to previous years. Remember, Rudy T.’s offense largely consisted of Kobe or Lamar penetrating then, if they didn’t have the shot or the foul, kicking out for a three. Last season, about 29% of Laker assists went to three pointers, up from closer to 14.3% the last year Phil Jackson coached the team. Even in the championship Laker years the number was never higher than 20.4% (01-02,). While I’ve changed the numbers the point remains the same — when I was saying I was hoping that better Laker passing would lead to a few more easy baskets this season I didn’t mean threes, I don’t consider those easy.

• Every paper in the United States and Europe has now reported Vlade has said he will retire. The Lakers say they haven’t heard anything yet.

• Among the generous offers the New Orleans Hornets have received is one to play their games this season in the Fabulous Forum. This is about as likely to happen as Pat Robertson officiating a gay wedding, but it’s a slow week so it gets mentioned. The offer was extended from the religious organization that runs the facility now (for those that don’t know, the majority of events that take place in the old Forum now are religious services/revival style meetings).

• When New Orleans gets rebuilt, there needs to be a concerted effort to bring back the distinctive feel and style of the old French Quarter and other areas of the city. Having dealt with numerous developers over the years — and with the current trends in building residential and commercial centers — I have serious concerns about the “Disneyfication’ of New Orleans. There needs to be a historical preservation organization deeply involved in the rebuild process from the start.


Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Icaros says

    I’ve heard that the French Quarter didn’t get too badly destroyed, so hopefully there won’t be a ton of rebuilding needed there.

    I agree that modern development and architecture is terrible. Hopefully they don’t turn New Orleans into the OC Block or the new Long Beach Pike. Yuck.

  2. Kurt says

    Icaros, I’m with you on the Long Beach Pike. I had high hopes that would be special, not just more of the same. The Auld Dubliner pub is pretty good, though.

  3. Henry Abbott says

    There are plenty of people doing nice designing and building these days. But you have to have passion to seek them out. I think the key will be to have the redevelopment/insurance dollars entirely controlled by the individual property owners, not amalgamated into some big government sponsored money pot that they will collect bids on from the Bechtels of the world. Big developers know not how to rebuild New Orleans.

  5. Kurt says

    I don’t want to speak for a guy capable of doing that for himself, but let me say — yes, the same guy. Icaros was the first poster ever at this site and this season, as comments pick up as there are more readers and more good commenters, I hope to read more of him.

  6. FirstMohican says

    With Halliburton responsible for reconstruction, I don’t think anyone has anything to worry about.

  7. Icaros says

    Yes, it’s me. I’m glad Kurt remembers me as First Poster. I love the Lakers, but I don’t know as much about the sport of baseketball, so I usually read and learn around here and keep my virtual mouth shut.