A decade after the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list was released, TNT will unveil “The Next 10” tonight. The idea is pretty simple — who are the next 10 on the list. There are some easy ones, guys like Kobe and Duncan who were not in the league (or very young) when the […]
Archives for February 2006
The Waiting Game
One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life. —Chinese proverb Losses like the one to Atlanta remind Laker fans it’s a long way from here (a .500 basketball team) to there (back in the NBA finals while Kobe is still in his prime). It’s not […]
On Tap: The Atlanta Hawks
Record: 15-34 (15-34 Pythagorean), 13th seed in the East (ahead of the Knicks and Bobcats) Record last 10 games: 4-6 (including a win over Detroit) Offensive Rating: 106.5 (16th in league) Defensive Rating: 111.8 (27th in league) The Lakers coming in: They played defense against Utah and they got the win. Oh, sure, they didn’t […]
On Tap: The Utah Jazz
Record: 25-26 (24-27 Pythagorean), 9th seed in the West Record last 10 games: 5-5 Lakers record against Jazz: 1-2 Offensive Rating: 102.7 (28th in league) Defensive Rating: 106.8 (13th in league) Best thing I watched this weekend: Airplane!, which HBO was rerunning. I hadn’t watched it in a decade and I laughed like it was […]
On Tap: The Memphis Grizzlies
Record: 26-23 (21-28 Pythagorean), 7th seed in the West (tied for 6th) Record last 10 games: 2-8 (lost five straight) Laker record against Grizzlies: 1-2 Offensive Rating: 105.1 (21st in league) Defensive Rating: 103.1 (3rd in league) Where does Kobe get his points: Last time the Lakers played the Griz, Kobe had 45 points, almost […]
Gary Payton Is An Ass
Things that are making me angry this morning (aside the lack of coffee): Remember how the original trade with Boston in 2004 that brought us Chris Mihm and Chucky Atkins was supposed to include point guard Marcus Banks (for Payton and Rick Fox)? But then Payton flipped out and threatened not to report, so the […]
Fast Break
Some thoughts from last night, including the Grammys: • Is there a more confounding team in the NBA than the Lakers? They get crushed by the Hornets, a team they should beat. When you think they should fold in the second game of a back-to-back at the end of a long road trip, they come […]
On Tap: The Houston Rockets
Record: 17-29 (Pythagorean 14-32), 14TH seed in the West Record last 10 games: 6-4 Laker record against Rockets: 0-1 Offensive Rating: 103.3 (27th in league) Defensive Rating: 105.3 (9th in league) The Laker reserves suck: It showed in Dallas and it’s a surprise to nobody. Lakers starters are shooting 46% on the season, reserves 39.5%. […]
On Tap: The Dallas Mavericks
Record: 37-10 (Pythagorean 37-10), top seed in the West (tied with the Spurs) Record last 10 games: Freakin’ 10-0, they’ve won 11 straight Laker record against Dallas: 2-0 Offensive Rating: 113.2 (2nd in league) Defensive Rating: 105.5 (12th in league) About the Mavericks: The best team in basketball the last couple of weeks, and they […]
Exposed Weaknesses
I’m back, and for the record Maui doesn’t suck. We had to suffer though what the Hawaii local TV weathermen called a “cold front†— the high temperature dropped from 85 down to a bone chilling 81. But we survived. (As much as I’ve mocked LA weathermen in the past — see Steve Martin in […]