Smush is mad at Phil — do you think Phil even notices? Nate Jones has a good post up about Smush not really channeling his energy well, expressing the frustration a lot of us have with him. That frustration extends to Phil, the target of Smush’s scorn. Driving in to work I heard an interview with Phil Jackson where he said (and I paraphrase): “We are reaching the end, what could be the last games of Smush as a Laker if he does not step up.†The tone was clear.
(By the way, we knocked TJ Simers around for a crappy interview a few weeks back, so credit to him for a good one with Phil. They touched on his days coaching in the CBA and Peurto Rico, and what he learned along the journey before Chicago.)
No Ray Allen. Maybe the best pure shooter in the game today is sitting out with bone spurs.
That has meant the Rashard Lewis show — he is averaging 25 and 7 in the last 10 games. He’s shooting 53.6% (eFG%) in those games and 38% from beyond the arc. And remember the Lakers had trouble stopping him last meeting, Lewis scored 25, including 6 of 10 from downtown.
Other notes from the last game. Back in November the guard tandem of Like Ridnour (22 points on 9 of 13 shooting) and Earl Watson abused the Laker backcourt.
Plus, the Lakers didn’t take care of the ball, with 22 turnovers.
Kevin Pelton’s preview. One of the brightest hoops writers and statistical minds around runs the Sonics Web site (and does a lot of writing for it). His preview of tonight talks about how the Lakers may have looked better early on than they actually were:
As problematic as the injuries have been, a lot of the difference in the Lakers two very different stretches can be traced simply to whether or not the team has been at the friendly confines of STAPLES. A popular way to account for imbalanced NBA schedules is to take a team’s road wins minus their home losses to find their “+/-.” The graph at left (click to enlarge) shows the Lakers +/- plotted against their record vs. 500. The Lakers never better than +5 by this method, even when they were a lofty 13 games above .500. While they have struggled more than would be expected, the Lakers weren’t playing as well as their record made it appear early in the season.
Pelton also talks about Kobe for MVP, making the case he was probably more deserving last season.
Oh, and he mentions maybe the best reason to attend this game in Seattle if you can: DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad from A Tribe Called Quest spins live postgame in the arena.
What to look for tonight: You tell me. I have no idea what these Lakers will do night to night. But they better slow Lewis or he could put up 50 himself.
Danny says
If Phil takes actions about this, who will start at the point? Farmar, Shammond, or Evans maybe.
Cary D says
Can Ali Shaheed start at point? How do you like that “Scenario”? I so hope he plays Ice Cube’s “It was a Good Day” at the end of the game. He can only do that if “The Lakers Beat the Supersonics” though.
Smush should really be taking this last month as his tryout for a solid contract over the summer from a number of different teams. Now, he’s just making himself look ridiculous. Bad timing all-around for his woeful play and attitude.
Rob L. says
Oh boy. It’s scary to think that now is the time to start experimenting with the starting PG. Then again, given the team’s run in the second half, maybe this is long overdue. Yet it’s hard for me to believe that what the Lakers need is more change in the rotations.
Sanchez101 says
I think a big part of the Lakers home/road split is due to the relative youth of the roster. Young players, in all sports, generally don’t perform as well on the road. That’s the conventional wisdom at least and I can see why that’d be true, although I don’t have the patience or the time to dig up some stats to support it.
I think injuries have certainly hurt this team, but, even then, they were not ‘really’ as good as they looked in the first half. I’m not as dissapointed in this season as many, to my own suprise. I think its because, even if they’re weren’t all the injuries and everything went according to plan, this still wasn’t a contending year. I can’t get worked up over getting bounced in the first round rather than maybe getting bounced in the second round – it doesn’t seem that significant.
This was a good year because Bynum and Farmar showed enough to make you think they could be good starters and Luke Walton broke through as something more than a bench guy. To me, these are more significant developments than whatever the final record will be or might have been.
The only thing I really demand to see this offseason is an effort to improve the defense (no silly Radmonovic-type deals that don’t accomplish anything).
Its hard for me to be frustrated with this team considering I get to watch Kobe Bryant play 80 times.
Kurt says
I think Smush will get the starts for the rest of the season, but play like he did last game and he won’t be on the floor in crunch time. That strikes me as fair, he gets his chance to prove himself.
Kurt says
2. Who would be better as our PG: Ali Shaheed or Ally Sheedy?
Cary D says
6 – Oooh, Ally Sheedy is one tough girl. Any day i remember St. Elmos Fire is a good day for me. That love scene with Andrew McCarthy was kinda gross though.
But I’m sure Ali Shaheed and Shammond Williams will do fine tonight defending the pick and roll.
With no Ray Allen, Kobe’s eyes should be “Buggin Out”.
kwame a. says
Cary D, gotta show you love for integrating the Tribe song and the Cube song into a post that has to have the Lakers winning and Ali Shaheed spininng. nice.
Tonite I think the Lakers do what they did to Sacramento, pound it inside, let kobe attack.
JONESONTHENBA says
If you’re gonna hate around here, you would think you would at least get your facts correct…
Check the thread in kurts previous post where John R. tries to educate me on the salary cap. I corrected him once, then he came at me with wrong information again. I basically break down how the birds rights work to him in as simple terms as possible. John R. is always hating…
Xavier says
off topic comment:
I’ve been talking for longtime about this guy, Ricky Rubio. and it seems americans are realizing what Ricky’s able to do
slamonline had an interview with him few days ago
http://slamonline.com/online/2007/04/the-best-basketball-player-youve-never-heard-of/
I found him 2 days ago at the barbershop, he told me the team he would enjoy the most playing would be the lakers
more over, this summer he’ll be in LA with his family, I dont know if he’ll be attending any basketball camp or just on vacations, but this could be our guy
if west made a great move trading divac for kobe, trading for this guy even if this means trading odom+something go ahead.
but dont hurry, he’s 16, thats 3 draft classes ahead from now…
Danny says
Interesting to see that Smush is playing his regular minutes. I thought with what he said, that Phil would bench him.
AM says
Farmar’s PT is slowly increasing again. He always puts forth the effort on D, but if he can hit his open shots and create shots with penetration like he’s been doing a little bit in this game, his minutes might become more regular. Lord knows he needs the confidence that comes with that.
warren (philippines) says
smush will be re-signed. he will be next year’s back-up PG.
a contract might be around 5M (3yrs) i think. They’ll keep him coz he knows the system. These crap he’s been into now is simply for bidding purposes. Wrong move though.
ian says
I think the sonics traded wilcox for amare and just forgot to get a new uniform.
KD says
Ali Shaheed Muhammed needs to get me doing calisthenics. Yeah, it looks pathetic.
warren (philippines) says
nice to see them get a win from the hapless sonics without ray allen and with shard getting only 9pts.
i hate to bring it up but theyre in for a bumpy ride.
DrRayEye says
It appeared that Phil was holding point guard tryouts on the job tonite. The Smusher got his start and plenty of minutes with worse than usual results: he missed outside shots AND drives, made turnovers, didn’t make steals–not to mention vintage turnstyle defense and flaccid enthusiasm in rare form.
Shammond came in and did OK in the second quarter–but the Smusher got a second chance in the second half–and played about the same as before.
Then Farmar came in at his best and sparkled.
Then they tried Evans for a bit.
Then Farmar came back and closed out the game in textbook team basketball form.
Turiaf helped close out the game–providing intimidating inside presence and timely scoring. He wasz his usual inspiration to his teammates. With Turiaf and Farmar rather than Bynum and the Smusher closing the game out, the Lakers made key stops on defense and facilitated team offense.
We may have reached the turning point that many of us expected in the first half of the season: Turiaf and Farmar playing prime time just bfore the playoffs.
The curse of the Smusher in the last three minutes didn’t happen tonight. He was watching Jordan Farmar’s professionalism from the bench.
Kobe noticed the Farmar difference and expressed appreciation.
I was proud of Jordan–and proud of the Lakers to give him a chance. He was no rookie tonight!
chris henderson says
smush had something like 5 turnovers, and of course we all were watching his effort tonight, and from what I saw, he deserved to be replaced by the hustling farmar. smush looked like he was pouting tonight.
I really hate it when these guys who get paid, in Smush’s case, what…? $900,000 (I know this IS low by NBA standards) but these guys are young, playing a game they love and being paid way beyond anything they could ever concieve of doing outside sports.
Smush needs to spend a day, in the hot sun, working with a roofing crew, for $80 bucks a day.
see what real work is like.
what’s he gonna do when he’s 50, got no skills, and no job, and bored, watching his bank account deplete…
look back and wonder why he didn’t realize he was living the best days of his life, and what did he do? sulk and complain.
go figure.
Farmer has to be our guy, soon.
JONESONTHENBA says
Reading Kelly Dwyer cameos at 1am is what Forum Bluen and Gold is all about!
JONESONTHENBA says
Another replace Smush special…
http://www.aolsportsblog.com/2007/04/07/forget-smush-parker-start-jordan-farmar/
Goo says
You really have to give it to this team…facing one of the worst teams in the NBA without their best player is no detriment to barely pulling out a win
kwame a. says
all of our games are close for the most part. We dont blow too many teams out, whether they are great teams or bad teams, we tend to play them close, that might give us something in the playoffs, but we can’t make the Wilcox’s and Wilkins’ look like ballers and getaway with it.
warren (philippines) says
i still think smushky will be re-signed. as an afterthought from my comment earlier, now 4M in 4years.
better than the hot sun.
DrRayEye says
(13) (23) Warren, you need to stay focused.
A few weeks ago, Jordan Farmar was out of the rotation and Smush was playing entire games. A few months ago, Smush was on the starting team–and mostly subbed out when the second team came on. Early in the season, it was predicted that Smush would lose his starting position to Farmar by mid season. After last night, it is possible that the Smusher’s string of consecutive starts as Laker point guard might come to an end.
With such cross-currents, anyone making the type of specific predictions you make seems to be out of the loop. Smush was given and accepted an almost insulting one year contract as a starting point guard for this year for a reason: he has yet to prove himself in Laker eyes–and no team was apparently there to give him a better offer.
Just a few weeks ago, the popular sentiment was to bring Smush back and beat off competing offers. That sentiment appears to be evaporating.
Tomorrow, the “real” Smush might show up, start, and make some clutch plays. His prospects might change once again.
Unlike you, I don’t believe that Smush understands–or wants to understand–the triangle. I’m certain that he neither understands individual nor team defense. Like many who post in this blog, I’d like to see Smush set up in a different system on a different team in a different role with a real salary.
Stay tuned. The drama is likely to continue for some time.
Maybe you should hoid off on predicting his salary and team AT LEAST until the season is over.
Anonymous says
I think what will really determine his salary is how he plays in the playoffs.
All that ego is worth nothing more than what he’s getting paid now, in my opinion..
TC says
I agree with the guy who said Smush should remember just what his alternatives might have been….I mean, not necessarily him, but how many people dream about having the chance to making a living playing a kid’s game. I still like him, he’s a good kid, but if he continues pouting, well, maybe give him a couple more games and if he can’t improve his attitude, start Jordan. I don’t think Phil could have handled it any better than he has.
Kurt says
Off topic:
Hey, kwame a., Long Beach State has hired Dan Monson, the former Gonzaga and recent Minnesota coach.
Kurt says
The good news: Farmar +9, Turiaf +16, Evans +6. This was a great game for the bench guys.
I’ll take whatever momentum the Lakers can find building toward the playoffs, but they’re going to need more when they role around. Phoenix will be a better measuring stick than Seattle.
Cary D says
Hey Kurt, Kwame A….
“I had the booze, she had the chronic….”
kwame a. says
…”The Lakers (barley) beat the supersonics”.
Kurt- That’s not too bad of a signing. I heard Seth Greenburg once say he thought Long Beach could have been Gonzaga before Gonzaga, now the team has Gonzaga’s architect. Hopefully he can realize the immense recruiting potential Long Beach and the rest of Southern California can offer LBSU. All that said, I wanted Cameroon Dollar, why can that dude not get a shot, he’s gonna be the college Avery Johnson, I got a feeling.
Gatinho says
Too bad Smush played like he was “Bonita Applebum”med
When irt comes time for the Lakers to resign Smush, Jerry Buss should tell him he “left his wallet in El Segundo”…
Lenny Wilkens on the Sonics feed was relentles in his criticism of Smush and his praise for Farmar
kwame a. says
Gatnho- I kinda like Wilkens commentary, he’s a little better than most of the other wahoo’s I hear from League Pass. What other announcers do you like?
KD says
Tomorrow night I’ll show up at 3 AM!
(Linden Boulevard represent, represent-sent
A Tribe Called Quest, represent, represent-sent
When the mic is in my hand, I’m never hesitant
My fav’rite jam back in the day was Eric B. for President.)
Kurt says
You guys amaze me with the Tribe references. We’ll go with Jurassic 5 or something next post.
Kwame, it is a good hire, certainly the best since Greenberg. The alums were pushing for Dollar but for whatever reason the AD went another direction.
KD says
I’m lost beyond that. If it isn’t De La or Tribe, I’m hopeless with the hip and the hop.
Cary D says
kwame a – i like the MSG guys (gus Johnson/Kevin Harlan and Walt Frazier). the SEA guys are considered some of the best. I think our Lakers team is very good as well (unbiased).
the Bulls and Celtics announcing teams are funny in an old-school very biased way. i can watch Heinsohm in BOS all the time and just laugh and laugh at his “Tommy points”.
i don’t like the clowns commentating the NOOCH games and also the Atlanta team. boy, they suck! Steve Smith is a garbage announcer.
i know i am missing a few other quality announcers….
and Gatinho wins the game for his “I left my Wallet” reference with Smush!!!
Kurt says
KD, I found Jurassic because their front man often performed with my favorite LA band, Ozomatli.
chris henderson says
cha lie 2na
KD says
Love J5, watched them/bartended for them live four times; just haven’t picked up anything new from them in five years. I’m ollllld.
If only a Ronnie Lane tribute band would play at the visiting arena during the next team preview, then I could hang all night.