PRACTICE REPORTS
From NBA.com: While there’s plenty of video from Monday’s practice in this Practice Report (Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Ron Artest, Andrew Bynum and Phil Jackson to your right), we also took a look at why the Spaniard is particularly devastating against Utah, what Jerry Sloan and Deron Williams had to say at Jazz practice and what Jordan Farmar was doing with a sixth grade photo of his class … starring young NBA player Derek Fisher.
From Land O’ Lakers: When last we saw Ron Artest, he was riffing in a playful but subtext-heavy way after being told Deron Williams felt he could “exploit” his speed while defended by #37. While clearly having fun with variations of the word “exploit,” it was also clear Artest had fast-forwarded in his mind to Tuesday’s possessions he’ll spend hounding the guy many feel is the league’s best point guard. Well, with 24 hours passed between game 1’s postgame interview and today’s practice, the topic didn’t get spark the same enthusiasm from the former Defensive Player of the Year.
INJURIES
From Kurt over at Pro Basketball Talk: Spring is here – humming birds are buzzing, flowers are blooming, birds are migrating to their summer homes, Andrew Bynum is injured. Every time Bynum makes a play right now, you can see him grimace a little. He will likely need off-season knee surgery to fix a tear in the lateral meniscus of his right knee. It hurts to run, jump, do basically all those things that you need to do to play basketball.
From the Los Angeles Times: Just another day at the Lakers’ training facility, with Kobe Bryant calling his much-discussed photo shoot “a little too artsy,” Andrew Bynum acknowledging he might indeed be injury-prone, and, oh yeah, some other players talking about the continuation of their playoff series against the Utah Jazz. It’s never boring in these parts, even during a seemingly one-sided playoff match-up that moves to Game 2 on Tuesday at Staples Center.
From the LA Daily News: The piercing pain shoots through Andrew Bynum’s right knee each time he pushes off the ground to grab a rebound or block a shot, a sort of jabbing sensation he feels whenever he exerts himself on the basketball court. It serves as a reminder of the inevitable knee surgery Bynum will undergo as soon as the Lakers season comes to a close, the one he is putting off as long as possible in order to assist the team in its quest to win a second consecutive NBA title.
From the LA Daily News: After back-to-back games with 30 or more points, is Kobe Bryant back? “I feel good,” he said Monday. “Very encouraged. Feel very healthy.” In fact, Bryant probably won’t be sound again until some point in the summer, after the Lakers end their season and he gets a good, long rest. It’s the only way injuries to his left ankle, right index finger and right knee will heal properly and completely.
From Yahoo! Sports: Andrew Bynum planted hard with both feet and rose for what usually would be an easy two-handed slam. But with his sore right knee throbbing, the Los Angeles Lakers’ 7-foot center felt like he had a “flat tire” as he barely lifted the basketball over the rim. As Bynum jogged down the floor gingerly, his knee covered by a bulky black brace, he looked like he was running in sand.
From the Press Enterprise: Andrew Bynum knows his right knee is going to bother him for the remainder of the playoffs. The Lakers know that will limit what Bynum can do. Bynum and the team, though, believe they can cope with this, in tonight’s Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinal with Utah and beyond. “It’s not going to change,” Bynum said of the slight tear in the lateral meniscus. “It’s going to be painful. I’m ready to run through that and fix it later.”
From ESPN.com: Andrei Kirilenko has returned for his first full practice with the Utah Jazz since aggravating his strained left calf last month. The Russian forward worked out Monday. He gives himself a 50-50 chance of playing Tuesday night in Game 2 of Utah’s playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers. Kirilenko hasn’t played a full game since getting hurt March 12, and he aggravated the injury April 15. If he sits out Tuesday, he’s almost certain he can return for Game 3 in Salt Lake City on Saturday.
OTHER
From Ed The Sports Fan: Last Friday night, I had the opportunity to take the Shock the World Tour up to The Ford Center, to watch The Lakers-Thunder game. The Lakers ended up with the victory, which knocked the Thunder out of the playoffs, and in the midst of hearing 20,000 people stand and give their team an extended standing ovation, plus watching the youngsters huddle up for the final time, it made me proud to be a fan, and to see a fan base take pride in their team. If only they can stay together, add a piece or two, and get better, then they’ll be a force for years to come, and even contend for a championship.
From High Note Hoops: A lot went right for the Utah Jazz in the fourth quarter. A lot also went wrong. There’s plenty of finger-pointing going around. Here’s how it went down in the 4th quarter. 12:00 73-81 Lakers How the Jazz Got Back in the Game The Jazz entered the fourth down eight points with both teams’ reserves out there. Enter Ronnie Price and Paul Millsap who orchestrated an 8-1 run on short shots, layups, and hyperactivity-under-control from the Jazz backup point man who was grabbing boards and forcing turnovers.
From Both Teams Played Hard: In my Lakers/Thunder preview, I focused on how the long giants of the Lakers’ front line would beast the Jazz’s midget interior. (Respectively speaking here, obviously … 6?8/6?9? guys like Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap are fairly tall.) Well, that’s what we saw in Game 1, both on offense (Pau had 25 points on 15 shots) and, particularly, on defense. The Jazz had trouble simply even passing the ball past around the outstretched arms of Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom (or even when one of those three was “short guy” Ron Artest). This, more than anything else, made the usually-surgical Jazz offense look mostly pedestrian
From DIME Mag: On the eve of the NBA playoffs, I listed 10 players I saw as the biggest X-factors to determine this year’s championship. On purpose, I didn’t include anybody from the Utah Jazz. Truth is, I didn’t think they had a realistic shot at the ‘chip. I was wrong. After knocking off the higher-seeded Nuggets in the first round and giving the Lakers all they could handle before losing down the stretch in yesterday’s Game 1 of the conference semifinals, the Jazz are as much a competitor as anybody else still alive in the postseason.
From the Los Angeles Times: You can look at cold, hard statistics to analyze the compelling, roller-coasterish fourth quarter between the Lakers and the Jazz in Game 1. But that wouldn’t be nearly as fun or as amusing. TNT’s NBA analyst Reggie Miller reached back into his youth and summoned a whimsical and pretty accurate visual from the playground or recreation room. “The Lakers seem to be playing the Jazz like the childhood toy the yo-yo,” he said. “Remember the trick with the yo-yo called ‘Walking the Dog’?
Aaron says
I have been on record here stating this year Lebron has equaled the prime years of Michael Jordan… and there are many similarities, the most pressing being the fact neither had a team around them. Before the season started I couldn’t see the Cavs getting passed the Magic because I can’t see them beating a good team in a 7 game series. And now the Celtics are looking like a good and healthy team. If I were Lebron I would have to go to a place that had at least one good player around me. Mo Williams is an average starting PG (around 15 out of 30) and I would say the same thing about an older Jamison. He needs one guy… that is it. And it will be Bosh or Wade.
robinred says
As I said yesterday, I think the way they are doing this with Bynum sounds like a mistake. If this were the Finals, OK. But not now against Utah with Okur out. My guess is that it gets worse, and he has to sit out in the next series if they get there.
Buttas says
I, for the life of me, don’t know why they don’t just do the surgery now, much like they did with Brandon Roy, and have him back for the next series. This must not be an option, otherwise why haven’t we heard of them at least exploring it?
Rich says
@ Buttas – They have explored the option of Bynum going under the scope the problem is let’s say they find something else that needs to be fixed, once under the scope there is no going back and if anything else is found that needs to be corrected than he may be out for the rest of the playoffs.
If it’s just the tear it could take up to two weeks and by going off his last two injuries each one went past the predicted date of him to return so I’m sure that’s a concern for Drew. He’d rather play through it and do what he can. We went to the Finals two years in a row without Bynum and at least with him playing through the injury we still have a man capable of a 10 & 10 game and last game he nearly had a double double while being injured and that’s good enough for me.
Taylor says
AK out tonight –
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2010/news/story?id=5162239
robinred says
If it’s just the tear it could take up to two weeks and by going off his last two injuries each one went past the predicted date of him to return so I’m sure that’s a concern for Drew. He’d rather play through it and do what he can.
___
The key word there is IF.
Rich says
@ robinred – Drew already stated that his doctor said there would be no structural damage if he continues to play and it’s all a matter of his ability to endure the pain. I know if the pain gets worse than obviously that’s a problem.
However if he continues to play, gets used to the pain then it becomes more likely he could be more effective with the injury than he is just now dealing with the injury. Although we don’t necessarily need him vs. Utah I can understand why he doesn’t want to risk another season of not being a factor in this team contending for a title. I’m sure he’s tired of people stating he’s injury prone and if he can play through the injury than he’s going to do it.
Feel says
Well, if Andrew and the doctors say play through it, then do it. It’s already the conf semifinals and he probably woudn’t be able to help much coming from surgery.
Still, I agree that it would be nice if Phil tries to reduce his minutes as much as possible so that it improves Drew chances of helping towards future rounds.
Darius says
Game 2 preview and chat is up:
http://www.forumblueandgold.com/2010/05/04/lakersjazz-game-2-preview-chat/
T. Rogers says
1) – What more does LeBron need? They have a stock pile of big men. Sure their guards leave something to be desired, but LeBron is a perimeter player. He is basically their PG, SG, and SF depending on the situation. They have finished with the best record in the league two seasons in a row. They picked up an All Star forward in Jamison AND kept Big Z. What more do they need? Dwayne Wade and Kevin Durant?
Back to the Lakers: I hate to say it, but Big Drew seems to be injury prone. I wish the young man the best. I just hate to see so much potential strangled away be injuries.