Forum Blue And Gold

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

Friday Forum

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We all knew this could happen someday. We might have scoffed at the notion or pointed out the vast historical disparity. And some of us will still reason that it’s early, that fortunes can change, that win streaks and loss streaks and injuries and numerous other basketball reasons can influence the long grind to the finish line. What we can’t argue however is the simple purity of numbers – the Los Angeles Clippers have the best record in the NBA and are riding a 15-game winning streak. Ball don’t lie, folks.

As for the Lakers? The bumpy road continues, from news of Pau Gasol’s plantar fasciitis to questions about Dwight Howard’s will to win. None of us really knows what the future holds of course, except there will likely be a lot more questions and speculation before this thing is done. Unless we somehow win another ring of course – and then life will be truly bitchin’ and we will have fooled Father Time, once again.

In another of his great Beast or Burden posts, Ben Rosales at Silver Screen and Roll looks at Kobe, Nash and D-12.

Brett Pollakoff at ProBasketballTalk reports on Dwight Howard’s fine for the flagrant two on Kenneth Faried.

Eric Pincus for the L.A. Times previews tonight’s match-up against the Portland Trailblazers at Staples Center.

Arash Markazi at ESPN’s Lakers Index brings us Charles Barkley’s assessment of the Lakers’ chances (if you want the cliff notes, “old, slow and (unathletic”).

There’s been a lot of chatter about the possibility of Phil Jackson filling the new Nets vacancy. Matt Moore at CBS Eye on Basketball says it would make more sense to go with B-Shaw.

In the wake of the loss to Denver, Jabari Davis at Lakers Nation looks at the positives.

***

Tonight’s game against the visiting Trailblazers looms large. Portland’s a game ahead of the Lakers in the standings and they’d like to keep it that way. Meanwhile, the league leading Clippers will be up in Utah, looking to extend their streak. If I’m betting, I’d look for the Lakers to be fired up for a Friday night home game, with Steve Nash setting lots of screens and helping to orchestrate a win. I’d also bet on another Clippers win which would keep them nine games ahead of their cross-hallway rivals. The season wasn’t supposed to go like this, was it?


Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. david h says

    dave m: the mayans were correct; the world has ended and we’re living in someone else’s dream. how else to explain laker plight and clipper might?

    so until chicken little or was it henny penny (one of the same) who proclaimed: the sky is falling; it hit me on the head are we going to be scratching ours until laker world as we know it reverts back to laker world as we know it. until then, you are correct, lakers will come out strong tonite and put forth a strong effort in defeating the visiting trailerblazers from portland. sounds strange doesn’t it? so does the clippers providing the same storyline game in game out. it’s fascinating and a dilemma at the same time.

    Go Lakers

  2. david h says

    dave m: on reflection, one can clearly see that the clippers are doing a tremendous job in both effort and guile both on and off the basketball court. saying the right things, doing the right things and trying their best not to jinx their present situation: best record in the nba and all is well in clipper nation.

    question on everyone’s mind: can and how soon can the lakers turn this thing around and start looking and sounding like the clippers? can’t believe i just said that but we all know, begrudingly this is true.

    time to do some electric slide everyone. it’s friday!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOXdAOPp3uY

    Go Lakers

  4. Robert says

    Clippers: One thing New York has right, is the way their fans handle the multiple team thing. If you are a Mets fan, you hate the Yankees. If you are a Giants fan, you hate the Jets. Even the rich Russian knows this and is trying to create as much rivalry as possible between Brooklyn and the Knicks. It is as it should be. So if any of you are referring to the Clippers as your 2nd favorite team, or if you plan to start rooting for them if we get bounced, then you do not have that in common with me. I despise them. We play them in 3 games so make like a New Yorker and build up some distaste for your intra-city rival.

  5. Dave Murphy says

    @Feel – unfortunately, my Spanish skills are next to non-existent but I kind of got the basics of the article. Thanks for linking it.

    #david h – yeah, 15 in a row. The way things are going, the Clips may just forget their place in the hierarchy and decide to go all the way. I know, it’s crazy-talk, right?

  6. Dave Murphy says

    @Robert – if that’s the case, we’d better manifest our Clipper hate by beating the Trailblazers tonight. Because every time we lose, we’re handing another win to our hated cross-hallway rivals.

  7. jerry ross says

    Man – why hate the clippers? they have some laker’s leftovers and they are doing well. Plus – the FO put this old team together and hired MB, then Dantoni. I’d much rather see the clippers win it all than miami or boston. ughh!!!

  10. Scott says

    LA is not NY. Different vibe, different attitudes. The Clippers are fun to watch and have promise. People come to La-La land to shuck away their pasts and start over. No reason the Clips can’t do the same in the CP3 era.

    From a Laker perspective, the only rival that counts are the Celtics–the big picture of who boasts the most championships. If the Clips win it all, good for them! All the increasing hatred that Laker fans are giving the Clips is becoming, ironically, a sort of respect for them.

    If I have a grudge, it’s against Stern. I count CP3 as one of the 5 ex-Lakers that are helping the Clips win right now.

  11. Dave Murphy says

    Scott & Jerry – I think you’re right, actually. The Clips have been snake bitten forever, it’s good to see them finally enjoying some success.