1. Kevin Durant had one of the most effortless 40-point games we’ve ever seen in his last trip to the Staples Center. What can the Lakers change to slow him down today? Dave Murphy: Effortless is right. He’s got the slinkiest game in the NBA. My initial and most ridiculous thought is to live with the […]
Archives for January 2013
Where Are We Now? A Lakers State of the Union
With the nation’s annual State of the Union address approaching, as well as the midpoint to the NBA season, we thought we’d take a moment to reflect. The subject at hand of course, the Los Angeles Lakers and their state of being. This certainly isn’t the team’s finest hour but it is what it is […]
Lakers Win Big Against Jazz In Season Opener 102-84
All preseason Mike D’Antoni had been telling media that for the Lakers to play their best, Kobe Bryant would have to sacrifice some shots and look for his teammates early and look for his own shot within the flow of the offense — and that’s exactly what he did on the Lakers season opening win […]
Preview and Chat: The Utah Jazz
Records: Lakers 17-25 (12th in the West), Jazz 23-19 (7th in the West) Offensive ratings: Lakers 105.5 (6th in the NBA), Jazz 103.6 (12th in the NBA) Defensive ratings: Lakers 103.7 (t-19th in the NBA), Jazz 103.8 (21st in the NBA) Projected Starting Lineups: Lakers: Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Earl Clark, Dwight […]
Friday Forum
Phil Jackson arrived early, a full hour before shoot-around. His tall chair was back where he liked it but he didn’t sit. Instead, he walked out to center court, closed his eyes and took a long, slow breath. He was back and relishing that which lay before him – the path would be long and […]
Around The World (Wide Web): A Team Meeting, Mike D, Two All-Stars, Continued Losing
From Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo Sports: Beyond the personal animus and the uncertainty over Phil Jackson’s willingness to endure the job’s grind, the biggest issue Lakers vice president Jim Buss had with choosing Jackson over Mike D’Antoni as head coach centered on the consequences for Steve Nash. With no use for this point guard in the triangle […]
Preview and Chat: The Memphis Grizzlies
Epic stories are the road more traveled. They are by definition, big. They have great peaks and valleys either real or symbolic. Great expectations in of themselves can represent the higher ground. And the losses in all their many shapes and forms, from injuries to games played to the painful realization of failure, act as […]
Wednesday Storylines
Normally, when the Lakers are, you know, good at playing basketball, I like to call this period of the year the “silly season”. It’s that period of about 4 weeks before the trade deadline when rumors of trades start to pop up, guys are supposedly “being shopped”, and fans get quite thirsty about how the […]
Lakers’ Issues Go Beyond a Benched Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol started a game, for only the second time in his Laker career, as a reserve. The first time could be semi-excused as it was his first game back from concussion after not playing for more than a week. Taking into account the fast paced Miami Heat on the other side of the floor, […]
Around the World (Wide Web): The Woes Continue for the Lakers
From The USA Today: Kobe Bryant couldn’t restrain himself after this one. It wasn’t just that the Lakers lost again. It was how they did it, where they did it, and he was simply seething. He even put out a call to ditch Mike D’Antoni’s up-tempo style and post up more after Pau Gasol got moved into a […]