After a season of colliding changes, injuries, conflict, loss and a monumental loss, this is where we find ourselves – at the crossroads. It’s not the first time the term’s been used for this year’s model and it won’t be the last. But it’s nonetheless true and like the many resets and restarts to this point, it will continue to be true until the team moves in one sustained direction.
The win against the Celtics on Wednesday was great but it was almost more of a catharsis – a necessary, surreal letting of emotion. Tonight, the Lakers face the Trailblazers at Staples. It’s an important game. Portland’s in a nosedive, having lost their last six in a row. The Lakers have actually passed them and moved into 9th place in the west. They cannot hand back that slight accomplishment. It’s way to late for any more setbacks. Forward motion is everything as Jerry Maguire once said.
Kevin Ding from the OC Register asks the unanswerable question; what would Jerry Buss do with Dwight Howard?
Bill Plaschke from the L.A. Times covers the memorial service for Dr. Jerry Buss.
Mike Bresnahan from the L.A. Times examines Kobe Bryant’s confidence and a positive team direction.
Brian Kamenetzky at the Land O’Lakers blog, on the Lakers standing pat at yesterday’s trade deadline.
Mike Trudell for the Lakers blog, takes a look at Dwight and the pick and roll.
Drew Garrison at Silver Screen and Roll, on the latest Raja Bell rumor.
A guy named Dave at SB Nation’s Blazer’s Edge (no relation, I assure you), looks at the tough road his team is facing. Starting tonight.
Arielle Moyal at Lakers Nation recently sat done for an extensive one-on-one interview with Lakers reserve center Robert Sacre.
I always felt that Robert Swift’s NBA career could have and should have gone further. Kelly Dwyer at Ball Don’t Lie brings the story of Swift’s life today.
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After tonight’s game, the Lakers will visit Dallas on Thursday and Denver the following night. They’ll return to Los Angeles for a few nights rest and face the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday the 28th to close out the month of February. Of the games directly ahead, Denver would seem to be the toughest – a back-to-back against a good team on their home court.
We’re in it now, the type of improbable stretch run that is ripe for headlines, metaphors, epitaphs or triumph. Yet for all that has happened and will happen still, there really doesn’t seem to be that much to say – tonight the Lakers play again and we’ll be watching.
Chris J says
Not even Plaschke could ruin the recap of yesterday’s memorial service, which was just outstanding.
The only thing that was a bit strange was the fact that Pau was asked to speak Spanish, since there are so many fans who speak that language. But then the TV coverage inexplicably had some guy interpret his comments back into English for those who watched at home. If the idea was to have Pau address the many Spanish-speakers, why not air his words sans translation?
Craig W. says
There is a Time Warner Spanish station that was also broadcasting the memorial. I bet they weren’t translating Pau’s speech.
Kevin_ says
Lakers have to run off a streak of 8 wins or more to put pressure on the bottom half of west playoff teams. Winning 3 out of 4 won’t cut it with less than 30 games to go. They’ve been 3 to 5 games back basically all season and haven’t put pressure on Houston, Utah and Warriors to win. Lakers have no wing depth and Ebanks is absolutely buried because Metta’s play the last month are cause for benching or back up role at the least. Maybe why the Raja rumors keep surfacing.
david h says
dave m: you had us at hello….as nostalga has a way of bringing us back to the present and business as usual, right?
before we crush dwight howard, i see a lttle something in him that is telling me he’s starting to get it but is afraid to just come out and tell us he’s feeling better for fear of jinxing and/or hearing from the naysayers of his newfound outlook. who can blame him? for now, keep it to yourself and let your play do the talking. to us, it would be loud and clear.
Go Lakers
Darius Soriano says
The game preview is up.
http://www.forumblueandgold.com/2013/02/22/preview-and-chat-the-portland-trailblazers-13/