Happy Monday, everybody. The Lakers shot their shot on Sunday and are now world champions (that’s how this works, right?). It hasn’t stopped raining in LA since. Here are your best Laker-centric reads from the week and plenty from Sunday’s win:
- STILL LEARNING: Bill Plaschke with a column on Russell’s maturity slowly, but surely rounding into form.
- SUPERSTAR BUCKEYE?: Bill Landis of cleveland.com posits that Russell can become Ohio State’s first NBA superstar.
- ONE FINAL TIME: Here’s Mark Purdy of San Jose Mercury News reflecting on his first encounter with an 18-year old Kobe Bryant in the Warriors’ former home in San Jose’s SAP Center. Really great work here.
- SPEAKING OF RANDLE … : Broderick Turner on Randle’s strong knack for rebounding the basketball.
- THIRSTY FOR THIBS: Sports Illustrated’s Andrew Sharp ranks the teams that need Tom Thibedeau the most and, as you can assume, the Lakers are high among this list.
Lakers’ Schedule for the Week:
- LA is at home all week and kick off the stretch with a Tuesday, March 8th (7:30 PM PST, TWCSN) matchup versus Orlando before facing Cleveland on Thursday, March 10th (7:30 PM, TNT, TWCSN) in the NBA’s final Kobe v. LeBron matchup. The team closes out the week against the Knicks on Sunday, March 13 (6:30 PM, TWCSN) in the last Kobe v. Melo matchup. The end is near.
Lakerdreams says
This was a great article on SI this morning:
“It’s possible that the past few years have all been a brilliant, stealth tanking job to achieve five objectives: 1) keep lottery picks and build for the future, 2) embarrass Jim Buss into ceding control to his sister, Jeanie, and 3) do right by Kobe, while also 4) showing other stars that they’ll be taken care of, and 5) continuing to generate a ton of revenue throughout the tanking years.
That reading of events probably gives the Lakers too much credit, but at the same time, it’s closer to what’s actually happened than “the Lakers are the dumbest team in the league now.” This has been a putrid few years at Staples Center, but there’s a chance we will look back and call these years shockingly productive. “
Baylor Fan says
The SI quote is clever but a bit too fanciful. So far it is one lottery pick and that had to have been a really cold envelope if the Lakers were “guaranteed” the #2 pick. Jim Buss has not gone anywhere and Jeanie is also part of the current problem. The franchise has been able to milk the Kobe Farewell Tour for every penny he could generate. Players like Pau Gasol also know how well the current regime takes care of their stars. This season does show promise but the off-season will show more about how much the FO values the current players and coach.
Baylor Fan says
The unsung hero for yesterday’s game had to have been Lou Williams. If he was healthy, Huertas never would have had the chance to get playing time with the varsity. Those 9 assists would have been replaced by iso ball and much less ball movement. Huertas showed skills that more reflect his ability than they do any change in offensive philosophy. Who else on the Lakers could make that touch pass in the lane to Bass or direct Nance to a lob dunk over Green? If Kobe was able to play more minutes and Williams was the first guard off the bench, the Lakers may still have won but it would not have been nearly as much fun to watch.
Archon says
If Russell continues to look like a potential superstar AND we end up with a top 3 pick, I think most Laker fans will be able to forgive and forget what’s happened the past 3 years.
I won’t pretend for a second that this all went according to plan though.
P. Ami says
Please, no Thibs. I think he is a great coach but I think his PT distribution is problematic. I think Luke would be a great get. Whatever the depth of next draft, Ben Simmons, in my opinion, changes franchises for the better. He and Russell on the pick and roll would be amazing. Put space makers (shooters) around those guys and you have the makings of a very good offense.
Gary says
If Russell continues to look like a potential superstar AND we end up with a top 3 pick, I think most Laker fans will be able to forgive and forget what’s happened the past 3 years.
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The truth of the matter is that the kids were always a Plan B. The FOs plan of signing multiple max free agent has been such a fail that the team has ended up in the lottery for three consecutive years.
I can remember, three years ago, when John Ireland and Ramona Shelburn were on the radio spewing the company line that drafting was such a crap shoot that the FO would be better served trading a top pick for a vet.