In a political culture of red versus blue, a sports culture of you versus us, and a general culture of black or white, Kobe Bryant might have been more aptly nicknamed for the areas his career spent the majority of its time in: the ambiguous shades of gray. This season, and especially this week, has […]
Preview & Chat: Lakers vs. Nuggets
Heading into any game between the Lakers and Nuggets, the first note for the foreseeable future should be about the young guards on each side. Unfortunately for fans tonight, though, it looks like Emmanuel Mudiay is a scratch for tonight’s game with a sprained ankle. As I was writing that last bit, the shift in attention […]
Is The End of Kobe Hurting The Future of The Lakers?
Have you ever had that friend who the rest of the group just says: “Oh, that’s just so-and-so.” They’re late for everything; they skimp out on dinner and bar tabs; you don’t trust them with you significant other… But you keep making excuses for them because of what else they bring to the table or […]
Some Thoughts On Lamar Odom
We do this weird thing in sports, where as a player is on their way out, we enjoy poking fun at the aging process right up until they’re gone. Once retirement comes along, then we wax poetic on our fondest memories from throughout their career. We’re seeing it with Kobe Bryant in a basketball sense. […]
Preseason Preview & Chat: Lakers/Jazz, Pt. 2
I’d say second verse, same as the first, but it’d only be because I really enjoy that line. While there was plenty of hype and hoopla surrounding that first preseason game – and for good reason – the actual game was pretty bleh (technical term). he Lakers shot just 29% and while there were plenty of […]
A Few Pre-Preseason Notes
Well, here we are. The offseason has finally passed (kind of) and the Lakers finally play their first live basketball since the summer league. All the pieces we’ve hypothetically pieced together will share a court at last, so here are some things I’ll be looking for. Minutes: If you’ve followed my tweets at all, I’ve […]
One Player, One Skill: D’Angelo Russell, Pull-Up Shooting
As part of a new series here at Forum Blue & Gold, we’re examining a single skill to keep an eye on with players this season. It could be their best quality or an aspect of their game that, if successful, will help the most. The two sound similar, but aren’t exactly the same. For […]
Positionless Basketball An Option For The Lakers
A favorite refrain from Jalen Rose is how positions were added to the analysis of basketball to help the more casual fan understand where certain players belong on the court. It’s an interesting premise that might hold water if plays weren’t designed around players fitting roles based on their skill sets and size (you know, […]
On Roy Hibbert’s Most Underrated Attribute
Many have covered what Roy Hibbert brings defensively. His understanding and implementation of the “Verticality” rule is easily his greatest attribute and is probably the manner in which he’ll improve the team from last season. The reverse can be said about Hibbert’s influence on team rebounding, which is what I’m looking forward to watching most […]
Why 2015-16 Lakers Season Is Most Interesting In Recent Memory
2015-16 features a brand new core, a departing hero and a coach potentially on his last chance. Sure, there are no realistic championship aspirations, but here’s a crazy thought: The upcoming campaign might be the most interesting Lakers season before actual games are played in almost a decade. We all remember that crazy summer of […]