From Kurt Helin, Pro Basketball Talk: Dwight Howard tried to avoid talking about Andrew Bynum when the topic came up, and what he did say what right out of the “NBA cliché handbook.” Bynum on the other hand had no problem talking about Howard and the Lakers. He says he understands Howard’s challenges, because it’s not easy getting used to playing […]
Around The World (Wide Web): Kupchak’s Patience, Nash, Upcoming Trip
From Mark Medina, LA Daily News: This should have marked a time for Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak to enjoy the fruits of his labor. The Lakers spent this offseason acquiring an elite center (Dwight Howard), an elite point guard (Steve Nash), secondary scoring (Antawn Jamison) and 3-point shooting (Jodie Meeks). They didn’t trade Pau Gasol. And, by […]
Around The World (Wide Web): Effort, Energy, Defense
From Kevin Ding, OC Register: Whereas former Lakers coach Mike Brown and the rest of the basketball world would say a great defense will always give you a chance to win, Mike D’Antoni’s Lakers tried Sunday night to prove that his offense-first style can do that, too. Didn’t work.Even with an extraordinary 3-point shooting performance, the Lakers could not […]
Around The World (Wide Web): Kobe, Trade Talks, Hack-A-Dwight
From Dave McMenamin, ESPN Los Angeles: Kobe Bryant is 34 years old. He plays a game for a living. And he does it better than just about anybody else on the planet. It’s easy to forget sometimes. Just kicking back and admiring Bryant’s career seems a little misplaced when the Los Angeles Lakers have cycled through three head coaches in […]
Around The World (Wide Web): Injuries, Energy, Depth
From Ben Bolch, LA Times: Once thought to have too many point guards, the Lakers suddenly could use at least one high-quality backup. They aren’t expected to add any to their holiday shopping list, despite announcing Monday that Steve Blake would require surgery to repair his torn abdominal muscle and miss a minimum of six to eight […]
Around The World (Wide Web): Kobe’s Frustration, Dwight, Dan D’Antoni
From Dave McMenamin, ESPN Los Angeles: For the second time in five games, Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol watched the final minutes of the fourth quarter from the sidelines. Kobe Bryant says Gasol has to take it into his own hands to change that.”Put your big-boy pants on,” Bryant said after the Lakers’ 113-103 loss […]
Around The World (Wide Web): Free Throws, Injuries, and Patience
From Zach Harper, CBS Sports: Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers lost by two points to the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers were a very good team last year and are trying to figure out their way with Danny Granger sidelined for months, so it’s not a horrendous loss by any means. However, the Lakers were at […]
Around The World (Wide Web): MWP, Dwight’s energy, and Phil’s feelings
From Andy Kamenetzky, ESPN Los Angeles: During a recent edition of The Forum, I singled out Darius Morris as the most pleasant surprise of the season for the Los Angeles Lakers. To me, Morris epitomizes an unseen turn of events, given his inexperience and how shaky the kid looked during preseason. If I were to pick […]
Around The World (Wide Web): The Bench, Injuries, Nash
From Mike Bresnahan, LA Times: Chris Duhon walked toward the Lakers’ bench during a timeout, saw a group of reporters sitting nearby and yelled at them. “Second unit!” he said, accompanying it with a wink during a solid in-game run by the Lakers’ reserves. Yes, he has read about it too. The Lakers’ backups have been anything but […]
Around The World (Wide Web): From D’Antoni To Dwight, Tuesdays Edition
From Darius Soriano, Pro Basketball Talk: The last two Lakers games (wins over the Rockets and Suns) have foreshadowed a shift in how they hope to play for the rest of the season. The team that once ground out possessions in the half court has turned up the tempo and blown away the opposition by allowing their […]