For the season, the Lakers are still 29th in the league in offensive efficiency. Though they have improved a great deal since the All-Star break — they have posted a 106.1 rating, good for 14th in the league for that stretch — they have fallen off that pace since February 26th (103.2 rating since that […]
Kobe
One Last Kobe vs. LeBron Battle
We never got to see Kobe and LeBron compete against each other on highest stage. Their entire careers, divided by opposing conferences, Dwight or Dirk or Timmy or KG always seemed to spoil the match up we longed for most. Instead, we got regular season games, the closing minutes off All-Star Sunday, and them teaming up […]
Preview & Chat: Lakers vs. Bulls
The Lakers are back on the road today, starting a three game road trip which begins in Chicago. As it will be for the rest of the season, every game on the road will be Kobe’s last trip to that city so expect there to be some sort of acknowledgement from that franchise of Kobe’s […]
Links from the Forum: A Weekend to Remember
Happy Monday and President’s Day, folks. Here are some of the best Lakers-centric reads from an incredibly fun All-Star Weekend:
Preview & Chat: 2016 NBA All Star Game
Since he made the announcement, it’s been a gradual sinking in that this will be Kobe’s last year. A tribute video here, a road crowd chanting his name there, and a whole lot of post game pressers with introspective questions and candid answers have followed and the realization that this is it becomes realer daily. This […]
Do You Want to Watch 100 of Kobe’s Best Dunks? Of Course You Do.
The last couple of seasons it’s seemed like every time Kobe dunked he ended up on the injured list. Last year his season famously ended after a seemingly harmless two handed dunk turned into a torn rotator cuff. This season he missed more games after another throw down. Honestly, while some might find ways to make […]
Kobe, Byron Scott Upset Over Loss & Lack of Defense
The Lakers lost their 6th straight game and second in two nights on Saturday, falling to the Blazers 121-103 in Portland. While there were couple of good individual performances on offense, the team, as a whole, played poorly on both sides of the floor. This isn’t new for a team which ranked 29th and 30th […]
On Kobe Bryant: Firsts, Lasts, & Forever
Following Kobe Bryant’s final season has been a bit surreal. After he announced this season would be his last, he has been showered with cheers, treated to tribute videos from NBA legends, and been as well received as he ever has been. Considering this is a guy who has received “MVP” chants in opposing stadiums […]
Kupchak Talks Kobe’s Farewell and the Impact on the Young Players’ Development
When I went about previewing the 2015-16 Lakers, I wrote mostly about the difficult balancing act the team was trying to accomplish with the roster which was constructed. Here is a sampling: On a roster with a mix of young prospects who need development and capable veterans who play the same positions, how do they […]
Thoughts and Trends from the Lakers Last Twelve Games
Twelve games ago Byron Scott decided he wanted to shake up his starting lineup. The move was a controversial one as he demoted Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell — the two players most considered cornerstones of the team’s rebuild and future — from the ranks of the starters to reserves. The young players have said […]