The 2006-07 Los Angeles Lakers thread
- Thread starter Brian in Mesa
- Start date
Andrew Bynum's greatest attribute is that he plays with the ball high above his head. He doesnt make the asinine mistake of bringing the ball down to his waist before going to the rack like so many other young players do.
OP
OP
It's great to beat up on the team with the best record in the league!
It's great to beat up on the team with the best record in the league!
Be ready BIM, Laker haters will be quick to point out that the **** are on the ass-end of a back to back.
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No comments could bring me down after seeing the play of some of the younger players. Bynum of course, Farmar just nailed a three, Evans is playing great, etc. Great to see so many players (besides 24) making plays.
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Another 3 by Farmar !
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OP
Renz
An Army of One
The Lakers still get all the calls.
At least this guy has it right. Lakers get the calls because they drive. You arent going to get cheap whistles outside 10 feet.
What a read...
Kobe sends 52 messages
By Ric Bucher
ESPN The Magazine
Assigned to run point on the Daily Dime, I went in hoping to write about something or someone other than Kobe Bryant. Before tipoff, I thought maybe I'd look at the Jazz's oddball Andrei Kirilenko-Mehmet Okur-Carlos Boozer front line and how it's still not an ideal configuration, no matter how many games they won out of the gate. (And how their 2-3 record since Kirilenko returned from injury is an indication.)
Or maybe I'd write about Derek Fisher and how he really didn't want to go to Utah because his wife had just had twins at the time of the trade and he didn't know if he'd be buried on the bench behind Deron Williams and Dee Brown.
But then the Lakers got a head of steam and under a semi-directive to write about the winning team, I thought maybe I'd go with Luke Walton, who airballed an early J and next touch buried a 3, something he couldn't or wouldn't have done a year ago. Or put the spotlight on Maurice Evans outhustling the NBA's Charlie Hustle, Matt Harpring, and what a quietly terrific draft-night deal that was getting him for a second-round pick from Detroit. Or go the combo route, looking at how GM Mitch Kupchak is routinely skewered and yet looks like a Executive of the Year candidate for acquiring a host of role players in Evans, Ronny Turiaf, Vladimir Radmanovic and Jordan Farmar that suddenly makes the idea of dealing a few pieces for Kevin Garnett less of a strip-mine operation.
But then Kobe went and dropped 52 points Thursday in a 132-102 win on the team with the NBA's best record -- as opposed to the NBA's best team -- including crushing two dunks on the entire Jazz defense and did it all in a way that wasn't the least bit forced. I even enjoyed watching Phil Jackson irritably clean his glasses in the midst of Kobe's 30-point third quarter, going 9 for 9 from the floor and 10 for 10 from the line, as if the thought bubble over the Zenmaster's head was: "Yeah, yeah, I know you've got all that, but what about the triangle? Work the triangle, damn it. What about the ballhandling skills I put the team through? How am I going to get any love when you're pulling up and hitting bottoms from 25 feet? Show-off."
Actually, Kobe didn't just break the half-century mark on the scoreboard. He also switched onto Kirilenko when he started to heat up on Walton and kept him scoreless until the game got out of hand. Which, combined with Kobe's 15 free-throw attempts, is why all the talk of anyone being a better player is laughable. Only Steve Nash understands how to get his teammates going and yet take every big shot as well as Kobe does within the context of the game. And Nash simply doesn't have the physical tools to play defense the way Kobe can.
I understand. He doesn't do funny commercials. He seemed to be channeling all of MJ's mannerisms his first few years while denying any similarity. He has a nasty edge that he sometimes inflicts on people who meant him no harm. He doesn't have Shaq's seal of approval. The list of reasons those who don't like him is long and varied. But how many times does one man have to drop iodine tablets into the same village well to make it potable? How many times must Kobe demonstrate that no one in the league -- and I mean no one -- has his combination of skill, tenacity, understanding of time and score, killer instinct and ability to control the game at the both ends? And how many times must I be the one taking the flag and waving it?
Trust me, if you're sick of me sticking up for Kobe, I'm equally sick of having to do it. It shouldn't be this difficult to have the man recognized as the league's all-around best player. OK, so you don't like him. I'm good with that. But not respect him? Not give him his due? Anoint anyone who hasn't accomplished half of what he has as The King or The One or The Whatever? Ignore what every player in the league will tell you, even those who consider him arrogant and a little bit evil, that he's the best?
You in the back with the Raja Bell jersey -- you want to know why we didn't see this in the third quarter against the Suns in Game 7 last year? Answer: Because Kobe was playing on the knee that required offseason surgery. Because, unlike Game 7, the rest of the Lakers contributed at both ends from the get, which opened the door for Kobe to go off. There's no getting 52 against a good team (exempting last year's Raptors) unless your teammates are keeping the opposition honest. Otherwise, they're going to run double and triple teams at you with impunity -- something the Suns did and the Jazz didn't.
No doubt someone will poke some holes in his performance against the Jazz. Phil may even provide some ammo for it. All I can say is, you better get started now. This one won't be easy to ventilate. Or as a Cuban philosopher once exclaimed: "You got some 'splainin' to do, Lucy."
Kobe sends 52 messages
By Ric Bucher
ESPN The Magazine
Assigned to run point on the Daily Dime, I went in hoping to write about something or someone other than Kobe Bryant. Before tipoff, I thought maybe I'd look at the Jazz's oddball Andrei Kirilenko-Mehmet Okur-Carlos Boozer front line and how it's still not an ideal configuration, no matter how many games they won out of the gate. (And how their 2-3 record since Kirilenko returned from injury is an indication.)
Or maybe I'd write about Derek Fisher and how he really didn't want to go to Utah because his wife had just had twins at the time of the trade and he didn't know if he'd be buried on the bench behind Deron Williams and Dee Brown.
But then the Lakers got a head of steam and under a semi-directive to write about the winning team, I thought maybe I'd go with Luke Walton, who airballed an early J and next touch buried a 3, something he couldn't or wouldn't have done a year ago. Or put the spotlight on Maurice Evans outhustling the NBA's Charlie Hustle, Matt Harpring, and what a quietly terrific draft-night deal that was getting him for a second-round pick from Detroit. Or go the combo route, looking at how GM Mitch Kupchak is routinely skewered and yet looks like a Executive of the Year candidate for acquiring a host of role players in Evans, Ronny Turiaf, Vladimir Radmanovic and Jordan Farmar that suddenly makes the idea of dealing a few pieces for Kevin Garnett less of a strip-mine operation.
But then Kobe went and dropped 52 points Thursday in a 132-102 win on the team with the NBA's best record -- as opposed to the NBA's best team -- including crushing two dunks on the entire Jazz defense and did it all in a way that wasn't the least bit forced. I even enjoyed watching Phil Jackson irritably clean his glasses in the midst of Kobe's 30-point third quarter, going 9 for 9 from the floor and 10 for 10 from the line, as if the thought bubble over the Zenmaster's head was: "Yeah, yeah, I know you've got all that, but what about the triangle? Work the triangle, damn it. What about the ballhandling skills I put the team through? How am I going to get any love when you're pulling up and hitting bottoms from 25 feet? Show-off."
Actually, Kobe didn't just break the half-century mark on the scoreboard. He also switched onto Kirilenko when he started to heat up on Walton and kept him scoreless until the game got out of hand. Which, combined with Kobe's 15 free-throw attempts, is why all the talk of anyone being a better player is laughable. Only Steve Nash understands how to get his teammates going and yet take every big shot as well as Kobe does within the context of the game. And Nash simply doesn't have the physical tools to play defense the way Kobe can.
I understand. He doesn't do funny commercials. He seemed to be channeling all of MJ's mannerisms his first few years while denying any similarity. He has a nasty edge that he sometimes inflicts on people who meant him no harm. He doesn't have Shaq's seal of approval. The list of reasons those who don't like him is long and varied. But how many times does one man have to drop iodine tablets into the same village well to make it potable? How many times must Kobe demonstrate that no one in the league -- and I mean no one -- has his combination of skill, tenacity, understanding of time and score, killer instinct and ability to control the game at the both ends? And how many times must I be the one taking the flag and waving it?
Trust me, if you're sick of me sticking up for Kobe, I'm equally sick of having to do it. It shouldn't be this difficult to have the man recognized as the league's all-around best player. OK, so you don't like him. I'm good with that. But not respect him? Not give him his due? Anoint anyone who hasn't accomplished half of what he has as The King or The One or The Whatever? Ignore what every player in the league will tell you, even those who consider him arrogant and a little bit evil, that he's the best?
You in the back with the Raja Bell jersey -- you want to know why we didn't see this in the third quarter against the Suns in Game 7 last year? Answer: Because Kobe was playing on the knee that required offseason surgery. Because, unlike Game 7, the rest of the Lakers contributed at both ends from the get, which opened the door for Kobe to go off. There's no getting 52 against a good team (exempting last year's Raptors) unless your teammates are keeping the opposition honest. Otherwise, they're going to run double and triple teams at you with impunity -- something the Suns did and the Jazz didn't.
No doubt someone will poke some holes in his performance against the Jazz. Phil may even provide some ammo for it. All I can say is, you better get started now. This one won't be easy to ventilate. Or as a Cuban philosopher once exclaimed: "You got some 'splainin' to do, Lucy."
Clippers lose to the Good Guys again. Now at least the "who owns LA" boring sideshow can stop.
11-5.
11-5.
Renz
An Army of One
Another quality road victory last night. 
Pacific
Lakers 11 5
Suns 9 6
Kings 8 7
Warriors 9 8
Clippers 7 8
Pacific
Lakers 11 5
Suns 9 6
Kings 8 7
Warriors 9 8
Clippers 7 8
Renz
An Army of One
This is what was on the menu last night at The Stapler:
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I will never eat turkey again.
Renz
An Army of One
Lamar is having a monster season this year. Odom went into Saturday's game averaging 19.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists, the only NBA player to rank among the top 25 in all three categories. 
I enjoyed this quote from Phil as well. I hope Frankie Muniz was reading it.
Saturday, Jackson couldn't resist taking a jab at the Clippers' fans - a growing number in Southern California after last season's playoff run - when he was asked if playing as the visiting team at Staples Center felt like a road game.
"It feels different out there on the floor," Jackson said. "And then looking at the fans, there's a lot of difference in looking at the fans because the Clippers aren't quite as attractive fans as the Laker fans."
I enjoyed this quote from Phil as well. I hope Frankie Muniz was reading it.
Saturday, Jackson couldn't resist taking a jab at the Clippers' fans - a growing number in Southern California after last season's playoff run - when he was asked if playing as the visiting team at Staples Center felt like a road game.
"It feels different out there on the floor," Jackson said. "And then looking at the fans, there's a lot of difference in looking at the fans because the Clippers aren't quite as attractive fans as the Laker fans."
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Lakers beat Pacers to go 12-5.
Kobe rolls ankle and misses half the game.
Kwame comes up HUGE in the fourth and basically wins the game with a tremendous performance, and fouls out JO.
Monster game Kwame...what a beast.
Kobe rolls ankle and misses half the game.
Kwame comes up HUGE in the fourth and basically wins the game with a tremendous performance, and fouls out JO.
Monster game Kwame...what a beast.
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Way to go Lakers !!
BIM
BIM
Oh yeah, score was 101-87.
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Down by 3 with 8:53 to go. We need a run!
Go Lakers !!
BIM
Go Lakers !!
BIM
