The 2009-10 Los Angeles Lakers thread

[TheHopToad]

OK....I have had enough of the "Is Kobe the best Laker of all time" debate that has been raging all over talk radio since he passed the Logo in scoring a couple of nights ago.

First of all, Jerry West played in an era when there was no three point shot. Secondly, he played in a lot less career games than Kobe has. But enough about #44...

The real point of my frustration is that there are credentialed professionals out there who actually believe that Kobe is the greatest Laker ever. You could make a compelling argument that he would not even make the starting five of the all-time Laker team.

IMHO, Magic Johnson is far and away the greatest Laker ever. I was in awe of that guy, and for a lifelong Suns fan/Laker hater, that's saying a lot. Magic changed the culture of the game. Until he and Bird came along, the NBA finals were on tape-delay at midnight. The guy could play any position on the court and very well. He was probably the best point guard ever and he was six foot freaking nine!

Sorry, just needed to vent, and this seemed like a good spot to do it...

 

[Brian in Mesa]

IMHO, Magic Johnson is far and away the greatest Laker ever.

I agree.

 

[Gee!]

Not only do I think Magic was the best Laker of all time, I rate Magic the second best player of all time.. Behind Michael Jordan of course..

 

[TheHopToad]

Simply can NOT win in the Rose Garden. It is unreal.

Looks like Kobe was the problem...

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Lakers 99, Trail Blazers 82
February 6th, 2010
KEVIN DING, OCREGISTER.COM

PORTLAND, Ore. — It was an unlikely locale but a timely moment for Lakers other than Kobe Bryant to show their worth.

Bryant missed his first game in more than three years because of injury, suiting up initially but determining 45 minutes before game time Saturday night he wouldn’t play because of a sprained left ankle. Without him, the Lakers won, 99-82, and broke their nine-game losing streak in Portland, where they came in with just two victories in their past 17 tries.

It was Derek Fisher’s leadership, Lamar Odom’s rebounding and Shannon Brown’s and Ron Artest’s scoring that made up for Bryant. The Lakers also played most of the game without Andrew Bynum, who bruised his right hip and made one unsuccessful attempt at fighting through the injury before retiring for the night.

With so many Lakers increasing their energy after the disappointing home loss to Denver the night before, the game wasn’t even close after the Lakers held a six-point halftime lead.

Jackson chose to start Odom in Bryant’s place, because Odom usually plays guard in the triangle offense anyway. The big lineup of Odom in the game at the same time as Bynum and Pau Gasol hasn’t worked during experimental stretches this season — and it hardly registered on the scale this time.

Bynum was playing with a sore left knee suffered Wednesday night against Charlotte in a collision with Stephen Jackson. Bynum had a large pad slotted inside the sleeve he was wearing over the knee and acknowledged some swelling that he hoped would disappear over the All-Star break. Then Bynum’s night ended after just 10 minutes (three points, one rebound) because of a bruised right hip suffered in an early fall.

Without Bynum and with backup Josh Powell hugely unproductive, Odom stepped up his activity. He brought the ball up court — saving Fisher’s energy much of the game — and brought the activity that Jackson said was missing against Denver and a big reason the Lakers lost that game.

Against a Portland backcourt missing All-Star Brandon Roy (hamstring), the Lakers were consistent in running their offense without Bryant. Artest caught fire with three first-half 3-pointers, including a 30-foot buzzer-beater before halftime. He finished with 21 points, one short of his season high.

Brown had 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting, giving the sort of production usually expected from Gasol or Bynum. Odom’s 22 rebounds tied his career high.

 

[D-Dogg]

Looks like Kobe was the problem...

Yep, we should bench the bum for good. Although the last win I remember there before this required some last second heroics from him. So torn!

Is it playoff time yet? The regular season is a long, draining bore.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Even Gee can appreciate this...

http://bit.ly/cgMR71

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Ex-Lakers coach Schaus dies at 84
Feb 11, 2010

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/Former-Lakers%2C-WVU-coach-Fred-Schaus-dies-021110

Fred Schaus, a former Los Angeles Lakers coach and general manager who mentored Jerry West and Hot Rod Hundley at West Virginia, has died. He was 84.

The former West Virginia coach and athletic director died Wednesday night in Morgantown, W.Va., said Dan Hastings, a funeral director at Hastings Funeral Home. Schaus had been living in a nursing home.

``Fred's passing brings finality to a relationship that began in 1955, when he first came to our house to introduce himself as the coach of West Virginia University,'' West said in a statement released by the school.

A Cabin Creek native, West recalled Schaus telling him WVU would be the place for him to attend school and have an opportunity to play basketball.

``At that point in my life, he was the first coach to show interest in me,'' said West. ``I was thrilled beyond words, and to this day I remember much about our meeting. Little did I know what a long-lasting relationship we would have.''

Born in Newark, Ohio, Schaus became the first Mountaineers player to score 1,000 career points. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft and played five seasons with the Fort Wayne Pistons and New York Knicks.

He compiled a 127-26 record as head coach at West Virginia from 1954 to 1960, including six straight NCAA tournament berths. The Mountaineers, led by West, advanced to the NCAA championship game in 1959, losing to California 71-70.

Schaus followed West to the Lakers, going 315-245 in seven seasons as head coach and guiding the team to four NBA finals before becoming general manager in 1967. The 1971-72 Lakers, behind West and Wilt Chamberlain, won a then-record 69 games in the regular season and beat the Knicks for the NBA title.

``We shared many incredible experiences, both joyous and painful, during our years together at WVU and then as my coach with the Los Angeles Lakers,'' West said. ``As a young man with little experience with the outside world, he became my mentor and sounding board as I progressed as an athlete and as a person.''

Schaus returned to the college ranks in 1972, going 105-59 in six seasons as head coach at Purdue. He also served as athletic director at West Virginia from 1981-89 before he retired. Schaus was inducted into his alma mater's athletics hall of fame in 1992.

Current athletic director Ed Pastilong succeeded Schaus.

``We lost one of our finest student-athletes, coaches and administrators in Fred,'' Pastilong said. ``We are deeply indebted to his allegiance and service to WVU and our athletic department.''

West Virginia annually honors the most outstanding captains of its varsity teams with the Fred Schaus Awards.

Hundley grew up in Charleston and remembers listening to WVU basketball games on the radio when Schaus was a player. Hundley, who earned his nickname for his on-court antics such as behind-the-back and no-look passes, also played for Schaus with the Lakers.

``He was a no-nonsense coach, but I learned years later that he secretly enjoyed all the things I did as a player at WVU,'' Hundley said in a statement. ``He always told me, 'I (don't) care if you drop kick the ball out of the building, but we better be up by 20 when you do.'

``Fred taught me that the game was the most important thing. He never did anything to jeopardize the game.''

Schaus is survived by his wife, Barbara, two sons, John and Jim, a sister, Mary Brown, and six grandchildren. Jim Schaus is the athletic director at Ohio University.

Services are scheduled for Sunday at Suncrest United Methodist Church in Morgantown with burial on Monday at Fairmount Cemetery in Jacksontown, Ohio.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

If we do come back and beat the Celts at home: 5-0 without Kobe.

 

[TheHopToad]

If we do come back and beat the Celts at home: 5-0 without Kobe.

Lakers could have used him for that last shot. Fisher.....ouch!

Hard to tell who is more washed up, Fisher or Sheed....

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Artest goes blond for Lakers’ home finale

LOS ANGELES (AP)—

Ron Artest is finishing the regular season as just another California blond.

The Lakers’ attention-seeking forward and reserve center DJ Mbenga dyed their hair dark yellow for Los Angeles’ home finale against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night.

Artest is no stranger to hairy schemes. Last month, he dyed his hair blond with the word for “defense” in Hebrew, Hindi and Japanese carved into the back.

Mbenga appeared to have a star shaved into the back of his head.

Coach Phil Jackson said Artest and Mbenga were getting plenty of grief from their teammates for their dye jobs.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Bynum still on target for playoff return

LOS ANGELES (AP)—

Andrew Bynum says he’s on track to return to the Los Angeles Lakers in time for their first playoff game this weekend.

Bynum missed his 12th straight game Tuesday with a strained left Achilles’ tendon, but the 7-foot center says his rehabilitation is progressing well. After running on an anti-gravity treadmill Monday, he was scheduled to run on a regular treadmill Tuesday night.

Coach Phil Jackson thinks Bynum will be able to practice with the top-seeded Lakers on Friday and Saturday before they open the playoffs Sunday against eighth-seeded Oklahoma City.

Bynum is averaging 15 points and 8.3 rebounds this season while making 57 percent of his shots and blocking 94 shots. Lamar Odom has replaced him in the Lakers’ starting lineup.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Great to see Bynum back and playing well. Game One is in the books. Bring on Game Two. Go Lakers !!!

 

[abomb]

Congrats to Chicky Baby for the statue outside the Stapler.

You must be registered for see images

It has a seat next to it where you can sit for a picture. RIP the GOAT.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

I hope we show up when the series moves back to Staples. What an ugly game tonight.

 

[abomb]

I hope we show up when the series moves back to Staples. What an ugly game tonight.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

"There's not much to say about this game. They took it to us. Even their free throw defense was good tonight." - Phil Jackson

 

[D-Dogg]

LOL at Phil.

Looks like LA vs Rockets from last year. Only this team is a lot better than that Rockets team was.

 

[Cheesebeef]

LOL at Phil.

Looks like LA vs Rockets from last year. Only this team is a lot better than that Rockets team was.

and the Lakers aren't as good as that Laker team was... so... how exactly does it look like LA v. Rockets?

 

[D-Dogg]

and the Lakers aren't as good as that Laker team was... so... how exactly does it look like LA v. Rockets?

A veteran team is getting outhustled on every trip by a younger, more hungry team that doesn't care they are playing the Lakers. The lakers not showing any intensity, never hitting the floor, and letting themselves get completely taken out of the game. Fast PGs blowing by Fish like he's standing still in 2006. Speed killing LA.

And this Lakers team actually IS a better team than last years, defensively. Offensively, they are all over the place.

The only reason the Lakers aren't on the verge of getting swept is the inexperience of this OKC team...

That's how exactly, cheese.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

BTW, Kenny Smith said today on TNT that this series is just like the Lakers/Rockets series from last year...

I wasn't able to ask him what he meant, but I'm sure it was something along the lines of what you said.

 

[Cheesebeef]

A veteran team is getting outhustled on every trip by a younger, more hungry team that doesn't care they are playing the Lakers. The lakers not showing any intensity, never hitting the floor, and letting themselves get completely taken out of the game. Fast PGs blowing by Fish like he's standing still in 2006. Speed killing LA.

And this Lakers team actually IS a better team than last years, defensively. Offensively, they are all over the place. [/QUOTE]

this is the most baffling thing in the world to me. I mean, this should be the greatest offensive team of all time. They have 5 guys who can score, draw a double team and shoot the rock.

Still not sure it's exactly the same. I never thought that Rockets team had any shot of winning the series. Not for a second and that's where the main difference lies as far as i'm concerned. They were the "scrappy team" with nothing to lose even though everyone knew ultimately they would. I don't see the Thunder as that at all. I actually think they have a shotl. They're not playing without their best player (like the Rockets did) and the Lakers are clearly not the same team that 66 win juggernaut was last season. I see them more as that Kings team which took the Lakers the distance back in 2000 when they were an 8 seed, but with a much better shot because a) they're playing a for some reason disjointed Lakers club AND b) they're big two, Durant and Westbrook are fearless, as opposed to Webber and Peja who were always complete and utter *******.

I still expect you guys to win this series, but it wouldn't shock me if the Thunder did, whereas it would have been the biggest upset of all time IMO if Houston had won.

just calling it Houston-LA two is oversimplification and I think it's Angeleno's fooling themselves to make them think there aren't major problems with this team.

 

[Cheesebeef]

eh... maybe I was wrong.

 

[D-Dogg]

eh... maybe I was wrong.

Last year, the Lakers destroyed the Rox in game 5.

I'm extremely curious, if this game plays out for a Lakers win, on how they will show up on Game 6 in OKC. Last year I thought that Game 5 would have been the turn the corner game, and it was not. Yet they won it all. Now I expect them to lose game 6 this year.

One good thing for me though, is that I'm emotionally detached right now. I will be very happy with another title, but in no way crushed if they lose. I think the Cardinals lost Super Bowl crushed me to the point where I can never be crushed more.

Oh, and I also hope that the Lakers make a HUGE play for Durant after Kobe hangs em up. I love the guy, and have since day one. He is not afraid of the big moment...needs some growing up but he's definitely special.

 

[D-Dogg]

And this Lakers team actually IS a better team than last years, defensively. Offensively, they are all over the place.


just calling it Houston-LA two is oversimplification and I think it's Angeleno's fooling themselves to make them think there aren't major problems with this team.

Oh, no. I didn't mean it in ANY way as a "eh, just like last year." More of a "more of this team lightswitch, unmotivated crap...only with a team that isn't jelling as much, didn't beat the Cavs, and is playing a better team in OKC."

Trust me...I don't have much faith in this Laker squad. I think they could EASILY lose this series, or get swept in the next, just as easily as they could win a title. WOEFULLY inconsistent, and Kobe is beat up to boot.

There are major problems. Chemistry, offensive flow, effort. I keep thinking SOMETHING is going to slap this team in the face and wake them up, and get them to play at their potential. Because they SHOULD be an offensive force, unstoppable...and with the better D they should be favorites going away. Something is dreadfully wrong in LA...bench is turrible right now...Kobe is hurt...Ron can't hit a shot...Fisher is 900 years old, Pau is playing soft and bobbleyhanded. Offensively they are just off. Other than tonight of course.

I am not hopeful that tonight is anything more than a good team taking care of business only because they need to...not kicking into another gear for a sustained run.