Lakers Thread

[LakersRule24]

Walton was a great 3 point shooter and a great team player before the ball change. After that + his injury, he reverted to puke. He couldn't hit a jumpshot, he couldn't hit a field goal. Sure, he brings b-ball iq and triangle experience, but can he do anything else offensively? When he came back from his injury, I didn't really see that much of a difference.

[Fresh8]

He works hard on his gamne. His three point shot was developed during the 06 offseason. I think he will come back with an added dimension to his game this season. That or he will be a lil more refined in some parts of his game.

You do notice the whole team was different after their slur of injuries last year... the team went back to 'pass to Kobe' mode and never reverted back to how they played to start the year.

And Walton's job isn't to score per se... his important lies with his knowledge of the offence, all-around game, and his unselfishness.

[LakersRule24]

No it isn't but it would be nice if he can hit an open 17 foot jumpshot. He can't even do that, that's why his IQ and triangle knowledge is somewhat neutralized. He was not able to stretch the defense.

But I agree, I hope Walton does develop another dimension that makes him more dangerous. Then his knowledge and IQ will be in full effect.

[Fresh8]

He doesn't need to hit shots for his knowledge and IG to be in full effect. He's a team player who doesn't take away shots from his teammates and that makes him even better. Right now, his value in the triangle offence thanks to his undertsanding of it is a lot more valuable than his ability to score.

As for shooting, the team will just need to play to his strengths. He is going to make open jumpers and even when he can't, there's always 4 other guys on the court. It doesn't phase me that much.

[Andrew]

Philly traded AI against hes will.
AI is a sixer in his heart for life.

I seem to remember AI asking to be traded, though the Sixers mishandled the situation and lost their leverage the moment they publically said they would trade him.

[shadowgrin]

AI is unhappy with the offense of Cheeks. AI hates Maurice Cheeks. AI was benched by Cheeks. AI hinted on asking to be traded if the organization chooses Cheeks' side. AI was the last person to know when he was told that he was not allowed to join the team in practice and games. AI was asked to sit-out practice and games even though he really wanted to play. AI was traded.
That's all I have to say.

It is frustrating especially when their star player is unhappy with the 'progress made.' There's nothing we can do though and everyone needs to undertsand that fact.

Thing is Kobe was promised by Buss that the Lakers will be championship contenders in 2-3 years time, and that was maybe after Shaq was traded or renewal of Kobe's contract. The 3 years are up and we don't see the Lakers competing for the championship hence the bitching from Kobe.

MJ has never been known to be too tolerent with his teammates. Although, don't get me wrong... he always respected his teammates and treated them as equals

People have said this was his way of making his teammates better. He was brutal against them in training and during games and hated mistakes. I think I've also read that Jordan being a perfectionist was a good and a bad thing. I think some team mates have been broken down by that kind of attitude. And the guys who stuck around were those strong willed enough to take it from MJ.

It's like Jordan's way of seeing the excellence in players and expecting them to act/play based on that potential excellence. MJ always had tough love. MJ punched Steve Kerr, now look at the what Kerr did as a support player for the Bulls and Spurs, ring-ring.

Pippen was always a good floor general and a leader. I'm not entirely sure if pippen was the more vocal leader though.

I think it was a like a 'good cop, bad cop' leadership role of Pippen and Jordan. Pippen was the understanding one and Jordan was the one who will beat your ass down if you slack off.

In the NBA, he plays maybe more than 40 minutes a game against the most athletic an d maybe talented swingmen in the world. The Lakers rely on Kobe to score as none of his teammates can deliver on a consistent basis.

You might nthink it's a weak arguement but i think it's sort of valid. Not an excuse for not playing harder on defence but it can be a reason why he doesn't seem to do it. Although, he does turn it up when he feels the need to. At least he has that luxary.

It's a silly argument. I hate to bring out another Jordan-Kobe comparison but...
Michael Jordan 1987-1988
Games played: 82
PPG: 35
MPG: 40.4
Defensive Player of the Year and MVP of the season.
Not to dismiss the skill of Kobe but if someone can play 40 minutes, score 35, and be named Defensive player I'm sure Kobe can to. Let's just accept the fact that Kobe plays half-assed on defense and only is great "when he feels the need to".

Smush=worse point guard in the league

Smush is not a pointguard, he's an undersized shooting guard.

[Fresh8]

Thing is Kobe was promised by Buss that the Lakers will be championship contenders in 2-3 years time, and that was maybe after Shaq was traded or renewal of Kobe's contract. The 3 years are up and we don't see the Lakers competing for the championship hence the bitching from Kobe.

And my point was that I was disappointed in him bitching... but more for the fact that he made it public.

Not to dismiss the skill of Kobe but if someone can play 40 minutes, score 35, and be named Defensive player I'm sure Kobe can to. Let's just accept the fact that Kobe plays half-assed on defense and only is great "when he feels the need to".

87-88, Jordan was 24 and in his fourth year. There's another 'silly argument' from me.

Yes, he plays half-assed on defence but as I said before, I think a reason why he doesn't play all out on both ends is because he can't... that plus he might not want to. I would be intrigued to see if he would be any better on the defensive end if the rest of the team was good at defence and/or the handchecking thats being allowed in FIBA games is allowed in the NBA.

[shadowgrin]

I'm not trying to defend Kobe's bitching, but if management promised me the team would be a championship contender as a leverage to resign me for a team with an unsure future because the franchise bigman was just traded then I would expect the management to stay true to their word for the time frame for which they themselves set. The fact that Kobe made it public really makes him a whiny bitch though.

Yes, he plays half-assed on defence but as I said before, I think a reason why he doesn't play all out on both ends is because he can't... that plus he might not want to.

That's all I needed to read. QFT.
Based on your opinion, whether he tries or not it doesn't matter because he can't. No matter how much effort he gives he still can't do it anyway because he can't. We can ignore that "plus he might not want to" because he really can't.

Ok I'm rambling.

[magius]

what is kobe? a little kid? "but.... but.... jwerry bwuss pwomised mwe!"

he's an incredible talent, but face it, the guy has a class 1 blamer personality. leaders don't just take the blame let alone pass it off on others, they embrace it.

[Fresh8]

I'm not trying to defend Kobe's bitching, but if management promised me the team would be a championship contender as a leverage to resign me for a team with an unsure future because the franchise bigman was just traded then I would expect the management to stay true to their word for the time frame for which they themselves set. The fact that Kobe made it public really makes him a whiny bitch though.

When a manger promises to help build a team to be a contender, the player and agent are smart enough to look at the odds of thatr happening. I think that Kobe and his agent understood how tough it would be to build a championship caliber team from the pieces they had. As I said before though, I don't think that the management put a time limit on how fast they would build that championship team. I'm under the impression that they promised to build a championship caliber team around Kobe's talents. And with that said, they have tried to deliver that.

However, depsite his pleas for patience, he did a backflip and is saying the team isn't being built fast enough. And with that, I am very disappointed with the manner of which he had to bring these issues forward.

[Sauru]

if he really wanted the best chance to big a title team he could have just signed for the minimum

[dada]

Kobe says he's ready to put aside issues, get to work <--click me

[Fresh8]

hopefully dada feels the same optimism I feel for the Lakers this season. I don't think they will be bad at all.. perhaps a number 4 or 5 seed if everyone is healthy. Realistically, they can be anywhere from the 4th seed to missing the playoffs.

The roster isn't bad but it's not great either. But Im optimistic.

We got three 7 footers. Kwame gives us good interior defence (expect a big season from Brown). Hopefully he will come back healthy. Chris Mihm can come off the bench and score in the post at a solid enough rate. Bynum might play better because of not having the burden of playing big minutes.

Odom can play PF where he has played better in the past if Walton slots right into the role Odom was envisoned to play in the triangle. Kobe is Kobe and Maurice Evans is a capable backup at the 2 guard. Fisher will bring off court leadership/stability to the team and he knows the offence inside out and what the team needs at the point is someone who knows what he is doing.

Cookie can shoot when he's firing and Radmanovic will hopefully have a better season. Turiaf provides energy/hustle from off the bench and we have a good young PG duo in Farmar and Crittenton.

Sure, not championship caliber but good enough to make the playoffs and perhaps... perhaps the second round.

[pspuser32]

At the end of the season, I wished that Smush Parker would be traded or released by the Lakers. It came to no surprise that Jordan Farmar was used by Phil Jackson as his starting point guard. It's a good thing they traded Parker. I just wished they trade kwame brown and another player for a veteran player that could help kobe and the lakers.

[KB24]

Well, with the Lakers going up-tempo now, I wish Phil would put more emphasis on defense instead of offense...

[Fresh8]

KB24, I believe that Phil is not stupid enough to neglect the parts of the game that lost games last season. The Lakers have to improve their defence and rebounding. Those two things lead to more fast breaks. And I think that's what Phil and co are trying to preach to the team.

That's what I think they are trying to touch on this season. So I don't think Phil is overemphasising offence rather than defence.

Looking forward to the season.

[The X]

KB24, I believe that Phil is not stupid enough to neglect the parts of the game that lost games last season. The Lakers have to improve their defence and rebounding. Those two things lead to more fast breaks. And I think that's what Phil and co are trying to preach to the team.

That's what I think they are trying to touch on this season. So I don't think Phil is overemphasising offence rather than defence.

Looking forward to the season.

when are the Irish gonna to concentrate on those things?

[LakersRule24]

Last season was a wasted year for forward Vladimir Radmanovic, whom the Lakers signed to a five-year, $30 million deal.

It became a nightmare for Radmanovic when he separated his right shoulder while snowboarding in Park City, Utah, during All-Star weekend and then lied about the incident before coming clean.

He missed 24 games and was fined $500,000.

So, with this being a new beginning, Jackson was asked how Radmanovic has looked in practice.

And as is his way, Jackson took another of his shots, a funny one at that.

"He looks like more a ballplayer than a snowboarder to me," Jackson quipped.

Jackson laughed, paused for effect and continued.

"He still has a ways to feel comfortable in our offense," Jackson said. "He's still not finding out exactly where 'my shots are going to come from.' So we're working on that with him."

http://www.pe.com/sports/basketball/bre ... c6bec.html

So much for Vlad coming back strong.

[Fresh8]

when are the Irish gonna to concentrate on those things?

When we get Ben aka Dragon@4Q back.

So much for Vlad coming back strong.

Its not all that bad. It usually takes time for players to get accustomed to a new system and judging on the past, many have taken a while to learn Jax's triangle. As long as he is making shots, which I have heard he is shooting well in camp, that's all that matters to me right now. Just gotta be patient.

[McDwyane]

The lakers trailed as many as 20 vs warrios but managed to come back!Tied at 109.10 Seconds remaining but gsw wins 110-112.Still nice game by lakers.

[[Q]]

just got done watching the lakers/warriors game played in hawai'i and i gotta say the lakers frontcourt (minus turiaf) looked awful as expected. they started mihm (with kwame & odom out) and he didn't miss a beat. he fumbled balls off of himself out of bounds, him, cook, and bynum made Patick O'Bryant of all people look good. even Pat Burke dominated. Azibuike was impressive. Crittenton even had flashes of brilliance. Troy Hudson hit the game-winner.
kobe shot only 1 shot in the first half and obviously someone had to check if he was sick or something. he came out in the 2nd half and shot 13 shots in 11 minutes. he was kobe again.
oh and vlad's found his stroke again.

[kbryant24]

wow javaris is awesome.. he impressed me the most... glad the lakers drafted him

vlade seemed to be on target.. hitting 5 of his 3's

[[Q]]

The lakers trailed as many as 20 vs warrios but managed to come back!

yeah and baron, harrington, jackson, and biedrins only played in the first quarter.

[kbryant24]

The lakers trailed as many as 20 vs warrios but managed to come back!

yeah and baron, harrington, jackson, and biedrins only played in the first quarter.

so kobe barely played.. and odom, walton, and brown were out.. its even bro

[J J]

If Kobe played 40+ minutes the Lakers would lose by at least 15 points.