Lakers Thread

[Fresh8]

I do not think realistically any team can stop us on our way to the NBA Finals.

I can't begin to tell you how relieved I am that the jinx has been passed on to someone else.

Thanks Andrew.

On a serious note - the Lakers deserved to lose the series. We got our asses kicked in Game 4 but that's irrelevant. The fact of the matter is that the Lakers could not play any kind of defense in the second half of Game 1 and they did not play defense in the fourth quarter of Game 3. The loss isn't shocking/surprising to me because all season long and even last season, the team has been going through the motions of the season and talking about the proverbial on/off switch.

I can't remember who said it - I think it was Brian Shaw - 'Past Lakers teams would lose and look to right the ship the next game. This team was too calm and too easy-going.' I agree with this sentiment very much. As a fan, I did not understand what was going through the minds of half the players. I'm not taking credit away from the Mavs as they played a great series but the Lakers were downright terrible. Perhaps it's the lack of athleticism/foot speed and also a certain 7 foot tall German but the Lakers, as a team, should have stepped it up. However, it is lost now and no point complaining too much about the result.

All I'm trying to say I guess is that it didn't seem like the Lakers wanted to win the championship as they did say two seasons ago or even last season. So the Lakers did deserve to lose this series. They weren't going to win games on talent alone. Too much talk of 'we will get there by the postseason' and 'it's only the regular season - it doesn't matter.'

Well, what a poor way to send off the best Head Coach in NBA history. Feel sorry for Jax.

Looking to next season - I hope that Brian Shaw steps up to take Phil's place. As for roster changes, I honestly don't want to see anyone traded away. I want the Lakers to keep Bynum, Gasol, Bryant, Odom together. Odom starting (finally) at SF in Game 3 was awesome. I hope to see more of that - who knows if we will though. Ron Artest was downright terrible but the glaring problem we have is depth at point guard. Derek Fisher may have been good in Phil Jackson's system but in this current NBA and also considering Fisher's talent, it's time to see him step aside for a younger replacement. It was always tough to see Jordan Farmar go and the team missed him this season as Steve Blake never really got into it. I think Matt Barnes will stay on in LA but Shannon Brown will probably be gone.

I know that LA may be looking for some changes to their playing roster but don't know what we could do if we were to keep Bynum, Gasol, Odom and Bryant in the fold. I doubt anyone would take on Artest's and Walton's contracts any time soon.

[shadowgrin]

ABC/ESPN analyst Magic Johnson said Saturday on television that owner Jerry Buss is "probably going to have to blow this team up," a statement that did not go over well in the locker room with the Lakers a day away from stepping into an elimination game. (Derek Fisher, asked after the Game 4 drubbing about the future of the roster, snapped to go ask Magic.)

Oh snap!

[Andrew]

Of course it didn't go over well, they've grown accustomed to analysts like Mark Jackson fawning all over them.

In all seriousness though, I imagine that would come across as a bit of a slap in the face and I'd agree that Magic's assessment is a little premature. Still, with the way the series went down, the team has brought it upon themselves. They'll have a point to prove next season and I imagine most of the core will be back, having been delivered a wakeup call and possibly a few reinforcements on the bench.

[shadowgrin]

http://twitter.com/#!/LAIreland/status/ ... 3405924352

Brian Shaw has agreed to become associate head coach of Pacers, according to source

[Andrew]

No doubt he feels slighted by the Mike Brown hiring. He probably stands a decent shot of replacing Frank Vogel in time, unless the Pacers somehow rocket to the top of the league in the near future.

[NovU]

http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/lazenb ... -team-now/
Contrast to what Kobe said that he needs to wait his turn. But that's besides the issue for the Lakers atm I believe. They'll remain intact for another season at least.

[Andrew]

I guess we'll see soon enough, but I think that's jumping the gun. I doubt Kobe takes a backseat to Bynum just yet, indeed I wouldn't be surprised if he retires before that has a chance to happen.

[rise]

No way.

Bynum's third best on the team at best. Pau Gasol just had a bad playoffs after a very good season and is still an All-Star forward/center in my opinion. Kobe's the best player in the Western Conference (sorry Dirk), and sometimes Odom plays quite a bit better than Bynum. The truth of the matter is, that Bynum can't even stay healthy for a season. If Bynum can stay healthy, then eventually the Lakers MIGHT be Bynum's team. He's got a long way to go if he is to be as good as Kobe, even three or four years down the road, Bynum would have evolve into a Dwight Howard, but given his history, another big injury will probably hit. If the Lakers want Bynum to be their future, well, that's one hell of a shaky future.

Bynum's only 23 (which really surprises me for some reason) and that means a lot of things can happen before he peaks around age 30 or so. He could blossom into Dwight Howard (unlikely- he's not as athletic), but he could also injure his knees again and again and turn into Greg Oden (unlikely, but possible). To say the Lakers are Bynum's team is definitely jumping the gun, like Andrew said. But given Bynum's history, if Orlando approaches LA with a trade proposal that sends Dwight to the Lakers and Bynum leaves, that's a sure way to remain in contention.

As for Bynum being better than Kobe a few years from now, I agree with Andrew. Kobe would retire rather than let that happen.

[Fresh8]

It will be in Bynum's team in due course. For as long as Kobe is around, it will never be Bynum's team. That's even if Bynum was the Lakers' best player in the second round against Dallas.

I'm excited to see if Coach Brown can convince the team to get Pau/Bynum involved more than in the past. Will be interesting season if it happens.

[shadowgrin]

Kobe Bryant says Italy move ‘very possible’

Virtus Bologna has made numerous contract offers to the Los Angeles Lakers star.

Virtus told The Associated Press that the latest talks are centered on a $2.5 million offer for 10 games over 40 days from Oct. 9 to Nov. 16. That would come out to about $1.5 million after taxes.

The deal would allow Bryant to return to the Lakers immediately if the lockout ends.

“Italy is my home. It’s where my dream of playing in the NBA started. This is where I learned the fundamentals, learned to shoot, to pass and to (move) without the ball,” Kobe Bryant said, according to the Gazzetta. “All things that when I came back to America the players my age didn’t know how to do because they were only thinking about jumping and dunking.”

Virtus also recently reached out to Manu Ginobili, who played with Bologna before joining the San Antonio Spurs in 2002.

:lol:

[kibaxx7]

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Van Basten, Gullit, Rijkaard, Messi, mia squadra Lakers vs. Celtics...

Bargnani, Gallinari, Belinelli "questo giocatore molto speciale, molto bravi"

[Fresh8]

I need to get a Bryant Virtus Bologna jersey if he signs... and when the lockout ends, a World Peace jersey is a must-have!

Also good to see Pau training with Barca. Hopefully will see him play for them if the lockout continues.

I want to see the Lakers sign Juan Carlos Navarro. I've been a fan of his for a long time, before he suited up for Memphis. But it's never going to happen!

[Stress Fracture]

Would there be a place for Navarro in the rotation?

[NovU]

If the new leader Bynum says so, yeah I think so.

[shadowgrin]

As long as Navarro gives Bynum the fucking ball.

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[Fresh8]

Would there be a place for Navarro in the rotation?

If Shannon Brown leaves one day then yes.

I still think there is a spot for him on the roster we took to the playoffs. We needed a consistent scoring threat and Navarro can score the basketball. He didn't like Memphis because they were a losing team plus they weren't playing him. He said if Memphis were winning and he wasn't getting minutes - he wouldn' t have been as upset.

Shannon Brown and Steve Blake struggled for most of the season to put the ball in the hoop so I think Navarro would help imensely. However, with a new system in place, perhaps guys like Brown and Blake will look better this upcoming season.

[Jackal]

Would be fun if the Lakers managed to get both Howard & Paul. I'd be happy with either...but jizz myself with both.

[dare]

Yeah I just read that everyone is available except for Kobe. I just hope we still have the depth if it happens.

[kAmilli LakeShow]

I think we gotta realize that we don't need CP3 for now and focus on Dwight. Perfect fit in triangle offense with Kobe. But who do we give? I don't even wanna
think about giving up Pau, the way he played in the beginning of the season when he was RESTED - he was amazing. Bynum + Odom? Without Odom off the bench and Shannon parting ways - team will not be deep enough... Damn you, Bynum! You just had to NOT take that surgery and go watch soccer? Seriously,i blame him for everything that happened last season. He forced Pau and Odom to play more, we lose games in regular season we should have won, low confidence for the team, players get mad, blame each other and management... No way to win a chip that way.


BTW, WTF, just realized Mike Brown is our coach now XD Is Triangle Offense dead?

[kAmilli LakeShow]

BTW, @Dare, Kobe only played on one Olympic team, how the hell is he a 2-time Olympic champion as it says in ur sig? XD

[dare]

You just answered your own question. Its not about just winning this season but having someone to carry the franchise. I think we can still have a deep team just by signing amnesty players.

About the sig KidJustin made it.

[shadowgrin]

Not knowing who the coach of the team. Not knowing that Kobe played only one time in the Olympics to lift America off the pit of basketball despair and winning the gold in his first try.

Sham Lakers and Kobe The G.O.A.T. Bryant fans being exposed here.

[Jackal]

At not needing CP3. The guy is so unselfish and such a brilliant passer...how can you NOT need him?

[Lamrock]

Technically, any team that has won a championship in the last six seasons has not needed Chris Paul.

[Andrew]

Kobe, Paul and Howard would be quite a trio but I wouldn't be too quick to fit them for a ring. The players they'd have to give up to make it happen would leave them very thin and we're a fresh off an imposing trio with a so-so supporting cast being ousted by a superior team effort. Put them together with a couple of solid role players and they're definitely in the mix, but I could easily see them falling short without a solid rotation beyond those three.

Also:

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