Kobe Addicted to Watching Film

from realgm

Few players in the NBA watch as much game film as Kobe Bryant.

"Hands down, he's the biggest video fiend we've ever had," said Chris Bodaken, the Lakers' director of video services. "I didn't know if it was possible to be more competitive than Magic was, but I think he might be. It carries over into his preparation, and this is part of that."

Bryant has increased his requests for tape since last season.

Bryant used to primarily study clips from entire games, watching them at his home or on the way to home games in his car while one of his bodyguards drives. Now his pregame routine also includes clips of individual players he will guard.

"It's a blueprint," said Bryant. "So if something goes down, it's not something you haven't seen before. Everybody's got tendencies. If he scores 40 on Monday, he's going to try to do it on Tuesday. You've got to take him out of his spots. That's the key."

LAKERS vs WARRIORS (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 130 - WARRIORS 113

It was a purely offensive game with the Lakers doing only enough(defensively) to take the win against the Golden State Warriors. There was a bit of concern early in the first half when the Warriors cut the Lakers 15 point lead to 7 by the end of the second quarter. In the game against Boston, Golden State trailing by 12 starting the second half, came back and outscored the Celtics 60-32. But it clearly wasn’t the case in this game.

The Lakers came out calm, and confident in this game. Effortlessly scoring and just doing enough on the other end to make sure the Warriors didn’t throttle through a Laker lead in the second half. The first half was a bit of a different story as Golden State were basically doing “lay-up drills” as described by Norm Nixon, in which Stephen Jackson broke down the Laker defense finding his teammates for open shots but only got 9 point of his own. Jamal Crawford(who I thought was injured) kept annoying the Lakers with a handful of long range threes finishing with 22pts and 5asts. Andris Biedris was all over the boards tonight and managed to grab 15 the first half with a total of 17 rebounds. It was all cheers for Ronny when he entered the game midway through the first quarter, but other than a couple blocks, Ronny didn’t put much up.


Bryant easily scored 31 points on 9 of 15 shooting, added 4 steals, 4 assists, and didn’t even have to play in the fourth(just like the beginning of the season). Fisher brought back the head band and also brought back his shot as D-Fish added 19 points of his own and also dished out 5 assists. With Farmar injured, Sasha has taken advantage of increased minutes and added 17 points to the Lakers scoreboard. Pau wasn’t much of an offensive factor this game but quietly put up 13pts and 9rebs, but did have some sweet assists to Bynum early in the game. Big Drew had himself a double-double and chipped in 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The Lakers seem to be responding well, filling in for the absence of Farmar. Phil has been toying with different line-ups since the Farmar injury. There was even a Sun Yue sighting tonight in the 2nd and 4th quarter and like Coby Karl last year, is a fan favorite. Lakers want to sign someone(rumors suggest Lue) but want someone who can make an immediate impact instead of someone to fill out the hole in the PG position. But the Lakers can always just ride it out till Farmar gets back. They seem to be doing good with or without him. Up next is the short-handed/injured Utah Jazz.

LAKERS vs WARRIORS (PRE-GAME REPORT)

Coming off a good 2 day rest after beating Boston Thursday afternoon, it's back to business facing the team who just beat the Celtics on Friday. Ronny Turiaf comes back to Los Angeles, but this time in a Golden State Warriors jersey. As the Lakers had their revenge Thursday, Ronny also had his against Boston putting up 14pts, 8rebs, and 2blks.

The Last time these two teams met were back in March, when Turiaf still wore L.A. on his chest and Baron Davis was still playing in the bay area. They split a back to back facing each other with Lakers first losing at home, and then winning in Golden State. Lamar grabbed a combined 43 rebounds in those two games. Could we see that again tonight? Maybe. But then again that was when Lamar was a starter almost averaging more minutes than Kobe, and Gasol sidelined with an acute ankle injury. Oh, but we'll see tonight. And I hope to see a standing ovation when Ronny is announced.

This could be a dangerous team if they can get going offensively. Also 2nd in scoring in the NBA with 105PPG. The Lakers are number one in scoring with 106PPG but the only difference in the team comes on the other end of the floor. With high scorers Corey Maggette, Monta Ellis, and Jamal Crawford sidelined with injuries, this NorCal team still has other offensive threats in Stephen Jackson, Andris Biedrins, Kelenna Azubuike, rookie C.J. Watson, and not to mention Mr. Energy Ronny Turiaf.

If the Lakers think they can just cruise through this game, they could be in for a surprise. The last time they faced a high scoring team(New York), they almost lost the game. They need to carry on that intensity they played with on Chrismas and play it with consistency.

LAKERS DEFEAT CELTICS! (POST-GAME REPORT)

The Lakers vs Celtics, a rivalry renewed, a hate hate relationship. The Staples center was packed, one of the season ticket holders I spoke to said that this was different from a playoff atmosphere, it was crazier! Although he said it wasn't as nuts as the finals, this was the closest it got.

The Celtics stepped out on the floor too boo's and "Boston Sucks" chants, they waved back to the crowed with smiles and sarcasm then started lay-up drills. To be honest, I didn't hate the Celtics before, I actually respected them. A group of three superstars coming together and sacrificing their individual talent for their team to win a championship, what better story can be told? But now their attitude and swagger is just disgusting. Paul Pierce stating he is the best player in the world, Ray Allen acceptance of an award at the Espy's saying "Another Win in L.A.!", Kendrick Perkins, who the hell is Kendrick Perkins? If the other guys didn't come to Boston would you really be known at all? KG may annoy a lot of people, but he's always been like that, the man is hungry and finally got a ring. Too bad that's his first and last because the Lakers are out for your head. KG still shows respect towards Kobe Bryant, even if not verbally, you see when he shakes hands and acknowledges Kobe before the game, that he truly respects him. Lately Garnett has been picking on little guards of the NBA, their whole team is just a bunch of disgusting people, but for the remainder of the season, they are the disgusting world champs.


The Lakers popped up on the jumbotron, their entrance music was blasting throughout the arena. You hear the loudest cheers you have ever heard. Almost everyone in the room is feeling the same thing. Goosebumps and shivers race throughout your body. This is it, the day we've been waiting for since June. Our time to avenge the death of our trophy dreams. Sasha Vujacic was the first to run out of the locker room and you can see it in his eyes that he was ready. The last to come out? None other then our 2 heroes, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol.


My anxiety was kicking in and I was having flashbacks of our game 4 24 point lead breakdown, but all this was behind us now, today was the only thing that mattered. This was hands down the greatest game I have ever been to in my life! The biggest regular game of the season, the rematch against the hated C's, the highest rated regular season game in 4 years? Come on, the only thing better than this is the finals itself. The game was close all throughout, Kobe went off in the first half and our defense was awesome, except for some easy alley-oops to Garnett, but Pau made up for it later on in the second half. Pau Gasol shook off all names that even HINT him of being "SOFT." Gasol went to work late in the second half and was challenged bucket by bucket by Keving Garnett. Gasol scored 6 straight points in the fourth and blocked a 3 pointer which turned into a lead pass and the dagger Trevor Ariza dunk that I'm sure everyone saw on sportscenter. Our intensity was of the richtor scale, if we can play like this every game, NO ONE can beat the Lakers. One of the main things I noticed was the crowd. The sports capital of the world came through on XMAS day, we were all behind our Lakers and pushed them to victory. We must continue this no matter who we play. The Laker fans must show how we feel, and how much we want the championship as much as the players themselves! I mean, we are the ones partying with them on Figueroa aren't we?

No stats needed for tonights game except for this, LAKERS DEFEAT CELTICS! Put up a W in our column and throw an L in Boston's. We snapped a 19 game winning streak with Phil getting his 1,000 win, he's also the fasest to hit that mark. Thanks Boston! Another record we will achieve later this season is most coaching titles, we're coming for your ass Red!



Lakers beat the Celdicks 92-83! Happy Holidays from DailyDynasty!

Magic "Lakers look up to, Celtics"

ESPN analyst and former Laker Champion, Magic Johnson has been putting the Lakers down saying that they're not playing on "Bostons level". But we must remember, former Laker or not, he's an ESPN analyst and can't always favor Los Angeles. He can't be biased towards one team as an analyst. That man is just sayin what he needs and has to say.


Magic was pleased on how the Lakers performed today against the Boston Celtics. Saying that the Lakers playing a much more physical game than they did in the Finals. But when asked what this loss does to the Boston Celtics' psyche, Magic had this to say.

"Nothing."
"The Cleavland Cavilers are looking up, The Orlando Magic are looking up, and The Los Angeles Lakers are looking up at the Boston Celtics."

I beg to differ! This loss will tire the Celts, not physically, but mentally. And at the same time boosts the confidence of the Los Angeles Lakers.
I can still hear the chants... "BOSTON SUCKS!"

LD2K Exclusive vid. "We Get Boston"

LD2K, the guy reponsible for some of the best Laker videos thats come out, is here with another one.
"We Get Boston"
Check it out!

LAKERS vs BOSTON (PRE-GAME REPORT)

Well here we are. It was inevitable. The Christmas game is here!The Boston Celtics has come to town to face our beloved Los Angeles Lakers and the classic L.A. - Boston rivalry continues through a new generation of players. Some say it’s just a game, some say a preview of the Finals. This is a game of egos, of bragging rights, and most of all, this is a game that will give the winning team the confidence to win over the losing team over and over again in future games.

Even before the 08’-09’ NBA Basketball season began, The Lakers were praised by many to come out victors in this years finals. And when the season began, the Lakers were seamless and even more favored them as the champs. But up to a week ago peoples views on the Lakers changed as they seemed to lose that “spark” and even losing two games back-to-back. Meanwhile, the Celtics seemed to only get better, breaking NBA records, and impossibly improving after every game. The Big Three(Pierce, Garnett and Allen) now have people to back them up when their game isn’t on point. Rondo is playing his mind out, who just last year was criticized as not having enough experience to bring them to the finals. Perkins is still the same, but for some reason always seems to get under Bynum’s skin. The Others like Powe, T. Allen, House, and the rest also show improvement from last year.

Up to a couple days ago, I as a Laker Fan was worried, feeling our team slip in to relax mode. But since that back-to-back loss to Miami and Orlando, Kobe had that fire in his eyes, that killer we all know he has in him, that we haven’t seen in a while. Pushing(Literally and Metaphorically speaking) his team to win a sketchy game against Memphis. He then got the rest of the Lakers to give in to his mind set and ran through the New Orleans Hornets on their home floor. All of a sudden this team is back to square one. They played with passion and that hunger they need to play with. And what a better time to step their game up than the games right before they play the Laker fan’s most hated team, The Boston Celtics.

This is more than just a game. For the Lakers and much more the fans, a dream to have their team beat the hell out of the Celtics! I could almost hear the sensations of the crowd and the “BOSTON SUCKS!” chants. And not to long from now, both the Lakers and Celtics will step on that hardwood floor of Los Angeles’ Staples Center and play their hearts out for themselves and for the fans this Christmas Day. Last years victims were of the Phoenix Suns. This year… The Boston Celtics.

Farmar undergoes successful knee surgery!

from Lakers.com

Lakers guard Jordan Farmar underwent successful surgery today to repair a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee, it was announced by the team.

The surgery, which took approximately 30 minutes, was performed by Dr. Clarence Shields of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Group. Farmar is expected to be out approximately eight weeks.

Lakers could sign Pargo, Lue, or Marbury?

from realgm
With rumors swirling that Jordan Farmar could need surgery, veteran possibilities for the Lakers include "ex-Lakers" Tyronn Lue and even Jannero Pargo.

Los Angeles could also wait and see how Sasha Vujacic does after moving from shooting guard to backup ballhander.

"I think Sasha can push that ball with a level that's OK," Coach Phil Jackson said. "Decision-making, that's a different story."

Stephon Marbury is also looking for a team to call home since he was banished from the New York Knicks.

LAKERS vs HORNETS (POST-GAME)

LAKERS 100 HORNETS 87

The Lakers jumped on the Hornets late in the first half and kept the momentum going from there. Pau aka Mr. Efficient had a near perfect night. Shooting 8-10 from the field, including a smooth stroking 3-pointer from the corner. 7 Rebounds and 1 block. Kobe lead the team again with 26 points taking only 18 shots and going to the line 15 times, converting on 12 of them. He also had a clean night with 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 0 turnovers. And you all did see the top play on ESPN tonight didn't you? A mosterous dunk from the right side of the rim curling under then jamming on the left with one hand. Bynum had 13 points 7 rebounds and 3 blocks and stayed out of foul trouble, which is key to the next game against the C's. Lamar Odom chipped in 8 points with 8 rebounds and look like he is gaining his confidence back, his benchmate Trevor Ariza put up 10 points with 3 rebounds and 2 steals.

Tonight I saw great ball movement and less isolation plays. The defensive intensity looked like it did in the beginning of the season. David West was held to 5 of 15 shooting, Chris Pauls numbers may be deceiving, 17 points and 10 assists looks good, but the swarming defense from the Lakers is what kept him from scoring 30 and dishing 15. This was an exciting game to play on the road considering that the Hornets are 2nd place in the west, and we beat them by 13. So if the Lakers and Hornets do end up facing in the playoffs, L.A. can get it done on the road, they did twice this season. “Any time you play a team like New Orleans, which is a team that a lot of people expect to be there in the end, you definitely want to send a message,” Kobe Bryant said. The 2 remainder games when these 2 teams face off will be both at Staples Center.

A good win for the Lakeshow tonite. Now it's time to head home and prepare for the biggest game of the year! I have been waiting for this game since the season started. Lakers vs Celtics, Christmas Day. SEE YOU THERE! LET'S GO LAKERS! BOSTON SUCKS!

LAKERS vs HORNETS (PRE-GAME)

Kobe's game is always on, Pau puts up efficient numbers every time he steps on the court, D-Fish knocks down the shots that he practices all day in El Segundo, now is the time for the rest of the team to not only show up, but DOMINATE.

Tonight Kobe meets another one of his teammates from Beijing to end the 4 game road trip, Chris Paul. His other teammates from the olympics have gotten the best of Mamba (D. Wade, D. Howard) in Miami and Orlando taking one possession victories. The Lakers will not have a shot bounce in and out tonite. This is the last game before we see the NBA Finals rematch, Lakers vs Celtics. It has been said by many people that the Lakers are no longer "immortals" and they are not at the caliber of the C's. A 2 game skid has brought these words out of mouths, defense has become staggard, but none of this matters until Christmas Day. Let's hope the Lakers can make a statement tonite and put away the Hornets to come home with momentum for the biggest game of the year! GO LAKERS!

Is it the shoes?

Could it be?? Is it the shoes thats given Kobe that extra bounce in his game? Everyone said he's crazy! You'll roll your ankles playing in low-top shoes! But since he started rockin' his new low/mid-top Kobe Zoom VI, he's averaged 35 points per game. And even in his second game wearing them, he scored a season high 41 points against the Orlando Magic.

If Kobe can prove that whole "wearing low-tops for basketball is dangerous" myth is false with his new shoes, he can pretty much change the whole shoe game as far as basketball shoes go. So is this shoe actually helping him perform better? You be the judge!

Farmar Update

A doctor recommended surgery for Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar, who hurt his left knee last week against the Miami Heat.

Team doctor Steve Lombardo examined Farmar on Monday in Los Angeles and confirmed the guard has a torn lateral meniscus. The team said Farmar has not decided whether to have surgery, and it's unclear how long he will be out.

"We're not happy about it, obviously, but this is what we go through in an NBA season," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "That's why we have a roster. We have guys who can play, and backup people who can help. We hope we get guys to support us now that Jordan is gone and will be for a while."

Farmar was hurt Friday in the fourth quarter of the Lakers' 89-87 loss to the Heat. The former UCLA star was averaging 7.9 points and 2.4 assists in nearly 20 minutes backing up Derek Fisher.

Because Farmar could be out for 6-8 weeks, Jackson said the Lakers were considering acquiring a player with quickness and speed to help spell Fisher in his absence.

Lakers fan in Memphis.

A picture taken of a die hard Laker fan in Memphis during last nights game. With the Grizzlies fans down as their team starts to lose the lead, this Laker fan proudly stands supporting his team, rockin' a KB24 jersey while holding up a "all I want for christmas - LA beat Boston" sign. We're all with you on that Mr. Bald Guy! I LOVE IT! BOSTON SUCKS! BOSTON SUCKS! BOSTON SUCKS!

LAKERS vs GRIZZLIES (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 105 - GRIZZLIES 96

THANK YOU! This win was exactly what the Lakers needed. Like the twinkle in Dwayne Wades eyes Friday night when the Lakers faced the Heat, you saw the same “I’m not losing this game” look in Kobe’s eyes tonight. It’s that mental/physical toughness and killer instinct that the rest of the Lakers need to play with.

Playing behind almost the whole game, the Lakers gathered themselves together and were able to close out this game winning by 9 points. It was pretty ugly from the beginning to end which O.J. Mayo seemed to hit a 3-pointer almost every time we gained a lead or even got close to a lead, with 5 of 9 from behind the arc and 22 points. Rudy Gay added 23 points and 7 rebounds to the Memphis box score. The Gay-Mayo duo had their way with the Lakers majority of the game and also accounted for nearly half of the Grizzlies points.

With quick inbounds after a Laker make, Memphis pushed their offense before the Lakers could set up their defense. A price to pay when you play two seven footers at the same time. And at times when they got back early enough, the Lakers still had little defensive scrambles in which the Grizzlies took advantage of and broke down the Lakers defensively. Awkward battles in the middle at times when the Gasol brothers fought for the better position down in the paint. But Pau didn’t let his younger brother spoil his Memphis homecoming.

Purple Spain put up 15pts on 60% shooting with 7rebs, 6asts, and 2 blocks. Not too shabby for his first time back. Bynum again was in foul trouble but still managed 13pts and 4rebs. A frustrated Lamar for not getting calls when hacked as he attacked the paint(which was an oddly called game throughout), stepped up playing with a bit of aggression, added 12pts, 6rebs, 2asts, and 1blk. That’s what we need from our 6th man, LEAD BY EXAMPLE LAMAR! Kobe is to thank for this win who dropped 36pts on 14-23 shooting, 4rebs, and 3asts.

It was Kobe’s dagger 3-pointer that put this game away after a great offensive rebound from Pau, but it was Ariza’s steal, run, and dish to Lamar that turned this game around. Leading by 7 and only seconds left in the game, Kobe had a steal and dumped the ball down the hoop as a statement that now, he doesn’t give a damn! From here on out, I hope to see the hunger and toughness that they showed us early in the season. Bring on the New Orleans Hairnets!!!

LAKERS vs GRIZZLIES (PRE-GAME REPORT)

Pau Gasol is returning to play against the team he started his career with. When acquired in Febuary of last year, Pau fit seemlessly into our triangle offense. And when Memphis came into town to play Los Angeles last season, Pau was unfortunately sidelined with and an minor ankle injury. Healthy and consistent, The Spaniard hopes to show the Memphis organization what they're missing and what a stupid move it was to trade him. In return they took Pau's younger brother Marc who has been putting up some good numbers and is also one of the top 10 in shooting percentages in the NBA.

Comming off back-to-back losses against the Heat and the Magics, the Lakers hope to avoid a third straight loss. And with two suspect performances from Andrew, I hope to see him shine tonight. Kobe seems to have found his groove back again, while co-captain D-Fish has been stepping up with the absence of Farmar. Last game Vlad-Rad showcased to P.J why he deserves that 3 spot in the starting line up back. The whole bench also needs to step of course with the absence of Farmar. Odom should be that man off the bench to lead the bench mob and also keep them grounded in the game.

Since Pau's departure with Memphis, Rudy Gay has been the go-to-guy for the Grizzlies team. But with the new guy, rookie O.J. Mayo, Gay's numbers has gone down a tad bit. Rudy says its good for the team that there is another option as far as scoring. Marc "Tank" Gasol with a bigger frame than Pau, can cause problems with Bynum. But I think the Lakers will pull through in this game with a win.

LAKERS vs MAGIC (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 103 - MAGIC 106

Battered, beaten, and just flat out tired(well everyone except for Kobe). Words defining the way the Lakers looked in yesterdays loss against the Orlando Magic. For the second night in a row, the Lakers had a chance(two chances actually) to win the game, or at least take the lead in the final seconds of the game. Sasha threw up a good looking 3-pointer, only to have it rattle out of the basket. Then Kobe had his chance to tie the game with 3 seconds left, but was way off shooting it from 31 feet away.

It's another loss I'm really not too mad about, just disappointed. A loss is a loss but like the guys at AM570 said, it's better to lose by 2 or 3 knowing that your team never quit, than to lose by 20 playing horribly... obviously, but you get what they're trying to say. We looked good out there last night. Defense was there, limited our turnovers to 9, and only missing one free throw out of 25 attempts(an improvement from the previous night). But Orlando's habit of shooting a million 3-pointers cost us making 12 of 30, and for some reason made us try to catch up throwing up 21 behind the arc and making only 7 of them. If you ask me, those possessions could have gone to higher percentage mid-range shots.

The battle in the middle was pretty much nonexistent. With both Andrew Bynum and Dwight Howard in early foul trouble(57 fouls in total in the game), limited their minutes. Howard with only 6 attempts managed 18pts and 12rebs, with ten of his points coming from the free throw line. Big Drew was a Big Disappointment for the second night, getting 3pts, 1reb, 5fouls, and 2 turnovers. You would think this game would be all action in the middle with all the talent down there, but it was the Lakers starting back court and Magic's PG, Ja"meerkat" Nelson and PF Rashard Lewis who stole the show. Kobe with a season high 41pts and 8rebs, WOULD NOT miss. Fish stepped up with more minutes(due to Farmar missing the game) also with a season high 27pts. Meerkat Nelson averaging 16ppg, had his night with 27pts on 11 for 16 shooting, while Lewis added 22pts.

I think the loss the previous night to the Heat was still in their heads. And Farmar sidelined didn't help either, forcing Phil to make odd lineup changes during the game. Now is the time to focus and regroup. With a back-to-back loss, they cant afford another one. Up next is Pau's Former team, Memphis.

Farmar to miss game tonight.

During the 4th quarter, Jordan Farmar entered the locker room, landing awkwardly after a fast break layup. Today he had an MRI that revealed tear in the meniscus of his left knee. He'll fly back to Los Angeles Sunday to be examined by a team doctor on Monday. Word is, he might miss at least the next three games, which is the rest of the whole road trip playing against tonight's team, Orlando, and the back-to-back against Memphis and New Orleans on Monday and Tuesday.

Filling in for Farmar tonight will be shooting guard Sasha Vujacic, who first started playing the point guard position when he entered the Lakers organization as rookie. I feel with our open spot in our roster, the Lakers will make a move to fill in for the point guard position. There has been talk about an acquisition for Stephon Marbury. With his troubles in New York, and his interest in playing for a “playoff, championship caliber team.” Sources declined any discussion to which team he actually wants to play for but didn't "shoot down" teams like Boston, Miami, or our Los Angeles Lakers.

Are we in for another out of the blue trade for the Lakers? Will Mitch pull through another one? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

LAKERS vs MAGIC (PRE-GAME REPORT)

Tough loss last night but now we move forward. Back to back olympic teammate meetings for Kobe this weekend. In a few hours Kobe and the Lakers take on the Orlando Magic, led by "Superman" Dwight Howard. It will be interesting to see the inside battles tonite with Bynum and Howard, but who will guard Pau now? Last year with A-Train injured, the Magic were able to adjust defensively throwing Howard on Gasol, now there will be a defensive mismatch on the inside. The best defender for Kobe on the Magic is probably Keith Bogans, but who is that? Jameer Nelson, point guard of Orlando, is having a great year and is shooting the ball well. The Magic has been shooting the ball beyond the arc extremely well, which is how they have been putting teams away (20-6). Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis are big forwards that can put the ball on the floor and are knock down shooters from the 3 point line. Let's see how the Lakers defend tonite and take advantage of our obvious mismatches.

LAKERS vs HEAT (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 87 - HEAT 89

I guess they didn't hear me all too well. Even with the loss, I will say this, I thought we didn't do half bad tonight. I saw a bit of a Zone defense against the Heat. Offensively, we were just mediocre(except for Kobe). You can't blame it all on the 21 turnovers the Lakers had, because they only had 2 more than Miami did with 19. The Lakers were really trying tonight, only Heat was trying allot harder.

You could almost see it in Wade's eyes last night who finished with 35pts, 6rebs, 3asts, 3stls, and 2blks. He wasn't losing the 4th game in a row. Especially when he hit the buzzer beater 3 at the end of the half. If you didn't know why he's the NBA's scoring leader, you knew now after the game. Shawn Marion added 12pts and 11rebs for the Heat, while Beasley only with 6pts and 1 reb. The Heat played 3 centers who only combined for 12pts and 13rebs.

Kobe, who seemed to be the only Laker to get going offensively, put up 28pts, 3rebs, and 3 asts. If only he could have held Wade down like I thought he would. Pau quietly chipped in a double-double with 13pts, and 11 rebs. With the weak centers the Heat had, you would think Bynum put up monstrous numbers. But the man hardly touched the ball! He had 4pts and 6rebs, and both shots we from offensive rebounds he managed to put back into the hoop. I mean damn... did I jinx these guys or something??

All in all, this game was a bit weird. If you took a glance at the box score without looking at the final score, you swear you'd think the Lakers won. I guess the 4th loss doesn't hurt that much as the first 3. Disappointed is all. If only we put in a little more effort, the game would have been ours. But the Lakers can't dwell on this loss, they have Orlando to vent their anger to. And this time with competition in the middle for Andrew, he better show us why he's praised as the next big center in the NBA.

Trouble with "Ear" Jordan?

It's things like these, the Laker Fans love to hear!
Apparently there's been some talk behind closed doors about what the Team wants Farmar to do, and what Farmar actually does. In earlier games, Farmar was let off the leash and pretty much ran the bench the way he wanted to. But now the Zen Master has other other plans, asking him run more of the triangle offense and calm down a little on those fastbreaks when the opportunity isn't there.

Farmar had this to say:
"I asked them what they wanted me to do so I can go out there and do it and not be confused about my job,"
"They're not looking for me to do anything personal -- just run our offense. It affects my performance and what I do."
"I'm a guard coming off the bench playing limited minutes so I got to make those minutes count and do what the coaching staff and the organization wants."

"I was trying to go out there and do what I was told. Every time I would do what they asked me to do, it seemed like it was the wrong thing at that time, the wrong choice. I'm just trying to figure it out and do what they ask me in any capacity, whatever it is"

But here comes the kicker!:
"I want to have decision-making opportunities, but if that's not in their plans right now, I can't let what I want go over what the team wants. I love these guys and we have a chance to be special, and I'll sacrifice as much as I have to for us to win."

UHH SON!
I love it!

LAKERS vs HEAT (PRE-GAME REPORT)

DEFENSE! DEFENSE! DEFENSE! Maybe if I say it enough times, these Lakers will hear me. We know this team can play it, we know because we’ve seen it! There are theories that because of the teams with perimeter shooting big men, spreads out our defense keeping our big guys(Bynum & Gasol) out of the paint, thus, easy penetration for the opposing teams’ smaller guards. But in the last game against the Knicks, there was no excuse. They lit us up with 3-pointer, after 3-pointer, after 3-pointer. With hardly any threat in the middle, except for David Lee(but who the duck is he?).

Starting our four game road trip, we face NBA’s scoring leader Dwayne Wade(28.0 PPG) and his Miami Heat. After a Championship season with Shaq in 2006, the team fell with trades and injuries. But now, with a healthy Wade, the acquisition of Shawn Marion last season, and the pick up of Michael Beasley(Miami’s 2nd pick in 2008 NBA draft), they’ve almost won more games in nearly a third of a season, than they did the whole 2007-2008 regular season(which was a miserable 15 wins). But even with the NBA’s scoring leader, elite forward Marion, and ROTY prospect Beasley, in my opinion, are still not contenders for a run in the Finals.

The Lakers with a two day rest coming off a nail biting win over the Knicks, now more than ever need to pick up their game. If they’re not careful, Miami’s big three can become big trouble for us. If Kobe can hold down his USA teammate Wade like he did Redd, then better for us. Bynum needs the ball early and often in this game, with the lack in their center position. Gasol and Odom could have their hands full with Marion and Beasley, while even battling sickness. But I expect good things from “Mr. Consistent” and “The GOODS”.

Defense is key in this game. Why you ask? Defense gives us leads and therefore gives our starters more rest in the last two quarters of the game. And tomorrow we go back to back facing Dwight Howard and his Orlando Magic. And after that? We got the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. And even after that?!? Another back to back with New Orleans on Tuesday. I can’t even stress what comes after that… did someone say Christmas Game? Need I say more?

LAKERS vs KNICKS (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 116 KNICKS 114

No Pau? No problem. The Lakers did what they needed to do tonite and came out with a W. Down by 15 at the half doesn't look too good, but up by 2 when the final horn sounds looks GREAT. Lamar Odom, on his first start of the season, showed when he is called upon, he WILL come through. 17 points with 12 rebounds and a season high 38 minutes for the absent Gasol, who was at home with strep throat. Kobe scored 9 of his 28 points in the last 7 minutes, including a 3 pointer in front of the Knicks bench which silenced them after an Al Harrington jam on the previous possesion. Trevor Ariza was all over the place and posted 13 points with 5 rebounds 2 steals and a block. He did have two suspect inbound passes which were nearly stripped but the basketball Gods wanted the Lakeshow to survive this one. Luke Walton also scored a season high 14 points and is showing that Coach Jackson has made a good decision on starting the small forward for the passed 4 games. The man doesn't win championships by luck. Bynum chipped in 13 points 11 rebounds but most importantly, 4 blocks. Towards the end of the game, Bynum's presence on the inside changed many lay-ups and his blocks gave us the momentum to score on the other end. If Pau was playing tonite along with Bynum in the middle, I'm almost positive the game wouldn't be as close.

Nate Robinson of the Knicks had a great night, but it was all in vain due to a loss at Staples. 33 points on 9-16 shooting. Derrick Fisher had 15 points with a season high 7 assists. He also hit a free throw with 2.7 seconds left to put us up by 2 in the end of the 4th quarter. With no time outs left, the Knicks inbounded to Chris Duhon for a desperate halfcourt shot which came up short. 21-3.

“We remembered all the battles we’ve been through. We didn’t panic,” said Kobe Bryant, who also had seven rebounds, six assists and four steals. “Just to be able to stay calm and push our way through, it was a good game for us to have.” Let's home this is the game where our momentum is built up and we can take it on the road trip with a hungry Laker team.

SIDE NOTE: Starbury WAS spotted at tonite's game and reportedly met with Jeanie Buss of the L.A. Lakers prior to tip-off...

STARBURY?

So in recent news, PG Stephon Marbury has been sitting out and is waiting to get out of New York, but where is he headed? Boston, Dallas, and Miami are apparently trying to make a run for Marbury once he is bought out or they find a resolution to his situation. Why do I bring this up? The Los Angeles Lakers were also brought up to join this race. Another interesting fact is that Stephon Marbury is currently in the west coast since he was told by Donnie Walsh and the Knicks management to stay away from the team until some kind of deal was executed. But what has got everyone wondering are talks of Marbury being at the game tonight, not as a player, but as a "fan." I'm sure he's not a "fan" of people not wanting him to play and that are trying to buy him out (New York Knicks). So who is he a "fan" of? One thing is for certain, Stephon and Kobe are pals. But would they be able to be teammates? Let your voice be heard!

LAKERS vs KNICKS (PRE-GAME REPORT)

“It could be,” Phil Jackson said when asked if his team was playing down to the level of its competition. “Our offense was pretty stagnant tonight. We’re trying to find a combination out there that can give us better spacing. Right now, it doesn’t seem like our quickness or our execution speed that I like is there. Sometimes the ball stays on one side of the court too long or we’re just not executing.” PJ talking about the last game against the T-Wolves.

Tonite L.A. takes on the Knickerbockers at the Staples Center. A new look team under a new coach, run and gun master Mike D'Antoni. Zack Randolph was recently sent to the Clippers for Tim Thomas and Cat Mobley; Jamal Crawford was sent to Golden State for Al Harrington via trades. Al Harrington is currently averaging 21 points in the past few games and looks like he is trying to earn a spot past 2010. D'Antoni has many adjustments to work on and is still tinkering with the starting line-up as well as rotations. It looks as if Little Nate Robinson will be starting tonite over Chris Duhon but it will be a game-time decision. Wilson Chandler has been looking impressive for the start of the season. Chandler is averaging about 15 points and 5 boards from the forward position.

Let's look for the Lakers to clean up their act tonite. We are currently scoring the highest in the NBA at 108 per game, but our defense has dropped. “We can’t hold a lead. … That’s awful,” said sixth man Lamar Odom, averaging only 5.8 points in his last 10 games. “We want to play the same way all the time. That’s what great teams do. It’s only December, but we can play a lot better.” It is only December, but one of the most anticipated games of the year is coming up, Christmas Day. We must clean up before that day so we can really aim at our "barometer" as Kobe says. Look for a big man game tonite, feeding the post and controlling the tempo. Hopefully stopping the run and gun offense of coach D. Let's play some defense tonite fellas!

LAKERS vs TIMBERWOLVES (POST GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 98 - TIMBERWOLVES 86

Though these past few games have been a bit ugly, the Lakers are still pulling out wins. Maybe were stooping down to these mediocre teams' level, or maybe not. Tonight was no different from the past several games. The Timberwolves were in town with the 3rd worst record in the NBA. And guess what happened? They hung in with the Lakers and had the opportunity to win the game till the Lakers decided they wanted to pull away from the Wolves in the fourth quarter. Same story different team.

Kobe Bryant put up 26pts but had to throw up 24 shots to gain those points. Phil thinks Kobe's awful starts might be due to Pau's early feedings of the ball and not really giving Kobe the chance to get going in the game. Phil is right in having the big guys getting the ball more often now since we have a height advantage over many teams. Pau, Pau, Pau, what can I say? The man is consistent. With 18pts, 11rebs, 6asts, and 3blks, I wouldn't be surprized if Pau is more favored as an MVP than the streaky Kobe. Bynum one rebound short of a double-double, with 14pts, 9rebs, and 3 blocks.

While the Lakers shot 44.7% from the field, they held Minnesota to 36.1%. Leading the Wolves was Center Al Jerfferson with 20pts, 13rebs, and 3blks. Which was more than we can say for rookie PF/C Kevin Love who only added 2pts, but was able to grab 10rebs(that trade for O.J. Mayo isn't lookin' too pretty for the T-wolves now, is it?). Shooter Mike Miller added 11pts and 9rebs. And FINALLY we contain the point guard! Randy Foye and Sebastian Telfair with only a combined 10pts and 9asts.

I really do hope this Laker team turns things around on the defensive end. Offensively were putting up numbers, and top 5 in almost every offensive category. Because we only have 5 more games till we play Boston. And though some say it's only one game and it won't determine the outcome of the Finals. It is a BIG game, and a win against Boston give us the confidence we need to beat them again and again.

LAKERS vs KINGS (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 112 KINGS 103

Not the prettiest win, but a win. The Lakers avenged their loss from a couple nights ago against the Kings tonite, but had a hard time doing it. Andrew Bynum picked up 4 quick fouls in the first half and eventually got fouled out with about 4 minutes left in a game denying Spencer Hawes for a jam. A-Train ended with 8 points and 10 rebounds. Pau came through like always and had 18 points along with 11 rebounds. The Lakers were working on building a big lead and the Kings kept finding their way back in.

“We did better playing against them tonight,” said Mamba, who led the Lakers with 32 points. “In Sacramento we weren’t able to contain them in any stretch. They made a couple of big 3s down the stretch on a couple of blown assignments. But still in all, we did OK.”

Kobe did more than "OK." 32 points on 11 out of 21 shooting, 7 boards, 3 dimes. Not to mention a two-handed monster jam and one which pretty much sealed the deal for L.A. tonite.

“The whole world knew that he was going to come out ready for this game,” John Salmons said. “So it is what it is—he is Kobe.” Damn Right!


Look for the Lakers to clean up as well as rest up for the game against the Wolves on Sunday. It looks like Luke will be making his 3rd start and, in my opinion, is a smart move by PJ. Well, since it has been working. Last game Luke had 8 points and 6 assists, tonite against the Kings, he had a team high 8 assists. His passing ability can create problems for other teams if he works the triangle to perfection, but it takes the whole team to succeed. Look for the Lakers to take another one at home to reach 20 wins and hopefully we can raise our intensity level and dominate!

LAKERS vs KINGS(PRE-GAME REPORT)

LA is coming off a win back home at the staples center against the short-handed Pheonix Suns, which was still too close if you ask me. Pau Gasol has been the most consistent Laker. Day in and out he has proven his improvement from over the summer. It was either his olympic run with Spain or actually having a full training camp with the Lakers, or maybe both, but it has definitely affected his game for the better.

Look for Pau to have another "silent killer" game and I'm sure Kobe is not very happy about the loss on Tuesday. He probably realized that this guy name Fransisco dropped 21 on him, Mamba won't let it happen again. Let's see if the bench can step it up, we need you guys more now than ever. It looks like PJ is taking Luke off the end of the bench and starting him. 8 points with 6 assists, can't really ask for more. Luke is a solid small forward with the ability to make plays, we need him to play some defense and put a big body on Salmons or Garcia tonite, get it done Luke! Look for the Lakers to take revenge against the QUEENS tonite and blow them out at home and send the fans off with free tacos!

LAKERS vs SUNS (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 115 - SUNS 110

Both teams came out with a new starting line. Lakers started 3rd string SF Luke Walton(benching Radmonivic who was a DNP tonight) while due to personal problems with Shaq and trades of Boris Diaw and starter SG Raja Bell, Phoenix(only dressing 8 players) went with small forward Matt Barnes at the SG position and started rookie Robin Lopez as their center.

The Lakers started off great, hardly missing shots and putting down the defense. Luke looked good dishing out 4 early assists in the first half(finishing with 8pts, 6asts, & 2stls). Without Shaq in the middle, our two starting 7 footers took full advantage putting up any shot they wanted. When Phoenix started using the Zone Defense early in the 2nd quarter, Sasha “The Machine” Vujacic made them pay with three 3 pointers(who finished with 15 points). Every thing was looking good for us… up until the 3rd quarter when our defense started to falter.

In the 2nd half, Phoenix used our faults to their advantage, pestering the Lakers with plenty of screen and rolls, off-ball screens, and started cutting through the lane constantly. Grant Hill(23pts, 4stls, & 7rebs) and Matt Barnes(25pts & 10rebs) hit us with almost every shot possible outside of the paint. Lakers’ poor defense led to them to take poor forced shots, instead of sticking to what was working best for them in the first half, which was feeding it to our big guys in the paint. Lakers’ problem defending the 3 gave the Suns a lead in the 3rd when Barnes and Barbosa seemed to hit one every time we started to pull away.

It was a purely offensive game with Suns shooting 50% and the Lakers shooting 48%. Able to contain Nash and held him to only 7pts on 2-12 shooting. But no Shaq; equals more touches for Amare who had 21pts and 11rebs. Kobe on another bad shooting night scoring 18pts with 14 of them coming in the 2nd half. Pau with yet another consistent play with 28pts on 11-14 shooting, 5rebs, and 4asts, who only had 4pts in their last meeting with the Suns. Bynum had an easy 17pts on 7-11 shooting, and doubled it up again with 11rebs. I thought he could have put up more points and could have been useful in that 3rd quarter run from the Suns, but for some reason Phil decided to limit his playing time.

I honestly wasn’t satisfied with this win. “Our aggression and intensity is not where it needs to be.” said Defensive coach Kurt Rambis. We’ve let too many teams score above 100 points. If we don’t fix our problem and don’t start playing the whole 48 minutes, then us Laker fans may be looking at an upset come Christmas when we play the Celtics who showed our defensive weakness in last years’ finals.

LAKERS vs SUNS (PRE-GAME REPORT)

BREAKING NEWS:
Sun trade: Boris Diaw, Raja Bell, and Sean Singletary.
For: Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley of the Charlotte Bobcats.

While the Lakers took another loss last night, the Phoenix Suns took a 125-110 win against the Milwaukee Bucks. Though the Suns Won their last two, they've also lost 4 of their last 6 games.
Undermanned because of the trade(which I can't confirm but I'm pretty sure), not only will Diaw and Bell not play, but also due to a death in the family Shaquille O'neal will not be attending tonights game. Which means either Amare will move up to the center position, or the Suns will start the hustling rookie Robin Lopez. And in the absence of Bell will most likely be Barbosa taking the shooting guard position(up until Jason Richardson joins the line-up). The Last time these two teams met, the Lakers won 105-92.

This Phoenix team still searching for it's identity. For the past couple of years this team has been known as a running team while under the coaching of Mike D'Antoni. With D'Antoni gone, and Coach Porter in, this team is now confused. With the running mentality embedded in their mind, Terry Porter is trying to focus their offense around Shaq making them a half-court team. Almost nullifying Nash's quick moves to the basket. Shaq had a good point when he said that if this team really wanted to be a running team, they should just go out there and run. They don't need permission. Amare has also been opening his mouth saying he wants to be the "Go-To-Guy" in tough games. Charles Barkley said is he wants to be a go-to-guy, he should just go out there and do it. Put up numbers and stuff, because you don't see Kobe or LeBron sayin "I want". You see Kobe and LeBron just doing it like Nike.

With the Suns undermanned and the Lakers coming off a loss. The Lakers better come out blazing and take advantage of the mismatches early on in the game. If they can't find a way to contain Steve Nash it'll be hard for them(which seems to be one of the Lakers biggest weakness' in containing point guards). And if Los Angeles comes out playing like they did last night, don't expect a win tonight unless the Suns do allot worse.

LAKERS vs KINGS (PRE & POST GAME REPORT)

PREGAME:

So the Lakers face off against the "healthy" Kings team tonite in about an hour. Nothing really to be excited about but as Laker fans, we would like to see our team succeed. Most of us would like to see the Lake Show blow out a subpar team like the Kings (5-16 8 losses in a row) I, on the other hand, would like to see a 48 minute game from our guys. Offensively but especially defensively. When we control a big lead we must capatilize. Consistency is key for us here on out. These next few games have to build up for the game we all are anticipating for. Christmas day against the C's. Look for the lakers to win by 12 tonite to improve to 18 wins in a very young season.

POST GAME

KINGS 113 - LAKERS 101

The Kings didn't beat the Lakers Tuesday night at the Arco, the Lakers beat the Lakers. Uncontested shots, poor shooting along with poor decision making, and bad defense, which is what we have taken so much pride for in the beginning of the season, is why the Lakers lost a couple of nights ago. Our guys need to stay focused, that's all it is.

Whether playing an under 500 team or true contenders, we must stay focused. Sometimes playing with teams that are not on your level throws you off, but these are the teams that you must put away and make a statement. These are the kind of teams that you embed fear in their hearts and minds. These are the teams that should be nervous and scared when they are facing the most elite team in the NBA.

LAKERS vs BUCKS (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 105 - BUCKS 92

I didn’t really get a chance to watch the game so I thought I’d write about the game based on stats and highlights alone. So please bare with me. Back home at Staples Center, the Lakers took the win tonight in the 105-92 victory against the Bucks. The Lakers started out the first half shooting only 35%, missing many easy lay-ups. Thankfully the Bucks were only shooting 31%. We got Richard Jefferson in early foul trouble(4) while Kobe did a job on Michael Redd holding him to only 1-6 shooting in the first two quarters.

What happens when our Laker team is having trouble getting shots to fall? “Give it to Will!” But since we don’t have Will Smith on our team, we have the next best thing, Kobe Bryant, who was just what the Lakers needed. Kobe scored 20 points for the night while also managing to grab 5 rebounds and dished out 8 assists(trying to show up Chris Paul are we?). D-Fish got back in his groove and put up 19 points and our kleptomaniac of the night with 5 steals. Not bad for the 34 year old veteran. Andrew Bynum with another double-double night with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Pau one rebound short of a double-double with 12 points and 9 rebounds.

Lakers were doing good leading by 23 points in the fourth quarter(27 in the 3rd) till we unloaded our bench(and I mean unloaded. Everyone but Mbenga played) where the Bucks were able to cut our lead to 13 in the end while scoring 30 in that quarter alone. What’s with the Lakers always giving up big leads? All Buck starters held under double digit scoring. But it was their bench who put up numbers for them tonight accounting for 74 of Milwaukee's 92 points, led by Joe Alexander with 15 points.

Speaking of our bench, Chinese prospect Sun Yue(The Lakers 2nd round pick in the 2007 NBA draft) made his first NBA debut scoring 4 points on 2-3 shooting during “Garbage time.” Sun has yet to prove to Phil why he’s being called the “Chinese Magic Johnson”, who got that name because of his skill of playing a great point guard role standing at six-foot-nine. I hope to see more playing time for Sun Yue in the future games ahead. Up next, we have the Queens again with a still injured Kevin Martin. Last time we won with the Kings still hanging in there in the 4th. Will this game be similar to our last meeting?

LAKERS vs BUCKS (PRE-GAME REPORT)

It seems as if everyone who received a gold medal during the summer Olympic Basketball games in Beijing, have made a bigger impact for their team this year. Except for Michael Redd, captain of the Milwaukie Bucks. Even with the pick up of Richard Jefferson over the summer for Yi Jianlian, didn’t make much of difference in the win category. And with Villanueva at center, also making big plays for them, they still seem…well, mediocre.

Now back home at Staples Center, the Lakers face this mediocre Bucks team. Coming off of what should have been an easy road trip, turned out to be everything but, and also brought back a loss. And I know I’ve said this many times before, but this time I really do think these Lakers will realize that they really need to play all FORTY EIGHT MINUTES! On both ends of the floor. I know these guys have some anger to release from their poor efforts during that 3 game road trip and bring that hunger and killer instinct that they showcased at the beginning of the season.

Mediocre or not, this Bucks team can be very dangerous. Michael Redd, designated 3 shooter for our USA team over the summer can do just that. We already have trouble defending behind the arch, so Redd can really hurt us. And if Bynum and Gasol don’t do their job(which I doubt), can give Jefferson and Villanueva a chance to do some damage to us. But I guess well just have to see tonight.

LAKERS vs ZEPHYRS(WIZARDS) POST-GAME REPORT

LAKERS 106 WIZARDS 104

The Lakers finished off an ugly road trip tonight topping the Zephyrs or Wizards or whatever you want to call them. The win was as ugly as DeShawn Stevenson, if not uglier. We let a 19 point lead slip away toward the end of the game due to lack of defense, forced shots and turnovers. The bench looked out of it, and from what i noticed, when Lamar isn't bringing his game, the bench will follow. Step it up L.O.! Kobe had an ugly 5 for 17 shooting night but still managed to post 23 points. He added 7 rebounds and assists nearly hitting a triple double. He nearly sealed the deal with a clutch bank shot late in the fourth, but after a score from the Wizards came up short on one of his two free throws. Thank the basketball Gods that Caron Butler missed a 3 pointer at the buzzer so we wouldn't have to experience another heartbreaker. Bynum looked good tonite. His footwork and court saavy was extremely exciting to watch, let's hope it continues and progresses toward the end of the season. He had 19 points with 10 boards and 3 blocked shots. Pau always comes through, 17 points on 7-11 shooting, 10 boards, 6 assists, and 2 steals. Great game for the kung-Pau. The Space Cadet Radman hit 4 out of 7 shots beyond the arc, I guess he doesn't really need those glasses. Trevor Ariza's stat-line doesn't show how great he is playing. He always manages to be in the right spot at the right time and plays the passing lane perfectly. He also picked Butler's pocket with a behind the back pass to Kobe for the reverse jam. The rest of the bench need to step it up! After we take a commanding lead, Phil Jackson expects the bench to come in and still dominate, I'm sure this is what the team will be focusing on until Sunday. We finally get to come back home to Staples and have a gimme game against the Bucks. Look for the Lakers to blowout the Bucks this Sunday and hold a commanding lead throughout the game as we strive to make our record 17-2!

LAKERS vs WIZARDS (PRE-GAME REPORT)

Whenever I think of the Wizards, I think of 2 things. I think of "his Airness" returning to the NBA on a team he couldn't take back to the playoffs, and I remember the first game i watched coming out of the hospital from surgery last year. If I'm not mistaken, this was one of the games on the road trip where Pau Gasol was newly acquired. In that game, Kobe had an extra step. I don't know if it because he was able to compete with his buddy Caron Butler, or it was as if he knew a drastic change was going to happen. The smile on Mamba's face, the swagger he possesed, he looked like a kid that was excited for a present. It must have been that the Spaniard was coming to town, and Kwame Butterfingers was getting shipped out. I mean come on, you can't be too excited to play against the Wizards. I remember the first time I heard Pau Gasol was acquired, I was in the hospital half dead from surgery and treatment, but I was told I'd be going home that week. It WAS good news, until I heard that Mitch Kupchak made one of the greatest decisions in the NBA. I was so happy I almost cried, literally. I never doubted the move, the rest is history. Where were you when you found out that our Lakers made a trade for Pau for practically nothing?

Tonight we face the Wizards. The injury prone team without their true star, Agent Zero. Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison are great players, but cannot get rolling on all cylinders without Gilbert Arenas making the plays. Jamison has an unorthodox style of playing basketball, but is still capable of putting up 20 and 10 any night. Caron Caron Caron. How ironic is it to speak about Caron. He currently is averaging 21 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and almost 2 steals a game. One of the most all around players in the NBA and a former Laker. He was actually Kobe's best friend when he was in L.A. I was disgusted when we traded him to the Wizards for Kwame Brown, but think of it this way now, if it wasn't for Caron going to Washington for Kwame, would we still have been able to land Pau Gasol? You will be missed Caron, but when your contract is done, I'm sure you know where to go. Other than these 2 guys, there's really nothing else. Deshawn Stevenson thinks no one can see him like Tony Yayo averaging a wopping 8 points. I thought LeBron made him retire? Nick Young's favorite player growing up is Kobe Bryant, how do you think he feels guarding him? Gilbert Arenas isn't playing, what's new? I say Lakers win by 20, we come back home 16-2.

LAKERS vs SIXERS (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 114 - SIXERS 102 The Lakers bounced back from their loss the other night against the Pacers and took a win tonight against the Philadelphia Sixers. Instead of letting go of a lead, the Lakers built a 19 point cushion to push through the rest of the game winning by 12. Kobe(was playing like a monster!) led the Lakers with 32pts on 12 for 20 shooting, 6rebs, 4asts, and 2stls. Pau got the double-double with 22pts, 13rebs and also added 3blks(isn't that your job Andrew?). Bynum put up 18pts but only managed to catch 3rebs and gave the Lakers 5 turnovers. As a matter of fact, the Lakers Big Three(Kobe, Pau, and Drew) were responsible for 12 turnovers out of the Lakers 16.

It was all guards in the Sixers side of the story, with Andre Miller leading them with 26pts, 8rebs, and 5asts. Iguodala had 19pts, 5rebs, and 5asts. Even their backup shooting guard Lou Williams was able to get 15 points. Elton Brand held down to 3 points on 1 for 3 shooting(I guess the Lakers Forwards were too long for him). Our Lakers bench was outscored tonight 26 - 24. And I thought their bench needed some work.

The Turmoil continues against Phil Jackson and Andrew Bynum. After hearing P.J. talk about his(Andrew) lack of rebounding, Drew for the second night criticized Phil for not utilizing his minutes correctly. And after everything Phil answered “He’s a kid. He doesn’t know any better.” But I don't see this as a big thing. It's just a difference of opinion. Up next we got he injury prone Washington Wizards along with our former Laker Caron Butler.

UNDERESTIMATED.

I felt like Laker fans needed a boost after last night's game. So I thought I'd write about something positive. What better subject than to write about Mr. Trevor Ariza.

Last year I caught myself wondering why we traded Mo Evans and Brian Cook for one guy I have never even heard of before. Then Trevor started picking the ball away from the opposing team, and showed everyone why people should know his name during last years Christmas game against Phoenix when he put Grant Hill on a Poster.

This UCLA alumni was drafted By the Knicks in the 2nd round in 2004. Later traded to the Orlando Magic in 2006. Then last year found his way back to his hometown in Los Angeles. Sidelined by a foot injury(about one week after Andrew Bynum injured his knee), kept him on the bench for the rest of the 07'-08' season. The injury kept us Laker fans oblivious to what he is potentially capable of. This year he's come back, and has been drinking plenty of milk! He's become or always was the defensive catalyst and energy man off the bench. Coming out with some big plays for the Lakers that because of him we won certain games. His career average was 6.5pts, 3.7rebs and has only made 17 three-pointers. This year he averages 10.1pts, 5.5rebs, 2.4asts, 1.8stls, .44blks, and has already made 8 three-pointers in 16 games alone. His stats don't even account for the many ball deflections and changed shots he has caused.

He is known as a defensive player, but this year is making a statement that he can do more than just defend. He's got jump-shot and is starting to dissect the defense and get in the lane. In the open floor on a fast-break with quick steps and swift moves, he's pretty much unstoppable. When asked if he worked on all those areas during the summer, he replied that he had always possessed those attributes and just wasn't given the time of day to showcase those talents. Now on the Lakers, he's given the freedom to show what he can do. Trevor now is starting to play like one of NBA's elite.

“My biggest motivation is proving people wrong. I’ve always known what I could do. I’m not for making people look bad, but when there’s doubters it’s always special to surprise them. People kept saying that I wasn’t going to make it. They would say that I was going to end up playing overseas and whatnot. Some people flat out would come up to me and tell me that I was making a bad decision and that I was messing up my life. It feels good to know that I haven’t.” - Trevor Ariza

LAKERS vs SIXERS (PRE-GAME REPORT)

After a disappointing game at Indiana against the Pacers, the Lakers must let go of this loss(but don't forget) and focus on the next game ahead. Tonight they make their way to the "City of Brotherly Love" continuing their 3 game road trip to play on the Sixers home floor. Philadelphia, also playing back to back games coming off a win against the Chicago Bulls, has yet to make some big noise in the NBA with a record of 8 wins, 10 losses. The acquisition of Elton Brand during the summer has helped their team. But really not all that much. Their only real consistent players are Andre Iguodala who's averaging 13pts, 5 asts, and Brand averaging 17pts, and 8rebs. Their second year small forward Thaddeus Young shows promise, but also shows the inconsistency of a very young player mentally and physically. Their bench also need some work.

If the Lakers learned from the loss the previous night. They should come out tonight and take care of some business, as a team focused and determined. And if they don't make the same mistakes they made the night before, then it shouldn't be such a hard game for us to take. For the Sixers to win they need big games from both Iguodala and Brand. Thaddeus Young and the bench also need to step in if Philadelphia wants to bang with the big boys of the Los Angeles Lakers. Though this could be the hardest game of the road trip, I expect the Lakers to come out with fire in their eyes and put this one out early to redeem themselves of the horrible game the night before.

LAKERS vs PACERS (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 117 PACERS 118

Ok, ok. Indiana can say that they beat the best of the best in the NBA after knocking off the Celtics giving them 1 of their 2 losses and now giving us our 2nd loss of the season and ruining our chance to make another run at history. Let's see how they do in the playoffs because I doubt they'll make it passed the 1st round. That's even if they make the playoffs. I may sound bitter but it's true. Losing by one point on a lucky tip doesn't really make you a good team. Kobe is now the 2nd youngest in history to reach 22,000 points but it's all in vain. Shot nearly 50% from the field and tallied up 28 points with 17 boards. Pau had 20 with 8 boards and a block. Bynum put up 17 and 9 just shy of a double double. Trevor Ariza keeps blossoming. 13 points, 3 steals, 1 block with 5 boards. We let the game slip away from us though. The Lakers had a commanding 104 to 88 lead. And like last year against the Celtics in the finals, let a huge lead slip away. Let's all keep our eyes on the prize Lakerland. We want a parade on Figueroa, not a winning streak. Look for us to bounce back tomorrow against Philly. It's Kobe's hometown, and I doubt he's sleeping tonight, so watch Mamba and the fellas jump on them early. Lets take the last 2 games of this road trip home!

Kobe, 2nd youngest to reach 22,000 points

I don't think there's a doubt in anyone's mind that Kobe, "the greatest player on the planet", will score his 15 points tonight to be the 2nd youngest player EVER to reach 22,000 points. 2nd to Wilt after 81 points, 2nd to Wilt at 22,000 points, always number 1 in our eyes. Thanks for letting us witness history Mamba!