Hey, why not, eh?

An amusing analysis of Phil Jackson's politicking:
Jackson and the refs

I remember watching this and thinking those were some pretty amazed looks from people who just witnessed a missed dunk. Be sure to read the caption under the bottom photo:
Shannon Brown almost posterizes Jason Richardson

It looked like a charge to me and the ball didn't drop! It's also presumptuous to crown the Lakers.

At the start of the play, I thought it was a charge, but after viewing it from another angle, it looked like at the last second Richardson shifted toward Brown, whereas if he'd remained still, it most definitely would have been called against Brown.
The fact that it didn't go in is what gets me. I've never seen so many people on their feet applauding a miss by their own guy -- and even some of the players were awestruck.
Presumptuous, perhaps. I just thought it was past time for a new thread instead of retreading the 2009 one.

I found this both amusing and apropos:
Lakers, Celtics ruin it for everybody else

I'm not expecting the Suns to beat the Lakers in this series. However, I hope the Suns can extend this series enough to wear down the Lakers. The Celtics can take them out.

Funny, I was hoping the same thing from Orlando.
I think the Lakers take the Suns in 5. For as well as Phoenix played Sunday night, they only won by 9, and that's with the Lakers helping them by sending them to the line 20 times in the first half. For some teams, that's a game's worth.
The Magic finally showed some grit. Maybe it'll give them confidence to win 1 more and push it to 6.
Maybe. I wouldn't bet the farm on it, but at least the game should be interesting.

What happened to the Lakers? They were looking pretty tired in the 4th. Well, the Suns only won by 9.

I think they made a decision not to play defense. I give the Suns credit for making their shots, but you can only give a 3-point-shooting team so many wide open looks.
Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but a friend of mine explained Boston's game 4 loss to Orlando as the NBA trying to milk a few extra games for TV revenue. It makes sense. TNT boasted 40 games in 40 nights. But between 3 second-round sweeps and having so many spells of consecutive nights with no games no TNT or ESPN, I can see why they'd want to manipulate a few extra games.
It's possible the Lakers were tired. But Bynum looked better than he has all post season. No big stats, but he was effective when he was out there. But overall, they seemed like they didn't care on defense. And I heard one radio announcer talk about the rebounding, which was pitiful. Phoenix got to the ball, and there were several times the Lakers got to the ball but didn't secure it. Guilty of mailing it in? Yes. Sandbagging to extend the series? Maybe that's just this one fan's opinion for lack of any logical reason for the performance. On the other hand, if Orlando manages to force a game 6 in that series, it certainly would lend credence to my friend's comment.

Yikes! It remains to be seen whether Orlando wins this one but that call against Perkins has "conspiracy" written all over it. First, the foul was a bad call. Then the technical that got him ejected. I want Boston to lose, but I can't see how that's a technical foul.
Then again, it may be the kind of thing the Celtics rally around.
We'll see.

The Lakers are going down. Kobe takes a quarter or two off every game so the Celtics need to keep it close then let loose the dogs when Kobe checks out.

That's a good one. We must not be watching the same games. Phil likes to rest him the last 2-3 minutes of the 1st and 3rd quarters, and the first 2-4 minutes of the 2nd and 4th.
Now does Bryant take off some defensive possessions? Heck, the entire team does that.

Dwayne Wade
LeBron James
Dwight Howard

Kobe Bryant is about to join the front-running losers above.

Eh, he's well ahead of that class. Didn't you watch the Nike puppets last year? He's got 4 championship rings to LeBron's 0, Dwight's 0 and Dwyane's 1.

I'm talking about the here and now. The Celtics are playing better team ball and have been stopping their opponent's star player.

Those 4 rings are are going to weigh Kobe down if he brings them to this game. The Lakers are very beatable!

Fair enough.

That's one.

TR, I got a question for you. Most of the folks I know who want Boston to win this series either hate the Lakers or like Boston's "physical" style.
After L.A. won game 1, one such person complained about the refs. From my point of view, they called the game the way they should have called. Physical or not, you have to be able to defend and rebound without committing a lot of fouls. Neither team avoided fouls (Boston 28 to L.A's 26, but Boston shot more free throws, 36-31), but L.A. was better at executing offense and clearing the boards.
From game 2's box score: total fouls even at 29. Free throws favored L.A. heavily: 31 of 41 vs. 20 of 26.
Not that I agree with every call. In any game, there are going to be some missed calls and some absolutely terrible ones. But from where I sit, the refs called both games the same way.
Fair or unfair?
Do you agree with my friend that calling the game tight takes Boston out of their game? If so, how did Boston manage to win game 2 when even more fouls were called?

Ray Allen made it rain. That's eight!

I'm not going to second guess the refs. Laker fans are trying to come up with excuses for their failure. The Celtics played great defense instead of watching Kobe. The Celtics are no more "physical" than the Lakers. If the refs called everything, Ron Artest would get a technical in every game.

Not this Lakers fan. I think both games were called fairly. Maybe a little too tight, but as long as it's even, I'm okay with it. And you're right about the physical game. I think the term is way overused and is more about perception than reality.
Ray made it rain, all right. That won't happen again. Rondo upped the tempo, and that got the L.A. defense out of sorts. They were scrambling the entire first half.
Going into game 3, both sides have something to worry about. Garnett and Pierce haven't been much of a factor. For the Lakers, Odom has been invisible.
I expect the refs will let some things go tomorrow that were being called in games 1 and 2. The players have to play through those rough spots and ignore the bad calls and non calls.

The two games we lost to Boston in the past six, Kobe was out with the flue and dehidration....and in Sunday's game, out with to many foul calls against him.....asn when he was in, he had to put his hands in his pockets defensively due to playing the whole fourth qtr with 5 fouls.

Keep him on the court, refs, and Lakers win.

Paul

I'm not sure which games you're talking about, Paul. In the regular season at Boston, Bryant hit the game winner with 7 seconds left. And last season, the Lakers won in overtime in Boston, completing a season sweep just days before they did the same thing to Cleveland.

Doc Rivers complains about officiating
The funny thing about this is right after blasting the refs for non-calls, he says he and the players should concentrate on the game.
Anybody want to place bets on whether the league fines him.
I think not, but if it were Phil Jackson or Mark Cuban, NBA Cares would be getting donations.

Ack. Talk about an ugly game. None of them have exactly been thrillers, but ack.
Kudos to Glen "Big Baby" Davis. What a game he played.

The Celtics bench game up big! Glen Davis is quite agile for a big guy. Bynum was limited because of his knee so the Lakers didn't have his shot blocking and big body to match up with Davis.

True. As to Davis, that's why I like him despite his being a Celtic.

Kobe came to play but his team mates were MIA. The Celtics will need to step up their game in L.A. to finish off the Lakers. Phil Jackson needs to know that his team will not be given quarters.

True that. I didn't see much of the game, but when I was able to watch, I saw a stat that was just ridiculous. In the 3rd quarter, Bryant was the only Laker to score in double figures. I don't care what Boston's doing or how the refs are calling the game: That lack of performance is unacceptable.

The mantra all last season for the Lakers huddle was "RING!" May I suggest that just for tonight Phil and Kobe borrow from Pat Riley and preach and live this mantra of Riles: "No REBOUND no RING!" It all comes down to that. Lakers control the boards and I guarantee a game six victory. Boston is not likely to shoot 55% two games in a row-so limiting their second shots and getting a few of our own is key. And amazingly everything else will seem to come much easier than games four and five.

They must rebound better, but I can't help but think some of Boston's extra possessions, especially in Sunday's game, were aided by bad calls or non calls.
I know. It happens a lot. But if they're going to "swallow the whistle" and not call technical fouls against certain players because you don't want that to be a factor in the finals, I don't see how not calling a loose-ball foul is not being a factor.
Specifically, there were two or three plays in the second half where a Laker had a rebound and a Celtic reached and knocked it out of bounds. Every time, the Celtics were awarded the ball. If not an over-the-back foul, it should be out on the Celtics.
I'm only talking about a handful of plays in a game where the Lakers as a group seemed lethargic. But considering they lost only by 6 points, two fewer "extra" possessions for Boston can make a difference.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say the refs make more calls tonight, like in games 1 and 2. The total fouls will be balanced, and the free throws may favor Boston. But the simple fact that they'll call stuff that hasn't been called the last 2 games, will have an impact on how the Celtics play.
Even so, Gasol has to score. Period.
Odom has to score. Period.
Artest has to defend Pierce like he did early in the series.
And the combination of Fisher, Brown and Farmar must score 15.
As to Gasol, he needs to run more. The Lakers should push the ball more, but they won't. Therefore, Gasol needs to get downcourt and establish position before the Boston defense can set. If he gets stuck out on the perimeter, it's over.

Why did the Lakers win a mere 56% of their road games and a stunning 83%(34-7)@home? Whatever the reason, I am very happy and buoyed by those stats. They are 9-1 @home this postseason...29-4 in the Gasol era@Staples in playoff games(88 winning percentage). So there is reason to be nervous yet hopeful+optimistic. Why does Gasol seem to play so much better@home? With Lamar, he seems to have 90-95% of his lives-up-to-his-ability games on the home court? Andrew as well to a lesser degree. Is it just the adrenalin of the cheers of the Laker fans and familiarity with the home rims?

I will add that I agree that the refs are missinq alot of hacks that Boston commits on the Lakers and hope that the old adage of the home team getting the calls holds true tonight. Pierce and Rivers whining after games one, two and three may have had it`s intended subconcious effect in games 4+5. Hopefully the refs forget about all that whining. Better yet-make them pay during the game for whining on foul calls. T EM UP! I still remain convinced that it is rebounding that will light the way for the Lakers. That and Kobe has to go back to trusting his first and second in command--draw defenders and trust the open man. NO REBOUND NO RING!

With Bynum not being 100% and Pau Gasol being out-muscled in the paint by KG, Perkins, and Big Baby, I don't see how the Lakers are going to improve rebounding. With Artest and Fisher being out-hustled by Pierce, Rajon, Allen, and even the Celtics bench, I don't see how the Lakers are going play better defense.

Kobe is going to get his shots so the best the Celtics can do is make him work hard for every shot. The other Lakers have already proven that they don't have the muscle and hustle to beat the Celtics.

Ummm.

LOL! Jazzwriter-that was classic. Was that ummmm like saying "move to strike"? I am sure in this instance you will be ecstatic to admit you were wrong!The rebounding made the difference-somewhere in the neighborhood of winning the rebound war by 13 or 14-which is just huge. It fed everything. That and the stifling defense. Artest, Lamar and Pau just all went from looking spent and just exhausted-to looking just completely re-energized. We have to realize that Andrew will most likely play only about 5-10 minutes if that in game 7...BUT what an inspiration he must be giving his team mates. Plan has to be the same for Thursday. But keep FOCUSED! Boston is gonna throw everything PLUS the kitchen sink at us. Boston is gonna play even dirtier than usual in hopes of getting us rattled and off our game plan. Rebound. stifling defense, rebound, everything through Gasol on offense pound it inside and get to the foul line-everyone attack the paint-and NO REBOUND NO RING-TEAM LEADING REB WAR HAS THE W EVERY GAME

The "umm" was my way of saying, I was at a loss for words with which to respond to TR's errant prediction.
As to my own comments, if I failed to convey this earlier, I apologize, but to win the series, the Lakers have to rebound better and be more efficient on offense. There has been some criticism of the defense, but I don't see the D as being a problem. The games they lost, the offense was ragged, they settled for too many jumpers, they gave Boston too many second-chance opportunities, they didn't make their free throws.
I commented on the refs only to make a point, albeit a minor one. The three losses have been by 9, 7 and 6 points. Hardly anything to crow about for those Boston fans who believe their team to be unbeatable except by the refs taking them out of their game. For the Lakers, they were close enough that three plays could have changed the outcome in any of them: made free throws, one more made field goal, one more defensive stop, one less Boston possession via failure to rebound. When the Lakers were down by 5 with less than 2 minutes to go in Sunday's game, one possession could have made it a 2-point game. But instead of getting the rebound, it went out of bounds and the refs awarded it to Boston. More time off the clock even if Boston doesn't score. And on the other end, Gasol missed a free throw, and Artest missed two. I'm not one to blame or credit the refs for losing or winning. But in this case, just one call that went the other way could have made a tremendous difference.
Now on to game 7, it comes down to 2 things: rebounding and effort. Last night was the best across-the-board effort I've seen from the Lakers in a months.

Lakers. Game 7 for all the marbles. Classic. I think that game 7 is most likely gonna be more of a war than game 6. It will likely be like games 2 through 5-give and take-nip and tuck-knock down dragout. This is like Ali-Frazier III. Ali had to combine guts with his superior skill to stop Frazier. Pau is such a key. When he goes 20-10 it is tough to overcome the Lakers. When he supports Kobe with a 25-15-it is near impossible to beat the World Champions. 30 and 4 in the playoff@home in the Gasol era. NO REBOUND NO RING!

I don't attribute the rout to anything the Lakers did. The Celtics didn't bring the same level of intensity to the game. Once they were down by an insurmountable amount of points, they decided to save it for the seventh.

Rondo needs to be decisive and sure with ball. He shouldn't be afraid of taking it to the hoop and going to the line. Allen needs to hit threes. KG and Pierce need to bring their A games. With Perkins out, Big Baby needs to just be a boss in the paint.

Kobe is due a bad game.

Ummmm--it is in the realm of possibility in the universe that Kobe would have one of those rare- as hens- teeth off games where he shoots 9-30 or something and only get`s 6 free throws. But unless the refs put him in early foul trouble, odds are that his line will read something like 25-5-5 or even 30-7-8. Boston may lean heavy on forcing Kobe to pass and just figure they`re better off hoping the other Lakers are ice cold. TR808- are you saying that the Lakers rebounding intensity, stifling defense. dives for loose balls and offensive pressure and run out dunks were-what-Boston`s handiwork? With the Lakers 34-7 home record(83%)10-1@home this post season(91%)and 30-4@Staples in thd Gasol era(88.2%)odds are that the Lakers will win and be crowned repeat/back to back World Champions. 20% chance that Boston big four have huge games all at the same time while ALL the Lakers have a horrible game. Way more likely that the Lakers will NOT have a letdown at Staples and will win. NO REBOUND NO RING!

Don't count your chickens before they hatch. The Celtics aren't going to be laying eggs tonight. Don't act like the Celtics haven't been here before.

Well, they did lay a few eggs, but not as many as the Lakers did in the first half. And not just the field goals. The free throw shooting was horrible.
TR, I get what you're saying about Rondo. He's a hard one to figure out. He's been such a great decision maker through the playoffs, but other than the one game where he found Ray Allen time and time again, he's been of limited effectiveness as an offensive weapon. Defensively and rebounding, he's been a pain in the keister.
This was a hard game to figure out. Both teams played well defensively, but even good defense doesn't explain some of the stuff I saw. Big Baby. Did he even score tonight?
And I can't say I've ever seen a conference champion blow so many shots in the paint. Yeah, the Lakers' length bothers most teams, but some of these misses were uncontested.
Kudos to Artest. 20 points. I felt he needed to have an impact but that was unexpected.
Ultimately, though, the big difference was in rebounding. L.A. had 15 offensive rebounds in the first half alone. Boston did rebound better in the second half, but failing to do so in the first half kept them from blowing the game wide open.

WORLD CHAMPIONS!WORLD CHAMPION LOS ANGELES LAKERS! BACK TO BACK REPEAT WORLD CHAMPION LOS ANGELES LAKERS!!!! Oh it sounds so good just to say it! How sweet the sound. It`s 3 AM and I can`t sleep. Rebounding was da key-but defense-for both teams-was tenacious and stifling. I aiso am convinced that after more than 100 games, both teams, in a relative sense, were just exhausted, even with a week of rest before game one. Kobe stunk for 3 quarters plus, yet part of him being-sorry James-the best player in basketball-he controlled the game in THE most important stat-dude at 6` 6"-had 15 REBOUNDS. And his three free throws in a row was one of the turning points as were a couple of body sacrificing drives late. I`m stoked for Pau-second MVP to me. What guts-what a great COMPLETE player. Andrew what an inspiring player-he wanted this so bad! RONRON GOT HIS RING! DEREK- HUGE 3 to TIE da GAME. AND-PHIL! THAT B 11 World Championships-TWO more now`n Aurbach! I`M spent. Time2go cry tears JOY. REBOUND=RING! CHAMPS!

Ron Artest thanked his psychiatrist after the win and was shocked when Kobe passed him the ball. The Celtics were shocked also because Kobe usually shoots the ball himself even when his team mates are wide open.

Ron Artest is seeing a psychiatrist to relax!

The best player in basketball-sorry James, 5 World Championships to your ZERO-stunk it up in the area where-when he is hot-has no equal-shooting. Kobe acknowledged that and thanked his boys for carrying HIM (for a change). Kobe, mission accomplished-finally was able to admit that he was indeed exhausted. That that and his two finger injuries.ankle and knee injuries had affected him big time. This had been obvious for near two months. What stamps him as the best is that he WILLED himself to FIFTEEN rebounds, a big shot late, two or three big drives where he forced the hacky crybabies to put him on the foul line for BIG freethrows. And that huge ASSIST on RonRon`s jugular slicer TREY. 29 PPG. 8 RPG 5 APG. horrible line eh?

Kobe is still THE most dangerous and best offensive option on any team in any sport. Those jealous fans whose teams have been beat down by Kobe only say he shoots too much because in their jealous hearts they know in the long run-in spite of cold stretches-Kobe shooting is overall gonna increase their jealousy. I hope Phil and Kobe on 3-5 minutes a game less per game next year to keep him fresher for the loooong post season.

Paul, it is pure folly to defend Kobe to anyone who considers him a ball hog. He can't win in this regard. When he takes the role of facilitator and takes only four shots in the first half, if the team struggles, they say he needs to be more assertive, needs to carry them.
But when he shoots a lot, he's selfish.
RonRon shouldn't have been surprised to get the ball in that situation. He'd played well all night and was due a reward. Kobe has good reason to be reluctant to give to Artest. More often than not, RonRon makes poor decisions. If he's wide open, he hesitates just long enough for a defender to contest the shot. Even on that play, he paused before shooting. And if he's not wide open, he tends to dribble around too much.
A side note: I love Mike Breen's call on that (and the other 3s in that sequence). "It's a 3. BANG!"
Now about that fatigue, the NBA needs to rethink its scheduling.
Too many times in the conference semis and conference finals, teams had 3-day and 4-day breaks between games. A long break between rounds makes sense, but within a series other than the finals seems unwise. You're down to the last 4 teams, and there are nights when not a single game is played. But then you get to the climax, and they play every other night? If nothing else, at least a 2-day break when they travel.

Lakers on Jimmy Kimmel live

This is part 1 of several.

Which M.J.'s style was Kobe copying? On and off the court, he wants to be like Mike. I guess he couldn't find the red jacket. Ron Artest was dressed like a harlequin clown.

As far as I know, Kobe doesn't play golf or aspire to break into major league baseball.

David Letterman--the big question HAS to be asked- During the baseball and football playoffs, every monologue mentioned the playoffs, World Series and Super Bowl, the star of the winning teams appeared the following night etc.... From June 3rd to date, not ONE mention of the Finals, no congratulations or even a mention on Friday night. Gasol was on Leno and Kobe, Fish, Ron on Kimmel on Friday night. The next-week-on-Letterman tv ad makes no mention of Kobe and/or any other World Champions as guests next week. STRANGE!

Maybe CBS is boycotting. I don't know. I guarantee you if the Indiana Pacers, Indianapolis Colts or Ball State is involved in anything, he'd pump it up during every monologue. Now that you mention it, Letterman has given more commentary about the pitiful Knicks than he has the playoffs.

Letterman is east coast like me! We don't care much for west teams. I almost expected Kobe to moonwalk out during the Kimmel appearance.

Ah, so the truth comes out. It's an East Coast-West Coast thing. I knew there was a rhyme for your reason. That explains so much.

Ummm....and Boston is what-west coast? Remember-no mention of EITHER team even when Boston was looking like they had a real chance up 3-2. Jazzwriter-spot on on your analysis of the way the jealous anti Kobe fans change the way they attempt to disparage him(ball hog/isn`t shooting enough etc). It is envy and jealousy plain and simple. And with all of em, the ugliness spills over-like TR808-sad to notice he is so jealous it shows in his Kobe wants to dress like MJ-thought he was gonna try to moowalk, etc. Well Kobe was already 3 feet off the ground! Hehheh. no moonnwalk needed! SWEET! In that vein- my next post will concern the low class whining and excuses I encountered on celtic blog/discussion boards. Also Doc Rivers low class comments, i.e. our starting 5 didn`t lose the championship crapola. In a big way that lack of grace in defeat is why Loston has such a deserved rep as crybabies-going back to McCryle, Mainge,+ Maxwell. It makes da fact dat we spanked them sweeter

Jealousy? Son, please! Kobe is always on a 3 ft pedestal in the minds of his fans.

and why not? Did he not just lead his team to the NBA Championship? Hey I am not his biggest fan, but you do have to respect what he does on the court and should we forget that you seem to place value on a player based on the number of titles he wins. Give the man his props for winning a championship.

You can say this much for Kobe. He didn't turn the ball over during the last few minutes of the game to let the Celtics win. I never said Kobe wasn't a great player and no one can say his game isn't modeled on Jordan's game. Other than disparage his wardrobe on the Kimmel Show, I didn't say anything that's not well known about his game.

I swear Kobe had a white, sequined glove tucked in his pocket on that show.

Was that a Jordan thing or a Jackson thing?

Ali`s will to win was second to none and was the only thing that exceeded his incredible natural talent. Kobe is similar in this area. Kobe has shown great skill is passing game. Those Horry and Fish 3 pt daggers-past and present-frequently came after a Kobe penetration and/or pass. Check the old films. Sometimes he still puts up some ill advised shots. But Magic-THE best passer ever-used to be accused of bad passing-"he thinks he can throw a pass under a door jamb"-Chick Hearn. Kobe is a student of the game. He borrows from Wilt. West, Robertson, Clyde Frazier. And Jordan-and Bird+Russell. And Magic alot in the past couple of years. That, son, is smart. And Kobe according to Phil in many areas is equal or superior to Jordan-outside shooting for instance. TR808-if you admire the best player in the game so much-why do you try to dis him at nearly every turn? Jealousy.

Letterman update: Still no mention of the World Champions back to back Finals title victory. Dave did indeed mention Indy every night during Superbowl week. And New York nightly during and following the World Series. And-he had players from the winning team from the beisbol y futbol finals. It`s just strange.Tonight, a sportswriter on as a guest did throw in a reference to Phil+Kobe in midst of the World Cup`s substitution policy. Dave did have a great line about those annoying horns being proof positive of the sad fact that soccer is incredibly boring! Leno had a great line about a fool proof solution for the British Petroleum disaster. The CELTICS were the key--engineers will use the hundreds of thousands of t-shirts and hats manufactured when Boston had that 13 pt lead in the 3rd qtr of game 7 -to plug the leak! Is that classic or what!?!?!

Nice. I do like soccer, but those horns -- vuvuzelas -- are annoying.

I wasn't too bothered by Letterman's lack of mentioning the NBA Finals, but I found it interesting tonight that he talked again about New York's hope that LeBron will join the Knicks. The graphics team superimposed the Lakers colors and logo over a Knicks jersey.

Paul, Gasol was on Lopez Tonight and Kobe is supposed to be there tomorrow.
I'm amazed at the number of people, including Lopez, who pronounce his name, "Paul."

Letterman`s writers ignoring da basketball playoffs while including alot of James 2 the Knicks talk had 2 be deliberate. Oh well. Their loss, right? ***Looks like Phij is NOT going 2 come back for a chance at a threepeat. I hope the Lakers choose one of the assistant coaches-+ just in case a year off rejuvinates Phil`s health and/or desire-sign the new coach on a year 2 year basis. Too bad the NBA will lose Phil AND Doc Rivers at the same time. ***On the Boston discussion boards and blogs-about 90% of the posters are crying about Perkins being out and whining that da referees robbed Boston, instead of showing class, they whine that the back2 back World Champions title is `tainted`. Typical+ low class. Only a few were graceful enough 2 admit da Lakers earned it w/ defense even more stifling than Bostons. Also- REBOUNDING. KOBE-56 BOARDS GARNETT-39 GASOL 80 PLUS BOARDS. SWEET. ***Parade on Monday was fun- not as fun as last years parade AND rally. This years game 7 superior 2 2009 game 5!

I do know some Celtics fans and Lakers haters who give due respect. They would have preferred that the refs not call as many fouls, but they admit the calls were fair. The thing the whiners seem to ignore is that both teams played exceptional defense in game 7. In the end, it came down to 2 things: rebounding (Perkins' absense as a big factor), and those Celtics who remained standing in the second half were exhausted to the point where they couldn't avoid fouling.
The next time you hear a Celtic fan complain about Perkins' absence, ask them how tainted their 2008 championship was when the Lakers played the entire series (not just a game and 3 quarters) without Bynum.
Here's an amazing stat: Just 3 participants in this discussion, and we're on page 7.

There's some noise that the Lakers might try to get Chris Paul. I don't know if that's feasible without a major luxury tax hit.
But most scenarios I've seen for any kind of deal has Bynum going elsewhere. Some of the suggested deals are ridiculous.
I'd love to see Chris Bosh in a Lakers uniform, but they're not going to trade him for Bynum. What, lose a center and gain a power forward to play alongside Gasol? Not realistic.
The Paul deal, as suggested, would send Bynum and Odom to New Orleans for Paul and Okafor. Ridiculous.
On the other hand, Raja Bell would be a nice fit. He's a good defender and can shoot 3's better than most (if not all) current Lakers. The only thing that concerns me about that is Bell is no spring chicken. Remember, he was on that 76ers team the Lakers beat 4-1 in 2001. He'll be good, but what kind of contract? 1 year? 3 years?

Sometimes the best trades are the one's never made. Remember Drew for Jason Kidd??

A a 40 per cent Drew was invaluable this year post season, in two of the series especially. Without Bynum, even on ONE leg, we most likely do not beat Loston.

Scary for the rest of the league: Kobe, finally copped to playing so much of the second half and the playoffs with a bad anklr, knee and two bum fingers. If he has a healthy year next year and Bynum can just end END the year with two healthy knees, that is a scary though. That is a good gamble that the Lakers can afford....that Bynum can get into a post season raring to go. Dude is may I remind you all, only 22 years of age!

Why trade him??? We won with him at 40 percent, and he is a good gamble that he may have a relatively healthy year. Maybe Phil or the new coach can treat him like Fish...play him 20 minutes a game until the playoffs, to protect his stregth and have him at 100 percent....then ratchet up his minutes post season.

I am convinces that you do not trade a guy that young who averages 17 and 10 when he IS healthy, and is only 22.

I agree. And there's no one available who plays his position nearly as well as he does. The team does need to upgrade at point guard. Most opinions believe Farmar will be gone, so that leaves Brown or bringing in somebody. But Kupchak basically stole Gasol from Memphis. Surely he won't get retarded overnight and trade a 7-foot center for a point guard.

pPau Gasol has been all over the southland makimg personal and promotional appearances. Newsmen are covering him-finally-like the star that he is. He says he definitely does not want to lose Phil, but will accept it if Phil`s doc`s recommend that he NOT coach next year. We find out this week.

I think it actually may be a positive. I don't have a problem with the triangle offense, but this team, even when playing well, gets away from it far too often for it to be effective. I'd like to see more motion, more screens.

Last Thursday, on the two week annivesary of the boston beatdown-repeat-back to back world championship win, Phil Jackson announced that he would be back for one-presumably-final season. The speculation had been that Phil was gonna harsh our world championship buzz if his post season physical indicated that his 64 year old body could not take the stress of another 100 NBA games. Far from harshing our buzz, Phil has solidified it. And-I think- in yet another brilliant motivational/psychological ploy-gave the 2010-2011 Lakers a tangible rallying point: LET`S SEND THE GREATEST NBA COACH OF ALL TIME OUT ON A THREEPEAT!

At last check, they'd signed point guard Steve Blake from Portland and were talking to Fisher. Shannon Brown has opted out but says he wants to stay. Farmar is probably going to sign elsewhere if he gets an offer.
Meanwhile, some idiot blogger says the Lakers should trade Kobe Bryant for LeBron James. His rationale is that Kobe is getting older, LeBron is in his prime, and the Lakers need to plan for the future.
After a few others read him the riot act on how such a deal is unthinkable, I told him that losing teams rebuild. Winning teams reload. You don't throw away your franchise player in hopes of winning a title with somebody else, when it's very possible that you can win with what you have. Are the Patriots going to dump Brady? How about the Colts and Manning? The Yankees and Jeter? Or, since we're talking NBA, the Spurs and Duncan?
Lakers fans are so spoiled. The team has won 11 titles since I've been paying attention to pro sports. The next closest is the NHL's Montreal Canadiens with 8. It's not gonna kill us if, after the next season or so, the Lakers go a decade without a title.

If LeBron joins Wade and Bosh in Miami, the Heat would have an unstoppable triumvirate.

With Bosh going to Miami, does Haslim become expendable?

'The Decision'
Wow. He said a proverbial mouthful.

They ran the Kimmel show with Kobe,Fish, RonRon, etc. It was just as hilarious as the first time-the bit on Adam Morrison "highlights" Fish saying he went to the locker room `to check to see if his {juevos} were still there and as big as he thought`,after he looked like he pulled something doing the splits early in the 4th. Re:James--isn`t everyone getting tired of him by now? I am. He is a monster talent.But his act is wearin thin. Remember his running off the court and to his car without congratulating Orlando in the 2009 playoffs? His attempt to quash and steal the tape of a college player posterizing him and giving James a leather facial? Dude`s the only player in Kobe`s class but Kobe has 5 rings-James zero. James,Wade, and Bosh-potential is there-but what say we see how much chemistry they have before we call em Kareem/Magic/Worthy part two, eh?

I'm wondering if LeBron will be able to accept being one of the guys on the Heat. Will D. Wade bow down to a king or tell the king to kiss his ring?

Good questions, TR. It will be interesting. If nothing else, Heat attendance will be excellent. I'm sure they'll be good as friends, but will the on-court chemistry work? I'm getting anxious to find out.
Hurry up, football season, so I can stop thinking about this for a while.

The owner of the Cavaliers was pretty upset about his main money maker leaving town. I feel sorry for Cleveland's loss but it's pretty difficult to make up reasons to to stay in a place like Cleveland, OH. The Browns looked good near the end of last year.

Another interesting read:
the sham

I`ve never in my 40 plus years as a sports and basketball fan heard an owner make such an angry statement of feeling betrayed. This was not an off the cuff sentence. It was a thought out, prepared statement going as far as accusing James of mentally if not emotionally and purposefully quiting when things got tough in the `09 and 2010 playoffs(vs Orlando and Boston, respectively). There is a huge backlash and feeling of betrayal from the fans as well(talk radio, video of James jersey burnings or worn with the null set on the back). James didn`t handle this w/ the aplomb of a 7 year veteran. No mention of an agonizing decision/ thank you to the fans. Instead, a self absorbed and a "I`m the richest man in the world" party and attitude-a celebration for what? Winning a world championship? No-dude signed a contract. Miami is gonna win 60 regular season games w/ James, Wade. and Bosh-and maybe FISH-RILES is courtin Derek. However, in da playoffs, Miami will eventually meet 2 or 3 teams w/stifling defenses.

It'd be very funny if one of those teams turned out to be Cleveland. I can see LeBron with that same dumbfounded expression from the poor sap in those "give me back that Filet o' Fish" ads.
Gilbert's rant might seem like a juvenile tantrum, but (except for the guaranteed championship), it reflects the way a lot of people feel about the situation.

In the series against Boston, I think it was game 5, LeBron looked worn out to me. Some say he quit to make a statement. Maybe so. What I read from his expressions was like, "Come on, guys, I need some help here." And when they didn't respond, he had nothing left to give them. In game 6, he at least put up some decent numbers to make it look like he was trying to win, but he still wasn't getting any help. Did he quit on the team or did the team quit on him? To me, it looks like a little bit of both.

The media has built LeBron up to be the man. Maybe LeBron has always wanted to be one of the guys on the team a la Scottie Pippen. In Cleveland, it was him against the world and the high expectations that go along with being 'da man'. Now he's got D. Wade to shoulder some of those expectations.

Well the repeat-back-to-back-world-champions did lose Farmar to the Nets. That hurts a bit-you can`t teach speed, and Farmar had that, He was too hot and cold(more cold than hot LAST season)from the outside, but showed flashes of brilliance. He also had years of experience with Phll`s triangle. ON THE PLUS SIDE--Fish had a brief `date` with James in Miami-but the 14 year veteran`s instinct yelled for Fish to end his carreer with Kobe-for LESS MONEY! GOTTA LOVE FISH. HE JUST MAKES BIG AND IMPORTANT SHOTS!Last James comment- Clevland won 66 and 61 games the last two years. I think James should have learned from Kobe, stayed put, and continued to pressure mgmnt/ownership to get `that one player`-a Gasol-like/Garnett-like pick up. Insofar as James being tired against Boston that is possible. There was also alot of talk of James playing the playoffs with a bum elbow, Very possible. However-again- look to Kobe. He played exhausted, with a bad ankle, knee,+ two bum fingers on his shooting hand!

Yep. He found a way to get it done. And in game 7, perhaps his worst offensive performance in a finals, he still worked his a** off and kept his teammates motivated, getting enough from Artest, Gasol, Odom, Fisher, Bynum and Vujacic to get it done.
Farmar's gone, but I think Steve Blake will more than make up for it. Being a "true" point guard, he'll get more minutes than Farmar. And that'll help Fisher out.
Still no word yet on Raja Bell.
Meanwhile, Miami snags Zadrunas Ilguaskas from Cleveland. Good luck with that.

There is no doubt that Lakers World Champions 2010.

I am interested to see if Mitch Kupchak can find more ways to fine tune the world champions between now and next seasons trade deadline. His options are a bit limited, but he seems to have that rare duo talent of being patient until it is time to pounce. Fish said alot by resisting James` advances and returning to the Lakers, He signed for 3 years, which indicates that the Lakers are planning on him being in the family even when he retires as a player. Good move. I think it will be very possible to 3peat if we are healthy in May/June. I wonder-is Boston odds on favorite to take the east, or is it Miami or Orlando?!!?

Boston still has 1 good strong season left with the current group. If Garnett and Pierce stay healthy, I expect them to pretty much control the east, even if they don't have a great regular season record. They know how to get it done when it matters. Orlando might have been my pick, but they folded the tent in these last playoffs, and haven't shown me anything in trying to improve. Chicago might get deep into the playoffs. And the Miami circus will be a fun show to watch, but I don't know that they'll be a good enough TEAM to challenge Boston.
Dallas was the one team in the West that I thought matched up well against the Lakers, then they got bounced in the first round. The other good teams in the conference have lost stars, like Boozer and Stoudemire, so somebody's got to make some moves to get in the Lakers' way.

The rich get richer. Lakers have signed forward Matt Barnes after a salary cap snafu doomed a deal between Orlando and Toronto. A veteran who's rangy and can complement Odom off the bench shores up an already solid front line (and probably making Josh Powell expendable, if he's not already gone).

Why are people angry about LeBron, D Wade, and Bosh making the decision to team up to form a super team? Miami is not assured of victory.

Isn't it about time for Kobe to retire and start batting for a minor league baseball team? I heard that Kobe is a great bowler too.

I wouldn't know about his bowling or baseball skills.
I agree about Miami. It'll be entertaining. It'll sell tickets. I think people are ticked off because for once, the players colluded instead of the owners. I don't have a problem with star players talking to one another, working out a deal so they can play on the same team. The only issue I have with it is LeBron's decision to make the announcement in an hour-long special. Even there, I don't have a whole lot of sympathy for Cleveland fans or ownership. I mean, think about it. If his heart were in Cleveland, would he even had anything to be undecided about? The mere fact that he had to make a "decision" should have been enough for those people to know he was leaving.

I like the addition of Blake. He kinda impressed/irritated me with his energy and tenacity when he played AGAINST the Lakers--and the fact the The Best Player in Basketball recruited him and lobbyed hard to bring him aboard speaks volumes and is good nuff for me. I also love that in Blakes first press conference he was already talking "we...and...team...Lakers" and as if he has beem a Laker for years! That impressed me for some reason. Meanwhile, Kobe had arthroscopic surgery on that knee that he denied was bothering him for the last part of the regular season and the playoffs-we could ALL see it was. Andrew also had surgery on his knee the same week...more serious, but not a major procedure. Both are expected to be ready for opening day!

It would be nice if Andrew could stay healthy for an entire season for once. Notice that Gasol and Odom missed several games early but they were there when it mattered.

PRESEASON STARTS MONDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Summer withdrawals weren't so bad this year, what with the LeBron circus keeping us tuned to the NBA almost until football season started.

I had no withdrawl symptoms cuz I am STILL on the adrenalin high of spanking Loston in game 7 of that tough, tough series. BOTH teams played exhausted and the Lakers Staples Center crowd helped energize the World Champions tn overcome that 13 pt deficit! BACK TO BACK! REPEAT! World Champions! SWEET! I DO like the 3 offseason additions- the defense-which had lapses, but ultimately-when it counted most-was stifling...well...the D SHOULD be even better with Barnes, Ratliff, etc. My main concern is to get Kobe`s knee back to full strength after his July surgery. And Andrew-we need Drew! With him we are near unbeatable. Without him we are just another great team. Only a few more preseason games to go!

Opening night next Tuesday on TNT. Yao is back with the Rockets. All is right, ha ha.

Wow-tonight was the last preseason game for the back to back World Champion boston vanquishers. LAKERS looked good-Blake impressed with 18 pts. Gasol impresses so effortlessly you have to guard against taken him for granted. Kobe did NOT play but will play in Tuesdays opening night game....said his knee feels stronger than it did three weeks ago. Matt Barnes is gonna be a big help. LAMAR and Ron seem ready! Also saw the last 12 mins of Hawks pullin away from Miami to win by 9 pts. Stories still abound that the backlash against James continues and has legs after the no class way he left the CAVS and CLEV.

Why the backlash? All the offers he had involved a lot of money, but like anyone who plays he wants to win. Going to the Heat gave him the best chance of doing that and the weather is a heck of a lot better then Cleveland! Ok he good have done without the circus that he created, but I have no real problem with his leaving, just with the way he went about it. We all have probably chosen to leave one place of employment (I know I have many many times) for somewhere else we thought would get us closer to what we planned for our lives. Why should ball players be any different? Now having said that I prefer to see my favorite player stay with my team as Reggie Miller did for 18 seasons with pacers. So I can also understand the loss that Cleveland Fans have, but hey he is gone so enough is enough move on already.

This may be the last post of this thread, as I expect my buddy jazzwriter to start a new Lakers thread at some point, maybe soon!!

This on is still applicable till January, right??

Ring ceremony was a keeper....look it up on the net!!!

Lets THREE PEAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Paul

wOOOOOOOOOO!!!

i LEAVE WORK VIA PUBLIC LIMO...WORLD CHAMPS DOWN BY 11....NEXT THING I KNOW....LAKERS 112 HOUSTON 110!

Is that sweet or what?

The reason Kobe is the best player in basketball is that you can see he is still only 75%-- a month away from being 100%....still goes for 27-7-5!!!

And Pau....29 pts!!! Her is SO UNDER RATED, but not by ME.

All in all a great start!!!

THREEEPEAT!!!