Vlade Has A Posse
VHP is LA
Archive for February, 2008
February 21, 2008 at 2:14 am · Filed under Uncategorized
Lately, I’ve been trying to shy away from the post-game posts. It seems like some of them just lack the substance that the Fox community deserves. Well, tonight, I couldn’t resist.
The Lakers just walked out of one of the most hyped games of the season with a win. Twas not a huge win numerically, but it solidified 3-1 season series win over their division rival.
Win. Win. Win.
Kobe and Pau combined for 70 points (41 and 29, respectively). Kobe’s finger didn’t seem to get in the way of a 41 point outing, and, yet again, Mr. Gasol impressed me with his Spaniard flair and finesse. I know, I’ve prefaced just about everything Gasol does with the word ‘Spaniard,’ but there’s no denying that Pau’s game is elegant… and frankly, I find Spain elegant.
You saw that hook shot.
That aside, Lamar came out with a good showing, and despite missing 25 layups, he managed to score 22 and pull down 11.
Oh yeah, we almost forgot. Shaq made his Phoenix debut today (stache-less). I’ll never be one to hate on The Diesel, but he looked very sluggish coming into the game… He almost looked confused walking out to center court before the opening tip. Nevertheless, Shaq did what he does best, and provided a huge presence physically down low. Despite getting off to a slow start, he managed for 15 and nine; just in the neighborhood of his season averages.
If we want to look past the Kobe-Shaq hype, Amare Stoudemire stole the show on the Phoenix side of things. 37 points and 15 rebounds really showcased Amare’s abilities at the four. Steve Nash also chimed in with 22 points and eight assists.
The bottom line is that this was a fun game to watch. I was standing in front of the TV for the entire fourth quarter. That’s how I judge the overall aesthetics of a game… the ’stand-factor.’
Lastly, The Lakers’ win boosted them into a tie with the Suns atop the Pacific Division. Upcoming games anyone?
Lakers:
Suns:
Food for thought…
[edit: 1:53am]
Check out Tom7’s post on the game if you haven’t already. It’s like 400x more comprehensive.
2 Comments
February 18, 2008 at 5:13 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
What the heck is going on?
Yahoo! Sports is running a rumor that the Lakers “are said to be looking hard for a more traditional small forward with shooting range. Perhaps the Washington Wizards’ Caron Butler.”
Trust me. As of now, this is nothing but a rumor.
The piece goes on to say “The word is they don’t believe Lamar Odom can be that ultimate small forward to defend the wing and shoot from distance along the front line when Andrew Bynum returns.”
This seems like bunch of garbage… for two reasons. (1) The fact that Yahoo! Sports and the Chicago Tribune are the only sources (that I could find) reporting the rumor. And, (2) The closing line: “Perhaps the Washington Wizards’ Caron Butler” is not only unprofessional, but unsupported.
If anything, Lakers fans can work with this:
In his 2004-2005 season with the Lakers, Butler averaged 15.5 PPG and 5.8 RPG. Butler’s averages have improved significantly in the past few years, resulting in a career-best 21.4 PPG so far this season. Lamar Odom is averaging 13.2 this season with 9.9 rebounds.
I know, it’s just a rumor, but, try this on for size:
C: Andrew Bynum
PF: Pau Gasol
SF: Caron Butler
SG: Kobe Bryant
PG: Derek Fisher
…Just saying
Caron Butler Returning to Lakers? [Yahoo! Sports]
Eddy Curry could fit Pat Riley’s plans with Heat [Chicago Tribune]
3 Comments
February 14, 2008 at 3:26 am · Filed under Uncategorized
It’s been a long couple of weeks here at VHP… I think the same can be said for the Lakers.
The Lakes handled the pressure of the road by putting up the best record on a nine-game road trip in the history of the NBA (…I’m not too
sure just how many nine-game road trips have been played, but it sure
sounds good). With a tremendous (yes, tremendous) 117-92 win over the
(cough. 10 win) T-Wolves tonight, the Lakers locked up a 7-2 showing
over the tour of the eastern seaboard.
Sooo, remember when I did that preview of the trip
awhile back? Well, some of you made predictions in the comments
section, and I’m here to out you all! Now, before I list these, keep in
mind that these predictions were made prior to the Gasol trade, so they
likely hold no relevance whatsoever.
Here’s what you said:
Hoffman: 6-3
RelicFace: 3-6
Lakersfan19II: 2-7
ea7777: 5-4
nba is the worst: 4-5 or 5-4 (after Detroit game)
Hats
off to Hoffman for having the faith early on. Really though,
Lakersfan19II’s prediction was as good as anyone’s off the bat. Had the
trade not gone down, we likely could have seen a 2-7 outing. One final
time (because I know someone is going to say something about it), the
predictions were made before the Gasol trade.
…Moving on…
It
may have been nearly 10 days since my last post, but don’t be fooled…
I’m still drooling over the pure elegance and beauty of Pau Gasol’s
game. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; that trade was HUGE.
There’s no denying it now. February 1st might as well be Pau Gasol Day
in Los Angeles. I’ve never been a big fan of finesse centers, but in
(reportedly) a month, Gasol will be a finesse power forward… a
finesse power forward that averages 20 PPG, alongside a (hopefully)
80%-90% Andrew Bynum.
Pau Gasol Has A Posse.
In
Gasol’s six games with the Lakers, he’s keeping continuity with his
season averages, with 20.5 points and 8.3 rebounds. Some analysts have
pointed out the pressure that is being taken off Odom, now that he’s
not the first option down low. Odom’s PPG over the Gasol-era games has
stayed put at 13, however, he’s managed to pull down 12.6 RPG, as
opposed to his season average of 9.7.
Don’t let Kobe’s might be
overshadowed in lieu of all of this Gasol back-scratching… Kobe
averaged 29 points on the trip… and, that includes a six point game
and an 11 point game (NJN and ATL respectively). Don’t forget about the
dislocated finger, either.
What’s to come?
All-Star Weekend! (times are in Pacific… as usual)
The fun
kicks off on Friday at 4:00pm on ESPN with the celebrity game… What’s
better than watching Taylor Hicks ball it up with Alyssa Milano?
Unfortunately the time slot is going up against the LPGA SBS Open on
the Golf Channel…
Also on Friday, is the Rookies vs.
Sophomores game. Jordan Farmar and the sophomores will do battle with
Kevin Durant and the rookies at 6:00pm on TNT. Oddly enough, I’m
actually looking forward to this game more than practically anything
else all weekend… unless, of course, Chuck and Dick Bavetta decide to go at it again.
Saturday
brings the corporate-sponsored assorted skills challenges. Kobe is
listed as a participant for the three-point contest, but we’ll get into
that in just a second..
The All-Star Game itself is going down
at 5:00pm on Sunday. Kobe is on the roster as a starter for the West,
however, AP reports “Kobe Bryant’s finger is still bothering him, and
the Lakers star was set to see a
doctor in Los Angeles on Thursday to determine whether he’ll play in
the All-Star game this weekend.” [Full Story]
Not
to be forgotten (at all), is the Lakers Wednesday (2/20) matchup with
the Suns. The game is at 6:00 on ESPN, and is truly what the fans are
looking forward to. The Suns currently have a one game lead over the
Lakers for control of the Pacific Division, so this game could be a go-ahead contest.
[edit]
Merry Christmas!
“It’s like Christmas every day,” Bryant said. “We have so many
weapons here. I really just use my abilities to be a bait, continue to
create easy shots for my teammates and just move the ball and play well
together.” [Full Story @ latimes.com]
No Comments
February 5, 2008 at 9:05 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
I could probably leave this post blank and let the title do the talking, but there’s more to it than that.
Kobe Bryant scored in single digits for the first time in over a year. Okay. So what? Well, hell froze over tonight because not only did Kobe finish the game 22.5 points under his season average, but he did it with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen KB24 don.
I couldn’t help but smile myself. I just witnessed a team on the brink of falling to mediocrity just one week ago, make the trade of the year, gain confidence from the sentiment, then preform well following the deal. What more could I ask for?
Oh yeah. Andrew Bynum in 4-5 weeks.
Now, I hate to gloat, and I’d like to think that I keep it fairly unbiased over here at VHP, but is it too much for me to say that I’m honestly happy right now? I know I sound like a tool, but coming home from a pretty crappy day at school, this game MADE ME HAPPY.
It might just be Pau magnifying the situation, but the Lakers appear to on the right track… and Kobe’s attitude is the most telling indicator.
Kobe interrupted KCAL 9’s interview with Pau to say “si me gusta!” …It’s definitely not a stretch to say that Kobe is giddy. Giddy = good.
Lakers 105, Nets 90 | Don’t let me downplay D-Fish’s performance tonight. Fisher lit up the Nets, posting 28 points, 16 over his average. Vlad Rad scored 16 and Lamar chimed in with 14 and 15. Kobe’s six points came on the dislocation of his pinky finger, and reported numbness early on. On the other sode of the ball, Vince Carter dropped 27, while Bostjan Nachbar posted 24 and 10.
Lakers 105, Nets 90 - Game Trax [Fox Sports]
Derek Fisher Postgame Interview [KLAC AM 570]
Gasol Dominates in Lakers Debut [KCAL 9 Video]
Because I had to | Kwame made his Memphis debut tonight, posting four points and three turnovers in 15:47 in a 97-102 loss. J-Critt chimed in with five points in just under eight minutes. Because I really had to | Kwame on practice in Memphis: “It was pretty good, different, a lot of running, we run a lot more than we did in L.A.”
2 Comments
February 1, 2008 at 2:20 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Lakersfan19II and Hoffman already have this covered, so all I really have to say is:
"Los Angeles has acquired Pau Gasol from the Grizzlies in exchange for
Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton and first-round picks in 2008 and 2010,
according to multiple published reports."
Report: Lakers Get Gasol From Grizzlies [Fox Sports]
[edit: 2:26pm]
It’s Official.
Press Release:
The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired forward Pau Gasol in a trade with
the Memphis Grizzlies, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch
Kupchak. The Lakers will also receive the Grizzlies second round draft
choice in 2010. In exchange Memphis will receive forward Kwame Brown,
guard Javaris Crittenton, guard Aaron McKie (who the Lakers signed
earlier today), the draft rights to Marc Gasol and first round picks in
2008 and 2010.
Gasol, a 7th year player out of Spain, is averaging 18.9 points, 8.8
rebounds and 1.44 blocked shots per game this season. The 27 year old
7’0” forward/center has career averages of 18.8 points and 8.6
rebounds. A 2006 NBA All-Star and 2001-02 NBA Rookie of the Year, Gasol
also won a gold medal with Spain at the 2006 FIBA World Championships
while being named tournament MVP.
“We’re extremely pleased to be able to make this trade.” said
Kupchak. “Pau is a proven player of all-star caliber in this league who
can score and rebound and he’s still a young player. We feel this move
strengthens our team in the short term as well as the long term.”
Lakers Acquire Gasol From Grizzlies [Lakers.com]
[edit: 5:29]
A few videos:
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
8 Comments
