Andrew Bynum Is Getting His Game On

April 30, 2008 at 5:22 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

The Lakers handled the Nuggets with relative ease to close out round one of the playoffs–broom in hand. Well, it turns out, Andrew Bynum was having a good time this weekend as well. Iggy Cohn of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat’s blog, "Cohn vs. Cohn" (also a UCLA student) had this to say:

Thursday night my fraternity, Sigma Nu, threw its quarterly house
party. Andrew Bynum, the injured center for the Los Angeles Lakers, the
twenty-year-old former 1st round pick, was at the party. Word started
to spread around the party of his presence, but no one could find him.
Then suddenly he emerged from one of my friend’s rooms with two girls
and a small entourage of Sigma Nus following behind him. Everyone who
had a camera or a cell phoned rushed towards him to get a picture.

Bynum walked out of the hall, down a flight of stairs, and into the
center of the dance floor, where he danced with the two girls. I don’t
know what this means about the state of his knee, or if he’ll be able
to play for the Lakers this post-season. But I do know that he can walk
down stairs and dance to fast paced hip hop. [Santa Rosa Press-Democrat]

Now, I’m not a big fan of muckraking into athletes’ personal lives, but I do find this interesting. Fortunately, the media hasn’t beat him up over it, and I don’t think something like this will come back to bite him… It’s not like he’s rolling with Lachey. All in all, he is a 20 year old kid. Had he attended college (and not left early), he’d still be there. Reports are saying that he’s been doing just about everything shy of ‘full-contact’ workouts, so I doubt a little bit of dancing is going to throw anything off. The best thing of all is that Bynum was said not to be drinking. At all. Which I believe, considering his comments from the past on drinking, smoking, and tattoos.

The majority of Lakers fans don’t seem to care about this situation, and in my entirely unbiased opinion, I don’t either. I don’t even like calling it a "situation," however, since it didn’t make it to the major news sources (and rightfully so), I’m anxious to see what you all think.

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How did I miss this? KB24.com Nike Geniuses campaign

April 28, 2008 at 1:32 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

By now, we’ve all seen the "Kobe jumping over an Aston-Martin" video. Sure, it was a good video, and sure people are still convinced that Kobe actually jumped over a speeding car, but I’ve found one of the coolest (for lack of a better word) commercial/spots I’ve seen in a long time.

I don’t know the deal with the airing of the spots, but they’ve been around for a few months. I may have just missed it, but I was shocked to find these works of art on KB24.com. I can’t believe this got past me.

It’s a part of the Nike Zoom Kobe III campaign, titled "Geniuses." There are five different commercials featuring Kobe dressed up as DaVinci, Mozart, Einstein, and George Washington Carver. My understanding is that it’s a web exclusive, so that may explain why they’ve gone under the radar… but I’m still tripping out on why I missed this.

Anyways, how awesome is this?

Happy playoffs.

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Lakers Go Up 2-0; Kobe Drops 49

April 23, 2008 at 11:57 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

The Lakers took advantage of their home-court advantage tonight, locking up win two of the series, 122-107.

Kobe shook off an ugly FG% from Sunday afternoon and took ownership tonight. Kobe was one point short from his playoff-high in scoring, which is 50, in overtime on 5/4/06.

In addition to his 49, Kobe managed to dish out 10 assists. Pau chimed in with 18 points, 10 boards, and three assists. I mention the assists because one of those three was an impromptu alley-oop to Kobe that had ‘top plays of the season’ written all over it. Lamar Odom got into foul trouble early, leaving Luke Walton with more playing time than usual… no problem for Luke. A couple of choice threes highlighted his 18 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. D-Fish posted 10 points, but was 0-2 from three.

The Nuggets had a strong showing from their power-duo. Iverson scored 31 and Melo posted 21. Marcus Camby cleaned thing up, with 17 rebounds, but the Nuggets couldn’t stop Kobe’s the Lakers’ offensive proficiency.

"Undefendable"
- George Karl on Kobe Bryant

My take on it all? It’s really impressive to see the Lakers gelling so well. The chemistry between Kobe and Pau is remarkable considering the guys have only been playing together since February. I also liked how Luke stepped it up with Lamar in foul trouble.

The Lakers will hop on the plane Friday night for Saturday’s 2:30pm start. Phil Jackson’s formula for success figures that that the mile-high elevation of Denver doesn’t affect the body for 24 hours, thus the Lakers flying in around midnight. Interesting strategy.

We all know, the series doesn’t start until you win on the road. Here’s a reminder of what’s to come:

Game Three
Saturday - 4/26
Lakers @ Nuggets
2:30pm - TNT/KCAL
TNT Announcers: Marv Albert, Reggie Miller and Craig Sager

Also, for those curious about Ronny Turiaf’s absence (if you didn’t catch it early on in the telecast):

"Ronny Turiaf’s sore throat turned out to be a case of tonsillitis.

He attended Wednesday’s morning shootaround, but was noticeably
lacking in energy so the Lakers sent him home to rest and recover.
They’re hopeful their backup center will be sound enough to play in
Game 3 on Saturday afternoon at Denver." [Long Beach Press-Telegram]

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Kobe Finally Says The Magic Words

April 22, 2008 at 2:07 am · Filed under Uncategorized

He’s been dancing around the questions for the past few moths, offering tight-lipped answers, really leaving the fans to draw their own conclusions. Well, today Kobe was direct about his aspirations to spend the rest of his career in Los Angeles:

“Absolutely,” Bryant said the day after the Lakers beat the Denver
Nuggets 128-114 in their playoff series opener. “I’ve always wanted to
be here. I just felt like I was in a position where I didn’t really
have a choice. They wanted to go in an opposite direction. My legs
aren’t as young as they used to be. Just let me know.

“I love the weather. I love my ‘63 drop-top Impala. I love the 405 (freeway). I love my guys.” [HoopsVibe]

This may instill hope amongst the Lakers faithful, however, we know how fast things can change. I can’t lie though. I wouldn’t mind seeing the 24 hang from the rafters.

It turns out today was a pretty busy day as far as news from the Lakers’ camp.

More Andrew Bynum drama:

When asked after practice if there was a risk of messing up team
chemistry by playing 7-footers Bynum and Pau Gasol at the same time,
Jackson replied: “I think without a doubt that Andrew would come off
the bench and we would play him a little bit off the bench if there was
any chance that he could come back and play again, but it’s such a
remote thing. We’re not seriously thinking about it." [ESPN]

Also, some bad news for the Mbenga fans out there:

Center DJ Mbenga got caught up with some of the other participants
and ended up on the floor with a look of agony on his face as teammates
and team medical personnel gathered around.

DJ had a CT scan and was diagnosed with bruised ribs. He is officially listed as Day-to-Day. [Lakers Basketblog]

Randoms from the LA Times Lakers Blog:
1. Ronny Turiaf was sent home today, suffering from some sort of ailment
2. Kobe commented on those "DUI" chants raining on Melo on Sunday, calling them "uncalled for."
3. That above noted injury that DJ Mbenga duffered was from a knee to the ribs. Ouch.

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No Andrew Bynum in Round One

April 19, 2008 at 10:06 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

Jonathan Abrams/LA Times:
As the Lakers wrapped up their final practice before Sunday’s
first-round playoff game against the Denver Nuggets, Andrew Bynum and
Trevor Ariza sat together on a large medicine ball.

"I’d say it’s fair to say that," Jackson said today. "

No surprise here. I wasn’t expecting his return any time soon, but there is still the internet contingent that is still basing the Lakers destiny on the presence of Andrew. It’s already known that if Andrew gets back this season, he will most likely come off the bench… yet another fact that bothers the internet.

More on Ariza as well:
As for Ariza, Jackson did not say the defensive-minded small forward
was definitely out, but his chances of returning from a foot injury to
face the Nuggets are slim.

"I’m not ruling out Trevor," Jackson said, later adding: "He’s going to
have to do some things, but this is a pretty long series and we have
some games in between."

There we have it. The story also mentioned that Coby Karl would be on the bench tomorrow, but it’s likely that Ira Newble will get the final spot on the 12-man roster. He better.

If you’re out of the loop, the Lakers play tomorrow at noon pacific on ABC. You can also check out my preview on the series for stats, historical numbers, matchups, ect…

Source:
Bynum out, Ariza’s availability uncertain for Lakers-Nuggets series [LA Times]

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Lakers vs. Nuggets Series Preview

April 18, 2008 at 11:11 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

The Lakers are 3-0 in the season series with a 127-99 win on 11/29 at home, a 111-107 win on 12/5 at the Pepsi Center, and a 116-99 win on 1/21 at home. In the regular season, the Lakers scored 108.6 points per game and allowed 101.3 points per game with an offensive rating at 3rd of 30 and a defensive rating at 5th of 30. The Nuggets scored 110.7 points per game and allowed 107.0 points per game with an offensive rating at 11th of 30 and a defensive rating at 10th of 30.

Series Schedule:
Game One
Sunday - 4/20
Nuggets @ Lakers
Noon - ABC
Announcers: Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy, Michele Tafoya

All-Time Series Facts (from game notes):


Lakers in Best-Of-Seven Series (from game notes):

• The Lakers are 61-28 in best-of-seven series (any round) all-time. (55-27 Los Angeles, 6-1 Minneapolis)

• The Lakers are 57-32 in Game 1 of best-of-seven series (any round) all-time. (53-29 Los Angeles, 4-3 Minneapolis)

• When winning Game 1 of a best-of-seven series (any round), the Lakers are 50-7. (46-7 Los Angeles, 4-0 Minneapolis)

• When losing Game 1 of a best-of-seven series (any round), the Lakers are 11-21 all-time. (9-20 Los Angeles, 2-1 Minneapolis)

• The Lakers are 50-39 in Game 2 of best-of-seven series (any round) all-time. (47-35 Los Angles, 3-4 Minneapolis)

• When splitting Games 1 and 2 of a best-of-seven series (any round), the Lakers are 25-12 all-time. (20-12 Los Angeles, 5-0 Minneapolis)

• When losing Games 1 and 2 of a best-of-seven series (any round), the Lakers are 2-15 all-time. (2-14 Los Angeles, 0-1 Minneapolis)

• When winning both Games 1 and 2 of a best-of-seven series (any round), the Lakers are 34-1 all-time. (33-1 Los Angeles, 1-0 Minneapolis)

Opening Round History (from game notes):
The Lakers have opened the Playoffs in the FIRST Round 36 times and in the SECOND round on seven occasions (1962, 63, 65, 66, 80, 82, 83) since moving to Los
Angeles prior to the 1960-61 season. The Lakers have won 33-of- 43 opening playoff series over that span and are 124-66 (.653) in opening round games.

Additional Reading:
Playoff Central [Lakers.com]
Position-by-Position Breakdown [Lakers Basketblog]
Denver vs. Los Angeles: The Nuggets Are Going To Get Shelled Series [Deadspin]
The Real Season Begins [The Lakers Nation]
LA Times Lakers Blog [LA Times Lakers Blog] - Inside info, audio and updates
Game Notes (PDF) [Lakers.com]

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Lakers clinch top spot in the West; Buckle up

April 16, 2008 at 12:09 am · Filed under Uncategorized

It’s been eight long years since the Lakers achieved such a feat.

That was the 1999-2000 season. We remember what happened then.

You can call it wishful thinking, or you can call it forecasting, but I am awfully giddy. I haven’t been this giddy since the Pau trade back in the beginning of February.

The Lakers just took down the Kings by a score of 124-101 in the 82nd and final game of the regular season, to clinch the #1 spot in the Western Conference. I had my doubts about this game. Heck, my last post was addressing the potential that the Kings had to pull a little bit of an upset to make the #1 race a little more interesting.

Well… Kobe, Pau, and Lamar proved my speculation wrong. The Lakers never had a huge run, but the gap was comfortable the entire time. This was the game fans needed before nervous time starts this weekend. It was a nice reflection on a terrific 57-25 season.

One thing came to me tonight.

I know I’m no authority on the matter, but Lamar proved himself to me tonight. My dislike for Lamar in previous seasons was leading me to turn my head to the numbers he’s been putting up lately. Lamar has the third most double-doubles in the league since the All-Star break. Granted, a lot of them haven’t been much above 10 and 10, Lamar has shown a ton of improvement in his new role as the third option. People have been saying it all season long. Lamar Odom is contributor, not a leader. The removal of the Lamar from the spotlight of being a second scoring option has been the best possible elixir for his previous lack of production. There’s no telling if he’ll be re-signed in the off-season, but, pending his performance in the playoffs, we might see Lamar sticking around.

The Lakers played proficiently tonight, Sunday, and Friday. It was nothing short of a dream conclusion to the regular season. Hopefully these final few games have satisfied the fans with the current line-up. I spent the afternoon trolling some Lakers chat rooms and forums. People are still hung up on the Bynum and Ariza situation. It’s been said around here by a few people (notably in LF19II’s post), including myself; Bynum and Ariza won’t make a huge impact on the post-season picture. This team is solid as is. Sure, Bynum will be a body, but the subluxation is a serious injury. If Bynum comes back not fully-recovered, the patella has the potential to do the exact same thing as it did on January 13. All I’m trying to say is that Bynum is a guy to build the franchise around once Kobe is past his prime. Let’s not mess that up.

Finally, the Lakers’ round one matchup is still in the balance. Their opponent will be Denver unless the Nuggs can swing a win against Memphis paired with Dallas losing to New Orleans. It’s really a toss-up right now. We’ll see what happens.

Oh yeah, Is this the final validation for the Kobe for MVP camp? I believe the votes go in on Thursday, and the results are released Friday.

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Just to Clear Things Up…

April 14, 2008 at 1:40 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

You’d think something like this would be simple, however, from what I’ve seen around the web, there seems to be some confusion.

Lakers Fans: thanks to the Rockets’ loss to the Nuggets last night, all the Lakers need to do is beat the Kings Tuesday night to have the #1 seed in the West.

This may be no easy task.

The 38-42 Kings are fresh off of a 94-91 win over the Hornets. I know, the Lakers just rolled through Sacramento with a 22-point win, but this game shouldn’t be taken lightly. The Kings are going to go into it wanting a win–there’s no question. There is, however, the long-standing argument that seeding in the Western Conference doesn’t matter this year. That could hold true. There’s no Atlanta Hawks in the West.

The Warriors have a must-win tonight in Phoenix at 7:00pm. If Golden State loses, the Nuggets will have clinched the final spot in the wild wild west.

Here’s a look at the Lakers’ situation: As I’ve said, a win on Tuesday will grant the Lakers the #1 seed. The Hornets are currently a half game back. The Hornets have two games remaining (Vs. Clippers on Tuesday and @ Mavericks on Wednesday). If both teams win out, there will be an even tie for the #1 seed. Because the season series is tied 2-2, the Lakers would take the cake with the better conference record.

I hope everything is right. Let me know if you spot any mistakes.

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Melo Arrested on Suspicion of DUI

April 14, 2008 at 12:59 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

"NBA star Carmelo Anthony has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Police say the Denver Nuggets forward was arrested early Monday on
Interstate 25. He was pulled over for weaving and failing to dim his
lights.

Detective Sharon Hahn says Anthony failed a series of
sobriety tests. He was ticketed and released at the scene, but Hahn
does not know how he got home.

Anthony is due in court on May 14." [Fox Sports]

Aint that something?

This news comes the day after the Nuggets took down the Rockets by a score of 111-94. The Nuggets will clinch the eighth spot in the west if Golden State loses to Phoenix tonight.

Discuss.

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Lakers Clinch Pacific, Prove Some Points

April 12, 2008 at 12:23 am · Filed under Uncategorized

For the first time since the 2003-2004 season, the Lakers have clinched the coveted Pacific Division. With their 107-104 win over the Hornets, paired with a 90-101 Suns loss in Houston, the Lakers locked up home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Talk about progression.

After losing in the finals in 2004, the Lakes hit rock bottom in the 04-05 season, finishing fourth in the pacific and missing the playoffs. 05-06 saw a third place finish in the Pacific and 06-07 saw a second place. The last two finishes resulted in first-round losses to the Suns (no kidding). This season marks, coincidentally, the first since 03-04 that the Suns won’t be finishing on top of the Pacific.

Despite blowing a 30-point lead down to one in the third, the Lakers reacted properly and got the job done in a huge statement game. The statement? That they can ball sufficiently without Bynum in the mix. As Lakersfan19II alluded to earlier, of course Bynum deserves to be celebrated, but fans are weighing too much on his return. Sure he’ll be a presence if he gets back in time, but the focus needs to shift onto the current set of healthy players. Kobe and Pau’s averages, and a decent showing from the rest of the guys can and should get the job done against the best of the best. Check out LF19II’s post, it’s a good read.

Tonight’s game was probably the most influential h2h matchup in the MVP race. Rumors had it that some writers were basing the whole of their vote (stupidly) on tonight’s game. Here’s a look:

I know those stats don’t mean much, but I needed an excuse to photoshop The Mailman into something.

All of that said, the Lakers are now a half game out of the top spot in the West. The Hornets face Sacramento tomorrow, the Cleepers on Tuesday, and Dallas on Wednesday. The Lakers host the Spurs on Sunday and the Kings on Tuesday.

Buckle up!

Also: Ariza injury update from earlier:

"Lakers forward Trevor Ariza had a CT scan
this morning on his injured right foot that showed that the bone has
still not healed completely.

Ariza continues to rehab with the Lakers training staff and has been
cleared to increase his work on the team’s Alter-G treadmill from
70-80% of his body weight this week to 90% next week."

People were freaking out over this on the web…

And finally: Hollywood was drooling over Kobe + family rolling out the The Home Depot Center last week to catch David Beckham in action… well, here’s part two:

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