Blog Title: Lakers4Life

Lamar Odom Injury Update: Bone Bruise in Right Knee

It is about that time in the NBA season where the injuries start to mount up and coaches have to start working the depth chart.

This seems to happen to the Lakers every season where key players get hurt and the bench has to step it up. So far the bench has proved that it is still the best in the league with players like Trevor Ariza and Sasha Vujacic coming in and getting it done, but with Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton and Lamar Odom out of action the bench is wearing thin.

First it was Farmar, then it was Walton and now it is Lamar Odom that will be missing some time. Although after an MRI on his right knee came the results came up favorable, the bone bruise that was diagnosed will keep him out of action.

Odom might be able to make it back for Friday's game against the Indiana Pacers in Los Angeles, but nothing is set in stone. The Pacers beat the Lakers with a buzzer beater tip in by Troy Murphy back on December 2nd.

Luke Walton Injury Update: Out 2 Weeks with Foot Injury

Just when Luke Walton started to get some significant playing time in the Lakers lineup again he goes down with yet another injury to his feet.

Over past few seasons Walton has been cursed with ankle injuries which have kept him out of action for quite sometime, but this season he has been relatively healthy, problem is the Lakers were trying something different by changing the depth chart which effected both Lamar Odom and Luke Walton.

The good news is the foot injury will not have Walton sitting on the sidelines in street clothes for that long. The sesamoiditis in his right foot will only keep him out of action for about two weeks, in the meantime defensive specialist will be filling in for the injury Walton.

Pau Gasol Dominates Warriors in Lakers Win

Pau Gasol was the man on Wednesday for the Lakers against the Golden State Warriors in their rebound victory after the loss to New Orleans Hornets. At times in his career, especially during the NBA finals last year, Pau has been considered soft and easy to push around in the paint, but on Wednesday Pau was possessed and on a mission to rebound from the bad game against the Hornets.

With game high 33 points and 18 rebounds Gasol was just a monster in the paint for Los Angeles, even though Pau's point total was impressive his offensive rebounds in this game were even more impressive with 8 boards off the offensive glass.

The Lakers struggled for most of the game against the Warriors in Oakland at Oracle Arena, but once the fourth quarter came around the Lakers turned it on by scoring 37 points to take control of the game and beat the Warriors 114-106 for the second time in two weeks.

The Warriors did have their best player on the bench with Stephen Jackson in street clothes watching from the sidelines, but Jamal Crawford and Corey Maggette picking up the slack by combining for 44 points. Andris Biedrins also had a good game for Golden State by crashing the boards with 17 rebounds.

Kobe Bryant had a decent night with 21 points, but it was Andrew Bynum who had somewhat of a break out game with 18 points, 11 boards and 2 blocks. Trevor Ariza continues to be the top performer off the bench as he scored 17 points and grabbed 9 boards.

Even though the Warriors put up a good fight, it just wasn't enough to top a huge night by Pau Gasol and company.

NEXT LAKERS GAME: Indiana Pacers @ Los Angeles Lakers Friday, Jan. 9th 7:30pm PST

Kobe Bryant Drops 40 on the Utah Jazz

Although Kobe Bryant's numbers are down, especially in the scoring category, that doesn't mean he can't drop 30, 35 or 40 on a good team on any given night.

The reason Kobe hasn't had huge scoring nights like he has been known to do in the past is because he now has the best team in the NBA and no longer has to carry the scoring load. Thing is, sometimes he just catches fire regardless if he needs to or not and that is exactly what he did against the Utah Jazz.

Although Kobe will probably be the only player remembered for this game after scoring 40 points it was Trevor Ariza that really stole the show by displaying the defensive ability that he has become known for. With a game high 5 steals, 2 of which came in the final 2 and half minutes, Ariza took all the wind out of the Jazz sails as they tried to rally back from behind, but they couldn't get it together as the Lakers took them down 113-100 for their fifth straight victory in a row.

This is starting to become a pleasant trend with Ariza, so much so that he might get some attention for defensive player of the year if he keeps coming through on defense. Ariza finished the game with some impressive stats for a bench player with 12 points, 9 rebounds and 5 steals.

Along with Kobe hitting 40 and Ariza ripping 5 steals from the Jazz, Pau Gasol hit a milestone by scoring 21 points and receiving the 10,000 point mark for his career (10,001 to be exact) he also lead the team in rebounds with 11 and assists with 6.

As for the Jazz, Paul Millsap has done a great job filling in for Carlos Boozer, especially on the glass. Millsap had a game high 17 boards to go along with 16 points, 2 blocks and 2 steals.

Deron Williams on the other hand had a night to forget, he did dish out 12 assists, but he couldn't hit a shot to save his life as he went 4 for 18 from the field. Besides Millsap, Mehmet Okur was the Jazz top scorer with 21 points and he also managed to grab 13 boards.

Ever since getting a little revenge against the Boston Celtics on Christmas day the Lakers have been smokin' hot looking seemingly untouchable, but they will be tested in January as they face some tough teams, three of which have already beaten the Lakers once this season (Miami Heat, Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers).

NEXT LAKERS GAME: Portland Trailblazers @ Los Angeles Lakers Sunday, Jan. 4th 6:30pm PST

Lakers Still Red Hot Beating Warriors 130-113

It just doesn't look right. No matter how many times I see Ronny Turiaf in a Golden State Warriors jersey I cringe and can't help but wonder if he has a Lakers jersey underneath.

At least he didn't go to the San Antonio Spurs like Robert Horry or the Dallas Mavericks like Devean George or even the Phoenix Suns like Shaq, I really can't stand any of those teams, but I don't really have a problem with the Warriors, I actually was routing for them when they had that little run in the playoffs with Baron Davis a couple years ago.

I have a soft spot for Turiaf, not many players show the emotion and lust for life that he does and in my opinion he will always be a Laker4Life regardless of what he does during the rest of his career.

Back to the game, which was pure Lakers domination from start to finish!

The Lakers put up 130 points against the Warriors on Sunday which is more like a score from the Showtime Lakers era. With that many points the Lakers are flying high with a new found confidence from their huge win over the Boston Celtics on Christmas day.

Ironically enough, the Warriors were coming off a huge win of their own after beating the Celtics just one day after the Lakers handed them their third loss, the Warriors gave them one more.

With both teams looking to prove that their win over the Celtics wasn't just a fluke they came out firing against one another on Sunday.

Kobe Bryant lead the way as usual with his 31 points, but he was only one of the six Lakers to score in double figures against the Warriors. Ex-Warriors point guard Derek Fisher also got in on the scoring action with 19 points followed by Sasha Vujacic's 17 who lit it up from deep hitting 4 of 7 from beyond the arc.

Every single Lakers player that hit the floor on Sunday night scored including international import Sun Yue who only played 7 minutes, but did score 2 points. With Jordan Farmar out for a couple of months I wouldn't be surprised to see the Chinese Magic Johnson (which he has been called) getting more playing time in his absence.

As for the Warriors, Jamal Crawford tried to shoulder the scoring load with 22 points on 7 of 12 shooting from the floor as usual shooting leader Stephen Jackson only scored 9 points. Ronny Turiaf on the other hand had a terrible game offensively in the 20 minutes he was on the floor in his return to LA. The power forward didn't hit either of the two shots he put up, but he did block 4 shots and steal the ball twice with the defensive intensity that all of us used to love to watch.

With this win the Lakers improve their winning streak to three and are clicking on all cylinders at just the right time as they will face some pretty tough teams over the next three game home stand (Utah Jazz, Portland Trailblazers, New Orleans Hornets) before going to play the Warriors again by the bay.

NEXT LAKERS GAME: Utah Jazz @ Los Angeles Lakers Friday, Jan. 2nd 7:30pm PST

Lakers Redemption: Celtics Just Couldn't Hang with Improved Lakers 92-83

Coming into the Christmas day NBA Finals rematch between the Los Angeles Lakers and the hated Boston Celtics, I thought the Celtics were the best team in the East, the NBA and one of the best teams all-time, but I was wrong.

The Celtics have been damn near unstoppable this season, as much as I hate to say it, they have been playing with great team chemistry and just as much heart and determination as they showed all last season.

With that being said I was on the edge of my seat all game long, every shot, every possession I was holding my breath while knocking back beer after beer to ease the tension and enjoy the day.

At the beginning of the game both teams seemed like equals as they went back and forth, up and down the floor trying to out do one another and shake the nerves from all the hype and anticipation of this Christmas day battle of the best teams in the NBA.

All I could think about the entire game, especially when the Celtics took the lead, was those the huge leads the Lakers blew in the Finals. Almost like a nightmare you just can't forget, but every time Boston went ahead, Los Angeles countered by taking it right back.

The biggest difference between this game and the forgettable NBA Finals last season was one player and it wasn't Andrew Bynum, it was Pau Gasol.

During the Finals, everyone and I mean everyone was bashing the Lakers and Pau Gasol for the lack of toughness and defensive intensity. Gasol has never been an imposing force in the paint, he can score and he can rebound, but the word "soft" he has been called on more than one occasion.

In the first half, Pau looked like the same Pau we saw in the Finals. Soft and completely dominated by Kevin Garnett, Leon Powe and Kendrick Perkins, but once the fourth quarter came around Pau switched it into another gear and was key in giving the Celtics their third loss of the season.

With his 20 points, 5 assists and 3 blocks Gasol showed that his poor performance and lack of toughness in the Finals is a distant memory.

Pau wasn't the only Laker to pick apart the Celtics on Christmas day, Kobe Bryant also had a big role in taking down the defending NBA champs. During the Finals it seemed like the Celtics finally figured out how to guard Kobe by smothering him and forcing him to beat them with his jump shot, but that wasn't the case this time as he lit up Boston for 27 points, 5 assists and 9 boards while shooting better than 50% from the field 13 of 23.

Both KG and Paul Pierce didn't go down without a fight though as they constantly attacked the basket and crashed the boards. KG finished with 22 points and 9 rebounds while Pierce added 20 points and 10 boards, but had 5 turnovers. The Celtic who struggled the most against the Lakers defense was sharp shooting Ray Allen who only hit 5 for 14 from the field missing 8 out of the 11 shots he took from deep. Rajon Rondo was also had a pretty pitiful shooting performance as he went 3 for 11 from the floor, but he did dish out a game high 12 assists.

All and all, the Lakers were the better team on Christmas day beating the Celtics 92-83, but we are not even have way through the NBA season yet and things can and will change. Injuries happen, trades get made and team chemistry always goes through ups and downs throughout the season, so who knows what will happen come June, but one thing is for certain, this rivalry is here to stay.

Jordan Farmar Injury Update: Knee Surgery Successful

On December 19th the Lakers were hit with another big injury problem, not as bad as Andrew Bynum going down last season, but bad enough to effect the team's spark off the bench.

In the loss against Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat a couple of Fridays ago, back up point guard Jordan Farmar, who could easily be a starter on more than half the league's teams with his play this season, suffered a knee injury which will keep him out of action for quite some time.

He isn't out for the season or anything, at least I hope not, but he will miss out up to 8 weeks. Farmar was injured when he stole the ball in the fourth quarter which tore his lateral meniscus in his left knee.

On Christmas Eve Farmar underwent surgery on his left knee which only took about half an hour, but was success in repairing the lateral meniscus.

Without Farmar bringing the Lakers a much needed offensive spark off the bench, not to mention his much improved offensive skills, the Lakers will definitely be looking to fill the void with a point guard free agent. They might even try to make a trade to fill the open spot and get a much needed defensive presence.

Kevin McHale Still Winless as Minnesota Head Coach After Lakers Win

The Minnesota Timberwolves just seem to be an NBA franchise destined for failure. No matter what they do, draft picks they get or what trades they make, the T'Wolves haven't been able to get back to West dominance like they did with Sam Cassell, Latrell Sprewell and Kevin Garnett some years ago.

As if seeing KG winning the NBA championship last season with the Boston Celtics right after being traded from Minnesota wasn't bad enough, the Timberwolves have not been able to replace KG's presence or dominance on the court. Al Jefferson is definitely a star on the rise as he seems to improve with every game, but his supporting cast just can't help him enough to get it done. This team could be a force to be reckoned with in the next five years or so with young talent like Randy Foye and Kevin Love, but as of right now they are a team struggling to discover their identity.

Coming into this game, Minnesota had just recently made a change at head coach by switching Kevin McHale's job title from general manager to coach of the TWolves, but he has failed to win any of the three games he has coached thus far, including this loss to the Lakers 98-86.

Even though the Timberwolves have only won 4 games this season and aren't a very good basketball team right now, they definitely gave the Lakers a run for their money by constantly challenging the Lakers defense which hasn't been as impressive as it once was early this season.

Kobe Bryant had a poor shooting night only hitting 9 of 24 shots, but he came up big late in the game to lead the Lakers to victory with his 26 points. Pau Gasol was the player of the game in my opinion with 18 points, 11 boards, 6 assists and 3 blocks on the defensive end.

Even though Al Jefferson had to deal with a packed painted area with Pau and Andrew Bynum he had a pretty good game for the TWolves scoring 20 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks of his own. Mike Miller and power forward Craig Smith also had notable games as Miller added 11 points and ripped down 9 boards and Smith finished with 18 points and 8 boards.

There were two other Lakers that deserve some credit for the win, both Trevor Ariza and Andrew Bynum came to play Sunday at home. Bynum scored 14 points to with 9 rebounds, Ariza who continues to be one of the best bench players in the league, especially on the defensive end, added 14 points, 5 boards and 3 steals.

Although the final score doesn't show it, this was a close game with the TWolves breathing down the Lakers necks all game long, but they just couldn't close them out down the stretch.

The Lakers showed earlier in the season that they figured out their defensive dilemma, but lately that defensive intensity has been missing and their opponents have taken notice. Obviously when the defense is clicking, the Lakers are arguably the toughest team to beat in the NBA, but if they don't get that intensity back on defense that they had when they were blowing out teams by 20 or 30 points, then the Lakers could be in trouble when they face the Boston Celtics on Christmas Day.


NEXT LAKERS GAME: New York Knicks @ Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday, Nov. 16th 7:30pm PST

Kings Dominate Lakers Defense Keeping Rivalry Alive

Coming into this game almost everyone counted out the Sacramento Kings against the Los Angeles Lakers, not only because the Lakers are arguably the best team in the West and quite possibly the NBA, but because there best player Kevin Martin would be watching from the sidelines due to injury.

Throughout the last decade or so the Kings and Lakers have had a pretty heated rivalry from battling as Western conference powerhouses during the Lakers championship years and then when both teams went through rebuilding years. It seems no matter what players have come and gone whether it be Mike Bibby, Chris Webber and Ron Artest to Shaq and the Lakers talented role players of old like Brian Shaw, Robert Horry and Rick Fox this rivalry has not died and stoud the test of time.

It would be hard to argue that the Lakers have not improved considerably on defense since last season, but you definitely would not have thought that if you saw the Lakers defense breakdown the way it did against the Kings on Tuesday night in Sacramento.

The Kings basically kept the Lakers and Kobe Bryant in check all night long with their motivated defense. Kobe did end up with 28 points, but he could not throw a rock in the ocean with the way he was shooting. The Kings figured out how to play Kobe early by throwing two defenders at him all game, mostly Kobe struggled with John Salmons being in his face for most of the game. Like I said, Kobe did end up scoring 28 points, but he only hit a pitiful 9 of 25 shots. After a not being able to finish at the rim because of the impressive Kings defense, Kobe resorted to jacking up threes. He hit a couple threes late, but it was just too little too late.

The only other Laker to complement Kobe's 28 was Pau Gasol who finished with 25 points and 12 rebounds. For resasons I don't really understand, Andrew Bynum was not in the game down the stretch in the fourth quarter. The Lakers were getting destroyed by the Kings outside shooting late in the game, but with the Bynum being the defensive force and dominant rebounder in the paint I really don't see why he wasn't in the game to limit the Kings second chance scoring.

Lamar Odom had a decent game along with Pau and Kobe by scoring 11 points and ripping down 8 rebounds, but the Lakers just couldn't compete with the Kings who just couldn't miss.

The Kings came into this game with only 5 wins, 16 losses and their best player Kevin Martin in street clothes, but Francisco Garcia and John Salmons picked up the slack and lead their team to victory over a very good Lakers team 115-101. Not only was John Salmons solid on offense with 21 points, but he played the best defense on Kobe Bryant that I have seen this season.

Francisco Garcia had probably one of his best performances of his career against the Lakers Tuesday night, he didn't have huge numbers with only 21 points, but he did all the small things that don't show up in the stat sheet.

Point guard Bobby Jackson was also big spark for the Kings off the bench as he hit some big three pointers and finished with 15 points and hit 3 of 6 from deep.

It is early in the season, but it is pretty obvious looking at the Kings 6-16 record and the how competitive the West is again this season that the Sacramento is headed toward another disappointing season, but for some reason they continue to have the Lakers number.

Even though this is a huge win for the Kings it may be short lived because they will face the Lakers again in Los Angeles on Friday and you better believe the Lakers will be looking to make a statement in that game.

NEXT LAKERS GAME: Phoenix Suns @ Los Angeles Lakers Friday, Dec. 12th 7:30pm PST

Bucks Just Another Victim of the Unstoppable Lakers

As we near closer and closer to the NBA Finals rematch battle between the Lakers and the hated Boston Celtics on Christmas Day, Kobe Bryant and company have a relatively easy schedule ahead of them before they are truly tested.

The Milwaukee Bucks haven't exactly been a team to be feared over the last decade or so in the NBA, but sometimes they show signs of promise with their young core of talented players like sharp shooting Michael Redd, high flying Richard Jefferson and Aussie center Andrew Bogut.

Although the Bucks could be a force in the NBA sooner rather than later, the Lakers proved that Redd and his squad were no match for arguably the best team in the NBA losing a 105-92.

Not only did the Lakers beat down the Bucks seem effortless, but almost all the Bucks starters were out played by their backups. Not one of the Bucks starting five scored in double figures and combined for a pitiful 18 points. Without the impressive play of rookie out of UCLA Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (14 points, 6 reb, 4 stls) and Joe Alexander (15 points) this game would have been an absolute joke.

Once again the Lakers had a great all around team game with everyone pitching in. Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher lead the way in the scoring column with 20 for Kobe (he had a season high 8 assists as well) and 19 for Fish. It still trips me out to see Kobe scoring between 20-25 points and the Lakers just destroying teams!

As for the rest of the Lakers, Andrew Bynum had a great performance with 14 points and 14 boards, Pau Gasol added 12 points, 9 boards and 5 assists and Radmanovic kept up his impressive shooting going 4 for 5 and 2 for 3 from deep.

Not only did the Lakers tie a franchise best with a 17-2 record after beating the Bucks, but a Chinese guard Sun Yue finally got into the action for the first time in a Lakers uniform Sunday night. It was only five minutes on the floor, but he made the best of it scoring 4 points on 2 of 3 shooting.

NEXT LAKERS GAME: Los Angeles Lakers @ Sacramento Kings Tues. Dec. 9th 7:00pm PST

Kobe and Lakers Dominate Shaq and the Suns

Only a couple of seasons ago, this match up between the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers was a one sided affair with the Suns consistently dominating the Lakers, but now Kobe and his boys are just too much for Shaq and the Suns.

Not only did this game seems like a joke for the Lakers as beat down on the Suns pretty convincingly 105-92, but a lot of positive things came out of their ninth win of the season as well as another W.

Coming into this game Vladimir Radmanovic starting status was in question because lately he couldn't throw a rock in the ocean, but after his 15 points against the Suns all from three point land, he may have saved his starting role. Hitting five threes is awesome, but hitting 5 for 5 means Vlad finally got the message and is taking smarter shots.

The Lakers played perhaps the best team basketball they have played all season against the Suns on Thursday night as everyone that got on the floor for Los Angeles made a impact in one way or another. Kobe Bryant did what he normally does and out scores everyone with 24 points, but it was the play of Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza, Jordan Farmar and Andrew Bynum that really set the tone and kept the Suns from doing anything on offense.

The biggest adjustment the Lakers have made this season has definitely been on defense. In the finals against the Boston Celtics last season the Lakers were just flat on defense, which carried over to the offense and resulted in one embarrassing performance after another not to mention an NBA title for their arch rivals.

Well, that seems to be over now as the Lakers look like they have the best defense in the league to go along with the best all around player (Kobe) and the deepest bench.

The Suns did show some signs of life with an occasional three or a Shaq dunk, but it was painfully obvious that the Lakers were the better team by far.

Although Pau Gasol didn't hurt the Suns in the scoring column with only 4 points, still contributed with an impressive 9 assists and 9 boards. Andrew Bynum against Shaq with 10 points and 7 boards, Shaq still has the edge over the big kid as he scored 15 points and grabbed 9 rebounds.

The Lakers bench played awesome once again lead by Odom's 13 points and 9 rebounds. Trevor Ariza continues to perform well off the bench too with 10 points and 3 boards. Jordan Farmar had another great game as well with 11 points in 22 minutes.

Besides the Detroit Pistons, the Lakers haven't really been tested this season. The Denver Nuggets took the Lakers down to the wire early in the season, which resulted in the only game that Kobe had to take over so far, but I wouldn't consider it to be a true test.

NEXT MATCH UP: Denver Nuggets @ Los Angeles Lakers Friday, Nov. 21st 7:30pm PST

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Is Vladimir Radmanovic Going Back to the Bench?

It has been pretty obvious this season that Vladimir Radmanovic has not lived up to expectations as a starter for the Lakers. The Lakers are 8-1 so far and have been pretty solid all around this season, but Vlad's stats have been anything but good through 9 games.

In preseason, Phil Jackson decided to have Lamar Odom come off the bench and personally I thought it was a great idea, mostly because he isn't the best outside shooter like Vlad or even Trevor Ariza. With Andrew Bynum back healthy and Pau Gasol now at power forward, there will be a lot more open looks for good outside shooters on the floor.

Derek Fisher has proven over the years that he can shoot from beyond the arc, even his back up Jordan Farmar can shoot well from deep. Kobe Bryant still holds the record for most threes in an NBA game with 12 (tied with Donyell Marshall), so you know Kobe can shoot the long ball. Sasha Vujacic was given a big contract in the off season just because he is a good outside shooter and finally Vlad shoots the three as good as anyone on the Lakers with his sweet looking high arc threes. The problem is that Lamar Odom just isn't the best shooter.

He can hit the shot on occasion, but he is more of a playmaker in the paint with his long wing span and quick post moves. So hitting the three isn't something he is used to doing like the rest of Lakers and for good reason, he definitely a bigger penetrating threat than he is with his shot.

That being said, Phil Jackson's decision to put Vlad in the starting lineup instead of LO makes sense, but Vlad has become increasingly inconsistent shooting the basketball and therefore might be sent to the bench in favor of Trevor Ariza or Lamar Odom.

Personally, I think it is too early to make the change. When you give a player more shots, regardless if he is a shooter, you can expect him to miss a lot of shots in the beginning before the player like Vlad adjusts to his new role on the squad.

Who knows what will happen, but I think you give any professional time to work out the kinks in his game you will see it pay off in the long run.

Gasol Goes Off for 34 in Win Over Bulls

Pau Gasol was the man on Tuesday night in the Lakers 116-109 win over Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls, scoring a game high 34 points Gasol was just possessed on the offensive end of the floor.

Even though the Lakers won the game by 7 points, the Bulls threaten to come back late in the game with their 35 point effort in the fourth quarter. Derrick Rose had one of, if not the best performance of the season so far with 25 points and 9 assists. I have to admit, I was quite skeptical of Rose coming into this season. I knew the kid was special when I watched him in the NCAA tourney last year, but I wasn't convinced he was ready for the NBA. After Tuesday night's game against arguably the best team in the NBA, he has officially proved he can play at a high level in the NBA and will be one of the best players in the league in the near future.

Besides Rose, the rest of the Bulls struggled shooting the basketball all night long against the revamped Lakers defense. Ben Gordon shot 6 of 22 for 23 points and Luol Deng had a miserable night with only 9 points on 4 of 10 from the floor.

As for the Lakers, most of the squad had a great all around game. Andrew Bynum was impressive with 18 points, 9 boards and three blocked shots. The big kid seems to get better and better with every game, especially on the offensive glass and dominating the paint. I know the season has only just started, but if Bynum keeps blocking shots and being a dominant defense force for the Lakers he may be in the running for defensive player of the year.

Kobe Bryant had another solid game, but unlike the past Kobe is helping the team out with a more versatile game. Kobe still put up 21 points, but his other numbers were more impressive as he stole the ball three times, blocked two shots, dished out 6 assists and ripped down 5 boards. I think after so many years of having to shoulder the scoring load for the Lakers, Kobe finally has the teammates he needs to make a legit run at an NBA title.

Along with Kobe, Pau and Bynum, Lamar Odom and Jordan Farmar were also effective off the bench. Farmar is still breathing down Derek Fisher's neck for the starting job as he continues to play well off the bench. In just 19 minutes, Farmar did just about anything you could do on the floor. The UCLA alumni scored 12 points, grabbed 3 boards, dished 2 assists, stole the ball twice and blocked a shot. It is becoming more and more apparent that Farmar should be the starting point guard for the Lakers.

With everything coming together, the Lakers are without a doubt the team to beat in the West, but the true test will be on Christmas Day in the NBA Finals rematch against the Boston Celitcs.

NEXT MATCH UP: Los Angeles Lakers @ Phoenix Suns Thursday, Nov. 20th 7:30pm PST

Detroit Pistons Hand Lakers First Loss of the Season 106-95

It was a good run, but it had to end sometime and Allen Iverson and the new look Detroit Pistons had just enough to end the Lakers 7 game winning streak to start the season.

After the block buster trade that sent Chauncey Billups back home to play for George Karl and the Denver Nuggets and Allen Iverson to the Detroit Pistons, the All-Star exchange looked to be one sided with the Nuggets reaping all the benefits. That isn't the case now, even though Denver is much improved with Billups, the Pistons made a huge statement taking down the undefeated Lakers on Friday in Los Angeles.

Not only was the win over arguably the best team in the NBA the best thing to happen for the Pistons since the trade, but it was the first game that Detroit played with great team chemistry. Along with the new found team chemistry, AI lead the way for his new club with his first breakout performance in a Pistons jersey.

The Lakers did not go down without a fight though, even when the game was all but over, they still played with a never say die attitude, especially on defense. Obviously, the Lakers still lost 106-95, but they proved that they are much improved on the defensive end of the floor this season.

Kobe Bryant had a game high 29 points (which included a sweet alley oop dunk), 6 assists, 5 boards and 4 steals, but didn't have the best shooting performance hitting 12 out of 30 shots. Pau Gasol had another impressive game with 15 points and 10 rebounds to go with 6 assists. Gasol seems to get more and more comfortable with every passing game in a Lakers uniform.

Andrew Bynum on the other hand continues to struggle on the offensive end with only 8 points on 3 of 7 shooting, but he was a monster on the glass with 9 rebounds, 6 of which were offensive boards. Although Bynum has proved he can be a dominated force on the defensive end of the floor, he still hasn't found his place in the offense like he did before he went down with a season ending knee injury last season. The Lakers definitely have more offensive weapons this season, but in order to become a dominant center in the NBA he will need to do it on both sides of the floor.

Off the bench Trevor Ariza was the solid, scoring 10 points and 7 rebounds to go with 2 steals. As Ariza continues to be a force off the bench, he may eventually work his way into the starting lineup in place of Radmanovic.

As for the Pistons, Allen Iverson came to play as he was seemingly unguardable. Regardless of who the Lakers threw at Iverson whether it be Fisher, Farmar or Kobe, AI scored at will and finished with 25 points on only 12 shots.

The one player who has seemed to benefit the most from the arrival of Allen Iverson has been Rasheed Wallace. With AI demanding so much attention, Wallace has had open looks from deep on a consistent basis which killed the Lakers down the stretch as Sheed scored 25 points hitting 4 of 9 from beyond the arc. Wallace also ripped down 13 rebounds and stole the ball from the Lakers twice.

Another bright spot for the Pistons, believe it or not, was ex-Lakers center Kwame Brown. There is definitely no love lost for Kwame in this city, but actually had a decent game with 10 points and 10 boards.

Although the Lakers finally lost their first game of the season to the Pistons, their toughness down the stretch and the mentality of never quitting showed me that the Lakers are a team that is dedicated to winning. Not only do these guys want to win, but they are willing to change their game and make sacrifices to do it.

NEXT MATCH UP: Chicago Bulls @ Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday, Nov. 18th 7:30pm PST

2009 NBA All-Star Balloting has Begun

It is very early in the season, but you can already cast your vote for who you think is worthy of being an NBA All-Star in 2008-2009 NBA season.

Although there hasn't been even 10 games played by any team in the league thus far, there are a few players that have already stuck out amongst the crowd.

Here are my votes for who I think should be considered to play in Phoenix on Sunday, February 15, 2009.



Western Conference All Star Picks

Guards:

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

Brandon Roy, Portland Trailblazers

Forwards:

Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trailblazers

Center:

Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles Lakers

I know, this picks are extremely bias, but after 7 games in which the Lakers are undefeated (only team in the NBA without a loss), it is hard to say that Kobe, Pau and Andrew Bynum aren't the reason for their success in being arguably the best team in the NBA right now.

As for the Aldridge and Brandon Roy, I believe these two will be All-Stars in the NBA from here on out as they continue to improve and impress every single.

Honorable Mentions:

Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets; Rudy Fernandez, Portland Trailblazers; Al Thorton, Los Angeles Clippers; Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs; Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs; OJ Mayo, Memphis Grizzles

Eastern Conference All-Star Picks

Guards:

Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

Forwards:

Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics

LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

Center:
Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

Even though I think that the West has better all around teams, the East might have the edge with individual talent. In my opinion, plenty of players in the East deserve to be All Stars this season, but the guys above seemed to edge out the rest.

The only pick I really had a tough time making was picking Derrick Rose and not picking small forward Paul Pierce. So far this season Rose has lived up to his #1 pick status over the Heat's Michael Beasely. Pierce on the other hand has not missed a step since winning the NBA Finals MVP last season and definitely deserves to be an All-Star this season.

Honorable Mentions:

Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics; Michael Beasely, Miami Heat; Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks; Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks; Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors; Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers; Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks

If you want to cast your votes, click on the widget below and vote for the players that you think deserve to make the 2009 All-Star Team!

Houston Rockets No Challenge for the Undefeated Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers have been very impressive so far this season and the blowout win over a tough Houston Rockets 111-82, shows that their undefeated start to the season is no fluke.

The star of the show for the Lakers against Tracy McGrady and company was Pau Gasol. The Lakers Spanish import played his best game of the season against a very good defensive team and a 7'6" monster in the middle with Yao Ming crowding the paint. Gasol finished the game with some impressive All-Star type numbers, Pau scored 20 points on 7 of 10 shooting, grabbed 15 boards and blocked 3 shots showing that he can get it done on both sides of the floor.

As for the Rockets, superstar Tracy McGrady had a game to forget finishing with only 3 points on 1 for 11 from the floor (nasty numbers). Ron Artest didn't do much better with 8 points on 2 for 11 shooting, but he was able to snatch the basketball from the Lakers 4 times (steals). The real offensive threat for the Rockets against the undefeated Lakers was in the paint by Yao Ming and Luis Scola who both finished with 12 points each.

The Rockets kept the game relatively close to start the contest, but that didn't last long as the Lakers just took over, especially with their 39 point fourth quarter. Even though Pau was without a doubt the player of the game, Kobe, Bynum and Jordan Farmar had notable contributions as well. Kobe Bryant scored a game high (as usual) with 23 points and played some great defense by stealing the ball twice and blocking 2 shots. Andrew Bynum had a poor shooting night only hitting 4 out his 10 shots, but he made up for it with 7 boards, 3 blocks and 2 steals to go with his 13 points.

Backup point guard Jordan Farmar continues to impress as he scored 16 points (3-5 from deep), dished out 6 assists and had 2 steals off the bench. As Farmar continues to improve, the debate over whether or not he should be the starter will start to heat up.

Even though there is still a long way to go, the Lakers look as good as any team in the league and seem to be headed for another head on collision with the Boston Celtics.

NEXT MATCH UP: Los Angeles Lakers @ Dallas Mavericks Tuesday, Nov. 11th 7:30pm PST

Lakers Beat the Clippers with an Impressive Fourth Quarter Run

Coming into this NBA season, the Los Angeles Clippers looked as if they could finally lose the mediocrity label they have had for so long, but after 5 straight losses to start the season (two against the Lakers) they aren't looking as promising.

When you look at the Clippers core they are as talented as any team in the league lead by point guard Baron Davis, problem is, they really haven't had much time to create some team chemistry together as the majority of the team are in their first year with the Clippers.

The Lakers on the other hand are just destroying teams, beating every opponent by an average of 28 points. At 4-0, Kobe and company are looking better than ever and are quickly becoming the team to beat, not only in the West conference, but in the entire NBA as well.

Even though the Clippers have been really struggling in the beginning of their 2008-2009 NBA campaign, they definitely gave their crosstown rivals (even though they play in the same building) a run for the their money on Wednesday night at the Staples Center.

Through three quarters of play, the Clippers were keeping up with the undefeated Lakers and took the lead 81-79 with a little over 8 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. That lead didn't last long though, as the Lakers went on a run with Kobe, Lamar Odom and Jordan Farmar combining for 16 points to break the backs of a Clipper team trying to get it's first win of the season.

Al Thorton finally stopped the Lakers run with a three pointer with about a minute left in the game, but it wasn't enough to take down Kobe and the Lakers in their second meeting of the season losing their fifth game in a row 106-88.

The stats that stick out the most in this game was the absolutely terrible shooting percentages of both teams. The Clippers shot 38.9% and the Lakers shot a little bit worse with 38.8% from the floor.

Once again, the only real bright spot for the Clippers was Al Thorton who scored a team high 22 points, but did shoot well at all going 8 of 19. Baron Davis also had a awful shooting night going 7 for 21, but he still put up 17 points and dished out 7 assists in a losing effort.

Kobe Bryant had a good night, despite shooting 8 for 21, scoring a game high 27 points. Andrew Bynum also had a pretty impressive night in the rebound categorie as the big kid in the middle ripped down 17 boards. Lamar Odom continued to excel in his new role coming off the bench as he scored 15 points, grabbed 9 rebounds and stole the ball 3 times.

So despite being in danger of losing their first game of the season to the win less Clippers, the Lakers came together in the fourth quarter yet again to keep their undefeated record intact!

Battle of Los Angeles Part II Highlights!


NEXT MATCH UP: Houston Rockets @ Los Angeles Lakers Sunday, Nov. 9th 6:30pm PST

Are you a Clippers Fan? Check Out this Sports Blog Dedicated to Clippers Basketball: The Clipps

First Big Trade of the Season: AI for Chauncey Billups

There hasn't been that much trade talk this season because of all the deals that went down in the off season like Jermaine O'Neal going to Toronto and Ron Artest making the move to Houston, but I got to say I didn't see this one coming!

It appears the Denver Nuggets and the Detroit Pistons have agreed in principle to a trade that would bring point guard Chauncey Billups, power forward Antonio McDyess and center Cheikh Samb.

At first I thought this trade was bad for both teams, but after thinking about the pros and cons for awhile think it might have been the best move the Nuggets have made since getting Allen Iverson a couple years ago for the 76ers.

The trade may work out in the Pistons favor, having AI in the back court will definitely improve Detroit's scoring, but the chemistry might be something that might take some time.

The Nuggets on the other hand get one of the best point guards in the league with Chauncey Billups. Mr. Big Shot brings a whole new look to a Denver team that was desperate to make a major change. Even with Iverson and Carmelo Anthony, the Nuggets lacked some much needed leadership and couldn't even get past the first round of the playoffs. With Billups playing the point in Denver, the Nuggets will be much improved and lead by a proven leader with one NBA championship in his resume.

As for the Pistons, Iverson brings his high scoring and tenacious defense. Although AI is getting up there in age at 33, he could be just what Detroit needs to get past Boston and Cleveland to get back to the NBA finals.

Kobe Scores 14 in the Fourth to Beat the Nuggets

Well it's official. Kobe Bryant has had his first Kobe-like performance this season as he lead the Lakers to a fourth quarter comeback victory over the Denver Nuggets in Denver's home opener. Kobe scored 14 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter to improve his squad to a flawless record so far this season.

The Lakers are 3-0 and flying high, the win over the Nuggets (104-97) was by no means impressive, especially for Andrew Bynum (0-1, 4 points), but it was definitely a good momentum booster as they will have a tough road ahead with a target on their back as the team to beat in the West.

It was a pretty sloppy game for both teams, neither team was all that consistent with very disappointing performance from some of their stars. In Carmelo Anthony's first game of the season, coming off his two game suspension, he was noticeably rusty only hitting 5 of 15 from the floor for 13 points. As for the Lakers, Andrew Bynum had his worst performance so far this season only scoring 4 points, all from the free throw line.

The only real bright spots for both teams were Anthony Carter, Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant. Denver's point guard Anthony Carter had a great game with 20 points on 8 of 9 from the floor to go along with 6 assists and 6 rebounds. Gasol also had a solid game with 16 points and 12 boards as he continues to be a force making the move to his natural power forward position.

Kobe stole the show in classic Kobe fashion in the fourth quarter, as he put the team on his back and went off for 14 points to quite the Nuggets crowd who thought they beat the best team in the West.

It is only three games into the season, but I have to say the Lakers look as good as anyone in the league right now. If they can keep this up, the Christmas match up against the Boston Celtics in a Finals rematch should be a battle!

NEXT MATCH UP:

Battle of Los Angeles Part II

Los Angeles Clippers @ Los Angeles Lakers Weds Nov. 5th 7:30pm PST

Andrew Bynum Finally Gets Contract Extension With Lakers

Finally! That is probably the first thing that came out of Andrew Bynum's mouth Thursday as the Los Angeles Lakers agree to a contract extension with their big man just one day before the deadline.

It isn't the max deal that maybe Bynum and his agent might have expected, but it is definitely a big chunk of money for the youngster. Bynum was on his way to making big time money last season, but after the season ending knee that he suffered last season the Lakers aren't taking any chances.

The contract is worth about $58 million dollars over the next four years that Bynum which is worth about $42 million in the first three years with the fourth and final year of the contract worth $16 million.

Not a bad pay day for a kid that just barely turned 21. Andrew Bynum will make $2.8 million this season.

Lakers Are Still the Best Team in Los Angeles

Coming into the battle of Los Angeles between the Lakers and the Clippers, many people thought that Baron Davis and a revamped Clippers team had a good chance of giving the Lakers a run for their money, but that was far from the truth as the Lakers just destroyed the Clipps 117-79.

In the first quarter of this match up both teams were fired up and playing great basketball on both sides of the floor. Baron Davis looked like he could single handedly turn this into a pretty heated rivalry firing up his new team. BD was playing great defense, dishin' to teammates, but once the Lakers started getting going in the second quarter the Clippers didn't have a chance.

Perhaps the most impressive part of the Lakers blowout win over the Clippers was the fact that every single player that was on the floor for the Lakers scored at least 4 points. Not only is that impressive, but the Lakers also had 7 players in double figures.

Kobe Bryant didn't have Kobe-like scoring night with only 16 points, but the way Phil Jackson's offense was clicking, he didn't have to. Andrew Bynum had a decent night as well with only 12 points and 9 boards, but he was a monster on defense blocking three shots and one steal. Jordan Farmar continues to be a force off the bench putting up 15 points on 6 of 8 shooting.

In only two games so far this season, the Lakers have shown some solid team defense and great team chemistry. Not only are the Lakers firing on all cylinders on offense with everyone getting involved, but they are legitimatly tough to score on. In the second quarter against the Clippers, the Lakers put the clamps on and easily contained Baron Davis from doing anything on the floor.

BD finished with only 11 points on a pitiful 4 for 13 from the floor and 4 turnovers, but he did manage to dish out 7 assists with 3 steals. I think the Clippers will be very good in the near future as when they did keep with the Lakers in the beginning of the game were actually holding their on, but the definitely need more time to create some team chemistry.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS HIGHLIGHTS


NEXT MATCH UP: Los Angeles Lakers @ Denver Nuggets Nov 1st 6pm PST

Lakers Look Good in Season Opening Win Over Blazers

Coming into this season opener against the Portland Trailblazers, there were plenty of story lines filled with intriguing match ups, but the out come showed both teams a taste of things to come in the 2008-2009 NBA season.

One thing that needs to be said before anything, fragile big men never last in this league. NEVER!

Personally, I like Greg Oden. He has a great all around game (at least he did at Ohio State), a funny big man personality (a lot like Shaq), but after watching his first NBA game he is either not in shape to compete at this level or he is as soft as they come.

With only 13 minutes on the floor to start his NBA career, Greg Oden is already injured once again. Ending his night with pitiful numbers: 0 points, 5 rebs, 1 blocked shot

The specifics of Oden's ankle injury hasn't been determined just yet as tests were inconclusive, but the big man did say he wanted to get back out on the floor in the second half. He will be having an MRI on Wednesday to see how serious the ankle injury is.

Although my heart goes out to Oden, as getting hurt again has to be frustrating as hell, this game wasn't even close to as competitive as I thought it would be. Brandon Roy and company were just absolutely dominated by a very good Los Angeles Lakers team.

Brandon Roy, Travis Outlaw and Rudy Fernandez tried to pick up the slack as they combined for 48 points, but it wasn't even close to enough to compete with Los Angeles Lakers team that will be very tough to beat this season.

Even though last season's NBA finals against the Boston Celtics was a forgettable experience for Kobe and company, the Lakers played with great team chemistry with everyone playing their roles to perfection.

In the beginning of the game Kobe Bryant was looking for his teammates, but after 5 turnovers to go with 5 assists, Kobe wisely started to take it to the basket. After Kobe started to get comfortable he attacked the basket time and time again just making the Blazers defense look stupid. Not only did the league's reigning MVP put up 23 points, but he also ripped down a game high 11 boards.

Andrew Bynum on the other hand still needs to polish up his game on the offensive end. He looked pretty good, don't get me wrong, but 4 of 10 shooting isn't going to cut it if he wants to be a dominate center in this league. Bynum did block three shots, but he didn't exactly crash the boards with only three rebounds.

As for the other Lakers, Pau Gasol had a solid performance with 15 points on 7 of 10 shooting and 7 rebounds. Trevor Ariza also had a good game off the bench with 11 points, a couple steals and a blocked shot.

The Lakers couldn't have started the season off any better, this twenty point victory over the Portland Trailblazers (96-76) will be a good momentum builder as their schedule only gets tougher in the first month of the season.

The Lakers will now go up against the revamped Los Angeles Clippers lead by LA native Baron Davis. After the Clipps the Lakers face Allen Iverson and then back to LA again play the Clipps once again. Then Lakers will play a lot tough opponents in a row in Houston, Dallas, New Orleans and Detriot.

NEXT LAKERS MATCH UP: Los Angeles Lakers @ Los Angeles Clippers 7:30 pm PST

1st Game of the Regular Season Against Greg Oden's Portland Trailblazers

The Lakers will be tested right out of the gate as they will go up against a very talented and young Blazers team lead by center Greg Oden and Brandon Roy.

This will not be an easy win for the Lakers by any means, they may be favored to win this game and the West when it is all said and done, but I think the Blazers will be the surprise team in the NBA this season and could give Kobe and company a run for their money in the first game of the season.

Not only is Brandon Roy turning into one of the most explosive up and coming guards in the league, but he also has an entire whole roster filled with young players that could easily be NBA all stars like rookie Jared Bayless, LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden.

There will be two key matchups in this game which will be very entertaining to watch when these two teams start their season on Tuesday. The first head to head matchup to watch will be the reigning NBA MVP Kobe Bryant going up against youngster Brandon Roy. These two guards will be going at each other all night long! Kobe may be a little banged up (knee), but as he has shown in years past, not even injury can stop number 24 from dominating his opponent. Brandon Roy on the other hand will be looking to prove that he is one of the best players in this league by taking it to Bryant in his house at the Staples Center.

The next matchup to keep your eye on Tuesday will be one that might turn into the next big man rivalry in NBA with Greg Oden battling Andrew Bynum in the paint. In the past there have been some awesome big men battles like the late great Wilt Chamberlain against Bill Russell, Shaq vs. Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon just to name a couple. The center position has kind of taken a back seat to guards like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James since Shaq's dominance earlier this decade, but talented big men are starting to make their way back into the lime light with centers like Dwight Howard in Orlando, Yao Ming in Houston and now Andrew Bynum with the Lakers and Greg Oden in Portland.

Having said that, I think NBA fans will be in for a treat this season as it could be one of the most competitive in recent memory. The Lakers should teach the youngsters a lesson in their first meeting of the season, but I would not be surprised to see a close game on Tuesday night.

Coby Karl Gets Cut by the Lakers

Over the years there have been a few players to put on a Lakers jersey that the fans just fall in love with, from players like goofy ass Mark Madsen, sharp shooting Mike Penberthy, crazy Ronny Turiaf and just recently cut cancer survivor Coby Karl.

Problem is, it wasn't Coby's decision to leave the Lakers like it was for Turiaf (signed with Warriors) and Madsen (signed with T-Wolves) as the Boise State star was cut by the Lakers on Monday. Maybe the kid wasn't good enough to make the Lakers squad this season, but something tells me we haven't seen the last of him.

Being a son of an NBA coach in George Karl definitely puts extra pressure on you as a player to succeed in the NBA, but Coby has not had it easy by any means after battling with cancer and trying to convince the Lakers to add him to quite possibly the most talented team in the NBA.

Personally, I liked the guy. I thought he was a solid player, probably not a starter, but definitely a force off the bench with his play making ability and outside shooting.

Although it is unfortunate that the Lakers couldn't keep him, Coby will end up playing for another NBA team in the near future, if not immediately.

Best Dunk by Coby Karl as a Laker