By J.A. Adande
ESPN.com
Kobe Bryant and the Lakers took charge of the West race with a 106-85 win over a Spurs team struggling without Manu Ginobili. The Lakers can clinch the No. 1 seed with a win Tuesday.
In First Place, Lakers Look Second To None In West
LOS ANGELES -- It's foolish to draw any conclusions in the Western Conference, where the playoff picture changes in the time it takes to click the refresh button on your browser. But as the regular season draws to a close the Los Angeles Lakers are starting to match results to their ability, which would make them the team to beat. They're starting to think in those terms, too.
"We've put ourselves in position to firmly believe," Lakers guard Derek Fisher said.
They also put themselves atop the Western Conference with a 106-85 victory over the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center Sunday.
The strange thing was how unplayoff-like it felt at the end, with Kobe Bryant sitting out the entire fourth quarter and Tim Duncan heading to the bench for good with 6:40 remaining. But the lack of suspense at the end came about because the Lakers dominated the third quarter, playing some postseason-caliber defense, holding the Spurs to 14 points on 3-for-17 shooting. Defense has been the biggest question mark for the Lakers. They've been burned by quick point guards (Tony Parker was at it again in the first half, when he scored 18 points). They have failed to rotate out to 3-point shooters. They haven't had a full-time presence in the middle since Andrew Bynum went down in January.
That changed in the third quarter Sunday. They stayed in front of Parker, who scored only two more points. Pau Gasol blocked a Duncan hook shot, one of 13 misses by Duncan.
"I think we've found our defensive identity," Bryant said. "We're very aggressive. We have a tremendous amount of versatility in wings and bigs who are athletic and long. We can get after guys."
Lamar Odom continues to do work on the defensive boards. He grabbed 12 of them Sunday, his third consecutive game with double figures in that category. Ronny Turiaf provided the usual boost of energy off the bench. And Fisher's torn tendon in his foot is feeling well enough that he went to Jackson and requested more playing time last week.
The Lakers had some doubts about their playoff readiness as recently as coach Phil Jackson's pregame media session Sunday, when he lamented, "We're playing minutes well, we're not playing large segments of games well."
The second half of a nationally televised game against the defending champions should count as a large enough segment. Afterward, Jackson called it a complete victory, with Vladimir Radmanovic the only member of the Lakers' top nine players who didn't make a significant contribution.
Fisher made an interesting comparison to the Lakers' three-peat teams of the start of the decade. They were built around Shaquille O'Neal, with Bryant able to play off him, and veterans around to plug in the gaps.
Now, "We're built to play as a team and not rely on individual talents of other guys," Fisher said. "Hopefully that can carry us a long way." Bryant has been more than happy to involve everyone and not carry the load himself. As a result he'll be fresher for the playoffs, when superstars have to make the difference.
Bryant had 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in 32 minutes Sunday, and was already icing his knees as the final minutes elapsed.
Instead of engaging in hand-to-hand combat with Bruce Bowen, then contending with Duncan at the rim, Bryant whipped passes to Fisher or dumped it inside to Gasol. Occasionally Bryant pulled up for a jumper of his own. And he capped the third quarter by gathering a lead pass from Gasol, collecting himself just behind the 3-point arc and shooting a shot that dropped through the net with 0.1 seconds left.
"Estamos aqui," he said to Gasol back on the bench ("We're here"), as Bryant gestured to their eyes.
The Spurs could have used some more Spanish in their lineup. Their star from Argentina, Manu Ginobili, sat out with what the team called a strained left abductor. In addition, Brent Barry and Robert Horry missed the game with injuries.
"I'm really concerned about Robert," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "I don't know when we're going to get him back [if] at all. The knee is really bothering him.
"And Brent has been gone forever. I'm hoping I can get him some minutes either tomorrow night or the Utah game."
It's possible the Spurs could go into the playoffs banged-up and without home-court advantage. They have enough experience to win on the road, but would they wear down from the extra travel?
And can they beat anybody in the competitive West if they don't address the offensive problems and defensive lapses they showed Sunday?
"Sometimes we get in ruts when we're not moving the ball," Bowen said. "Third quarter, it was evident today.
"We didn't do a good job on [defensive] transitions today and it's evident in a lot of 3-point shots they got in transitions or the lay-ups in transitions. Those are our areas that you can correct, fortunately. This was a game that we wanted to compete better than we did today."
They can get Ginobili back, they can get their championship ways back. The thing is, this isn't the time to go on a search-and-rescue mission. You want to have everyone and everything accounted for, peaking for the postseason. Like the Lakers are.
At the end of March the Lakers lost back-to-back home games to Charlotte and Memphis. Since then they've won seven of eight, including victories over playoff-bound Washington, Dallas, New Orleans and now the Spurs.
"Going into the playoffs it's about momentum," Bryant said. "It's about who's playing well. We sure are playing good basketball right now."
J.A. Adande is the author of "The Best Los Angeles Sports Arguments." He joined ESPN.com as an NBA columnist in August 2007 after 10 years with the Los Angeles Times. Click here to e-mail J.A.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Lakers on a roll going into the 2008 NBA Playoffs
Kobe leaps over a speeding Aston Martin coming straight at him in LA!
They call Shaq 'Superman'.....I beg to differ.
Kobe can claim that title now....enjoy!
1st vs. 2nd in Ultra-Competitive Western Conference (Winner - Lakers!)
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Lakers show both strength and vulnerability in big win
LOS ANGELES -- So the bout went to Kobe Bryant, by decision, not knockout, after the Los Angeles Lakers had Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets down on the canvas but let them back in the fight.
Bryant took a step toward winning the MVP award (more on that in a moment) and the Lakers secured one of the top four seeds in the Western Conference by clinching the Pacific Division with a 107-104 victory over New Orleans on Friday night. But the Lakers didn't erase all doubts about their potential playoff soft spots by allowing the Hornets to chop a 30-point lead down to one. And it looks increasingly doubtful that Andrew Bynum will come back to help them in the middle.
That's the holdup, the one thing that keeps the Lakers from obtaining clear-cut No. 1 status in this crowded field. Even on this night, they looked great at times ... but not invincible.
Bynum met with the media before the game, and the news was that there was no news -- still no estimated date for his return, still not enough improvement in the left kneecap he injured Jan. 13. He has pain in the knee and can feel himself compensating for the imbalance in his legs. He's also wary of doing any long-term damage by returning too soon.
"I'm going to play when I'm ready," Bynum said. "Right now, I'm not."
The optimistic take is that he could return for the second round of the playoffs. But some in the organization are bracing for the possibility he won't be back at all this season.
Bryant said he told Bynum to take all the time he needs.
"The pieces are here," Bryant said, meaning championship components. "No need to rush.
"The unit that we have right now is good enough to get the job done. But with him in there, you can have something that's pretty special."
If you turned off the game in the first half, you must have envisioned a Lakers championship parade.
They pounced on the Hornets and outscored them 39-20 in the first quarter. The Lakers have one of the league's most potent offenses, and they'd had a 39-point opening quarter earlier this season. The surprise was that the Hornets, fifth in the league in points allowed, could be so bad defensively.
"They were aggressive on both ends of the floor, and we didn't match that aggressiveness," Hornets forward Peja Stojakovic said.
When the Lakers were rolling just after the Pau Gasol trade in February, they were putting opponents away. Lately, they've had to keep the starters in the game, and that was the case Friday.
Lakers coach Phil Jackson said the problem was on offense. Even though they were playing with the lead, the Lakers took 14 3-pointers in the second half, making only three, and they had 10 turnovers.
"We just didn't stay precise," Jackson said. "We let them run through passes, get underneath, destroy our screen rolls. We have to work at that as a coaching staff."
The one encouraging sign for L.A. was that after a barrage of Peja 3-pointers nearly made the Hornets' comeback complete, the Lakers came up with three straight defensive stands that resulted in a steal, a blocked shot and a steal.
Western Conference favorites? Who knows? That mythical role changes hands nightly, especially after the Phoenix Suns took another step back by losing at the Houston Rockets. Currently, the Lakers sit in second, one half-game behind the Hornets in a race that could affect not only the conference playoff seedings but the MVP results.
As campaign statements go, Friday night wasn't exactly Barack Obama's speech on race relations for either Bryant or Paul.
"I don't think either one of them had the best games I've seen them play, that's for sure," Jackson said.
Bryant had 29 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Paul had 15 points, six rebounds and 17 assists. In a sense, they played exactly the type of games that have made them top candidates -- not trying to do everything themselves, helping in a variety of ways.
"Anything that your team needs in a big part of the game, that's what those guys provide," said New Orleans guard Jannero Pargo, a former Lakers teammate of Bryant. "I think that's why they're up for MVP. And that's why they're great players."
Bryant scored a smooth 10 points in the first quarter, and Jackson credited him with providing the energy to power the Lakers' early surge.
The biggest knock on Paul on Friday: He didn't score his first points until the Lakers led 63-33 in the first half. An MVP has to do something before the other team scores 63, right?
"I wasn't trying to make no statements, impress no voters or whatever," Paul said. "This is an 82-game season. If we've got to determine how I played or how he played off of one game, then it's a problem."
Bryant said he's just adapting to the unofficial balloting guidelines that led to Steve Nash winning the trophy in back-to-back seasons.
"MVP nowadays is not an individual award," Bryant said. "You really have to make your teammates better and elevate your ballclub. For me to be nominated in that race is a tremendous honor.
"I've been [playing team ball] all year. It's nothing new. I moved the ball, I read the defenses, just stay within the framework of what we do."
He did have a flashback to his early days with an over-the-head dunk in the fourth quarter. He seems to like showing us he still has his athleticism, even if it's enhanced by special effects in that Web video of him jumping over a speeding sports car.
"I have superhuman strength," Bryant said.
"I have a new nickname. My new nickname is 'Cape.'"
Self-appointed nicknames? Isn't that Shaquille O'Neal's gimmick? Maybe he absorbed a little bit of Shaq's mind during the shooting of that other new commercial, in which he shares the screen and words with the Diesel.
"It turned out great," Bryant said.
"It's a great concept. It hypes up the playoffs and it's a lot of fun."
These playoffs don't need any more hype. Every team has strengths and flaws, which is what makes it so unpredictable. The Lakers and Hornets both presented their cases for and against Friday night. You saw a little bit of what makes Bryant and Paul so valuable. Ultimately, the impression was more favorable for the Lakers, and when the Staples Center crowd chanted "M-V-P", it carried just a little more weight this time.
J.A. Adande is the author of "The Best Los Angeles Sports Arguments." He joined ESPN.com as an NBA columnist in August 2007 after 10 years with the Los Angeles Times. Click here to e-mail J.A.
M....V....P!!!! (Lovely hearing this at Staples!)
Monday, April 7, 2008
Why Kobe won't win the MVP
Last week, my partner in crime wrote a column about how uncomfortable she will be when Kobe Bryant receives the 2008 MVP award. Well, no disrespect to Jemele (Ms. Hill to those of us who know her), but Kobe Bryant will not win the MVP this year. And if recent history proves consistent, he might finish behind Alonzo Mourning in the voting.
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| Kobe Bryant is to the MVP what Ralph Nader is to the presidency. |
Which leads us back to the hate: A man averages 35.4 ppg, the eighth-highest average in the history of the league; he gives you 5.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.8 steals; he has 27 games of 40-plus points, has one month where he averages 43.4 ppg, scores 81 in one game and outscores an entire team in another (the 62-point game against Dallas where he sat out the fourth quarter); he is on the all-defensive first team (something not one of the other players in the MVP running is included on); and he leads a CBA-built team to the playoffs. The man has a season that no one is likely to see for another generation and he comes in fourth in the MVP voting that year. That same man, the very next year, averages 31.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.4 steals for the "fedora trick"; he has 10 games of 50-plus points, only the second person in NBA history to do so in a single season (including a four-in-a-row stretch that hadn't been seen in more than 20 years); he makes the all-defensive first team again; and this time he takes a YBA-built squad to the playoffs. In a season that many claim is more "complete" than the season before, the man this time comes in third in the MVP voting. How bad is it for Kobe? In a 2004-05 season in which Kobe averaged 27.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.0 assists, P.J. Brown -- yes, you read right -- received more MVP votes than he did, and Brown received only one vote. How many games did the Hornets win that year? 18. (And it's not just the sportswriters. In that never-to-be-seen-again 2005-06 season, the GMs around the league, who have their own MVP voting, had Bryant fifth on their ballots.) And nothing is going to make this season any different.
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| Kobe Bryant finished behind P.J. Brown in the 2004-05 MVP voting. Yes, you read that correctly. |
So the reality is this: As nice -- and I mean nice in a This-dude-is-on-some-beyond-Steve-Nash level -- as Chris Paul's game has been all season long (his full name during broadcasts and highlight shows has become "MVP candidate Chris Paul") his season can't compare to Kobe's past two. Yes, he's elevated his team to a height that no one expected, but can you name one player on the Lakers (not including Kobe) over the past three years who is as good or has played as well as David West has this season? Hell, name one who has played as well as Peja Stojakovic or Tyson Chandler. Plus how will the voters justify not giving CP3 the MVP in a season when his numbers are better than Nash's were the two seasons he got back-to-back MVPs? Paul's 21.5 points, 11.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 2.5 turnovers are better in totality than the 15.5, 11.5, 3.4, 1.0 and 3.3 Nash put up in 2004-05 and the 18.8, 10.5, 4.2, 0.8 and 3.5 he posted during the 2005-06 season. And CP's team is in position to do what Nash's team did when he came back to Phoenix: earn the top seed in the West. So if Nash won 62 games and the West in '05-06 with inferior numbers to Paul's, how does the league not give Paul the award if his team wins 60 and has the best record in the West? And trust, CP3's electability is off the charts compared to Kobe's. His MVP approval rating is sic, while Kobe's is sick. So Chris, congrats, enjoy the Maurice Podoloff. The voters love you. And that's not necessarily because of who CP (or KG if you want to toss him into this conversation) is as much as it is because of who Kobe is: the "8" they love to hate. Someone less understood than a villain, and someone for whom those who vote have less tolerance when it comes to separating what he does from who he is.
It's the same reason why upon eligibility into the Hall of Fame, Roger Clemens will receive more first-ballot votes than Barry Bonds. It will have more to do with how much more Roger was/is/remains beloved than Barry by those who will have the power to vote them into immortality than it will race or the level of crime either one committed while playing. Is it right? Fair? Impartial? No. It's life. And for Kobe, it's become his life. In sports, in the end, whether we want to acknowledge it honestly or not, athletes put their legacies in the hands of those who have the power to hate them. And in those situations, what they do on the court or field, whether we are talking MVP or Hall of Fame (or Oscars), what they do takes a backseat to who they are. Their careers become a popularity contest, a "likability" raffle lying in wait for the hate to die. Which it never really does. And in the past five years in professional sports, no athlete (with the exception of maybe Bonds or T.O.) has been more hated and hated on than Kobe Bryant. Don't believe me? Watch what happens when he doesn't win the MVP … again.
Scoop Jackson is a columnist for Page 2.
Friday, February 29, 2008
2008 - A year of DESTINY for the Lakers
Extra time
Couldn't help to post this article I read in the LA Times
The Lakers or Phil Jackson have been in the NBA Finals every leap year since 1980:
1980 Lakers
1984 Lakers
1988 Lakers
1992 Bulls
1996 Bulls
2000 Lakers
2004 Lakers
2008 THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Los Angeles Times
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Wade must rise to Kobe's level
Posted on Mon, Feb. 11, 2008
Wade must rise to Kobe's level
By ISRAEL GUTIERREZ
Rarely does a symbolic message arrive with such perfect timing.
In Dwyane Wade's first game with his new post-Shaq teammates, he faced the team that has almost completely overcome its own loss of Shaquille O'Neal.
And perhaps more meaningful, Wade faced the player who has elevated himself and his teammates to the point where O'Neal is merely a pleasant Laker memory instead of a haunting reminder of a ghastly trade.
In 42 minutes of the Lakers' 104-94 defeat of the Heat on Sunday, Kobe Bryant guided in a handful of those demoralizing fade-away jumpers that reminded you of Michael Jordan. He played relentless, suffocating defense reminiscent of Scottie Pippen, practically handcuffing Wade at times. He even threw in a graceful running hook shot from 15 feet that made you swear that was Magic Johnson in a Lakers uniform again (Magic was actually in the stands watching the display for himself.)
The well-timed message? If the Miami Heat is going to experience the same kind of recovery that the Lakers currently are, then Wade is going to have to rise to Bryant's level.
He will have to be the efficient scorer who can fill it up in a variety of ways, rather than relying on a handful of pet moves that defenses come to expect.
He will have to play the type of consistent defense that allows him to actually guard the opposing team's top perimeter threat, rather than just coming from the weak side to grab a few steals and block a few shots.
He will have to be the decision maker who gets the maximum output from each teammate, rather than the player who dismisses a personal nine-turnover performance.
THE NEXT LEVEL
As difficult as it might be to fathom given how close to flawless he played during a championship run two seasons ago, there is still another height for Wade to reach. It's that step great players take on the way to becoming legends. It's a conscious choice Wade will have to make if the Heat can actually be considered contenders once again with No. 3 as the sole franchise player.
For as much as people mock Bryant for being so obsessive about the game, and how he so obviously attempts to mimic Jordan, he has come the closest to perfecting the game.
Since O'Neal left his painted area, Bryant has not only sharpened his offensive game but finally acquired the team mentality that was missing while he was so desperately trying to prove himself as the league's best talent.
So Bryant recognizes the challenges that will face Wade in the coming months as he begins his extended life without O'Neal.
''What [O'Neal] does do is give you a person inside that can catch and finish, which you easily take for granted as a guard,'' Bryant said. ``Wade, a couple of times [Sunday], threw some passes inside that, if it were Shaq, those were dunks.
``The adjustment that he's going to have to make is how does he become a threat in the post and make teams collapse and how to make your teammates better consistently. When you're the lone ranger out there, it's tough. He's in a position I was in a couple of years ago where I had to put up 35, 37 points just to keep us in the ballgame. It's physically and emotionally draining.''
Yes, Bryant has the type of quality depth around him that has yet to be placed around Wade. And, yes, Wade is so banged up he has what Riley called ''compensatory injuries,'' which means playing hurt is hurting him even more.
But that doesn't mean Wade can't address the areas where he needs most improvement, in preparation for that time when he is fully healthy and Riley has built a capable team around him.
DEFENSIVE EFFORT
Wade's defense is easily what lacks the most. It also happens to be the area where desire is actually the primary ingredient for significant improvement.
''I think 95-plus percent of the guys in our league have the physical ability to play defense,'' Lakers point guard Derek Fisher said when explaining Bryant's defensive play. ``So at that point it just becomes a mental decision and a decision on how hard you want to work at it.''
On the offensive end, Wade can never again expect the same kind of freedom he had when every defensive player had one eye on him and the other on O'Neal. So Wade can either live with the constant frustration, or he can find ways to avoid it.
''What I started to do was become more efficient,'' Bryant said. ``Teams, especially when Shaq left, were able to key in on me a lot more. So I realized if I was going to score points, I had to be really smart about it, pick my spots and be very efficient, so teams couldn't lock in.''
It all could be overwhelming for Wade right now, recognizing that he is five years and one championship into this NBA experience and winning is only getting harder. But it's a truth he will have to accept.
You won't hear Riley saying his best player still has to improve. Because coaches rarely win these days when publicly challenging their franchise talents. So it's a message Wade might have to receive from others.
Bryant did his part to get that idea across Sunday. Now it's a matter of waiting for Wade's response.
________________________________________
© 2008 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.miamiherald.com
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Return to the Top - January 14th, 2008
Attention, attention...The Lakers have returned to their 1st place conference position. It's now time to string off 4-6 more championships!
Can't wait till Bynum comes back....let the good times roll!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
NBA Action! - Real Time Updates (Video Highlights; Scoreboard; Current Standings)
Daily NBA Highlights:
Real-Time NBA Scoreboard:
NBA Standings:
Saturday, January 5, 2008
What a wingspan...Bynum above the box on 01-04-08
A teenager Laker doing the things he does in the NBA? He was only 17 years old when he entered. I was still throwing water balloons and egging friends when I was 17.
His development is remarkable....his work-ethic is optimal....and his master is one of the greatest (Jedi Kareem)....I can't wait until young 'Drew becomes the next Laker Jedi Master...and one of the best Center's in NBA History (...I said it here first)!
...it's only a matter of time.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Big Shot Rob....ahh, the memories!
I was at a wedding when most of the dudes started yelling and jumping around during the actual ceremony vows....usually quite inappropriate...not when "Big Shot Rob" Horry's hitt'n a game winner to send the Sacramento "Queens" packing.
At the reception, the best man toasted to the Lakers winning a championship in the NBA Finals to complete an impressive 3-Peat Dynasty.
Time to reminisce...
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
81 Points in a single game!
Yup, done by none other than Numero Ocho, Kobe Bryant. It was a great send-off to Kobe's #8 jersey (the last year we'd see him wear this). I'm wondering what will happen when the Laker Organization decides to retire Kobe's number(s)....#8 AND #24?...both? We'll have to wait and see.
...never thought I'd see this in today's modern day NBA game. 81 points in a single game was history and it was a joy to watch.
Prior to this, the NBA single game scoring leader board looked something like this (I know this is probably not 100% accurate):
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Elgin Baylor
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Micheal Jordan
- David Robinson
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Kobe Bryant
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Wilt Chamberlain
Kobe single-handedly defeated the Toronto Raptors on January 22nd, 2007. Notice the score in the video below....the Lakers were losing most of the game. Have no fear...Kobe is here.
All 81 points...in its magnificent totality. The "Kobe Counter" is in the bottom left hand corner of the video.
0.4 seconds....
What can you do in 0.4 seconds...
D Fish...what can you say. All was good in Lakerdom!
The image is priceless!
To reminisce the moment, the ABC network feed is below.
Monday, December 31, 2007
The Greatest Professional Sports Franchise EVER!
There is no need to justify this comment. It is widely understood - globally!
From the time I was a young pup, I loved the Lakers. The song..."I Love LA" is an anthem that shall live on forever. I'll use this blog to post everything I've been wanting to say regarding the greatest franchise in sporting history - The Los Angeles Lakers!
Here are video montages that will make you cry tears of joy...
Lakers Championship History (a video montage):
Even though I love them all, these are my personal favorite Laker Hall of Famers (or soon to be Hall of Famers):
The Logo - Jerry West...missed multiple championship success as a player, however, more than made up for it as our executive leader.
Big Lou Al - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar...poetry personified!
Earvin "Magic" Johnson...absolutely unbelievable!
The Daddy, Diesel, Kazaam, Superman, M.D.E. - Shaquille O'Neal
The Black Mamba - Kobe Bryant...the sickest, most un-real baller I have ever witnessed. 81 points in a single game....are you serious!?!?! He amazes me with jaw-dropping moves most every time I watch him play. I'm predicting he will go down as the greatest NBA player in the history of the sport...even greater than MJ himself. I said it here first!
The most DOMINANT duo ever - Shaq and Kobe...if only they would have quelled their immense egos, who knows how many championships they could have won together.
For and in-depth detailed look at the most storied franchise in NBA history with 14 Championships (and counting), you can read the following:
Read this to know all there is to know about the Purple and Gold!
