If someone says they saw Dr. Buss around the STAPLES Center Tuesday night call them a liar. Buss is serving a league mandated two game suspension.
Archive for October, 2007
Unlike last season, the Lakers will not be bailed out by an easy schedule to open up the season. Instead, November 2007 brings quite the opposite for the Lakers as they have arguably one of the toughest slates of opening month games in the entire NBA.
The team began their quest for a top spot in the Western Conference with an exciting—albeit disappointing—loss to the Houston Rockets on Oct. 30. While the Rockets are widely considered one of the West’s developing powerhouses, it was the Lakers who showed impressive resolve at the end of the game, clawing their way back in the final minute and a half to tie the score before Battier’s three KO’d them once and for all. If the Lakers hope to finish the month over .500, they will need to display a similar sense of
urgency…for an entire 48 minutes this time.
Game-By-Game
The rest of opening week will see the Lakers take on their Pacific Division rival Phoenix Suns this Friday. After bowing out of the playoffs the past two seasons at the hands of Steve Nash and Co., the team will need to build on the positive nuggets gained in the season opener. Specifically, the team must reduce their turnovers, control the pace and make free throws. Even if all goes as planned, it still may not be enough to prevent an 0-2 start.
Nothing too exciting from practice today. But here’s the video of Kobe and Fish talking about last night.
Heard rumblings about this at the game last night, but here’s the story from Yahoo (through TMZ) and more details from beat writer Brad Turner.
Coby #11 had the early lead in the on-going Kobe-on-Coby battle as he received well wishing from the home crowd just minutes after Kobe #24 heard the boo birds as he was being introduced to the capacity crowd at the STAPLES Center on opening night. But while the old saying “winning cures all” is almost always true, “dropping 45″ comes off as usually true and Coby #11 was back as second fiddle (Karl dressed instead of first round pick Javaris Crittenton as Jackson preferred his length).
The much ballyhooed booing that is being tossed around in the press today (not only did I have to hear Colleen Dominguez ask the same question 10 different ways, but I had the pleasure of listening to her recount the story on ESPN Radio this morning) lasted literally two sequences before giving way to guarded cheers and not long after that the standard “M-V-P” chants.
Yes the boos from the home crowd were shocking based on the love that the Laker Faithful have always shown Bryant through his darkest hours, but they were short lived. Even the most adamant objector would have a tough time booing a guy that goes for 45 points and 8 boards.
More important than the crowds reaction to a single player is that the Lakers are now 0-1 on the season. While that’s the only number that really matters you can get all your statistical breakdown goodness from the boys over at Forum Blue & Gold. The numbers shed an unflattering light on the second unit that played so well together in the pre-season. Their inspired play in the exhibition season can be attributed to the line changes that Phil was making. The substituion pattern that works in the pre-season (and the NHL) brought them great success, but isn’t a reality during the regular season. This unit needs to have a better performance for the Lakers to go anywhere this year.
Other Tidbits
Inactives for tonight are as follows:
Lakers - Lamar Odom, Vladimir Radmanovic, & Javaris Crittenton
Rockets - Aaron Brooks, Carl Landry, & Steve Novak
Check out Phil Jackson’s pre-game on our video page.
As part of the 60th Anniversary the Lakers have brought back former Laker & UCLA star Jaamal “Silk” Wilkes as an honorary captain for tonight’s game. Jeffrey Osborne is also back for his 24th consecutive year to sing the opening night national anthem. He gets better every year.
Marge Hearn does the pre-game introductions for the Lakers instead of the Lawrence Tanter. Derek Fisher gets a resounding cheer from the faithful, but the guy introduced right after him (the guy that wears #24) gets a mixed reaction with more than a smattering of boos. Being that it’s a home game you can just say that he got booed.
First Quarter
12:00: Yao vs. Kwame on the tip. The Lakers start Fisher, Bryant, Walton, Turiaf, & Brown. Kwame goes high for the tip and wins it over Yao.
9:01: 2-0 Lakers on a Kobe layup. Yes it took almost 3 full minutes to get a score in the ballgame. Bryant was booed the first couple times he touched the ball, but it died down after that.
Lakers.com breaks down the ten most important factors that will determine the team’s success this season.
10. Chris Mihm’s Return From Injury
After missing the end of the 2006-2007 season and all of last season, Chris Mihm’s health is finally approaching 100%. However, the seven-footer is coming off a severe ankle injury that has limited his lateral quickness on the offensive and defensive end in seven exhibition games so far. As a result, it will inevitably take several games of live action to determine Mihm’s full effectiveness—an assessment that could weigh heavily on the Lakers front court depth this season. Moreover, Mihm must answer questions as to as how effective he will be at defending some of the larger players in the Western Conference. If he heals, Mihm brings a solid post presence on the offensive side and some lane clogging on the defensive end. If he has not, then he will likely pick up quick fouls defensively and see limited minutes on the court.
The wait is over. It’s time to get started with the games that matter and “stop kissing your sister”, as Phil Jackson describes the exhibition season.
The NBA’s deadline to pare down rosters came and went at 3pm pacific today with a couple teams making trades to essentially cut excess players or avoid luxury tax implications. The official rosters that have been released by the league assigns players over the 12 that you’re allowed to suit up per game as inactive. The Lakers roster was released showing Lamar Odom, Chris Mihm, and Kobe Bryant as inactive?
The Lakers have announced that they are extending the contracts of former first round picks Andrew Bynum & Jordan Farmar through the 2008-09 season.
Under the leagues collective bargaining agreement first round picks sign guaranteed contracts for the first two season with team options for the third and fourth years. Bynum was drafted 10th overall in the 2005 draft and Farmar was drafted 26th overall in the 2006 draft.
This extension will take Bynum into the 4th and final year of his rookie contract while Farmar will be extended into his third season. The team will have the chance to extend Jordan’s deal for a 4th year before the start of next season.
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