The Arrogant, Entitltled World Champion Los Angeles Lakers

[Bklyn]

Luol Deng is out due to a wrist ligament injury.

Pussy.

[Jungle Rat]

You're right. Im not watching the NBA. Never have really. Am I missing anything that I can't get from.ESPN?

[Chuck Nevitt]

Luol Deng is out due to a wrist ligament injury.

Pussy.

Funny.

[Bklyn]

It's come to this...LA is looking to work out Gil Arenas.

Body armor up!

[T Dot O Dot]

Arenas is done

he's more done than Baron Davis

it stinks of desperation

[Bklyn]

Well, they are doing it quietly...just working him out. They won't even consider anything beyond that until they see him ball. They really want to sign Ramon Sessions...and that might be what they wind up with.

[T Dot O Dot]

you mean trade for Sessions, he's a Cleveland Cavalier

[Bklyn]

Yep, sorry. Trade. I was caught up in LA's $8+M in room after the Lamar deal.

[Simitar]

Sessions is an interesting choice. Would've been horrible under Phil (can't shoot and needs the ball in his hands a lot to be effective). But he can make some plays and get to the line.

[T Dot O Dot]

The Lakers are reportedly interested in Ramon Sessions, who holds a player option for next season at about $4.5 million. For now, Sessions is doing his best to ignore the noise.

“It’s been like that for me for a few years now,” he said. “Haven’t been traded yet.”

Session is shooting just 31 percent from the floor since Jan. 8 a span of 12 games. As for whether or not he’ll exercise his player option for next season, Sessions said he hasn’t decided.

“I haven’t really thought about that far, but it’s something coming up that I’m aware of,” Sessions said. “When the time is right, I’ll sit down and go over it and see where it goes.”
Via Jason Lloyd/Akron Beacon Journal

Read more: http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/21 ... z1lBLd38uT

[Hizzy III]

Okay, so I get caught up watching this 70s-era Russian sci-fi flick "Solaris" and miss the fact that not only do the Sixers rally to beat the Lakers (how do you outrebound your opponent 55-30 and still lose?), but also that the Rox somehow pulled thier heads out of their asses and rallied to be an undermanned Denver team on the road last night.

The moral: instead of watching the association (namely, the Rox), maybe I should watch crappy Russian sci-fi flicks from the 70s.

Also: Kobe passes Shaq on the all-time scoring list. It was bound to happen. Too bad for the Lakers it didn't happen on a night in which they also won--which makes me posit the following: I don't think Mike Brown lasts past this season. The Lakers' O just looks brutal right now, and that's almost never been the case historically, even when they've been average.

[Chuck Nevitt]

If Bynum wants more, though, Bryant is going to have to find ways to give it to him – while leaving space for Gasol to contribute and building the confidence of the role players, too.

Bryant has always wanted to win more than anything, and that includes winning power plays. He has. It's still his team; it's still his time.

Look ahead, and you can see that at his recent scoring pace, Bryant will pass Wilt Chamberlain before the end of next season as the NBA's fourth-leading all-time scorer. Even if Bryant dropped off to 23 points per game, he'd still pass Michael Jordan for third place in less than two seasons from now.

Bryant brushed off those scoring numbers after the loss in Philly. He brought up the championship-ring count.

"I just want No. 6, man," Bryant said, smiling. "I'm not asking too much. Just give me a sixth one, (expletive)."

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/brya ... akers.html

[Bklyn]

[N]ot only do the Sixers rally to beat the Lakers (how do you outrebound your opponent 55-30 and still lose?)

I wondered the same thing. I also wondered how do you outrebound your opponent by that much and still have the same amount of shots (81).

I don't think Mike Brown lasts past this season.

I think he will...much for the same reasons Juan Castillo is sticking around as Defensive Coordinator for the Eagles. It was a shortened camp, new pieces added and a new system to absorb in a short amount of time. Maybe the coach isn't bad, maybe the situation is what is bad.

Just like the Castillo move, I don't know what's right. I do know that LA is underperforming offensively.

Also, just like the Eagles, the Executive Management can't afford to say they effed up the coaching hire after taking so much heat for the decision in the first place. Just like I believe Andy Reid chose to stick with Juan Castillo because he didn't want to admit defeat so soon on a controversial deal, Jim Buss will do the same.

We have Brown next year, like it or not. LA won't want to say they messed up not picking Shaw.

[Hizzy III]

In the Lakers' case, hiring Mike Brown wasn't a bad move in and of itself, and you make a very good point about the shortened camp leading into what's going to be a shortened season. Plus, you let Odom go and you build up a bit of ill-will by actively seeking to trade Gasol.

The Castillio move, however, was just flat out foolish. You bring in all of those quality FAs and yet you go with some guy with no real pedigree as a defensive coach in the NFL, let alone as a defensive coordinator? Bizarre. Just flat out bizarre. And then to KEEP him after so many defensive breakdowns during a critical stretch of the season?

Meh. It took Gary Kubiak six seasons to figure out he needed a proven coordinator for his defense. Damn near got him fired. Of course Kubiak hasn't built up the managerial largesse that your boy Andy has, so...

[Bklyn]

Managerial is not the only largesse my boy Andy has. He looks like a yam rapped in black synthetic fabric when he's coaching.

[Simitar]

I wondered the same thing. I also wondered how do you outrebound your opponent by that much and still have the same amount of shots (81).

12 more turnovers makes up a lot of the difference.

[Bklyn]

Ah, makes sense. I was at the Knicks game (where Jeremy Lin went off on Utah) watching the score on my BlackBerry and they did not show turnovers. I knew that Kobe and Drew both had 4 or 5 apiece though, so I figured that had to play a part.

[Chuck Nevitt]

I figure Jeremy Lin goes for 40 tonight.

Saw him in the D League -- you could tell had the all around skill set and deserved a chance.

[Bklyn]

He can't shoot very well from outside, but he gets to the rim nicely off of pick-and-roll sets so I expect Fish to have his struggles. Gasol and Bynum should do well to fight that off...and Amare and Melo aren't playing, so the options are diminished with regard to the open man.

I expect him to have in the mid teens and about 7 or 8 assists. I don't expect to see a defense like the Wiz who stood around as he Linsanely drove the lane, after a Linsational cross over move finishing with a dunk in a #Linning! Knicks effort.

forgive me

[Jungle Rat]

It sorta sucks that.ESPN is trying to find an NBA Tebow type to promote the stupid contract they signed.