The Arrogant, Entitltled World Champion Los Angeles Lakers

[hedge]

Philly is a nice city. Or rather, there are large sections that are very nice with plenty to do. There are other sections, however, that make Fallujah look like Bel Air...

[AlabamAlum]

Rat,

Expected a bit more when I threw that hanging curve down the middle of the plate. Sure, you made contact, but you're standing on first and should be doing a 4-plate trot.

[AlabamAlum]

True dat about Philly. But the same is true in most big cities. For example, I love New Orleans. But venture a bit too far out of TGD and toward some of the projects and it gets very bad very quickly.

Hell, ditto Atlanta. One minute you're on the GaTech campus and the next you feel like an extra on "The Wire".

[Bklyn]

Why would we wish we lived in Pittsburgh? Their women with mustaches scare us.

That's what I was asking.

I enjoyed Cleveland when I went there a few times. Nice people. The women were all doughy, though. Even skinny girls had bellies. Not my type of party.

[Jungle Rat]

Rat,

Expected a bit more when I threw that hanging curve down the middle of the plate. Sure, you made contact, but you're standing on first and should be doing a 4-plate trot.

Ill still score.

[AlabamAlum]

I have a decent pick-off move. Besides, DS is on-deck and you know I'll strike his fat ass out to end the inning.

[Jungle Rat]

Ill score before then. In fact, I just did.

[Johnette's Daddy]

I'm too pained to laugh.

If I wasn't an LA fan, I would warn you that Dwight may be headed to be Larry Johnson Pt II. Right now, I have both centers not playing like I expected them too...because of injuries.

Injured Dwight = 19/11 and 3 blocks on 61%FG and has played in every game.

Injured Bynum = 0/0 and 0 on 0% in 0 games and exacerbates injury by bowling when he's supposed to be rehabbing.

[Bklyn]

Yeah, it's looking worse for young Drew. This latest legal flap has me running out of room to defend him.

[Johnette's Daddy]

Yeah, it's looking worse for young Drew. This latest legal flap has me running out of room to defend him.

The Becketts go on to write: "Bynum has demonstrated open contempt for the Becketts specifically and for the neighborhood generally by blasting loud, profane, and disrespectful music and video games at window-shaking volumes; by letting his dogs run loose through the neighborhood; by apparently engaging in illegal drug use and permitting marijuana smoke to drift into the Becketts' backyard; by constructing a fence on his property which is not in compliance with the community codes and regulations; by conspicuously brandishing firearms in an attempt to threaten and intimidate the Becketts in retaliation for their legitimate complaints; and, perhaps most seriously, by recklessly racing his luxury cars through the neighborhood at dangerous speeds where children or others could be injured or killed."

An NBA player smoking weed and brandishing firearms? I'm shocked. Shocked!

[Bklyn]

D'Antoni is not the right coach for this team. He was hired because of egos of Steve Nash...and those were bad reasons to make that hire, with this roster. At least Steve will be comfortable those 28 - 32 minutes that he is on the court. Good for him.

[sotola]

I think it was done as much for Nash NOW and next off season when they are seeking out FA's. Guys like to play for coaches that let them play run and gun style and LA was always a favourable destination for FA's anyways so it's win-win when seeking FA's.

might not be the best possible product on the floor but it sells

[Bklyn]

...At the expense of 5 titles & 7 Finals appearances over 11 years.

I will have to get over the Phil debacle, but I see why Magic sold his Lakers shares after Jerry Buss started stepping into the backgrround.

[T Dot O Dot]

“I’ll kick everybody’s ass in this locker room if it doesn’t happen,” Bryant said after a 113-103 loss to the Orlando Magic at Staples Center. Yes, the 6-10 Orlando Magic. “It’s the attitude you have to have. Metta (World Peace) is the same way. Dwight (Howard) has it in him as well. Even though he smiles a lot, he cares a lot about this. Come hell or high water, this has to get done.”

“Pau has to make some adjustments, obviously, to his game. He might not be posting up as much as he likes, but he just has to adjust. The reality is, I’ve adjusted. I’ve never run this many screen-and-rolls in my entire life. But I’ve worked on it. I’ve worked on handling the ball; worked on coming off screens and making plays. I’m used to being in the post much, much more. You have to adjust; you have to master what it is we’re trying to do here. Pau’s talented enough and good enough to be able to do that.” [...] “Put your big-boy pants on,” Kobe said with a trace of disgust in his voice. “C’mon … just adjust. You can’t whine about it or complain about it. Heck, I’m 34 years old, and I’m running screen-and-rolls out there because Steve (Nash) is out, and my ass is running up and down the court more than I ever have in my entire career. But you have to adjust to it. I stay after practice and work on my ball-handling and screen-and-rolls, and when you have the talent to adjust to it, you just … have … to … adjust … to … it. We’re not going to lose (Pau). This is just not going to happen. I’ve been around him long enough to know how to deal with him.”

[T Dot O Dot]

you think Kobe's mad now? wait til the Bargnani & Calderon ...4... Pau trade gets done

[Bklyn]

D'Antoni is Norv Turner in a suit. He is a regular season coach. He won't play Jordan Hill and doesn't know how to get the most out of Pau (which is also damaging his trade value). D'Antoni puts a premium on shooters and works from the outside in. Read what Kobe said above. That rant was just as much of a rant against the D'Antoni offense as it was against Pau. Bean's looking at the end of his career and is not being maximized by this offense, so he's trying to adjust his game to maximize what he can do in the offense, as opposed to the other way around. We're too early to bang the gavel, but I'm thicslose to saying this team is exactly who they look they are today.

Waste of Kobe's last 2 years. Buss should have just let him have Phil until he retired...but he and Kupchak decided to align their thoughts with a center who was going to fall in line no matter the coach and a point guard who feels most comfortable in a D'Antoni offense but will only play a little more than 50% of the game. Bad decision by Buss.

Caligula and Nero run Rome now.

[Simitar]

Dave McMenamin ‏@mcten
Pau Gasol will not play Tuesday night against the Rockets because of tendinitis in both knees. Waiting on who the replacement starter is

Wonder if he hurt them putting on his 'big boy pants'...

[Bklyn]

LOL

[sotola]

Brook -

Hey, I never said it was a good basketball thing to do.... I just said it sells. Not sure how much more selling the Lakers could actually do but I can see the logic in their approach. Not a logic I share but I can imagine a guy like LBJ, who has the opt out clause and has been rumoured to be the darling of the Lakers desire, would LOVE to play for this type of guy. Add in the whole whoring LA lifestyle, I can understand the gamble.

And I am believing it more with every single day. I think they have already pushed Kobe to the side as they begin to move on in the "after life".

[Bklyn]

I don't know of any star player, outside of a PG, who would not love to play for Phil Jackson. This move was about Buss and Nash. For the first time in years, Lakers losses don't bother me to my core.