My theory to the rumor is as follows:
In Lakersville intl., the longtime fans know the history of the club, and anything in-between, going back to their time in Minneapolis.
With Laker fans, you have to present some good information to get their attention. Because longtime Laker fans understand the background of their team. It's a good thing to know who is connected to who to understand where a rumor, probably, gets it's start. That way, you can figure out who, probably, said what, because, you understand the history of the team.
Take, for example, the latest rumor that has Lakers' General Manager Mitch Kupchak getting ready to leave the organization. This rumor was tweeted by "famed" basketball writer Roland Lazenby. Roland Lazenby 's connection to the Lakers largely rested on his relationship with Tex Winter. Of course, Tex Winter is connected to the Lakers through Phil Jackson. And what's left of Phil Jackson's connection to the Lakers is caught up in Jeanie Buss.
The thing to remember when you read anything that Roland Lazenby writes about the Lakers; it has to be taken in the context of what side he's on in the Lakers' political structure. The political structure of the Los Angeles Lakers international (Lakersville), is, of course, team Jeanie and team Jimmy; as in Buss, of course.
Another thing you have to understand about Lazenby is that he likes to associate himself with established basketball minds. That's why he preaches heavily on Tex Winter. And he uses the Winter relationship to connect himself to Jackson, the coach with the most championships in NBA history. Lazenby takes his basketball articles very seriously, as he sees himself as an "astute" basketball writer.
But, in all his writings about the Lakers over the past 5 to 6 years, he has referred to Jim Buss in words that are not too kind. Well, what does that say to us, here, in Lakersville? It says that he's on team Jeanie, of course. And because team Jeanie is connected to Phil Jackson, the theory is that Jackson represents legitimate basketball thoughts as opposed to Jim Buss' lack of basketball knowledge. So, Lazenby sides with the established knowledge, which happens to reside on team Jeanie's side.
What does all this mean? Well, it means that if there's any truth to the rumors coming out of Lakersville, concerning the departure of Kupchak as the GM of the Lakers, it has to be coming from Jeanie Buss.
I mean, check out the tweets from Lazenby:
"Starting to hear that Kupchak may be leaving the Lakers. Don't know if it's true, but if he did...well, there's Jimmy by his lonesome."
And there's this tweet, too:
"Much maligned in the past, Kupchak is a great, great GM + a great stabilizing force in crazyland."
Again, over the past several years, anything out of Lazenby concerning the Lakers comes from team Jeanie's point of view. That's why he refers to Jim Buss' handling of the Lakers as "crazyland." And, "there's Jimmy by his lonesome."
Everyone, from Lazenby, representing the bottom of ladder, to Winter to Jackson to Jeanie Buss, near the top of the ladder; except for Winter, they're all still upset that Jim Buss won the heart of his father Jerry Buss, and has control of the Lakers. It's something Jeanie wanted, and, it seems, she can't come to grips with the fact that she isn't running the Lakers.
All Jeanie Buss does now-a-days is bad mouth her brother, behind his back, whenever she can. Always questioning why the Lakers are the way they are, as if, if she were in charge, things would be different.
But, I think the thing that probably really burns sister Buss the most; it has to be the new TV deal the Lakers signed with Time Warner Cable that kicks in next season. That deal pretty much establishes the Lakers' earning potential for a very long time to come. In other words: Jim Buss probably can't run the Lakers into financial ruin. lol!
That pretty much makes Jeanie obsolete, when it comes to Lakers' influence. The only thing Jeanie has left is her media connections, which she uses to make her brother look bad in the eyes of the fans whenever she can.
Personally, my hope is that Jerry Buss would take a closer look at the Lakers' current situation; I think he would see that Jim and Jeanie running the Lakers, together, is not a good idea. Jeanie doesn't respect Jimmy, and feels cheated out of running the ball club after her dad retires. With that thought in mind, I'm thinking that if daddy Buss really wanted his son, Jim, to do well, and he does, he would cut Jeanie out of the Lakers' day to day operations. Sure she has an inheritance that comes from being the daughter of daddy Buss, but her animosity towards her brother is only going to cause the Lakers' organization trouble in the future. Again, I think daddy Buss needs to take Jeanie aside, and explain to her that Jimmy is going to run the Lakers no matter what, and she needs to stop sending out rumors that create conflict; all in her efforts to make her brother look as if he doesn't belong in the driver's seat.
You know, this is the type of thing that happens when someone thinks they're smarter than someone else. In this case, that's Jeanie, in her mind, over her brother Jimmy.
Now, back to Lazenby. I mean, for a guy like Roland Lazenby to write so disrespectfully, over the years, about Jim Buss is a little hard for me to understand. Why does he bad mouth the new owner of the Lakers? You would think he would want to do an in-depth interview with the new boss, but, it seems, he goes out of his way to disrespect the new boss. What type of thinking is that for a basketball writer who, with all his connections, could probably get an interview with the new owner? Why doesn't he think along those lines? A probable reason might be that he's satisfied with the source of his Lakers' "scoops." And the source of those "scoops"? Why, Jeanie Buss, of course. Who else can it be?
mike t.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Lakers vs. Timberwolves
1st Half:
I'm very impressed with Andrew Goudelock. He plays the game with confidence; like he's playing in his neighborhood and he can't be stopped. Isn't that how basketball players get the attention? Then they translate that neighborhood game to the organized game and the rest is history.
Somewhere along the way a lot of players lose that confidence. Goudelock, I think, has figured it out; that you have to shoot the ball with confidence or opportunity is going to pass you by.
Then we have an experienced veteran like Troy Murphy hitting 2 3-pointers to help the team keep their scoring rhythm.
The Lakers led the 'Wolves 53-45 at the half because Goudelock and Murphy took shots when they were available.
I like both of these players as opposed to Kapono and McRoberts who, in about 13 minutes between them, didn't take a shot. The Lakers aren't good enough to carry players like McRoberts and Kapono if they're not going to shot the ball when they're on the court.
2nd Half:
When the Lakers are relying on the big 3 to do all the work, they are a very boring team to watch play. And I don't put that on the big 3, but on the players who, when they get an opportunity to contribute...they don't even shoot the ball. That is unacceptable, period!
_____________
Pathetic Player of the Game:
Pau Gasol! He was doing very well in the 1st half, hitting little jumpers at the free throw line. But, in the 2nd half, when the 'Wolves go to a zone, suddenly he stops taking the shot and allows the 'Wolves to get back in the game. Then when the Lakers get the game back in their control, it's because Gasol starts taking the little jumper from the free throw line, again. The guy, Gasol, goes passive and that, to me, is pathetic.
Then, with all the offensive rebounds the 'Wolves were getting, it seemed that Gasol was there in the area getting pushed out of the way as the 'Wolves converted off of the offensive boards. Pathetic!
Coach Brown
The guy panics when the 'Wolves go to a zone. He does nothing to address the problem. His answer to the problem was to pull the bench players and go with the starters. That didn't do anything for the Lakers as they fell behind until Gasol started shooting the ball from the free throw line to break the zone.
Coach Brown, I'm starting to think, is in over his head.
Then, when the Lakers were trying to put the game away, they, the Lakers, started throwing the ball away. Pathetic!
This team has chemistry problems. Roster problems. Problems, problems, problems...
Lakers win 106-101.
mike t.
I'm very impressed with Andrew Goudelock. He plays the game with confidence; like he's playing in his neighborhood and he can't be stopped. Isn't that how basketball players get the attention? Then they translate that neighborhood game to the organized game and the rest is history.
Somewhere along the way a lot of players lose that confidence. Goudelock, I think, has figured it out; that you have to shoot the ball with confidence or opportunity is going to pass you by.
Then we have an experienced veteran like Troy Murphy hitting 2 3-pointers to help the team keep their scoring rhythm.
The Lakers led the 'Wolves 53-45 at the half because Goudelock and Murphy took shots when they were available.
I like both of these players as opposed to Kapono and McRoberts who, in about 13 minutes between them, didn't take a shot. The Lakers aren't good enough to carry players like McRoberts and Kapono if they're not going to shot the ball when they're on the court.
2nd Half:
When the Lakers are relying on the big 3 to do all the work, they are a very boring team to watch play. And I don't put that on the big 3, but on the players who, when they get an opportunity to contribute...they don't even shoot the ball. That is unacceptable, period!
_____________
Pathetic Player of the Game:
Pau Gasol! He was doing very well in the 1st half, hitting little jumpers at the free throw line. But, in the 2nd half, when the 'Wolves go to a zone, suddenly he stops taking the shot and allows the 'Wolves to get back in the game. Then when the Lakers get the game back in their control, it's because Gasol starts taking the little jumper from the free throw line, again. The guy, Gasol, goes passive and that, to me, is pathetic.
Then, with all the offensive rebounds the 'Wolves were getting, it seemed that Gasol was there in the area getting pushed out of the way as the 'Wolves converted off of the offensive boards. Pathetic!
Coach Brown
The guy panics when the 'Wolves go to a zone. He does nothing to address the problem. His answer to the problem was to pull the bench players and go with the starters. That didn't do anything for the Lakers as they fell behind until Gasol started shooting the ball from the free throw line to break the zone.
Coach Brown, I'm starting to think, is in over his head.
Then, when the Lakers were trying to put the game away, they, the Lakers, started throwing the ball away. Pathetic!
This team has chemistry problems. Roster problems. Problems, problems, problems...
Lakers win 106-101.
mike t.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
G-Lock: He Has Game!
I like what I see in G-Lock! It seems the Lakers have a player who's really "locked" into his self-confidence and it is translating into key points at key moments. In short: the Lakers might have a good piece to add to their rotation.
Mid-way through the 4th quarter it seems that only Kobe Bryant and Andrew Goudelock are consistent with putting the ball in the hoop. The Lakers cut the Bucks lead 6 points.
With 5 minutes left in the game Kobe hits a little floating jumper to cut the Bucks lead to 4 points. But Mbah a Moute and Gooden hit back to back jumpers to push the Bucks lead back to 8 points. Then Gooden hits 2 free throws to give the Bucks a 10 point lead.
Bynum finally puts points on the board for the Lakers to cut the lead to 8 points.
With less than 2 minutes in the game the Bucks lead the Lakers by 11 points as Dunleavy hits back to back jumpers to kill any threat the Lakers might be trying make.
Final score: Bucks beat the Lakers 100-89.
___________
What I don't like? Pau Gasol's game. He just seems so passive that it just effects everything about his game.
Well, the Lakers obviously need to make roster moves. A photo of the Lakers bench says it all. Walton, Barns, Bynum, and Bryant...all seem to be down. And they should be down. This isn't working and management needs to do something.
mike t.
Mid-way through the 4th quarter it seems that only Kobe Bryant and Andrew Goudelock are consistent with putting the ball in the hoop. The Lakers cut the Bucks lead 6 points.
With 5 minutes left in the game Kobe hits a little floating jumper to cut the Bucks lead to 4 points. But Mbah a Moute and Gooden hit back to back jumpers to push the Bucks lead back to 8 points. Then Gooden hits 2 free throws to give the Bucks a 10 point lead.
Bynum finally puts points on the board for the Lakers to cut the lead to 8 points.
With less than 2 minutes in the game the Bucks lead the Lakers by 11 points as Dunleavy hits back to back jumpers to kill any threat the Lakers might be trying make.
Final score: Bucks beat the Lakers 100-89.
___________
What I don't like? Pau Gasol's game. He just seems so passive that it just effects everything about his game.
Well, the Lakers obviously need to make roster moves. A photo of the Lakers bench says it all. Walton, Barns, Bynum, and Bryant...all seem to be down. And they should be down. This isn't working and management needs to do something.
mike t.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Clippers vs. Lakers
1st Half
Gasol opens with a lay-up! How's that for a low post point?
But, Caron Butler goes on an 8-0 run to give the Clippers an 8-2 lead.
Gasol scores, again, but Butler hit's another 3-pointer as Butler leads Gasol 11-4. Finally, Blake Griffin scores for the Clippers to make the score 13-4.
Gasol makes 1 of 2 free throws to make the score 13-5, Clippers.
That is how the game opened up.
______
With 5:43 left in the 1st quarter, the Lakers call a time-out as they're down 19-9.
Bynum had taken 4 shots up to that point and only converted 1.
Gasol is 2 for 2. Barns is 1 for 2. Fisher is 0 for 1. and Bryant hasn't taken a shot.
Out of the time-out, Gasol scores a basket with an assist from Bryant.
Andrew Goudelock replaced Fisher with 4:12 remaining in the quarter.
Kobe takes his first shot of the game with 4:09 left in the quarter. He made the shot.
Goudelock, showing he's not shy, takes a shot in the lane and makes it.
Kobe's 2nd shot of the game is a 3--pointer and he makes it.
Showing there's no punk in his game Goudelock takes a 3-pointer and makes it to tie the score at 23 with 2:29 left in the quarter.
The quarter ends with the Clippers leading 28-25.
The name of the game in the NBA is aggression. Kobe Bryant is aggressive. Chris Paul is aggressive. That's why they're as good as they are. The Lakers role players, up to this point in the season, have not been aggressive. I wish someone would tell these guys that nothing is going to happen unless you make it happen. Like Andrew Goudelock did with his first 2 shots. He was aggressive. Let's see if it continues.
With 8.4 seconds remaining in the half, Fisher hits a 3-pointer for his first points of the game.
2nd Half:
The Lakers finally beat the Clippers 96-91.
With Andrew Goudelock coming on like he has something to prove, I guess, that woke Fisher up because the Fish scored 8 points in the 2nd half to finish with 11 points for the game.
Andrew Goudelock had 14 points.
See Goudelock shot the ball, I'm thinking, made Fisher be more aggressive. Fisher is old and Goudelock is young. I hope Goudelock continues to shot the ball and put pressure on Fisher to perform or, as the saying goes: get him out of there!
The big 3 for the Lakers finish with:
Bryant 24 points.
Gasol 23 points.
Bynum 19 points.
Beyond the big 3 for the Lakers, it's a crap shoot! This night Fisher and Goudelock came through with 25 points between them. Someone has to step up every night!
mike t.
Gasol opens with a lay-up! How's that for a low post point?
But, Caron Butler goes on an 8-0 run to give the Clippers an 8-2 lead.
Gasol scores, again, but Butler hit's another 3-pointer as Butler leads Gasol 11-4. Finally, Blake Griffin scores for the Clippers to make the score 13-4.
Gasol makes 1 of 2 free throws to make the score 13-5, Clippers.
That is how the game opened up.
______
With 5:43 left in the 1st quarter, the Lakers call a time-out as they're down 19-9.
Bynum had taken 4 shots up to that point and only converted 1.
Gasol is 2 for 2. Barns is 1 for 2. Fisher is 0 for 1. and Bryant hasn't taken a shot.
Out of the time-out, Gasol scores a basket with an assist from Bryant.
Andrew Goudelock replaced Fisher with 4:12 remaining in the quarter.
Kobe takes his first shot of the game with 4:09 left in the quarter. He made the shot.
Goudelock, showing he's not shy, takes a shot in the lane and makes it.
Kobe's 2nd shot of the game is a 3--pointer and he makes it.
Showing there's no punk in his game Goudelock takes a 3-pointer and makes it to tie the score at 23 with 2:29 left in the quarter.
The quarter ends with the Clippers leading 28-25.
The name of the game in the NBA is aggression. Kobe Bryant is aggressive. Chris Paul is aggressive. That's why they're as good as they are. The Lakers role players, up to this point in the season, have not been aggressive. I wish someone would tell these guys that nothing is going to happen unless you make it happen. Like Andrew Goudelock did with his first 2 shots. He was aggressive. Let's see if it continues.
With 8.4 seconds remaining in the half, Fisher hits a 3-pointer for his first points of the game.
2nd Half:
The Lakers finally beat the Clippers 96-91.
With Andrew Goudelock coming on like he has something to prove, I guess, that woke Fisher up because the Fish scored 8 points in the 2nd half to finish with 11 points for the game.
Andrew Goudelock had 14 points.
See Goudelock shot the ball, I'm thinking, made Fisher be more aggressive. Fisher is old and Goudelock is young. I hope Goudelock continues to shot the ball and put pressure on Fisher to perform or, as the saying goes: get him out of there!
The big 3 for the Lakers finish with:
Bryant 24 points.
Gasol 23 points.
Bynum 19 points.
Beyond the big 3 for the Lakers, it's a crap shoot! This night Fisher and Goudelock came through with 25 points between them. Someone has to step up every night!
mike t.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Pacers vs. Lakers in Los Angeles
1st Half:
Kobe Bryant had 11 of the Lakers' 27 points in the 1st quarter.
Gasol had 6 points and Bynum had 4. Matt Barns chipped in 4 points, too. Gasol, also, had 5 rebounds.
The Lakers lead the Pacers 27-14 after the 1st quarter.
__________
Metta World Peace opens the second quarter for the Lakers by making a lay-up. This is important because Peace's production for the month of January is in question. As the quarter goes on Peace is aggressive as he takes two more shots in a short time period. He makes one of the shots. In 6:47 minutes of time he takes 3 shots and makes 2 of them.
Peace gets a tip in off a missed free throw by Ebanks.
Peace hits a 3-pointer at 6:43.
Through a quarter and a half the Lakers' bench had 15 points; 9 of those points went to Peace, a positive sign.
The Pacers outscore the Lakers in the 2nd quarter 35-25. The Lakers lead at the half 52-49. Where did that 13 point 1st quarter lead go to?
2nd Half:
Bryant and Bynum open the Lakers scoring by putting in 6 points a piece in the first 6 minutes of the 3rd quarter. That would be 12 of the Lakers 14 points for the quarter. Yet, the Pacers are outscoring the Lakers 15-14 at that point and only trail the Lakers 66-65.
Coming out of a time-out Bryant and Bynum continue to do the Lakers' scoring as both go to the line. Bryant is 2 for 2 and Bynum is 1 for 2. That gives the Lakers a 69-65 lead with 5:30 left in the quarter.
Troy Murphy sees his first action of the game with 2:55 left in the 3rd quarter.
The Lakers scoring for the 3rd quarter:
Bryant 14
Bynum 7
Barns 4
Morris 1
(Where is Gasol's name?)
That's 26 points for the Lakers in the 3rd quarter. The Pacers scored 28 and trail the Lakers at the end of the quarter 78-77.
4th Quarter
The Lakers got outscored in the 4th quarter 21-18, and only one question has to be asked: what happened to Gasol?
At the end of the 1st quarter, Gasol had 6 points and 5 rebounds. His stat line for the night was: 8 points and 8 rebounds. But, he did have 10 assists. I'm scratching my head about that stat line.
But, more puzzling than that line is the McRoberts' stat line:
Minutes: 19:40.
Shooting: 0-2.
Rebounding: 3.
In McRoberts' last 5 games, in which he played at least 15 minutes; he has taken a total of 9 shots in those games. That is an average of 1.8 shots per game in the minimum of 15 minutes of play. Now, combine those stats with the Metta World Peace scoring stats since January 1st. One player (McRoberts) won't shoot the ball, and another player (Peace) can't score a basket (until tonight). Those two players have the biggest roles off the bench, but if one won't shoot and the other can't score...gee, coach Brown is making the Lakers look as if they have no answers.
I mean, take Troy Murphy in tonight's game alone, in the 9:05 of playing time he got; he took 4 shots. The media is talking about the Lakers' offense being sluggish? Well, what is McRoberts doing in the rotation? I'm starting to wonder if coach Brown knows what he's doing. McRoberts' stat line over the past 5 games is absurd! And coach Brown is responsible for playing him over Murphy.
The Lakers need an offensive lift wherever they can get it, and to go with McRoberts over Murphy, at this point, defies logic! The question that has to be asked is this: what does McRoberts bring to the game that Murphy doesn't? Is the difference so big that coach Brown has to stay with McRoberts?
Over the years Murphy is a proven double/double guy, while McRoberts best year was 7 points and 5 rebounds this past season with the Pacers. Is there something we don't know about Murphy that is preventing him from getting the bulk of the bench minutes when Bynum and Gasol are resting?
The season is starting to form with opinions now, and coach Brown needs to answer for his on-court decisions.
McRoberts: I hustle! I hustle! I hustle so much that I don't have to shoot the ball. That's how much I hustle!
Coach Brown: We need his energy out on the court.
Lakers' Record: 10-8.
Conclusion: McRoberts' energy isn't translating into anything positive in the win/loss column.
The Fan's Teeth are Showing: The honeymoon is over!
__________
The Pacers are a good small-market team. They are 11-4, while the Lakers are 10-8.
The Lakers have the big-market "big 3" roster, while the Pacers have the small-market balanced roster. The Lakers' need to hunt for players from small-market teams that have balanced rosters, and are willing to part with a player or two. I mean, you hear a lot about the Lakers going for Howard to make a big splash in the NBA currents. But, why not go for a couple of players to balance out the roster instead of the big headlines. I'm mean, how many Paul George's are out there to be taken?
One more time: why go for the big splash when the Lakers would be doing very well to take Boris Diaw off of the Bobcats' hands. Or take a gamble on Stephen Jackson, and amnesty him before the start of the next season if it doesn't work out. Or how about Carl Landry out of New Orleans? Again, I MEAN, instead of the big slash...make a play for a player like Devin Harris out in Utah. Do the Lakers need some help scoring without giving up any of their "big 3"? Any of the players I just mentioned would work out fine. The Lakers don't need to swing for the fences, but just try to balance out the roster with a good role player.
mike t.
p.s. Good game from Metta World Peace, tonight!
Kobe Bryant had 11 of the Lakers' 27 points in the 1st quarter.
Gasol had 6 points and Bynum had 4. Matt Barns chipped in 4 points, too. Gasol, also, had 5 rebounds.
The Lakers lead the Pacers 27-14 after the 1st quarter.
__________
Metta World Peace opens the second quarter for the Lakers by making a lay-up. This is important because Peace's production for the month of January is in question. As the quarter goes on Peace is aggressive as he takes two more shots in a short time period. He makes one of the shots. In 6:47 minutes of time he takes 3 shots and makes 2 of them.
Peace gets a tip in off a missed free throw by Ebanks.
Peace hits a 3-pointer at 6:43.
Through a quarter and a half the Lakers' bench had 15 points; 9 of those points went to Peace, a positive sign.
The Pacers outscore the Lakers in the 2nd quarter 35-25. The Lakers lead at the half 52-49. Where did that 13 point 1st quarter lead go to?
2nd Half:
Bryant and Bynum open the Lakers scoring by putting in 6 points a piece in the first 6 minutes of the 3rd quarter. That would be 12 of the Lakers 14 points for the quarter. Yet, the Pacers are outscoring the Lakers 15-14 at that point and only trail the Lakers 66-65.
Coming out of a time-out Bryant and Bynum continue to do the Lakers' scoring as both go to the line. Bryant is 2 for 2 and Bynum is 1 for 2. That gives the Lakers a 69-65 lead with 5:30 left in the quarter.
Troy Murphy sees his first action of the game with 2:55 left in the 3rd quarter.
The Lakers scoring for the 3rd quarter:
Bryant 14
Bynum 7
Barns 4
Morris 1
(Where is Gasol's name?)
That's 26 points for the Lakers in the 3rd quarter. The Pacers scored 28 and trail the Lakers at the end of the quarter 78-77.
4th Quarter
The Lakers got outscored in the 4th quarter 21-18, and only one question has to be asked: what happened to Gasol?
At the end of the 1st quarter, Gasol had 6 points and 5 rebounds. His stat line for the night was: 8 points and 8 rebounds. But, he did have 10 assists. I'm scratching my head about that stat line.
But, more puzzling than that line is the McRoberts' stat line:
Minutes: 19:40.
Shooting: 0-2.
Rebounding: 3.
In McRoberts' last 5 games, in which he played at least 15 minutes; he has taken a total of 9 shots in those games. That is an average of 1.8 shots per game in the minimum of 15 minutes of play. Now, combine those stats with the Metta World Peace scoring stats since January 1st. One player (McRoberts) won't shoot the ball, and another player (Peace) can't score a basket (until tonight). Those two players have the biggest roles off the bench, but if one won't shoot and the other can't score...gee, coach Brown is making the Lakers look as if they have no answers.
I mean, take Troy Murphy in tonight's game alone, in the 9:05 of playing time he got; he took 4 shots. The media is talking about the Lakers' offense being sluggish? Well, what is McRoberts doing in the rotation? I'm starting to wonder if coach Brown knows what he's doing. McRoberts' stat line over the past 5 games is absurd! And coach Brown is responsible for playing him over Murphy.
The Lakers need an offensive lift wherever they can get it, and to go with McRoberts over Murphy, at this point, defies logic! The question that has to be asked is this: what does McRoberts bring to the game that Murphy doesn't? Is the difference so big that coach Brown has to stay with McRoberts?
Over the years Murphy is a proven double/double guy, while McRoberts best year was 7 points and 5 rebounds this past season with the Pacers. Is there something we don't know about Murphy that is preventing him from getting the bulk of the bench minutes when Bynum and Gasol are resting?
The season is starting to form with opinions now, and coach Brown needs to answer for his on-court decisions.
McRoberts: I hustle! I hustle! I hustle so much that I don't have to shoot the ball. That's how much I hustle!
Coach Brown: We need his energy out on the court.
Lakers' Record: 10-8.
Conclusion: McRoberts' energy isn't translating into anything positive in the win/loss column.
The Fan's Teeth are Showing: The honeymoon is over!
__________
The Pacers are a good small-market team. They are 11-4, while the Lakers are 10-8.
The Lakers have the big-market "big 3" roster, while the Pacers have the small-market balanced roster. The Lakers' need to hunt for players from small-market teams that have balanced rosters, and are willing to part with a player or two. I mean, you hear a lot about the Lakers going for Howard to make a big splash in the NBA currents. But, why not go for a couple of players to balance out the roster instead of the big headlines. I'm mean, how many Paul George's are out there to be taken?
One more time: why go for the big splash when the Lakers would be doing very well to take Boris Diaw off of the Bobcats' hands. Or take a gamble on Stephen Jackson, and amnesty him before the start of the next season if it doesn't work out. Or how about Carl Landry out of New Orleans? Again, I MEAN, instead of the big slash...make a play for a player like Devin Harris out in Utah. Do the Lakers need some help scoring without giving up any of their "big 3"? Any of the players I just mentioned would work out fine. The Lakers don't need to swing for the fences, but just try to balance out the roster with a good role player.
mike t.
p.s. Good game from Metta World Peace, tonight!
Friday, January 20, 2012
In Theory: Bynum vs. Howard
1st Half
Ouch!
If the Lakers' 3-point shooting could be viewed as a microcosm of their overall shooting...I guess that would explain a lot of what's going on with the Lakers offense. The Lakers' 3-point shooting for the 1st half was 1-8. The Magic's 3-point shooting for the 1st half: 6-15. The Magic's percentage isn't all that great, but compared to the Lakers percentage...it's heaven on the court.
The Magic led at the half 48-31.
For all the "critics" who claim Kobe Bryant shoots too much, well, without Bryant's 15 points on 6-10 shooting, who knows how far back the Lakers would have been to the Magic in the 1st half.
2nd Half
Bryant scores 15 points in the 2nd half. That's a double/double, which equals 30 points. lol! That is what is called being consistent. Also, being consistent is that Bynum and Gasol, again, had double/doubles. Simply put: the Lakers' big 3 is producing in a big way. The problem is that, it seems, the other players are not being consistent. Fisher showed himself to be professional tonight. He took 14 shots and produced 12 points. I'll take that over a game when he only shots 5 or 6 times.
The bench? Metta World Peace is struggling! He had 0 points tonight after scoring 7 points the night before. That's like a roller coaster going up and down, up and down. But for Peace, it's no roller coaster. It's a straight line. Metta World Peace has scored a total of 36 point in the month of January. That's in 11 games. My goodness! That's an average of 3.2 points for the month. And mind you, this is supposed to be the leader of the bench. That pretty much sums up the Lakers after the big 3.
To give you an idea of where this might be leading to; take a look at the N.Y. Knicks and their big 3. Their big 3 usually has the bulk of their points, but their record is 6-9. There is a serious lack of balance in their approach to how the game is played. It appears the Lakers are starting to follow the "lack-of-balance" New York Knicks in how they play the game.
_________
GAME OBSERVATIONS
The Lakers' bench is made up of some delusional minded people. To be precise, I'm talking about Jason Kapono and Josh McRoberts. I'll say this plain and simple.
First; Kapono: you don't play 19:08 minutes off the bench and only take 3 shots! You weren't brought here because of your defense. You were brought here to shoot the damn ball!
Second; McRoberts: you don't play 17:58 minutes off the bench and don't take any shots! How idiotic is that?
Both of these players are ridiculous!
_________
And Howard won!
mike t.
Ouch!
If the Lakers' 3-point shooting could be viewed as a microcosm of their overall shooting...I guess that would explain a lot of what's going on with the Lakers offense. The Lakers' 3-point shooting for the 1st half was 1-8. The Magic's 3-point shooting for the 1st half: 6-15. The Magic's percentage isn't all that great, but compared to the Lakers percentage...it's heaven on the court.
The Magic led at the half 48-31.
For all the "critics" who claim Kobe Bryant shoots too much, well, without Bryant's 15 points on 6-10 shooting, who knows how far back the Lakers would have been to the Magic in the 1st half.
2nd Half
Bryant scores 15 points in the 2nd half. That's a double/double, which equals 30 points. lol! That is what is called being consistent. Also, being consistent is that Bynum and Gasol, again, had double/doubles. Simply put: the Lakers' big 3 is producing in a big way. The problem is that, it seems, the other players are not being consistent. Fisher showed himself to be professional tonight. He took 14 shots and produced 12 points. I'll take that over a game when he only shots 5 or 6 times.
The bench? Metta World Peace is struggling! He had 0 points tonight after scoring 7 points the night before. That's like a roller coaster going up and down, up and down. But for Peace, it's no roller coaster. It's a straight line. Metta World Peace has scored a total of 36 point in the month of January. That's in 11 games. My goodness! That's an average of 3.2 points for the month. And mind you, this is supposed to be the leader of the bench. That pretty much sums up the Lakers after the big 3.
To give you an idea of where this might be leading to; take a look at the N.Y. Knicks and their big 3. Their big 3 usually has the bulk of their points, but their record is 6-9. There is a serious lack of balance in their approach to how the game is played. It appears the Lakers are starting to follow the "lack-of-balance" New York Knicks in how they play the game.
_________
GAME OBSERVATIONS
The Lakers' bench is made up of some delusional minded people. To be precise, I'm talking about Jason Kapono and Josh McRoberts. I'll say this plain and simple.
First; Kapono: you don't play 19:08 minutes off the bench and only take 3 shots! You weren't brought here because of your defense. You were brought here to shoot the damn ball!
Second; McRoberts: you don't play 17:58 minutes off the bench and don't take any shots! How idiotic is that?
Both of these players are ridiculous!
_________
And Howard won!
mike t.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Lakers vs. The Mighty Heat
1st Quarter:
THE NUMBERS OF THE GAME!
Gasol has 11 points at the end of the 1st quarter, but the Lakers trail the Heat after the quarter 25-20.
2nd Quarter:
The Lakers' starting line-up shooting for the 1st half:
1-8 Kobe
0-2 Fisher
3-7 Bynum
5-10 Gasol
1-4 Barns
The Lakers starting 5 combine for 30 first half points, while the Heat hit 8 out of 13 3-pointers in the 1st half. 8 out 11 3-pointers? That's 24 points. The Lakers hit 2 of 10 3-pointers, that's 6 points. The Heat's bench scored 14 points. The Lakers' bench scored 7 points. The Heat lead the Lakers by 15 at the half 52-37.
3rd Quarter:
The Lakers hit 4 points in the first 1:31 of the quarter, while holding the Heat to 0. Small start to cut a 15 point lead but it's a start.
At the end of the 3rd quarter the Lakers' big 3 had 42 of the team's 56 points. Ouch! The Heat's big "2" had 37 of the team's 77 points. You do the math! OK, I'll do it for you. The Lakers are down 21 points at the end of 3 quarters of play. 77-56.
4th Quarter:
The Lakers' starting line-up shooting for the 2nd half, and game totals:
8-21 Kobe. That's 7-13 in the 2nd half.
1-5 Fisher. That's 1-3 in the 2nd half.
6-13 Bynum. That's 3-6 in the 2nd half.
11-19 Gasol. That 6-9 in the 2nd half.
1-6 Barns. That's 0-2 in the 2nd half.
The Lakers' big 3 finished with 65 of the teams 87 points. Troy Murphy scored 6 points and Peace scored 3 for the Lakers in the 4th quarter. 9 points! That's 9 of 31 4th quarter Lakers points; the rest went to the big 3.
The Lakers bench is hurting right now, and their 1 and 3 spots are not consistent enough to make the Lakers a dangerous team. I don't see how the Lakers get around the non-production of the 1 and 3 spots. Especially Fisher.
I don't care what anyone says, when the 1 and 3 spots have only 11 shots between them, something is wrong. You can't produce consistently while only shooting that many shots between 2 starters. And it's not because Kobe is shooting too much. I've seen enough to know that these guys are not looking for the shots. They seem to be looking for one of the big 3 to pass the ball to, before they consider that they might need to step up and deliver for the team.
Meanwhile, the Heat broke in Eddy Curry tonight and the guy scored 6 points in 6 minutes of playing time. The guy is huge and if he commits himself to the defensive end of the game...then, the Heat, in my opinion, would be favorite to win it all. I've said it once and I'll say it, again; without a defensive center, no team in the NBA will win a championship. Curry is an interesting "project."
Still, the best record in the league, right now, belongs to Chicago and Oklahoma City in terms of losses. Both teams have 3 losses. The Lakers, with tonight's defeat, have 6 losses. In other words: there isn't a dominated team in the league right now. The season is wide-open for anyone to win the championship this year. Heck, right now, Dallas and Boston wouldn't even get into the playoffs. They both sit at the 9 spots in their Conference standings.
In other words: no need to panic if you're a Lakers fan. If you're a Bobcat fan, you should panic. Let's see how this thing shakes out.
mike t.
THE NUMBERS OF THE GAME!
Gasol has 11 points at the end of the 1st quarter, but the Lakers trail the Heat after the quarter 25-20.
2nd Quarter:
The Lakers' starting line-up shooting for the 1st half:
1-8 Kobe
0-2 Fisher
3-7 Bynum
5-10 Gasol
1-4 Barns
The Lakers starting 5 combine for 30 first half points, while the Heat hit 8 out of 13 3-pointers in the 1st half. 8 out 11 3-pointers? That's 24 points. The Lakers hit 2 of 10 3-pointers, that's 6 points. The Heat's bench scored 14 points. The Lakers' bench scored 7 points. The Heat lead the Lakers by 15 at the half 52-37.
3rd Quarter:
The Lakers hit 4 points in the first 1:31 of the quarter, while holding the Heat to 0. Small start to cut a 15 point lead but it's a start.
At the end of the 3rd quarter the Lakers' big 3 had 42 of the team's 56 points. Ouch! The Heat's big "2" had 37 of the team's 77 points. You do the math! OK, I'll do it for you. The Lakers are down 21 points at the end of 3 quarters of play. 77-56.
4th Quarter:
The Lakers' starting line-up shooting for the 2nd half, and game totals:
8-21 Kobe. That's 7-13 in the 2nd half.
1-5 Fisher. That's 1-3 in the 2nd half.
6-13 Bynum. That's 3-6 in the 2nd half.
11-19 Gasol. That 6-9 in the 2nd half.
1-6 Barns. That's 0-2 in the 2nd half.
The Lakers' big 3 finished with 65 of the teams 87 points. Troy Murphy scored 6 points and Peace scored 3 for the Lakers in the 4th quarter. 9 points! That's 9 of 31 4th quarter Lakers points; the rest went to the big 3.
The Lakers bench is hurting right now, and their 1 and 3 spots are not consistent enough to make the Lakers a dangerous team. I don't see how the Lakers get around the non-production of the 1 and 3 spots. Especially Fisher.
I don't care what anyone says, when the 1 and 3 spots have only 11 shots between them, something is wrong. You can't produce consistently while only shooting that many shots between 2 starters. And it's not because Kobe is shooting too much. I've seen enough to know that these guys are not looking for the shots. They seem to be looking for one of the big 3 to pass the ball to, before they consider that they might need to step up and deliver for the team.
Meanwhile, the Heat broke in Eddy Curry tonight and the guy scored 6 points in 6 minutes of playing time. The guy is huge and if he commits himself to the defensive end of the game...then, the Heat, in my opinion, would be favorite to win it all. I've said it once and I'll say it, again; without a defensive center, no team in the NBA will win a championship. Curry is an interesting "project."
Still, the best record in the league, right now, belongs to Chicago and Oklahoma City in terms of losses. Both teams have 3 losses. The Lakers, with tonight's defeat, have 6 losses. In other words: there isn't a dominated team in the league right now. The season is wide-open for anyone to win the championship this year. Heck, right now, Dallas and Boston wouldn't even get into the playoffs. They both sit at the 9 spots in their Conference standings.
In other words: no need to panic if you're a Lakers fan. If you're a Bobcat fan, you should panic. Let's see how this thing shakes out.
mike t.
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