** The Official Los Angeles Lakers Thread **

[Cappy37 0]

Yeah, if you mean MoJo, you mean Michealo Jordano.. He was also pretty old at that point, too. When Jordan was retired for the first time, he was still excellent and led the bulls to 55 wins and the second round of the playoffs.

Oh I know.. The fact that the Bulls didn't even hardly skip a beat when jordan tried to kick gambling fulfilled his childhood dream of playing major league baseball is a testament to how good Pippen was. He's one of the fifty greatest of all-time.That said, the second he took off the Bull jersey he was never the same player again. Since this is the Laker thread an all, anyone care to enlighten me to what happened to Luke Walton? He signed that contract and immediately rode the pine for much of the first 2 months of the season. And now all of a sudden he's getting minutes again. Is this another case of Phil doing his Zen thing? I can't imagine trying to sell the mentally-fragile Lamar Odom on the merits of coming off the bench is going to do the Lakers any favors in the long run. Lord knows Odom's playoff contributions are a wild roll of the dice when he's actually being pandered to. This arrangement just seems odd all around.

[BigDMcGee 3,352]

Since this is the Laker thread an all, anyone care to enlighten me to what happened to Luke Walton? He signed that contract and immediately rode the pine for much of the first 2 months of the season. And now all of a sudden he's getting minutes again. Is this another case of Phil doing his Zen thing? I can't imagine trying to sell the mentally-fragile Lamar Odom on the merits of coming off the bench is going to do the Lakers any favors in the long run. Lord knows Odom's playoff contributions are a wild roll of the dice when he's actually being pandered to. This arrangement just seems odd all around.

I've been wondering the same thing, actually..

[slt1der 0]

Since this is the Laker thread an all, anyone care to enlighten me to what happened to Luke Walton? He signed that contract and immediately rode the pine for much of the first 2 months of the season. And now all of a sudden he's getting minutes again. Is this another case of Phil doing his Zen thing? I can't imagine trying to sell the mentally-fragile Lamar Odom on the merits of coming off the bench is going to do the Lakers any favors in the long run. Lord knows Odom's playoff contributions are a wild roll of the dice when he's actually being pandered to. This arrangement just seems odd all around.

Simple answer is too much depth. Beginning of the season they had Vlade Radmanovic in the starting lineup because he could space the floor with his shooting and provide space for Kobe and Gasol/Bynum. As the team started becoming more complacent and offense/defense started to break down, Phil brought Luke out of wherever he was hiding and put him into the starting lineup to provide more ball movement (which it did) and sent Vlade into whatever hole Luke was hiding in. It was basically a message to everyone on the team outside of Gasol Fish and Kobe that they can go from starting minutes to 3rd string status just like that if they're not performing. Odom is actually unaffected by all of these switches. During the earlier part of the season, it was Sasha Vujacic and Luke Walton that were left out of the rotation. Now that Jordan Farmar is injured and Luke Walton is also out for 2 or so weeks, Sasha has been getting more minutes and Vlade Radmanovic has been getting more PT. Odom still leads the bench unit and his minutes aren't in much jeopardy. There might be some other stuff I left out that Poppy can fill in but I think that's the jist of it.

[Poppy_Hillis 11]

Simple answer is too much depth. Beginning of the season they had Vlade Radmanovic in the starting lineup because he could space the floor with his shooting and provide space for Kobe and Gasol/Bynum. As the team started becoming more complacent and offense/defense started to break down, Phil brought Luke out of wherever he was hiding and put him into the starting lineup to provide more ball movement (which it did) and sent Vlade into whatever hole Luke was hiding in. It was basically a message to everyone on the team outside of Gasol Fish and Kobe that they can go from starting minutes to 3rd string status just like that if they're not performing. Odom is actually unaffected by all of these switches. During the earlier part of the season, it was Sasha Vujacic and Luke Walton that were left out of the rotation. Now that Jordan Farmar is injured and Luke Walton is also out for 2 or so weeks, Sasha has been getting more minutes and Vlade Radmanovic has been getting more PT. Odom still leads the bench unit and his minutes aren't in much jeopardy. There might be some other stuff I left out that Poppy can fill in but I think that's the jist of it.

That's pretty accurate. One problem with Vlad starting was the halfcourt offense wasn't really clicking when they weren't getting turnovers and killing everybody. In a competitive game their offense hurt them sometimes. Luke's strength is all they need out of that spot, just someone to move the ball and make the right pass. Another theory is that they're showcasing him for a trade.

[Cappy37 0]

That's pretty accurate. One problem with Vlad starting was the halfcourt offense wasn't really clicking when they weren't getting turnovers and killing everybody. In a competitive game their offense hurt them sometimes. Luke's strength is all they need out of that spot, just someone to move the ball and make the right pass. Another theory is that they're showcasing him for a trade.

That's kinda what I suspected. I guess with Walton/Rads/Odom/Ariza/Sasha all in the same glut you got the same issues portland does with Rudy/Outlaw/Webster/Batum/Frye. Your Rads problem amuses me, because you guys seem to think of him the same way I think of Outlaw. Let me guess, the guy with the sexy inflated stats vs. 2nd units and killer 3pt .pct who scares you to death any time he touches the ball on offense. And scares you even more after he's made a couple shots and thinks he's in the "flow".There is also the Drew Gooden theory: the guy with solid offensive stats who silently continually ranks dead last at their position in points allowed per 48 minutes year in and year out. I still remember screaming at marc stein and co. during Gooden's first two years, with their columns raving about his production when he was getting lit up for 30 every night by anyone with a pulse. You just wanna drag them by the shirt collars and scream "DUDE YOUR JOB IS COVERING THE NBA. WATCH A FLIPPIN GAME. STOP RELYING ON BOXSCORES TO FEED INFORMATION AND FORM YOUR OPINION." That's what I hate most about sports media. Laziness and completely blindness to actual truth or how the game is actually played.All right, I'll go find my medication and calm down now...

[slt1der 0]

After learning that local media and the lakers coaching staff have now dubbed Trevor Ariza as "The Cobra", I have to start wondering what is up with the Lakers and snakes.

[Jadaki 0]

After learning that local media and the lakers coaching staff have now dubbed Trevor Ariza as "The Cobra", I have to start wondering what is up with the Lakers and snakes.

The quest for a title is snakebit...

[Poppy_Hillis 11]

After learning that local media and the lakers coaching staff have now dubbed Trevor Ariza as "The Cobra", I have to start wondering what is up with the Lakers and snakes.

I like the first one Phil gave him better. The Ghost.

[BigDMcGee 3,352]

After learning that local media and the lakers coaching staff have now dubbed Trevor Ariza as "The Cobra", I have to start wondering what is up with the Lakers and snakes.

In some cultures snakes are highly regarded and symbolize the ability to transcend into higher levels of consciousness or into areas of knowledge that exist outside perceived time and space. In the pre-Christian days, snakes were considered symbols of fertility, healing, and nurturing (the healing serpent representing a god). Post Adam and Eve, snakes are often considered symbols of temptation and evil, anger, and envy. Snakes emerging out of the ground may represent your unconscious or repressed materials coming to your conscious mind. Freud thought that the snake was a phallic symbol. It is amazing how many people have snake dreams! Most snake dreams seem to be disturbing and they leave the dreamer feeling anxious and afraid. There are no simple interpretations to the snake dreams. Each dreamer must consider their own situation and all of the details of the dream. Sometimes snakes may be phallic symbols and other times they represent negativity in our lives that hampers our progress and constantly threatens us. In the long run the snake may be a positive symbol; it may represent difficulties that lead us to the center of personality and result in feelings of completeness.

[slt1der 0]

LO7 is out with a bone bruise in his knee and is listed day to day. http://my.lakers.com/blogs/2009/01/07/lama...-injury-update/Good news, I guess. Didn't get to see the Lakers-Hornets game yesterday except for the 4th quarter so didn't know what was going on until post-game.

[Poppy_Hillis 11]

LO7 is out with a bone bruise in his knee and is listed day to day. http://my.lakers.com/blogs/2009/01/07/lama...-injury-update/Good news, I guess. Didn't get to see the Lakers-Hornets game yesterday except for the 4th quarter so didn't know what was going on until post-game.

Too bad you missed the 3rd, that was an amazing quarter.

[BigDMcGee 3,352]

So I was watching NBA TV last night( which you all should be doing, GP is the best thing on TV right now) and they had the top 10 plays of the week, and the number one play was that Gasol play, where he grabs a rebound, and starts dribbling down the court on a fast break, , dribbling the ball from behind his back, through his legs, and into that no look pass. It was sick, it was like he was possessed by Magic for that play.

[Cappy37 0]

So I was watching NBA TV last night( which you all should be doing, GP is the best thing on TV right now) and they had the top 10 plays of the week, and the number one play was that Gasol play, where he grabs a rebound, and starts dribbling down the court on a fast break, , dribbling the ball from behind his back, through his legs, and into that no look pass. It was sick, it was like he was possessed by Magic for that play.

And he's taller than Phil Gordon!Seriously though, the Western Conference needs to take Memphis behind the woodshed for that BS.Speaking of the Grizz, imagine Mayo, Gay, and Gasol together. Easy to see which team Jerry West was really working for ;)If the Grizz had kept Kevin Love, it would have been the Gay-Love era in Memphis.Instead we have the Gay-Mayo era, which i find nearly as aestetically pleasing.

[BigDMcGee 3,352]

I think, when it's all said and done, that Mayo for Love is going to be in the top five worst trades of all time. When Mayo was in high school, he was he most hyped high school student in the last 10 years who's name doesn't rhyme with BraBron. Then, he has a great but not spectacular UCLA season, and he drops, and gets traded for love. Love should have been a late first round pick, not a top five pick that gets traded for Mayo, ffs.

[Poppy_Hillis 11]

Mayo for Love wasn't straight up fellas.

[Cappy37 0]

Mayo for Love wasn't straight up fellas.

Memphis acquired guards Marko Jaric and Greg Buckner, forward Antoine Walker and the draft rights to guard O.J. Mayo from the Minnesota Timberwolves for guard Mike Miller, forward Brian Cardinal, center Jason Collins and the draft rights to forward Kevin LoveLol. Besides Mayo and Love, that's like a "Who's Who of dead weight in today's NBA". Except, of course, for the 20 games each year Miller is at 100%.The only real point of discussion I was bringing up was whether "Gay-Mayo" or "Gay-Love" makes for more amusing sports bylines.

[Poppy_Hillis 11]

Memphis acquired guards Marko Jaric and Greg Buckner, forward Antoine Walker and the draft rights to guard O.J. Mayo from the Minnesota Timberwolves for guard Mike Miller, forward Brian Cardinal, center Jason Collins and the draft rights to forward Kevin LoveLol. Besides Mayo and Love, that's like a "Who's Who of dead weight in today's NBA". Except, of course, for the 20 games each year Miller is at 100%.The only real point of discussion I was bringing up was whether "Gay-Mayo" or "Gay-Love" makes for more amusing sports bylines.

Oh, well Gay-Love is unbeatable. You don't like Mike Miller?As I returned from an emptyhanded night at the bar I just turned on tbs to find your boy Darius Miles in a movie. How have I never seen this before? He's amazing in it, and by amazing I mean horrible, even though most of his lines so far consist of "hell naw" and "das messed up".

[Cappy37 0]

Oh, well Gay-Love is unbeatable. You don't like Mike Miller?As I returned from an emptyhanded night at the bar I just turned on tbs to find your boy Darius Miles in a movie. How have I never seen this before? He's amazing in it, and by amazing I mean horrible, even though most of his lines so far consist of "hell naw" and "das messed up".

Wasn't it Van Wilder? I think him and QRich, back when they were Clips, got speaking roles in that as part of the "basketball team".I'm leaning toward Gay-Mayo myself, if only because it seems more unsettling rolling off the tongue, and may even turn more heads to those passing by the water cooler.I have nothing against Mike Miller, he's a deadly shot for a one-trick pony. I'd just never feel that great having to depend on him as a major part of my team's rotation. Dude gets hurt a lot. Now maybe his IR stints are exaggerated because he's rarely playing anyplace where there's a whiff of playoff opportunity from January on, but I really don't think so.Here's a fun question: even given Odom's occasional pressure-situation yips, would you trade him straight up for Miller? How about Ariza and Walton (assuming Ariza would be resigned otherwise)?

[BigDMcGee 3,352]

I mean, Mike Miller is fine and all, but I don't think Mayo is going to = Love + Miller. It's not like Miller is like the key piece of the puzzle that's going to make Minn a playoff team or something. Both teams stink, and they need to think of long term considerations, and the long term is really Mayo for Love..... Mayo is awesome, and love is luke walton.I mean, if I was a minnesota fan, and I had an inside/out combo like Mayo/Jefferson, I'd be loving life right now, is all I'm saying.

[Cappy37 0]

I mean, Mike Miller is fine and all, but I don't think Mayo is going to = Love + Miller. It's not like Miller is like the key piece of the puzzle that's going to make Minn a playoff team or something. Both teams stink, and they need to think of long term considerations, and the long term is really Mayo for Love..... Mayo is awesome, and love is luke walton.I mean, if I was a minnesota fan, and I had an inside/out combo like Mayo/Jefferson, I'd be loving life right now, is all I'm saying.

Since you're helping minnesota wave the magic wand.....Remember to replace Randy Foye with Brandon Roy <insert gleeful cackle>.

[Poppy_Hillis 11]

Wasn't it Van Wilder? I think him and QRich, back when they were Clips, got speaking roles in that as part of the "basketball team".I'm leaning toward Gay-Mayo myself, if only because it seems more unsettling rolling off the tongue, and may even turn more heads to those passing by the water cooler.I have nothing against Mike Miller, he's a deadly shot for a one-trick pony. I'd just never feel that great having to depend on him as a major part of my team's rotation. Dude gets hurt a lot. Now maybe his IR stints are exaggerated because he's rarely playing anyplace where there's a whiff of playoff opportunity from January on, but I really don't think so.Here's a fun question: even given Odom's occasional pressure-situation yips, would you trade him straight up for Miller? How about Ariza and Walton (assuming Ariza would be resigned otherwise)?

The Perfect Score, he was one of the main characters.I would not trade Odom just because he is their big depth off the bench, but I would give Farmar and Walton or something like that.

[Cappy37 0]

The Perfect Score, he was one of the main characters.I would not trade Odom just because he is their big depth off the bench, but I would give Farmar and Walton or something like that.

Blah. If you don't trade Odom, it's a silly deal for Minny *and* you don't have any minutes to give Miller anyways.You wanna send out Rads + Walton for Miller and I can at least pass that off as "enough minutes".There's talk about Portland sending Sergio to NY for David Lee, btw. I'm down with that, *if* it happens. But I'll insist they take back Channing Frye as well. My big question is this: if NY has Nate Robinson already, why are they bothering giving up their best energy guy/rebounder? They gonna let Nate or Sergio follow in the great Juan Dixon's footsteps as the new greatest undersized combo guard who can't D up?

[slt1der 0]

Too bad you missed the 3rd, that was an amazing quarter.

Sucks. I heard it was classic Kobe. I'll probably torrent the game somehow just to watch that quarter.

There's talk about Portland sending Sergio to NY for David Lee, btw. I'm down with that, *if* it happens. But I'll insist they take back Channing Frye as well. My big question is this: if NY has Nate Robinson already, why are they bothering giving up their best energy guy/rebounder? They gonna let Nate or Sergio follow in the great Juan Dixon's footsteps as the new greatest undersized combo guard who can't D up?

I'm pretty sure alot of teams will be content on trading for David Lee. It's hard not to like the guy with the way he plays.

[Cappy37 0]

Sucks. I heard it was classic Kobe. I'll probably torrent the game somehow just to watch that quarter.

Kobe gave an awesome interview on Jim Rome this morning. They talked about one night when Rome bumped into him and Kobe blew off his suggestion to go to dinner.. It was 9:15 on a Saturday Night in the offseason. Kobe said he needed to go lift. Rome replied "Are you crazy? It's Sat Night in the offseason. No ones working out right now". To which Kobe quipped "Which is exactly why I want to."Classic Kobe. Also talking about Shaq being a freak of nature and not motivated like Kobe was in the above anecdote, Kobe admitted Shaq wouldn't have missed nearly as much time / performed poorly early each year, if he had the kind of drive Kobe and Kobe's current teammates have to be the best at all times (gymrats, he coined them as). I won't bore you with more 2nd rate recap, but you can probably track the interview down on Rome's site.

I'm pretty sure alot of teams will be content on trading for David Lee. It's hard not to like the guy with the way he plays.

On that part I agree, I just can't imagine why NY would like Sergio enough to shed themselves of the only guy in their locker room that brings it every night. Esp since they'd have to resign Sergio anyways. I love that deal for Portland, I just question why NY would do it.

[BigDMcGee 3,352]

Classic Kobe. Also talking about Shaq being a freak of nature and not motivated like Kobe was in the above anecdote, Kobe admitted Shaq wouldn't have missed nearly as much time / performed poorly early each year, if he had the kind of drive Kobe and Kobe's current teammates have to be the best at all times (gymrats, he coined them as). I won't bore you with more 2nd rate recap, but you can probably track the interview down on Rome's site.

I think this is absolutely true about shaq... if he had Kobe's drive... he'd been the no-brain best center of all time.