The Official Los Angeles Lakers thread

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Walton says Lakers can reach finals

ROSS SILER, Staff writer
Article Last Updated:10/08/2006 11:17:45 PM PDT

EL SEGUNDO - With the departure of Devean George this summer, Luke Walton is now one of only three holdovers from the Lakers team that lost to Detroit in the 2004 NBA Finals, along with Kobe Bryant and Brian Cook.

Every time Walton has come to training camp, in addition, the Lakers have had a different look from the season before.

He was a rookie on the Finals team with four probable future Hall of Famers and thought, I was going to win a championship just walking in the gym.

The draft-lottery season after the Shaquille O Neal trade came next, followed by the return of Phil Jackson as coach and an agonizing seven-game loss to Phoenix in the first round of the playoffs last spring.

The Lakers have not broadcast their expectations this season — Kwame Brown said it would be a letdown not to reach the second round — but Walton thinks the Lakers have as good a chance of advancing to the NBA Finals as any Western Conference team.

We feel like we re at that level, Walton said. We don t feel like there s a team out there that s just better than us.

The only proof Walton needed came after watching Phoenix lose to Dallas in six games in the conference finals. The Lakers also will bring back 11 players from last season s team, which learned to play together in the triangle offense.

As a team and a unit, you have a lot more confidence in each other, Walton said. As opposed to last year when so many times the whole season, we were losing close games because we didn t really have that confidence about us.

For his part, Walton is hoping to get through October healthy, as opposed to the past twoyears.

He is wearing compression leggings on the court to keep his hamstrings warm through all the stopping and standing of camp. Walton suffered a strained hamstring in the exhibition opener last season and went on to miss 11 regular-season games.

My body feels better this training camp than it has since I ve been in the league, said Walton, who averaged a career- best 19.3minutes last season.

His role also has yet to be defined. Walton moved into the starting lineup at the end of last season but the Lakers signed free-agent forward Vladimir Radmanovic in July, likely sending Walton back to the bench.

With the way our team is set up, Walton said, we have so many different versatile players that I m sure we re going to use different starting lineups.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Luke Walton expects Lakers to make NBA Finals-
The swingman says last year's playoff collapse was a learning experience.

By KEVIN DING
The Orange County Register

EL SEGUNDO – Luke Walton has been on a team that made the NBA Finals. And he sees these Lakers as good enough to be there again - this season.

"I expect to be in the (NBA) Finals this year," Walton said Saturday. "We could've done it last year. We had a young team that had never really been there together. I think you really grow a lot from what we went through - losing the 3-1 (lead) to a great team like Phoenix in the playoffs."

Walton said the vibe in training camp is "definitely the best feeling" since his rookie season, when the 2003-'04 Lakers reached the NBA Finals on the star power of Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, Shaquille O'Neal and Gary Payton.

What Walton likes in the current Lakers is a growing communal spirit that feels special, one that wasn't quite established last season.

"There were so many times through the whole season where we were losing close games because we really didn't have that confidence about us," Walton said. "We had it about Kobe, but not about us as a team."

Walton foresees the Lakers winning more of the close games they lost last season and positioning themselves to make better postseason use of Bryant.

"The thing about basketball, when you get to the playoffs, every game comes down to the very end," Walton said. "We've got the best clutch player in the game on our team. So we feel as long as we play like a team and hopefully get a better seed than seventh and have home-court advantage, then we can win that and move on. And we match up pretty well against a lot of teams in the Western Conference."

The Lakers were already competitive with most of the league's top teams last season, bolstering Walton's faith.

"If you look at last year, we had a great chance at knocking off Phoenix," Walton said. "Granted, we didn't take care of business, but they (the Suns) went all the way to the Western Conference finals and lost to Dallas. And Dallas had a great chance at winning the NBA Finals, so we feel like we're at that level. We don't feel like there's a team out there that's just better than us."

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Brian Shaw Singles Out Players

How laid-back were things Sunday in Lakerland? Assistant coach Kurt Rambis got tired of waiting after about 30 seconds of us interviewing Luke Walton and left to take a shower and go home. So assistant Brian Shaw came out, took a couple of good-natured digs at Rambis, and answered our questions.

Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw cited Kwame Brown, Luke Walton, JR Pinnock, Jordan Farmar and Brian Cook as most impressive in the team's extensive scrimmages Saturday night. Brown converted his opportunities in the post and Pinnock showed his athleticism. "(Farmar’s) team was kind of stacked against him," Shaw said, "but he held his own and he did well." Shaw served as Kwame Brown's primary confidant last season, and going into this season, Shaw said he's telling Brown: "Keep riding that wave of confidence."

Shaw said things have been a little different not having Phil Jackson around.

"Every coach that's on that staff has an opinion,'' Shaw said. "That's what Phil likes. When he's here, as a head coach you don't want all your assistants to be on the same page. You want them to debate and argue. You take all that information into consideration, but then you say, `This is how we're going to do it' and we follow suit.''

Shaw said the first 1 1-2 days of training camp were a little less organized than usual but the staff has adjusted quickly. Jackson and Rambis are talking daily.

On a completely different note, Sasha Vujacic and Vladimir Radmanovic have taken to pairing off when they shoot after practice. It looks like Vujacic, who was mentored by Vlade Divac during his rookie season, has welcomed the addition of a new Vlade to the team.

Small forward Maurice Evans on the triangle offense: "People don't realize the complexity of this offense. Guys like Kobe and (Michael) Jordan make it look so easy. Even guys like Rick Fox grew into the position and did so well that you kind of take it for granted how much you have to learn."

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Farmar is working on jump shot

BY ROSS SILER, Staff Writer
Article Last Updated:10/07/2006 11:15:48 PM PDT

EL SEGUNDO - After all his teammates had left for the afternoon, Lakers rookie guard Jordan Farmar (Taft of Woodland Hills) stayed on the practice court Saturday taking onejumper after another.

Those extra 15 minutes of work were a sure sign of Farmar's determination. Even though he had to be back for a scrimmage in only five hours, Farmar would not leave the gym without feeling good about his shot.

Only six months after leading UCLA to the NCAA championship game, Farmar is starting over as a 19-year-old in the NBA. He played beyond his years on the Lakers' summer-league team but knows nothing is guaranteed as a rookie.

With three other ball-handling guards on the roster - Smush Parker, Sasha Vujacic and Shammond Williams - Farmar might get his minutes in the NBA Development League this season.

But he might also be able to challenge for a role, especially if he can knock down his jumper with consistency. Farmar summed up his expectations for the season as "just to be productive, whatever they need me for.

"If I'm going to play, I want to contribute as much as I can. I definitely want to play, I want to be out here and compete and make the guys ahead of me better so that we can improve as a team."

Farmar said he struggled a little with his shot in the firstweek of training camp.

The Lakers have worked with Farmar to change how he shoots. Farmar has a tendency to lean back slightly, which leaves his jumper coming up short. Now he is making a point of going up straight or leaning forward when he shoots.

Sure-handed: After a season of watching center Kwame Brown sometimes fumble away passes out of bounds, assistant coach Kurt Rambis' comment Saturday came almost as a revelation.

"To be honest with you, I don't think that I've noticed him dropping the ball in this training camp," Rambis said.

His biggest challenge comes not only in catching the ball, but in slowing down once he has it.

"You can think about the spot that you're supposed to be at all day long," Brown said, "and then you can't do nothing without the rock."

[wcsoldier]

First game against Utah today... 

[Teddy Roosevelt]

First game against Utah today... 

16 hours and 45 minutes in the Laker time zone.

[Stone Cold is Bout It, Bout It]

First game against Utah today... 

16 hours and 45 minutes in the Laker time zone.

_____________

Phil Jackson returns to Lakers

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) - Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson attended a scrimmage and a good portion of his team's practice the past two days, and made his presence felt at Monday's workout.

Jackson, who had right hip replacement surgery last Tuesday, jumped right in at practice and demanded his players run a part of the offense assistant coach Kurt Rambis was holding back.
"He came in and one of the elements of the offense that I've been holding onto because I didn't feel like this group was ready for it, he shoved it right down their throats this morning," Rambis said. "So he got them going on that part of the offense."

Rambis, who has been running practices in the 61-year-old coach's absence, said the offense Jackson insisted the players run was simply another way to initiate the triangle.

Rambis said Jackson was around for about three-quarters of Monday's practice, but wasn't there when the media was allowed in.

There is no timetable for Jackson's return on a full-time basis, although he said the day before his surgery he expects to be on the bench Oct. 31 when the Lakers open the season against the Phoenix Suns.

Jackson won't be with the Lakers on Tuesday night when they play Utah in Fresno to begin the exhibition season.

Rambis said Jackson spoke to the team about communicating on defense and passing, and the players seemed to be paying strict attention.

"He's their ultimate leader," Rambis said. "He's the one that's going to be commanding them for the majority of the season."

Rambis said Jackson probably will return when his energy level is back to normal.

"You can see that he's getting better, feeling better," Rambis said. "Even from last night to this morning, he was spryer today and barking out commands to the guys. You could tell the itch was there with him. He's eager to get back."

Kobe Bryant, the defending NBA scoring champion who's still recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee three months ago, did a little work Monday without facing any defense. Bryant won't play Tuesday night, and said his return to practice remains day-to-day.

He said he will continue to do weight training and therapy on his knee.

"I'm feeling pretty good," Bryant said. "We're right on schedule. We're just taking our time and were taking it day by day, but I feel it getting better, getting stronger."

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/6034196

[LAKERS_FAN89]

Today is the first preseason game for the Lakers. They take on the Utah Jazz today at 7:00 PM in Fresno, CA. The problem is you might not see it on TV, but, you can hear the whole game on the radio. Go to dial AM 570 for those who live in Los Angeles area and the Antelope Valley at AM 610. So Go Lakers!

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Seriously, fuck K-Cal...Thank God for AM 570 though.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Kurt Rambis A Head Coach?

12:18 AM PDT on Tuesday, October 10, 2006
By BRODERICK TURNER
The Press-Enterprise

EL SEGUNDO - It was not the ideal situation, but it was an opportunity Kurt Rambis gladly accepted.

He would be in charge of the Lakers while head coach Phil Jackson recovered from right hip replacement surgery. His voice would be the voice of authority for the players. His commands would be the commands the Lakers would follow. His knowledge would be shared with the players.

Now whether or not this leads to Rambis taking the controls of his own team one day remains to be seen, but he remains hopeful that he'll be given the opportunity to be THE MAN.

"I would love to be a head coach in the NBA," said Rambis, a Lakers assistant coach and former player. "That's my ultimate goal."

It seems that whenever Rambis, 48, has been given the controls of a team it has always been under trying circumstances.

When Del Harris was fired in 1999 after the Lakers got off to a 6-6 start, Rambis was promoted from assistant to head coach.

But that was the lockout-shortened season.

Rambis didn't have the luxury of a training camp. The team had traded starting point guard Nick Van Exel that summer, brought in controversial Dennis Rodman right before Rambis took over and then traded Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell to the Hornets for Glen Rice and J. R. Reid.

Still, Rambis directed the team to nine consecutive victories, which tied a then-NBA record for most wins to start a head coaching career. The Lakers finished with a 24-13 record under Rambis and lost to the eventual NBA champion San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals.

But when the season was over, the Lakers decided to go in another direction and hired Jackson, who had been sitting out the 1998-99 season after not being brought back by the Chicago Bulls.

So there went the opportunity for Rambis, a fan favorite when he was apart of the "Showtime" Lakers of the 1980s.

"It was unfortunate that I didn't get another opportunity to continue the following year," said Rambis, who won four NBA titles with the Lakers as a player and who was known as "Clark Kent" because of the black-rimmed glasses he wore. "But I understand from a business standpoint, when Phil Jackson is available, obviously the organization was going to look at that. So from that aspect, it was a little frustrating. But it was also a tremendous opportunity to be the coach. ... It was learning to be a head coach by fire that year."
 
Rambis didn't know if he'd ever get that chance again. He went to work in the Lakers' front office for two years as an advisor and assistant general manager.

He got back into coaching when he joined Jackson's staff in 2001.

Rambis said he has learned so much from Jackson and that has helped him run this training camp.

Kobe Bryant, who was on that team in 1999, recalled what a difficult time it was for Rambis.

"It was a tough situation for him to be in in the first place," Bryant said. "I just think he's doing a great job now. He's teaching the game and his knowledge of the game, he's trying to share that with the players. I think he's doing a fantastic job."

Jackson has one of the best assistant coaching staffs in the NBA, and he could have chosen Frank Hamblen, Brian Shaw or Jim Cleamons to run the camp while he recovered from his procedure. But he chose Rambis, who also served as the Lakers' summer league coach.

"When you have a coach like Phil Jackson that can't practice the team and he's asked to pick somebody to fill in for him and he picks Kurt Rambis, I think that goes a long way in this league when people look to get a coach," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said. "Phil Jackson trusts Kurt enough to take the team in his absence. So that's a heck of a sign of confidence by our head coach."

Rambis has the respect of the players, and that has gone a long way during camp.

They talk about how he is a great tutor, about how he speaks his mind with authority but doesn't insult a player.

"If Kurt had 12 guys that he had never met before, I think he can get them to play for him," Lamar Odom said. "Kurt is real easygoing. If you can't play for a coach like that, then you might have a problem."

Rambis' wife, Linda, talked about the passion her husband has for coaching. She always has supported Kurt, first as a player and now as an assistant coach.

She knows her husband yearns to be a head coach again.

"I think it's something that he'd love to happen," she said. "But I don't think that he's dissatisfied with his current situation, either. I think that if it happens, great, and it's something that he'd like to happen. But it's not something that he's actively out there trying to make happen."

Rambis shares a lot of his duties with Hamblen, Shaw, Cleamons and Tex Winter.

Still, Jackson made Rambis the man in charge while he is away.

This is an opportunity to show his wherewithal, but Rambis also is measured about what it actually means and can mean for his future.

"This is a good experience for me," Rambis said. "But I don't know if anybody on the outside is going, 'Hmm, I heard Kurt Rambis had a good training camp.' ... But it's good for me."



I honestly see him as a Laker coach once Phil steps down...I believe it wouldn't be a bad choice either.

[Teddy Roosevelt]

^^Yeah, he'd definatly make a good coach.

[LAKERS_FAN89]

kobe'lamar and phil jackson r not there

[Stone Cold is Bout It, Bout It]

Sasha!!!!!!!!!!!   

1st Half Breakdown: The Jazz controlled  the 1st quarter, they had a 4 point lead & then when Bynum came in to the game that's when the Jazz got a 10 point lead..Bynum did not play good defense and was involve in 4 turnover's...2 of them Fisher strip the balll out of his hands & the other 2 he didn't get good position inside and when Cook & Lamar passed him the ball the jazz stoled it...

in the 2nd quarter Lamar & Smush come back in the game and the next thing you know Sasha, Lamar & Smush hit 3 pointers and cut the lead to 1 point.....& then My nigga sasha took over...He made a lay-up...stoled the ball and ran the break with turiaf and turiaf got a dunk & then Sasha hit a nother 3 and now the Lakers are up by 3 points   

Luke had 6 points in the 1st quarter...at the end of the 2nd quarter he fell hard and i think he's hurt 

And Smush has been aggresive.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Halftime Score:
Lakers - 44
Jazz - 41



I think there's a good chance Lakers will lose this game, but then again, Kurt Rambis is coaching, so he might be taking things a little more seriously than Phil usually does in pre-season play...PeACe

[LAKERS_FAN89]

Lakers Win 94 TO 79

FUCK YEAH GO LAKERS BITCH..IM HAPPY