The Official Los Angeles Lakers thread

[LAKERS_FAN89]

LOL

[Stone Cold is Bout It, Bout It]

Dr. Jerry Buss will be inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Mon 10/30 12 PM PST FSN West

Also, FSN West will air In My Own Words - Jerry Buss 10/29 at 10 PM

[Teddy Roosevelt]

Dr. Jerry Buss will be inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

What category is he under?

[Teddy Roosevelt]

Ready or Not, Here's Bynum

By Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer
October 21, 2006

Andrew Bynum turns 19 next Friday, but he hasn't submitted a gift list to anyone.

"I have everything I ever wanted — I'm playing in the NBA, got a house, cars," he said. "I don't really need much else."

Like it or not, he'll be getting something from the Lakers — playing time.

His employers are without two centers, leaving him as the man in the middle, ready or not.

A year and a half ago, Bynum was battling the East Brunswick Bears and South Plainfield Tigers in the Greater Middlesex (N.J.) Conference. Now there's a strong possibility he'll be the team's starting center when the season begins Oct. 31. Kwame Brown is out three to four weeks because of a bruised rotator cuff and bursitis in his right shoulder, and Chris Mihm has not practiced since ankle surgery in July.

By default, it's time to see what Bynum can do.

"Throw him in the pool," said Lakers assistant coach Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was hired specifically to teach Bynum the ways of the game. "He's either going to swim or he'll need to be fished out."

Maybe Bynum will put it all together, as he has in spurts throughout his brief career. Or maybe the guy with the hook should remain poolside.

"I think he's going to do all right," Abdul-Jabbar said. "He seems to be doing the right things at the right time and he's listening better. With all the repetitions, he's starting to understand the lessons.

"He's starting to become a defensive presence. That's really what we need. Initially last year, he thought the game was all offense and all he had to do was go out there and score. He has the potential to be a great shot-blocker because of his length. He doesn't necessarily have to block shots, he just has to discourage shots."

A year ago, the 10th pick in the 2005 draft was shy around teammates and the media. His teammates played around with him, though, putting a blue toddler's chair in front of his locker before a road game and nicknaming him "Socks" because he sometimes wore socks in the shower.

After becoming the youngest player ever to play in an NBA game, Bynum averaged 1.6 points and 1.7 rebounds in 46 games last season. Through six exhibition games, he is averaging seven points and 3.8 rebounds.

There are areas of concern — he tends to keep his hands at his side while going for rebounds and his post moves aren't refined — but Bynum is eager to prove he belongs.

"I'm excited to play and I know the fans are excited," Bynum said. "Hopefully I keep getting these minutes and do my job."
Maurice Evans had 27 points and the Lakers defeated New Orleans, 113-106, in an exhibition at Staples Center. Lamar Odom had 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Brian Cook returned from a sprained ankle, but Sasha Vujacic sat out because of a sprained ankle, meaning the Lakers played again without eight players…. Lakers owner Jerry Buss will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Oct. 30.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Damn Mo Evans came out of nowhere, I didn't know he was capable of that.

Well, you shoulda, cuz I told ya...

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Walton delivers in exhibition victory

BY ROSS SILER, Staff Writer
Article Last Updated:10/21/2006 02:42:01 AM PDT

The sample size is admittedly small - only six exhibition games played in half-filled arenas - but Lakers forward Luke Walton has looked anything but shaky when it comes to shooting the ball this season.

Walton hit 5 of 9 shots in the Lakers' 113-106 victory over New Orleans on Friday night and is shooting 54.5 percent for the preseason - remarkable considering Walton has been a 41.5 percent shooter for his career.

With his shot falling, Walton has been able to show off his full skill set on the floor.

He finished with 12 points and four assists Friday at Staples Center and is averaging 9.2 points and 4.2 assists.

"He's playing with a lot of confidence," Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis said. "I think there were stretches of last year where he was overly concerned with his shot and I think that brought some of his confidence down when he wasn't hitting his shot.

"But I think he's got a nice stroke right now and the rest of his game is there, the defense, the rebounding, the ability to pass the basketball. He's got a good head on his shoulders. He's really coming into his own as a player."

The snapshots from Friday better tell the story of Walton's night. He knocked down fadeaway jumpers inside, found cutters from the high post and drilled two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. Walton even posted up Hornets forward Peja Stojakovic in the third quarter and flipped in a left-handed shot in the lane.

"I worked on it all summer and it's just confidence," Walton said. "I feel great with the ball. I'm comfortable right now. I'm not really worried about missing."

The Lakers have opted not to start Walton even with Vladimir Radmanovic injured, instead counting on him to lead an inexperienced second unit with the likes of Jordan Farmar and Ronny Turiaf.

But Walton was on the floor at the end of Friday's game as the Hornets closed to within six points in the final two minutes. Walton said of finishing games, "That's more fun than starting."

The Lakers were led by Maurice Evans with 27 points and Lamar Odom, who narrowly missed a triple-double with 17points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

Injury report: The Lakers traded one sprained ankle for another Friday as guard Sasha Vujacic was unable to play but forward Brian Cook returned after sitting out the night before. Vujacic is day to day.

That again left the Lakers with 10 available players and eight injured players only 11 days before the season opener.

Jackson's return: The Lakers are hopeful that coach Phil Jackson can return for the team's final exhibition game Thursday in Anaheim. It would be Jackson's first game back after undergoing hip-replacement surgery Oct. 3.

[WC Iz Active]

Damn Mo Evans came out of nowhere, I didn't know he was capable of that.

Well, you shoulda, cuz I told ya...

I was praising Mo as a player long b4 u were NIK  
I knew this guy was a baller the first second I saw him play

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Damn Mo Evans came out of nowhere, I didn't know he was capable of that.

Well, you shoulda, cuz I told ya...

I was praising Mo as a player long b4 u were NIK  
I knew this guy was a baller the first second I saw him play

LOL...Show me where you praised Mo Evans on here in the past...

[WC Iz Active]

Damn Mo Evans came out of nowhere, I didn't know he was capable of that.

Well, you shoulda, cuz I told ya...

I was praising Mo as a player long b4 u were NIK  
I knew this guy was a baller the first second I saw him play

LOL...Show me where you praised Mo Evans on here in the past...

I'm sure if I do some work in the archives I can find some   just playing around but I watche him all yeah when he was on Sac, shocked they let him go

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Smush makes impact
Lakers guard drawing praise

By Ross Siler Staff Writer

LOS ANGELES - The matchup did not seem to favor Lakers guard Smush Parker in Friday night's exhibition game at Staples Center. Not with New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul, the NBA's best rookie a season ago, starting opposite him.

But Parker provided the spark the Lakers were looking for in their 113-106 victory by out-playing Paul for stretches of the first half and contributing to a second-quarter, 10-0 run with his all-around play.

Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis talked before the game about Parker's importance as the player who gets the team into its offense and sets the tone on defense.

"We want him to be more of a vocal leader out there," Rambis added, "so that people will turn to him and look to him to do the right things at the right time."

Parker led by example Friday by hitting 4 of 5 shots and finishing with 11 points in 27 minutes. He used his height advantage to score on Paul in the first quarter and connected on a 3-pointer off a pass from Andrew Bynum.

Once he returned in the second quarter, Parker helped the Lakers break open the game. He poked the ball free from Paul on defense and slapped it off the Hornets guard out of bounds to force a turnover.

Paul went scoreless with four turnovers in 14 minutes in the first half.

The Lakers were led by Maurice Evans with 27 points and Lamar Odom with 17.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Lakers vs. Clippers Box Score:
http://www.nba.com/games/20061019/LACLAL/boxscore.html

Lakers vs. Hornets Box Score:
http://www.nba.com/games/20061020/NOKLAL/boxscore.html

[LAKERS_FAN89]

a what did happend to that flippers fan?

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Lakers vs. Phoenix, 6:30 PM today... Only 9 days away from the real thing though.

[LAKERS_FAN89]

Lakers vs. Phoenix, 6:30 PM today... Only 9 days away from the real thing though.

what do u know bout im going over there to

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Farmar has to play; someone tell Lakers

By STEVE BISHEFF
The Orange County register

LOS ANGELES – The kid has to play.

I know he is only 19. I realize he is bound to make some mistakes. I understand Phil Jackson looks at rookies the way the rest of us have been looking at spinach for the past month.

But Jordan Farmar is different.

The Lakers' No.1 draft choice out of UCLA plays more like he's 29 than 19. He has the kind of IQ in basketball that Matt Leinart has in football. The game, like the ball, comes naturally to him. Instinctively, he knows where to go and what to do on the court.

"I'm a big fan of Jordan's," teammate Luke Walton said. "I think he's going to be a great guard in this league. He works hard and learns quickly There's something special that makes great point guards, and he has it."

Now it's just a matter of convincing his coach. Maybe Jackson, still recovering from hip-replacement surgery, will be more intrigued when he studies the tape of Thursday night's exhibition game against the Clippers at Staples Center.

With half of the Lakers roster out because of injuries, it was a relatively dull, uneventful game. Until Farmar came in and took over the fourth quarter, not only scoring 11 points, but completely controlling the tempo.

There was a slick, wrap-around pass to Walton here, and a perfectly timed fast-break assist to Maurice Evans there, both complemented by a feathery three-pointer and a snake-like layup through thick traffic.

Then, down by one point with 15 seconds to go, interim coach Kurt Rambis ordered a clear out and gave Farmar the ball, much the same way Ben Holland did for two years in Westwood.

The kid tried to execute a pick-and-roll that didn't work, then broke for the hoop only to have the ball batted away on his dribble. Game over, Lakers lose, 91-90, on a play where it appeared Farmar had been fouled.

The thing is, the kid wasn't fazed. Like Kobe Bryant when he was a teenage rookie, Farmar wasn't afraid, either.

"I'm a rookie," he said afterward. "I know I'm not going to get any of those calls."

Farmar acts like he is having the time of his life. Maybe because he is.

"I'm always having fun," he said, smiling. "I'm 19 years old and I'm playing in the NBA. It's fun."

It might not be in a couple of weeks, when the regular season starts and Farmar finds himself glued to the bench.

"It will be tough," he said. "I've never sat at any time playing basketball. I've always been The Man. I want to be that here, but I know I have to earn it. These are grown men with families I'm competing with and against. I have to wait my turn."

Playing for Jackson, you first have to prove you can get the job done defensively. It won't be easy for Farmar, who can still struggle at that end of the floor, the way he struggled at times with 6-foot-7 Shaun Livingston the other night.

But like Livingston with the Clippers, Farmar is the future at point guard on his team. Already he is the closest thing to a leader the Lakers have in the backcourt.

Smush Parker, who proved himself last year, is the obvious starter. And there are a collection of older, more experienced guys who will begin ahead of the No.1 draft pick.

But already you can see that Farmar is more talented, more assertive and more prone to look for the open man than anyone else on the roster.

He probably isn't as good a shooter as Parker or some of the others, but that will come. He certainly shot well enough at UCLA.

The key will be when Bryant, who has been resting his surgically repaired knee, gets back. When he is on the floor, the whole dynamic changes. He handles the ball two or three times more than anyone else, and the point guard, especially, has to adjust.

Rambis thinks Farmar will. In Jackson's triangle offense, even Steve Nash might have a hard time excelling. But Rambis insists that shouldn't inhibit the rookie.

"We run a lot of pick-and-roll situations," he said. "A point guard can drive through and finish. I actually think Jordan can use this offense to his advantage. Of all our new guys, he's picked it up best.

"But he has to work on his outside shot. And he'll have to learn to play against guys who are bigger, stronger and quicker than he is."

On a Lakers team with very little to get excited about besides Bryant, Farmar is a reason to watch. It was no accident he led UCLA to the NCAA Finals as a sophomore.

The kid has the style, the flair and the enthusiasm to make an immediate impact in this league.

If only a stubborn, old-school coach will give him the chance.