The Official Los Angeles Lakers thread

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

For Odom, it's all in the timing

By Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer
October 22, 2006

Someone on the Lakers wasn't happy with Lamar Odom's near triple-double in Friday's exhibition game.

Odom himself.

"Sometimes stats can lie a little bit," the Lakers forward said a day after a 17-point, 10-rebound, nine-assist effort against New Orleans. "I know what I expect out of myself. Nobody here expects more out of Lamar Odom than Lamar Odom. That's just one game."

Odom is frustrated with his timing and conditioning after spending a summer away from basketball.

He remained in New York longer than expected after his infant son, Jayden, died from sudden infant death syndrome in June. Then, while trying to cope among friends and family, Odom was mugged at night by a teenager while walking near a family member's home in Queens, N.Y.

He went months without picking up a basketball.

"My timing is still off and I still have got a couple weeks to go as far as getting my body under [control]," Odom said. "I want to trim down a little bit, add some [muscle] mass at the same time. I'm not as strong as I was coming into last year. I want to be in better shape."

Odom weighs 245 pounds but wants to get down to a leaner 238.

The Lakers aren't down on Odom the way Odom is down on Odom.

"He's still working himself into basketball shape, getting the timing and the rhythm that he needs, but I thought there were some really nice sequences with him in the game [Friday] where he was aggressive taking the ball to the basket," assistant coach Kurt Rambis said. "That's kind of what we really need him to do."

Odom will need to adjust to a different position.

The Lakers have more ball-handling guards than they did last season, so Odom has played out on the wing instead of bringing the ball upcourt as a point forward. He could also play center against smaller teams while Kwame Brown and Chris Mihm remain sidelined in the early part of the regular season.

Either way, Odom's thoughts don't wander far from Jayden. Before every game, he hangs in his locker an oversized T-shirt with Jayden's image on it.

"It's still something I have to deal with every day," Odom said.

-

Kobe Bryant will not play tonight against Phoenix, the seventh exhibition game he has sat out. The Lakers will have one exhibition left, Thursday against Denver, before the regular season begins Oct. 31 against Phoenix.

Bryant has taken part in a few light scrimmages but has not gone though a full practice since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in mid-July.

"Obviously, the more games and more practices the better, but … you can't put it in a 'need' and 'have to' situation," Rambis said.

"We just have to adjust whenever he does come back."

The team still expects Bryant to play in the opener, but his absence would mean more reliance on Odom, who averaged 14.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists last season.

"It's not an 'Aw, man,' " Odom said. "It's just like in the army when a soldier goes down, a captain, a sergeant, a colonel goes down — somebody's got to step up and do the job. I think that's something that I'm prepared for, but I want to have my guy back."

And when Bryant returns?

"I think everybody kind of knows what page to be on," Odom said. "I don't think it will be hard at all."

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Rookie Farmar says he's living Hollywood dream with Lakers

By Jay Posner
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
October 22, 2006

Gyms across America are littered with stories of basketball players who left college early only to see their NBA dreams crash head-on into a different kind of reality on draft day. The kind that leaves a player no closer to the NBA than a TV screen in the middle of the night in some faraway country.

Then there's Jordan Farmar.

A star point guard at UCLA for two seasons, Farmar opted to declare for the draft last spring after the Bruins came within one victory of the national championship.

He thought he would be picked in the first round, but there was no guarantee. And surely there was no way to know it would turn out to be the fulfillment of a dream.

For someone who was born in Los Angeles, grew up a Lakers fan, played his high school ball in Woodland Hills (Taft High) and his college ball in Westwood, what could be more perfect than to be drafted by the Lakers in the first round?

“It's very surreal,” Farmar said recently while visiting San Diego to promote tonight's (6:30) Lakers-Suns exhibition at the ipayOne Center. “It's like an Academy Award-winning script . . . a script that couldn't have been written up any more perfectly than I've been living.”

Farmar called his decision to leave UCLA the toughest of his life. As he said, “You're in college, you're innocent, a kid with no real responsibilities. . . . But everybody has a time frame and I just think it was the time for me to go. I got a lot of positive feedback that I could end up in a good situation. Look at it: I don't think it's any better than this.”

Farmar might not play very much as a rookie – when healthy the Lakers are deep at guard – but he's not in this for the short run. After all, he'll still be a teenager until the last day of November.

“I think I have a lot to offer, but at the same time I'm definitely willing to wait my turn,” said the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Farmar. “When the opportunity is given I'll be ready, but for me it's about learning, doing my homework, watching people in front of me, watching film, studying the triangle, talking to (coach) Phil (Jackson) and seeing what he wants me to do.”

Jackson hasn't been around much this month because of hip replacement surgery Oct. 3, but assistant coach Kurt Rambis, who has been running the team, said Farmar “is going to be an excellent performer in this league.”

Farmar has “true point guard skills,” Rambis said, adding the rookie has picked up the triangle offense quickly, can create shots for himself and his teammates and play defense. But, Rambis also said, “He is going to have adjustments because of his size and because of his strength, dealing with players in the NBA.”

Rambis joked that with the way the Lakers have been losing players to injury, Farmar could be starting soon. But it's more than likely he won't see as much time this season with the Lakers as he will with their Development League team, the D-Fenders, who will begin a 50-game schedule late next month.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Evans banks on consistency
The Lakers newcomer has been solid so far in exhibition play.

By JANIS CARR
The Orange County Register

EL SEGUNDO – Maurice Evans wants to play, wants to be part of the Lakers rotation when the season begins and all the starters return from injury.

The 6-foot-7 guard, acquired in an offseason in a trade with the Detroit Pistons, doesn't want to be an exhibition-game phenomenon. Evans wants to be a constant threat in the Lakers lineup this season.

Evans thus far has been a consistent performer for the injury-depleted Lakers, who need all the help they can get. Evans, who has started five of the six exhibition games, boosted his scoring average to 10.7 points with his 27-point performance Friday night in a victory against New Orleans. He said he slowly is learning the ins and outs of the triangle offense.

"I just want to stay composed and take my time out there," said Evans, a three-year veteran out of Texas. "The system here is so very, very complicated, and there is so much to learn.

"I have played in offenses that use one or two options out of it (triangle), but this is such a complex offense that I credit players like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, those players who have had a lot of success out of this system, because it is so complex.

"One minute you might be playing in the post and the next minute you might be out on the perimeter shooting threes. The thing is, you have to know so many positions."

The Lakers have plenty of open spots because the injuries.

There are seven players currently nursing injuries, meaning Evans could be back in the starting lineup tonight when the Lakers play Phoenix in San Diego.

"I will fill whatever void they need me to fill," he said.

Evans, 27, has jumped around the league, playing for four teams in four years. He said he would like to have a permanent role in Los Angeles.

"I've never lacked confidence and, of course, the success has helped, but mostly the success has given me confidence in the scheme we run," he said.

Kurt Rambis, who is coaching the team in Phil Jackson's absence, said Evans has picked up the offense well considering its complexity.

"He's done a good job for us, playing in the guard or wing spot," Rambis said, "although at times, he's gotten confused as to what he's supposed to do because we're switching positions all the time.

"But we like him on defense, as well. There have been several ballgames where he has defended very well. He is fitting himself in very nicely."

UP AND DOWN

Injuries continue to play a factor in the Lakers' ability to settle on any kind of rotation. One player goes down and another returns to the lineup.

The good news for the team is that guard Sasha Vujacic will be back tonight from a sprained ankle.

The bad news is that Kobe Bryant, who has yet to play after knee surgery and will not play in tonight's exhibition, leaving him one game - Thursday at Honda Center - to test his knee before the Oct. 31 regular-season opener.

"The more practices and more games we can get Kobe, the better," Rambis said. "But it is what it is and we'll have to adjust to whenever he does come back."

Vladimir Radmanovic (hand injury) and guard Shammond Williams (abdominal strain) will not play against Phoenix tonight.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Odom could be at the center of things

BY ROSS SILER, Staff Writer
Article Last Updated:10/21/2006 10:26:36 PM PDT

EL SEGUNDO - Even before learning that Kwame Brown and Chris Mihm would be out to start the season, the Lakers had been considering playing Lamar Odom at times as a center in a small lineup.

"We see the versatility of our team that we could put a lineup out there that's almost the same size," Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis said, "where we can do a lot of switching, where we can do a lot of getting into our offense not caring who went to what spot, not caring who's bringing the ball up because they could all do it."

The Lakers had the option of using just such a lineup in Friday's exhibition game against New Orleans. The Hornets were playing without Tyson Chandler, who missed the game with a sprained ankle, and started 6-foot-9 forward David West at center.

Instead, Rambis decided to start Andrew Bynum, saying that getting the teenage center experience with Brown and Mihm out was the Lakers' biggest immediate concern.

However, the Lakers will consider using Odom at center, especially as their Western Conference counterparts continue to follow the Phoenix Suns' lead in going smaller.

As one example, Troy Murphy will move from power forward to center with Golden State this season. The

Suns advanced to the conference finals last season with Boris Diaw, a converted guard, starting at center.

"It depends on the matchups," Odom said. "A lot of times right now, you've got a lot of these teams that are going smaller. Against them, probably so. Against a natural 7-foot, 270-pound center, probably not."

As one of the league's most versatile players, Odom is at his best playing to mismatches on the floor. He handles the ball well enough that the Lakers had him initiate the triangle offense from the backcourt last season and lead the fast break.

With so many injuries this preseason, the Lakers have had Odom playing as a forward on the wing. He finished with 17points, 10 rebounds and nineassists Friday.

No Kobe: The Lakers said Kobe Bryant would not play in tonight's exhibition game against Phoenix in San Diego. That leaves one exhibition game - Thursday in Anaheim - for Bryant to test his right knee before the start of the season Oct. 31.

[ecrazy]

WOW, you should start your own website NIK - Lakers News Network - eh?

[LAKERS_FAN89]

Lakers won good game they play really good hopefully i see them play like that on oct31 and im pretty sure kobe will play so we aint going have no problem

finals LAKERS 94 TO 91

PROPS TO LUKE HITTIN THAT NICE 3 Bynum Sasha Farmar AND PROPS 2 EVERYBODY PLAYING GOOD

L'UP

[Tha G In Deee]

Lakers won good game thay play really good hopefully i see them play like that on oct31 and im pretty sure kobe will play so we aint going no have problem

finals LAKERS 94 TO 91

PROPS TO LUKE HITTIN THAT NICE 3 Bynum Sasha Farmar AND PROPS 2 EVERYBODY PLAYING GOOD

L'UP

^Word...October 31st's gonna be one hell of a game, especially with Kobe back...

[Stone Cold is Bout It, Bout It]

Those fucking Turnovers , man!!    ....

Lamar and Smush turn the ball over way to much....And has anyone notice how many offensive fouls Lamar gets?...now i know why he doesn't get agressive on offense..

Lamar TO's last 3 games: 16

Smush TO's last 3 games:: 11

Bynum had a GREAT Game...He showed some great moves in the post.... he was fighting for inside position, demanding the ball...he looked like shaq before he became lazy....the previous 2 games he had a total of 7 rebounds, he had 9 last night...played solid defense. I've also notice Bynum is pretty good passer like Arvydas Sabonis 

Turiaf had a monster block on Stoudmire, He was playing great Defense & getting some Offensive  Rebounds, Luke is still playing great, Sasha , Farmar playing real good.....Lakers just need to protect the ball better, they had 30 TO's Last night 

[GangstaBoogy]

wow they played in SAN DIEGO!? 

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

^^Yup...And you missed a GREAT one. Bynum's breakthrough game. he looked so damn dominant down there...FUCK anyone who claimed "Bynum will be a Theo Ratliff type player at best"...This kid is gunna be BIG. Did anyone see the foot-work? Holy shit, Bynum will easily be a 20-10 guy by the time his career is over...I've been waiting for a game like this, in which he keeps his head up, demands the ball, and showcases his dominance (like he did in the SPL)...PeACe

[Teddy Roosevelt]

wow they played in SAN DIEGO!? 

They play a preseaon game in San Diego every year.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Bynum putting himself in a position to succeed

BY ROSS SILER, Staff Writer
Article Last Updated:10/22/2006 10:44:55 PM PDT

SAN DIEGO - With every dunk in the first half Sunday night, Lakers center Andrew Bynum s second-to-last game as an 18-year-old grew more memorable by the minute.

Bynum punished Boris Diaw and the Phoenix Suns in the Lakers 94-91 exhibition victory. He clapped his hands and called for the ball early and went on to total 12 points and hit six of seven shots, dunking four times in the half.

It s not really a size thing, Bynum said. It s just about beating (Diaw) down the floor and getting good position. I ve been working on that a lot in practice.

We call it post-man sprinting. I was just trying to get out in front of everybody, turn around and seal in the front of the lane and get an easy deuce.

It was a welcome development for the Lakers, who will open the season in nine days against the Suns without injured centers Kwame Brown and Chris Mihm, leaving Bynum to help fill the void.

Bynum finished with 16points and nine rebounds in 25 ½ minutes, matching the most points he has scored in any NBA game. He is still so young, though, that his teammates stole his shower shoes once again after the game, leaving Bynum in soaking wet socks.

Then they put them back like I didn t see them, Bynum said.

The Lakers fell behind 10-0 in the opening three minutes, but Bynum settled in by facing up the 6-foot-8 Diaw and putting the ball on the floor. He spun to the middle, then changed direction on Diaw and powered in a layup.

When he checked back in with 5:22 left in the second quarter, Bynum fought to position himself for a lob with Diaw fronting him on defense. He finally got the pass from Lamar Odom and dunked it home.

There were a lot of sequences out there where he did some really good things using his size, Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis said.

The Lakers brought back their starters in the fourth quarter while the Suns kept theirs on the bench. Luke Walton, who finished with 19 points in his return to San Diego, drilled a 3-pointer with 41.9 seconds left to put the Lakers ahead for good.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Walton Aims to Play

11:10 PM PDT on Sunday, October 22, 2006
By Broderick Turner
The Press-Enterprise
 
SAN DIEGO - It's as if Luke Walton has been overlooked by the Lakers when talks surfaced about players seeking a contract extension or having an option picked up for next season.

Walton is in the last year of a two-year deal that pays him $1.25 million. He said there has been no discussion of a contract extension.

Walton said that hasn't been foremost on his mind during training camp.

He knows the Lakers are talking with Brian Cook about a multi-year contract and with Sasha Vujacic about picking up his $1.756 million option for next season.

Walton knows what's at stake for him.

"Yeah, I'm playing for a contract," Walton said. "I'll be a free agent next year. But it's not something that I'm worried about right now. I just play the game and let the rest take care of itself."

The Lakers signed Vladimir Radmanovic as a free agent to provide them with outside scoring from the small forward spot.

That's the same position Walton plays, the same position Walton started six regular-season games and seven playoff games at last season.

Walton is not sure what his role will be this season, but he said he'll work hard nonetheless.

"I'm going to try and work my butt off and keep or get back the starting spot that I had last year," said Walton, who started Sunday night and had a game-high 19 points and five rebounds in the Lakers' 94-91 exhibition victory over the Phoenix Suns at ipayOne Center. "The Lakers are trying to win, I'm trying to win and play. They haven't told me anything yet."

Walton, who attended University High here and had family and friends here cheering him on, played a big role in the Lakers improving to 4-3.

So did Andrew Bynum, who had 16 points and nine rebounds, and Lamar Odom, who had 18 points and nine rebounds.

Walton's three-pointer gave the Lakers a 93-89 cushion. After Leandro Barbosa scored, Walton got an offensive rebound and was fouled.

He made one of two free throws for the final margin, and he got the final rebound of the game.

Bryant Expected Back

Kobe Bryant hasn't played in an exhibition game and has just one chance left when the Lakers players the Denver Nuggets Thursday night in Anaheim.

Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis, who has been running the team while head coach Phil Jackson recovers from hip-replacement surgery, was asked if there was a possibility Bryant might not be ready for the regular season opener Oct. 31.

"That's Phil's problem," Rambis said, laughing. "We fully anticipate that he will be back to start the regular season."

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

So far, Winter likes what he's seeing

By Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer
October 23, 2006

SAN DIEGO — Tex Winter has seen it all, coached it all and even collected it all together in a voluminous book.

Now 84 and in his 60th year of drawing a basketball-related paycheck, the Lakers consultant is known to speak his mind, mixing the good with the bad, whatever price the truth might bear.

ADVERTISEMENTIn recent years, he has chastised Kobe Bryant for forcing too many shots and criticized Lamar Odom for inconsistency.

So it might come as a surprise that his view of the Lakers' exhibition season is fairly bullish.

"Of course we're faced with a number of key injuries, with [Chris] Mihm being out and of course Kobe," he said. "And we've had other guys playing hurt quite a bit. But I think overall our preseason has been very good. They're very eager.

"I'm well pleased with the attitude they've had, especially with Phil [Jackson] being out. [Assistant coach] Kurt Rambis has done an outstanding job. "

Of course, Winter always sees ways to improve. When asked how, he points immediately to the frontcourt.

"We've got to solve that post problem some way," he said. "I just hope that [Andrew] Bynum can get the job done for us. I think as the season goes, he's going to improve. He's shown some signs now that I didn't see previously. He's getting up and down the floor better, for one thing. It seems to me there had been times where he was stuck in mud."

Winter also senses a need to spring Odom for more points, supplementing assists and rebounds with more scoring. Odom averaged 14.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists last season.

"I'm not sure what it's going to be, but we've got to do something to tear him loose," Winter said. "He's a much better basketball player than a guy scoring three or four buckets a ballgame. That's about all we've gotten out of Odom thus far [in exhibition play]. We need to get a whole lot more out of Odom than that if we expect to be a contender. And I think we will. I think he'll be OK. He's had a rough summer, a rough time.

"I'm in hopes that Odom can break loose and be the kind of double-figure scorer and double-figure rebounder and defensive player that I think he's capable of being. I think he's capable of being one of the very best in the league."

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

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